novelraw Chapter 291: Ynixia has Returned
Chapter 291: Ynixia has Returned
Chapter 291: Ynixia has Returned Ynixia strolled casually across the shadowed path, making no effort to silence her steps. By now, hiding was practically a useless endeavor. All Ynixia could hear in the distance were the muffled howls of prowling beasts, desperate to reach her. There was nothing to conceal their obvious hunger—the Shepherd was akin to a prized meal to them, no matter where she walked.
Sensing their approach, Ynixia couldn’t help but yawn. “Do you think these ones will be a bit harder to handle, Albert?”
The shadows surrounding her stirred, signalling his agreement.
“I sure do hope so. Frankly, this entire exploration is becoming more and more monotonous by the second. I crave a bit of excitement…”
There was indeed one thing that could have fulfilled that desire: Mordred’s whereabouts.
After her brief interaction with Him at the banquet hall’s entrance, Ynixia hoped to learn more about why he was there to begin with. And more importantly, she had to find out what happened to the other Knights of the Round Table after losing her memories.
After attempting to communicate with Him numerous times, the solemn black knight continued keeping His silence. It seemed as if he was okay with simply observing her from a distance. Then, for no obvious reason, He suddenly turned His back and vanished into the shadows. No matter how hard she tried, Ynixia couldn’t sense even a molecule of His anima, as if He had truly been erased completely.
This was an abnormality of the highest degree.
It’s obvious this castle holds some kind of hidden power that could be related to my authority over the Nameless Mist. There was no mistaking it after witnessing what occurred in the banquet. Those strange masks… and the incomprehensible way the subspace was layered. All of it pointed at some unknown property tied to Hyades Castle and her own forgotten secrets.
Though, what she was most concerned about was Mordred’s connection to this place. After all, there was a legend associated with Him:
“Whatever the Weeping Lake reflects, becomes infested in black thorns.”
She bit her nail in frustration. “I really hope I’m wrong about this…” There were many things Ynixia could handle alone, but that damned witch was not one of them. Just the mere thought of Her
made the Shepherd feel light-headed. She shook her head and smiled, reassuring herself. I’ll find Them soon enough if they are still in the castle. There is no need to rush…
That would have been what Lancelot would have said to her, at least.
Annoyingly, this train of thought had become a common occurrence ever since her arrival in this castle. Perhaps it was due to her many lost memories that seemed to be slowly awakening, or simply the flourishing of forgotten emotions reaching the surface of her mind. Whatever the case may be, she was sure that these ancient halls were responsible.
Indeed, the Hyades Castle she once knew was never a dilapidated mess of shadows and rot. It was a beautiful, almost majestic creation in the eyes of many in the empire. A prized possession full of myths, legends, and hidden secrets that not many ever obtain the chance to visit and see. Mesmerizing pottery, sculptures, paintings and many other fine arts used to populate these now dark and gloomy corridors.
Every step forward brought untold memories to her mind. There were scenes of her hiding away from the other noble children, annoyed by their presence. Scenes of royal gardens, flush with newly blossomed flowers that she was never allowed to touch. And even secret rooms that once housed forgotten relics—all of them so fascinating to study… despite being warned not to do so by Lancelot.
Cherished memories upon cherished memories… all buried beneath the fog of history.
Ynixia sighed inwardly before walking forward a bit more. She suddenly noticed another dark passage—this time marked by two marble vases decorated in golden calligraphy that guarded each side of the entrance.
The old Dulvali script read, “To those who may arrive, Camilla was here,” on the first vase, while the second read, “to those who were here, Ynixia may arrive.”
The Shepherd froze upon reading the olden script, a half-smile half-frown creeping over her face. “Of all the things that vanished, to think this still remained…”
She chuckled and shook her head at the absurdity.
Ever since she was young, visits to Hyades Castle were a common occurrence. Lancelot would bring her every time a meeting would occur—especially during the Summit of Houses banquets.
Although she was never allowed to formally attend the events, this was still something she cherished heavily in her heart. After all, being raised as a Holy Maiden didn’t exactly grant her much freedom. Not to mention, most of the other noble children her age either saw her as a nuisance or an opportunity to curry favor. There was rarely anyone she was close to, aside from Lancelot and a few others at the temple.
That was why, to her, traveling to Hyades Castle was a chance to unwind—to free herself the duties at the temple. And, most of all, a way for her to find some degree of solace and isolation from this world that demanded so much from her.
But despite these wishes, fate desired to push her onto a different path instead.
“Camilla…” She whispered the name softly. Without realizing it, Ynixia had reached for the vase, feeling the rough surface where the calligraphy was etched. Her mind pictured herself and that girl standing before it long ago, etching these exact words that had been preserved for so long.
Her smile slowly widened.
Indeed, it was her meeting with that girl that changed her trajectory the most.
Out of everything, she remembered Camilla for her extravagance. Being Cassilda’s younger sister, the young girl possessed a higher status from birth. And… she was also coincidentally the same age as Ynixia.
However, unlike her sister, who was known for her bad temper, Camilla was much more kind and friendly, even to those of lower status than her. There were many recorded instances of her aiding the castle servants in chores, despite frequent backlash from other nobles. Many seemed to favor her more than the future Duchess herself.
Though, despite her kind temperament, most of her reputation continued being defined by her unhinged antics instead.
Antics that eventually managed to cause their paths to cross.
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During one uneventful visit to Hyades Castle, Ynixia had clumsily forgotten to conceal her tracks as she usually does. It just so happened to be Camilla’s birthday, so she was also in the castle as well that day. And by sheer coincidence, the outgoing girl managed to accidentally discover Ynixia in one of the secret rooms she used to always hide in.
Although Ynixia found her very annoying at first, she quickly began realizing just how different the princess was from the other children her age. Camilla never once cared for her own higher status, nor did she bother with the etiquette one must follow when conversing with the famed Shepherd. It was as if the girl truly viewed them as equals—forsaking any care for advantages or opportunities. She wasn’t even afraid of her erasive curse, seeing it as a fascinating power rather than something that must be feared…
In a way, she was somewhat similar to Soren in this aspect.
There was also the fact that both of them seemed to enjoy messing with the ancient relics found in the castle. Breaking them was indeed Camilla’s speciality… Ynixia couldn’t even begin to count how many times the both of them were scolded by Lancelot because of their childish antics.
Indeed, after all these shared experiences, there was no denying the truth: Camilla had managed to become her first ever friend.
A person like her, known to others only through the title of Holy Maiden—despised and revered by everyone—had actually found a person who didn’t care for any of it at all… Looking back, this was likely when Ynixia began desiring to truly live. Everything around her had slowly gained color, thanks to Camilla’s presence.
Though, it only lasted up until that damned catastrophe which took everything away from her again.
The Shepherd shook her head slowly. “Silly girl, I wonder where you are right now…” Maybe roaming around Carcosa? Or perhaps she too had vanished completely. There was no way to know. Her memories were still far too hazy to fully grasp.
“I’ll find the answer eventually,” she reassured herself again. After a brief moment of silence, Ynixia let go of the marble vase—she had finally come to a firm decision.
Commanding the surrounding shadows, she formed a large sphere of darkness above her palm. In an instant, she watched as the Nameless Mist shifted, morphing into a recognizable shape.
Soren’s dagger—Ghostfang the Pale.
“Allow me to borrow this,” She whispered softly. After another moment of contemplation, she dug the shadow blade’s end into the marble vase. It didn’t take long for her to etch the following words in Dulvali beneath the already written calligraphy:
“Ynixia has returned.”
Stepping back away, Ynixia stared proudly at the now vandalized relic. No doubt, their market value had decreased significantly—it was practically a ruined product.
She chuckled.
There was no need to care, anyway… After all, this was a relic she and Camilla had created from scratch—left for future generations to discover and learn their names.
But who would have thought it would be herself from the future that would end up discovering them again instead?
She couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well then, I suppose I should finish up this section of the castle.”
The once distant howls of shadowed beasts had grown far louder than before. She could tell they would reach her soon enough.
Spinning the shadowed Ghostfang the Pale between her fingers, Ynixia smiled at the unseeable abyss before her. “It seems I might have jinxed it—our new prey might be more exciting than I had wished for them to be… What do you say, Albert? Should we capture these ones as well? I feel it might be a bit more difficult compared to the previous batches.”
The darkness stirred around her once more. Hearing his answer, Ynixia couldn’t help but giggle.
“You’re right. We might as well do our chores early.”
Beneath a sea of golden lights, slow melodies, and the echoes of distant laughter, Soren passionately spun the glamorous crimson woman in his arms before ending it in a dramatic dip. He leaned closer toward her, scrutinizing her expression beneath the mask as their breaths grew heavy.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Her frown couldn’t be hidden, even under such an immaculate disguise.
“What,” he whispered teasingly, “were my words that hurtful?”
She clicked her tongue as he once again pulled her into another spin. Cassilda shook her head slightly.
“Your explanation is logical, so yes, I do find it annoying. However, I’m more concerned about something else entirely.”
Soren’s lips curled up. “Did my companion do something?”
“.....” There was a brief pause that made Soren’s inference undeniable. Eventually, she smiled, hiding a fragment of anger beneath the warm facade. “You tell me. I thought your mystical eyes told you everything you need.”
His smile widened while shaking his head in response, “Nay. I am not some omniscient god. My vision is limited to what the Beyond presents to me. You on the other hand… I assume you do see everything happening in the castle, right?”
No answer arrived, but Soren had already expected this reaction. He simply shrugged, letting the tunes carry him. “Since we’re already playing a guessing game, how about I make my own form of it to pass the time?”
“What do you suggest?” She stared into his eyes passionately, as if they were a pair of star-crossed lovers holding each other one final time. Soren couldn’t help but feel astonished by her acting skills.
“It's simple, really. I will form a guess, and you will simply have to answer whether I am correct or not. If my guess is wrong even once, my fate after this dance will be left to you to decide. But if I am correct, I will explain to you my reasoning. Essentially, you lose nothing by participating.”
Hearing no objection, Soren grinned, “Then let us start with the first one—you were annoyed earlier because of Victoria’s actions, correct?”
She paused for a moment then nodded. “This castle should be completely foreign to her. Why is she able to know where to go? You’re responsible, somehow… right?”
“Simple,” Soren said as they twirled around the ballroom once more. “I indeed provided her with the information. My Soul Weapon possesses an ability that allows me to directly transfer knowledge into the minds of others. Now I will guess your next string of thoughts.
“You’re probably thinking, ‘But how exactly does he know the castle’s layout,’ right?”
He noticed her eyes widening slightly beneath the mask, prompting him to chuckle. “The answer to that is also very simple. Haven’t you noticed that the paths she is crossing through have already been charted by someone else?”
“Ynixia…” the Duchess whispered to herself.
“Correct.” He chuckled softly. “It seems you’re also good at guessing.”
“But then—”
He cut her off once more, “And now you’re probably now thinking, ‘But then why do you know what paths Ynixia crossed?’”
Seeing her silence, Soren shook his head as they spun beneath the flickering chandelier. “You should already know the answer to that one, honorable Duchess. After all, what kind of knight would I be if I didn’t possess a strong connection to the lady I serve? A connection that runs deeper than what this castle—and the eyes it possesses—grants you.”
Her frown deepened. “Some… Some kind of soul contract?”
“I like to call it the [Fairy Ring] contract. Though, the contractees are usually referred to as Anchors instead.”
“......”
“There is someone beyond this realm’s grasp whom I am connected to. They allow me to see where these Anchors of mine are at all times. Though, I recently discovered that this method of communication is always as reliable as I had previously assumed.”
He smiled as he delved deeper into her eyes. “The connection between me and Ynixia, however, won’t face any problems. After all, we are in the same location at the moment—there is nothing powerful enough to obstruct it.”
Cassilda continued dancing in silence, prompting him to laugh.
“Speaking of soul contracts…”
Before he could even finish his statement, Cassilda already turned away in disgust, clicking her tongue. “Men really are sly, foul creatures. How annoying…”
“Was I really that obvious to read?” He chucked softly, shaking his head. “But you must agree, Duchess, that this is a fairly obvious conclusion for me to come to.”
He spun her gracefully beneath his arm before pulling her closer again:
“Allow this to be my final guess. This Hyades Castle… I believe it is a Soul Weapon.”
The revelation caused the ballroom chandeliers to flicker unevenly for a brief moment.
Soren shook his head and smiled. “No, perhaps Sacred Treasure describes it better. You’re contracted to it, right?”