Chapter 6: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter 6: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Yamauca tugged at the edge of his ornate cloak, frowning at the elaborate embroidery and gaudy gemstones. Aetrial’s wardrobe was nothing short of excessive, and it screamed, I’m the villain! He needed simpler clothes, something that didn’t draw attention.

“Let’s head to the town market,” he said, stepping into the waiting carriage. His butler, Victor, and maid, Lila, followed closely behind.

The journey was uneventful, and soon, Yamauca found himself in a high-end clothing store filled with elegant outfits. He avoided anything flashy, opting for muted colors and simpler designs. As he was browsing, a male store attendant approached him.

“Good afternoon, miss,” the man said with a polite bow.

Yamauca froze. “Miss?”

The attendant gave him a curious look, then seemed to notice the error. “Oh! My deepest apologies, sir. It’s just that your... features are quite striking.”

Behind him, Victor coughed into his hand, clearly trying to suppress laughter, while Lila bit her lip to keep from smiling.

“It’s fine,” Yamauca replied curtly, quickly moving on to finalize his purchases.

---

Later, at a nearby café, the situation repeated itself. The waitress smiled warmly at Yamauca as she placed his tea and pastries on the table.

“Enjoy your meal, miss.”

“Miss?” Yamauca’s eyebrow twitched.

The waitress blushed deeply, realizing her mistake. “I-I’m so sorry, sir!” she stammered. But inwardly, she couldn’t help but think, How can a man be this beautiful?

Yamauca sighed, deciding to brush it off. The sooner he was out of there, the better. And he knew it wasn't her fault. He really is a miss now.

---

After leaving the restaurant and climbing into the carriage, Yamauca decided to test the limits of his dark magic. “Might as well make use of what I’ve got,” he muttered.

He formed a small tendril of shadow in his hand, manipulating its shape and size. Experimenting further, he let the tendril stretch outward, but his control wavered, and the magic lashed out, knocking over two figures in a nearby alley.

Startled, Yamauca leapt out of the carriage and ran into the alley. The two men lay on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Panic surged through him.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” he muttered, crouching beside them. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!”

Desperate to fix his mistake, Yamauca activated a dark magic healing spell. Tendrils of shadow enveloped the men, and their wounds began to close, but instead of relief, they woke up screaming in agony.

Their cries echoed through the alley.

“What’s happening?!” Yamauca shouted, his hands trembling. Dark healing magic wasn’t as effective as holy magic, but it wasn’t supposed to cause this kind of pain.

One of the men turned his head, his eyes filled with terror. “Please... Save... me...” he croaked, his voice weak but desperate.

Chills ran down Yamauca’s spine. Someone’s here.

Slowly, he turned around, and his heart sank. A group of knights from the Holy Order stood at the mouth of the alley, their leader—a tall, imposing man—eyeing the scene with a mix of horror and suspicion.

The knights’ captain stepped forward, his sword drawn. Behind him, the other knights stood ready, their eyes darting between the bleeding men and the boy crouched beside them.

Victor and Lila stood frozen near the carriage. Lila looked horrified, while Victor’s expression was surprisingly calm, almost nostalgic, as if scenes like this weren’t new to him.

“Please... save... me...” one of the injured men begged again, his voice barely audible.

The captain’s gaze hardened. He pointed his sword at Yamauca.

“What in the name of the light is going on here?”

Yamauca forced a helpless smile, his voice wavering as he spoke. “This... is not what it seems like.”

The knights didn’t look convinced.

---

Captain Reynard’s POV

Reynard, captain of the Holy Order’s knights, had been tracking two demons disguised as humans through the city. These creatures had already taken the lives of seven innocent citizens, their latest victims being children. He’d been following their sinister aura when it led him to this alley.

But what he found there wasn’t what he expected.

A young man, perhaps 18 or 19, was crouched beside the demons, his hands glowing with the unmistakable aura of dark magic. Blood stained the ground, and the demons—who moments ago had been fleeing—now writhed in agony, screaming as though their souls were being torn apart.

Behind the young man stood an older butler and a maid, both clearly terrified. The maid looked ready to flee, but the butler’s calm demeanor stood out. He seemed almost accustomed to this kind of chaos, as if recalling a similar scene from long ago.

One of the demons turned its head toward Reynard.

“Please... save... me...”

Reynard’s hand tightened around his sword. He had no sympathy for demons, but the sight before him was unsettling.

The boy turned toward them, and Reynard was struck by the dissonance of his appearance—a face so beautiful and youthful, yet surrounded by such a horrifying scene. The boy’s lips curled into a weak smile, and he spoke in a trembling voice.

“This... is not what it seems like.”

Reynard’s instincts screamed at him that something wasn’t right.

“Knights,” he barked, “stay on guard. We’re taking him in for questioning.”

---

Yamauca’s POV

Yamauca’s mind raced.

This is bad. This is really, really bad.

The knights were already drawing their weapons. He could almost feel the cold iron cuffs snapping around his wrists, dragging him to a dark, damp cell in the dungeon.

“This isn’t what it looks like!” he said desperately, raising his hands.

But judging by their expressions, they weren’t buying it.

Inwardly, Yamauca groaned. Why does everything keep getting worse?