It was quite an elaborate memory for something that was seen in that brief moment. Winfred, who was talented at drawing, drew the unique blade realistically.
“Like this, the tip of the blade was split. It was my first time seeing a sword like that, so I was surprised.”
Alexia's expression froze. It was a sword she was familiar with.
'This blade... is the dagger of the Air family.'
The Airs were a family of knights with a long history. They used a unique swordsmanship style that involved wielding a longsword and a dagger with both hands.
'Beyfold Air died in a rebellion 10 years ago, and the only one left is his younger brother.'
Cloud Air. His image came to mind, with gray hair and brown eyes.
She had visited Beyfold several times while he was serving in the Imperial Guard with her, so his appearance was vaguely remembered.
‘...I don’t know who the source is, but His Highness the Prince’s words may be true.’
Alexia closed her eyes quietly, as the image of her former comrade risking his life to protect the lord to whom he had sworn loyalty for life came to mind.
“What are you thinking about?”
When Alexia didn't say anything, Winfred, feeling uneasy for no reason, opened his mouth.
“Oh, no. I was thinking that what that source said might be true.”
An assassin holding the dagger of the Air family, who had disappeared overnight and become a traitor. No matter how she thought about it, it was very suspicious.
“Did the person who gave you the information say anything else, Your Highness?”
“...Anything else? Oh. She said that he would continue to threaten my life until I returned to the Imperial Palace.”
Alexia's eyebrows twitched. That was also credible information. Considering Byron's temperament, it was quite possible.
She stroked her chin, lost in thought, wondering what she was thinking so deeply about.
Byron was not feeling well.
He looked as beautiful as a painting, sitting cross-legged on a comfortable armchair, but the look in his eyes as he lifted his glass to his lips was fierce, as if sparks were flying.
“...Why haven’t I heard from you yet, Cloud? Do you go out somewhere every night?”
It's been quite some time since he ordered the killing of his nephew, whose face hr can't even remember because it was so long ago.
The journey to be appointed Crown Prince was soon over, and his nephew Winfred would soon return to the imperial palace.
Byron clenched his left hand because he was so angry that he couldn't stand it anymore.
The Crown Prince of the Peles Empire visits Mount Primus, a high mountain at the western end of the empire, before being appointed Crown Prince for generations.
The mountain is named after the first Emperor of the empire, Primus Arpa Vito Peles.
Primus, who had created a great empire, left a will before he passed away, stating that he would become the guardian deity of this empire and protect it, and disappeared to the top of Mount Primus.
His descendants, who were unable to even find his remains, believed that Primus had truly become the protector of the empire.
The Prince who was to become the Crown Prince could only be appointed as the Crown Prince after visiting Primus, the guardian deity of the empire, and performing a ceremony.
From birth, the position, the position of the next Emperor was Byron's.
He firmly believed that one day he would go on a journey to find Mount Primus. In the end, he could not become the Crown Prince. It was his younger brother, Hyrum, who went on the journey.
Even that was unbearable, and now his son Winfred was also there. He was returning to the palace after undergoing the ceremony to become Crown Prince, which he had never been able to do.
It felt like the fire burning inside him was burning his entire insides. He quickly downed the alcohol in his glass to put out the burning fire.
“...I’m sorry, my lord. The security is so tight that I don’t get many opportunities.”
Cloud bowed his head in an incomprehensible voice.
In fact, it was unnecessary to add that Winfred, who had escaped the knights and sneaked out, was discovered but not eliminated.
Even so, it only served to further anger Byron.
He couldn't figure out where the Prince, who was clearly in front of him, had disappeared to. If he had used teleportation magic, there would have been at least a trace of him, but he couldn't even find that.
Whether it rises to the sky or falls to the ground.
As Cloud was lost in thought, recalling that questionable moment, something suddenly flew at him. It was Byron who threw the glass he was holding in his hand.
He could have easily avoided it, but he didn't. If he had avoided it, she would have gotten even angrier and said he was ignoring him.
“...Kill him before he returns to the palace. I can’t stand to see him become the Crown Prince.”
The words, “If you can’t kill him, don’t come back,” were a bonus.
Even though his forehead was torn and bleeding, Cloud bowed his head with a loyal expression without blinking an eye.
“Yes, my lord.”
I will follow orders. That was all.
Cloud, who was hiding in a dark alley, was looking at the building where the Prince was staying.
It was truly an ironclad defense. It was impossible to cut down all the knights who were densely surrounding the building's fence, and it was also difficult to shake them off and sneak in. There were too many eyes watching.
'...I wish you would sneak out just one more time.'
Then this time he won't miss that opportunity.
The young Prince must have sensed that someone was trying to take his life, and since that day, he has been out of the house, except for official occasions.
So Cloud was just a pain.
'My situation is truly frustrating.'
Cloud laughed at himself. Honestly, it was obvious how this rebellion would end. Byron was greedy and foolish.
Objectively, he wasn't a bad person. But he guessed he just saw what he wanted to see. It wasn't wise. If Cloud had to say that he was disloyal, he would say he was disloyal, but he also thought he understood why the Emperor chose his younger brother over him.
Even if this rebellion succeeded and Byron was crowned Emperor, the question was what would happen next. How long would the foolish Emperor's reign last?
Is Byron really a lord worth risking his life for?
No, he shouldn't be thinking like this. Cloud cleared away the useless thoughts floating through his head. Thinking of his honest brother, Beyfold, who gave his life, this shouldn't be happening.
The thing to do now was to kill the young Prince.
That was when.
“Hey, the captain of the guards says to gather everyone.”
“...What? Why all of a sudden in the middle of the night?”
The knights surrounding the building were noisy. Cloud pricked up his ears and focused on their conversation.
“I don’t know. I’m just relaying orders. It’s urgent, so she asked everyone to come, leaving only two people to guard the gate.”
He couldn't tell what the circumstances were, but it was an opportunity that didn't come often, or maybe never would. Everyone had disappeared into the building, leaving only the two knights guarding the gate.
'There's no time to hesitate.'
He didn't know why this opportunity had suddenly come, but it was time to move quickly, because he didn't know when it would come back.
He sneaked behind the building, climbed over the high wall, and snuck into the mansion. Inside the building, everyone except for the minimal number of security guards seemed to have responded to the call of the captain of the guards.
It was not clear where the Prince's room was, but it was best to look for the most luxurious, largest, and most heavily guarded room.
Cloud, who had been wandering around looking for such a room, soon discovered a large, magnificent door guarded by several knights.
'There it is.'
Cloud bit his lip in impatience, took out a mask from his pocket, covered his nose and mouth, and lit some dry grass of unknown origin. The dry grass soon began to emit smoke of a suspicious color.
Cloud carefully threw the bundle of herbs towards the knights. The knights, who had been gasping at the sudden influx of smoke, soon fell to the ground.
He lost consciousness for a moment after smelling the smoke of the poisonous plant.
Thinking that things were going too well, Cloud opened the magnificent door.
In search of the Prince who was asleep and defenseless.
But what greeted him as he entered the room was not the Prince.
“...It’s been a while. Cloud Air.”
“Dexen...?”
It was Alexia Dexen, glaring at him with a sinister expression.
Cloud, who realized that he was surrounded by knights, closed his eyes tightly for a moment.
“...Was it a trap?”
“You just realized that now? Your brain seems to have rusted a lot. Or did you know it was a trap and still step into it?”
At Alexia's laughter, Cloud gritted his teeth and reached for his waistband to draw his sword.
“Stop your foolish thoughts, Cloud. I know you’re a great knight, but do you really think you can take down all these men?”
“The me you remember is the same as the one from 10 years ago. My brain may have gotten rusty, but you won’t know until you try to see if my skills have improved since 10 years ago.”
Cloud said, carefully drawing his longsword. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to maintain his sanity if he didn't at least bluff.
“Come all at once.”
At Cloud's momentum, the knights surrounding him hesitated. They were waiting for Alexia's orders.
“...Everyone, be careful. He’s not an easy target.”
Alexia also drew her sword and spoke in a solemn voice. It was the signal to attack.
Three knights drew their swords at once and rushed at him.
“Like this, the tip of the blade was split. It was my first time seeing a sword like that, so I was surprised.”
Alexia's expression froze. It was a sword she was familiar with.
'This blade... is the dagger of the Air family.'
The Airs were a family of knights with a long history. They used a unique swordsmanship style that involved wielding a longsword and a dagger with both hands.
'Beyfold Air died in a rebellion 10 years ago, and the only one left is his younger brother.'
Cloud Air. His image came to mind, with gray hair and brown eyes.
She had visited Beyfold several times while he was serving in the Imperial Guard with her, so his appearance was vaguely remembered.
‘...I don’t know who the source is, but His Highness the Prince’s words may be true.’
Alexia closed her eyes quietly, as the image of her former comrade risking his life to protect the lord to whom he had sworn loyalty for life came to mind.
“What are you thinking about?”
When Alexia didn't say anything, Winfred, feeling uneasy for no reason, opened his mouth.
“Oh, no. I was thinking that what that source said might be true.”
An assassin holding the dagger of the Air family, who had disappeared overnight and become a traitor. No matter how she thought about it, it was very suspicious.
“Did the person who gave you the information say anything else, Your Highness?”
“...Anything else? Oh. She said that he would continue to threaten my life until I returned to the Imperial Palace.”
Alexia's eyebrows twitched. That was also credible information. Considering Byron's temperament, it was quite possible.
She stroked her chin, lost in thought, wondering what she was thinking so deeply about.
***
Byron was not feeling well.
He looked as beautiful as a painting, sitting cross-legged on a comfortable armchair, but the look in his eyes as he lifted his glass to his lips was fierce, as if sparks were flying.
“...Why haven’t I heard from you yet, Cloud? Do you go out somewhere every night?”
It's been quite some time since he ordered the killing of his nephew, whose face hr can't even remember because it was so long ago.
The journey to be appointed Crown Prince was soon over, and his nephew Winfred would soon return to the imperial palace.
Byron clenched his left hand because he was so angry that he couldn't stand it anymore.
The Crown Prince of the Peles Empire visits Mount Primus, a high mountain at the western end of the empire, before being appointed Crown Prince for generations.
The mountain is named after the first Emperor of the empire, Primus Arpa Vito Peles.
Primus, who had created a great empire, left a will before he passed away, stating that he would become the guardian deity of this empire and protect it, and disappeared to the top of Mount Primus.
His descendants, who were unable to even find his remains, believed that Primus had truly become the protector of the empire.
The Prince who was to become the Crown Prince could only be appointed as the Crown Prince after visiting Primus, the guardian deity of the empire, and performing a ceremony.
From birth, the position, the position of the next Emperor was Byron's.
He firmly believed that one day he would go on a journey to find Mount Primus. In the end, he could not become the Crown Prince. It was his younger brother, Hyrum, who went on the journey.
Even that was unbearable, and now his son Winfred was also there. He was returning to the palace after undergoing the ceremony to become Crown Prince, which he had never been able to do.
It felt like the fire burning inside him was burning his entire insides. He quickly downed the alcohol in his glass to put out the burning fire.
“...I’m sorry, my lord. The security is so tight that I don’t get many opportunities.”
Cloud bowed his head in an incomprehensible voice.
In fact, it was unnecessary to add that Winfred, who had escaped the knights and sneaked out, was discovered but not eliminated.
Even so, it only served to further anger Byron.
He couldn't figure out where the Prince, who was clearly in front of him, had disappeared to. If he had used teleportation magic, there would have been at least a trace of him, but he couldn't even find that.
Whether it rises to the sky or falls to the ground.
As Cloud was lost in thought, recalling that questionable moment, something suddenly flew at him. It was Byron who threw the glass he was holding in his hand.
He could have easily avoided it, but he didn't. If he had avoided it, she would have gotten even angrier and said he was ignoring him.
“...Kill him before he returns to the palace. I can’t stand to see him become the Crown Prince.”
The words, “If you can’t kill him, don’t come back,” were a bonus.
Even though his forehead was torn and bleeding, Cloud bowed his head with a loyal expression without blinking an eye.
“Yes, my lord.”
I will follow orders. That was all.
***
Cloud, who was hiding in a dark alley, was looking at the building where the Prince was staying.
It was truly an ironclad defense. It was impossible to cut down all the knights who were densely surrounding the building's fence, and it was also difficult to shake them off and sneak in. There were too many eyes watching.
'...I wish you would sneak out just one more time.'
Then this time he won't miss that opportunity.
The young Prince must have sensed that someone was trying to take his life, and since that day, he has been out of the house, except for official occasions.
So Cloud was just a pain.
'My situation is truly frustrating.'
Cloud laughed at himself. Honestly, it was obvious how this rebellion would end. Byron was greedy and foolish.
Objectively, he wasn't a bad person. But he guessed he just saw what he wanted to see. It wasn't wise. If Cloud had to say that he was disloyal, he would say he was disloyal, but he also thought he understood why the Emperor chose his younger brother over him.
Even if this rebellion succeeded and Byron was crowned Emperor, the question was what would happen next. How long would the foolish Emperor's reign last?
Is Byron really a lord worth risking his life for?
No, he shouldn't be thinking like this. Cloud cleared away the useless thoughts floating through his head. Thinking of his honest brother, Beyfold, who gave his life, this shouldn't be happening.
The thing to do now was to kill the young Prince.
That was when.
“Hey, the captain of the guards says to gather everyone.”
“...What? Why all of a sudden in the middle of the night?”
The knights surrounding the building were noisy. Cloud pricked up his ears and focused on their conversation.
“I don’t know. I’m just relaying orders. It’s urgent, so she asked everyone to come, leaving only two people to guard the gate.”
He couldn't tell what the circumstances were, but it was an opportunity that didn't come often, or maybe never would. Everyone had disappeared into the building, leaving only the two knights guarding the gate.
'There's no time to hesitate.'
He didn't know why this opportunity had suddenly come, but it was time to move quickly, because he didn't know when it would come back.
He sneaked behind the building, climbed over the high wall, and snuck into the mansion. Inside the building, everyone except for the minimal number of security guards seemed to have responded to the call of the captain of the guards.
It was not clear where the Prince's room was, but it was best to look for the most luxurious, largest, and most heavily guarded room.
Cloud, who had been wandering around looking for such a room, soon discovered a large, magnificent door guarded by several knights.
'There it is.'
Cloud bit his lip in impatience, took out a mask from his pocket, covered his nose and mouth, and lit some dry grass of unknown origin. The dry grass soon began to emit smoke of a suspicious color.
Cloud carefully threw the bundle of herbs towards the knights. The knights, who had been gasping at the sudden influx of smoke, soon fell to the ground.
He lost consciousness for a moment after smelling the smoke of the poisonous plant.
Thinking that things were going too well, Cloud opened the magnificent door.
In search of the Prince who was asleep and defenseless.
But what greeted him as he entered the room was not the Prince.
“...It’s been a while. Cloud Air.”
“Dexen...?”
It was Alexia Dexen, glaring at him with a sinister expression.
Cloud, who realized that he was surrounded by knights, closed his eyes tightly for a moment.
“...Was it a trap?”
“You just realized that now? Your brain seems to have rusted a lot. Or did you know it was a trap and still step into it?”
At Alexia's laughter, Cloud gritted his teeth and reached for his waistband to draw his sword.
“Stop your foolish thoughts, Cloud. I know you’re a great knight, but do you really think you can take down all these men?”
“The me you remember is the same as the one from 10 years ago. My brain may have gotten rusty, but you won’t know until you try to see if my skills have improved since 10 years ago.”
Cloud said, carefully drawing his longsword. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to maintain his sanity if he didn't at least bluff.
“Come all at once.”
At Cloud's momentum, the knights surrounding him hesitated. They were waiting for Alexia's orders.
“...Everyone, be careful. He’s not an easy target.”
Alexia also drew her sword and spoke in a solemn voice. It was the signal to attack.
Three knights drew their swords at once and rushed at him.
Comments
Post a Comment