Chapter 346.1
[“If only you hadn’t forced him to swear, things wouldn’t have come to this. You followers of the Codex of Light treat oaths too lightly, demanding the price from others with cruelty.”]
The Dead December shouted these reproachful words, a lament in his voice.
[“Behold, the symbol of cowardice!”]
With a subtle flick of his fingers, the illusion of Dead December brought forth a wave of darkness that flowed like a billowing sleeve before dispersing like a mirage.
From within the darkness, a single undead figure dropped to the ground.
Once, this figure might have held an esteemed status, clad in a once-fine armor and a flowing cape. Now, however, it was merely a decrepit skeleton, covered in barnacles and corroded by seawater.
[“This is Arachel Brant, who was forced to swear loyalty to Horace.”]
Arachel Brant, bound in heavy chains, clattered like a wooden puppet with every movement of Dead December’s fingers. Dead December, lacking any finesse in manipulating puppets, rendered the scene grotesque and absurd.
[“Like Delrod Ciel, he hangs by the ship’s edge, facing punishment befitting a deserter. What’s fascinating is that all those who stepped onto Miarma ultimately agreed to surrender their souls. They realized the Codex of Light would not protect them.”]