Chapter 256 - 252: Death?
Ryder told everyone to calm down and not make a commotion.
People closed their mouths and stopped saying anything, but they didn't stop looking towards the girl in hostility for what she said. None of them expected someone to say something to the Prince, that too in the presence of the Royal Guard Chief Rale and High Duke Mila. The girl would've been decapitated for uttering these words in most situations.
Ryder glanced towards the girl and started looking towards the girl as he smiled.
"So, little girl. You speak some bold words. You just said that I am going to die! Why did you say that? Also, how should I take those words? Should I take that as a threat?" Ryder asked with an amused smile on his face. "Or should I take it as a warning?"
He asked his question and waited for the girl to reply. What she said was a bold statement, and he wanted to know the reason she said it.
"It is a warning. You are going to die!" the girl repeated without any expression on her face.
Ryder noticed the killing intent and hostility increasing in the surroundings.
" How?" Ryder asked again as he looked at the girl.
" I don't know," The girl replied.
"You don't know how I'm going to die? Then why did you say that I will?" Ryder asked in confusion.
" Your death is near. The Death Domain will kill you. No one can save you anymore," The girl told Ryder, without any expression on her face.
"Are you from the Demon Realm or from outside?" Ryder inquired. He wondered if the girl was someone from the Death Domain that was here to threaten him.
The girl didn't reply and turned back to leave.
"Rale, bring her back. I'll ask her myself later," Ryder told Rale casually.
Rale listened to the command and instantly flew towards the girl, but he failed to find the girl as he reached there. It was as if the girl had suddenly disappeared and he couldn't find her at all.
Even Ryder was surprised as he lost track of the girl.
High Duke Mila couldn't find the girl either.
Rale kept looking around and observed every person present there, but the girl wasn't there.
"Did she actually disappear?" Ryder muttered in confusion as he looked at the crowd, getting not even a glimpse of that girl.
Rale flew back to the balcony and stood beside Ryder.
"Your Highness, that girl is not here anymore. I believe she used some skill to leave," Rale told Ryder. He dropped down to one knee before Ryder with an apologetic look on his face. "I am ready for my punishment for failing to bring the girl back."
"It's fine. We all lost the track of her. The girl was probably a spy from outside whose only purpose was to threaten me in front of everyone. I believe it is the Death Domain at play. They are going through internal discord and afraid that we might take advantage of that, so they sent that girl to threaten us and to send us on a wild goose chase about my security," Ryder muttered as he shook his head.
"You can stand. Don't worry about it. You know what I always say, right? Even gods can't kill me, let alone a few death dwellers. You don't have to worry," Ryder told Rale as he smiled.
Ryder glanced back at Devilia and frowned.
"I find the security of your Duchy lacking. If people like the skeleton and that girl can roam around so freely without anyone knowing. Increase the security and conduct a search. If that girl is still in this place, I want her found," he told Devilia in a stern tone.
Devilia simply nodded her head.
"I will deal with it appropriately," Devilia replied in full seriousness.
Ryder looked back towards the citizens again.
" Citizens of Demon Realm. This was all the time I had today as I have to deal with the major issues about the security of this place but don't worry. This doesn't mean that you can't talk about your concerns. From today on, there will be a special branch set up by the Duke that will listen to all your concerns. You can send your concerns Anonymous or go there in person."
" I promise that every concern you register there will reach Duke Devilia. She will solve them for you. Those who want to register their concerns today can also do this as well. Find the closest guard and give them a letter with your concern," Ryder declared to everyone with a gentle smile.
" Also, if you have any concern that isn't solved by the authorities here and you feel like that's a pressing matter, you can come to the Royal Palace and tell the Royal Guards about that. You have all been without a king all this time, and even though the High Dukes handled the matters, I know we can make this place even better. It's time to make the Demon better, and I'm here for you," Ryder continued as he told everyone in a stern tone before he turned back and started going inside the palace.
The citizens started cheering for Ryder. Under the loud cheers, Ryder and the others left the balcony and went back inside.
" Alright. The battery of the missing marquis is something your people should be able to take care of. The only matter we have left is the mysterious skeleton. I didn't expect that the Death Domain would actually think about creating trouble for us when they're on the brink of a civil war themselves," Ryder muttered as he walked with the others towards the inside of the great hall.
"That might be their exact plan. They probably want us to get angry and attack them first. They can use fighting us as an excuse to get all the power. It's obvious that the Royal Heir had more power now because of him being the legal Prince, but that can change anything as the Inheritor of the Death Emperor becomes strong. If we attack, the Prince can absorb all the power with the excuse of a war. I'm over ninety percent sure that it's the idea of one of those idiot Death Envoys that are with the prince," High Duke Mila told Ryder as she frowned.
"True... The Inheritor chosen by the weapon of the Death Emperor will be at the biggest disadvantage if we attack. The Prince gains the most from it. Of course, my assumption is based on the fact that there is Death Domain behind this," Duke Devilia said as she chimed in.
" We'll find who's behind this soon enough," Ryder muttered as he nodded his head.
He entered the Great Hall with the others. The girl who had informed them about the mysterious skeleton was already there in the room. She was standing near the center.
Ryder walked past the girl and sat on the throne in the center. High Duke Mila, Duke Devilia, and Rale also sat down on the nearby seats.
"Alright. Now we can talk about this in peace. Tell me what exactly you saw and where this took place. I also want you to describe the skeleton in detail if you saw him," Ryder told the girl.
The girl opened her mouth to speak something, but Ryder raised his hand and said, "What a minute."
Ryder glanced towards Duke Devilia.
" Devilia, is there someone who can create a Sketch according to the description? I want to talk to the Vampire King about this. He must know a few things about skeletons," Ryder said to Devilia.
"There are a few artists. Let me call him here," Devilia nodded her head.
She told her servant to bring the artist here.
In no time, the artist arrived in the great hall.
" You can continue now. First, talk about his appearance so that we know what you're talking about when you tell the rest of the story," Ryder told the girl.
The girl nodded her head as she started describing the skeleton she saw.
"The Skeleton was over 6 feet tall."
The girl started describing the skeleton.
"Its bones were black, but on the skull portion, I saw something shining. It seemed like there was a tattoo on its skill that seemed like that kept from here to here..."
She pointed towards her face as she talked about the skeleton tattoo, which was more intriguing for Ryder and the others.
After around twenty minutes, the painting of that statue was created that seemed to be carrying a bag. The artist was so amazing that he made a realistic-looking art piece. Blood drops could also be seen falling from the bag.
"It's ready," The artist said as he showed the portrait to the girl.
"Yes, that's exactly what I saw," The girl nodded her head.
The artist walked towards the Prince with the portrait and gave it to him on Ryder's orders.