I Got Isekai’d, Well Shyt!

Meanwhile, at the Duke's Manor, a solitary delivery cart creaked up the long, winding drive, its wooden wheels echoing softly against the gravel. The cart came to a halt in front of the grand entrance, its polished façade gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.

The butler, Belial, a tall man with a stern countenance and a meticulous demeanor, stepped out from the imposing double doors. He was followed closely by a few footmen, all dressed in crisp uniforms, ready to assist with the incoming deliveries. The driver of the cart, a weathered man with a sun-kissed face and calloused hands, climbed down, holding out a clipboard and a pen.

"Delivery from the Crown Pharmacy. Sign here," the driver said, his voice scratchy from years of working outdoors.

Belial took the clipboard, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration as he carefully signed the paperwork, ensuring every detail was in order. With efficient precision, he and the footmen began unloading the packages and crates, lifting them with a sense of care befitting their noble residence.

Once the heavy crates were transported into the parlor, a spacious room filled with lavish furnishings and flickering candlelight, Belial returned to the entrance. He approached the driver, who was patiently waiting, and handed him a few coins in exchange for the delivery.

"Thank you," the driver said, tipping his hat before mounting his cart. He cracked the reins lightly, and the horse trotted away, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

As Belial stood on the grand, weathered steps of the manor, he observed the cart lumbering away down the lengthy, tree-lined drive, its wheels creaking softly against the gravel pathway. The air was thick with the scent of blooming lilacs, mingling with the faint aroma of aged wood and polished brass from the estate. His sharp gaze, honed from years of vigilant service under the manor's roof, caught an unusual figure lingering just beyond the ornate steel bar fence that encircled the property.

The woman stood out starkly against the opulent surroundings; she was strikingly beautiful, her flowing brown hair cascading down her back in soft waves, catching the dappled sunlight. Her piercing azure eyes, filled with an enigmatic intensity, scanned the manor with an unwavering focus that sent a shiver down Belial's spine. Dressed in a simple, unadorned gown that fluttered gently in the breeze, she seemed remarkably out of place among the well-dressed crowd of commoners milling about, their laughter and chatter forming a stark backdrop to her quiet observation.

As she surveyed the grand estate, her stillness was almost statuesque, and the serenity of the scene was disrupted by the unsettling intent hidden behind her watchful gaze. It was as if she were not merely observing but assessing, weighing the significance of the opulence before her with an intelligence that hinted at deeper motives. Belial felt a growing unease as he studied her, sensing that her presence was not merely coincidental, but that she harbored secrets that could threaten the tranquility of the manor.

'She’s been here for three days and nights…' Belial thought, his instincts sharpened by the Duke’s penchant for secrecy and the ever-looming threat of external dangers. 'His Lordship’s paranoia appears well-founded… She must be working with that Dark Elf… Time to show her that her disguise has been pierced.'

With a newfound urgency, Belial retreated into the manor’s echoing halls, his mind racing. Inside, he glanced at the crates that had recently arrived from the Crown Pharmacy, a semblance of normalcy amidst his growing unease. However, three of the crates bore distinct markings—a deviation that sparked his suspicion. 

'Let’s see… these have the hidden insignia from the Kingdom of Marn… I hope they haven’t swindled His Lordship out of his money...' he mused, concern creasing his brow at the thought of betrayal.

With a resigned sigh, Belial called for a footman, directing him to transport the crates to the Duke’s office for further inspection. The footman hurriedly followed, and Belial led the way through the intricately adorned corridors, the scent of polished wood and faint lavender lingering in the air.

Upon reaching the Duke's office, Belial paused for a brief moment, admiring the intricately carved door that stood before him, adorned with ornate designs depicting historical battles and mythical creatures. He lifted his hand and rapped gently on the wood.

“Enter,” came the authoritative voice of Duke Alaric from within, resonating with a commanding presence that made it abundantly clear he was not someone to be trifled with. 

Belial pushed the heavy door open, stepping into the room where chaos reigned amidst order. The air was thick with the scents of parchment and ink, and the space was strewn with pieces of parchment, each filled with annotations and detailed sketches. Several maps of the continent adorned the walls, each charting territories, alliances, and trade routes in meticulous detail. 

Duke Alaric was a striking figure, his dark hair pulled back into a taut ponytail, which emphasized the sharp contours of his face and the intensity in his hawk-like gaze. He was hunched over a cluttered desk, furiously scribbling notes on a piece of paper before passing it to his butler.

(What is it, Belial?) wrote Alaric, the words seemingly leaping off the page with urgency. 

The butler quickly retrieved a pen and scrawled an answer beneath Alaric's inquiry. (Three packages arrived from our friends up north.) 

A spark of excitement ignited in Alaric's eyes, and he abruptly stood from his chair, his movements fluid and purposeful. He silently directed a footman, whose expression mirrored confusion at his lordship’s sudden enthusiasm, to place the crates on the far side of the room. The footman, after a brief moment of hesitation, complied, dragging the heavy crates in their wake. 

Belial, intrigued by the commotion, moved over to the table where an array of tools was set out, each revealing the Duke’s penchant for meticulous preparation. His fingers closed around the sturdy crowbar that lay in a cabinet beside him. With a firm grip, he approached the first crate, anticipation bubbling within him as he prepared to uncover the mysteries held within.

Alaric's eyes shined with happiness and greed when he saw the contents inside the first crate, as there were five spherical artifacts with runes inscribed on them.

Alaric quickly grabbed one and channeled his mana into it as the artifact began to glow yellow. Then, a tiny shockwave shot out of the artifact, rattling the windows once the force reached the glass.

Belial was taken aback by how silent everything was. He couldn't hear any birds or other sounds.

Alaric was examining the artifact with a satisfied smile. He looked at the footman, "I need you to stand outside my study and wait for my orders."

"Um... Y-Yes, your Lordship," the footman said.

He bowed to his Lord, then opened the door to the study and noticed a strange rippling effect in the air that was in the doorway. It was similar to looking at an object in the distance in the desert heat, but the rippling wasn't caused by heat.

The footman stepped through and noticed a difference in his hearing. Everything seemed normal as he could hear the ambient noises that seemed to have vanished within the Duke's study. He turned around and looked at the Duke and Mister Belial.

Alaric smirked, "Can you hear me, boy?"

The footman had a confused look written on his face. He saw the Duke's lips move, but he didn't hear a sound.

"I can't hear you, Sir," the footman replied. But Alaric and Belial couldn't hear a word from the footman's mouth.

Belial smirked, "So it's true... They had Silence Auras all this time."

Alaric chuckled, "Of course they did... The Kingdom of Marn was able to invade the Wood Elf Kingdom with little to no resistance because of these artifacts."

"But I thought the Black Roses were the ones to kill the Elven King... No?..." Belial questioned his lord.

Alaric glanced at his butler, "How do you think they snuck into their kingdom, Belial?... King Arnaud Dupont gave the Mercenaries these artifacts so the Elves couldn't hear them... Now stop questioning me and order that boy to bring my wife here..."

"Y-Yes, your Grace," Belial nodded. He turned to the footman and stuck his head out of the Silence Aura.

"Go find the Duchess and tell her that the Duke would like her company... Go," the Butler ordered the footman.

"Yes, sir," the footman replied.

He was a bit confused by the fact that he could hear Mister Belial perfectly clearly but not the Duke, but he knew better than to question his lord.

The footman closed the door and went to look for the Duchess.

Meanwhile, within the Silence Aura, the Duke was busy checking the rest of the crates. There were twenty of these spheres in the other crate that would undoubtedly go a long way in getting him his revenge. And the last crate had these hooded forest green cloaks.

Alaric smelled and pulled one of these cloaks out.

Belial took the cloak and inspected it, "Sir?... Are these what I think they are?"

Alaric's smell faded when Belial's hands touched the cloak. "Yes, my good friend... These cloaks are elven and enchanted to allow the wearer to hide anywhere. So long as the wearer doesn't attack or move quickly... This was one of the few prizes the Kingdom of Marn received when they conquered the wood elves... With these two items, Leandra should be able to sneak in and out of the palace to talk with Hilda without those three elves noticing... But I thought there was a third item Krenn was supposed to send me?... He better not have lied to me..."

Belial looked at the first crate with fewer spherical artifacts and noticed something underneath the packing straws. It wasn't obvious initially, but he pulled the straws out of the crate and saw the item.

"I believe this is the third item, your Grace," Belial said, pointing toward the third item, a two-inch by two-inch cube with glyphs and symbols carved on its surface.

Alaric smirked, "It appears Krenn came through on his end of the deal... I didn't know I would need this artifact so soon. But this artifact will prove useful."

Belial was intrigued, "What does it do, Sir?"

Alaric held it at eye level in his hand, "It's an artifact that can display incantations and spells... They say it can disrupt mana flow from a mile away... As long as you point this end of the cube at the mage and the runes glow, then that means it's working."

"Why would you need such an item, your Grace?..." Belial asked his lord.

Alaric smiled and walked towards a window that had its blinds down. The Duke peeked out the window, looking for someone. And after a minute, he spotted the golem that was walking around the outer perimeter of the fence.

"There it is... Let's see how well this works," Alaric said as he pointed the cube at the golem.

And the glyphs on the cube glowed when Alaric channeled his mana into it. His forehead started breaking into a sweat the more mana he poured into the artifact.

Belial watched in curiosity as his Lord aimed the artifact at the golem.

***

R9 was walking outside the estate grounds, watching for the Duke. Ever since she locked eyes with him two days ago, the Duke has closed all the blinds to the Manor and hasn't left. She slipped up, but the golem didn't care. What could a human with such a weak and underdeveloped mana vein do to her? Nothing, and she knew it. Alaric would have to show himself eventually, and she didn't need sleep, food, or drink to function.

She was going to stand there until he came out, or she got the order to return to her creator.

But there was one nuisance she couldn't quite figure out. A young human commoner spotted her a couple of days ago, and he was checking her out. His friends were the ones to egg him on to come talk with her, and each time he tried, she would turn the other way, which frustrated the teenager to no end. He wanted to get a response from her, and he kept pestering her until his mother called him back home.

R9 would ignore him again if she saw him today. And like clockwork he showed up again with two of his friends by his side.

"Come on, Will... She's not interested, let's go," the teenage boy's friend told him.

The teenage boy named Will was frustrated and was hoping this beautiful woman would respond to him this time.

"Just one more time, guys, she'll have to talk to me at least this one time," the teenage boy said.

"Good luck with that," one of his friends chuckled.

Will ignored his friends and walked up to R9 to try his luck once again. He tried being nice the last time, but she still ignored him. So, maybe if he were more aggressive with his advances, she would respond.

"Hey, you!" the teenager shouted.

R9 didn't respond as she kept her eyes on the Manor.

"You know what?... You're pretty rude for how pretty you are. You should treat guys better," Will said.

R9 didn't respond.

"Don't act like you're ignoring me," the teenager raised his voice.

His friends were watching the scene with second hand embarrassment.

"What the hell is Will doing?" the blonde-haired teen whispered to his black-haired friend.

"He's either crazy or he's going to get slapped in the face. My money is on him getting slapped," his friend snickered.

Will was pissed that the lady wasn't responding to him. So, he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her close to him. But she was far heavier than he expected, so he couldn't budge her.

R9 glanced over at the boy, who tried to keep up his bravado. She could tell the kid was puzzled by why he couldn't move her.

"S-So now you're gonna talk to me," the boy stuttered.

"Let... Go..." R9 replied with a emotionless tone.

The boy smirked, and his confidence was restored.

"Nah, not until you give me a kiss," Will said as he moved closer towards her lips.

His older brother did this to the woman, and most of the time, he would be slapped or punched for doing something so bold. However, on rare occasions, he would get a girl to reciprocate the kiss, and she would usually walk away with a smile on her face.

So, this woman wouldn't be any different, he thought. He just hoped that she wouldn't punch him in the face.

The golem sighed.

"Last... Chance," R9 replied.

Will leaned in and kissed her on the lips. When R9 was about to push this human away, she felt a force hit her from her left side. Her eyes glanced over to the Divalo Manor and spotted a smirking Duke pointing an artifact at her. She focused as much as she could on the Duke and noticed how haggard he looked as he used his mana on the artifact.

R9 could tell he was trying to disrupt her mana core, and she before she knew it. Everything went dark as her azure eyes faded. Soon, her body destabilized and returned to the base materials from which she was made.

Will was unaware that the beauty in front of him was turning into dirt and stone. All he could think about was kissing the beautiful woman. It was only when his friends screamed that he noticed something was wrong.

"Will!" the black-haired teen shouted.

"What?" the blonde-haired teen said in a panicked voice.

Will opened his eyes to a woman crumbling to the ground. He quickly stepped back and stared in horror at what he was seeing.

"Holy Shit," Will muttered.

"Will... What did you do?" the black-haired teen asked.

"I-I just kissed her and she started falling apart. I swear," Will answered.

"You have cursed lips!?... Stay away from us," the blonde-haired teen cried out.

Will panicked, fearing he had killed the girl of his dreams. His friends acted as if he had the plague. He wanted to help her, but he was frozen in fear.

"We need to get the hell out of here. I don't want to get turned into a statue," the black-haired teen shouted.

The other teenagers agreed and took off running down the street. They ran as fast as they could and didn't stop until they got to the other end of the street.

Will ran as well, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was a murderer. He would never try to kiss another person after that experience. Took him a long time to get over the scars and trauma from that incident.

He vowed never to let that happen again.

***

As the events of R9's destruction unfolded, Rya was meditating in her room at the palace. Her mind was clear until she felt R9's conscious fly into her mind, transmitting all of the memories of her golem into her brain.

'Huh!?... Gah!... What was that?... Why do I feel like something bad happened?' Rya wondered as she felt like something was missing.

Rya took a few breaths to calm her mind and focus on all the information she had just received.

'Hmmm. That's strange, R9 was destroyed,' Rya thought as she reviewed her golem's memories.

That's when she noticed Alaric image of him struggling to use the artifact he had in his hand. Rya smiled when she saw this, "Well, well... It seems like the Duke has an artifact that can disrupt magic... I wonder how many more of those he has?..."

Rya opened her eyes and walked out of her room. She made her way to the dungeon, going downstairs, and found a dead end in a secluded area.

The Dark Elf's eyes stared at the stone floor. Soon, a golem started to form in front of her. She created R9 once more, looking like her human form.

The golem knelt down in front of Rya, "Sorry... Creator..."

Rya shook her head slightly, "I told you to be more discreet, R9... What do you have to say for yourself?"

R9 bowed her head, "Never... Again..."

The Dark Elf sighed and then nodded her head, "Well... At least we know some of his new tricks... Get dressed in some clothes and find out how many of those artifacts he has... Alaric will probably let his guard down now that he thinks you're gone... You're gonna have to be even sneakier... Got it, R9?"

The Golem bowed her head, "Understood... Creator..."

Rya smiled and walked away.

'You think that Artifact is going to protect you, Alaric?... Oh, you poor fool. You haven't seen anything yet.' Rya thought as she smiled.

The Dark Elf returned to her room and lay down on the bed, closing her eyes. She wanted to review everything that R9's consciousness had shared with her.

Rya saw and felt everything that her golem had experienced, including the poor boy who tried to Court R9. She found it amusing.

***

Back at the Divalo Manor in Alaric's study, the Duke opened the blinds after seeing the golem crumble into dirt. Belial smirked as his Lord dealt with that woman.

"My Lord has a Keene eye... How did you know that she was one of the Dark Elf's golems?..." Belial asked curiously.

" She changed their appearance, but they have the same color eyes of that witch. Not to mention, their hair and body structure are identical. I wasn't sure if it was her until the golem turned her head and looked straight at me three days ago," Alaric stated with a dark expression. He wiped some sweat off his forehead before placing his artifact on his desk and then taking a seat.

Belial smiled, "And the Duke didn't let the woman out of his sight after that..."

"The golem's eyes were the same color as that witch, Rya... Never forget that when you're out in the open, Belial... I'm sure she can change those bastards appearances easily," Alaric said in a deep voice.

The butler nodded, "Noted, My Lord..."

It was at that moment a knock came from the door to the Duke's study.

"I'll get that, my Lord..." Belial said as he went over and opened the door.

Standing outside of the study was the footmen from earlier with Lady Leandra behind him. The footmen bowed, "Milord... Milady is here..."

Belial nodded his head and the footmen stepped out of the way.

Lady Leandra entered her husband's study and took a look around.

"This is the most disheveled I've seen this place... What paranoia have you gotten yourself into, Alaric?" Lady Leandra asked with a raised brow.

"Planning for contingencies, My Dear. Planning for contingencies. You should prepare yourself, too. We can't let that Dark Elf bitch ruin us," Alaric said as he leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on his desk.

"Oh, I would but you refused to let me leave the Manor... What has gotten you so spooked? This is unlike you," Leandra asked as she crossed her arms.

" I wasn't sure at the time, but now I'm positive that we had one of her golems spying on us... I just received a package from a certain person who let me deal with the situation," Alaric explained with a smirk. He grabbed the cube artifact with his left hand and showed it to his wife, who looked unamused.

Lady Leandra narrowed her eyes and looked at the item in her husband's hand. "That is?"

"The Mage Disruptor," Alaric said with a smile.

Leandra looked stunned and dropped her arms, "Are you serious?... I thought the Mages Guild outlawed them?"

"They did, but they couldn't stop the nobles in the north from hoarding a few of them. That's the main reason why the Guild doesn't bother with the northern kingdoms. They don't like the idea of being worthless," Alaric replied with a grin.

Leandra smirked, "And you were able to get your hands on one? That's good. I was afraid I was going to be useless if you were caught by the Dark Elf and couldn't protect yourself... But I'm sure you didn't bring me here to gloat about the artifact... I know how you operate," Leandra said as she sat down on the chair.

"That's why I like you so much, Dear... You are as quick-witted as I am... Belial... Show her the other artifact," Alaric said to his butler.

Belial pulled one of the spherical artifacts from one of the crates and handed it to Leandra.

Leandra held the item in her hand and examined the runes that were on it. She then looked up at her husband, "This is?"

"What artifact can cast Silence Aura... No sound outside of it will be heard," Alaric explained.

Leandra's eyes widened. "Are you serious? How much did that cost?"

"Don't worry about it, Dear. The money wasn't an issue... Now give it a try... Just focus and channel your mana into it," Alaric explained as he got out of his chair and stood up.

Leandra sighed, "Well... I guess killing those monsters was worth it... Even though I hated it," Leandra said as she focused her mana.

Soon, the artifact began to glow with a yellow light, and a transparent bubble-like effect shot out and engulfed the study.

"So this is silence aura," Leandra said as all the ambient noises disappeared.

"Indeed. So now you can speak to the princess without elven ears eavesdropping on our conversation," Alaric said as he walked over to the table with three crates.

"I see... But how am I going to speak to her if the entire Palace knows that I'm in there?" Leandra asked as the aura faded.

"Well, that's simple, my Dear," Alaric said as he pulled out the elven cloak from one of the crates and showed her.

"You expect me to wear that?" Leandra said with a raised brow.

Alaric smirked before putting it on and channeling is mana into the cloak. It didn't take long before Alaric disappeared.

Leandra became surprised, " You were able to get the Royal Wood Elf's cloak?"

"I did, indeed. This will allow you to walk around the Palace without any trouble. The only downside is that it's very hot," Alaric explained as the aura faded and his presence became visible again.

"A little heat never hurt anyone," Leandra said as she stood up.

"Very true, my Dear," Alaric agreed as he handed her the cloak.

"And you want me to wear it?" Leandra said as she held it up.

"Of course. You're the only one who can convince the princess... I'm the only one supporting this plan... You're my wife for a reason," Alaric explained.

"True... Fine. Should I see the princess right now? Or do you want to wait for after the ritual?" Leandra asked.

"Speak with her now... But leave her in the dark about the ritual... We need to used her to wedge the Dark Elf away from our nephew... Even with the rigged ritual, he's not going to accept her," Alaric explained.

Leandra smirked, "Understood,"

"Good. Belial... Escort my wife to the palace. Make sure no one sees you two," Alaric ordered.

Belial nodded, "As you wish, Your Lordship."

"Good luck, my Dear," Alaric whispered.

Leandra walked up to Alaric and placed a soft kiss on his lips, "You know... This is the kind of excitement I've always dreamed of."

Alaric chuckled, "It is a dangerous game we're playing. But it'll be worth it to get out revenge, my Dear."

Leandra grinned as she followed Belial out of the study.

'Finally... I'm starting to get an edge on that whore... I'll make you regret not siding with my son, Rya... Mark my words... You'll never have your happy ending,' Alaric thought before walking over to his desk and sitting down.