17.3

After disposing of Bloodwood and cleaning up the mess, he left behind, Eve was satisfied. She wasn’t worried about Professor Swift in the least. Charlotte could outmuscle him easily if it came down to a battle of Air superiority. That wasn’t how the younger girl operated, though. Unless necessary, the future heir wouldn’t take action against a potential addition to her forces. In the case of Bloodwood, he had picked the wrong prey. It was the work of a few little minutes to get Raven back to the party. The guards had already been ordered to remove Bloodwood’s corpse in Charlotte's name. In the interest of not allowing the guards a free show, she’d hustled the girl into the bathroom. From there, Eve borrowed one of Charlotte’s spare dresses for Raven with a bit of space manipulation. That, combined with some mental wet work, made the previously terrified girl a more stunning beauty.

I’ll remove the bad memories of this encounter, turning them into nothing more than passing nightmares. Eve thought, manipulating the younger girl’s mind with Witch’s Dust. The feat was only possible due to proximity and how little time had passed. A few delicate touches were enough as she dressed the younger woman with haste. Raven wouldn’t even notice anything untoward as Eve wasn’t a bull in a porcelain shop. She’ll probably have an unhealthy fixation on her boyfriend, though, as a safe figure. It probably also causes a deep distrust of strangers, but better than being a traumatized wreck. Too many people would take advantage of that, and Charlotte’s mantle of authority goes only so far. Eve gave her work one last check and nodded to herself. It was the best result possible under the circumstances.

Watching the heated whispers between Raven and Charlotte after the abductee had been seated back at the banquet was amusing. After being saved, Raven had been in a quiet conversation with the Duchy’s Heir. It was a show of immediate support and a solid example of friendship. The table was now half-full with the addition of Raven to the seating. After a moment’s consideration, Eve had two seats removed by the servants. There was no need to provide annoying flies more opportunities to bother Charlotte.

Now, anyone who chose to sit at their table would feel outnumbered. Raven and Eve would be flanking them, requiring a brave individual with strong mental fortitude. It was a minor psychological ploy but still quite effective. The number of individuals willing to take a shot at talking to Charlotte dropped precipitously. Eve could almost feel the satisfaction boiling off of the young future duchess.

As the party progressed toward midnight, Charlotte said, “My father appears to have come to a final decision.” Looking at the gathered nobles surrounding the duke, it was clear. Even as his current wife whispered at him, the Zienfer shook his head firmly.

Moving to the stairs, the duke touched his fingers to his throat before saying, “Greetings honored guests. I have an announcement to make.”

Silence fell over the banquet as everyone waited with bated breath. It was clear the Zienfer Duke had decided who his Heir would be. Raising his voice, the duke said, “I have seen the incomparable value of my daughter returned to me. As such, I name Charlotte Abigail Munchester Zienfer, by right of bestowment, as Heir to the Duchy of Zienfer. May her rule last, and the family prospers under her delicate touch.”

With an amused glance, Eve watched the young duchess, who was now formally named as an heir. Charlotte acted the part blushing with delight and bowing while seated towards her father with a demure expression. The younger girl even had a suspicious glint of tears in her eyes. It was all very touching and solidified her noble nature in the view of the onlookers quite effectively.

Scary. Eve sent it to Charlotte. While she hadn’t been able to rework her entire set of gear yet, the earring for telepathy had been the first she’d made.

It only stands to reason. Your display with William Erde was magnificent. Charlotte replied.

Will there be anything else? I need to remake my gear soon. Eve asked.

There shouldn’t be anything further unless the branch families do something stupid. Charlotte said as her eyes narrowed.

Problem? Eve asked.

Is it just me, or has the number of servants almost doubled since the banquet started? Charlotte said as she surveyed the banquet hall.

Eve checked Eternal Memory and replied. Yes, there are almost twice as many servants in circulation now.

Charlotte’s eyes widened before she bolted upright, knocking her chair back to fall, and screamed with Air-enhanced vocals, “GUARDS TO ARMS! DEFEND THE DUKE!”

The shout roused the guards nearest the duke to immediately enclose him within a wall of steel fortified by magic. It shut Charlotte’s stepmother out of proximity to the Zienfer head by accident or design. Eve’s eyes narrowed as she saw the suspicious glint of something metallic in the woman’s hand. Eternal Memory replayed the glimpse defining it into a small pinky-sized knife with a glistening oil on the blade.

Your stepmother has something in her hand, and I don’t think it’s a present of good health and well wishes. Eve sent even as she moved to stand in front of Charlotte’s table. Her dress shifted and writhed as if it was made of bubbling darkness as she rose from her seat. Within moments Eve re-clothed in the everyday battle outfit from a galaxy far away, minus the robes. Silver coloring drove the darkness out of her dress, leaving only swirling ebony runes behind.

It wasn’t too soon, as madness gripped the party without delay. Servants who were mercenaries pulled weapons from hidden holsters. Other magically inclined servants began casting spells fueling the chaos further. It was chaos with the purpose of deception. The branch families were not going to take the announcement lying down.

Father is retreating. Go, cover him! Charlotte ordered in an icy tone. The young duchess spread her mana into the air around their corner, preparing for battle. Raven took a position in front of her pulling a strange gem that shimmered wetly like water.

Eve glanced for a moment at Charlotte before nodding. She moved forward, twisting space around her body. While she couldn’t teleport quickly without her enchanted boots, shifting space so she could slip through the crowd was manageable. Her silver-clad ebony-runed form moved like a fish in water cutting through the crowd without difficulty. Within seconds she appeared by the guard detachment under siege as they protected the duke’s retreat up the staircase.

There was a moment of pause as both sides assessed her before one of the guards she’d seen earlier at Bloodwood’s demise said, “Leave them to the Silver Witch and fall back to the sanctuary!”

Eve shrugged as the servants split their attention between the two targets and said, “I don’t have a sword or blade, but that’s ok. At least he got the name right.”

As one of the swords-wielding servants moved towards Eve with a thrust, she stepped inside the idiot’s guard. She covered her knife hand with reinforced mana to prevent sticky red stains. In a flash, her left hand slipped into his chest with a wet squishy sound severing his heart’s arteries. The attacker dropped dead with fear written on his face. Eve’s right hand whipped like a striking snake pulling the blade from the man’s grip.

“While this isn’t my normal weapon, that’s fine,” Eve said as silver dust flowed from the handle, she held down the blade. Eldritch silver sheen flowed like liquid silver before dropping off the blade’s endpoint in a shower of dust.

The servants split, half focusing on her and the other half of the attacking force moving to pursue the duke. Eve would let the duke die here and now, but Charlotte wouldn’t like such a thing.

Extra work. Unpaid overtime. At least the deathtrap dress is gone. Eve thought as she moved forward with the blade at low guard. Fanatics are annoying.

While usually, multiple opponents would be challenging to solve, Eve wasn’t a beginner anymore. Her powers had grown and adapted under the smelting forge of repression. Sealing them had given growth to abilities. The improvement had made her think Summoning was rather good. It allowed her to experience and adapt in many ways.

I think I’ll have to work out a Summoning schedule. Eve decided. It could be considered a vacation, depending on where she was brought. Hopefully, the next place was easier to plant Kudzu’s offshoot. This place is a great deal of work for possibly massive returns, so it works out.

If escaping the Prison Plane was easy, everyone would do it. Eve moved in rhythm, her body guided by Learn and Eternal Memory, turning her from a girl wielding a sword into a goddess dispensing death.

The silver blade she wielded moved like a living viper striking hands and elbows to the music of the damned. She would aim for exposed legs when neither of those targets presented themselves. Eve would even thrust with speed strong enough to split flesh if the opening appeared for it.

The servants fell exactly like newborn sheep against a butcher’s blade. There was little suspense, and only two attackers remained huddled behind a magical shield in the final moments. Stepping up, Eve looked at the protection before staring past it to the mages behind it. She smiled a beatific smile and said, “Surrender or death.”

Pushing opponents over the edge was probably because her entire clothing, sword blade included, was pristine. The copper taint of death hadn’t touched her form in the slightest. More than anything else, that told the two remaining mages how outclassed they were.

“If we surrender, they will kill us anyways.” The left mage said firmly.

Eve shook her head negative and replied, “That won’t happen. Charlotte would keep you alive to point fingers and implicate enemies.”

The mage on the right looked like he wanted to turncoat, but the chance vanished. The left mage sunk a dagger into the side of the right, triggering a desperate blood ritual to escape. Eve rushed at the fleeing man slicing the now weakened barrier open like wet paper. Moments before, her blade pierced the fleeing man. He vanished in a swirl of lights.

Eve let out a frustrated huff before looking up the stairs at the duke’s guards. The duke had been safely shuffled out of the banquet hall, and a few guards were holding the door’s chokepoint. There was a building rage that she refocused on the servants pushing at the few remaining guards.

Her form blurred as she flexed, twisting space around herself in the same manner as before. Air parted like butter before a cherry-hot blade as Eve flowed up the staircase like death’s overarching hand.

Eve hit the backline of the attacking servants without warning as their attention had been focused on the guards. Within moments, the backline collapsed as severed heads flew up to roll down the staircase behind her. Seeing her slice into the enemy, the guards gave a rallying shout. Pincered from both sides it was only moments before the last of the servants fell to a guard's blade.

“Is the duke secure?” Eve asked, facing the guard while her senses extended to look behind her at the chaos in the banquet hall.

“He’s retreated to the sanctuary. No one except for direct family is allowed inside.” The guards replied firmly.

Eve nodded as she looked at the few servants who had attempted to attack Charlotte in the intermediary. Their corpses were piled in a small group before the young lady’s table. The telltale of choking could be found on each one, with only the water traces delineating who killed who.

This attack is relatively well-planned, but something is nagging at me. Eve thought as she stretched her senses out once more. Where in all this is Ralph?