Mikhail quickly hid Karina behind him.
"Ha, as expected. It looks like a rat is hiding in the tunnel. There was an intruder."
Mikhail glared at Revals, who had called himself and Karina rats.
"You'd better watch what you say."
Despite Mikhail's warning, Revals scoffed.
"What's there to be careful of? I don't intend to just let those who sneak onto my property go."
Revals added, looking at Karina, who was behind Mikhail.
"It goes the same for you, Grand Duchess."
Revals didn't seem to have any intention of being polite. Revals sent one of his mercenaries to check inside the mountain hut where the children were.
"There is no one inside."
As the mercenary spoke, Revals clicked his tongue.
"Where did they take all the children?"
Karina was dumbfounded when she heard that.
"If someone who doesn't know heard this, they'd think we kidnapped the children."
Karina taunted. Revals shamelessly responded.
"That's true. Isn't it true that you stole my workers?"
Karina's expression crumpled as if she was disgusted.
"Those children are workers? What you did was nothing but exploitation of labor and child abuse."
"Those kids came here of their own free will. What can I do when they came here of their own accord, asking to be given a job?"
Revels shrugged and said.
"You must have tricked and lured the children by saying you would give them food. Wasn't the volunteer work of handing out food on the streets originally intended to kidnap children?"
Revals chuckled.
"Is there any evidence?"
"The fact that there were children here is proof in itself, and I am a witness who saw it. Can you shut my mouth as the Archduchess?"
Karina said confidently.
"Ahahahahahaha."
Revals laughed heartily.
"That's when you can get out of here."
"What are you talking about?"
Karina asked back.
"Do you think I wasn't prepared for intruders?"
Revals smiled slyly.
"You two can never leave. And now that you see that there are children here, it's even worse."
Revals continued, pointing at Mikhail.
"You must be feeling safe because he's a wizard, but there's already a magic barrier set up around here. The magic barrier must have been activated when it noticed an intruder coming in. You guys are like rats in a trap right now."
"...!"
Karina was surprised by Revals' words. Now that she thinks about it, it was a mine that mined magic stones. She had no idea that there might have been magical preparations.
Karina looked at Mikhail with a dark expression. However, Mikhail's expression remained unchanged and he whispered with his eyes wide open.
"There's no problem at all?"
"..."
Karina looked at Mikhail with eyes that asked if it was true. Then Mikhail nodded with an expression that said it was true. In fact, what Revals said was true. There was a magic barrier near the mine and it was currently active, but it was not a problem for Mikhail at all. It was like putting a thin tree branch in front of a passing carriage as an obstacle.
Revals opened his mouth after seeing Mikhail nod.
"Can't you grasp the current situation? You're so proud of being a wizard."
Revals smiled wickedly.
"If you lie down flat and beg, maybe I'll let you in once."
Revals took something out of his bosom. He threw it at Mikhail.
Knock.
Mikhail caught the object Revals threw and checked it. It was a small vial containing white powder. Karina also checked it.
'What is this?'
Karina looked at the powder in the bottle with a puzzled expression.
"You both eat it. Then I'll let you return it without any problems this time."
"...!"
The moment she heard Reval's words, Karina realized what it was. Karina glared at Reval with a hardened face. Then she whispered secretly to Mikhail.
"I'll buy you some time, so do as planned."
Mikhail's eyes widened slightly and then returned to normal.
"Yes."
After hearing Mikhail's answer, Karina took a step forward and asked Revals.
"What is this?"
Karina asked anyway, even though she knew.
"I'll answer when you eat."
Karina, her eyes narrowed, asked him again as if questioning him.
"So you were the one who killed Lord Genon and the Grand Duke's maid?"
Revals laughed as if she was saying something funny.
"I have no idea what you're talking about all of a sudden."
"You fed this poison to the maid and killed her."
Karina shook the vial containing the white powder that Revals had just thrown at her.
Revals snorted and asked back.
"Who said that was poison? Should I feed it to that guy lying over there right now? Will he really die?"
Revals winked at the sentries lying unconscious around him.
"It's better to put the joke away. I know exactly what kind of poison this is."
"..."
As Karina spoke without wavering, Revals frowned as if he was displeased.
"Why did you blame Caroline for the death of someone you killed yourself?"
Karina continued to be suspicious of Revals, but this part still didn't make sense to her.
"Eat that too and I'll answer."
Revqls smiled wickedly and gestured for them to eat quickly.
"I know exactly what this is, but do you think I would eat it?"
Karina protested.
"What are you going to do if I don't eat it?"
Revals were squealing.
"That guard is useless now that he can't use magic, and even if you don't eat it himself, you will eventually be eaten."
It was a statement that he would catch it and force it to eat. Karina's eyes hardened coldly. At that moment.
Rumble.
"...!"
A loud thunderous sound came from deep within the mine. At the same time, a sense of emptiness appeared as if something that had filled the space had disappeared.
'Ah.'
Karina had a gut feeling that Mikhail had moved all the magic stones inside the mine.
'That's so fast."
And then Karina started wondering. 'But how do I feel about this?'
While Karina was pondering questions she had no answer to, Mikhail stepped forward.
"It's over."
It was a tone that seemed refreshing.
"What...?"
Revals raised one eyebrow and made a face of confusion.
"You can't use magic, right?"
Despite Revals' question, Mikhail didn't even look at him.
"Let's go now."
Mikhail took Karina's hand and pulled her along as if his business was over.
"Where are you going!"
Revals signaled to the mercenaries. Then the mercenaries took out their weapons and bows and aimed them at Mikhail and Karina. However, when Mikhail glared at the mercenaries with his dimly glowing eyes, their weapons shattered into pieces and fell to dust.
"...!"
"...What, what is it?"
The mercenaries were confused and didn't know what to do.
"That's ridiculous."
Revals frowned at the fact that Mikhail could use magic without any problems. As if adding fuel to the fire, Mikhail spoke to Revals.
"There are no more magic stones in this mine."
"What?"
"I just got rid of them all."
"Ha! You're boasting without any merit."
Revals tried to dismiss it as nonsense.
"Can't you hear the sound?"
But as if to prove that Revals's thoughts were wrong, the rumbling sound continued even now.
Kwakwang!
As the magic stones that had filled the area below disappeared, a part of the mine that had lost its foundation began to sink.
"...!!"
"It's funny that you're the one who believes in such a crude magic circle and acts so arrogantly."
Mikhail laughed. Revals was surprised and astonished. It was a magic barrier that he had personally installed by paying a large sum of money to bring in magicians who were said to be quite capable in the capital.
'He can break through it so easily? Even destroy all the magic stones in the mine...? Is that possible?'
Revals felt as if he was seeing things. But the mine collapsed right before his eyes. He couldn't help but believe it.
"Damn it! My magic stone! I can't put it back the way it was!"
Revals began to swear. Someone was supposed to come to check the mine today.
If he found out about this situation, everything he had worked on up until now would go down the drain. If he got out of favor with him, his advance into the capital, his family's revival, and his own wealth would all be ruined. Revals' eyes were bloodshot.
"If you're angry, why don't you come and invade the Grand Duke's residence? But you have to come prepared."
Karina spoke confidently as if provoking. Then Revals spat like a bug that had been stepped on.
"You! Do you think you can receive the protection of the Archduke's family? You're just a shameless Archduchess who can't get even a shred of the Archduke's attention!"
Revals was talking nonsense. She guessed he was saying that to poke at Karina's weak point, but those words didn't have even the slightest effect on Karina right now.
"You don't need to listen to that nonsense."
Mikhail stood in Karina's way, blocking Reval's view.
"It's going to collapse here soon, so let's go quickly."
Karina nodded. If they leave it like this, Revals will have a hard time getting out of the collapsing mine. Mikhail held Karina and drew up his magic to use movement magic. She glanced up at Mikhail's face. His eyes were shining brightly. His blood-red eyes were shining brightly as if they were filled with the hottest sunlight of the afternoon.
'Your eyes are really pretty.'
Karina stared into his eyes. Mikhail noticed Karina's gaze and smiled down at her. A bright halo of light enveloped the surroundings as Karina and Mikhail left the place
"No!!"
Revals, who was blushing and grumbling, became even more upset when Karina and Mikhail disappeared.
"What the bloody bitch! Do you think I can't go if you ask me to come to the Grand Duke's house?!"
Revals, whose eyes were rolled back, shouted, unable to control his anger.
"Just wait and see! I'll go and kill you right now!"
Revals, who turned to chase after Karina, was startled when he saw those standing behind him.
"Ugh...!"
Jeremiah and his knights stood there with their faces frozen in cold steel.
"...Your Highness! How did you get here...?!"
Revals was so shocked that he couldn't speak properly. An icy voice flowed from Jeremiah's mouth.
"Are you saying you're going to the Grand Duke's house now and killing Karina?"
"...!"
"How dare you. To my wife?"
A gnashing sound of teeth and a terrifying murderous aura emanated from Jeremiah. Jeremiah had seen everything from the beginning. Everything from Karina escaping the children and the conversation with Revals to Revals just saying he would kill Karina. Jeremiah's eyes were gleaming with raw anger.
"You have spoken your mind about all your sins, so you will receive the punishment you deserve. You will have no grievances."
The chilling coldness emanating from Jeremiah seemed to seep into my bones. It felt as if the air around them was freezing.
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