Chapter : 5
However, Ellercier, who had been observing, had slightly different thoughts. His eyes narrowed and then returned to normal. That woman is suspicious. She’s affiliated with the Central Tower after all. There’s no way she’s foolish.
The previous evening, when she had gone to check the books, Wiz had immediately found the relevant information. Therefore, her memory shouldn’t be an issue. Investigators should keep in mind that perhaps it was this woman who orchestrated everything.
Bella, calming herself, continued the questioning.
“Tell me more about that man.”
“Uh, um… he’s a researcher. I’m not very close to him, so I don’t know much.”
“No, not the researcher—but the man who drew the picture.”
“Oh, that man? Uh… I don’t know much more either. You’d probably be better off asking the researcher about it. Should I connect you—ah, it worked, with the drawing.”
“……”
Bella slowly looked up at the ceiling. After taking a deep breath and gathering her cooled, rational mind, she slammed her fist onto the table.
Bang!
Daniel flinched again, unnecessarily. Wiz, who seemed to expect fear, instead clapped cheerfully once.
“Oh, now that I think of it, I think I once said that the man who drew the picture might be the same wizard who turned it into an artifact.”
Ellercier raised his eyebrows.
Bella, inside the press room, reacted similarly. Seeing her reaction, Wiz pressed his index finger to his mouth and rolled his eyes. A hint of caution crept into his otherwise innocent expression.
“What else… oh, a person who went missing during research once asked a wizard they knew to identify whether something was an artifact. They said it was. But they couldn’t figure out what kind of magic it was, so they guessed that the artifact must have been made by a very high-ranking wizard. I don’t remember clearly. I, uh, well… that person only visited the tower briefly during their research, so I really don’t know much.”
Bella decided she would find out whether Wiz truly didn’t know.
“I’ll give you another piece of candy.”
“Who are you talking to? You once said I’d sell a whole country for candy. But I’m not that stupid. Still, the picture… it has research value, but it seems too dangerous to handle, so you said you’d sell it to Ario, right, Tower Master?”
“……”
A historic incident: a scholar belonging to the Tower had sold out the Tower.
Bella didn’t know how to react.
Her lips trembled.
Should she point out that he had just sold something incredible? Should she marvel that someone could ruin politics or diplomacy with just a piece of candy? Or should she be horrified that someone could sell their soul to a demon for a piece of candy?
Wait—he’s not stupid, she had said.
Not even three seconds later, he’d sold it.
Her lungs shuddered painfully.
However, Wiz soon seemed to realize his mistake.
“…Ah, now that I think of it, the Tower Master told me not to say this. Oh no!”
“……”
That seemed right. This was extremely valuable information.
It was testimony implying that the Central Tower had sold the artifact—responsible for the recent serial killings—to civilians in Ario, even though they knew its deadly nature.
This testimony could officially spark a conflict between Ario and the Central Tower.
And during that conflict, Ario would gain absolute advantage.
Wiz covered his mouth with his right hand in shock, his face falling.
Yet, from her mouth, a sharp clinking sound of teeth hitting candy rang out. Click. Whatever her expression, she did not seem discouraged internally.
This woman… is unmanageable.
Bella laughed nervously, almost crying. Her nose tingled; her eyes grew hot.
The knight, who had once coldly laughed at a running wizard, saying “If that wizard’s brat gets caught, I’ll blow his head off,” now crumbled pathetically.
“I’ll give you another piece of candy. Do you truly not know the man’s identity?”
Bella asked, immersed in self-reproach.
The questioner was full of introspection, but the respondent remained innocent. Wiz tilted his head and mumbled his answer.
“I don’t know…”
“Then any other information you know?”
“Not really.”
“If you remember anything later, would you voluntarily come forward to share information?”
“Troublesome…”
“If you bring good information, I’ll give you a whole basket of candy. Big, like ‘this big’.”
“Ah, I’ll come.”
“……”
Bella felt frustrated once again. She offered a serious proposal to a grown adult, and this was the reaction? How far would the person in front of her go to show… creative responses? She rested her forehead against her clasped hands.
Daniel and Ellercier, observing from the monitoring room, also averted their gaze. It was embarrassing to watch. Daniel asked awkwardly.
“What should we do?”
Ellercier gave a faint smile.
“This woman is too suspicious to be regarded as a simple witness.”
“I agree. Though thanks to her, we might gain something from the Central Tower.”
Ellercier agreed with that assessment.
However, even if the Central Tower was considered a neutral continental institution rather than a nation, in some matters it was treated like a state. This decision had to be made by the king, not him.
Though the Silver Fox Corps had unusually broad discretionary power, this case exceeded Ellercier’s authority.
Fortunately, an audience with the corps chief took precedence over most other situations.
Submitting an ordinary report now would take a long time to reach the king, as the palace was busy preparing for the prince’s return.
Ellercier thought for a moment.
“Sir Daniel, until His Majesty makes a decision, observe this woman’s every action.”
“You mean follow her?”
The streets were too crowded to hide easily. Daniel nodded and thought of an artifact imbued with stealth magic.
“I’ll prepare the permit and come back.”
“Come to the chief’s office. As for the shift… Sir Mini.”
“Understood.”
The knight saluted and left the monitoring room.
The next day, after Wiz received the questioning in the Silver Fox Corps’ tower:
One shameful chapter of history had ended.
The kingdom’s people came out to welcome the prince, who had been held hostage for so long, with flowers, trumpets, zithers, lutes, dancing, cheers, and tears. “Welcome back, Lord! After enduring six years of humiliation, we rejoice at your safe return!”
Flowers and colorful paper floated through the air.
Prince Jay caught a falling flower petal.
Amid the welcome, he smiled widely without shedding a tear. It was completely different from the path he’d taken six years ago, where the people wept. The prince had grown more imposing over those six years, and the people were moved.
Yet his joy was nothing compared to the emotion he felt internally. He had returned to his long-missed homeland. And yet… Jay was not entirely happy. The palace was very near.
Seeing the increasingly tall buildings, a strained laugh escaped from his lips.
Seriously, I’m going crazy. Did I really come back?
In terms of danger to life, the royal palace of his own country was far riskier than the Empire.
Being only third in the succession line, he had to be taken hostage by his siblings and their stepmother, because the throne of this country was something one had to seize.
Many nobles supported Jay precisely because he didn’t bother with succession disputes, and he would have been truly happy had that not been the case.
Still, he had good experiences in Onnevalle of the Empire.
He had a good relationship with the former head of the Loheol family, who had protected him there, and life at their mansion was very comfortable.
Honestly, assuming the Ario royal family didn’t play tricks, if asked where he’d spend his life, until two years ago he would have chosen the Empire.
Who could have known the Emperor would handle the head of that family in such a manner?
After inheriting the dukedom, Jay had not gotten along with the new head. Someone who had agreed with the Emperor to eliminate Jay’s bloodline and allowed a friend’s murder to happen.
Jay had smiled politely toward the new head due to his position as a hostage, but they never became friends. They could not become friends.
His hatred stemmed from mourning a lost friend and wariness toward the new head.
Jay shuddered at the resemblance between the new head and his half-brothers in the motherland.
How… how could they kill their siblings for the throne?
The deceased head had truly loved his younger brother during his life. He had cherished him so dearly that Jay could not help but envy. And yet… how could all that love be abandoned?
How?
“……”
Even after two years, the unresolved feelings burned like fire. But the procession had already passed the main gate.
Jay blinked slowly.
Now was not the time to think of Onnevalle. Soon he would face his opponents—almost enemies—once more. He was approaching.
His dry lips exhaled as the breath sank to his stomach.
He quickly calmed himself.
And, scanning the unchanged interior, he kept an annoyed smile.
He had been dragged around enough, hadn’t he? He still hadn’t decided what greeting to give when he finally met the king at the palace. Their relationship was distant. Almost at the brink of collapse. At least, that’s how Jay felt.
Also, how should he greet his full and half-brothers and their mother?
Jay swallowed his sharp emotions.
Everything in Ario’s royal palace made him tense. Everything there made him shudder.
After returning unilaterally permitted by the Emperor six years ago, he had only held on to hope that his supporters had vanished. Now, he needed to see if that hope was reality.
Soon he gauged the eyes of the gathered royals and sneered bitterly. Princes, princesses, their mother—all eyes sharp and cold. And yet he smiled. Glad to be back, huh?
Just imagining it made the back of his neck prickle. Goosebumps rose.
He laughed as the six vanguard guards halted before him and walked toward the most important families of Ario.
They smiled warmly.
“Welcome back, Prince.”
“It’s a relief to see you healthy, brother.”
Barking like dogs. Jay smiled faintly in response.
“Thank you for the welcome. I’m glad to be back as well.”
When the greeting sounded like nonsense, the response could only be nonsense. The royals shared chills politely, gracefully—like swans on the surface of the water.
But none of them revealed it. They could appear cordial at any moment, but beneath the surface, the struggle was fierce.
(To be continued in the next chapter)
