Chapter 92: An Appalling Sight
In the dim basement, torches and candles on the walls cast a faint light down the passage.
Duane observed his surroundings as he walked. The space below was vast and filled with numerous rooms. It looked more like a dungeon for criminals.
The stench of blood, rot, and stagnant, musty air filled his nostrils, making him loath to linger.
About halfway down the passage, he heard a threatening shout.
"Simone, stop!"
But it was quickly followed by a scream. Without Uleir to threaten him, it was impossible for one or two ordinary men to stop Simone from saving his daughter.
Then, he heard a little girl crying out for her father, followed by Simone’s own voice, choked with joyous sobs as he comforted her.
Duane felt a sense of relief. ’The father and daughter are finally safe.’
And he was about to recruit a powerful new subordinate.
CLANG!
An abrupt noise came from a dark room to the side, sounding like pots and pans clattering to the floor.
Duane’s brow furrowed. "Go in and take a look."
Jack and John immediately pulled torches from the wall and led the way into the room.
"Who’s there? Come out!"
Jack yelled as they waved their torches, illuminating the room.
Soon, three figures cowering in a corner came into view.
Seeing they had been discovered, the three didn’t dare resist. They could only kneel on the floor and beg for their lives.
Jack and John drew their longswords, keeping the men cornered.
Duane took a torch from the wall—one they had clearly extinguished on purpose—and relit it.
As the dark room was illuminated, he saw a horrifying sight.
This was a slaughterhouse.
But it wasn’t livestock they were slaughtering. It was people.
A relatively intact corpse lay on a long table.
Why ’relatively’ intact?
Because while the limbs, head, and general outline of the body remained, its internal organs had been completely hollowed out.
Furthermore, the surrounding clay jars contained the same strange liquid Bard had once described, with all sorts of human tissues steeping inside.
A chill ran down Duane’s arms and legs. Suppressing his panic, he turned to face the three butchers.
His voice was ice-cold. "You’re in charge of the killing?"
The burly man in the lead cowered and answered in a wail:
"My Lord, we were all forced. Daniels forced us to do it. If we didn’t, he would have killed us!"
Duane took a deep breath. "Tell me exactly what you do here."
For the next three minutes, Duane, Jack, and John felt as if they were listening to a horror story.
The three butchers described their daily tasks, explaining to Duane and his men how they turned living people into pieces to be steeped and preserved.
Duane also learned that these "materials" weren’t just for concocting Magic Potions. Some parts ended up on the dining table.
Supposedly, women who ate it would remain forever youthful, their skin becoming smooth and delicate.
Men who ate it were said to become physically powerful and live longer lives.
Many people, including Daniels, Kalina, Uleir, and Harry, were fond of it.
Several key members of the Holy Hand Association were involved.
"Did Simone eat it?" Duane asked.
"He did not."
Duane breathed a sigh of relief. That matched his expectations.
"Then what about you?"
"We didn’t either!"
They shouted, "My Lord, you have to believe us! We really didn’t!"
Duane nodded and walked out of the room, torch in hand. His rage toward Daniels and the others had reached its boiling point.
"My Lord, should we let them go?" Jack asked.
Duane glanced at the corpse on the table, then back toward the gloomy passage.
"Kill them."
He didn’t care whether they had partaken or whether they had been forced.
’These three have been killing people here for years, committing such cruel acts. It’s impossible they didn’t profit from it.’
’That being the case, they don’t deserve to live.’
"My Lord, spare us! Spare us!"
Terrified, the three men tried to flee, but Jack and John’s longswords lanced out, ending their lives in an instant.
In truth, both men had wanted them dead, but the decision rested with their Lord.
’Fortunately, our Lord has always been wise.’
Just then, Raymond arrived with Daniels in tow, meeting up with Duane.
"Baron, as a member of the nobility, you should know the value of a Mage."
Daniels made a final, desperate plea. He wanted to live, not die.
"Concocting Magic Potions, creating Spell Scrolls, inscribing Arrays, making Enchanted Weapons... only a Mage can do these things."
"If you want your domain to prosper, if you want to expand beyond Black Forest Island, it’s impossible without a Mage’s help!"
Daniels shouted, "Baron, I am the only one on Black Forest Island who can help you!"
Duane walked over and looked down at the old man Raymond had thrown to the ground, who was now desperate to survive.
"Everyone knows a person with a corrupt heart is dangerous. But do you know who is even more dangerous?"
"Wha... what?"
The torchlight flickered, casting shifting shadows across Duane’s face.
"In my view, someone with power but a corrupt heart is the most dangerous of all."
He looked at Raymond. "I’ve just been briefed on the situation here. Take him away and interrogate him. Find out exactly who has eaten human flesh. Remember to keep the details of the interrogation confidential. And one more thing... don’t kill him."
Daniels’ eyes lit up. He thought Duane’s final instruction meant he was being spared, so he thanked him profusely and began spouting words of loyalty.
Simone, holding Vera, walked out of the darkness and into the firelight. He knelt on one knee. "My Lord!"
The gesture was a clear sign of his submission and allegiance.
Duane smiled and leaned down to help him up.
"Take Vera out of here. This environment is not good for a child."
"Thank you for your consideration!"
Simone bowed slightly, then carried his daughter away.
The little girl’s curious whisper could be heard: "Father, who is that big brother?"
"He is the Lord of Black Forest Island, Baron Duane Brian."
Simone’s voice was filled with affection. "From now on, I’ll be working for him."
"Oh~ Then he won’t lock me up, will he?" she asked timidly.
"He... won’t!"
Duane couldn’t help but smile as he listened to their conversation fade into the distance.
But the smile vanished as he turned back to the gloomy passage.
"Let’s go. We’ll go see the slave pens."
This was information he had just obtained from the three butchers.
Through a passage in the dungeon, one could reach the "backyard" behind the fortress.
The area was enclosed by an iron fence. A large iron chain was wrapped around the gate and secured with a lock.
When Duane and his men arrived outside the iron enclosure, they saw nearly a hundred figures within the four-to-five-hundred-square-meter area.
None of these people were wearing clothes. Some wandered about like lost souls, others hunched over pig trough-like basins, scrounging for food. Some stared in terror at the newcomers, and a few were even mating...
"This!"
John’s face turned white as a sheet. "They’re not even human anymore. They’re like penned livestock."
Jack was furious. "Daniels... he’s a true Demon!"
The hellish scene assaulted Duane’s senses. For a moment, he had no idea how he would even begin to handle these people.
After a long pause, Duane said, "Have Michele bring his first squad and all the Militia here. Get these people out of the iron pen and settle them in the castle for now."
"Have Ronald and his assistants come up with a treatment plan and provide some medical care. At the same time, see if we can contact their families."
The three of them alone couldn’t possibly handle nearly a hundred people. To prevent any mishaps, Duane decided not to break the chains and lock just yet.
He needed more people to take over.
However, medical care in this world wasn’t as advanced as in modern times. Even if these people survived, seventy to eighty percent of them would likely be left with permanent mental damage.