An Archer's Promise

Chapter 64: Misunderstanding?

Beta read by Shigiya and Fluffy Slayer. Special thanks to GameCrusher55

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-Feoh-

For a certain brunette Princess Knight, these past few days felt like the end times. Chaos had descended unexpectedly, shattering her once ironclad resolve. The tragedies that had befallen Claudia had basically turned her whole world upside down. First was her husband’s kidnapping, who was tortured to the brink of death. While the perpetrators behind this heinous act are still unknown, her dear husband now spends his days bedridden with little hope of recovery. 

Celestine’s behavior had become peculiar, to say the least. She couldn't even recall  the last time she had seen her friend at the local orphanage. 

Her own student, Alicia, had been holed up in her room for days following the incident. Even Kaguya refused to divulge any details about what had transpired, leaving Prim completely in the dark. 

The presence of a monster within this kingdom, wielding forbidden magic that converted people into mindless zealots was troubling enough… Yet, the fact that this being was dismissed as nothing but a vastly weakened entity by Archer was even more alarming. The weight of these events bore heavily on her.

"Will you be going back?" a voice inquired nearby. Claudia turned to see Kaguya, the young priestess, standing at the entrance of her temporary quarters, accompanied by other maidens. 

"You look tired," Kaguya observed, making her colleague want to sigh. She was in no mood for conversation, especially with her… they never were able to get along that well in the past. “I recommend a day off. Take some time to rest outside your abode. Maybe spend some time with Prim, she is a lovely friend to have along.” 

"Kaguya," Claudia replied, struggling to process a coherent thought through her exhaustion. The only thing she could manage was a tired smile. "I'm exhausted, that is true, so I may consider it. And as for whether I'm going back, no, I'll be staying here. There's a chance that those who hurt and kidnapped my husband are still roaming in my kingdom — I cannot leave Klaus there under any circumstances. My knights, who I assigned to protect him, have failed me, and I do not believe I can trust them again with such a task."

It hurt her pride to admit that. These were girls she had personally trained for years, almost like daughters she had raised to become brave and valiant warriors. Yet even that wasn't enough to quell her current fears.

"I heard what happened from my servants. You were fed an unknown substance, weren't you?" Kaguya's question made Claudia flinch, uncertain whether to agree or shake her head.

"It's unclear what happened. I just suddenly felt weak. My memories are a bit hazy," she lied, frustrated that she would resort to it. Claudia recalled fragments with startling clarity—the searing sensation of fire coursing through her veins still elicited a reaction within her body. Though the effects had waned, it lingered enough for her to still feel the ghostly grasp of that man's hands on her chest. ‘There is no way he'd do that. Grave wouldn’t...You wouldn’t stoop to such barbarity. It must have been that monster’s doing.’

At this point, she didn't know whether she was stating a fact or trying to convince herself. A part of her shuddered at the thought of being wrong, at the possibility that Grave was truly behind this.

"Why did you come here, Kaguya?" Claudia asked. Without uttering a word, the priestess strode swiftly into the room and grabbed Claudia's face, much to her shock. She instinctively wanted to pull away,k but was instead frozen byKaguya's intense gaze.