Mom's face darkened instantly. She snapped, grabbing my head in one strong hand and squeezing. "That's like the 100th time you've asked that! Can you fucking stop!?"
"Haha, but I'm so excited!" I laughed nervously, wincing as her fingers dug into my scalp.
"I don't give a shit. Just shut up for the next ten minutes, okay?" She growled, grinding my head down until my knees nearly buckled.
"Ow, ow, okay! Okay, I'll be quiet for the next ten minutes!" I yelped, squirming under her grip.
"Good," Mom muttered, finally releasing me with a shove. She walked ahead, her crimson eyes flashing in the dark. Stopping at a massive tree, she pressed her hand against the trunk. The bark groaned, shifting aside to reveal a hidden door.
"Hum?" I tilted my head, curiosity prickling. But the second I peeked past the door, my confusion vanished.
The stairs stretched down and down, spiraling into shadow. Not one or two levels-dozens. The stone seemed to hum with stale, metallic air, like the very walls had soaked in years of blood and screams.
When I glanced at Mom, she was glaring at me again. I rubbed my head awkwardly and started down the stairs first, my boots tapping faintly against the stone.
It took five more minutes before the staircase finally opened into a wide corridor lined with prison cells. The air was heavy, thick with the copper tang of dried blood and the sour stink of sweat.
"I'll lead this time," Mom said firmly, stepping in front of me.
We turned two corners before the passage opened into a large chamber. A group of soldiers stood at attention, silent and tense, facing four figures at the front. I recognized Kayda, Rebecca, and Lily immediately, but the fourth woman was new.
She noticed us first, her sharp eyes narrowing before she saluted. "Lady Draig, you have arrived."
"Don't worry about formalities, Trinity. Sorry we're late. This dumbo didn't want to wake up from her afternoon nap," Mom said, glaring at me again.
'What can I say? That Ice Guru Tree is just too comfortable, I thought smugly, offering her a grin.
"I see. You must be the new young miss, right?" Trinity said, stepping forward and offering me her hand.
I blinked, staring a little too long. She was striking-blue hair that shimmered like water, emerald eyes that seemed to cut right through, and two elegant goat horns curving upward. Her shinigami-style kimono was mostly black, a sharp contrast against her pale skin and fluffy animal ears twitching faintly. She was Stacy's height, but her presence radiated authority.
'Why are there so many pretty girls in the capital? First Rachel, then Kayda, now Trinity... seriously, it's unfair.' I thought, dazed as I took her hand.
I didn't say anything, just nodded and smiled faintly.
She frowned, lips parting to speak, but Mom cut her off. "Don't bother, Trinity. I told her to shut up for a while."
Trinity's brows rose, but she shrugged. "Alright. I'll ask her later when she can talk again." She stepped back to stand behind Mom.
I mimicked her shrug, slipping beside her with a sly smile tugging at my lips.
The group of soldiers standing before us wore similar uniforms to Trinity's, though theirs bore more white, marking them as subordinates. They stood ramrod straight, but their eyes flicked curiously toward me.
"Alright," Mom said, her tone cutting through the chamber. "Trinity should have briefed you about tonight, but I'll repeat it. We're here to teach new methods-healing, torture, or both. Or rather, Kitsuna will." She gestured sharply at me.
I gave them a cheerful wave, grinning wide. Mom sighed heavily. "Don't let her appearance fool you. She's only thirteen."
"EEEHH!?" The soldiers' shout rattled the walls, their disbelief almost comical. I braced myself, frosting my ears under my hood to block most of the noise.
"And don't think her age means she lacks experience," Mom pressed on, her voice hard. "She knows more about the human body than anyone here. She's smarter than all of you combined in that field. And she has over one hundred confirmed kills. Not clean ones, either."
"EEEHHH!?" The group's second outburst was even louder, echoing down the hall.
'My statistics make me sound insane,' I thought, fighting the urge to facepalm.
Beside me, Trinity muttered under her breath, "How does a thirteen-year-old have so many confirmed kills...?"
Their shock dragged on far too long. I tapped my foot, impatience bubbling, then smirked. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Trinity watching me warily. Perfect.
I leaned close, letting my breath ghost against her ear before blowing softly.
"KYAAA!?" she yelped, leaping back, face red as she glared at me. Her shout startled the entire group into silence.
I nearly burst out laughing.
Bonk!
"Owie," I groaned, rubbing my head as I glanced back at Mom-who was glaring again, hand still raised from smacking me.
"This overexcitement of yours is irritating," she hissed.
"Then let me do my job," I snapped, glaring right back.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to do something like that."
"Well, you didn't have to announce my entire life story either. We could have skipped that and gone straight into the night's program. Instead, you dragged it out, and now it'll take another ten minutes for them to calm down." My voice dripped with irritation.
Mom clicked her tongue and looked away. "Tsk, fine. Trinity, can we start?"
"...Yes. We have fourteen private soldiers who betrayed us, two corporals, and one sergeant. Then five federation soldiers-their commander and second in command among them. Trinity spoke briskly, but when she turned to hand the files to Mom, I snatched them first.
"Wait, that's-" she started.
"Can you explain the layout of the prison?" I interrupted, already skimming the files. When she didn't answer, I lifted my gaze with a frown. "Hello? I'm doing the torturing tonight. I need to know the layout to make it effective."
Trinity hesitated, eyes flicking to Mom.
"Just tell her. She'll do a good job," Mom said firmly.
"Not being disrespectful, but... is this really the same person?" Trinity asked, pointing at me.
I smirked, leaning closer again. "Miss Goat, pretty please tell me the layout of your prison," I whispered in her ear.
"Kyaa-!" she squeaked, and before I could laugh, her fist cracked up under my chin. My feet left the ground from the force.
I landed with a groan, rubbing my jaw. "Ouch. Okay, I deserved that one."
Trinity's face paled. She stepped forward quickly, panic in her eyes. "Oops-healer! Are you alright?"
I waved her off, grinning through the sting. "Haha, don't worry, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" she asked, blinking in confusion at how easily I shrugged it off.
"Yes. I've been through worse." My gaze flicked toward Mom, who smirked knowingly.
"Ooh, I see," Trinity murmured, realizing what I meant.
"So, can you explain the layout to me now?" I said, refocusing on the files.
"O-oh, right. The prison has fifty cells, each capable of holding twenty people. You saw them on the way in. There are also four wings for high-ranking prisoners, set in each corner of the complex. At the center is a square we use for disposal."
"I see. Where do you usually do the torturing?"
"There are separate rooms. I can show you-"
"Never mind. We're not using them," I cut in, grinning wickedly. "Tonight, it's public. A demonstration for everyone here. Lead me to the square."
Trinity hesitated, trembling faintly, but turned to guide us down one of the hallways.
"Ooh, and all the healers, come with me. Your lessons start now. The rest of you, drag the fourteen traitors to the square," I ordered, my voice ringing with cheer that clashed against the dark promise of my words.
The healers exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes drifting toward Stacy for help.
"Haha, don't look at me like that," Mom said, following casually, her grin sharp and knowing. "I hope you all have the stomach for what's about to happen." She paused, her crimson gaze sliding toward Kayda, Rebecca, and Lily. "That includes you three as well."
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Chapter 49: Body Studying. Midevil style.
(Gore chapter)
Brain cell 1 is similar to what Stacy mentioned earlier. I hope you guys have the stomach for this.
Brain cell 2: Haha, as if someone will get sick reading about this.
Brain cell 1: Well, you never know. They might have an insanely good imagination.
Brain cell 2: That's true. Our host does have some dumb imagination. Especially seeing as he still has imaginary friends.
Host: I do not have imaginary friends! They are real! Cough, cough. I am sorry. My brain cells went on a dumb rant there. Just ignore them. Let us get back to the story... And I really do have real friends.
(Gore warning)
"So, you guys are the only healers we have?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the five figures trembling before me.
Their robes were clean, hands clasped nervously together, but I could see their knuckles whitening, their shoulders stiff like prey cornered by a predator. They weren't ready for this. Not even close.
"Yes, young miss. We are the only healers at the capital at the moment. The rest are out on missions." One of them-a man with a shaky voice-spoke up.
"Missions?" I tilted my head, frowning. "Like group missions?"
"Yes," he swallowed hard, "dungeon exploring. The dead forest has many unexplored dungeons, and parties are sent out every week to go and explore them."
Kayda, leaning against the wall with her usual unimpressed face, added flatly, "It's true."
I shrugged. "Oh, okay. Whatever. Let's start."
Turning on my heel, I faced the row of fourteen private soldiers chained together. Their uniforms were stained, their faces pale, and their eyes darting like cornered rats. I smiled thinly, baring just the edge of my teeth.
"It's surprising," I said, drawing their fear out, "that out of the twenty-four capture targets, only one is female... and she isn't even from our kingdom."
Their silence was broken only by one muttering. A desperate chant, repeated like a broken record:
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die-"
The sound grated on my nerves. My smile vanished.
With slow steps, I walked toward the source of the muttering. Each step made his voice falter, then crack, until I was standing right in front of him. His head was lowered, his hair greasy and clumped with dried blood.
"Ken," I said coolly. "Tank. Mid-private for the last five years. What are you muttering about?"
He jerked his head up, eyes wide, and I caught the tears streaking down his cheeks. His lips trembled, words spilling out like bile.
"Aah, please, I don't want to die!" His voice cracked into a sob.
I grabbed his head, tilting it up so he couldn't look away from me. Fresh blood trickled down his temple.
"Hmm," I hummed, pretending to ponder. My other hand caught his collar, lifting him half off the ground with little effort. He kicked weakly, pathetic. My gaze shifted to my free hand. I flexed my fingers, the faint gleam of my nails catching the torchlight.
A chuckle slipped from my throat. "To think I can have claws in my human form... well, close enough. Just nails, but an inch longer is enough, isn't it?"
Ken thrashed. "Please, I beg you! I would do anything-I just don't want to die!"
"Oi. Shut up." My voice cut like ice. My fingers clamped on his jaw, silencing his babbling as I dragged him back toward the others.
The healers stiffened as I stopped in front of them. Ignoring Ken's desperate squirming, I tilted my head. "So, how much do you all know about the human body?"
"We... we know the human body has internal organs, muscles, and bones," one explained hesitantly.
"Mm. So, you at least know the basics." My tone dripped with mock approval. "Do you know what's more important? The lungs or the kidneys?"
They blinked in confusion. "Longs? Kidneys?" they repeated, like children failing a test.
My eyebrow twitched. "Okay. Then what do you call the organ you use to breathe?"
"We don't have names for the organs. We divide them into upper half and lower half. We understand that the upper half is considered more important than the lower half.
A hollow laugh tore from my throat. "You're telling me you've never dissected a human body before?"
"Dissecting?" They mumbled, looking at one another.
"You've got to be kidding me." I sighed, the sound long and sharp, before extending my hand. Frost spiraled into existence, shaping into a pristine ice table large enough to fit a body. Its cold mist curled around my legs.
"You torture squad," I said, jerking my chin at the group still struggling to keep the prisoners subdued. "Make this dumbass shut up." I shoved Ken toward them.
"Yes, ma'am."
Before they could move, my fingers twitched.
RIP!?
THUD!?
The sound split the silence. Every head turned just in time to see Ken's person-still attached to a length of his spine-hit the ground and roll.
I stared at my hand, flexing it. "Damn. Ripped the spine out too." My voice was more disappointed than guilty.
"BLEGH!?"
Half the room lurched forward, vomiting violently. The stench hit the air instantly-sour bile mixing with the metallic tang of blood.
"Tsk," I clicked my tongue. "You're already puking, and we just got started."
Laying Ken's limp, headless body on the table, I summoned blades of ice, slicing away his clothes. His skin paled further against the cold surface. "I'll give you ten minutes to recollect yourselves."
"Give them thirty," my mother said calmly from the corner, her tone unbothered. "There's no way the healers will recover in ten."
I glanced at the five healers. They were already on the ground, pale, trembling, and heads bowed. Pathetic. Still, Mom was right.
"Fine. Thirty."
My eyes slid to Lily. Rebecca was holding her hair back as she retched.
"I'm surprised at you, Lily," I said, tilting my head. "Sick from something like this?"
Lily spat, wiping her mouth. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting that. Sorry if I disappointed you."
I shook my head, almost amused. "Why would I be disappointed? I'm just surprised. I mean, come on-you're married to Rebecca, and your nightly activities are... colorful. I thought you'd be tougher."
Her face flushed crimson, Rebecca choking on laughter. I only shrugged.
"Don't worry. You won't easily disappoint me, Lily. You haven't seen war yet, and your style doesn't exactly throw you knee-deep into blood. You'll toughen up." My smile was sharper this time, genuine enough to make her blink in shock.
