Chapter 26.1: A Painful Past (1)
Year 0002, VIII Month: The Imperium
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**A/N: !!! WARNING, READERS BE ADVISED!!!**
Some gruesome, evil, and sinful things will be discussed in this chapter to establish the background of several new characters. I sincerely apologize for the disturbing content.
You may skip these sections if you prefer not to read them.
Warning signs will be provided to prepare you, if you choose to continue reading these particular scenes.
**YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!**
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Rufus the Head Guard
Months had passed, and Chief Rommel of Kirka Frontier Village still had no news regarding the whereabouts of the remaining Ross family members.
His head guard Rufus maintained a stoic expression while his lord's adapted son and Acting Chief berated him mercilessly. He stood unperturbed as his mind filtered out the meaningless noise, mentally noting only the information that held some semblance of importance.
"Why? How could you not find a single trace of them?" Rommel's voice echoed through the chamber, his face reddened with fury. "I appointed you as head guard because they said you were the most competent man in your unit! So what is this now?!"
Rufus remained motionless for a split second, inwardly seething with anger at this spoiled brat of a lord. He clenched his fists tightly while maintaining parade rest, fearing he might lose control and strike his superior—or worse. Someone needed to teach this arrogant noble a lesson in humility, but such actions would only result in trouble for himself. So he held his breath and allowed Rommel to continue his tirade.
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The Merchant-Baron Lord Kirka
Several Years Ago…
Rommel was the adopted stepson of a minor nobleman named Kirka, a self-made man who had risen to nobility in the Principality of Ogind County, specifically in its capital city of Gremory.
It was in Gremory where Kirka had established his base of operations as a merchant and labored diligently for a decade. Eventually, Count Gremery acknowledged his contributions to both the county and the city where he resided.
For his loyalty to the county and city, he was awarded the title of Baron, along with a small parcel of land on the outskirts of the county. He was renowned in those parts as a kindhearted and honest businessman. Now a landed noble—a privilege extended to few aspiring citizens—Lord Kirka continued to do his best to improve the lives of those under his care.
After several years, he had settled into his position comfortably. Fortune had smiled upon his every venture, making him wealthy beyond measure. His main branch of business operated in the city, selling various commodities, while another branch thrived in his small but growing Frontier Village of Kirka.
He believed the time had come to establish a family of his own. But his good fortune had run its course, as a fallen noble house, like vultures circling their prey, sought to claw their way back to their former prestige. Most unfortunately, this kind hearted lord proved an easy target for their schemes.
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The Vultures Found an Unwilling Prey
Sam, the patriarch of this fallen house, selected one of his remaining daughters as bait upon hearing whispers of a newly elevated lord seeking a bride.
His chosen daughter was Elisa, who retained her beauty despite their family's diminished status. Lord Kirka was instantly captivated when they were first introduced. Something within him resonated with her presence—she appeared meek, submissive, and seemingly loyal.
But this was all a façade. She was nothing of the sort; in truth, she had become the devil incarnate, and he was to be the sacrificial lamb.
The girl's father had been a compulsive gambler since her youth. With each devastating loss, they were forced to sell portions of their estate and even some household members to settle his mounting debts.
In those days, Elisa had been a bright, cheerful teenager full of promise. Her father had taken out a substantial loan with exorbitant interest, all in gold coins, from an unscrupulous loan shark of a businessman.
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Collecting of Debt
When the time for payment came due, he could not pay—having lost everything once again to gambling.
The loan sharks nearly killed him, but he begged pitifully for his life, willingly licking the dirty boots of their intimidating leader.
"What can you offer me then?" the man asked, his voice calm yet menacing. "I've heard you've been selling most of your valuables to pay off debts. So, what do you have left, Lord Sam?"
Sam kowtowed on the ground, his face already beaten to a pulp, smeared with bile and vomit, snot hanging from his nose as he sobbed pathetically.
"Mhhhy...da...w...ter...tay...ke....herr ple...ath.spa...ir me.h..."
This desperate offer was the gravest mistake of his life.
He had employed similar tactics before with other noblemen like himself, and it had worked. But now he dealt with the devil incarnate, from whom he had borrowed money, and the price would prove far too great. His family would pay the ultimate price—one too hefty to bear.
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The Price for Dealing With the Devil
**!!! WARNING!!! YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART!!!**
At the boss's snap of fingers, his henchmen searched for the remaining daughter. They found her outside, joyfully playing with friends, and dragged her back inside the estate toward the study room.
Upon entering, she witnessed the pitiful sight of a man licking the sole of a hulking, frightening figure's boot. It was her father.
The realization dawned on her, blood draining from her face. The scenario mirrored what had happened to her sisters; her father had sold her to this man as well!
"NOOOOO!!!" she screamed, attempting to escape. But the henchmen blocked the doorway while others forced her down, face pressed against the cold floor.
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Brutus Ripp
Brutus Ripp was a man of unspeakable evil and depravity. Many of his customers had begged him in the same manner as Sam, unaware of the depths of his hatred for nobility.
He and his mother had once worked for a certain nobleman. One night, the lord and lady of the estate hosted a lavish party, inviting other like-minded nobles. The gathering featured drugs, alcohol, and various other intoxicating concoctions.
As the night progressed and inhibitions fell away, the servants became targets of amusement for the inebriated nobility. Brutus and his mother, along with other servants, suffered unimaginable horrors. The memory was seared into his consciousness—being forced to watch as his mother and others were defiled before him.
He had sobbed and pleaded for them to stop, but his cries fell on deaf ears. They made him watch as they took turns brutally assaulting his mother and the other servants. In turn, he too was violated by the many men and women attending the party.
Now, untamed lust erupted within him as the young girl entered the room. His twisted sense of morality, long corrupted by his past, stirred in anticipation of his first experience with a child.
After her failed escape attempt, his henchmen forced her to the ground and stripped her violently before her father's eyes. They held Sam down, forcing him to witness everything. His face contorted with guilt as he realized this situation differed drastically from what had happened with his other daughters.
Both father and daughter could only scream and weep as Brutus allowed his demons to take control. The girl, powerless against such a massive man, was brutally defiled in every conceivable way.
Only a few tears escaped her eyes before her voice gave out. That day, her innocence and bright smile vanished forever. She lay broken into pieces, transformed into a twisted demon who would later torture others as retribution for her trauma and in turn pleasure.
**A/N: IF YOU MANAGED TO READ UP TO THIS POINT, THEN I'M TRULY SORRY FOR SUCH A HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE.**
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The Devil's Price has Been Paid
After completing his vile deed, Brutus and his men ransacked the house, taking what few valuables remained.
"Consider your debt paid in full, Lord Sam," he declared, his voice dripping with malice. "I very much enjoyed your unwavering patronage and that ravishing little gift of yours. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
His evil laughter echoed through the halls of the once-proud estate.
The family had been cutting costs, dismissing many servants. The few remaining guards were killed, while the handful of surviving servants trembled in fear.
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What Remained of the Tradgedy
When the intruders finally departed, the remaining faithful servants rushed into the study hall, having heard the screams of their lord and the young lady.
Upon entering, they discovered their once-bright young mistress lying face down on the floor, bloodied and motionless. Lord Sam appeared to have lost consciousness.
Her bright eyes had dulled, devoid of life. They hurriedly summoned the family physician and dispatched a letter to the lady of the house, who had traveled to her parents' home to secure funds to help settle her husband's debts.
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Grave News
Within a couple of hours a messenger bird had arrived to deliver the grave news.
When the lady of the house received the news that reached her through the letter, she collapsed, unconscious. Her aging parents hurried to her side. Her father Count Raymond, was unfortunate enough to read the letter's contents, clenched his fist so tightly that it began to bleed.
"What is the matter, dear?" his wife asked, her voice filled with concern.
"THAT BASTARD! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED HIM TO MARRY OUR DAUGHTER!" he roared, casting the letter into the fire pit before storming out with his sword in hand.
He bellowed for his head guard, who appeared moments later clad in full armor. Together with his personal guards, they hastily departed for his son-in-law's estate, just in the neighboring County of Ogind.
After his departure, his wife retrieved the partially burned letter and learned the horrifying truth. She embraced her still-unconscious daughter, weeping quietly.
When her daughter regained consciousness, her mother helped her up, informing her that her father had already left and a carriage awaited them, ready to depart at a moment's notice. They wasted no time in leaving.
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A Little Too Late
Her father arrived first, having pushed forward without rest. Bodies littered the grounds outside—the estate's guards. Upon entering through the main doorway, he encountered more corpses being dragged across the floor by the remaining servants. Their eyes were hollow, yet they continued their duties, offering slight bows as he passed. He took no offense, understanding their shock and knowing that petty formalities mattered little in such circumstances.
The head butler came rushing down the steps.
"My Lord!" he exclaimed with a bow.
The older man, seething with anger, had no patience for such courtesies.
"Wh...where is she?" he demanded, his voice trembling slightly before he regained his composure.
The butler understood immediately and led him to the girl's quarters, where the physician and several maidservants attended to her wounds.
But they were too late. When he entered her room, she trembled violently at the sight of him—a trauma response that prevented her from distinguishing friend from foe.
She flew into a wild tantrum, thrashing about and hurling pillows and anything within reach toward him. The attending physician, a woman, along with the female servants caring for their lady, carefully restrained her. The physician once again casted a sleeping spell to sedate the girl and prevent her from inflicting further harm upon herself and those around her.
His heart shattered at the sight of his granddaughter's condition. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his regal but weary face; it seemed as though he had aged decades in mere moments.
He exited the room and slid down the wall outside, sitting on the floor. The guards rushed to him, but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He needed time to collect himself.
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No Amount of Cure Can Heal a Broken Mind
When the girl finally succumbed to sleep, the physician emerged from the room.
The Old Lord raised his head and questioned her: "Will she ever return to her former self?"
The physician solemnly shook her head.
"My Lord," she began hesitantly, "the trauma she experienced was too horrific, even for me to fully comprehend. She may never bear a child... or even allow a man near her again. Unless divine intervention is granted, her fate now rests with the Gods. I fear... she is broken beyond repair."
She sighed, exhaustion evident in her features.
"I see," he replied, his voice barely audible.
The damage was complete and irreversible. His remaining granddaughter was... *sigh*... Poor child.
The thought provoked him once again as his rage rekindled within him, and he began searching for the absent man responsible for his granddaughter's condition, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
"WHERE IS THAT BASTARD, THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT?!" he bellowed.
The servants trembled, and the family butler flinched. Recognizing the lord's tone, the butler escorted him to their master's chamber, where Sam lay unconscious in bed.
Upon reaching the door, he dismissed the butler and kicked it open with tremendous force.
*BOOM! THUD!*
The heavy door flew open and crashed to the floor. He seized the man by his collar, unconcerned with his unconscious state. He would awaken him with his burning fists.
Coating his arms with spells of both fire and ice magic, he began pummeling the man to consciousness. When Sam finally awoke, confusion clouded his mind as he faced the enraged older man atop him.
"YOU! DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!" the lord roared. "DO YOU HAVE NO SHAME, BRAT?! AFTER EVERYTHING MY FAMILY HAS DONE FOR YOU, THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"
"UNDER THE LAW, I CANNOT KILL YOU MYSELF, BUT PRAY TO WHATEVER GOD YOU BELIEVE IN TO SHOW YOU MERCY! BECAUSE I HAVE NONE FOR YOU!"
Punch after punch battered Sam's face and body until he lay half-dead. Yet the older man would pour health potions over him, keeping him alive for further punishment.
Any resistance or rebuttal Sam might have offered no longer mattered. The old man eventually ceased his assault.
"BRING ME MY SWORD!" he commanded.
A guard promptly rushed in with his lord's blade. Drawing the sword high, he brought it down in a beautiful, deadly arc. The slash was clean and powerful, severing Sam's legs from his body.
Jolted from his daze by excruciating pain, Sam could only squeal like a pig being led to slaughter.
"GUARDS, TAKE THIS MAN TO THE DUNGEONS AND TREAT HIS WOUNDS SO THAT HE MAY NOT DIE YET! HE MUST ANSWER FOR HIS CRIMES IN THE HIGH COURTS!"
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The Scandal of The Century
The scandal became the talk of the town. Despite efforts to contain it, people naturally gossiped, and rumors spread far and wide.
Later, the estate was burned to the ground, symbolizing the final fall of the noble family. Elisa was taken back to her grandparents' estate to recover.
Meanwhile, Sam faced judgment in the High Court, which handled matters of nobility. He was found guilty of his crimes.
Yet, some evil deity must have taken pity on him, for he escaped execution. Instead, Count Gremery stripped him of his noble title and banished him from the county.
He lived thereafter as a crippled beggar, mocked and scorned wherever he went. Those familiar with his history would beat him nearly to death at every opportunity.
But like a cursed parasite, he survived time and again, clinging desperately to life, forever attempting to crawl his way back to prominence.
The broken girl, meanwhile, learned to live with her scars, though the light in her eyes never fully returned. Years later, when Lord Kirka met her, he saw only the meek, damaged shell she presented to the world—never suspecting the vengeful demon that lurked beneath, waiting for the perfect moment to repay the world for the cruelty it had shown her.
And so began the tragic connection between two souls: one beloved by the people, the other shattered by unspeakable violation—both destined to collide in the frontier village of Kirka, where the echoes of past sins would give rise to new tragedies.