28 First encounter with the demon tribe (2/2)

There was only a trace of sadness buried deep within her violet eyes that none could detect as the young lady was in a state of grief. Her father had gone on a journey to visit one of the lesser nobles in the western part of the kingdom to aid in a direwolf extermination.

Elise could still recall the confident grin on his face as he laughed heartily and promised to return with some necklaces from the western merchants.

He never returned.

A few weeks had passed since her father had taken the army and left for the west but there were no new messages from him. Elise figured he was busy with a new monster infestation and was in the garden practising her swordsmanship when she received the news.

It was a letter from the royal family informing her that she was now the official duchess of the north as her father had passed away in an unforeseen accident. His army were apparently all deserters and had been subsequently executed without trial by the order of the emperor.

This was all incredibly suspicious and Elise in her rage shattered the entire left section of the castle when the news of her father's death reached her ears. Her magic rampaged out of control and it took her hours before she calmed down enough to stop her mana from activating.

She could not remember how she came to her senses but when she woke up, there was a black crow feather resting gently at the side of her head.

”Elise you need to remain calm,” Gerald abandoned formalities and gazed upon the little girl he had watched grow up ever since she was a child.

”There is clearly a conspiracy being covered up by the royal family or some higher power in your father's death. We cannot afford to recruit more men for the army, or we will not have enough to survive the spring attacks,” he continued in a soft tone.

”You are the last surviving member of the Blackwolf House, and I will not stand by and watch you throw your life away.”

Elise stared straight ahead as if his words held no meaning to her, but the grips on the reins of her horse started to tighten. She was no fool and knew that flying into a rage would be playing into the hands of whoever killed her father.

But that was her dad.

The shadowy tendrils wrapped around her arms and legs in a comforting manner and her pupils became to shift slowly from the violet hue to a dark black. The whispers began to mutter slowly in her ears.

”They killed him.”

”They killed the only family I had left.”

”I will kill them.”

Those thoughts echoed around Elise's head until they just became a chorus of rage screaming at her nonstop. Elise straightened out her back and nudged the hindquarters of her horse and set off in a southern direction from the castle.

”My lady! Where are you going?” Gerald called out in desperation.

Elise faced forward and the head butler could not see the look on her face as she gazed at the road ahead. He also did not see the tears shining unshed in her eyes.

”I know it is stupid and no sane person would ever follow me to the capitol,” she suddenly spoke.

Gerald sighed in relief as he believed his lady finally realised what a bad idea this was, but her following words made him gasp in shock.

”That's why I'll visit the demons and beat Ares to gain the right to command the tribe”