Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 69

All the while we walked, the gathered townspeople trailed behind us. And judging from how their numbers kept growing, more and more were joining as we went.

I wasn’t the Pied Piper, yet leading this growing crowd felt strangely burdensome.

“But really, why are these people following us?”

At last, Gerard couldn’t hold back. He pointed behind us and asked Mildred.

“The prophesied hero’s party has appeared. Naturally, everyone wants to confirm it with their own eyes.”

“Prophecy?”

Kyle frowned, as if hearing this for the first time.

“Yes. Long ago, a famous seer left a prophecy: ‘When Serendal is shrouded in black flames, a hero with sacred blood shall appear.’”

Even I, who knew little, could tell that it was clearly about the Black Flame Dragon and Kyle. A prophecy handed down from ages past… the situation was starting to get unexpectedly interesting.

“A famous seer? Who would that be?”

Elonen’s eyes widened. He seemed to have never heard of this. Mildred waved a hand lightly in dismissal.

“That tale would take too long to explain now. Another time, perhaps. In any case, after the Black Flame Dragon’s black fire swept through our village, we’ve been waiting for the hero’s party to arrive. The Grand Duke especially will be delighted to know you’re here.”

The prophecy itself was unsettling, but for the hero’s party there was something far more pressing—the Black Flame Dragon. They could worry about cryptic prophecies later, after dealing with that.

“I’ll take you straight to the Grand Duke now. The rest can be explained there. Too many ears around here.”

Mildred raised a finger, pointing toward a vast castle perched on the mountainside. Its weathered gray stone and brooding silhouette looked ominous.

A cold, sharp instinct prickled at the back of my neck.

* * *

The Grand Duke’s castle was as large and foreboding inside as its dark, imposing exterior suggested. The halls were dim and cold, heavy with neglect.

The roof sagged in places, moss crawling where rain had leaked through. Ivy blanketed the crumbling stone walls like a slow decay.

“Before you meet His Highness, I should warn you that he’s not well.”

Mildred spoke as she pushed open the castle’s heavy, worn gates. Her face carried a quiet weight rather than mere courtesy.

“Not well? You mean he’s ill?” Kyle asked.

Mildred raised a hand toward her lips and lowered her voice to a whisper, as if sharing a secret.

“‘Madness’, you could call it. Because of that, you’ll find it difficult to hold any real conversation with the Grand Duke himself. You’ll likely have to speak with his son, the Grand Duke’s heir.”

A mad Grand Duke. So that chill creeping down my spine hadn’t been just paranoia.

But that only sharpened my curiosity about what lay ahead. Hopefully, something here would lead us closer to the magic stone we sought.

“Then, let’s go in.”

Following Mildred deeper into the castle, a damp, musty scent—like a long-abandoned cellar—hung in the air. It was clear the place wasn’t well-kept.

The few people we passed bowed respectfully to Mildred, only to pause and glance at us with startled, curious eyes.

We walked for some time until she stopped before a heavy door at the end of a long corridor. Without even knocking, she flung it open.

“Just barging into the Grand Duke’s chamber like that…?”

Kyle muttered in disbelief, but the old woman seemed utterly unfazed.

“Your Highness, at last, the hero’s party has arrived.”

Mildred bowed deeply toward the man seated ahead.

And for a moment, I nearly fainted at the sight.

The man in the great chair, almost a throne, was pale and emaciated, so much so he looked like a corpse.

Beside him sat another man, carefully tending to the Grand Duke’s frail hand. At the commotion, he leapt to his feet.

“The hero’s party?”

The young man seemed somewhere between a boy and a grown man, with refined, almost delicate features. His noble attire left no doubt of his rank. Surely this was the Grand Duke’s son.

The moment he spotted us standing awkwardly behind Mildred, he rushed forward in a sudden burst of energy.

“At last, you’ve come! We’ve been waiting for you!”