Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!

Julie's lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes glinting with pride as she watched Aisha's flustered reaction. She knew how much this meant to her little sister, how hard she'd worked to prove herself, especially to someone like Cassius.

But then she quickly turned to Cassius again, her expression resolute as she prepared to deliver the summary he'd requested.

"Cassius..." Julie began, her voice steady and solemn. "Since you've reviewed Aisha's report, I'll give you the summarized version of the situation, the mission, and the enemy, as you asked." She nodded, her gaze locking onto his. "This isn't just a routine threat. It's a crisis that could shake the Holyfield estate, and the entire kingdom, if we don't act swiftly."

Cassius leaned back in his chair, his expression serious but attentive. "Go on, Captain." He said, his voice low and encouraging. "I'm listening."

Julie drew a deep breath, her voice taking on a grave cadence as she began. "The enemy we're facing is a lunatic cult known as the Covenant of the Bleeding Moon." She said, the name hanging in the air like a curse. "They've been under investigation by the Holy Guard for over a year, ever since we started linking a series of missing children's cases to their activities."

"But it's not just kidnappings...There have been gruesome murders, not only in the Holyfield estate but across the kingdom, where victims were hung upside down, their throats slit, their blood drained completely...Not a drop was left at the crime scenes, as if the cult stole it for some...purpose."

Her voice tightened, a flicker of disgust crossing her face as she recounted the atrocities.

Julie then glanced at Aisha, her voice softening with pride as she continued,

"Most of the kingdom's inspectors dismissed these as isolated crimes, unrelated incidents." She said. "But Aisha...She saw what others missed. She stumbled across these cases and found clues that tied them together."

"Patterns, symbols, locations, she linked the blood, draining murders to the disappearances of children, especially in impoverished districts where missing kids are often ignored...Her work brought this cult to our attention, and it's because of her that we know what we're up against."

Cassius's gaze flicked to Aisha, his lips curving into a faint, approving smile. "Well done, Aisha." He said, his voice warm but understated. "That's sharp work, connecting dots no one else saw."

Aisha's cheeks flushed, her tail giving a quick twitch as she folded her arms, her voice haughty but betraying a hint of pride. "Hmph, it wasn't that hard." She muttered, her eyes darting away. "Just...doing my job." Inside, her heart swelled under his gaze, the validation fueling her resolve.

Julie's expression softened briefly before returning to its solemn focus. "Once Aisha brought the case to me." She continued. "I took it in immediately. I launched our own investigation, using the Holy Guard's resources to dig deeper. That's how we confirmed the Covenant of the Bleeding Moon's existence, and their purpose." She paused, her voice dropping to a near, whisper, the weight of her next words palpable. "This cult's sole goal is to resurrect a specific primodorial progenitor race."

Cassius's brow arched, a flicker of intrigue crossing his face, though his knowledge from the report kept him from reacting with surprise.

"Progenitor race..." He repeated, his tone thoughtful. "Go on, explain it for the room."

Julie nodded, her voice steady but laced with urgency. "Tens of thousands of years ago, when mana saturated the continent, every race had it's earliest form, progenitor races." She said, her words painting a vivid picture. "Just as humans descended from Neanderthals , stronger, more durable, but less intelligent, more animalistic, the other races had their own primal ancestors."

"Elves, dwarves, orcs, even beastkin like Aisha and Skadi, they all had progenitor versions, far more powerful, aggressive, and bloodthirsty than their modern descendants."

"These beings were raw, primal, driven by instinct. Like how a single progenitor elf, for example, could wield enough mana to obliterate an army of two hundred modern elves with ease...Their strength was unmatched, their ferocity terrifying."

Skadi's tail drooped, her voice soft as she spoke up, her curiosity tinged with unease. "So...they were like super strong versions of us?" She asked, her brows furrowing. "But...why'd they go away? Sounds like they'd be tough to beat."

Julie's lips pressed into a grim line. "As mana levels diluted over millennia, the races evolved." She said. "They became more intelligent, more docile, forming the societies we know today. The progenitor races, unable to adapt to the changing world, went extinct, or more like they diluted out and branched out to the races we see today because of the decrease in the mana levels over the years. Their raw power faded into legend, their bloodlust a cautionary tale. But now..."

Her voice hardened, her gaze locking onto Cassius.

"This cult, the Covenant of the Bleeding Moon, is trying to bring one back. They're using the blood of their victims, children, adults, anyone they can take, in some kind of sacrificial ritual to summon a progenitor being of a race that we don't know yet."

Aisha stepped forward, her voice fierce, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and pain. "It's not just about power." She said, her tail lashing. "These lunatics believe a progenitor race will 'cleanse' the world, whatever that means."

"They're draining blood, kidnapping kids, carving symbols into their victims, all for this ritual. And it's set for one week from now, under the blood moon. If they succeed..." Her voice faltered, her hands clenching. "It'll be a disaster. A bloodthirsty demon, unstoppable, tearing through everything. We can't let that happen, Cassius."

Cassius's fingers stilled on the desk, his expression unreadable as he processed their words. "A progenitor race." He said, his voice low and thoughtful. "That's...catastrophic. If they pull this off, it's not exactly the end of the world, but many innocent lives will be lost because of it."

He then leaned forward, his gaze flicking between Julie and Aisha. "You're certain of this? The ritual, the timeline, the cult's strength?"

Julie nodded, her voice firm. "The report confirms it." She said, gesturing to the book on his desk. "Scout testimonies, intercepted messages, even fragments of their ritual texts. Just like you've said they've got eight advanced mages, masters of blood and shadow magic, and thirty, four intermediate mages supporting them."

"Their fighters are fanatics, trained and ruthless. We're estimating a force of at least a hundred, maybe more, holed up in the eastern borderlands. That's why we need three hundred knights, to overwhelm them before the ritual completes."

Aisha's voice cut in, her tone sharp with urgency.

"We're not guessing here, Cassius." She said, her tail flicking. "Those kids, 428 missing, probably more by now, are being held for this ritual. We've found bodies, drained and marked, left as warnings. If we don't stop them, it's not just a few villages. It's a massacre, and then whatever they summon..." She trailed off, her eyes haunted by the images in her report.

Skadi's tail drooped further, her voice soft but resolute. "That's...real bad." She said, her hands clenching. "Kids don't deserve that. We gotta stop 'em, Master. Right?"

Cassius turned to Skadi, his expression softening as he gave her a reassuring nod, his voice warm but measured.

"You're right, Skadi." He said, his tone steady. "We most definitely have to stop them." His gaze shifted to Aisha, a flicker of scrutiny in his eyes as he leaned forward, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "But I can't make irrational decisions without confirming everything."

"How confident are you that the Covenant of the Bleeding Moon will assemble under the blood moon in one week? That all this the ritual, the sacrifices, the mages, is happening exactly as you've laid out?"

Aisha's face darkened, her tail stilling as a grave expression settled over her, the weight of her answer evident in her tightening jaw.

"We're as certain as we can be because..." She said, her voice low and heavy with sorrow. "Three of our knights...they paid the ultimate price to get us this information. They were spotted by the cult, tortured, and killed." Her words landed like stones, each one deepening the room's somber mood. "But even under that kind of pain, they didn't break. They protected our investigation, and they even managed to pass on the details we have now about the blood moon, the ritual, the cult's plans."

"...Their sacrifice is why we know what we're up against."

The room fell silent, a heavy feeling settling over them as Julie, Aisha, and Skadi bowed their heads in a moment of respect for their fallen comrades.

Even Lucius, listening intently, felt a pang of sorrow, his composed facade faltering as he thought of the knights' brutal end. The gravity of their loss was obvious, a reminder of the stakes they faced.

Just as the silence was going on for too long Cassius broke it, his voice quiet but firm.

"What happened to their remains?" He asked, his gaze steady on Julie. "Have they been properly buried? Given the honors they deserve?"

Julie nodded, her voice soft but resolute. "It's been done." She said, her eyes meeting his. "We recovered their bodies, buried them with full honors, and held a ceremony to mark their sacrifice. They were given the ending they earned, honorable, respected."

Cassius's expression softened, a flicker of approval in his gaze.

"Good." He said, his voice low. He then turned to Lucius, his tone decisive. "Lucius, when this is over, arrange a day for us to visit their graves. I want to pay my respects personally and meet their families. We'll provide compensation, whatever they need to ease the loss...No knight who dies for this estate should be forgotten."

Lucius bowed, his voice steady but tinged with respect. "Of course, Cassius." He said, his chest swelling with pride at his master's compassion.

Hearing this, the trio's eyes shimmered with surprise and admiration, their earlier perceptions of Cassius, playful, provocative, untouchable, shifting in the face of his unexpected care.

Most nobles treated knights as pawns, disposable tools in their games of power, but Cassius's willingness to honor the fallen and support their families was a rare, almost unheard, of gesture.

Julie's lips curved into a faint smile, her respect deepening and even Aisha felt her indignation giving way to a quiet awe.

Skadi on the other hand, overcome with emotion, couldn't hold back.

"Master, you're such a good master!" She exclaimed, her voice bright with joy as she darted around the desk, her tail wagging furiously. "You're takin' care of our friends, makin' sure they're remembered! I'm so happy to be under you!"

Before Cassius could react, Skadi leaned down, rubbing her cheek against his with unabashed affection, her voice a happy murmur. "You're the best master ever!" She said, her enthusiasm infectious. "Always lookin' out for us, makin' us feel safe!" She nuzzled him, her tail swishing as she sought companionship, her joy radiating through the room.

Cassius chuckled, his hands finding her waist as he gently pulled her onto his lap, his voice warm and teasing.

"Easy, Skadi." He said, petting her head like she was a playful puppy. "It's just my duty to honor my troops. No big deal." His fingers ruffled her hair, and Skadi leaned into it, her face beaming as she rubbed against him, her voice a content sigh.

"Feels so good to be like this." She murmured, her tail wagging. "I wanna stay like this forever, Master!"

Her shameless affection drew a soft laugh from Lucius, while Aisha's eyes widened, a flicker of curiosity, and maybe envy, crossing her face as she wondered what it felt like to be petted like that.

Deep down, she caught herself thinking she wouldn't mind a pat or two, though she'd die before admitting it.

Cassius's then gaze shifted to Julie and Aisha, his expression turning serious as he addressed them, Skadi still nestled happily in his lap.

"After hearing all this, I understand how critical this mission is." He said, his voice resolute. "We'll carry it through, no question. The Covenant of the Bleeding Moon needs to be stopped."

His words drew sighs of relief from Julie and Aisha, their tension easing, until he raised a hand, his tone shifting to caution.

"But sending three hundred knights isn't feasible. It'd gut the Holyfield estate's defenses, leaving us wide open to attack. And there's another problem, moving that many troops would be impossible to hide."

"The cult's smart, as your report says. They likely have spies, even in neighboring estates. A force that size would alert them, and they'd scatter like rats before we could strike."

Julie's face tightened, a struggling look crossing her features as she nodded, her voice heavy with acknowledgment.

"I know." She said, her tone grim. "We've considered the risks. If they catch wind of an approaching army, they'll vanish, and we'll lose our chance to stop the ritual...But we're out of time. The blood moon's in one week, and we only got confirmation of the ritual this morning. We had no chance to plan anything else, so this is basically our desperate last resort."

"We don't have a choice, Cassius." Aisha also stepped forward, her tail flicking as her voice rose with urgency. "This is the best we could come up with under the gun. If we don't act now, those kids, hundreds of them are dead, and whatever they summon will be worse."

"...We're begging you to trust us." Aisha cast a pleading look on her face while Julie looked just as worried about this mission.

But Skadi, still nestled in Cassius's lap, raised her head, her voice bright with unwavering faith.

"Don't worry, you two!" She said, her tail wagging as she grinned at Julie and Aisha. "Master's got this! He'll figure out a way to fix it, right?" She turned to Cassius, her eyes sparkling with trust.

Aisha opened her mouth, ready to scoff, her meticulous planning had already exhausted every option she could think of but before she could, Cassius's smile widened, his fingers playfully tugging Skadi's cheeks as he coddled her.

"How'd you know that, you little mind reader?" He teased, his voice warm and cute. "How do you know that I've already got a solution to this whole mess...You reading my thoughts or something?"

Skadi giggled, shaking her head in an equally cute manner, her tail swishing as she snuggled closer, pressing her chest against him without a shred of shame, despite Julie and Aisha's stares.

"Nope, not a mind reader!" She said, her voice bubbly. "I just trust you, Master! I know you'll figure it out, 'cause you always do!" She wrapped her arms around him, her affection unabashed, drawing a soft chuckle from Cassius.

Aisha's eyes widened, her tail puffing out as she stepped forward, her voice full of disbelief and hope. "Wait, you're serious?" She asked in disbelief. "You actually have a solution? What is it, then? Spill it!"

Julie moved closer to the desk, her voice urgent. "Cassius, if you have a plan, we need to hear it." She said, her eyes searching his. "We're desperate, and we'll consider anything, no matter how outlandish...Please, tell us what you're thinking."

The trio leaned in, their eyes brimming with expectation, anticipating an intricate strategy from Cassius, who they already knew had a incredibly sharp mind. They braced for a detailed plan, troop movements, covert tactics, a masterstroke to outwit the cult.

But to their utter shock, Cassius's smile turned playful as he continued petting Skadi, his fingers toying with her ears as he spoke, his voice casual and almost flippant.

"Don't look at me with those expectant eyes." He said, his tone teasing. "It's not like I've got some grand master plan cooked up, as the solution to all this?"

"...It's me. I'm the solution."