ROSES HAVE THORNS-Chapter 67 - The Minor Villain’s Monologue

"I must say, Your Majesty, this isn’t... *sigh* this isn’t the way I was hoping things would go down." Tobias spoke in a somewhat sad tone as he removed his hand from the spear and stood up.

"You sentenced my poor brother-in-arms to death and for what? For speaking out of turn? My, how... tyrannical of you He did not deserve that, oh no he didn’t. He was supposed to act like a victim at this damn clown show and yet you... *sigh*."

"....." Maxwell just kept staring at him with those golden dead eyes that showed neither panic nor fear.

"What’s wrong, Your Majesty? You were so chatty just now? Cat got your tongue~? Oh what am I saying, of course you cannot move. This is a new spell that my brothers and sisters had invented in order to stop anything that moves with a fifty-meter radius. Although it takes some pre-preparation. Here, look."

Tobias took off his priest robes which revealed a body filled with crude and cursed looking crimson tattoos.

’So that’s the completed spell? Arlo’s version only seemed to go up to his wrist.’ Kurt thought when looking at him in a frozen position.

’Also, is it just me, or am I finding myself frozen in place more and more these days? Arlo, the princess, Emelie and now Tobias. There’s also Diana if you count what she did to me in bed, hehe~’

"This is a wonderful spell, Your Majesty." Tobias spoke again after showing off his body and putting his robes back on. "Once it is activated, I have exactly ten minutes to do whatever I want to those caught inside it. But there is a way to extend that time."

Tobias pulled out a black dagger, grinned twistedly, and stabbed it into the neck of one of the royal guardsmen who was restraining him. The red tattoo on his palm began to quickly light up and started to absorb the blood as he held it over the spot where it was leaking.

"This spell needs a... fixed amount of blood to function properly, you see. Hence the need for pre-preparation. So tell me, your Majesty, where do you think we get the blood needed for this spell?

And before you can guess it, let me just tell you that using the blood of my brethren would most definitely be a no-go since we would need a deadly amount of it.

What’s that? Monster and animal blood you say? Nope. Wrong answer again, Your Majesty. Their blood is not pure enough.

Come on now, the answer isn’t that hard. Isn’t that right Kurt?" He turned head at a creepy ninety-degree angle when looking at him.

’No... it couldn’t be... Don’t tell me it’s–!’

"Ahh there’s the reaction I was looking for. Although your face is frozen, I can still see the look of despair in your eye. Oh, and it looks like this body has been sufficiently dried up too." Tobias kicked away the thinned out and dead body of the guardsman.

"It’s the children, Your Majesty. Their pure and untainted blood is what allows this spell to last for ten minutes. Any other human blood source would only yield flimsy results. That guardsman I just killed? A minute at most."

’This–! This sick bastard!’ Kurt seethed with rage.

"But there’s no need to worry, for you see not all our brethren are allowed to use this spell. Only those worthy and have proven themselves may. Otherwise we’d quickly run out of children to... use. And that wouldn’t do because, as Kurt so appropriately put it, we still have our ’show’ to put on."

Step

Step

Step

Tobias began to walk over to King Maxwell and stopped when right in front of him.

"I’ll be taking this." He took away Arlo’s tag from the king’s grasp and looked him in his eyes.

"Still no life in those piercing eyes of yours. Do you even care about what I just said? Do you even care about the safety of those children?"

"..."

".... Haaaaa. After I kill you, maybe I should pay your dear children after this. The prince we don’t need. The princess however, hehehe. Yeees. Although we couldn’t have fun with the late queen before she died, we most certainly can with– hmm?"

He noticed the air around him was starting to feel denser and that Maxwell’s body was slightly trembling.

"It... was... you?!... Killed...my... queen!" The king grunted between his teeth.

"... Ha.. haha... Ahahaha! Finally! You show a response! But don’t get the story twisted. You were the one who was too late to save her. So doesn’t that mean it’s technically your fault?"

"TO...BI...AS!" Blue and golden aura was emitting from Maxwell’s body the more he heard him speak.

"Hmm. As expected of a King. Not even this spell could’ve held you down forever. No matter. This is where you die. Farewell, Your Majesty!" Tobias swung down his dagger and aimed for his neck when,

Snap!

The dagger broke in pieces when it touched the king’s aura.

"Oh my, how anticlimactic. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned your wife and kids. But can you blame me? Your face is awfully dull most of the time."

Suddenly, Tobias’ shadow began to stir and moved around as if it had a will of its own. The shadow then jumped up and landed next to him in a figure that was dressed in the cultist’s robes and hood.

"Father." The figure spoke. "Was it really wise for you to blab all of our secrets like that? You even taunted and failed to kill the king."

"It matters not. The moment that heathen found out about our little goblin island and rescued those women, my identity would’ve been compromised anyway. It’s funny how fate toys with us. Not only was nobody supposed to find that island, but we’ve also gotten our ship stolen from us and our brothers and sisters captured.

It feels like all of our plans are crumbling down right under our noses and that we’re dancing in the palm of someone’s hands."

"Father, that’s enough monologuing. We’ve already lost three brothers in the span of a week, and you have about two minutes until the spell wears out and starts draining your own blood instead. We cannot lose you too. Let’s leave."

"Always the impatient one, aren’t you? Also, it’s three minutes to be precise. I killed and drained another person."

"Father..."

"I know I know. His Majesty over here also looks like he’s about to pop a vein any moment now. However, before we leave there is someone we absolutely need to kill. That’s the whole reason why I came to this castle."

"Kurt Rossana." The figure said.

’Aw crapbaskets... And just when I was starting to feel like a fly on the wall too.’

A dark shadow enveloped both the figure and Tobias as they instantly appeared before Kurt.

"So, you’re the cause of all my dear friend’s trouble. Killing you and bringing your head to him will surely make him see me in a better light. May I have the honors, Father?"

"I’d personally prefer to finish him off myself, given all the trouble he’s been causing for myself as well, but if it makes you happy then sure. Go ahead. Hopefully this will put me in your good books, and you’ll take on more missions after this."

"Hehehe~ Thank you, Father." The figure took out his own black dagger and swung it towards Kurt’s throat.

’Now!’

Kurt grabbed hold of his wrist and subsequently twisted his arm.

"Wha–"

CRACK!

"AHHHHH!"

"NO! Why you–!" Tobias picked up the dagger that was dropped and immediately went in for the kill.

But right as he was about take a swing at Kurt is when–

SHWOOSH

SHING!

SPLAT!

"ARRRGH!" Diana appeared from above and cut his hand off with her crimson blade. The same hand that was used as a catalyst for his spell to work.

"Rosie! Are you okay?!" She ran up and grabbed his face to check.

"Diana! Watch out!" He then grabbed a hold of her body and jumped away.

"TOBIAS!!!"

"FATHER–!"

BOOOOM!

When the dust settled, Tobias and the figure were standing at the front door with a shadow cloak enveloping them both.

"That was dangerous, Your Majesty~! You could’ve killed me had it been a second too late! Kurt, it’s a shame that I wasn’t able to kill you here today but mark my words you will be hunted down by us. You’ll regret the day you stepped foot in our world and killed our brothers!"

"You’re not going anywhere, you filthy cult demon! Now die where you stand!" The king lunged forward with a burst of speed that left a mini crater in the ground.

Right when his hand was about to reach Tobias’ face, the last thing Maxwell saw were those fox shaped eyes opening up to reveal the glimmer of a demonic red glow. And a smile so twisted it would make anyone shiver at just a mere glance at it.

"Goodbye, Your Majesty. Until we meet again~"

Maxwell phased straight through a dark smoke that they left behind and crash landed right outside the castle’s steps.

.....

".... They’re gone." Kurt whispered while still holding onto Diana.

When he tried to get her off of him, she only held him tighter and buried her face in his chest.

"Diana?"

"Guards!" Maxwell stormed back into his castle and screamed. "I want you to go to the church where Bishop Tobias does his service and gather up all the priests!

Royal Advisor Freed, I want you to go to the lodging of the Saintess and tell her to meet me at the church! Now go!"

"""Yes, Your Majesty!!!""" They all hurried to do their given tasks.

"Just you wait, Tobias. You will not escape my grasp..."