Franz noticed that his opponent's gaze had changed. There was no need for further words. Franz stepped back, parrying the sword that had been swung horizontally, and quickly judged that his movements had become slightly unsteady. At first, his movements had been simple, but in an instant, his movements had become larger and more hurried.
'Is it because his identity was discovered? Or...'
The moment he swung his sword down to the right, the tip of the sword grazed a gap in his armor. The armor he wore for hunting was not very effective in defense. Frowning at the stinging pain, Franz adjusted his grip on the sword and jumped up the slanted path. The man swung his sword at Franz’s abdomen but missed.
“What is the price you are willing to pay for killing me? Are you saying you will restore the glory of a country that has already disappeared without a trace?”
“Shut up!”
The two swords clashed once with a heavy sound that cut through the air. Franz was finally certain that the man was the one Rogero had spoken of.
The first and last war between the Kingdom of Modrum and the Empire was not as justified as rumored. Any war would be nothing more than a cheap excuse if you delve into the background, but the fact that Delaka, who was already renowned as a powerful nation beyond comparison, took down Modrum overnight without any provocation was a fatal act that will be remembered for a long time.
The Emperor of the empire dispatched a large army, accusing the King of Modrum of secretly joining hands with other Western kingdoms and betraying Delaka. Modrum, who had been relying solely on the protection of the empire, had no time to put up a fight and was helplessly defeated. It was understandable that a man would react so sensitively.
“Ugh...!”
A groan of discomfort burst from the man's mouth as he tried to push forward with only his strength without any consideration of his position. At the same time, Franz grabbed the man's collar and pushed his sword to the left. However, the man's feet seemed firmly stuck to the ground and did not move.
“Tell me, what is the name of the one behind you?”
Franz asked, but there was no answer. The man shook his hand away and stepped back, and heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. It was clear that soldiers were coming.
“Fuck...”
The man who had let out a single curse raised his sword and stabbed Franz in the arm before the aftertaste of his words had even faded.
Franz twisted his body to avoid it, and for a moment, he saw Judith’s figure at the end of his vision. He felt his thoughts, which had been narrowed by the sharp tension, suddenly clear up. He must not let the man go towards Judith. Franz stood on the slope again, slanting, to divert his gaze.
The man's sword dug into Franz's abdomen. Franz, who had slipped down the slope for a moment, raised his sword as if to cut off his neck in one breath, then raised his foot and kicked him.
There was a crack! Franz, who was standing on the man’s neck, raised his sword upside down toward his forehead to prevent him from moving. The man’s face, whose breathing was suffocated, quickly turned a dark purple. That was the moment.
"Your Highness!"
Franz turned his head momentarily in the direction of Judith's voice and realized that his entire world had tilted and swayed. At the same time, he felt a sharp pain near his ankle.
Judith, who had been blowing the whistle so that the soldiers could track her position, saw the man raise his arm with difficulty. In his hand was a small, unnoticeable knife. As soon as she saw it, Judith could not think of anything else. Just before the blade could pierce Franz's ankle, Judith hugged Franz and pushed him away from the man.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
Neos's voice was heard. Combler's soldiers were running with him. Judith, who was about to blow the whistle to indicate their position, felt a chill run down her spine. A black shadow, not a cloud or a tree trunk, was cast over her and Franz's bodies.
Judith turned her head and her face turned pale. The man stood up unsteadily, holding a sword in both hands. The pale sunlight shattered sharply as it touched the sharp tip of the sword.
“If you interfere, I won’t let you off easy!”
Judith's lips opened wide as she took a deep breath. It was the moment when the sword raised above her head was about to strike down both of their bodies at once.
There was a thud. Judith was in a state of panic and could not rationally judge the situation in front of her. The man’s body trembled with wide eyes, and soon the strength left his hand that was holding the sword. An arrow was accurately embedded in the forehead of the man who fell down like a doll with all its seams cut off.
As he fell, soldiers arrived. Judith turned her head and saw King Jedercayer lowering his bow with a stern expression.
“Your Highness the Crown Princess, are you alright?”
“Get up, I will help you.”
Judith, who had been leaning on Neos's arm to raise her body, realized that her entire body was shaking terribly. The more she tried to forcefully hold onto her sweaty hands, the more the convulsions became worse.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
The soldier of Combler, who was trying to support Franz, cried out in shock. Judith looked back at Franz, feeling as if she would collapse while standing. The first thing she saw was his bluish lips and his face that was losing its color. He seemed to be unconscious, and his hair was stuck to his forehead, which was soaked with sweat.
Judith shook off Neos' hand and sank to the ground at Franz's feet. With trembling hands, Judith lifted up her torn trousers and cried out.
“It’s poison!”
There was a murmur of horror. The skin from the ankle to the knee, where the wound was torn horizontally, was already dark. Judith quickly tore the hem of her dress apart. She then tied it tightly above Franz’s knees.
“There will be a small knife lying around, you have to find it.”
The man must have tried to stab Franz in the ankle.
I should have noticed it right away. I should have looked at him as soon as I pushed him away...!
“Your Highness the Crown Princess, I found it!”
The moment Neos picked up the small sword that had fallen near the fallen man, King Jedercayer and Duke Vergy rushed through the soldiers. Even the King let out a groan of pain at the horrific sight before his eyes.
“Take the Prince to the palace without delay. Call the palace physician and rescue him by any means necessary.”
The soldiers immediately followed the King's orders. The King stared at the corpse of the man who had fallen after being hit by an arrow with bloodshot eyes.
“Investigate the identity of the dead. Find out where they live and who they are, and bring them all to justice...”
“He is not one of Rotair’s men, Your Majesty.”
Everyone's attention turned to the unexpected voice. King Jedecayer pointed at the man's corpse with trembling hands.
“Does the Prince know who this person is?”
Rogero's eyes, looking down at the man's face, were calm but sank as if shadowed. Rogero let out a deep sigh and quietly opened his mouth.
“He is a mercenary named Tudban, who was an officer of Modrum. Therefore, you will not be able to find his identity in Rotair.”
“How does Your Highness know about this interest?”
Rogero's lips twisted at Duke Vergy's question. Regardless of who was behind it, he couldn't help but feel some sense of responsibility for today's events. However, it was difficult to explain all of the circumstances one by one here and now.
“First of all, Your Majesty, Franz’s safety comes first. Take the dead man’s body to the palace. If we draw a portrait and inquire about it, we may be able to find someone who knows where he has been recently.”
The King, who had been maintaining a heavy silence, nodded. The soldiers carrying the cold man began to descend the mountain. The remaining men guarded the King.
“Your Highness, please mount my horse. I will take you there.”
The Duke of Vergy said. Judith squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fist against her throbbing chest.
This was not the time to be so flustered. Judith looked up into the air, trying to calm her breathing, which was not calming down. Poison. That was it. It was definitely poison. If not, how could it have ended up like this with just a cut on the ankle?
“Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
“...Your Majesty, I need to find someone.”
“Yes? What kind of person are you?”
Judith's eyes moved anxiously. She was desperately searching through her memories. She had to piece together even the smallest pieces.
“Plaza Michel... the second alley of Toschi Street. It should be there.”
“What are you saying, Your Highness? Who on earth is there?”
“There’s a person named Samona. I have to find Samona.”
***
When the southwest wind blew toward the Plaza Michel, people could immediately tell the direction of the wind without having to look at the weather vane.
The wind blowing through Toschi Street was always mixed with the bitter and musty smell of medicine. This was because the large apothecary shops that received orders from not only the royal palace but also the many noble residences in the capital were gathered there.
The pharmacists of Toschi Street were of all genders, ages, and even appearances. Some pharmacists dealt with unique medicines obtained from across borders, while others studied antidotes and ended up becoming experts in hundreds of poisons. From superstitious eccentrics to suspicious researchers, Toschi Street was a place where not only medicines that could cure illnesses but also all kinds of rare things were gathered.
If you were to name the most famous place on Toschi Street, everyone would mention the Legadance Apothecary. Even before the Plaza Michel took on its current appearance, and even before the alley where the apothecary shops were gathered was named Rua Toschi, the Legadance Apothecary was there.
“Big sister, we have a guest!”
The boy's voice crackled as he came in through the shabby attic door. A young woman, who had been leaning toward a small window with sunlight streaming in, looked at something intently, and then slowly raised her head. There was a unique monocle over one of her eyes.
“Now you can find almost any medicine you want.”
“If he was someone who came to buy medicine, I would have done the same! But he said she came to find my older sister.”
“Looking for me?”
A woman with narrow eyebrows frowned and stood up, taking off her monocle. She was short, but her frame looked sturdy. The boy said.
“He said he came looking for a woman named Samona. But he doesn’t seem like an ordinary guest. He’s wearing a breastplate with the royal emblem on it.”
“That’s strange. We wouldn’t find him in a place like that.”
Samona lightly pushed the boy's shoulder and glanced down the railing.
Bang, bang.
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs was very brisk.
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