nownovels Chapter 22: The Listener and Quintina
Chapter 22: The Listener and Quintina
In the eighth block of the capital, a simply dressed young woman had just finished get off work at the bakery and was heading home, carrying a bag of soft and sweet strawberry-filled bread.
This is an extra gift from the bakery owner to his son, who is celebrating his birthday today.
The girl's name is Quintina.
This made Quintina happy for a long time. Although she was an apprentice in the bakery, she couldn't bear to eat those delicious and exquisite breads herself.
"Hmm, this strawberry bread costs 60 copper coins! The boss is really generous today! I can bring some for my mother to try! My mother has only ever eaten black bread in her life..."
Quintina thought to herself with delight.
Just as Quintina turned into a secluded corner of the alley, a middle-aged man wearing a black tarpaulin hat blocked her way.
"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"
The girl said politely.
The man in the linoleum hat spoke in a hoarse, sickly voice: "Ujigura...it's the scent of a virgin! To sacrifice a beautiful and lovely virgin to the great chaotic evil god—the merciful father god of decay! How wonderful that is!"
Quintina was startled by these abrupt words and retreated in panic.
"Ujigura! You can't escape..."
The man in the tarpaulin hat unleashed his fighting spirit, which transformed into a sticky black rope that bound the girl tightly.
"Please... let me go..."
"Mom is still waiting for me to come home..."
"She's never even eaten strawberry sandwiches before... Please... Sir..."
A line of crystal-clear tears rolled down Quintina's cheeks, and because her throat was being choked, she could only utter weak, intermittent cries.
The man in the linoleum hat remained unmoved, and with one foot, he stomped the strawberry bread that the girl had carefully packed into pieces.
"Even though she's a virgin, she's so foolish! It's just a regular piece of fruit bread!"
After saying that, the girl was choked unconscious by the man in the tarpaulin hat.
.............
When Quintina regained consciousness, the first thing that filled her nostrils was a cloyingly sweet mixture of smells—a strong stench of blood, the acrid smell of burning fat, and some kind of stale spice.
As far as the eye could see, there were only vague human figures.
In the dim, flickering firelight, dozens of girls of similar age to her were "displayed" in various twisted and bizarre poses in different corners of the space.
Some bodies were cruelly severed at the waist, held together only by fascia, with the lower body hanging limply, casting a still and terrifying long shadow on the wall;
Some were laid flat on the cold stone platform, their bellies strangely bulging, and the intricate patterns on their skin slowly writhing.
What was most terrifying was that their heads had been pierced with a hole of moderate size, from which a thick hemp wick soaked in grease extended, its tip lit, emitting a faint blue, not bright, but unusually steady flame.
Dozens of these "corrupted candlelight" burned silently in the deathly stillness, illuminating the pale, wax-white faces of young people, their expressions forever frozen in extreme pain.
There was no struggle, no sound, only the faint hissing sound of the wick burning and the sticky sound of grease mixed with something else dripping down.
This place is a bloody slaughterhouse, turning young girls into living candlesticks that burn continuously.
At the center of the ceremony, a huge symbol drawn with dark liquid was shimmering faintly, seemingly waiting to be activated.
"Ujigura! You're awake! The ritual can finally begin! I will let you see your head being chiseled open while you are fully conscious, and the rotting candle will be lit, sacrificing your entire life to Chaos..."
The man in the linoleum hat said excitedly.
"No, you can't kill people indiscriminately...!"
"His Majesty's decree strictly forbids suicide...! This is the capital; His Majesty's knights and guards will arrest you!"
The girl screamed desperately.
The man in the linoleum hat smiled contemptuously: "Your Majesty? That Li Ang who ascended the throne by sheer luck, he's nothing but an incompetent and hypocritical wretch! I've already sacrificed nearly a hundred virgins in his most heavily guarded capital! What can he do about it?"
"Today's sacrificial ceremony will proceed as scheduled! Who cares about the king?"
The linoleum hat's outrageous remarks were not yet finished!
A loud "BOOM!" rang out!
A dozen or so palace guards burst through the door.
The man in the linoleum hat was terrified and was about to retaliate!
Following closely behind, four court magicians cast a "binding" spell, freezing his body in place!
"Click!"
"Bang!"
The court guards took the opportunity to skillfully attach heavy chains, shackles, and handcuffs to the man in the linoleum hat.
At this point, the man in the tarpaulin hat was no longer able to resist.
"Madam, you've been rescued!"
The captain of the court warriors, leading the group, severed the bindings on the girl with a single sword stroke.
Quintina wept with joy. Having witnessed such a horrific scene, the frail woman could no longer hold back her tears.
Manager Mike emerged from the shadows and draped a trench coat over the girl's shoulders.
"Two warriors, personally escort this lady home safely!"
Manager Mike gave the order.
"Hello, are you His Majesty the King's Royal Guard?"
Quintina suddenly asked.
Manager Mike nodded: "That's right!"
"Thank you so much! If you hadn't saved me, I wouldn't be able to go home to see my mother today... That man was awful; he stomped on the strawberry bread I was preparing for my mother..."
Quintina couldn't help but cry again when she thought of that exquisite "strawberry bread".
Steward Mike waved his hand gently, a rare display of kindness: "Pass on my order: have the royal chef prepare a large fruit and cream cake just for this lady!"
Quintina's eyes lit up, overwhelmed with emotion: "Thank you so much!"
Steward Mike shook his head: "You should praise His Majesty the King of America! As you just said, His Majesty's decree strictly forbids evildoers and killing within the capital!"
"Yes, praise be to the great King!"
Quintina said with heartfelt devotion.
Li Ang, who was leaning against the bed and reading a book, suddenly noticed something strange in the system log.
It turns out that I have gained more subjects with loyalty scores greater than 90.
The LV1 "Yellow Skin Subsystem" will provide notifications to subjects and subordinates with a loyalty level greater than 90.
A loyalty score of over 90 is considered very high. Such a person would not only be willing to take a knife for Li Ang, but would also devoutly believe in Li Ang as their superior!
"Quintina? The one with over 90 loyalty points is a girl named Quintina!"
Li Ang glanced at the system notification and smiled slightly.
................
In the royal prison, the man in the linoleum hat was still shouting, "You've arrested the wrong person! I'm just a necromancer! The girls in the rooms all died of illness; I simply bought their corpses from their parents!"
Chief Steward Mike coldly scrutinized the linoleum-hatted man who had just been arrested: "The Corruption Cult's Listener! You have half an hour to confess everything you know!"