Chapter 84
The strange sense of unease and caution Titania had felt when she smiled and proposed a deal to her fiancé after a long time had long since vanished. No—thinking back, she realized she had been plagued by a rather peculiar feeling even at that time.
Titania, who had always trailed behind him with eyes desperate as if seeing the only landmark a lost child could, now looking at him with something like composed eyes… it was overwhelmingly unfamiliar.
She knew that the sword she wielded had been passed to her by Empress Cleo. After all, when it came to rare weapons, the Castline Duke family’s intelligence was a step above even Empress Cleo’s.
Whether it was called Veris-Pachio or something else, it was certainly a somewhat rare weapon… but it was not considered a weapon imbued with divine power. She only knew that it “chose its master.”
Before the sword had reached the imperial palace—or more precisely, before it ended up in Empress Cleo’s hands—the previous owner identified by the Castline family was a mercenary. Refusing to be tied to any one place, he accepted huge fees to carry out any request, hunting indiscriminately, whether beasts or men.
The Castline family had always actively offered scouting opportunities to useful individuals, but they never made such an offer to that mercenary. Why? Because his nature was excessively cruel. He had brutally killed and mocked a child merely for attempting to pickpocket him.
It wasn’t unusual for those roaming back alleys to be rough, but that mercenary treated his companions and even the youngest servant running errands similarly. One might suspect he could have become a serial killer if left unchecked.
Eventually, he died a gruesome death, and at that time, Empress Cleo, wanting practical protection for her precious son, had been spending money in the underworld to gather information and hire personnel. Conveniently, the masterless sword made its way to the Empress. She paid a satisfactory sum to whoever brought it to her.
An ordinary person might not think to give their son a sword stained with the blood of its previous owner. But Empress Cleo didn’t give much thought to the previous owners’ deaths. They were merely mercenaries or knights—lowly bloods who died foolishly—so she judged that it would have little relevance to her precious son, who would be accompanied by his own guard.
That wasn’t entirely wrong. The Emperor’s eldest son, Brian, would hardly be wandering battlefields like the sword’s previous owner. Even if he chased a rabbit or deer, beaters and attendants would follow alongside to assist.
So, Empress Cleo had probably intended to frame it as, “Finally, the sword that never met its master has found its true master in Brian and will now shine.” But that perception changed the moment she met Titania.
Titania had changed.
Even she did not deny it.
From knowing information about Gloriana’s Emblem to swinging the sword to drive away beasts—examined one by one, nothing about her actions seemed ordinary. Even risking her life to protect Vivi, whom she had never even met properly, was astonishing.
The changed Titania spoke first about their future broken engagement. She was a princess raised from birth to be the Castline family’s fiancée. There was no chance her treatment after a broken engagement would be fair.
So when she mentioned the engagement breaking off, it was truly… for the Castline family. For Raymond. So, so…
“…Titania.”
Raymond shivered as his fingertips brushed near Titania’s nose. When he could not sense her breath, he froze. Titania was covered in blood. Blood streamed endlessly from the wound pierced by a beast. Remarkably, she looked exactly as she had before.
He had seen dying soldiers many times, and there had been countless moments when he had to strike directly. Weren’t they trained to stay rational and maintain composure in such situations?
The next heir of the prestigious Castline family—the person meant to follow the Duke and hold together this massive frontline—should naturally be that way, shouldn’t they? Wasn’t that their inherent nature?
“Ti…”
But Raymond stammered. Titania’s shoulder, cradled in his arms, went limp. Her head fell forward as if she were a corpse who had expended her last strength.
In that instant, his chest tightened. Panic surged. Even though he knew it was an urgent moment, he couldn’t focus enough to check her condition.
What if… she had really died?
What if he truly lost her now?
“Damn it, sir!”
At that very moment, a voice snapped Raymond out of it. The blue blade flying toward him was barely blocked by Liciancious using Flamberge’s Wrath, sparks scattering everywhere.
The flames that scattered through the air were a bright white. Liciancious had been struggling to create white flames, but in this extreme moment, she had shown remarkable growth. Yet, given the circumstances, there was no time to celebrate.
“Take Titania and go!”
Liciancious shouted at the top of her lungs. The screams of the beasts that had charged her and burned were still ringing in the air. Flux and Devi, having barely recovered themselves, joined Liciancious’s side.
Flux’s swordplay was clumsy, barely better than nothing, but even so, when the three worked together, the girl frowned as if it were cumbersome. Raymond gritted his teeth.
He had followed Titania, just in case, but the reinforcements he brought were too few—at most, Subordinate Cassian. After seeing the situation, he had sent for additional troops waiting near the villa.
Raymond gritted his teeth.
Rationally, it would make sense for him to stay while Liciancious, Devi, and Flux took Titania and left.
But Titania looked so critical, and many beasts remained in the area. If the beasts tried to impede Titania’s movement, he might fail to protect her. The fastest and safest way to move Titania was for Raymond himself to carry her.
He decided quickly.
“…Just hold on a little longer, Liciancious.”
“Hah! Hold on? I’m already clearing them out, so hurry and go!”
With a bold shout, Liciancious unleashed her flames again. The ice-cold-faced girl watched the scene with a peculiar gaze.
“I… won’t let you go… Master, orders…”
“Yes! I don’t care what kind of master you are! You underestimated me!”
Liciancious growled like an angry hunting dog, the sleeves at her wrists scorched by the flames.
Basically, Liciancious’s ‘power’ did not harm her directly. Otherwise, every time she used a large flame, she would burn herself.
Perhaps because the sword was called Flamberge’s Wrath, the flames tended to resonate with her anger, manifesting their true power.
When emotions surged, she could unleash flames far beyond her usual control.
But great power always comes with a price. If Liciancious used flames beyond her control…
Fwoosh!
She gritted her teeth, enduring the familiar burn, her skin tingling painfully.
…She too was affected by the flames, but she maintained a composed expression, declaring confidence despite having committed herself to a desperate all-or-nothing effort.
“Hah! Rumors or no, I won’t worry anymore. Titania is safe, so this cumbersome building and these petty beasts can all be burned together…!”
“Master!”
Devi panicked, grabbing Liciancious’s waist to pull her back.
Skreeee!
“Ahhh!”
Liciancious slammed backward and screamed.
A beast that had lunged for Liciancious’s neck, failing, perched on the girl’s shoulder, clacking its beak in disappointment.
It was a crow-like beast. Its eyes were blood-red, its beak flashed like steel.
Muttering something in a rusty metallic voice near the girl’s ear, she slightly pulled back her spear with a fierce intensity, as if ready to charge Liciancious, Devi, and Flux at any moment.
“Lucky for you, all of you.”
“…What?”
Her mineral, maroon-colored eyes, like tinted glass beads, stared at them.
“Earlier, that man—no, not him. You couldn’t have beaten me.”
“How dare you…!”
“Hold it, sir!”
“Damn it, alright! Hey, just hold on a moment!”
Devi and Flux grabbed one of Liciancious’s arms each, restraining her as she flared with anger.
