"I won't let you pass out. You're going to feel every bit of this pain, so go ahead and squirm."
"You — you're a demon!"
"And which mouth are you saying that with?"
"Even so, why should I have to suffer this much...! Oh, right — this is all your fault, aide! You're the one who said 'just take the flowers from the commoners'!"
"Hiiieh! Young master, don't blame me for this! You were the one who decided, weren't you~?"
I glared at my aide and approached the trembling, frozen figure, then swung my sword and lopped off his right arm.
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Now for the finishing touch.
"If you're whimpering over this, you won't last — because this is going to last for the rest of your life. 'Black Curse.'"
Then a black mist enveloped Dalton and his aide.
"Wh-what did you do to me?! Fine, I'll have Father get a high-ranking priest to heal me! Aaagh, it hurts!"
"It's an irreversible curse that never stops hurting."
"Huh?"
"The curse I placed on you prevents your right arm from regenerating. I hope there's someone out there who's a better caster than me."
"What the hell is that?! Cure me — cure me right now! It hurts, it hurts so much! Aide, do something!"
"I can't do anything! This is all the young master's fault! So please, at least spare me!"
If even one word of genuine apology toward Randy had been uttered, I might have considered sparing him from the final Black Curse. But there wasn't even that.
◇◇◇
"Father, find the one who did this to me and execute him! I — my arm won't stop hurting, and I can't even walk! Even the high-ranking church priests and an elixir couldn't regenerate it, so at least — !"
Due to Alan's Black Curse, Dalton's right arm could not be regenerated. On top of that, his fractured spine never healed either, leaving him unable to move without the aid of a mobility-enchanted wheelchair.
Incidentally, the aide was sentenced by the Viscount for having instigated Dalton.
"I can't do it, Dalton."
Viscount Galm twisted his face in frustration.
"Why... ugh, it hurts..."
"We've been receiving pressure from a portion of the nobility. They're telling me, 'Your son brought this upon himself, so under no circumstances should you take rash action.'"
Among them were Elector-Counts.
Through an envoy, they had even gone out of their way to deliver that demand in writing.
Moreover, it came with an implicit threat: was he prepared to make enemies of every noble in their faction?
"Come on, which family could it be... Oh, maybe the Bucetos family? Milene's being so mean!"
"As if. It's a major faction of powerful nobles with Harold, the Crown Prince of the Raging Kingdom, at its center."
"The son of some minor kingdom's king? Against our family, that's nothing —"
"Harold has already won the support of one of the three Great Elector-Counts."
"Don't tell me — Countess Letitia, the Crimson Empress...?"
"No. The other Elector-Count. And Dalton — I've decided to have you admitted to a treatment facility for nobles."
"Father! You can't!"
Once admitted to that facility, even Dalton knew what awaited him.
"We're prescribing elixirs to manage your pain, but the pain returns within about an hour. Using elixirs at this rate every day will bankrupt the Viscount household. Even exploiting the fief's populace has its limits."
"That's ridiculous — we can squeeze out more!"
"Think about it rationally. That's obviously not possible. We've already done everything we can for you. There's nothing more, Dalton. Fortunately, you have a younger brother. So go to the facility in peace —"
"No! I won't go!"
But Dalton couldn't even resist — he lacked the ability to move on his own — and was admitted without ceremony.
Not long after, every treatment proved futile. He died of his illness.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
The last Elector-Count is scheduled to appear a bit later.
Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Fist God] [Spear God] [Scorching Magic] [Frost Ice Magic] [Clear Storm Magic] [Rock Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Dark Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Thunder God Blade] [Phantom Thief Gentleman] [Ninja Master] [Seeker of Truth] [Monster Strength and Divine Spirit] [Swift Legs] [Pain Dulling] [Complete Status Ailment Resistance] [Dark Spirit's Protection] [Super Intuition] [Heaven's Gate] [Abyss Contractee] [Magic Hand] [Treasure Search] [Temptation] [Incitement] [Telemesmerism] [Eloquence] [Great Luck] [Growth Speed ×10] [Growth Limit Breakthrough]
Rank: Orichalcum
Thank you for reading!