Leonor warned him shallowly as Theo's face darkened for a moment.
"It seems that Valdina is trying to cover up the engagement and highlight only the attempted assassination of the Emperor for the sake of the Princess's reputation, so don't go around saying anything like that. Got it, Theo?"
"...Yes, Sir."
Theo nodded to Leonor's advice and briefly regained his wavering resolve.
The young knight's face soon regained its original composure.
"But, you know, something seems strange. They say that the First Prince killed Jared...."
Leonor tilted his head.
There was a hint of doubt in his slightly twisted lips as if something was still bothering him.
A severed hand, stab wounds on the chest and shoulder, and even a mark on the neck. After a fierce struggle, it was clear that he had died with a broken neck. But...
"The autopsy doctor who examined the body said that the bastard's internal organs were burned. They were all blackened, like a piece of wood that would crumble if touched."
"Huh? The organs are all burned out? Did the First Prince use magic?"
"That's not certain either. Even the most sophisticated fire magic can burn the inside so blackly while leaving the outside Intact?"
In addition, the group of assassins who attacked Emperor Peleus were also suspicious.
Because the traces and auras that remained were of a type never seen before on the continent.
"It was a dark and evil aura. It was like the beginning of time."
But that doesn't make sense either.
Wasn't the primordial darkness already extinguished thousands of years ago under the light of the Goddess?
Could it be his instinct as one who has devoted himself to the goddess?
Leonor felt the need to find out more about how the demoted Imperial General Jared was connected to them.
"Isn't it possible... that this is a punishment from the goddess for that guy. Commander?"
At that moment, his subordinate knight spoke.
"Divine punishment?"
"That It's in the Old Testament myth. It's the story of a wicked man who was struck by a transparent lightning bolt as punishment from the goddess and his whole body was burned black."
"That's just a myth. It's a story from thousands of years ago that may or may not be true."
"Yeah, that's true. I just said it because I thought maybe."
Leonor nodded, scratching his head as he pointed out to his subordinate knight.
Their gaze slowly returned to the pillars towering over the square.
The questions that briefly occurred to him soon faded away in the noise of the crowd that filled the wide space.
***
The story of the corpses hanging in the square spread like wildfire.
The anger of the Valdinians was seething, and the voices of criticism directed at Katzen could be heard beyond the walls of the villa.
"No matter what, Isn't that too much? Without any intention of coordinating, they immediately start slandering us to the people and even show us a torn national flag. This is an extreme insult."
The Katzen delegation protested.
"Excessive? That's the kind of expression you would use when a Katzen General sneaks into our straits like a rat and dares to take Our Highness away to become his wife."
The sage said dryly.
It was a face without any emotion, but unlike before, it was so cold that there was no room for even a little bit of leeway.
"Now, Jared, that guy was recently removed from his position as a ten-star General. This was completely unexpected for us, and we have no idea how he ended up here..."
The delegation was also simply puzzled and shocked by the course and outcome of this incident.
Jared kidnapped her, and the First Prince killed him. How on earth is this going?
"That's a really nice excuse to hear. Isn't it?"
Then, suddenly, the quill of the pen in Cesar's hand broke.
The emissary flinched in surprise at the murderous noise and cringed at the back of his neck.
"I didn't know of any traces of the ten-star general. That makes it even more coincidental. It almost makes me wonder if the Emperor of Katzen deliberately demoted him to take advantage of this."
"Your Grace, be careful what you say!"
"I can't keep up with your clever tricks for now. When you assume the worst, you show me an even worse worst. Is this also the arrangement of your master?"
The delegation member's face turned red with insult.
Immediately after the incident, Prince Cesare and Archduke Jason were immediately repatriated to Katzen.
Both of them were members of the imperial family, and because the matter was so serious, the chief of the imperial chamberlain accompanied them.
What this meant was that among the remaining members of the delegation, there was no one who had the capacity to properly understand the current situation and negotiate with Valdina.
At the same time, there was no one who could quickly perceive the changes and trends of the old Baldina, which had once been a weak country and had been subjugated to Katzen.
"Jared, if you think about it, isn't even an Imperial. Our Majesty employs those with ability and talent regardless of status, so he was lucky enough to obtain the title of Katzen. So it would be unfair to say that this incident is all our fault."
Before they knew it, the voices of the delegation members were filled with anger. There was no such thing as a one-sided attitude.
"Besides, our First Prince, His Highness, personally dealt with that evil Jared. The things he did end up being unsuccessful, and Her Highness the Princess is safe as well."
There was an arrogance there that said, "So what can you do?"
"And yet our empire felt responsible and tried to provide appropriate compensation. And yet, in Valdina, they insulted His Majesty in front of our face."
The Katzen delegation crossed their arms.
As he spoke, growing confidence filled his chest.
Yes, no matter how much Valdina has developed, it is not yet at a level where it can completely shake off the burden of being a new empire.
"I don't plan on going to war. Don't forget that Valdina will also have to find common ground at the appropriate time."
"Agreement?"
The sitter laughed.
"Do you really think that's possible?"
"Then, are you really going to go all the way? You know better than anyone that the losses outweigh the gains if we do this."
Boom-!
At that moment, a loud noise blocked the group's mouths.
"What, what is it?"
The delegation looked around in confusion. They soon discovered D'Angel kicking open the door and coming in.
Behind him, armed Agemas were advancing boldly into the delegation's quarters.
In his hand, which exuded a sinister aura, was a grim hammer.
Bang-!
D'Angel, who had come quickly, placed a large piece of wood against the door of the inn and roughly knocked on it with a hammer.
BAM! BAM!
The delegation's quarters were sealed off in an instant with a series of loud noises.
"What, what is this...."
"You can't leave here anymore. You can't return to the Empire."
"Are you trying to take us hostage?! How dare you detain Katzen's high-ranking delegation!"
The faces of the delegation members turned pale.
"Oh, do you think this will be the end?"
Sissair pointed out the window.
There, armed Agemas filled the space in front of the villa.
"Our Majesty set out for the Central Trade Route this morning. They are the last group."
The Central Trade Route was a trade route for Katzen located in the central part of the continent and was a key location for the movement of goods between the east and west of the continent.
It was connected to several cities and agricultural centers within the continent and was also a route for the movement of various commercial goods in addition to essential resources such as grain and iron.
The fact that King Peleus of Valdina had taken Agema away meant that he wanted to block that stronghold and put a stop to Katzen's leash.
"That, that can't be. The Central Trade Route, how did you get there?"
"You are ignoring the mobility of the Agemas who have roamed the plains for ten years. Soon, all supplies heading to Katzen through the central trade route will be cut off, and that will be the most certain message to be sent to your Emperor."
"You guys... Are you really going to go to war with us? Are you sure you can handle it?"
The sage asked back.
"So, did you move without even having the confidence to do so?"
"That's why I said it wasn't us who moved..."
The delegation was so upset that they thought they were going crazy.
To begin with, this was not an order from Perdiccas II, but an arbitrary act carried out by Jared alone.
But the bastard died, and they were left to deal with the aftermath.
Against that Valdina seemed blinded by anger.
The Katzen delegation glared at him with an expression that said they were fed up.
"...This is a fight where neither side will have anything left. Moreover, Valdina doesn't have the strength to deal with Katzen right now. There's no way you wouldn't know that, Sissair."
The sniper spat out a sneer.
"Sometimes, even if you know, you still have to take action. Like when you have to chase away a mad dog that has snuck into your house by biting its neck."
The cold voice of the sage rang out.
"I will gladly make sure you never dare to set foot on it again."
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