Chapter 101
Early in the morning, before Revos arrived at the temple.
The sound of horseshoes resounded in the streets of the empty capital city. A knight was driving frantically to announce that the western border of the empire had fallen. He stood tall at the fork in the road.
There was a brief conflict as to whether to go to the Imperial Palace or the Temple.
“What happened?”
The knight turned his head in the direction where the voice was heard.
Two men were seen disembarking from the carriage bearing the emblem of Duchy Esteban. The knight who saw the Esteban Knights’ uniform that one of them was wearing exhaled a breath of relief. He had met Ryan and Lloyd on their way to the temple.
“There is an attack from the Isbel Empire. Can you tell Duke Esteban? I will go to the Imperial Palace.”
The war between the Giovan Empire and the Isbel Empire happened once ten years ago. The war ended in an overwhelming victory for the Giovan Empire, thanks to the work of Duke Esteban and Marquis Silva.
The knight thought the war had begun again.
Ryan frowned.
“Isbel Empire?”
He was convinced that it wasn’t just an attack trying to start a war.
Since he was doing most of the monsters’ subjugation in the Giovan Empire, he had even captured people who used black magic. It was not even worth a gamble to strike the empire at a time when the trust of other countries was substantial.
“The western border has fallen. Soon, it’ll come to the capital… kugh.”
The knight’s body over the horse tilted as a hand slammed his neck down. Supporting the knight’s body, who was about to fall, Ryan sat him in a suitable place and sat on the horse.
Glancing at the knight’s wounds, it didn’t seem dangerous.
They had to be prepared, although the Prince and nobles had to gather at the temple as planned. It would be troubling to tell the Imperial Palace now because things would go wrong from the beginning.
“Sir, isn’t that too extreme?”
Lloyd, who was standing behind Ryan, grabbed his forehead and shook his head.
“I did well, though.”
Lloyd agreed with Ryan’s judgment and urged him to hurry.
“It seems that the Second Prince has even joined hands with the Isbel Empire. Since we don’t have enough capacity to start a war yet, there probably won’t be too many of them.”
“Did you not know?”
Lloyd opened his mouth blankly.
Ryan’s gaze was mixed with criticism as to why the aide didn’t know that an attack would happen from another country.
“No, how can I know all that?”
Lloyd, who started complaining with a resentful voice, hugged Ryan’s waist tightly at the sudden increase in speed.
“You’re choking me.”
“Sir, I’m sorry. So, speed up.”
“Ah, just hold on tight. I’ll go faster.”
At that, Lloyd’s face turned white.
Elysia woke up to the sound of the door closing.
Her back felt empty, and when she stammered and moved her arm, Cassian was not there. As she wondered if that was he going out, she realized he was in her room and opened her mouth.
“Cassian…”
Her voice was hoarse as she woke up.
“I must have woken you up.”
“Ung.”
Elysia frowned and turned her gaze to the window. She could see the sunlight shining brightly.
Cassian sat down on the bed and ruffled her hair. He had already changed all his clothes. They didn’t fall asleep until early in the morning, so maybe she slept for only an hour? So, when did Cassian sleep…?
She tilted her head and raised her body. Then, she realized again that this was the temple.
“Ah…”
Cassian grabbed her and headed to the ensuite bathroom.
“They said that the Second Prince borrowed the hand of the Isbel Empire.”
Elysia, who had entrusted her body to him in a slightly dazed state, came to her senses with those words.
“Isbel Empire…?”
Cassian gently pulled off her slip and led her into the bathtub. Words continued that the western border had fallen, and soon, the Isbel Empire’s army would attack the Capital.
“Monsters?”
“Perhaps, they would be enough to destroy the western border.”
That was fortunate.
Most of the monsters that Peloit had prepared were the monsters that she swept away in the South. There should be a sense of tension or crisis, but Cassian seemed to be taking it easy because he spoke so casually.
Elysia smiled as she watched him lifting her feet into the bathtub, not caring that the hem of his clothes got wet.
“At this rate, you will do everything for me.”
Cassian smiled languidly as if he understood it right away.
“That’s fine, too.”
Elysia hurriedly finished her bath and came out of the bathroom.
Cassian frowned as he helped her put on the dress before opening his mouth, “But, why a dress? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable?”
“I prepared something comfortable.”
Elysia shrugged her shoulders and put her clothes on. Seeing that, he looked up and led her to the mirror.
“No. To show this to anyone.”
“What?”
She suddenly looked in the mirror, wondering what he meant. Her chest and back were exposed and it was full of his traces.
At that, Elysia smiled before taking out the robe she had brought. Cassian nodded his head as if this could be enough.
“I think I should go. You should be in the temple with Sir Ryan.”
Elysia kissed his hair and grabbed his arm as he was about to step out.
They promised to never to separate.
“How much did you not want to separate with me?”
“It’s not that many…”
He grabbed her shoulders and bowed his body. Elysia shook her head when he added that he would come soon.
“If there is a monster attack in the South, old man has promised to contact me, but it hasn’t come yet. So, maybe it’s trying to distract you.”
As in the original story, it may have been that the Isbel Empire was used as bait to divert Cassian’s attention.
Unless he had to go, he should be right here with her. Of course, in the eyes of Revos and the nobles, it would be quite strange that Cassian did not come forward. He must know that, so why was he still going…?
“Don’t go. If you’re going, let me come with you.”
When he didn’t answer, she pulled his collar again and put her hands on it. Cassian was still hesitating as though something was going on.
“If ‘those’ are amongst it, I think I’ll have to go.”
He was referring to the vampires created by Peloit. He meant that he was going to go out on his own so as not to bring them to the place where the nobles were gathered.
“It’s okay. We can deal with it here.”
Cassian nodded his head.
Elysia exhaled a breath slightly, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Never separate from my side.”
“I will. I hope you do, too.”
Saying so, he squeezed her hand around his waist and pulled her tighter into his arms. Cassian stayed like that for a while before distancing himself.
“Wait a moment.”
He left the room and gave instructions to the knight who was waiting outside.
Elysia looked in the mirror and checked her robe to make sure all traces were covered before she followed him out of the room. When she came out of the hallway, she saw Ryan, Lloyd, and Bug. Der, who was in Rian’s arms, gazed at her and jumped into his arms.
“Bug, you do it.”
“Leave it to me.”
It looked like he was sending Bug instead. Elysia lightly hugged Der and saw Bug twisting his body with a wretched face.
Ryan called Bug.
“Sir Bug.”
“Yes, yes…?!”
Perhaps, because he was Rina’s younger brother, Bug stared at Ryan and was visibly embarrassed. Ryan opened his lips with an expression that showed whether he really had to say these words.
“Don’t get hurt.”
Elysia held back her laughter that was about to burst out. Although it was not a laughable situation, Ryan’s expression was so cute. Meanwhile, Bug grunted with excitement and then answered with a shrill voice that he would do so and went on.
Ryan quietly looked at his back and approached Elysia.
“Miss Elysia. I will check the situation and come back.”
“…You have to be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
Ryan hastily followed after Bug. Soon, Cassian asked Lloyd after looking at their backs.
“Lloyd. Have they all gathered?”
“All but two families have gathered.”
Those two families were a Viscount the eastern end and Marquisate Aiden. Seeing that Lady Aiden’s name was still in her ears until days like this, she wondered if she should even give her a compliment.
“And, His Majesty has arrived.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow at those words.
“He should just stay in the Imperial Palace. He seems a bit uneasy.”
All the core troops went to the temple.
“Lloyd, tell them the situation now.”
“All right.”
Elysia tilted her head, not understanding what he was saying. Seeing her puzzled expression, Cassian smiled bloodily.
“No one knows yet.”
“That the Isbel Empire’s army attacked?”
“Yes.”
…He hadn’t announced it yet?
Elysia was glad she was not her husband’s enemy. In the end, the coronation ceremony was likely to end before it even started. Now, the nobles had to hold their breath in one space and wait for the situation to be settled.
After less than ten minutes, by horseback from the temple, Bug and Ryan joined two units—a part of the Esteban family’s knights and the Imperial Knights. When they arrived at the place where the Isbel Empire’s army was, everyone stopped talking quickly.
A quiet silence lingered.
A large red magic circle appeared under the Isbel Empire army, and they started screaming one by one.
“What the hell is that…”
Bug opened his mouth blankly in shock.
The knights, twisted their bodies as if someone was grabbing their limbs and breaking them, fell to the floor.
Ryan recalled the ‘fakes’ he had heard from Elysia. The first person who fell down was seen closing his eyes as if dead and then slowly opening his eyes back again. Then, they looked straight in this direction.
“Sir Bug. Return to the temple immediately, let them know that the Isbel Empire’s army has all turned into it.”
Ryan drew his sword.
He remembered Elysia’s words that their head should be cut off and burned. However, it would be the best way to lure them to the temple rather than for the knights to deal with them here. If it spread throughout the capital, the damage would surely increase.
Ryan approached the leader of the Imperial Knights.
“We must return to the temple. We cannot deal with them.”
To be exact, them. If they were not a Master, they would definitely not be able to withstand their power.
Hearing his words, the knight commander looked at Ryan up and down and snorted.
“I will deal with everything without going inside the magic circle…”
Seeing that the knight’s commander was about to give orders to the knights, Ryan drew his sword and aimed it at the head of the knight’s commander.
“This is Duke Esteban’s order.”
“…What, what are you talking about after seeing those a little while ago? Besides, Sir doesn’t belong to the Imperial Knights—!”
Ryan stared at him with cold eyes.
“If you don’t believe me, send a knight to check it out. If I’m right, it’s a wartime situation, so you’re going to be charged for disobeying orders.”
While the two of them had a nerve battle, the vampire who came to their senses quickly approached and rushed to the frontmost knight.
“…Deputy, Deputy Commander!”
With the sound of breaking bones, the knight pulled down from the horse screamed. The horse roared in surprise and ran in the opposite direction. Ryan hurriedly swung his sword, although the knight who got bitten in the neck trembled and drooped.
“If you want to kill everyone, do whatever you want.”
Ryan turned his horse’s head toward the temple.
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