Cainhurst Castle was so large that it could be considered a town in and of itself. There numbered thousands of servants, and many prominent nobles lived here for the majority of the year. They would leave a steward to act as the governing body in their own territory (usually a brother or sister).
Since this was the case, it had a great number of amenities that were tailored toward the luxurious style that Vilebloods so enjoyed.
Thousands upon thousands of books were organized neatly throughout the Castle in six different libraries.
Each library was ornately decorated with red rugs and shining chandeliers. All of which were feverishly maintained by servants.
These servants now lay dead, their corpses staining the wooden railings and shelves.
Many of their necks had been slit. It was a quick and exceedingly painful way of murder. These servants were mostly women, and they ranged from middle-aged to mostly old. Most of them had been concubines to one noble or another. If rumors were to be believed, Queen Annalise herself also spent some nights with young women.
These servants were victims even before this slaughter, and to see them treated like this made Gehrman's blood boil.
Needless to say, the next Executioner Gehrman saw committing such acts would die.
But it was not an Executioner he saw next, instead it was a Royal Guard. She fell through a window, glass shattering around her. Her silver armor shone brilliantly and her blade was alight with flame.
The fire on her Chikage reminded something that Gehrman had heard Guzmán say in passing. When asked what the height of Blood Manipulation looked like, he went on to describe the Queen's ability with esoteric and flowery language.
It wasn't hard to tell that he had never actually seen her in combat, and that he was simply embellishing rumors. However, he did have something concrete. This was something that some Royal Guards were able to accomplish as well.
"The strongest of Vilebloods can burn their own blood with their will. The flame that appears is no less potent than one created in the most fierce of fires."
He could see that flame now. The burning blade was both dignified and extravagant.
But before he could be completely taken in by the sight, he noticed several other things at once.
First, the Impurity Rune he had equipped to gain a better awareness of the surrounding Vilebloods noticed something peculiar. The Vermin that infested the Vilebloods so deeply…appeared to now reside in the burning blade.
They shivered with impossible speed. It was as if their own movement caused the flames to burn…
Before Gehrman could consider this further, he noticed two flashes of gold.
Two more Executioners landed through the now open window into the library. Both wore the Gold Ardeo.
Fortunately, they were also both clothed and wielded no cannon. Gehrman was very grateful that he didn't run into that madman again.
Both Executioners rolled onto the torn floor of the library, their golden helmet scraping against the floor and causing a ringing sound.
Somehow, the cones stayed attached to their heads.
Just like before though, the warriors immediately noticed Gehrman's presence.
However unlike before, it was the Vileblood that recognized him first.
"You are Guzmán's Knight! Why are you dressed like that?" The Royal Guard called out to him. It said a lot about their character that the first thing they noticed was not the state of their ally, but their attire.
"It's a more suitable attire for hunting." Gehrman replied in a way that did not indicate his allegiance. Though he burned with hatred for the Executioners, he had long since vowed the death of each Royal Guard as well. He didn't want to choose sides in this situation
However, he wasn't given a choice in this situation. The one's wearing the Gold Ardeo were evidently not familiar with the Workshop Hunters. Or at least, they had never met their progenitor.
Both Executioners were already lunging. One kept pressuring the Guard, while the other leaped for Gehrman.
This one was wielding a Church Pick. In its War Pick form, it had incredible reach and devastating power. There was not a single weapon that cast a wider arc.
With the sole exception of Gehrman's own Burial Blade.
He did not have time to Trick the weapon and then attack, so he did so in one fluid motion.
Gehrman strafed to the side, and forced the oncoming Executioner to alter his momentum. However, the powerful warrior seemed to have anticipated this.
Before Gehrman could finish the transformation of his sword into its scythe form, a blow landed on his sternum.
A vial of Fallen Blood broke and met the attack, but Gehrman was still shot backwards, crashing into the towering bookshelves. Even the enhanced attire could not totally shield him from the strike, and Gehrman felt the wind knocked out of his chest.
The musty scent of old books fell on top of him as several volumes piled onto his body from above.
Seeking to finish things, the Executioner attacked again. But he made a fatal mistake. He had used the same move twice.
And doing that in front of the First Hunter was a costly error.
Gehrman felt the shift in the air pressure and grasped the Blunderbuss from his back. The gun was already loaded with his own blood.
It lacked power, but that wasn't what he needed at the moment.
The spray of bullets fired low, the surprise of the unfamiliar bullet spread caught the Executioner off guard and caused him to stumble.
And he stumbled right into Gehrman's fist which had been coated with Fallen blood. Bringing his fist upward while pulling the blood in his arm and on his attire in the same direction, he pierced the grey mantle of the Executioner.
Two blows had been exchanged.
But in battles like this, that was all it took.
Gehrman tore his fist outward, causing a cascade of blood to fly onto him. He used the excess to coat his gun and enhance it as well.
Unfortunately, he also had to take another vial of Fallen blood. The Church Pick had actually cracked his sternum, and a stray bone fragment was dangerously close to his heart.
The Spell whispered victory for him then, but no Memory was rewarded.
Naturally, he would not receive one for each kill he received, even with the [Eye] Rune.
That being said, he did receive one just a moment ago from killing those Cainhurst Knights.
He checked his Runes and saw its title before summoning it immediately.
The [Slothful Evelyn] formed in his hands. The long barreled, rose colored gun was a duller version of the standard Cainhurst Knight firearm.
He didn't read the enchantments, but he already knew the power of the weapon.
Naturally, it was cursed like the other Sin weapons. As he grasped it, he felt his mind and body slow and laziness creep into his soul.
Fortunately, he didn't have to move much for this next part.
The remaining blood from the slain Executioner moved toward the Evelyn and it vibrated with muted killing intent.
Gehrman sighed. And then pulled the trigger.
He couldn't even see the path of the bullet. It appeared as if the bullet simply teleported into the Executioners skull, not facing even the slightest of resistance.
The result was devastating.
Immediately, the result was apparent.
[You have slain an Ascended Human, Executioner Mils.]
Once again, no Memory was rewarded. This time (despite his logic) he felt a bit upset at this result.
Hurriedly, he dismissed the [Slothful Evelyn] and immediately felt his energy return.
He shuddered at the shift in his mind. It appeared that this Sin Memory was even more cursed than the others. He would definitely have to look at its Enchantments later.
Gehrman's attention locked onto the Royal Guard. Not as prey, but as a specimen. He observed the movement of her Vermin closely.
The flames on her blade faded, and the Vermin settled.
Eventually, they seemed to flow back into her own body. At the same time, the Chikage (which had been gleaming with blood) returned to its natural state.
The Vermin follow her blood…or does the blood follow the Vermin? Is this how the Vilebloods achieve Blood Manipulation? The theory he had for a long while finally fully formed in his head. It appeared that the great amount of Vermin in the Vilebloods was what granted them Arcane powers.
Perhaps the distinction between Royal Guard and Knight was their command over the Vermin, or maybe their attunement.
The Queen is in a class all by herself in terms of Vermin concentration. It is as if her entire body is made up of them. If she can control all of them, then that would explain her rumored legendary blood manipulation. And it could also explain–
"Knight! Are you listening!?" The noble ladies shriek jarred Gehrman out of his inner monologue.
Gehrman blinked a couple of times.
"No, I wasn't. The only thing that matters right now is slaying more of those gold-headed Executioners."
Beneath her helmet, it was clear that the Royal Guard was fuming.
"You dare!? How could you imply that my words are not paramount!? How could you sully the name of our great Queen Annalise by wearing such horrific attire!?"
Gehrman stared dumbly at the Vileblood.
"In the situation we are in…you think the most important thing is clothes?"
"It is a matter of pride!"
Gehrman's eye twitched. At that moment, he wondered if it was fate that she had said those words.
Because he was certain at that moment that when the Spell announced this lady's death, it would grant her a Memory bearing the title of her treasured Pride.
Gehrman shook his head.
"We must go to the Queen's aid. Their leaders are converging," Gehrman tried to take her mind off of the "clothes" matter with the only thing that he believed she found more pressing. That was, of course, Queen Annalise.
Fortunately, these words seemed to jog something in her memory.
"The Venerable Crow fights their beastly leader now. But many of the fiends seek to sneak past him and reach the throne room. The Queen must not be disturbed. Take the heads of ten more of these brutes and you will only receive 50 lashings for your disobedience."
Gehrman corralled his Madness tinged thoughts and answered slowly.
"It will be done my lady."
As he bowed to her, a bit of the blood from the now headless Executioner trickled towards the Royal Guard.
In her panicked state, she did not notice it attached to her, and climbed up the back of her armor before reaching her neck.
After she turned to run to the top of the Castle, the stained silver acted like a target.
Royal Guards were powerful. But this one was worn out and mentally exhausted. More than that, she was foolish enough to turn her back on Gehrman.
An explosion caused the library to shudder and more books to fall off their shelves.
Gehrman had only a single Soul Core's worth of Essence left, but he was in a much better position, at least.
[You have slain an Ascended Human, Royal Guard Orietta.]
[You have received a Memory].