Free Web NovelThe passage leading to the second floor was a spiral staircase winding upwards.
The staircase was very wide.
It was wide enough for ten people to walk side by side.
The walls were made of smooth black stone, with a glassy texture as if they had been scorched by fire countless times.
Every ten steps, a gas lamp was embedded in the wall.
The lampshades were frosted glass, with dark red flames burning inside.
The flames did not flicker.
They simply burned quietly.
Like a moment frozen in time.
Pavela lifted her hem and walked up step by step.
Her high heels clicked against the stone steps, making a crisp "clack-clack" sound.
Every sound echoed in the narrow space.
She counted the steps.
One hundred steps.
Two hundred steps.
Three hundred steps.
"So, you say your name is Boria."
Pavela confirmed with the knight beside her while holding up her hem.
"Third Seat Knight of the Paranov Guard Knights."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The knight walking beside her answered respectfully.
The hideous black helmet bowed slightly, and a wisp of gray mist puffed from the brass valve.
At this moment, Pavela was walking through the palace with Boria and a group of knights.
To be precise, she was being led by Boria to the next level of the tower.
The composition of the group was quite... unique.
At the very front was Boria, wearing only a helmet and a loincloth, his muscular body covered in scars.
Then came Pavela, wearing that incredibly heavy court dress, her long silver hair swaying gently behind her.
Behind her were eleven more knights, also wearing only helmets and loincloths.
They were lined up in a neat formation, marching in unison.
And within the rank of knights...
The Gatekeeper was tied up securely.
No, it would be more accurate to say he was bound to an extent that the term "securely tied" couldn't even begin to describe.
That ball of void fire was wrapped in layer after layer of chains emitting a faint blue glow.
The chains wound from his neck all the way down to his ankles.
Every loop was pulled tight.
He was being carried by four knights.
Two at the head, two at the feet.
They held him aloft in the air, like carrying a pig to the slaughter.
"Can't you guys loosen it a bit—"
The Gatekeeper's voice came through the gaps in the chains.
Muffled and filled with despair.
"I'm about to fall apart—"
"Shut up."
The knight carrying his head said coldly.
"Say one more word and I'll seal your mouth too."
"Yeah, behave yourself."
Another knight added.
"For now, we're leaving you alone for Her Highness's sake."
"Once Her Highness is gone, just you wait and see how we piss out your pathetic little flame!"
"Exactly, we haven't forgotten how you tried to bewitch Her Highness last time."
A third knight said.
His voice was full of threats.
"I... I that time—"
"Shut up!"
The four knights shouted in unison.
The Gatekeeper completely gave up struggling.
His ball of void fire dimmed significantly.
The hem of his tailcoat hung limply.
His bowtie turned to ash with a "poof" once again.
Pavela listened to the commotion behind her.
The corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch.
She turned her head and glanced at the fireball tied up like a zongzi.
"...Are you alright?"
"No."
The Gatekeeper's voice sounded exceptionally miserable.
"Not at all."
"Master, could you please talk to them—"
"No."
Pavela cut him off decisively.
"You brought this on yourself, so deal with it."
The Gatekeeper's flame flickered weakly.
He let out a suppressed, aggrieved whimper, not daring to make a loud sound.
Pavela didn't look back at the unfortunate Warden again.
She tilted her head and looked at Boria, who was walking half a step ahead of her.
"So, why are you only wearing helmets and loincloths?"
She asked.
She had been holding back this question for a while.
Boria's pace didn't falter.
A puff of gray mist escaped the brass breathing valve.
"It is also for atonement, Your Highness."
His voice came from within the heavy iron helmet, carrying a hollow echo.
"We failed in a crucial operation."
"We were utterly defeated."
"And that failure led to catastrophic consequences."
He paused.
His helmet bowed slightly.
"We failed to protect what should have been protected."
"This made us feel that we are no longer worthy of the armor we once wore."
"Therefore, until we have truly atoned for our sins, we cannot put it on again."
"Not even # Nоvеlight # if it is your command."
Pavela opened her mouth.
Wanting to say something.
But after a thought, she closed it again.
She sighed silently in her heart.
These knights were indeed, as the Gatekeeper said, a bunch of "old perverts who don't understand human speech."
She had sensed the "old pervert" part the moment she met them.
The image of over a dozen semi-naked muscular men wearing iron helmets and sprinting would likely be a source of mental pollution for her for a long time.
And as for the "not understanding human speech" part, she had fully experienced it during their ten-minute conversation just now.
Even though the souls of these knights appeared very complete.
Solid.
They didn't even look translucent; it was as if living people were standing there.
Yet their essence was still that of departed souls trapped within this Black Tower.
They did retain many deep-seated things from their lives.
Such as those burning emotions.
Such as that unparalleled reverence and near-fanatical loyalty toward "Her Highness the Princess."
Such as that battle-hardened aura of slaughter.
But similarly, they were missing many things as well.
Such as many specific memories from their lives.
Such as a clear understanding of their current situation.
Such as... normal logical reasoning abilities.
When these two factors combined...
the situation became extremely troublesome.
Ten minutes ago.
When Boria was kneeling before her, weeping bitterly.
She asked Boria, "Why do you call me Her Highness the Princess?" freёwebnoѵel.com
Boria replied, "Because you are Her Highness the Princess."
She asked again, "The princess of which country?"
Boria replied, "I don't know. You are Her Highness the Princess, and Her Highness the Princess is Her Highness the Princess."
She told Boria to stop kneeling.
She said, "Then get up first, stop kneeling. Since I am Her Highness the Princess, you should obey my orders, right?"
Boria replied, "I cannot."
"We have committed such grave sins; I truly have no face to lift my head before you."
Pavela took a deep breath and continued, "Then what must you do to complete your atonement?"
Boria replied, "I don't know."
"But I will know in time."
"When that day comes, we will naturally know."
She asked, "Then how long do you plan to kneel?"
Boria said, "Until Your Highness forgives us."
She said, "Then I forgive you now."
Boria said, "I cannot, Your Highness. Your current forgiveness is only out of your benevolence."
"But our sins cannot be washed away by benevolence alone."
I don't know.
I cannot.
I don't know.
I cannot.
At that moment, Pavela almost couldn't resist kicking that iron helmet.
She finally understood.
This guy might be calling her "Her Highness the Princess" more respectfully than anyone else, but he was fucking completely immersed in his own world.
He couldn't provide a single piece of useful information.
And he couldn't listen to a word anyone else said.
A perfect closed loop of logic.
It was infuriatingly self-consistent.
