[FDJ]Chapter 105: Madness Continues

"Book?"

Aphaf, standing up with the help of magic, lowered her head. Her body exhibited extremely unnatural tremors. It felt like with each jolt of the carriage, she would fall again.

"At your age of only 15, how many types of magecraft have you actually studied?" Eleanor couldn't believe that a 15-year-old child would dare to fragment her consciousness and touch forbidden magecraft that even Eleanor herself had never encountered. Perhaps it was under Saladin's instructions. That was the only possibility Eleanor could think of.

"The book... Where is it?"

The ruined Mystic Eye continued to show traces of magic. Aside from fresh blood, due to the involvement of abnormal magical categories, there was a mixture of black mucus flowing down Aphaf's cheeks. Her face veil, which had covered her face, had already fallen off. However, her blood-stained visage only made Eleanor feel disgusted.

Eleanor highly suspected that the unknown magecraft Aphaf was currently utilizing would gradually turn the user into a Dead Apostle. "Although you may not be able to hear what I'm saying now, I still have to tell you that abusing magecraft will lead to a gruesome death!"

After issuing the warning, Eleanor voluntarily slowed down, lowered the guardrail of the war vehicle, and let Aphaf disembark. She had fulfilled her duty and honor. Since a 15-year-old girl dared to use such magecraft to achieve her necessary goals, it didn't matter if Eleanor watched the girl die.

Suzuki Yuki's body was unharmed, and Eleanor, who now controlled the war chariot, could escape the battlefield. Abandoning her doomed ally meant no loss to her. The situation tonight had far exceeded her expectations, but with the two strongest Servants from the Holy City handling it, there shouldn't be any major problems for the time being.

After calmly reviewing everything that had just happened, Eleanor stopped the war chariot and had it pulled again by the magically constructed horse.

...

Meanwhile, in the Holy City before dawn.

Richard, with a serious expression, returned to the city in magical form. As he walked onto the main street, a tall, red-haired man wearing a cloak immediately appeared on the deserted streets.

"Master, didn't we agree that I would act after daybreak?" With his eyes closed, Archer Tristan stood before Richard, respectfully saluting.

"There has been a change of plans. I didn't expect these reckless lunatics to summon a formidable existence. Our Berserker and Rider are currently joining forces to deal with it." Richard didn't provide much explanation. Even though he had received the latest information, the incoming "bubble" monster was suspected to be named "Yog." He didn't have complete trust in his Servants either.

"Do Berserker and Rider need to cooperate?" Archer Tristan knew the strength of the two Crusader Kings stationed in the city of Tiberias. Each of them alone could easily defeat a Servant of Tristan's caliber.

"I have instructed Rider. If they find themselves at a disadvantage, they will contact us through the Command Seals. That thing is a contamination, not belonging to this world, and it is hostile to all beings in this world."

Archer Tristan became even more puzzled. With the two Servants working together, was there still a possibility of being at a disadvantage? However, if he trusted his Master, Archer Tristan could understand the urgency of the current situation. It was no wonder Richard had returned to the Holy City unexpectedly.

"Master, there's no need for you to personally capture a few humans," Archer said, but before he could finish his sentence, he felt the presence of others behind him on the empty street. "Who's there?"

Without hesitation, Archer shot an arrow. Only the sound of a person falling to the ground could be heard. Archer quickly rushed to the corner of the street and saw a masked person who had been precisely shot through the heart by him. It was just an ordinary human.

Archer approached the fallen masked man and quickly made a gesture with his right hand, which he had kept behind him. After getting close to the masked man, he reached out and pulled off the mask, confirming that the person's appearance seemed like an inconspicuous resident of the Holy City. There were no obvious markings on their clothing, and they only carried two short knives and a short bow hanging from their waist.

"Young and serving as cannon fodder?" Archer Tristan's voice was soft. Even in the dimly lit corner of the street, he still kept his eyes closed as he covered the face of the deceased with the mask. Archer could already hear the approaching footsteps in the distance.

The next moment, the sound of unsheathed swords echoed continuously as at least ten people attacked Richard from various directions. These assassins wore attire similar to the young man lying against the wall, and their weapons were all short swords and knives. They were ordinary people who didn't know that a distance of 20 meters was nothing for a Servant, who could reach it in the blink of an eye. Archer could easily deal with these attackers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

Richard drew his sword even faster, striking first and piercing the throat of the assassin charging towards him from the left. Then, with agility beyond human reach, he dodged multiple crossbow bolts.

Swiftly retracting the sword that was supposed to be stuck, Richard turned around and confronted two assassins who were thrusting their knives at him. His chainmail unexpectedly protected him from the blades. Instead, the sword blades grazed the necks of the two assailants, and two heads fell to the ground.

Warm blood quickly spread, and the remaining assassins were no more than a display of Richard's lightning-fast sword techniques. After dealing with the exposed assassins, Archer had also taken care of three assassins who had been hiding and attacking with crossbow bolts. Only one assassin remained, captured alive by Archer.

Standing amidst a pool of fresh blood, Richard maintained his previous composure. He used magic to remove the bloodstains from his sword before sheathing it. "No need to keep any of them alive. I don't have time to interrogate these hired assassins."

However, composure alone was not enough. Richard's current state was mixed with anger and urgency. The encounter with the assassins further deepened his suspicions. The opposing side had a well-prepared contingency plan, and there were undoubtedly spies who leaked information from the military camp.

Leaving the last stunned assassin behind, the two of them headed straight for Raynard's mansion in the Holy City. Caster's snake familiar, which he had raised, would digest the bodies on the ground. As long as it remained alive, it would suffice.

After confirming that there were only low-level bounded fields in the mansion, Archer proceeded to break through the barriers at the fastest speed, shattering the source of magical power within the entire estate with a single arrow. Inside Raynard's mansion, everything was quiet, and no one noticed that a Servant had already intruded.

Richard followed closely behind Archer Tristan, displaying a more cautious demeanor upon entering the mansion. "There are magical barriers set up here, but there are no familiars or other warning mechanisms. Something isn't right."

"Perhaps it's not him causing trouble?" Richard suggested.

Archer picked up a fragment of a gem that he had shattered with an arrow and carefully examined it, confirming that there were no abnormal magical reactions present.

"Who's there? Who is it?" A figure emerged from between the fences in the courtyard, their voice sounding panicked and bewildered.

Archer and Richard exchanged glances before turning towards the direction the voice came from.

"Duke Raynard, visiting your mansion late at night. Do I need to explain my purpose?" Richard maintained a posture ready to draw his sword at any moment, forcefully questioning the figure.

"I don't understand..." Unexpectedly, the plump Duke Raynard transformed from the shadow into his normal human form and appeared alone in his courtyard. He looked drowsy, wearing his pajamas, as if he had just woken up from his bed. "I woke up after my bounded field was damaged. What is the purpose of both of you being here?"

Given the current situation, Archer was confident in shooting Duke Raynard, who was 10 meters away, with a single arrow, regardless of whether the duke possessed exceptional magic.

"Very well, Duke Raynard, I'll ask you two questions," Richard said, pointing at him with one hand. "Have you recently summoned familiars that do not belong to this world? Monstrous beings that exist in madness and distortion, along with their superior entities?"

"Familiars? Summoning? I'm not quite following your words, Richard," Duke Raynard, facing the 20-year-old Richard who had intruded into his mansion late at night, maintained his noble composure and shook his head in complete confusion.

"Alright, second question," Richard turned his head towards the main gate of the mansion, and Duke Raynard followed suit.

"Take action, Archer!"

The command was conveyed directly to Archer Tristan through the connection of their contract, and he immediately raised his bow and shot an arrow. There was a muffled sound, and Duke Raynard was struck by the arrow and fell to the ground.

"There's nothing more trustworthy than a dead person, wouldn't you agree, Duke Raynard?" Richard walked up to the fallen Raynard, confirming that he was no longer breathing.

Archer then approached and touched the body.

"No, Master, this is a substitute dummy," Archer said, immediately blocking Richard before an explosion occurred. Having magical resistance, Archer only ended up with a face covered in soot.

Richard circumvented the black smoke, surveyed the quiet courtyard, drew his sword, and strode towards the main residence. "It seems our dear Duke is still unwilling to tell the truth. Archer, guard this place, and no one is allowed to leave!"

With that, different bounded fields enveloped the entire mansion. Richard intended to make everyone inside the mansion pay for Raynard's sins.

"Commander Richard, there are only servants and guards here. My true family members are not in the Holy City," Duke Raynard appeared near the main gate of the mansion, his true form revealed. Archer immediately saw through the deception of the dummy.

Archer shot down the dummy with an arrow and swiftly followed up with another arrow towards the mansion's fence. The arrow landed on the barrier, revealing a similar black magic in its trajectory.

Twisting like a shadow, the real Duke Raynard was tracked down by Archer.

"You forced me to this! You damn bastards!" A mixed voice of madness and rage emanated from the shadow, capable of affecting the mental state of ordinary people through sound alone.

Gradually, a transparent-colored bubble emerged from the darkness. In the instant the bubble appeared, Archer also felt a slight headache, accompanied by a cacophony of whispers and chaotic knowledge.

Richard frowned slightly, seemingly experiencing discomfort as well. He stared directly at the bubble expelled by the shadow, and a smile crossed his face. "Ah, so it was you scheming behind the scenes!"

"How can you possibly..." The shadow intensified its distortion, displaying its influence from the bubble. Its voice became even more deranged.

"Who knows," Richard responded. Now he didn't need to take action. The people inside the mansion, still immersed in their dreams, would never wake up. They were receiving knowledge beyond what the human mind could bear.