Who Said A Necromancer Can't Be A Priest?-Chapter 80: All Bark, No Bite

After ordering drinks, Aaran looked around. Even the barmaids were gone, and so was the bartender. The bouncers too. The bar was full of unknown people eyeing him.

I'll kill the owner once I get out of here.

He would deal with the bar's owner later. First, he had to get out of there.

"Sera, let's leave—"

Aaran said that, but it was already too late. She chugged a beer in one go and passed out. It wasn't the beer that knocked her out, but the drug put into it.

"You can't leave," the bartender smiled. "Not until you've paid for your crimes, Prince Aurelia."

Aaran was surprised. He thought they didn't know who they were and had messed with him by chance. But they knew exactly who he was and still drugged Seraphina.

"You know who I am and still dare to mess with me?" Aaran scoffed. "I don't know if I should praise you for your bravery or laugh at your foolishness."

"You killed my men," the bald bartender said, placing his pistol on the table. "I'm here to repay that debt."

Everyone also took out Marki's weapons. Aaran looked around and shook his head. He understood what the Marki were doing in Velrune—they were supplying weapons to thugs.

Since the empires were at peace, the Marki couldn't attack Runedral directly. Hence, they were arming the goons, hoping to weaken Runedral from within.

First the barbarians, and now this? They never learn, do they?

Aaran sighed. He would deal with the Marki later. For now, the bartender had his undivided attention.

"Your men?"

"…You don't remember them? You forgot those you took the eyes from!?"

Aaran scratched his head. He had killed too many people to remember everyone. He did not know what it was about, and his nonchalance infuriated the bartender even more.

"Kill this bastard!"

The goons opened fire as the bartender roared.

"Chapter Two: Hymn of Protection!"

A golden light enveloped Aaran and Seraphina as bullets rained upon them. The sound of gunfire filled the air. The goons kept firing until they were out of bullets.

They thought it was overkill and expected to see two corpses riddled with bullets. Instead, they saw Aaran casually lacing his fingers around a pint and drinking beer. Unlike Seraphina, he had poison immunity. It meant neither could he get drunk, nor would the sleeping drug work on him.

"…How is this possible?"

Aaran didn't bother replying. Instead, he looked at the wall clock above him.

"Three minutes," he said, putting down the pint glass. "Imperial knights will storm this place in three minutes. Either you can run and hope they don't see you, or you can die before they arrive. Your choice."

Aaran knew they'd get there soon. Even if they hadn't discovered that he was missing, they would certainly come rushing because of the gunshots. After all, guns were common in the Marki empire, not Runedral.

"Before you, only one person had a gun in Velrune," Aaran said, pulling out his revolver. "What do you think will happen when the knights hear gunshots?"

The bartender swallowed hard. He didn't need to be a genius to understand what Aaran meant.

The knights would think Aaran fired the shots. They'd believe their beloved prince was in danger and come running to his rescue.

The Fangs' entire plan revolved around stealth and secrecy. They forced Seraphina's maid to plant the thought of the Commoner's experience in Seraphina's head. The maid couldn't refuse since the fangs had kidnapped her son and would kill him if she didn't help them.

The Fangs' plan relied on secrecy. They kidnapped the son of one of Seraphina's maids and forced her to plant the idea of the Commoner's experience in Seraphina's mind.

This would leave Aaran unprotected, making him an easy target for their revenge.

The maid had no choice but to obey. Still, she tried to help in her own way. That's why she packed two sundresses. hoping they won't continue with their plans.

But Aaran dismissed it as a simple mistake and moved on, not knowing the intention behind it.

"Time's running out."

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

***

Back at the palace, things were unfolding as expected. As soon as the reports of gunshots reached the Emperor, he ordered everyone to look for Aaran.

When he wasn't found in the palace, the imperial knights were deployed towards the bar. Bernie and Sanders, the elite knights, led the charge alongside Donovan. Leon realized Seraphina was also missing and joined the knights.

Meanwhile, the guests from the Marki empire were asked to have special desserts. It was the polite way of arresting them. They were guided to the palace's other side, with dozens of knights monitoring them.

The Marki looked at one another, smiling and praising the sweets. They were carefree because they knew the outcome. The Emperor's son-in-law would be dead long before the knights could arrive.

With the job done, the Fangs would escape and the Emperor would never find them. Why? Because the Marki would have erased the fangs from existence.

The Runedral empire would lose their future emperor and there would be no proof of Marki's involvement in the matter. It was an absolute win for them.

However, they seemed to have underestimated Aaran and would soon regret their decision.

***

As the knights rode through the city, they spotted a massive fire from one of the less well-off colonies.

"Fire?" Bernie mumbled.

"The gunshots came from that direction," Sanders chimed in.

"Hurry!" Donovan roared, kicking his horse.

The rest followed, but none of them expected to see what they saw.

The entire bar was on fire. Several corpses were strewn in front of the burning bar. A pile of guns was neatly placed on the ground. Right next to it stood Aaran, supporting the unconscious Seraphina.

But the most peculiar sight was of a man, holding Aaran's legs, begging for mercy.

"I was really wrong. If you only spare my life, I will do anything for you, Your Highness!" Morales, the leader of the fangs, begged. "The Marki… they fooled me into this. Please, forgive me! I'll even testify against them!"

Before Aaran could reply, he heard something and turned around. The Knights were there and so were Leon and Donovan.

"Seraphina!" Leon exclaimed, jumping off the horse.

Aaran handed Seraphina over to him while Donovan rushed to check on him.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Aaran said, brushing off his concern. "Here, this is Morales, leader of the Fangs. He colluded with the Marki to assassinate me."

Aaran told Donovan everything like he was talking about the weather. Everyone except Morales was dead. He had killed them all because they didn't know about the deal with the Marki.

Morales's statement, along with the guns, was enough proof to escalate the situation if the Emperor wished for it. But Aaran knew the Marki had already planned a way to dismiss that "evidence." That's why he left the choice to the Emperor.

Besides… Aaran knew he would be punished when he returned to the Palace. He didn't think Seraphina would be punished as well, but he could be wrong.

The knights grabbed Morales and were dragging him away when a distant shot rang out. The bullet pierced Morales's head, killing him in an instant as the knights surrounded Aaran.

"Check the surroundings! Kill anyone who doesn't comply!" Bernie roared, and the knights went into action.

But Aaran knew it was too late. The assailant had used a sniper rifle to attack them. By the time the knights would reach the place, the shooter would have disappeared.

What a hassle…