Blahar's offer was neither easily accepted nor rejected. Rejecting it would have required discussion, as there was no way to find the missing people.
Elze dragged Blahar downstairs, making the excuse that she needed to talk to the others first. And when she saw the sight of the hall that unfolded, Elze realized that she had been tricked by him.
"You...!"
When Elze glared at him, Blahar smiled awkwardly and said.
“No, I need to take some precautions too.”
There was no one in the hall. Only Rapine and Ilwooz were sitting. Rapine, who had been looking anxious, smiled as soon as he saw Elze.
Elze looked at the exit. In front of it stood a knight of Heglatan, fully armed. Looking out the window, she saw that the knights of Heglatan were also surrounding the inn.
Something felt strange. Elze and Blahar were fighting so loudly, but no one came up to the room. Blahar was taking over the entire inn, so they couldn't come up.
“We’ve surrounded the knights under the pretense that there’s been a robbery at the inn, so you don’t have to worry about your activities being discovered.”
"...Ha."
He was truly a great Prince. Perhaps, if the conversation with Elze had gone wrong, he would have been publicly executed for invading Heglatan with the Elijah mercenary group. It was eerie to see him smiling like that, but behind her back, he was tightly tightening the noose.
“Yes, yes, let’s sit down and talk.”
Blahar dragged Elze to her seat and sat her down. Rapine and Ilwooz looked at Elze with questioning eyes. Elze sighed and said.
“He is the Prince of Heglatan.”
Blahar spoke confidently at Elze's introduction.
“It’s Blahar Mihanel Heglatan!”
“...”
Both Rapine and Ilwooz were clearly bewildered by this absurd development. Elze briefly explained what had happened in the room. Of course, she left out the description of the half-naked fight.
“So, you want me to accept your request to assassinate the Crown Prince of Heglatan?”
Blahar clapped his hands as Rapine summarized the words.
"Yes!"
He looked back and forth between Rapine and Ilwooz. Elze was about to give a brief introduction, but before that, Blahar pointed to Rapine and said.
“Hmm, this would be Elijah’s Rapine.”
Rapine nodded lightly in greeting.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
Blahar giggled at Rapine's greeting and said:
“I know you well. You were originally a member of Heglatan, right?”
There was a bone in his laughter. It was a well-known fact that Rapine, who was Heglatan's sniper, had gone over to Baluar, causing great damage at the time. Rapine knew what Blahar was talking about, but pretended not to know and laughed it off.
“Yes. I was impressed by the leader’s character during the war and ended up going to Baluar.”
“As expected, Elze is the root of all problems. But...”
Blahar looked back at Ilwooz. Ilwooz smiled silently at his intent gaze. Blahar narrowed his eyes and asked.
“What about this side? Did Elijah accept a new member in the meantime?”
Blahar was curious. Ilwooz had a unique atmosphere, but the fact that he was blindfolded was a very unique outfit. Ilwooz glanced at Elze. Elze answered on Ilwooz’s behalf.
“This is Serhil, the priest of Ines. He is in silence.”
“Ah, Ilwooz sent a priest to Targayel... It’s him.”
It was a good thing he had been honest. Blahar had already known that the priest of Ines was with Targayel. Of course, it was not the priest sent by Ilwooz, but Ilwooz himself.
In any case, the information power was considerable. Since Elze didn't know how much he knew, she felt she shouldn't lie so carelessly.
“By the way, silent meditation? It must be really uncomfortable for you not to be able to speak.”
Blahar approached him in a sad tone, saying that he would take good care of him. Ilwooz also simply bowed without saying anything. After a brief greeting, Blahar began to explain the current situation in earnest.
“The current situation is a bit complicated.”
He said, tapping his fingers on the table.
“My father, the Emperor, has a legitimate son, the Crown Prince. I am not an Empress' son, but a Prince who was brought in from outside.”
Elze was secretly surprised at Blahar's casual way of talking about a potentially sensitive topic. Blahar smiled as if he knew what Elze was thinking.
“The Heglatan royal family has been incestuous for generations. Because of this, they all have inherited a genetic disease, which makes them all have chins. However, I was able to avoid inherited diseases by avoiding incest and inheriting different blood.”
And then after saying everything, he added, "Oh, no."
“Oh, by the way, this is confidential, so don’t tell anyone.”
But for something that was supposed to be confidential, the story about the spatula chin was completely useless. Elze was curious and asked.
“But, if it’s confidential, why are you talking about genetic diseases...?”
Then Blahar answered confidently.
“That’s just to explain that I’m the only one who’s handsome.”
“..."
He was a Prince whose brain was truly curious.
“Anyway! The protruding chin is just a symbol, and there are many other minor illnesses as well. The current Emperor and Crown Prince are truly sickly people.”
Blahar lightly slammed his hand on the table. He said with a grin.
“I intend to drive them out and become Emperor. And to do that, I need your help.”
Blahar said, clicking his chin.
“So, Ivanna and Tarkun, right? Those two are being held by the Crown Prince. They’re probably alive.”
Elze clenched her fists so that they couldn't be seen. It was fortunate that at least life or death was confirmed. However, the Kalias were still unknown. Elze asked Blahar a question.
“Aside from those kids, are there any others who have been arrested recently?”
“There isn’t any?”
Blahar opened his eyes blankly and then said, “Ah.”
“Are you talking about the guys who did assassination work?”
He added with a sarcastic laugh.
“What, they were Targayel people? We caught them. We’re torturing them now?”
"What!!"
Elze screamed in surprise. Blahar waved his hand and answered calmly.
“Don’t worry, Elze. I’ll tell them to go and treat them today. Our doctors are very skilled.”
“..."
Elze, Rapine, and Ilwooz all looked at Blahar with dumbfounded expressions. Then Blahar frowned and said.
“Hey, you’re not expecting an apology, are you?”
He looked at Elze, resting his chin on one hand, and whispered with a smile.
“You know that. I just did what I had to do.”
Blahar was confident. And, true to his word, Elze knew that he was only doing his job as the Prince of Heglatan.
So, does that mean she ended up getting Heglatan's blood?
One side of her heart felt cold. In this country where the law of the jungle is a given, he is a man trying to get to the top. He may be smiling and acting easygoing, but inside he is a beast about to fight for the top of the food chain.
Although Elze had not let her guard down from the beginning, she decided to be more careful. Blahar looked at Elze’s face and asked.
“Are you angry?”
"...Of course."
Elze couldn't help but be angry. There was no way she wouldn't care if the Kalias were tortured. But Elze added softly.
“But I know you have nothing to be mad about.”
Kalia was a spy of Targayel. From Heglatan's point of view, it was natural to torture them. Blahar's face brightened at Elze's answer. He smiled and said.
“Then that’s good.”
There was not a trace of darkness in his smile. On the outside, Elze, with her serious face, looked like a bad guy.
“Anyway, if we assassinate the Crown Prince, we can save Elijah too. They’re both in the Crown Prince’s palace.”
Elze frowned slightly at Blahar's leisurely words and asked.
“How do I infiltrate the Crown Prince’s Palace? I only have three days.”
“3 days?”
Elze muttered briefly to Blahar, who asked in a puzzled manner.
“I promised. I’d return in three days.”
“Hmm.”
Blahar seemed to be displeased with something, but he didn't press the issue any further. He answered coolly.
“Yes, I’ll get ready to move tomorrow night. I’m capable!”
Blahar held out his hand to Elze. He smiled broadly and asked her a question.
“Then, is this a deal?”
Elze looked at Rapine and Ilwooz before answering. They nodded slightly. In any case, there was no other option in the current situation. After receiving the consent of both, Elxe grabbed Blahar’s hand. Blahar was so excited that he shook the hand he was holding up and down and shouted.
“Yes, this is a rescue mission for Elijah!”
Then he suddenly jumped up from his seat and shouted.
"Alcohol!!"
Then, one of the knights walked towards the kitchen with the sound of his armor clanking, and with practiced skill, he pulled out a bundle of bottles of liquor.
Elze spoke in embarrassment at the drinking table that unfolded so naturally.
“No, what is this...”
“It’s a drink to celebrate a deal!”
Blahar said, pouring a large mug of beer.
“In Heglatan, everything starts with alcohol and ends with alcohol. When you come to Heglatan, follow the laws of Heglatan!”
Judging by the smell and color, it definitely wasn't beer, but some kind of vodka. But how could such a strong drink be poured into a beer glass? Elze made a disgusted face, but Blahar was already diligently turning the glass.
“Oh, can you drink, Priest? Just take a sip and apologize to Ines!”
So everyone raised their glasses to Ilwooz, and Blahar happily clinked his glasses and shouted.
“Let’s drink and die today!”
Blahar emptied his glass in one gulp. He slammed his empty glass down on the table with a loud thud and shouted.
“Ah! One more drink!”
“...”
Seeing that sight, Elze thought that she might die first today before she could kill the Crown Prince of Heglatan.
Before the drinking party could really get started, Elze sent Ilwooz up to his room first.
Even though the priest Ilwooz didn't drink, he was worried that Blahar, who was curious, might do something useless to him.
Blahar was the kind of person who would use being drunk as an excuse to do all sorts of annoying things, like pulling the strings that tied his eyes or trying to get Ilwooz to talk to him.
So, Elze sent Ilwooz away, and Elze and Rapine were left to deal with Blahar. However, they couldn't keep up with Blahar's drinking speed.
“Drink! Drink more!!”
Blahar was certainly the Prince of Heglatan. He was a huge drinker, as expected from a Heglatan who lived to drink. Elze had never once thought that she could not drink. However, she fell apart miserably in front of Blahar.
“You have to drink it with Elijah’s pride on the line!”
The sight of Blahar, with his face flushed red and his glass banging on the table, was quite a sight.
It wasn't the first or second time that he had skillfully and gently teased her pride and made her drink. Elze wanted to get away from here, but Blahar had no intention of letting her go.
“Ugh...”
Rapine had already stretched out on the table with the bottles overflowing. Elze drank from the glass in front of her, vowing never to drink with Heglatan again.
“The captain is different! Now, one more drink!”
Damn, Blahar immediately filled Elze's glass with alcohol. Elze muttered without realizing it.
“That crazy guy....”
Her true feelings came out reflexively. It was something she wouldn’t say even if she was dragged away for the crime of insulting the royal family. However, Blahar laughed heartily despite being cursed at, wondering what was so good about it.
Elze grabbed her glass. She couldn't even tell which glass she had. In fact, Elze should have passed out long ago, but she was holding on with pure mental strength.
Suddenly she wanted to see Shan.
Shan seemed like he could drink well. He was a husband who could do anything. Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't think she's ever seen him drunk.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, she felt emotionally weak. Elze stared blankly into her glass. It seemed as if Shan's face, grown-up, was reflected in the glass.
“Shan...”
Elze thought to herself as she called Shan's name. She really is drunk.
“...”
And there was a gaze observing Elze like that, and that was Blahar.
He stared intently at Elze, who was quietly calling Shan. Perhaps because she was drunk, Elze didn't even seem to realize that Blahar was looking at her.
Elze's flushed cheeks came into view. Her slightly relaxed eyes were also really cute. However, even though she was so drunk, she still managed to hold on to a sliver of reason.
Blahar was secretly impressed. Normally, if they had drunk this much, they would have passed out long ago. Even a healthy man wouldn't be able to hold out, and Blahar was starting to feel threatened, but he still came to his senses...
Anyway, she was an amazing woman in many ways. Blahar, feeling somehow happy, smiled and spoke to Elze.
“By the way, isn’t that Elijah’s Elze? Tell me some tales!”
“...A tale of bravery?”
Elze answered a beat late. Blahar rested his chin on both hands and muttered.
“The story of the Hundred Years’ War. I couldn’t participate in the war. I wasn’t even treated as a Prince at the time.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m even more curious. You know, is it true that you fought a hundred men by yourself? I heard that during the battle, Elijah’s Elze could turn a mountain into a mountain of people she killed.”
Blahar asked with shining eyes. But for some reason, Elze slightly averted her gaze. She ran her hand through her hair and said.
“It’s not really something to brag about. Let’s talk about something else.”
Blahar frowned at Elze's reluctant appearance and asked.
“Usually, when you ask about things like this, don’t you get excited and talk about it? Like how many people you killed in one battle, or how many you killed with one stroke of your sword?”
“...”
Elze was silent. Blahar sighed and asked her a question.
“...You don’t want to talk to me?”
It was a gesture that he made to try to become closer, but it was rejected. As he was grumbling about how many times he had been rejected today, Elze let out a long sigh.
Blue eyes looked at Blahar with a faint scent of alcohol. Suddenly, Blahar felt concerned about her reddened eyes, which were hot and flushed and coughed in vain.
Elze asked Blahar softly.
“Do you think killing people is something to brag about?”
“...!”
Blahar opened his mouth slightly without realizing it. It was an unexpected remark that he had never expected. Elze muttered, staring blankly at the glass in her hand.
“I only killed so that I wouldn’t die. Although I take pride in protecting my country, I’ve never once been proud of killing.”
The blue eyes sank sadly. A small whisper was heard along with the slightly wet pupils.
“The excitement of battle and victory is powerful. But once it cools down...”
Her plump lips moved gracefully as she uttered eerie words.
“The sound of bones being cut. The smell of blood from a dying person. The sight of a rotting corpse.”
She lifted her glass and drank it in gulps. Elze smiled bitterly as she put the empty glass down.
“That’s all there is to it...”
And strangely enough, Blahar's heart pounded at the sight.
The drinking party continued until dawn. Blahar gently put Elze and her party to bed and ordered them to keep watch over the area around the inn before returning to the palace.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Serev greeted Blahar. Serev gestured to the maids at Blahar's slightly drunken, smiling face. The maids quietly disappeared to get some hangover medicine.
Blahar sat down on the sofa, leaning back, and enjoyed the feel of the sofa as he spoke.
“Ah, Serev. Those... those guys we caught. Treat them.”
Blahar chuckled at Serev's puzzled gaze.
“I found the master. They are Targayel children. For some reason, they really won’t open their mouths.”
Serev was surprised for a moment, but soon calmed down and said.
“Yes. Have you achieved your goal?”
Blahar nodded roughly and answered.
At Blahar's lingering words, Serev checked the surroundings. All the maids and servants had already been bitten. Serev was about to ask more specific questions when Blahar suddenly spoke.
“Hmm... But Serev, it's really strange.”
He tilted his head slightly as he lay there, looking at Serev. Then he blinked and asked a question.
“Why don’t I feel guilty?”
Serev looked at Blahar with an expression that said, "What nonsense is this guy talking about again?" But Blahar had a rather serious expression on his face. He tapped the flamberge on his waist and said,
“Murder is a necessary evil. That’s how I was taught to live, and that’s how I’ve lived since I was young.”
Blahar drew his Flamberge. The wavy, gorgeous blade was a perfect match for its master. Blahar held up Flamberge’s blade to the light and spoke.
“Don’t be afraid, just keep going until you get what you want.”
Blahar whispered slowly as he looked at the Flamberge shining beautifully under the swaying lights.
“If there are any obstacles in the process, remove them without mercy... even if they are your relatives.”
“Your Highness, is there something wrong?”
In front of Serev, who had a worried look on his face, Blahar continued to speak.
“Good and evil, fear and guilt...”
Then he stopped talking and stared at Flamberge for a long time. He stared at it for a while and then threw his sword. Flamberge spun around in the air a few times and then sank into the marble floor. Blahar laughed like a madman as he saw Flamberge stuck straight in a straight line.
"Ha ha ha!"
Blahar, who had just finished laughing out loud, wiped away the tears that had formed from laughing and asked Serev.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about this topic. Isn’t it, Serev?”
“...”
Serev couldn't answer because he couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Blahar chuckled in front of Serev, who kept his mouth shut.
“Come to think of it, did Duke Seraph ask me for Elze?”
Blahar whispered languidly.
“I didn’t understand why he would hide such a talented person away and let her rot away... But now I think I understand a little bit. Why he’s so greedy.”
“...Your Highness. You have had too much to drink.”
Serev tried to restrain him from making such strange remarks, but Blahar had already crossed the line.
“I’m a very competitive person. I think it’s been a long time since something really challenged me.”
A look of joy came over Blahar's face. He spoke excitedly to Serev.
“You know what? She’s not only pretty, but also kind-hearted. She doesn’t enjoy killing people because she feels guilty about it.”
Blahar jumped up from his seat and shouted.
“But she’s a better war hero and killer than anyone else! That gap is crazy fun!!”
Then he let out a sigh and whispered in an excited voice.
“I want it... By any means, by any means necessary....”
Looking at Blahar like that, Serev couldn't help but feel that something was a little wrong.
As soon as Shan saw Elze's back as she left, he regretted sending her to Heglatan. After Elze had completely left, he felt empty as if a hole had been created in his chest.
At first, even though he felt empty, he managed his daily life just fine. So he thought it was worth it. But when he finished his work and lay down on his empty bed, Shan realized that his expression had not changed even once all day.
Without Elze, there was nothing to laugh about.
He ate and moved around as usual. He properly dealt with the mountain of work that had piled up. He exchanged letters with Marle in the capital of Baluar and gave orders.
But even when he looked back on each one, he felt nothing. Nothing had any meaning to Shan. He just did what he had to do.
From the moment Elze disappeared, Shan's world had become completely dry. It was a world so dry that it was on the verge of crumbling. A world so dry that it would shatter into pieces if someone simply tapped it with their fingertips.
“Elze...”
Unable to sleep, Shan sat up blankly and called out Elze's name while sweeping the empty space on the bed. Calling Elze's name seemed to give him some energy. Shan muttered with a self-deprecating smile.
“It looks good.”
He couldn't even wait three days, so he was like this. No, what was three days? It had only been a day, but Shan was so tired and anxious. The feeling of being separated from her was so horrible. It was a feeling he never wanted to feel again.
When Elze returns, he will never let anything happen again. Shan, who had been repeating this over and over again, suddenly realized.
“Is this what it means to be lonely?”
The realization became much clearer after it was said out loud. Shan smiled without realizing it. It was the first smile he had ever seen today.
Loneliness was an emotion that he had never felt before meeting Elze. Elze was teaching Shan about emotions one by one as if she were teaching a child. Shan quietly placed his hand on his chest. He could feel his heart beating a little faster.
3 days... Let’s just wait 3 days.
Shan consoled himself like this. If Elze were even a single day late, he would immediately raise an army and go find her.
Whether Elze was in danger or safe, he felt like he would wither away if he hadn't seen her before.
Shan was now beginning to realize the meaning of the prophecy that he was a demon. Without Elze, there was no way to know what he would do.
He could probably do anything, even if it meant starting a war that would burn down the entire continent.
“So come quickly, Elze...”
Shan closed his eyes and muttered quietly to himself.
Support Novellate!
Elze dragged Blahar downstairs, making the excuse that she needed to talk to the others first. And when she saw the sight of the hall that unfolded, Elze realized that she had been tricked by him.
"You...!"
When Elze glared at him, Blahar smiled awkwardly and said.
“No, I need to take some precautions too.”
There was no one in the hall. Only Rapine and Ilwooz were sitting. Rapine, who had been looking anxious, smiled as soon as he saw Elze.
Elze looked at the exit. In front of it stood a knight of Heglatan, fully armed. Looking out the window, she saw that the knights of Heglatan were also surrounding the inn.
Something felt strange. Elze and Blahar were fighting so loudly, but no one came up to the room. Blahar was taking over the entire inn, so they couldn't come up.
“We’ve surrounded the knights under the pretense that there’s been a robbery at the inn, so you don’t have to worry about your activities being discovered.”
"...Ha."
He was truly a great Prince. Perhaps, if the conversation with Elze had gone wrong, he would have been publicly executed for invading Heglatan with the Elijah mercenary group. It was eerie to see him smiling like that, but behind her back, he was tightly tightening the noose.
“Yes, yes, let’s sit down and talk.”
Blahar dragged Elze to her seat and sat her down. Rapine and Ilwooz looked at Elze with questioning eyes. Elze sighed and said.
“He is the Prince of Heglatan.”
Blahar spoke confidently at Elze's introduction.
“It’s Blahar Mihanel Heglatan!”
“...”
Both Rapine and Ilwooz were clearly bewildered by this absurd development. Elze briefly explained what had happened in the room. Of course, she left out the description of the half-naked fight.
“So, you want me to accept your request to assassinate the Crown Prince of Heglatan?”
Blahar clapped his hands as Rapine summarized the words.
"Yes!"
He looked back and forth between Rapine and Ilwooz. Elze was about to give a brief introduction, but before that, Blahar pointed to Rapine and said.
“Hmm, this would be Elijah’s Rapine.”
Rapine nodded lightly in greeting.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
Blahar giggled at Rapine's greeting and said:
“I know you well. You were originally a member of Heglatan, right?”
There was a bone in his laughter. It was a well-known fact that Rapine, who was Heglatan's sniper, had gone over to Baluar, causing great damage at the time. Rapine knew what Blahar was talking about, but pretended not to know and laughed it off.
“Yes. I was impressed by the leader’s character during the war and ended up going to Baluar.”
“As expected, Elze is the root of all problems. But...”
Blahar looked back at Ilwooz. Ilwooz smiled silently at his intent gaze. Blahar narrowed his eyes and asked.
“What about this side? Did Elijah accept a new member in the meantime?”
Blahar was curious. Ilwooz had a unique atmosphere, but the fact that he was blindfolded was a very unique outfit. Ilwooz glanced at Elze. Elze answered on Ilwooz’s behalf.
“This is Serhil, the priest of Ines. He is in silence.”
“Ah, Ilwooz sent a priest to Targayel... It’s him.”
It was a good thing he had been honest. Blahar had already known that the priest of Ines was with Targayel. Of course, it was not the priest sent by Ilwooz, but Ilwooz himself.
In any case, the information power was considerable. Since Elze didn't know how much he knew, she felt she shouldn't lie so carelessly.
“By the way, silent meditation? It must be really uncomfortable for you not to be able to speak.”
Blahar approached him in a sad tone, saying that he would take good care of him. Ilwooz also simply bowed without saying anything. After a brief greeting, Blahar began to explain the current situation in earnest.
“The current situation is a bit complicated.”
He said, tapping his fingers on the table.
“My father, the Emperor, has a legitimate son, the Crown Prince. I am not an Empress' son, but a Prince who was brought in from outside.”
Elze was secretly surprised at Blahar's casual way of talking about a potentially sensitive topic. Blahar smiled as if he knew what Elze was thinking.
“The Heglatan royal family has been incestuous for generations. Because of this, they all have inherited a genetic disease, which makes them all have chins. However, I was able to avoid inherited diseases by avoiding incest and inheriting different blood.”
And then after saying everything, he added, "Oh, no."
“Oh, by the way, this is confidential, so don’t tell anyone.”
But for something that was supposed to be confidential, the story about the spatula chin was completely useless. Elze was curious and asked.
“But, if it’s confidential, why are you talking about genetic diseases...?”
Then Blahar answered confidently.
“That’s just to explain that I’m the only one who’s handsome.”
“..."
He was a Prince whose brain was truly curious.
“Anyway! The protruding chin is just a symbol, and there are many other minor illnesses as well. The current Emperor and Crown Prince are truly sickly people.”
Blahar lightly slammed his hand on the table. He said with a grin.
“I intend to drive them out and become Emperor. And to do that, I need your help.”
Blahar said, clicking his chin.
“So, Ivanna and Tarkun, right? Those two are being held by the Crown Prince. They’re probably alive.”
Elze clenched her fists so that they couldn't be seen. It was fortunate that at least life or death was confirmed. However, the Kalias were still unknown. Elze asked Blahar a question.
“Aside from those kids, are there any others who have been arrested recently?”
“There isn’t any?”
Blahar opened his eyes blankly and then said, “Ah.”
“Are you talking about the guys who did assassination work?”
He added with a sarcastic laugh.
“What, they were Targayel people? We caught them. We’re torturing them now?”
"What!!"
Elze screamed in surprise. Blahar waved his hand and answered calmly.
“Don’t worry, Elze. I’ll tell them to go and treat them today. Our doctors are very skilled.”
“..."
Elze, Rapine, and Ilwooz all looked at Blahar with dumbfounded expressions. Then Blahar frowned and said.
“Hey, you’re not expecting an apology, are you?”
He looked at Elze, resting his chin on one hand, and whispered with a smile.
“You know that. I just did what I had to do.”
Blahar was confident. And, true to his word, Elze knew that he was only doing his job as the Prince of Heglatan.
So, does that mean she ended up getting Heglatan's blood?
One side of her heart felt cold. In this country where the law of the jungle is a given, he is a man trying to get to the top. He may be smiling and acting easygoing, but inside he is a beast about to fight for the top of the food chain.
Although Elze had not let her guard down from the beginning, she decided to be more careful. Blahar looked at Elze’s face and asked.
“Are you angry?”
"...Of course."
Elze couldn't help but be angry. There was no way she wouldn't care if the Kalias were tortured. But Elze added softly.
“But I know you have nothing to be mad about.”
Kalia was a spy of Targayel. From Heglatan's point of view, it was natural to torture them. Blahar's face brightened at Elze's answer. He smiled and said.
“Then that’s good.”
There was not a trace of darkness in his smile. On the outside, Elze, with her serious face, looked like a bad guy.
“Anyway, if we assassinate the Crown Prince, we can save Elijah too. They’re both in the Crown Prince’s palace.”
Elze frowned slightly at Blahar's leisurely words and asked.
“How do I infiltrate the Crown Prince’s Palace? I only have three days.”
“3 days?”
Elze muttered briefly to Blahar, who asked in a puzzled manner.
“I promised. I’d return in three days.”
“Hmm.”
Blahar seemed to be displeased with something, but he didn't press the issue any further. He answered coolly.
“Yes, I’ll get ready to move tomorrow night. I’m capable!”
Blahar held out his hand to Elze. He smiled broadly and asked her a question.
“Then, is this a deal?”
Elze looked at Rapine and Ilwooz before answering. They nodded slightly. In any case, there was no other option in the current situation. After receiving the consent of both, Elxe grabbed Blahar’s hand. Blahar was so excited that he shook the hand he was holding up and down and shouted.
“Yes, this is a rescue mission for Elijah!”
Then he suddenly jumped up from his seat and shouted.
"Alcohol!!"
Then, one of the knights walked towards the kitchen with the sound of his armor clanking, and with practiced skill, he pulled out a bundle of bottles of liquor.
Elze spoke in embarrassment at the drinking table that unfolded so naturally.
“No, what is this...”
“It’s a drink to celebrate a deal!”
Blahar said, pouring a large mug of beer.
“In Heglatan, everything starts with alcohol and ends with alcohol. When you come to Heglatan, follow the laws of Heglatan!”
Judging by the smell and color, it definitely wasn't beer, but some kind of vodka. But how could such a strong drink be poured into a beer glass? Elze made a disgusted face, but Blahar was already diligently turning the glass.
“Oh, can you drink, Priest? Just take a sip and apologize to Ines!”
So everyone raised their glasses to Ilwooz, and Blahar happily clinked his glasses and shouted.
“Let’s drink and die today!”
Blahar emptied his glass in one gulp. He slammed his empty glass down on the table with a loud thud and shouted.
“Ah! One more drink!”
“...”
Seeing that sight, Elze thought that she might die first today before she could kill the Crown Prince of Heglatan.
Before the drinking party could really get started, Elze sent Ilwooz up to his room first.
Even though the priest Ilwooz didn't drink, he was worried that Blahar, who was curious, might do something useless to him.
Blahar was the kind of person who would use being drunk as an excuse to do all sorts of annoying things, like pulling the strings that tied his eyes or trying to get Ilwooz to talk to him.
So, Elze sent Ilwooz away, and Elze and Rapine were left to deal with Blahar. However, they couldn't keep up with Blahar's drinking speed.
“Drink! Drink more!!”
Blahar was certainly the Prince of Heglatan. He was a huge drinker, as expected from a Heglatan who lived to drink. Elze had never once thought that she could not drink. However, she fell apart miserably in front of Blahar.
“You have to drink it with Elijah’s pride on the line!”
The sight of Blahar, with his face flushed red and his glass banging on the table, was quite a sight.
It wasn't the first or second time that he had skillfully and gently teased her pride and made her drink. Elze wanted to get away from here, but Blahar had no intention of letting her go.
“Ugh...”
Rapine had already stretched out on the table with the bottles overflowing. Elze drank from the glass in front of her, vowing never to drink with Heglatan again.
“The captain is different! Now, one more drink!”
Damn, Blahar immediately filled Elze's glass with alcohol. Elze muttered without realizing it.
“That crazy guy....”
Her true feelings came out reflexively. It was something she wouldn’t say even if she was dragged away for the crime of insulting the royal family. However, Blahar laughed heartily despite being cursed at, wondering what was so good about it.
Elze grabbed her glass. She couldn't even tell which glass she had. In fact, Elze should have passed out long ago, but she was holding on with pure mental strength.
Suddenly she wanted to see Shan.
Shan seemed like he could drink well. He was a husband who could do anything. Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't think she's ever seen him drunk.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, she felt emotionally weak. Elze stared blankly into her glass. It seemed as if Shan's face, grown-up, was reflected in the glass.
“Shan...”
Elze thought to herself as she called Shan's name. She really is drunk.
“...”
And there was a gaze observing Elze like that, and that was Blahar.
He stared intently at Elze, who was quietly calling Shan. Perhaps because she was drunk, Elze didn't even seem to realize that Blahar was looking at her.
Elze's flushed cheeks came into view. Her slightly relaxed eyes were also really cute. However, even though she was so drunk, she still managed to hold on to a sliver of reason.
Blahar was secretly impressed. Normally, if they had drunk this much, they would have passed out long ago. Even a healthy man wouldn't be able to hold out, and Blahar was starting to feel threatened, but he still came to his senses...
Anyway, she was an amazing woman in many ways. Blahar, feeling somehow happy, smiled and spoke to Elze.
“By the way, isn’t that Elijah’s Elze? Tell me some tales!”
“...A tale of bravery?”
Elze answered a beat late. Blahar rested his chin on both hands and muttered.
“The story of the Hundred Years’ War. I couldn’t participate in the war. I wasn’t even treated as a Prince at the time.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m even more curious. You know, is it true that you fought a hundred men by yourself? I heard that during the battle, Elijah’s Elze could turn a mountain into a mountain of people she killed.”
Blahar asked with shining eyes. But for some reason, Elze slightly averted her gaze. She ran her hand through her hair and said.
“It’s not really something to brag about. Let’s talk about something else.”
Blahar frowned at Elze's reluctant appearance and asked.
“Usually, when you ask about things like this, don’t you get excited and talk about it? Like how many people you killed in one battle, or how many you killed with one stroke of your sword?”
“...”
Elze was silent. Blahar sighed and asked her a question.
“...You don’t want to talk to me?”
It was a gesture that he made to try to become closer, but it was rejected. As he was grumbling about how many times he had been rejected today, Elze let out a long sigh.
Blue eyes looked at Blahar with a faint scent of alcohol. Suddenly, Blahar felt concerned about her reddened eyes, which were hot and flushed and coughed in vain.
Elze asked Blahar softly.
“Do you think killing people is something to brag about?”
“...!”
Blahar opened his mouth slightly without realizing it. It was an unexpected remark that he had never expected. Elze muttered, staring blankly at the glass in her hand.
“I only killed so that I wouldn’t die. Although I take pride in protecting my country, I’ve never once been proud of killing.”
The blue eyes sank sadly. A small whisper was heard along with the slightly wet pupils.
“The excitement of battle and victory is powerful. But once it cools down...”
Her plump lips moved gracefully as she uttered eerie words.
“The sound of bones being cut. The smell of blood from a dying person. The sight of a rotting corpse.”
She lifted her glass and drank it in gulps. Elze smiled bitterly as she put the empty glass down.
“That’s all there is to it...”
And strangely enough, Blahar's heart pounded at the sight.
***
The drinking party continued until dawn. Blahar gently put Elze and her party to bed and ordered them to keep watch over the area around the inn before returning to the palace.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Serev greeted Blahar. Serev gestured to the maids at Blahar's slightly drunken, smiling face. The maids quietly disappeared to get some hangover medicine.
Blahar sat down on the sofa, leaning back, and enjoyed the feel of the sofa as he spoke.
“Ah, Serev. Those... those guys we caught. Treat them.”
Blahar chuckled at Serev's puzzled gaze.
“I found the master. They are Targayel children. For some reason, they really won’t open their mouths.”
Serev was surprised for a moment, but soon calmed down and said.
“Yes. Have you achieved your goal?”
Blahar nodded roughly and answered.
“What's up...? Elze has agreed to kill the Crown Prince for me...”
“Hmm... But Serev, it's really strange.”
He tilted his head slightly as he lay there, looking at Serev. Then he blinked and asked a question.
“Why don’t I feel guilty?”
Serev looked at Blahar with an expression that said, "What nonsense is this guy talking about again?" But Blahar had a rather serious expression on his face. He tapped the flamberge on his waist and said,
“Murder is a necessary evil. That’s how I was taught to live, and that’s how I’ve lived since I was young.”
Blahar drew his Flamberge. The wavy, gorgeous blade was a perfect match for its master. Blahar held up Flamberge’s blade to the light and spoke.
“Don’t be afraid, just keep going until you get what you want.”
Blahar whispered slowly as he looked at the Flamberge shining beautifully under the swaying lights.
“If there are any obstacles in the process, remove them without mercy... even if they are your relatives.”
“Your Highness, is there something wrong?”
In front of Serev, who had a worried look on his face, Blahar continued to speak.
“Good and evil, fear and guilt...”
Then he stopped talking and stared at Flamberge for a long time. He stared at it for a while and then threw his sword. Flamberge spun around in the air a few times and then sank into the marble floor. Blahar laughed like a madman as he saw Flamberge stuck straight in a straight line.
"Ha ha ha!"
Blahar, who had just finished laughing out loud, wiped away the tears that had formed from laughing and asked Serev.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about this topic. Isn’t it, Serev?”
“...”
Serev couldn't answer because he couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Blahar chuckled in front of Serev, who kept his mouth shut.
“Come to think of it, did Duke Seraph ask me for Elze?”
Blahar whispered languidly.
“I didn’t understand why he would hide such a talented person away and let her rot away... But now I think I understand a little bit. Why he’s so greedy.”
“...Your Highness. You have had too much to drink.”
Serev tried to restrain him from making such strange remarks, but Blahar had already crossed the line.
“I’m a very competitive person. I think it’s been a long time since something really challenged me.”
A look of joy came over Blahar's face. He spoke excitedly to Serev.
“You know what? She’s not only pretty, but also kind-hearted. She doesn’t enjoy killing people because she feels guilty about it.”
Blahar jumped up from his seat and shouted.
“But she’s a better war hero and killer than anyone else! That gap is crazy fun!!”
Then he let out a sigh and whispered in an excited voice.
“I want it... By any means, by any means necessary....”
Looking at Blahar like that, Serev couldn't help but feel that something was a little wrong.
***
As soon as Shan saw Elze's back as she left, he regretted sending her to Heglatan. After Elze had completely left, he felt empty as if a hole had been created in his chest.
At first, even though he felt empty, he managed his daily life just fine. So he thought it was worth it. But when he finished his work and lay down on his empty bed, Shan realized that his expression had not changed even once all day.
Without Elze, there was nothing to laugh about.
He ate and moved around as usual. He properly dealt with the mountain of work that had piled up. He exchanged letters with Marle in the capital of Baluar and gave orders.
But even when he looked back on each one, he felt nothing. Nothing had any meaning to Shan. He just did what he had to do.
From the moment Elze disappeared, Shan's world had become completely dry. It was a world so dry that it was on the verge of crumbling. A world so dry that it would shatter into pieces if someone simply tapped it with their fingertips.
“Elze...”
Unable to sleep, Shan sat up blankly and called out Elze's name while sweeping the empty space on the bed. Calling Elze's name seemed to give him some energy. Shan muttered with a self-deprecating smile.
“It looks good.”
He couldn't even wait three days, so he was like this. No, what was three days? It had only been a day, but Shan was so tired and anxious. The feeling of being separated from her was so horrible. It was a feeling he never wanted to feel again.
When Elze returns, he will never let anything happen again. Shan, who had been repeating this over and over again, suddenly realized.
“Is this what it means to be lonely?”
The realization became much clearer after it was said out loud. Shan smiled without realizing it. It was the first smile he had ever seen today.
Loneliness was an emotion that he had never felt before meeting Elze. Elze was teaching Shan about emotions one by one as if she were teaching a child. Shan quietly placed his hand on his chest. He could feel his heart beating a little faster.
3 days... Let’s just wait 3 days.
Shan consoled himself like this. If Elze were even a single day late, he would immediately raise an army and go find her.
Whether Elze was in danger or safe, he felt like he would wither away if he hadn't seen her before.
Shan was now beginning to realize the meaning of the prophecy that he was a demon. Without Elze, there was no way to know what he would do.
He could probably do anything, even if it meant starting a war that would burn down the entire continent.
“So come quickly, Elze...”
Shan closed his eyes and muttered quietly to himself.
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