Evil Dragon Chapter 17: Is It a Sculpture?

Chapter 17: Is It a Sculpture?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai, Kris

 

The small slot on this door seemed oddly designed, appearing narrow yet offering a clear view of the entire bedroom. It wasn’t dusk yet, but the curtains in the bedroom were all drawn, leaving only two dim nightlights. Perhaps due to poor ventilation, the air in the bedroom was thick with an unbearable stench that even seeped into the secret passage beyond the wooden door.

In the center of the bedroom stood a bed enclosed by curtains, motionless as if no one was inside. As Lin Nuo contemplated whether to open the wooden door for a closer look, the heavy bedroom door creaked, indicating someone was about to enter.

Feeling nervous, Lin Nuo instinctively stepped back, but Rennes, standing nearby, whispered, “Don’t be afraid. They can’t see us.”

As Rennes spoke, he gently wrapped his arm around Lin Nuo’s back, maintaining a careful distance without touching Lin Nuo’s body. Encouraged, Lin Nuo held his breath and continued observing.

The person entering was the marchioness. She carried a tray with a few sparse silver coins and a string of pearls. Standing at the door, she trembled, looking towards the large bed, her voice quivering, “My Lord?”

The seemingly motionless curtains shifted a few times, and the sturdy bed, appearing solid, emitted an extremely heavy creaking sound, as if someone on it was turning. In the dim light and with the eerie sounds, Lin Nuo felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, involuntarily tightening his grip.

The curtains were lifted from within, revealing a glittering, robust arm extending outward, followed by other body parts gradually emerging. Eventually, a completely naked, golden humanoid sculpture, disproportionately large, stood on the ground.

To Lin Nuo, it truly looked like a sculpture, an oversized and disproportionately shaped one. As the heavy sculpture moved towards where the marchioness stood, every step it took made the room floor tremble, even the wall paintings slightly quivered.

Once it reached the marchioness, it extended five dazzling, golden-fingered hands, grabbing the silver coins and necklace from the tray, lifting them to its mouth, and swallowing them whole.

In an instant, the tray was empty.

Clutching the tray to her chest, the marchioness looked up at the towering sculpture, speaking in an almost pleading tone, “My Lord, I’ve used up even my dowry. When will you recover?”

The sculpture lowered its gaze towards the marchioness, emitting a sharp, metallic sound from its throat, resembling metal plates rubbing against each other.

The marchioness covered her eyes with her hands, sounding distressed, “My Lord, the royal family knows. Sir Clement came to investigate today. I’m afraid I can’t keep this hidden. What should I do, my Lord?”

On her hand, the diamond bracelet, yet to be removed, shimmered in the dim light.

The sculpture made a grating noise in its throat, swiftly grabbing the marchioness’s slender wrist. Realizing the situation, she cried out, “No! My Lord! This bracelet was barely acquired to pacify the royal family! If you take this too and they send guards to search, I… I won’t be able to hide anything!”

The sculpture seemed oblivious to the marchioness’s pleas, effortlessly taking the bracelet off her wrist and consuming it.

“No!” The marchioness screamed, attempting to pry open the sculpture’s mouth. But the sculpture firmly gripped her delicate neck, lifting her off the ground, leaving her helpless.

Desperate, Lin Nuo rushed into the room, wielding a copper floor lamp and struck the sculpture’s back with force, creating a dull clang of metal meeting metal. The blow made the sculpture release its grip, turning to face Lin Nuo, who stood there, breathless and puzzled by what had transpired.

“Linno, step back,” said Rennes in a cold voice, stepping forward and positioning himself between Lin Nuo and the sculpture.

Observing the two-meter-tall sculpture sitting on the floor, Lin Nuo felt a surge of fear, realizing the weight of the lamp and the pain in his arm from the earlier strike.

Rennes held his sword, aiming the tip at the sculpture’s forehead. Before he could act further, the marchioness, who had been thrown aside by the sculpture earlier, crawled over, hair disheveled, throwing herself on the sculpture, tearfully pleading, “Your Excellency! Please don’t kill him! He’s my husband! He’s the Marquess of Troix!”

After hearing the marchioness’s words, Rennes slightly moved the sword away, asking calmly, “My Lady, since you suspect your husband has turned into a creature, why do you still remain by his side? Why not report this to the royal family and let us handle it?”

Seeing that Sir Rennes didn’t immediately move to end the creature’s life, the marchioness, shaking violently, teeth chattering, replied, “Even if he has turned into a demon, he’s still my husband, my beloved! If you summarily execute him without understanding, it’s no different from me killing my husband myself!” Changing her tone, she continued, “He doesn’t harm anyone, just incessantly consumes gold and silver treasures. Why can’t I stay by his side? Perhaps, given more time, he might recover?”

Rennes narrowed his eyes slightly and snapped his fingers with his left hand. In an instant, a bright white light filled the dim room, illuminating it like daylight. Rennes gazed at the sculpture’s face, shaking his head slowly, saying, “My Lady, if you allow the marquess to continue consuming like this, he will only be closer to death.”

Finishing his words, he turned to the round servant and instructed, “Take the marchioness away.”

While grumbling inwardly about being ordered around by a knight, Roundy obediently dragged the marchioness away. Seeing Rennes lift his sword again, the marchioness, held back by Roundy, attempted to rush forward, screaming in anguish.

Lin Nuo had to hold her shoulders, repeatedly saying, “Sir Clement wouldn’t act recklessly! Please trust him!”

Lin Nuo wasn’t entirely sure of Rennes’s intentions, but he had a feeling that Sir Rennes wouldn’t just strike and be done with it. Rennes brought his sword down, without hesitation, aiming directly at the golden sculpture.

“Ahh!” Following Rennes’s action, the marchioness screamed and fainted.

With a clear metallic sound, the sculpture’s face split open. Then, a series of clinks and clatters followed as chunks of gold and silver, interspersed with glittering gemstones, fell to the ground. A few minutes later, the eerie golden sculpture collapsed into fragments.

Standing amidst the scattered gold, Lin Nuo looked at the contents of the sculpture, once again shocked. Inside the sculpture was a shriveled, middle-aged man, covered in pockmarks, with a bluish complexion. It was hard to tell if he was alive or a corpse. Despite his emaciated form and the pockmarks, it was undoubtedly the real Marquess of Troix.

Rennes showed no surprise. He didn’t even bother to look at the face of the real marquess but instead used the sword tip to pick up a thin, shell-like object from the ground, seemingly wanting to examine it closer.

As Rennes’s sword touched the thin shell, it turned into ash. Frowning, Rennes finally bent down to check on the marquess, sprinkling some powder on his face and body.

Lin Nuo guessed that this powder might be the medicinal powder Roy mentioned.

After about half a minute, the marquess coughed a few times and gradually regained consciousness.

Roundy quickly woke up the marchioness, saying to her, “My Lady, my Lord is awake, he’s alive!”

After the marquess and his wife cried and hugged each other, Rennes, in a low voice, said, “Lord Troix, now that you’re awake, please tell us what happened.”