“Ouch!”
The soles of her feet stung as if they were torn. Liene bent down again and felt the floor. The floor was jagged and there was something hard continuing on.
“I think this is the right place.”
It was similar to her memory back then. She thought that bare feet were particularly painful around here.
“But this... is strange.”
She had that same thought back then. This road, it seemed like a maze. It didn't seem to have come about naturally. Feeling the ground made her think of that more strongly.
“The spacing is too consistent.”
The jagged protrusions were so regular that it was hard to believe they were just rocks.
“This is... Who made this?”
She didn't have to think long to know who it was. A path only allowed to those with Gainers' blood. A path only Gainers knows. The person who created it must have been Gainers. Her heart suddenly started pounding hard.
“Is this... something to do with the power of God?”
This was the hill where the castle of Nauk was built, behind which flowed nine waterfalls. Perhaps the cellar of Nauk was above her head.
“They said that the power of God would be water.”
Water. Nine waterfalls. An unknown device. The Secret of the Gainers Dynasty. And the key that Kleinfelter had tried to steal. Something felt tactile, almost palpable at the tip of her fingers. But Liene still couldn't tell exactly what it was.
“Oh, this is driving me crazy. What is that?”
For now, getting out of here was a priority. Liene continued walking, holding her pounding heart tightly with her hand.
Then, all of a sudden, he was grabbed by the neck and lifted up. His pale blue eyes were sparkling as if they had no color at all at this moment.
“What if something happens to Liene.”
The lips moved. It was a very strange sight as if the stone statue was speaking.
“At that time, be prepared to die. Not a single one of you. All of you.”
“Yes, ah, I understand... I understand...”
Bam!
Randall pursed his lips as if he was very sad.
“Couldn’t you please speak to my lord? No, who would have thought that gentleman would turn out to be a traitor! Wasn’t that man thoroughly the Princess’s man? No, and speaking of which, is it right for a nation’s envoy to do that? That bastard emptied the carriage seat. It’s clear who he brought in, but what kind of envoy would do such a thing! That’s something that only happens during wartime!”
Fermos hit Randall on the back of the head.
“Shut up! What’s the point of that? Do you think you’ll even hear things like, “You’ve worked hard”? No matter what, you should have protected the Princess!”
“Even if I had ten mouths, I couldn’t say anything about that. Haa...”
Randall sighed as if he was going to die. He still didn't want to believe that what had happened last night was true.
“Anyway, run. The lord is already out of sight.”
"Yes..."
The two ran up the stairs of the main palace in a hurry.
“Put it all in.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Black sorted things out very quickly. He didn't listen to the captain of the guard no matter how much he screamed at the top of his lungs. The entire guard was locked up in prison.
“I understand and agree with your decision, but the lack of manpower is a problem. The more people you have, the better for the search.”
“Things that don’t fit together are just a hindrance.”
“So, how about mobilizing the people of Nauk? If they voluntarily form a group of five or so and move, even if there are some crazy people involved, they can keep an eye on each other.”
This was possible under the premise that Liene was a beloved monarch.
“What if the guys who worked for the Klinefelter family got involved?”
“You just have to tell them that the people who kidnapped the Princess were instigated by the Klinefelter family. People will figure out who is connected to the Klinefelter family.”
“Then do that.”
He felt like he needed to think more, but Black didn't have the luxury of time for that now. This was the second time it had happened. He had thought that once was enough. And the second time was even worse.
“Yes, I’ll take action right away.”
Fermos immediately relayed the instructions to Randall, who ran outside in a hurry.
“This way.”
A mercenary opened the prison door. Coincidentally, it was the same place where Linden Kleinfelter had been imprisoned.
“I left it here.”
“...”
Black entered the prison without saying a word. Bayar, whose torn forehead was dripping with blood, raised his head.
“You’re coming now.”
The inside of the prison was dark as always. But it was still dark enough to make out people.
“Did the Grand Duke send you?”
When Black stayed in the Principality of Alito, Bayar was the Archduke's errand boy. He remembered that the Archduke had been strangely fond of him.
"No."
“Then it must be the Grand Princess.”
Bayar smiled strangely with his blood-soaked face.
“What do she want?”
“She wishes to get married.”
“If you don’t do it?”
“Princess Liene dies.”
“Where is Liene?”
“By now she should be crossing the border and heading to the Kingdom of Sharka.”
It was a lie. But Bayar was very good at lying, and Black had no clue as to Liene's whereabouts. Black nodded.
“I’ll do whatever you want. Bring Liene.”
“...You’re lying.”
Bayar was sharp. He knew that Black would not listen to the Grand Princess Blini so easily.
“The annulment of the marriage comes first. If you give me the necessary documents, I will deliver them to Her Highness the Grand Princess. Princess Liene may return to Nauk after that.”
“Liene disappeared around midnight yesterday. It hasn’t even been five hours... She couldn’t have taken a ride, so even if we assume she walked, it wouldn’t have been time to reach the border yet.”
Black frowned and muttered quietly. It was more like he was talking to himself than throwing it at Bayar.
“She’s still somewhere in Nauk... If it was Werose who took Liene, he would know a place that others wouldn’t go to. He waited there... That’s strange. Even if he waited, there wouldn’t be any solution. But there were no reports of anything moving.”
“As time goes by, think of Princess Liene’s life as diminishing. I used poison. You must have seen it with your own eyes since you visited the temple. I’m talking about the high priest. It’s the same poison. If she doesn’t take the antidote, she’ll become an idiot, drool, and then die..."
Bayar's words stopped. Black was holding his chin. His blue eyes, gleaming, seemed empty. A chill ran down his spine. The god of war had eyes like that on the battlefield. Eyes that seemed empty and could kill anyone.
“Ugh, ugh... Huh, huhh!”
Crunch!
Fermos ground his teeth without realizing it.
“Even if she is not in her right mind, she is still the Grand Princess. Are you saying that she could not have guessed the outcome? The army that a Princess, not even a Queen, can move is obvious. They are probably just thugs who hunt or meddle in the palace. There probably aren’t many of them. Even if they come, they will all just die... What the heck, dammit.”
Fermos, who had been speaking quickly, suddenly started swearing.
“So, she must have reached out to Princess Liene first. That’s the only way to tie My master’s hands. She doesn’t want to go to war, she just pretends to and plans to take the spoils instead.”
Black's heart became anxious, but his head became cold.
“Go to the border. Strike first. There is only one way from Sharka, so it will be easy to catch and kill them. Cut off all their heads and send only one back. The faster the better.”
“Yes. Then Princess Liene...”
“It's here.”
Black grabbed his chest and let out a small gasp.
“Somewhere here. It shouldn’t be far. I’ll find her.”
The soles of her feet stung as if they were torn. Liene bent down again and felt the floor. The floor was jagged and there was something hard continuing on.
“I think this is the right place.”
It was similar to her memory back then. She thought that bare feet were particularly painful around here.
“But this... is strange.”
She had that same thought back then. This road, it seemed like a maze. It didn't seem to have come about naturally. Feeling the ground made her think of that more strongly.
“The spacing is too consistent.”
The jagged protrusions were so regular that it was hard to believe they were just rocks.
“This is... Who made this?”
She didn't have to think long to know who it was. A path only allowed to those with Gainers' blood. A path only Gainers knows. The person who created it must have been Gainers. Her heart suddenly started pounding hard.
“Is this... something to do with the power of God?”
This was the hill where the castle of Nauk was built, behind which flowed nine waterfalls. Perhaps the cellar of Nauk was above her head.
“They said that the power of God would be water.”
Water. Nine waterfalls. An unknown device. The Secret of the Gainers Dynasty. And the key that Kleinfelter had tried to steal. Something felt tactile, almost palpable at the tip of her fingers. But Liene still couldn't tell exactly what it was.
“Oh, this is driving me crazy. What is that?”
For now, getting out of here was a priority. Liene continued walking, holding her pounding heart tightly with her hand.
***
Black, who had left the temple, quickly returned to Nauk Castle. There were eight of them when they left, but only two returned, Black and Fermos. The rest were in the God's Square. He had driven a stake into the center of God's Square and hung Ternan Kleinfelter and his workers. That should be enough to clearly convey the intention that they were taking hostages.
“Master! I have something to tell you...”
Randall opened his mouth, ready to die, as he watched Black jump down before he could stop talking.
“Master! I have something to tell you...”
Randall opened his mouth, ready to die, as he watched Black jump down before he could stop talking.
Whoosh!
“...Ugh!”
“...Ugh!”
Then, all of a sudden, he was grabbed by the neck and lifted up. His pale blue eyes were sparkling as if they had no color at all at this moment.
“What if something happens to Liene.”
The lips moved. It was a very strange sight as if the stone statue was speaking.
“At that time, be prepared to die. Not a single one of you. All of you.”
“Yes, ah, I understand... I understand...”
Bam!
Black threw Randall down. Fermos asked, diligently following Black as he ran into the main palace.
“What about Renfell?”
“Oh, cough, he's been poisoned.”
“Poison? What are the symptoms?”
“He’s not dead... He’s unconscious. He has a fever, but it’s not high... He has a rash on his hands, and the doctor said it’s probably because he put poison on them.”
“It’s the same poison. You didn’t take off his clothes, did you?”
"Yes."
“I guess I’ll have to go first. Is the doctor nearby? I need to make a remedy, so have someone stand by to bring the ingredients. And where’s that rascal from Alito?”
“That scoundrel is also lying down. The servant is interrogating him. I took the letter from the scoundrel, and it says that Prince Bashad of the Kingdom of Sharka is dead. The messenger who brought the letter escaped, but I found him and locked him up. I am also interrogating him.”
“What about Renfell?”
“Oh, cough, he's been poisoned.”
“Poison? What are the symptoms?”
“He’s not dead... He’s unconscious. He has a fever, but it’s not high... He has a rash on his hands, and the doctor said it’s probably because he put poison on them.”
“It’s the same poison. You didn’t take off his clothes, did you?”
"Yes."
“I guess I’ll have to go first. Is the doctor nearby? I need to make a remedy, so have someone stand by to bring the ingredients. And where’s that rascal from Alito?”
“That scoundrel is also lying down. The servant is interrogating him. I took the letter from the scoundrel, and it says that Prince Bashad of the Kingdom of Sharka is dead. The messenger who brought the letter escaped, but I found him and locked him up. I am also interrogating him.”
“Make a deal with them. Tell him there's no pills for him if he doesn't confess what he knows.”
"All right."
“I’m asking this just in case there’s any excuse, but how did it happen?”
“The captain of the guard betrayed us. So the guards were fooled and could not respond quickly.”
This caused more time to pass. Tiwakan, who lost trust in the guards, excluded them from the search operation, and there was constant friction with the guards.
“What? If you’re the captain of the guard, are you talking about the guy who disappeared a month ago?”
"Yes."
“Ha, what happened... I’m going crazy.”
“I’m asking this just in case there’s any excuse, but how did it happen?”
“The captain of the guard betrayed us. So the guards were fooled and could not respond quickly.”
This caused more time to pass. Tiwakan, who lost trust in the guards, excluded them from the search operation, and there was constant friction with the guards.
“What? If you’re the captain of the guard, are you talking about the guy who disappeared a month ago?”
"Yes."
“Ha, what happened... I’m going crazy.”
Randall pursed his lips as if he was very sad.
“Couldn’t you please speak to my lord? No, who would have thought that gentleman would turn out to be a traitor! Wasn’t that man thoroughly the Princess’s man? No, and speaking of which, is it right for a nation’s envoy to do that? That bastard emptied the carriage seat. It’s clear who he brought in, but what kind of envoy would do such a thing! That’s something that only happens during wartime!”
Fermos hit Randall on the back of the head.
“Shut up! What’s the point of that? Do you think you’ll even hear things like, “You’ve worked hard”? No matter what, you should have protected the Princess!”
“Even if I had ten mouths, I couldn’t say anything about that. Haa...”
Randall sighed as if he was going to die. He still didn't want to believe that what had happened last night was true.
“Anyway, run. The lord is already out of sight.”
"Yes..."
The two ran up the stairs of the main palace in a hurry.
***
“Put it all in.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Black sorted things out very quickly. He didn't listen to the captain of the guard no matter how much he screamed at the top of his lungs. The entire guard was locked up in prison.
“I understand and agree with your decision, but the lack of manpower is a problem. The more people you have, the better for the search.”
“Things that don’t fit together are just a hindrance.”
“So, how about mobilizing the people of Nauk? If they voluntarily form a group of five or so and move, even if there are some crazy people involved, they can keep an eye on each other.”
This was possible under the premise that Liene was a beloved monarch.
“What if the guys who worked for the Klinefelter family got involved?”
“You just have to tell them that the people who kidnapped the Princess were instigated by the Klinefelter family. People will figure out who is connected to the Klinefelter family.”
“Then do that.”
He felt like he needed to think more, but Black didn't have the luxury of time for that now. This was the second time it had happened. He had thought that once was enough. And the second time was even worse.
“Yes, I’ll take action right away.”
Fermos immediately relayed the instructions to Randall, who ran outside in a hurry.
“This way.”
A mercenary opened the prison door. Coincidentally, it was the same place where Linden Kleinfelter had been imprisoned.
“I left it here.”
“...”
Black entered the prison without saying a word. Bayar, whose torn forehead was dripping with blood, raised his head.
“You’re coming now.”
The inside of the prison was dark as always. But it was still dark enough to make out people.
“Did the Grand Duke send you?”
When Black stayed in the Principality of Alito, Bayar was the Archduke's errand boy. He remembered that the Archduke had been strangely fond of him.
"No."
“Then it must be the Grand Princess.”
Bayar smiled strangely with his blood-soaked face.
“What do she want?”
“She wishes to get married.”
“If you don’t do it?”
“Princess Liene dies.”
“Where is Liene?”
“By now she should be crossing the border and heading to the Kingdom of Sharka.”
It was a lie. But Bayar was very good at lying, and Black had no clue as to Liene's whereabouts. Black nodded.
“I’ll do whatever you want. Bring Liene.”
“...You’re lying.”
Bayar was sharp. He knew that Black would not listen to the Grand Princess Blini so easily.
“The annulment of the marriage comes first. If you give me the necessary documents, I will deliver them to Her Highness the Grand Princess. Princess Liene may return to Nauk after that.”
“Liene disappeared around midnight yesterday. It hasn’t even been five hours... She couldn’t have taken a ride, so even if we assume she walked, it wouldn’t have been time to reach the border yet.”
Black frowned and muttered quietly. It was more like he was talking to himself than throwing it at Bayar.
“She’s still somewhere in Nauk... If it was Werose who took Liene, he would know a place that others wouldn’t go to. He waited there... That’s strange. Even if he waited, there wouldn’t be any solution. But there were no reports of anything moving.”
“As time goes by, think of Princess Liene’s life as diminishing. I used poison. You must have seen it with your own eyes since you visited the temple. I’m talking about the high priest. It’s the same poison. If she doesn’t take the antidote, she’ll become an idiot, drool, and then die..."
Bayar's words stopped. Black was holding his chin. His blue eyes, gleaming, seemed empty. A chill ran down his spine. The god of war had eyes like that on the battlefield. Eyes that seemed empty and could kill anyone.
“Ugh, ugh... Huh, huhh!”
Crunch!
The jawbone that Black had been holding onto broke. Blood spurted out as Bayar screamed. Droplets of blood spurted onto his face, which didn't even blink once...
Crunch. Black let go of Bayar's jaw.
“What did you say just now?”
“...Yes, my lord?”
The answer was delayed as he briefly looked at Bayar rolling on the floor. Fermos quickly gathered his thoughts and straightened his back.
“When I was talking to Randall, he said he had emptied the carriage seat.”
It was surprising that he heard all of that even though he was so far ahead.
“He said he couldn’t believe that a messenger would do something like that. He said that was something that only happens in times of war... Oh, really?”
“You clearly said that Prince Bashad was dead.”
“Yes. Then...”
“She’ll send the army. Blini Bashad.”
"Crazy."
“What did you say just now?”
“...Yes, my lord?”
The answer was delayed as he briefly looked at Bayar rolling on the floor. Fermos quickly gathered his thoughts and straightened his back.
“When I was talking to Randall, he said he had emptied the carriage seat.”
It was surprising that he heard all of that even though he was so far ahead.
“He said he couldn’t believe that a messenger would do something like that. He said that was something that only happens in times of war... Oh, really?”
“You clearly said that Prince Bashad was dead.”
“Yes. Then...”
“She’ll send the army. Blini Bashad.”
"Crazy."
Fermos ground his teeth without realizing it.
“Even if she is not in her right mind, she is still the Grand Princess. Are you saying that she could not have guessed the outcome? The army that a Princess, not even a Queen, can move is obvious. They are probably just thugs who hunt or meddle in the palace. There probably aren’t many of them. Even if they come, they will all just die... What the heck, dammit.”
Fermos, who had been speaking quickly, suddenly started swearing.
“So, she must have reached out to Princess Liene first. That’s the only way to tie My master’s hands. She doesn’t want to go to war, she just pretends to and plans to take the spoils instead.”
Black's heart became anxious, but his head became cold.
“Go to the border. Strike first. There is only one way from Sharka, so it will be easy to catch and kill them. Cut off all their heads and send only one back. The faster the better.”
“Yes. Then Princess Liene...”
“It's here.”
Black grabbed his chest and let out a small gasp.
“Somewhere here. It shouldn’t be far. I’ll find her.”
“Yes, then..."
Fermos, who was about to say something, quickly shook his head. It was better to hold back his words. No matter what he said, it would be useless.
“How many people should we leave?”
“How many do you think Sharka will send?”
“At most, it’s a hundred And that’s a lot.”
“Then take fifty.”
“Huh? Isn’t that too much?”
“We have to finish this quickly. After you deal with those guys, join us in finding Liene.”
From what Fermos heard, it was clear that Black had no intention of spending even half a day dealing with the army sent by Princess Blini.
"All right."
Surprise attacks while on the move were Fermos' specialty. He had already planned out a route in his head and figured out a way to crush the Sharka Kingdom's army.
“I’ll be back sooner than you think.”
Fermos set off on his way at dawn. Bayar, with his jaw broken, was not imprisoned as it was but was taken to the Square of the Gods and hung on a stake with Ternan Kleinfelter. Whoever he had hidden in his carriage would cringe at the sight of that.
Fermos, who was about to say something, quickly shook his head. It was better to hold back his words. No matter what he said, it would be useless.
“How many people should we leave?”
“How many do you think Sharka will send?”
“At most, it’s a hundred And that’s a lot.”
“Then take fifty.”
“Huh? Isn’t that too much?”
“We have to finish this quickly. After you deal with those guys, join us in finding Liene.”
From what Fermos heard, it was clear that Black had no intention of spending even half a day dealing with the army sent by Princess Blini.
"All right."
Surprise attacks while on the move were Fermos' specialty. He had already planned out a route in his head and figured out a way to crush the Sharka Kingdom's army.
“I’ll be back sooner than you think.”
Fermos set off on his way at dawn. Bayar, with his jaw broken, was not imprisoned as it was but was taken to the Square of the Gods and hung on a stake with Ternan Kleinfelter. Whoever he had hidden in his carriage would cringe at the sight of that.
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