Chapter 106
Abelio almost frowned without realizing it, but he skillfully formed a smile and spoke.
“Of course. More importantly, have you been well, my lady?”
“Yes. Thanks to you.”
Abelio’s eyes narrowed slightly. There was a great deal of meaning in that answer.
Even so, he kept his smile and continued.
“I was a little surprised. I didn’t expect you to come looking for me.”
“I had no choice. There was something I wanted to discuss with Your Highness.”
“May I ask what it is about?”
Aileen turned her head and gazed somewhere. Following her line of sight, he saw Richard solemnly participating in the memorial service.
“What do you think about family, Your Highness?”
At the incomprehensible question, Abelio slightly furrowed his brows. When he looked back, Aileen was still staring at Richard.
“……I’m not sure why you’re suddenly asking that.”
“I was just curious.”
This time, Aileen looked straight at him. It wasn’t a gaze urging an answer, yet somehow it felt like he had to respond.
Feeling a slight irritation rising, Abelio spoke.
“Of course they are precious—my own blood. The only ones in this world.”
It wasn’t wrong. It was because he carried the Emperor’s blood that he enjoyed his current wealth and glory.
Of course, the existence of Richard and Ludwig was somewhat irritating.
At his confident reply, Aileen muttered in a noticeably lowered voice,
“Precious, huh……. I suppose they are precious. You turned out so well thanks to having such a remarkable father.”
“……My lady, are you insulting me and His Majesty the Emperor right now?”
Abelio no longer bothered to hide his displeasure.
But Aileen showed no sign of being shaken.
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t like your so-called noble imperial blood. Because of it, many people—including my husband and me—are suffering.”
“What on earth are you—.”
“You say family is precious. Don’t make me laugh. You don’t have any family you truly cherish.”
Aileen’s eyes sharpened as she glared at Abelio.
“In fact, you’re trying to get rid of them…….”
Abelio, who had been about to say something, flinched and shut his mouth.
‘Does she know something?’
He had instructed them to move as quietly as possible. And his subordinates had reported that, aside from Ludwig’s group who were dead, they had seen no suspicious individuals.
There was no way she could know. Even as he reassured himself of that, Abelio felt uneasy.
“I truly have no idea what you’re talking about. Trying to eliminate my family? Me?”
As he spoke, Abelio subtly glanced at the clock tower. The promised time for the explosion was approaching.
Watching him, who somehow seemed anxious, Aileen asked,
“Isn’t that so?”
“That accusation is so absurd it’s not even worth answering.”
6 seconds, 5 seconds…….
Counting down internally, Abelio looked at Aileen.
“I have never done such a thing.”
“Really?”
3 seconds, 2 seconds……!
Unable to suppress it, Abelio let the corners of his lips curl upward.
“Yes.”
1 second!
“Then what’s that?”
Forgetting that the time for the explosion had arrived, Abelio looked toward where Aileen was pointing. In the distance, someone was hopping up and down.
It was Heinell. And in his hand, he was holding something.
At the sight, Abelio’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
“Why is that……!”
“So you do recognize it.”
At the cold voice, he snapped back to his senses.
What Heinell held in his hand was the explosive magic tool Abelio had ordered to be prepared. The magic tool his mages had created using Kalia’s mana stone.
In other words, it was not something that should be in that wizard’s hand.
As Abelio anxiously turned his thoughts over, he suddenly realized that no explosion had occurred. At the same time, one by one, others hopping like Heinell began to appear.
Ten, twenty, thirty……. As more people behaved frivolously amid the solemn atmosphere, the villagers’ gazes gradually turned toward them. Some even directed their attention to Abelio and Aileen, whom they were looking at.
“Damn it……!”
Realizing something had gone wrong, Abelio, unable to contain his rage, drew the sword of the knight standing behind him. He then pointed its tip at Aileen.
“What the hell did you do!”
“What did I do? You’re the one who did something.”
Abelio’s eyebrow twitched, and he swung his sword. But it did not reach Aileen.
Clang—
With wide eyes, Abelio glared at the one who had deflected his blade.
“You……! How……!”
Pfft—
A laugh escaped from the opponent’s mouth. As Abelio ground his teeth, the man spoke.
“It’s over now, brother. Or rather, First Prince.”
Ludwig’s declaration echoed around them.
❧ ❧ ❧
He thought it was over. So he closed his eyes and quietly waited for death.
Thud—
“Argh!”
But instead of feeling pain, a scream rang out from somewhere else. Ludwig opened his eyes again. And he saw it.
Abelio’s knight, his waist pierced by an unfamiliar masked man.
“Damn it! Who the hell are you!”
He swung the sword that had been aimed at Ludwig backward. But perhaps because he was injured, the strike lacked strength; his sword collided with the opponent’s blade and was sent flying uselessly.
And the masked man granted death to the now unarmed knight.
Ludwig blankly stared at the knight collapsing before him, then lifted his head toward the one who had approached.
Is it my turn now?
The thought crossed his mind, but strangely, he wasn’t afraid.
Then a not unfamiliar voice came from the person before him.
“Are you alright?”
“You are……!”
Startled, Ludwig’s eyes widened. Only then did he clearly see the other’s exposed eyes.
Those sharp brown eyes. He knew them. They had crossed paths a few times.
It was Kane, Aileen’s escort knight.
His surprise was brief. When Kane extended his hand, Ludwig took it and rose to his feet. As he did, the surrounding situation became clearer.
Men who appeared to be Kane’s comrades were helping his subordinates. Though bewildered by the sudden assistance, they did not forget their duties.
Staring blankly at the scene, Ludwig asked Kane,
“What in the world is going on?”
“His Highness sent us.”
“My brother……did?”
Kane silently nodded. Ludwig looked at him with a strange expression.
After a brief silence, Ludwig let out a hollow laugh.
“I see. My brother…….”
Kane glanced at him, who seemed overcome with emotion, and spoke.
“Your Highness, you must not forget what situation we’re in.”
“……I know.”
Ludwig had already wiped away his smile, his eyes turning sharp. Together with Kane, he ran toward the battlefield.
Though one arm was injured, he did not retreat. He cut down and subdued the enemies.
As the numerical disadvantage was filled, the tide quickly turned in Ludwig’s favor. Moreover, with their leader gone, the opposing knights were thrown into confusion.
“Damn it! Hey, mages! Hurry and use teleportation magic—!”
“You think we’ll let you?”
The mages hurriedly tried to cast teleportation magic to escape, but each time Ludwig’s side interfered. In the end, they were left unable either to die or to flee.
Thus, Ludwig was able to subdue the enemies with ease.
After binding the enemies tightly to prevent escape, Ludwig swept his gaze over them and called out to Kane.
“Sir Kane.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Could you secretly bring my brother here?”
Kane stared at Ludwig. Ludwig did not avoid his gaze.
Soon, Kane nodded and stepped outside.
❧ ❧ ❧
“My goodness. What on earth is this……!”
At the shocked murmur that reached his ears, Ludwig turned his head. Richard was looking around as he approached him.
And Aileen was with him.
“Brother. And my lady as well.”
Ludwig’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at them, and Aileen turned her gaze toward him. The worry filling her eyes wavered the moment she saw his injured arm.
“Your Highness! My goodness. What is this!”
“It’s nothing—.”
“How could it be nothing!”
Aileen shouted angrily. Ludwig somehow became tongue-tied and shut his mouth.
Strangely enough, even though she was scolding him, he felt oddly pleased.
So he smiled.
“You can smile right now?”
“Ah, I apologize.”
“Ahem!”
At that moment, Richard stepped between the two. He narrowed his eyes sharply, but the moment he saw Ludwig’s injured arm, his expression softened.
“……Is your arm alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
That was the end of the discussion about the injury. Ludwig saw Aileen shake her head, but there was something more urgent.
“Brother, actually…….”
“I heard from Kane.”
Richard walked past him toward a warehouse filled with magic tools. Stopping in front of it, he spoke.
“The First Prince planted bombs all over the village.”
“That’s correct.”
A brief silence settled between them. They all had a vague sense of it.
With two days left until the memorial service—effectively only one day left now that it was dawn—it was impossible to remove all those bombs. Moreover, if they showed such movement, there was no telling what Abelio might do.
Furrowing his brows, Richard spoke.
“This is troublesome. We’ll need many mages to find the hidden explosive magic tools. They’ll have to sense the mana within them. But in our current situation, it’s impossible.”
Ludwig also fell into serious thought.
What should we do? How on earth can we…….
He was biting his lip in frustration when—
“It’s not impossible.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Aileen, who had spoken. She wore a serious expression, as if she had something in mind.
Representing them all, Richard asked,
“Aileen? Is there a way?”
“The Magic Tower.”
“Pardon?”
Recalling the mages of the Magic Tower she had met before, Aileen spoke.
“We just need to call the mages of the Magic Tower.”
