The Envoy of Darkness

Chapter 37 - The Devil and The Envoy Part 2

"Scarlett!" Albert exclaimed, rattled by the sight of his daughter. "How... How is this possible? How can it be you?!"

Max smirked at the glowering young lady while the Minister strained himself in an effort to reach his little girl. Looking apathetically at Albert, Max willed the air to push the man back against the wall. He softly sighed. "Don't struggle. It'll just reopen your wounds."

Preoccupied with thoughts about his daughter, Albert continued to vacantly stare at her. He failed to register Max's words; instead two simple questions haunted his mind - How? Why?

Fifteen years ago, tales of the Minister's life had been a part of the nobility's gossip. A commoner who had risen to become a hero, highly trusted by the king, and yet also a man without ambition. But things changed after his wife's death.

The untimely demise of his mortal companion had taken a toll on the Minister, transforming him into a cold and detached man. His daughter, Scarlett, had undergone a similar change and had slowly distanced herself from her friends. Much like her father, she seemed unable to deal with her mother's passing. Unfortunately, this had only been the beginning of their tragic period of suffering.

Asterisk had come a long way in the field of medicine, but the planet still wasn't free of all its diseases. Among the handful unique to this world, one in particular had always been an enigma. Deemed to be incurable, it was a rare affliction that struck immense fear in those capable of wielding magic.

Anti-mana, a strange condition which inflicted indescribable torment upon the scarcely affected, dispelled the ability to freely wield magic, gradually rendering the mage or knight powerless. Successive stages of the disease would cause the little mana inside the body to crystallize. Months of distress would eventually lead to paralysis, and ultimately a gruesome death.

Five years after losing her mother, Scarlett had been diagnosed with this dreadful malady, dooming the Cross household to another fatality. Her situation had once again left the Minister shaken and distraught. Albert had desperately called upon all of his resources in the hopes of obtaining a miracle. As his seemingly futile search for a cure had continued, those acquainted with him had lamented and offered their condolences. Not long after, news of her passing was made public.

It had been around this time that the rumors began to spread. Hearsay of the Minister's proclivities reached many ears, but the blue-blooded families seemed to turn a blind eye to this alleged disregard for the Empire's laws.

The night's unexpected revelation left the Minister at a loss, his mind a mess and his heart filled with sorrow. As he looked at his daughter, Albert slowly asked the one question hounding him the most. "Were you ever sick?"

A year after her infection, Scarlett entered a coma. During this moment of utter despair, the Minister's frantic search brought him to the mysterious figure enveloped in smoke. Distrust and suspicions were relegated to the sidelines to give his daughter a path to survival, especially after the Envoy had proved his ability to stop Scarlett's failing health. But the abominable proposition and the necessary ingredients for a complete cure caused the Minister to vacillate. The father inside eventually won and the demarcated line of morality began to blur. His heart steeled, Albert had resolved to sin, knowing that his friendship with the King wasn't enough to pardon him of the offenses he was about to commit.

Girls with an affinity to mana were kidnapped and reduced to ordinary mortals, their mental energy extracted through a method unique only to the Envoy to counteract the effects of anti-mana and substitute for Scarlett's depleting source or so Albert had been told. To hide his goal and the Envoy's involvement, he had engaged in subterfuge, secretly encouraging the rumors regarding his sudden promiscuous inclinations.