chapter 17 : Ruby of youth
It had been a week since Eliot disappeared.
Only a select few were informed. The public remained in the dark , deliberately. The last thing we needed right now was rumors spiraling out of control and destabilizing Melvanille further.
I had already sent Kuro to investigate Eliot's last known movements, while Kyokota handled the democratic affairs of Melvanille in his absence.
In other words… everything was functioning. Barely
"What are you thinking, Shiori-sama?" Ryu asked as he stood quietly in my study.
The room was unusually still. Only the faint scratch of my pen and the rustle of papers filled the silence.
"I have a theory," I said, eyes fixed on my journal. "The girls started going missing a week after Lady Abigail returned to Melvanille.
Ryu's brow lifted slightly. "And? It could just be coincidence."
"I thought so too," I admitted calmly. "Until I dug deeper."
I turned a page, tapping a name I had circled multiple times.
"Her suggested marriage candidate… Peter Melville."
Ryu went still.
"He's supposedly the late duke's son. Thirty years older than me. Married six times already—each ending in divorce within a year. He's known for being… perverse. Womanizing. And conveniently—"
My pen paused.
"—a close associate of Lady Abigail."
The air in the room felt heavier after that.
Ryu exhaled slowly. "That's… not a flattering profile."
"That's one way of putting it."
"There was also the anklet," Ryu added.
"Did you figure it out?"
"Yes."
I leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "I went to Liam and cross-referenced it with a forbidden archive I found in the late king's study."
The words alone made the room colder.
"It's called the Ruby of Youth."
Ryu's expression hardened.
"It allows the user to regain youth… by draining life force from young women."
A pause.
"A very old alchemist's creation. Dangerous. Rare. And banned for a reason."
Ryu's jaw tightened. "That's… inhuman."
"The missing girls," I continued, voice steady but sharper now, "were all offered 'employment' through noble channels."
Ryu looked toward the window. "So they were being funneled."
"Yes."My fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk
"If my theory is correct… Lady Abigail is kidnapping them, extracting their life force using the artifact… and once they're reduced to useless husks—"
I exhaled slowly.
"She sends them to Peter Melville."
Silence.
Ryu's fist clenched. "That sick bastard. We should move immediately."
"No."
My tone cut cleanly through his anger.
"We don't have enough evidence yet. Acting now would only scatter them."
I stood.
"We go to the slums. The last reported disappearance happened there. We start from the ground."
Ryu hesitated… then nodded.
The slums of Melvanille were exactly as the reports described. Worn. Forgotten. Half-collapsed structures held together by wood, cloth, and desperate prayers.
Children scattered the moment we entered.
"I'm not really in a position to judge this place," I murmured. "But the report says the last girl was selling herbs before she disappeared."
Most people avoided eye contact entirely.
We weren't welcome here. Not that I expected otherwise.
"Shiori-sama—wait."
I stopped. "What?"
Ryu's gaze sharpened. "We're being followed."
I turned slightly. Behind a stack of broken crates stood a child. Small. Thin. Barely holding himself upright.
He stepped out with shaking determination
"We can see you," ryu said.
A boy. Maybe four or five. Clothes torn beyond repair. Dirt masking most of his features.
Then he shouted
"Give me back my sister, you monsters!"
Ryu moved instantly, but I raised a hand to stop him.
"Your sister?" I asked.
"She was taken!" the boy cried. "A noble said she got a job… but she never came back! I told her not to go!" His voice cracked.
"I just want her back…"
I knelt slowly, lowering myself to his height.
"There, there."
My voice softened—not much, but enough.
"Let's start over. I'm Shiori. This is Ryu. What's your name?"
"Keith…" He sniffled.
Without thinking, I pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned his face. He flinched slightly but didn't resist.
"Keith," I said calmly. "We're not the ones who took your sister."
His eyes flickered up.
"But you're right about one thing."
A pause.
"They are monsters."
His small hands tightened.
"Do you want to help stop them?"
A beat of silence.
Then he nodded.
Later…
My study was quiet again. Outside, goblins worked tirelessly, hauling materials for reconstruction under Kyokota's orders. The sound was oddly grounding.
"Everyone really is working hard…" I muttered.
I toyed with a jade hairpin—gift from Mimi and Lila.
Just then The door slid open and Kuro entered.
"…your fashion sense has changed," I noted, glancing at his casual attire.
"Yes," he said. "I adapted it based on your preferences." he smiled as He unfolded a map across my desk.
"I see," I said. "Progress?"
"Yes. Eliot was last seen at a jewelry store a week ago."
My eyes narrowed.
"Kidnapped."
"Likely by the Crimson Cross," Kuro added, placing a badge on the table.
I studied it briefly.
"So they finally moved openly."
Kuro nodded. "We also tracked his scent across three locations, but—"
"Abandoned farmland," I said immediately.
Kuro blinked. "Yes… but how did you—
"Because it's obvious."
I flicked my hairpin lightly toward him. It embedded itself precisely between his fingers. He didn't flinch. Barely.
"No rational organization abandons usable land," I continued. "They cleared it. Killed anyone who got close. Let rumors do the rest."
Kuro smiled faintly. "Amazing, Shiori-sama."
"You're just easily impressed. Inform the others."
My gaze sharpened.
"We're going to retrieve Eliot."
A knock
Ryu entered, carrying Keith—now cleaned up and properly dressed.
"We're ready," Ryu said. Keith clutched my sleeve slightly.
I opened a drawer. Inside rested a white kitsune mask.
I exhaled.
"…it's showtime."
Meanwhile
Eliot sat in chains, mana-blocking cuffs restricting his movements. In front of him stood a man—Axel.
A kick slammed into Eliot's side. He didn't react.
"I've never been humiliated like this," Axel spat.
Eliot's gaze stayed steady. "You think Lady Shiori would surrender anything because of me?"
Axel scoffed. "She will. Everyone breaks eventually."
Eliot's voice cooled. "You misunderstand her. She does not act blindly."
Axel clicked his tongue and left.in another room, Lady Abigail sat elegantly, watching her reflection.
Abigail smiled faintly.
"Did he talk?"
"No," Axel muttered.
"Tch."
"Relax," she said lightly. "This is only insurance. If the marriage fails… we proceed differently."
Axel frowned. "I still don't understand why you were chosen to wield the Ruby."
"Because I'm useful," she replied simply.
"And you are not."
" Just do your job instead of complaining and maybe you'll get an artifact as well" she teased.
What a disgusting woman axel frowned
....
Shiori's POV
I traced my fingers lightly along the damp stone wall as I moved through the dungeon corridors, each step unhurried, almost as if I were strolling through a quiet garden instead of a Crimson Cross underground outpost. The air reeked of rusted iron and fear—both equally familiar in places like this.
The cages came into view one after another.
And inside them… girls.
Some newly captured, trembling and confused. Others far too still, like they had already accepted despair as a permanent condition.
"…It's okay now," I said softly, crouching in front of the first cell. My voice didn't waver. It never really did in situations like this. "You're going to be rescued."
The lock clicked open with a small twist of my fingers.
One by one.
Metal. Screams. Relief. Confusion.
Behind me, faint footsteps echoed through the corridor—Liam and the others were already handling the manor side of things. I had sent him with Dayama and Fang to Peter Melville's estate. If there were more threads to this mess, they'd pull them out cleanly.
That left me here, As expected.
"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
A sharp voice cut through the air. I tilted my head slightly. A well-dressed woman stepped out from the shadows—Lady Abigail.
Her expression twisted with entitlement and rage, like the world had personally offended her by not obeying.
"I could ask you the same thing," I replied calmly, unlocking another cage without looking at her.
"Their mine! Leave!" she screamed.
A pause.
Then I finally turned to face her fully. My gaze met hers dead-on.
No emotion. Just observation.
"…You really chose cages as a hobby," I said. "That's disappointing. At least pick someone who can actually fight back."
Her face darkened.
The air shifted.
Threads of compressed energy—Webber—snapped into existence around her ankles and wrists. She didn't even get time to react before she was yanked off balance and dropped hard onto the stone floor.
Her scream echoed uselessly.
.
Boring.
And continued unlocking cages like she wasn't even there.
.............
Screams echoed through the corridors like dying echoes of chaos.
The Crimson Cross guards were falling fast—too fast. Like they were fighting a storm they couldn't even see.
At the center of it all stood the White Lotus.
A group of figures moving like shadows sharpened into purpose.
A man with calm red eyes that didn't reflect anything human anymore. Kuro exhaled lightly as he stepped over another fallen guard. "Still weaker than I remember."
Beside him, another voice rang out with almost theatrical confidence
Ryu smirked. "Long time no see, Axel."
The man in question stiffened.
Axel.
His eyes darted between them, panic barely contained under forced rage.
"What the hell are you people?!"
Ryu tilted his head. "We are the White Lotus."
He said it like it was a title from some heroic story.
"Our mission is simple," Kuro added smoothly. "Retrieve the young lord… and return him to our master."
A third voice, colder and more silent than the rest, cut in.
Kyokota tossed a stolen insignia at Axel's feet. "Don't bother lying. We already confirmed your involvement."
Axel's expression cracked. Then desperation took over.
He grabbed his fairy slave by the neck and dragged her forward, blade trembling near her throat.
"Move and she dies!"
Silence.
Then—
A blur.
Ryu's kick landed in Axel's stomach with surgical precision, launching him across the room like discarded trash. In the same motion, the girl was caught mid-fall.
You really think that would work? Your clearly underestimating us, major mistake.." Ryu stated calmly before slicing the collar of the fairies neck in one strike.
Her eyes watered before running to hide behind kyokota who seemed stoic.
"Get back here!" He ordered the girl but she refused.
He growled before dashing to lunged at Ryu.
Axel was smacked in the face as he crashed into a wall. Blood dripping down his forehead as he patted.
"I won't kill you, if you surrender and answer our questions that is...". Ryu spoke with pure dominance . Axel was feeling exhausted whereas Ryu had energy to spear. It frightened him to the core.
In fit of desperation, he took out a small medicine bottle and hurriedly ate one of the pills in it. The air shifted as axel's mana was rapidly increasing.
However, the white lotus didn't flinch. Axel punched the ground like a cracker as it crumble under him making him fall into the hole.
They all stared at the hole in confusion
Haruna appeared at the edge of the corridor, eyes half-lidded.
Haruna: "He ran."
Kuro sighed. "How predictable." The fairy girl trembled violently in Ryu's arms, then scrambled behind Kyokota.
"There are more… in the cells," she whispered. "Please… save them…" Kyokota glanced at Ryu.
Ryu didn't hesitate. "We proceed."
And just like that—
They moved deeper in the Dungeon.
...............
I was halfway through another cage when the ceiling suddenly gave out. Stone shattered. Dust exploded into the air.
A figure dropped through the hole like a falling star.
I paused.
"…Did I take a wrong turn?" The man groaned as he stood.
Axel.
He looked worse than before—barely stable, mana flickering erratically around him like broken glass light.
His gaze locked onto me instantly.
"Are you their leader?! Take off your mask! How did you find me?!"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Oh," I said mildly. "So you did run away from my subordinates."
His eye twitched. One of his eyes flickered red with a faint corruption of violet. A half-formed instability.
Interesting.
You have quite an impressive amount of mana at the moment, care to explain why that is? Hmmm.?..." I queried,
{Radar activated}
"You lack skill a proper mana control.." I commented while dodging each attack with style.
"Shut up!!!" He kept going
"How pitiful, oh well, since I'm feeling generous, allow me to teach you the way of an OP character!" I smirked, smoothly avoiding his attacks
"Lesson 1: mark your opponent's fighting style!" I dodged another attack before kicking him in the back.
He grunted in pain by kept attacking mindlessly
"Lesson 2: use skills that can be most flexible for your powers!" I dropped my scythe in one swift motion, readying my fist
"And Lesson 3: look good doing it!" I grinned mischievously as I socked him in the face.
He crashed into the floor, got on one knee as he tried steading himself with his sword.
"I don't care how strong you are! The world is far to dark for me to escape now...this WORLD IS FAR DARKER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE !!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs in futstration, as if trying to run from the horrible things he had seen.
. "Very well..."
"Then I shall dive even deeper! How ever far I have to go, to save him!" I smiled wickedly.
His eyes widened before frowning deeply.
"I'm serious! This isn't a game, you b*tch!" He took out the medicine bottle and ate another pill.
His body powered up as he went full super seiyan rozei.
My eyes narrowed.
"Time to die, you b*tch!!!!" His formed a large, potent energy bomb and threw it at me with everything he had.
"How despicable"
{Slime manipulation activated}
I hardened my hand with a blob of slime before absorbing the attack.
"Impossible!!! What the hell are you?!" His eyes widened with horror and disbelief .
"Playtime is over" I frown
{Webber activated}
He froze as I entangled him in my webs.
"As for your question, my name is Ultamia, however you know my by a different identity" I took of my mask.
His face paled upon seeing mine.
"It can't be... " He shook his head in disbelief.
"Thankyou for playing, however playtime is over..." I cut him to pieces as his blood spread across the floor.
"What's this?" I picked up the medicine bottle with curiosity before shoving it in my pocket.
Then it hit me.
"Shit! I forgot read his memories for information on the diablo cult!" I whined.
I walked back to meet up with the others, carrying lady Abigail along like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey guy" I said tossing her onto the ground
"Hey I'm not some product. I deserve respect!" She screamed. Keith walked up to her, eyes blazing
"You're the lady that took sister! Give her back!" He yelled yanking off the anklet. A flash of light beamed as all the stolen youth return to their rightful owner. Leaving lady Abigail to her true wrinkly self.
That's when a girl similar looking to Keith Stubbled over.
"Keith...." She gasped, like she couldn't believe it
"I thought I'd never see you again
...
No one's pov
Eliot opened his eyes as he abruptly sat up. He was in a hospital bed with his arms and legs wrapped in bandages.
"Your finally awake..."
He swiftly turned his head to see shiori sitting on a chair.
"How are you doing?" She asked
"How I'm I here?" He queried
"We saved you obviously" she replied with a cheeky grin.
"Really?! Then what about Axel?! He quired with disbelief
"Oh, I took care of him personally, don't worry " she smiled
He was stunned, just then he noticed a scar on her uper arm. As if noticing his gaze, she dismissed the wound
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll heal up just fine " she smiled
"But why...?" She tilted her her, waiting for him to continue.
"Why go to such lengths to Save a nobody like me, if it's to rule the kingdom
furrowed his brow.
"Leave that to lady Ultamia" Ryu smirked.
.... ...
I looked around with radar, trying to find the others.
"Did I take a wrong turn?. And I was hoping to make my MC debut too..." I pouted.
Just then the ceiling crumbled as a familiar figure landed onto his feet in panic.
Axel? I stared at him as he seems to be consoling himself. He turned to me with a stern gaze as he stood unto his feet.
"Are you their leader? Take off your mask! And How did you even find me!?" He yelled out in futstration and anger.
" So I see, you did cowarded away from my subordinates..." I stated bluntly. I noticed one of his eyes had turned red with a flicker of dark purple.
A Phantom? No he still has his sensibility. A half phantom would be a more accurate term.The audacity to try such a thing isdespicable. I thought as I stared at him coldly
"That voice, no matter, it's just one woman!" He lunged at me with his hands engulfed in mana in the shape of blades.
In an instant, I whipped out my scythe and blocked his attack.
"What?!" He was stunded.
"You have quite an impressive amount of mana at the moment, care to explain why that is? Hmmm.?..." I queried,
{Radar activated}
"You lack skill a proper mana control.." I commented while dodging each attack with style.
"Shut up!!!" He kept going
"How pitiful, oh well, since I'm feeling generous, allow me to teach you the way of an OP character!" I smirked, smoothly avoiding his attacks
"Lesson 1: mark your opponent's fighting style!" I dodged another attack before kicking him in the back.
He grunted in pain by kept attacking mindlessly
"Lesson 2: use skills that can be most flexible for your powers!" I dropped my scythe in one swift motion, readying my fist
"And Lesson 3: look good doing it!" I grinned mischievously as I socked him in the face.
He crashed into the floor, got on one knee as he tried steading himself with his sword.
"I don't care how strong you are! The world is far to dark for me to escape now...this WORLD IS FAR DARKER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE !!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs in futstration, as if trying to run from the horrible things he had seen.
. "Very well..."
"Then I shall dive even deeper! How ever far I have to go, to save him!" I smiled wickedly.
His eyes widened before frowning deeply.
"I'm serious! This isn't a game, you b*tch!" He took out the medicine bottle and ate another pill.
His body powered up as he went full super seiyan rozei.
My eyes narrowed.
"Time to die, you b*tch!!!!" His formed a large, potent energy bomb and threw it at me with everything he had.
"How despicable"
{Slime manipulation activated}
I hardened my hand with a blob of slime before absorbing the attack.
"Impossible!!! What the hell are you?!" His eyes widened with horror and disbelief .
"Playtime is over" I frown
{Webber activated}
He froze as I entangled him in my webs.
"As for your question, my name is Ultamia, however you know my by a different identity" I took of my mask.
His face paled upon seeing mine.
"It can't be... " He shook his head in disbelief.
"Thankyou for playing, however playtime is over..." I cut him to pieces as his blood spread across the floor.
"What's this?" I picked up the medicine bottle with curiosity before shoving it in my pocket.
Then it hit me.
"Shit! I forgot read his memories for information on the diablo cult!" I whined.
I walked back to meet up with the others, carrying lady Abigail along like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey guy" I said tossing her onto the ground
"Hey I'm not some product. I deserve respect!" She screamed. Keith walked up to her, eyes blazing
"You're the lady that took sister! Give her back!" He yelled yanking off the anklet. A flash of light beamed as all the stolen youth return to their rightful owner. Leaving lady Abigail to her true wrinkly self.
That's when a girl similar looking to Keith Stubbled over.
"Keith...." She gasped, like she couldn't believe it
"I thought I'd never see you again
...
No one's pov
Eliot opened his eyes as he abruptly sat up. He was in a hospital bed with his arms and legs wrapped in bandages.
"Your finally awake..."
He swiftly turned his head to see shiori sitting on a chair.
"How are you doing?" She asked
"How I'm I here?" He queried
"We saved you obviously" she replied with a cheeky grin.
"Really?! Then what about Axel?! He quired with disbelief
"Oh, I took care of him personally, don't worry " she smiled
He was stunned, just then he noticed a scar on her uper arm. As if noticing his gaze, she dismissed the wound
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll heal up just fine " she smiled
"But why...?" She tilted her her, waiting for him to continue.
"Why go to such lengths to Dave a nobody like me, if it's to rule the kingdom I'm sure one of your order servants could have done a far better job than I could have. Now that you know the existence of the organization, you'll be targeted. And it's all my fault...." Tears rolled down his face in guilt.
She had saved him countless times and now because of him, she's in danger.
Even if axel is gone, there are far greater threats and she has to face them, all because of him. Guilt eating away at him like a fast spreading virus, until he felt a hand on his.
He looked at her as she stared at him with gentle eyes
"Baka, it's never your fault, I had known about them for a while now and as for the reason I saved you, that was because your my friend and friends don't let friends suffer for ones benefit.
"You really think so...?" He asked search for any form of lie in her speech.
"Of course silly! For better or for worse, We're always going to be friends." She smiled
His heart skip a beat.
She had made him see how weak and pitiful he truly was.
Despite being a half elf, he let his ego and fear of losing everything block his vision.
He only wanted to fulfill his grandfather's wish and allow the kingdom to prosper but now....
his goal has changed, He wants to aid her however he can.
Even If min had lost everything back then, Eliot has gained something much more valuable.
She was his savior....
She was his light....
She was his friend