It was just past noon.
“I’ve found a train to Lost, Your Excellency.”
Count Whale reported to me with great pride.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Count Whale dancing on the board I had set up, seemingly enjoying himself.
“Thank you for your hard work, Count.”
“No. It’s something I must do for the Empire.”
I guess it was for your own safety, not for the empire.
Although it was an incident caused by the carelessness of the stable keepers, it was difficult for them to completely avoid responsibility as they were members of the Count of Whale's household.
If he were to lose the battle for recapture, he would be punished even more severely, so it was natural that Count Whale would fidget like someone who needed to go to the bathroom.
“Please, drive out the rude Allied Forces and take back Dilrom, Your Excellency.”
It was for the same reason that he earnestly asked me to do this.
“Of course. So, don’t worry, Count, just wait for the good news.”
“Yes, yes. I will believe and wait, Your Excellency.”
Count Whale bowed slightly and went out.
Then, shall we prepare for the competition?
Of course, my battlefield was the Imperial Palace, not Dilom.
I put on my uniform and put the scabbard on my waist. I was about to put the sword I always carried in, but I took out the magic pouch that I had kept deep in my bag.
Inside was a sword with a large Pura embedded in it, believed to be the heart of the dragon that Byblos had been searching for.
Maybe it was something the Emperor wanted.
“I have to bring this.”
The Emperor takes his life for the object he so desperately desires.
Just thinking about it makes me feel thrilled and good.
Next, we must return the Pura embedded here and the Dragon's Heart to Byblos.
When everything was over, I planned to return it to him without hesitation and unconditionally.
Thinking of Byblos, my gaze naturally turned to the mini dragon sleeping soundly on the dressing table.
Since arriving in Whale, there has been no contact from Byblos or Perdes.
I guess he didn't contact me because nothing was going on, but I was still anxious because it was so quiet.
Should I contact him first?
He must be heading to Leopold's territory soon, so I thought it would be a good idea to contact him to make sure he was on his way safely. At that moment, I held the mini dragon in my arms.
Knock knock knock
“Excuse me for a moment, Your Excellency.”
Prophetes IV came to see me.
I guess he came here to discuss future plans.
I'll have to contact Perdes later.
“Come in.”
I put the mini dragon back down and greeted Prophetes IV.
Upon returning to the palace, Perdes went straight to the central palace to see how the recapture battle was going.
As a result of the investigation, it was said that the recapture operation was proceeding as planned.
It was also reported that the Imperial Knights led by the Crown Prince arrived in Dian, a city right next to Owen, this morning.
At this point, Perdes began to wonder if the person Aaron had seen was really the Crown Prince.
'First of all, it's certain that he is a member of the royal family.'
According to Aaron, the Crown Prince and the men, presumed to be Aldor, entered the palace through a secret passage known only to the royal family.
It was an undeniable fact that one of the two was a member of the royal family.
To find out their true identities for sure, he had to meet them in person.
'The problem is how to find them in this vast palace.'
No matter how much Perdes thought about it, it was impossible to search this vast palace alone.
But since he couldn't get help from others, Perdes sighed deeply, feeling a little frustrated.
But that doesn't mean he can give up.
Perdes rested his chin on his hand and thought deeply.
'Those guys must be hiding somewhere.'
The reason Aaron was sure that he was the Crown Prince was because he looked exactly like the Crown Prince.
If such a person had appeared in the palace and been discovered by someone, rumors would have spread.
But judging by the silence until now, it was clear that he was hiding somewhere out of people's sight.
The palace was large, but there were so many people that there weren't many places to hide from their eyes.
And Perdes knew all those places.
In the past, it was the result of trying to avoid the eyes of his stepbrothers, who had been harassing him.
Perdes checked all the places, but nowhere was he able to find anyone who looked like the Crown Prince or Aldor.
He checked the Crown Prince's palace just in case, but he couldn't find it there, either.
So where on earth is it hiding?
Perdes climbed a tall tree and looked down on the palace grounds. The red sunset was setting behind him.
After looking around for a while, what caught Perdes' eyes was the Emperor's palace.
The most secure and secret place in the palace.
'Is that it?'
It was quite possible. The Crown Prince was the Emperor's loyal dog.
If he had returned to the palace, he would have certainly received orders from the Emperor.
“This is giving me a headache.”
The Emperor's palace could not be entered secretly like the Crown Prince's palace or other palaces.
Perdes, who was wondering what to do, ran to the Empress's palace in one go.
“Please help me enter the Emperor’s palace, Your Majesty the Empress.”
The Empress asked back, as if she found the sudden request ridiculous.
“Why do you want to enter the Emperor’s palace all of a sudden?”
“There’s something I need to find.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you right now.”
The Empress laughed in vain.
“I don’t even know what you're looking for, but what do I believe in...”
“It also has to do with His Highness the Second Prince’s whereabouts.”
Perdes continued to lie without hesitation.
It was for Adele's sake, so this much of a lie was nothing. It didn't matter.
The expression that had been full of absurdity suddenly became serious.
When the Empress looked at him as if trying to gauge the truth, Perdes faced her calmly and asked.
“Will you do it for me?”
“...”
The Empress closed her eyes tightly as if she was contemplating what to do, then quickly stood up.
“I will go to the Emperor’s palace right now.”
Being the Empress did not mean she could enter the Emperor's palace at will. She needed the Emperor's permission.
However, the Emperor announced that he would not meet anyone unless it was related to the recapture.
When the chamberlain told the truth and said that she could not meet the Emperor at the moment, the Empress said annoyedly.
“His Majesty has been feeling unwell lately, so I asked my family to bring me some healthy things. I will just give His Majesty these, and then I will leave. Please open the door.”
“I will pass it on to His Majesty instead.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said, Your Majesty? I told you to open the door.”
“Your Majesty the Empress...!”
“I told you to open the door right now!”
The chamberlains and courtiers were at a loss at the Empress's scolding, but they did not move away from the door.
It was natural for the Empress to become furious.
“No, Your Majesty the Empress!”
“Please calm down!”
“Who are you touching right now? Let go right now!”
As fierce physical fights broke out, the area in front of the Emperor's palace became a scene of chaos.
Perdes, who had been watching the scene from a distance, quickly entered the Emperor's palace while the people were concentrating on stopping the Empress.
Thanks to the Empress serving as bait, he was able to enter the Emperor's palace safely, but he could not rest easy.
Perdes moved quickly, knowing that he would be kicked out the moment he was noticed by the courtiers.
However, the Emperor's palace was also incredibly large, so it was difficult to know where to start.
It was also difficult because he had to find it secretly, avoiding the eyes of the courtiers.
'Let's start by looking for the entrance to the secret passage.'
If the Crown Prince came here, there would be traces of a secret passage.
Secret passages were usually made in bedrooms, studies, and offices.
The Emperor would be the same, so he decided to head towards the Emperor's office first.
Boom, roll-
Something rolled in front of him.
“Is this a stone?”
Why did this roll in?
Perdes picked up a pebble, wondering.
There was small writing on the stone.
[Cellar.]
'Did someone send me a message?'
Who?
...Could it be Sir Aldor?
At the thought of putting a period, Perdes looked in surprise in the direction the stone had come from, but there was no one there.
He looked around but couldn't see a single person.
“...What on earth are you trying to do?”
Perdes looked down at the stone again, laughing absurdly.
He didn't know if it was Aldor who had written this, but it was definitely something that needed to be checked.
Even if it's dangerous.
Perdes put the stone in his pocket and headed towards the cellar.
The way down to the basement is usually locked, but for some reason, it was wide open.
As if telling him to come down quickly.
If it was Aldor's doing, he must have prepared something inside that could help Perdes.
To be exact, something that would help Adele.
Perdes stared down the dark basement passageway, then took a step forward.
Tap, tap, the sound of his footsteps echoed widely through the narrow passage.
'What on earth is in here?'
Do you have any information about Diabolos? Or is the Crown Prince hiding?
Or maybe there's Aldor?
Perdes imagined all sorts of things, but they were all useless.
"...What's this?"
Because what was in the basement was something so horrible that he couldn't even imagine.
“I’ve found a train to Lost, Your Excellency.”
Count Whale reported to me with great pride.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Count Whale dancing on the board I had set up, seemingly enjoying himself.
“Thank you for your hard work, Count.”
“No. It’s something I must do for the Empire.”
I guess it was for your own safety, not for the empire.
Although it was an incident caused by the carelessness of the stable keepers, it was difficult for them to completely avoid responsibility as they were members of the Count of Whale's household.
If he were to lose the battle for recapture, he would be punished even more severely, so it was natural that Count Whale would fidget like someone who needed to go to the bathroom.
“Please, drive out the rude Allied Forces and take back Dilrom, Your Excellency.”
It was for the same reason that he earnestly asked me to do this.
“Of course. So, don’t worry, Count, just wait for the good news.”
“Yes, yes. I will believe and wait, Your Excellency.”
Count Whale bowed slightly and went out.
Then, shall we prepare for the competition?
Of course, my battlefield was the Imperial Palace, not Dilom.
I put on my uniform and put the scabbard on my waist. I was about to put the sword I always carried in, but I took out the magic pouch that I had kept deep in my bag.
Inside was a sword with a large Pura embedded in it, believed to be the heart of the dragon that Byblos had been searching for.
Maybe it was something the Emperor wanted.
“I have to bring this.”
The Emperor takes his life for the object he so desperately desires.
Just thinking about it makes me feel thrilled and good.
Next, we must return the Pura embedded here and the Dragon's Heart to Byblos.
When everything was over, I planned to return it to him without hesitation and unconditionally.
Thinking of Byblos, my gaze naturally turned to the mini dragon sleeping soundly on the dressing table.
Since arriving in Whale, there has been no contact from Byblos or Perdes.
I guess he didn't contact me because nothing was going on, but I was still anxious because it was so quiet.
Should I contact him first?
He must be heading to Leopold's territory soon, so I thought it would be a good idea to contact him to make sure he was on his way safely. At that moment, I held the mini dragon in my arms.
Knock knock knock
“Excuse me for a moment, Your Excellency.”
Prophetes IV came to see me.
I guess he came here to discuss future plans.
I'll have to contact Perdes later.
“Come in.”
I put the mini dragon back down and greeted Prophetes IV.
***
Upon returning to the palace, Perdes went straight to the central palace to see how the recapture battle was going.
As a result of the investigation, it was said that the recapture operation was proceeding as planned.
It was also reported that the Imperial Knights led by the Crown Prince arrived in Dian, a city right next to Owen, this morning.
At this point, Perdes began to wonder if the person Aaron had seen was really the Crown Prince.
'First of all, it's certain that he is a member of the royal family.'
According to Aaron, the Crown Prince and the men, presumed to be Aldor, entered the palace through a secret passage known only to the royal family.
It was an undeniable fact that one of the two was a member of the royal family.
To find out their true identities for sure, he had to meet them in person.
'The problem is how to find them in this vast palace.'
No matter how much Perdes thought about it, it was impossible to search this vast palace alone.
But since he couldn't get help from others, Perdes sighed deeply, feeling a little frustrated.
But that doesn't mean he can give up.
Perdes rested his chin on his hand and thought deeply.
'Those guys must be hiding somewhere.'
The reason Aaron was sure that he was the Crown Prince was because he looked exactly like the Crown Prince.
If such a person had appeared in the palace and been discovered by someone, rumors would have spread.
But judging by the silence until now, it was clear that he was hiding somewhere out of people's sight.
The palace was large, but there were so many people that there weren't many places to hide from their eyes.
And Perdes knew all those places.
In the past, it was the result of trying to avoid the eyes of his stepbrothers, who had been harassing him.
Perdes checked all the places, but nowhere was he able to find anyone who looked like the Crown Prince or Aldor.
He checked the Crown Prince's palace just in case, but he couldn't find it there, either.
So where on earth is it hiding?
Perdes climbed a tall tree and looked down on the palace grounds. The red sunset was setting behind him.
After looking around for a while, what caught Perdes' eyes was the Emperor's palace.
The most secure and secret place in the palace.
'Is that it?'
It was quite possible. The Crown Prince was the Emperor's loyal dog.
If he had returned to the palace, he would have certainly received orders from the Emperor.
“This is giving me a headache.”
The Emperor's palace could not be entered secretly like the Crown Prince's palace or other palaces.
Perdes, who was wondering what to do, ran to the Empress's palace in one go.
“Please help me enter the Emperor’s palace, Your Majesty the Empress.”
The Empress asked back, as if she found the sudden request ridiculous.
“Why do you want to enter the Emperor’s palace all of a sudden?”
“There’s something I need to find.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you right now.”
The Empress laughed in vain.
“I don’t even know what you're looking for, but what do I believe in...”
“It also has to do with His Highness the Second Prince’s whereabouts.”
Perdes continued to lie without hesitation.
It was for Adele's sake, so this much of a lie was nothing. It didn't matter.
The expression that had been full of absurdity suddenly became serious.
When the Empress looked at him as if trying to gauge the truth, Perdes faced her calmly and asked.
“Will you do it for me?”
“...”
The Empress closed her eyes tightly as if she was contemplating what to do, then quickly stood up.
“I will go to the Emperor’s palace right now.”
***
Being the Empress did not mean she could enter the Emperor's palace at will. She needed the Emperor's permission.
However, the Emperor announced that he would not meet anyone unless it was related to the recapture.
When the chamberlain told the truth and said that she could not meet the Emperor at the moment, the Empress said annoyedly.
“His Majesty has been feeling unwell lately, so I asked my family to bring me some healthy things. I will just give His Majesty these, and then I will leave. Please open the door.”
“I will pass it on to His Majesty instead.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said, Your Majesty? I told you to open the door.”
“Your Majesty the Empress...!”
“I told you to open the door right now!”
The chamberlains and courtiers were at a loss at the Empress's scolding, but they did not move away from the door.
It was natural for the Empress to become furious.
“No, Your Majesty the Empress!”
“Please calm down!”
“Who are you touching right now? Let go right now!”
As fierce physical fights broke out, the area in front of the Emperor's palace became a scene of chaos.
Perdes, who had been watching the scene from a distance, quickly entered the Emperor's palace while the people were concentrating on stopping the Empress.
Thanks to the Empress serving as bait, he was able to enter the Emperor's palace safely, but he could not rest easy.
Perdes moved quickly, knowing that he would be kicked out the moment he was noticed by the courtiers.
However, the Emperor's palace was also incredibly large, so it was difficult to know where to start.
It was also difficult because he had to find it secretly, avoiding the eyes of the courtiers.
'Let's start by looking for the entrance to the secret passage.'
If the Crown Prince came here, there would be traces of a secret passage.
Secret passages were usually made in bedrooms, studies, and offices.
The Emperor would be the same, so he decided to head towards the Emperor's office first.
Boom, roll-
Something rolled in front of him.
“Is this a stone?”
Why did this roll in?
Perdes picked up a pebble, wondering.
There was small writing on the stone.
[Cellar.]
'Did someone send me a message?'
Who?
...Could it be Sir Aldor?
At the thought of putting a period, Perdes looked in surprise in the direction the stone had come from, but there was no one there.
He looked around but couldn't see a single person.
“...What on earth are you trying to do?”
Perdes looked down at the stone again, laughing absurdly.
He didn't know if it was Aldor who had written this, but it was definitely something that needed to be checked.
Even if it's dangerous.
Perdes put the stone in his pocket and headed towards the cellar.
The way down to the basement is usually locked, but for some reason, it was wide open.
As if telling him to come down quickly.
If it was Aldor's doing, he must have prepared something inside that could help Perdes.
To be exact, something that would help Adele.
Perdes stared down the dark basement passageway, then took a step forward.
Tap, tap, the sound of his footsteps echoed widely through the narrow passage.
'What on earth is in here?'
Do you have any information about Diabolos? Or is the Crown Prince hiding?
Or maybe there's Aldor?
Perdes imagined all sorts of things, but they were all useless.
"...What's this?"
Because what was in the basement was something so horrible that he couldn't even imagine.
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