Chapter 61
The wind blew softly, making blue hair flutter.
Ryan fixed his hair in front of the mirror until his reflection looked perfect.
The aide who had come to escort him to the palace frowned when he saw Ryan looking overly neat.
“Your Highness, where are you going?”
“Isn’t today the day we depart for war?”
“Then… why is your hair like that?”
Ryan’s hair was slicked back with oil, more fitting for a ballroom than under a helmet.
“Do you know what all the women who came to me used to say?”
“They said to pretend not to know you when their husbands were around?”
“Well, some said that too.”
Ryan glared at him briefly before continuing.
“They said they liked my face.”
“Ah, yes.”
The aide answered flatly.
It wasn’t something that could be denied—Ryan’s handsome looks were undeniable.
His lips, straight and well-shaped, looked cold when expressionless, yet when he smiled, his face turned into that of a bright boy. Women especially loved that smile.
“She liked money, so she’ll probably like jewels too. How do I look wearing this?”
Ryan pointed at a jeweled helmet.
The aide’s face instantly twisted.
It looked like something only a vain tyrant would wear—or some fool of a noble who had been cheated by a merchant.
If Ryan stood in front wearing that, it would be embarrassing just to stand beside him.
“Your Highness… such flashy decorations might cover your face.”
The aide carefully twisted his words into flattery.
“Isn’t a helmet meant to cover the face anyway?”
Thankfully, Ryan picked up a plain gray helmet instead.
He held it up to the mirror, and the helmet gleamed spotless.
“Not bad.”
“Tradition always has the best style, Your Highness.”
“There has never been a woman who could resist me. So the shape of a helmet hardly matters.”
Even as he said that, Ryan kept glancing at the other helmet.
But soon, he made his decision and walked out of the room.
The sky was clear, and the sun was warm.
Outside, rows of knights stood waiting. The sight almost suffocated him, but he quickly shook it off.
“They said they would clear out the monsters before I arrived, right?”
Ryan tightened his hold on the reins and asked again.
The aide repeated the same answer for the fifth time.
“Yes. The vanguard was sent ahead to prevent the barrier stone from breaking apart. By now, they should have cleared most of the monsters.”
Of course, Ryan had learned swordsmanship.
As a child, people even called him a prodigy.
But after entering the imperial palace, he realized he was nothing special—and he stopped wasting effort.
His sword skills weren’t terrible, but they weren’t outstanding either. Just average.
“Then why do I have such a bad feeling?”
He mounted his horse. The wind felt colder.
After riding for a week, Ryan reached the Kalaus region—
and his bad feeling was proven right.
The air was thick with the stench of blood.
“Monsters!!”
Swarms of monsters were charging down, and knights swung their swords desperately.
Ryan felt the urge to turn his horse and run away.
Reading his thoughts, the aide said,
“Your Highness, an emperor flees the battlefield only when he has already lost.”
If Ryan wanted to be emperor, he had to enter that hell.
But it took courage to go in.
“They said the magic tool maker is also here, right?”
“Yes, she should be there.”
Ryan thought of the small woman who barely reached his shoulder.
Clenching his eyes shut, he snapped the reins. His horse charged toward the monsters.
“Rrrraaaaghh!!”
The monsters were unlike anything from the black market.
Some were child-sized, others bigger than horses.
“Reinforcements are here!! It’s the crown prince’s banner!!”
One knight shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Uaaaaahhh!!”
Hundreds of knights cheered so loudly it shook Ryan’s ears.
“Warriors of Valkaras! Defend this land!!”
Ryan’s cry sent the knights charging at the monsters.
He raised his sword high.
Though pushed into this fight, seeing men cheer for him filled him with strength.
But that courage did not last long.
“Argh!”
A giant toad-like monster leapt into the air.
Its skin looked like melted black wax, with fin-like growths sticking out.
“Krrraaak! Krrraaaak!”
A massive shadow fell over him.
Ryan swung wildly while stumbling backward.
“Your Highness, behind me!”
Knights waited for the beast to land, then hacked at its legs.
Even with its legs cut, the toad still leapt.
“It doesn’t die easily!”
Only after all four legs were chopped off could Ryan thrust his sword into its head.
Splurt—black monster blood sprayed everywhere, covering him completely.
“Damn it.”
The stench was so foul it felt like his nose was rotting. He grimaced hard.
At least the monsters weren’t too many.
But when the battle ended, Ryan noticed something strange.
The number of soldiers at the base was far fewer than expected.
And the silver-haired commander, who should have stood out anywhere, was nowhere to be seen.
“Your Highness, the goddess’s blessing must have sent you to us.”
The high priest appeared at last, welcoming Ryan.
His robe was spotless white, as if he had been hiding inside a tent the whole time.
On any other day, that would have seemed normal. But right now, Ryan found it irritating.
“The duke is nowhere to be seen.”
At Ryan’s words, the priest glanced nervously at the other priests before replying.
“The Duke has entered the forest and has not returned.”
Not hasn’t returned yet—but couldn’t return.
Something was clearly wrong.
Ryan’s frown deepened.
“And the commander of the holy knights is also missing.”
“He left with the Duke.”
So only the weakest remained here.
That explained why they struggled so much against just a few monsters.
Ryan had thought he didn’t care whether Deonis lived or died.
But now that Deonis was missing, unease filled his chest.
‘He can’t be dead.’
Even if everyone else died, Deonis—the cockroach-like man—would surely survive.
He wasn’t the type to abandon his duty and run. If he was alive, he would return.
Ryan just had to hold out until then.
“What about repairing the tear in the barrier?”
At Ryan’s question, the priest pressed his lips tight.
Instead, Benedict, standing beside him, answered.
“It failed.”
This was very bad.
“Then monsters will keep pouring in, won’t they?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Hah.”
Ryan let out a hollow laugh.
What was supposed to be a simple expedition to earn prestige had turned into a nightmare where he might die to monsters.
“And… that’s not all.”
“What else?”
The priest lowered his voice secretly.
“A plague seems to be spreading.”
