Chapter 95

Kentrail followed the knights down to the prison. Even though he didn’t have any weapons, murderous energy seemed to flow around him somehow. Finally, his shoes arrived in front of the criminal.

“Count.”

Taylor was there with the criminal. And finally, the criminal lifted his head and looked at Kentrail.

“This is how I met you, Count.”

It was Eujes.

He called him as if he had met him in the palace or in the office. Kentrail grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up, pushing him against the wall.

“You dare to hurt Brielle!”

His anger echoed through the prison.

There was no significant change in Eujes’s expression, which had been pinned back as though it was like an ordinary meeting in the mansion. Taylor, who was watching from the side with a calm expression, was rather angry.

“What about the antie?”

Kentrail asked the most urgent thing.

“There is none.”

As soon as Eujes uttered those words, Kentrail threw him against the wall.

“There are times when the Count also gets agitated.”

“Why? What the hell is the reason to do that to Brielle? Did you intentionally approach us?”

“You know it well.”

Taylor, who was standing next to him, begged Kentrail to forgive his actions and then threw a fist in Eujes’ face.

Blood gushed out of Eujes’s cracked lips.

“Since when have you been aiming? Is it from taking up as Brielle’s tutor?”

“Why would I have failed the management exam until then… Like this, I am the one who deceives even the Chancellor.”

Thinking about it, he mentioned the title ‘Chancellor’ sarcastically as well.

“Then, why did you stay still until now and then come here to harm Brielle?”

“At that time, there was someone whom I wanted to please. However, now there is no need for that.”

A twisted smile appeared on his face and then disappeared.

“What…?”

“You know. What kind of feeling do I have when looking at someone.”

“No way…”

“Yes. Though now, I don’t have to. Besides, I have no choice but to take time.”

Kentrail, who was terrified to hear mentions of Marie coming out of Eujes’s mouth, clenched his fists. And he asked calmly.

“Who is it? Who is the one behind you?”

“If I had told you that, I wouldn’t have done anything like this.”

“Really? Then, let’s open your mouth. Gag his mouth. Don’t give him anything until I say something. Let’s see if his heart still doesn’t change even if he goes to the brink of starvation.”

Turning around, Kentrail left the prison.

‘There is no antie. That might be true. If Eujes were a mere spy, he would not have been given such an antie.’

It seemed that he had to ask for the royal doctor to be sent.

* * *

Derek was at the hunting grounds. It was because he had to go out on a hunt so he could get Gideon food.

The people at the hunting ground welcomed him.

“I hope I can catch something bigger today.”

“Would you like to catch a bear again this time?”

Looking at the reliable Derek, people kept talking one by one. As he listened with one ear and out through the other, he began to follow them into the woods.

“You know you can’t go too deep here, right?”

Derek stood next to him and looked at the man who was talking to him in a friendly way. He was one of the people he saw at the bar the other day.

“What is the reason?”

“You don’t know because you are a foreigner. In this place, the inside of that big tree is called the Dragon realm.”

It was a tall tree that could be seen from afar.

“Dragon realm? Is there a real dragon…?”

“Well… my grandfather said that people around him have seen it before, but after hearing that, I’m a little reluctant to go in.”

The man’s voice gradually became quieter as though he could feel that there was no credibility in his grandfather’s words.

“Still, there are quite a few people who have brought ivory.”

“Ivory?”

“Yes, I heard it’s supposed to be a dragon’s teeth. Those who have gone in there found it.”

However, Derek lived as a mercenary himself, and it was a story he had never heard of when he was in the North. He stopped, thinking that there would be no need to bother going in there.

“What’s the matter?”

The man asked why he was weird, though Derek was in no mood to answer him.

‘Ivory… It must be in Brielle’s Aunt’s jewelry box…’

Derek, realizing this, grabbed the man standing next to him and asked him quickly, “Are you referring to something that is a little elongated and white? It’s about the size of a finger.”

“You knew.”

Derek thought the man’s words were strange. Where did they get that? If they could only get it from a place with a risk of entering, the price would be considerable.

“What can I do with it?”

“Well… it’s a legend… Nonetheless, it is said that some of them contain divine powers left by dragons, so they will grant wishes. But who will believe it?

That moment, he remembered Gideon’s eyes he had seen the other day.

“At one point, the price also went up. There were people who bought it separately.”

“People were looking for it?”

“Yes, rumors circulating say that someone who looked like a nobleman was looking for it. But nowadays, no one’s looking for it, so no one enters the realm over there to find the dragon’s teeth.”

“What is the reason?”

“Everyone who had it was strangely ill and died quickly.”

“Ha…”

The faces of two ill people flashed past Derek’s mind.

‘…Is this possible? If they have dragon’s teeth, they will die sooner?’

“People in front are calling. Looks like prey has appeared. Hurry up.”

Derek’s head was complicated even as he moved at the man’s urging.

* * *

“Brother.”

Ellie called for Barry, who was next to her. She got kicked out because Marie said she was going to watch Brielle, and she told both of them to go quickly and get some sleep.

“What’s the matter, Ellie?”

“I heard from Sir Taylor earlier that Eujes has been arrested.”

“Uh… that’s right.”

It seemed that Ellie had heard that the teacher had been brought in. As Barry shook his head, she thoughtfully opened her mouth.

“Let’s go together.”

“What? Where…?”

He asked his sister bewilderedly.

“To meet Eujes.”

Ellie’s face was full of anger.

“I have something I need to work out.”

“You mean we’re going to the prison? We can’t just walk in and out of there.”

“Brother, you started helping the knights, they will let us in.”

“Ellie…”

Barry opened his mouth to convince her.

“Brother, I’m not just young anymore. I know that things can be worked out.”

In the end, Barry, unable to resist Ellie’s urging, had to lead the way to the prison. He had no choice but to protect his sister by his side so that she wouldn’t get hurt.

* * *

“I’m here on an errand from the Count.”

When the knights saw him, they opened the prison door.

As Barry took his time, Ellie entered the prison first. After that, she started moving with Barry, who had come inside. The smell of the basement, along with the smell of blood, made her nauseous though Ellie followed her brother in silence.

Barry saw his sister, and thought she was firmly determined.

Finally, the children reached the place where Eujes was. Through the grate, his face was visible. Eujes turned his head at the bustling sound and glanced at those who had come to him.

“Ellie…”

He opened his eyes and spoke.

“Hello, teacher.”

Barry glared at him and bit his teeth tightly.

“I’m here to ask you something. When you saved me, at that time, was teacher with them, too? So that’s why you were nearby?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Barry trembled at Eujes’ answer. He then glanced at his sister with concern.

“Brother, please open the door here.”

She was talking about the prison bars that contain Eujes.

“Ellie. That’s…”

No matter how tied up Eujes was, he was reluctant to send his sister into danger.

“Hurry.”

However, at his sister’s urging, he had no choice but to open the door. She then opened her mouth to Eujes again.

“Then, why did you save me then?”

“Well. Perhaps I got shaken because we played together once at a festival?”

Ellie, who had listened to his self-pitiful words, spoke.

“First of all, thank you.”

“…Yes?”

“Anyway, you saved me.”

Eujes was bewildered by the sudden greeting. But, without having time to think why Ellie had come all the way here and say that, a stinging fist flew to the opposite side of the face that Taylor had hit.

“Still, I can’t forgive you for trying to harm me. The Count asked me back then… what would I like to do with the criminals who tried to harm me? Everyone else was properly punished, but only the teacher was not, so I had to do it myself.”

Her clenched fist flew at him once again.

“You hoped nothing bad would happen to the young children again, but you approached the Young Master and poisoned him… Even though this won’t be enough, I’ll pay my share.”

At that time, Ellie, who shouted proudly, seemed bigger than anyone else in the prison.

* * *

After hunting, he went to Gideon’s house with doubts. Gideon and Finn welcomed Derek. Then, they grabbed him and told him to get dinner. Derek’s eyes narrowed as he sat at the table and looked at the two of them in the kitchen.

‘Everyone with dragon’s tooth got sick and died early.’

Turning his eyes, he glanced at where the jewel box was. Even if he tried to dismiss it as a superstition, he couldn’t think of the ivory, which was introduced as a dragon’s tooth, and Brielle’s aunt apart.

‘Why did they settle here? And not wanting to live out of the forest.’

His senses were telling him that it was all related to the dragon’s tooth. Watching them cook, Derek sensed a strange aura.

He got up and walked towards the window.

‘There are quite a few. Where was it from?’

They looked like they were about to attack, seeing as they erased their presence as much as possible. Derek placed his hand on his sword. At that, Gideon and Finn glanced at Derek as if they felt something strange.

As he put his hand to his lips and made a sign for them to be quiet, Finn leaned to the side, perhaps surprised by it, and Gideon barely supported her.

More and more people came here.