IWAEBS - Chapter 290 < They're Too Noisy >




It was clearly the irritating sound of Galaco.

Damn it, the plan has changed!

The day they were targeting me, the Wyvern Lord, wasn't tomorrow, but tonight.

Oh, so that's why Hetor couldn't attend the secret meeting today?

Because he was caught trying to provide information to our side, like Empress Elan?

If Melanie was with Hetor, then Melanie too...

I shook my head to shake off the negative thoughts.

I was worried about Linel, who had gone to find them.

While he was skilled at swordsmanship, if he fell into a trap like Hetor, his safety couldn't be guaranteed.

Galaco's chilling roar could be heard from the sky, and the red jewel was sinking into the sea, but I was more worried about Linel and the missing men.

"You shouldn't have come back to the palace."

I asked, sarcastically responding to Roxana's sharp tone

“Just like you shouldn’t have left Aklatto Island?”

“It’s not like I hated you from the beginning.”

Roxana shrugged and continued with a victorious smile.

“You seem to have suffered from a young age, just like me... I wondered why you were so bright and happy. And thanks to you, I found the answer, and here we are.”

“That answer was Linel?”

“Yes. I should have just killed you back then, but I couldn’t because of the deal with the Magic Tower Lord. If I had, things wouldn’t have turned out this way. Hmm, it’s because I was too reticent.”

Roxana looked at me with a regretful face and tsk tsk.

“What deal... did you make with Bellos?”

“The Magic Tower Lord wanted you as his companion. It was because of the Avatar and the Avatar Sword.”

“I know that.”

“The Magic Tower Lord was the one who created the memory-loss potion.”

Roxana revealed the truth she had been hiding out of kindness.

How Linel lost his memory of me during the Continental Hunt, and how I ended up drinking the same potion.

And how Bellos and the dead Bonis were deeply involved in the plan.

Bonis...

Bonis had offered me lemon water, but ultimately forbade me from drinking it.

Threatened by the threat of her father, Logan, she had no choice but to follow Roxana's orders.

Thinking of Bonis, who must have felt guilty and suffered through all that time, made my heart ache.

Now I understood why Bonis had repeatedly apologized to me as she lay dying.

Knowing the truth made my throat ache.

How could I kill Roxana most painfully?

Dozens of ways flashed through my mind.

"Roxana, you're not talking about your speed, are you?"

"...What?"

"After all that, you still lost Linel, the Avatar Sword, and everything. Oh, and Hetor too, right?"

Roxana grimaced, as if I'd scratched her face.

“And you should have been more selective about who you made friends with.”

Roxana snorted in displeasure at my scolding tone.

“What are you talking about!”

“Emperor Adrian, I mean. I don’t know how close you two were to doing something like this, but you’ll regret it soon.”

I’ll make sure that happens.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re nothing without the Avatar Sword.”

“You’re talking as if it were yours? Nothing in the Lapion Empire belongs to you.”

I spoke in a deadly calm voice.

I thought it only provoked Roxana further, but I didn’t care.

“You have too much all to yourself. You didn’t even try to become an Avatar! It just happened that the red reagent accidentally fell on your face. Why can’t I have things you’re allowed to have? Why should you be the only one enjoying it? Why!”

Roxana lashed out.

“Do you think you’ll be happy if this plan succeeds? He won’t look at you even if I disappear. It’ll be much harder to catch his eye than to kill me. Do you understand?”

“...Ha, I don’t need him anymore.”

Roxana glared at me with a face of hurt pride for a moment, but then her expression seemed to empty her mind.

“What?”

“Even without him, I will be the Empress of the Lapion Empire. I will protect it even more firmly.”

It was quite a meaningful statement.

“What do you mean?”

“The Emperor will become food for Galacos along with you. Oh, and if you cooperate with Emperor Adrian, you can keep your life a little longer. But you will eventually be used and die.”

Are you planning to kill Linel, too?

But why all of a sudden?

“As long as I can keep my position and put my child on the throne, I really don’t care about wyverns.”

A baby? A baby?

“What kind of baby do you have?”

Roxana burst into laughter at my question, delighted.

I stared at her belly.

Could it be, she was pregnant?

But I could swear my life on the fact that it wasn’t Linel’s.

Then who?

Oh, my goodness.

“Is it Hetor’s baby? Really?”

Roxana’s laughter suddenly stopped.

She didn’t confirm it, but she didn’t deny it either.

“Is that right... Does Hetor know?”

“Enough questions.”

Roxana cleared the way for me to run.

Her relaxed, nonchalant demeanor was utterly repulsive, but I had to prepare for the Galacos’ attack. I had to inform the knights and him first.

I had to get the celebratory delegation below deck, and I had to find Linel...

My mind was spinning.

Kkeeek-!

The cries of the Galaco were heard again.

Some of the celebratory envoys enjoying the shipboard party looked up at the sky at the sound of the Galaco's cries and glanced around.

The Galaco were drawing closer.

"Why don't you start thinking about your survival? No matter where you hide, it's on the ship, so you'll be caught today."

Roxana whispered like a merciful god, then leisurely disappeared towards Emperor Adrian.

"Come back whole. I don't want a wounded and tattered wyvern lord."

Emperor Adrian met my eyes and spoke to me inwardly.

I raised my middle finger towards the silver hairtail.

Once the incarnation sword and the imprint are formed, even if it falls into the hands of another, its power can only be unleashed by the one who imprinted it.

However, the red jewel that summoned the incarnation sword had vanished into the sea.

Perhaps the red light that radiated from the Death Valley caves at the wyverns attacking them would return this time.

But how should I handle that red light?

'How should I use the red light?'

I summoned my incarnation and asked.

'Just wrap it roughly with your hand.'

'Really? Then you don't need a sword, right?'

'Zelda, don't talk nonsense. Why would you need it? Swinging it with a sword looks cool.'

It wasn't wrong, but there was no need to respond.

Anyway, I sighed in relief and went to where the people were gathered and climbed onto the platform.

In the distance, a ship from the Principality of Aklatto slowly approached.

Among Hetor's soldiers, I saw the face of the figure holding a familiar lantern.

"Logan...?!"

Even after all these years, I could recognize him.

It was definitely Logan, Bonis's father, and the court wizard of the Kingdom of Shattonil.

But why was Logan on that ship?

***

Linel followed Aoshi down the deck stairs at a brisk pace.

'How far down are you going?'

Aoshi had passed all three floors where the guest rooms were.

No matter how smart he was, he was still a small kitten.

Linel began to feel increasingly suspicious.

As his pace slowed, Aoshi turned to him and bellowed, almost harshly,

“Meow! (You have long legs, but you’re so damn slow!)”

He diligently led the way, occasionally turning back and raising one foreleg as if signaling him to hurry up.

“Heh.”

Aoshi was insignificant yet adorable.

However, despite his cute appearance, he moved quite quickly.

He wasn’t sure if Aoshi could really lead him to Hetor and Melanie, but he couldn’t just ignore him and turn away either.

“Yes. Let’s go.” 

“Where are you going?” 

Linel had just stepped onto the stairs leading to the lowest level of the ship. The door to the cabin next to the stairs opened, and Bellos’s voice rang out. Bellos was just setting out to join the ship’s party. 

“To catch Hetor and Melanie. You’ll join us, won’t you?” 

He gestured for Bellos to follow him as he descended the stairs. 

“Why me?” 

“It would be a bit odd for others to see the Emperor following a cat around alone.” 

“I don’t think it would be a good sight to see two men descending to the lowest level of a ship either,” 

Bellos replied coldly.

Even after spitting those words out, his body unconsciously followed the imperial command.

“If you don’t want to walk alongside me, walk behind me.”

“I’m not Your Majesty’s escort or servant.”

Bellos deliberately walked at an equal pace with Linel.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re my friend, either.”

Bellos readily acknowledged Linel’s retort, retorting in a gentle voice.

“Yes, of course. Your Majesty is my friend’s husband.”

Bellos referred to Zelda as his friend and Linel as her husband.

From Linel’s perspective, it was something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

He dug his pinky finger into his ear, frowning, perhaps because it was a strangely unpleasant expression.

He wondered why he always dug his ear so intently whenever Moiya spoke to him, and realized it was because he wanted to listen in one ear and let it out the other.

While understanding, a bitter feeling followed.

‘This brat, if I just pushed him lightly, he could crush me against the wall next to me!’

Linel tried to knock his shoulder away, but held back.

“I’m holding back because he’s my wife’s friend.”

Bellos, perhaps sensing Linel’s intentions, walked a hand’s length away.

While the two were bickering, Aoshi, who had arrived at the pantry door first, let out an anxious cry.

“Why are you here? Are Hetor and Melanie in here?”

He examined the large, tightly locked padlock.

“It’s the pantry, but why would you lock it with such a big padlock? Anyone who saw it would think there was gold in it.”

Belous chuckled at the lock, which didn’t match the pantry.

“That’s right. I think there was even a chain wrapped around it.”

Linel found a chain on the floor next to the door and tapped it with the tip of his shoe.

“Meow! (I’ll go in first, so you two open the door and come in!)”

Aoshi whimpered and crawled into a small hole next to the pantry door.

“Aoshi must have been going in and out of that hole.”

“There seems to be something in here. Grab the lock.”

Linel had Bellos grab the thick lock body.

“Your Majesty is renowned for being a master archer, so I trust you won’t make the mistake of striking my hand.”

Bellos complied, grasping the end of the lock body and deliberately complementing his aim.

“Yes, I won’t make mistakes. If I were to cut off your hand instead of the lock ring, that wouldn’t be a mistake, but intentional.”

His chilling answer sent cold sweat running down Bellos’s forehead.

Linel pulled out the sword at his waist and was about to swing the hilt of the sword against the lock ring like an axe.

“Now, wait! On second thought, I think it would be better for me to cut it.”

“What?”

Bellos quickly drew a magic circle with both hands.

A golden band began to wrap around the ring of the lock, then sparks flew, and the iron ring began to be severed.

A minute later, the lock snapped, clinking against the handle before falling to the floor.

“Come in, Your Majesty.”

“Shouldn’t you have opened it from the beginning?”

He asked, his eyes drowsy and questioning.

“...I didn’t step forward because Your Majesty seemed to enjoy the effort.”

Bellos quickly dodged Linel’s sharp gaze and went into the pantry first.

“There must have been teleportation, too, right?”

“That requires facing each other and holding hands...”

“You didn’t feel like it?”

Linel growled.

“I was embarrassed.”

Bellos scratched his head and feigned embarrassment.

Where did he cheat?

A guy who could easily grab another man’s hand and move it around.

Linel snorted, dumbfounded.

Bellos averted his terrifying gaze and desperately called out to Aoshi.

“Aoshi! Aoshi~?”

“Meow-! (Come this way-!)”

Aoshi’s cry came from beyond the sacks of sacks at the end of the food storage room.

“I guess there’s space behind there.”

He pointed to the narrow passage behind the sacks of sacks and ran.

Bellos followed him.

“Melanie! Hetor?!”

The two were tied to chairs, back to back.

Hetor was unconscious, and Melanie had a gag in her mouth.

“Eeeeeee! Mmm, mmm!!”

Melanie, who had been lying down like a withered flower, screamed in a hoarse voice in excitement at the sight of Linel.

Tightly bound by the rope, he struggled but couldn't move a thing, but his spirits surged again.

"This is going to be crazy."

Linel quickly cut the ropes wrapped around the two with his sword.

His guess that they were together was correct.

But he had never imagined it would be like this.

"Melanie, what the hell is going on?"

Linel asked, untying the gag from her mouth.

***

At that moment, a quiet tension flowed under the sea.

Moiya, Moni, and the adult wyverns were on the verge of obtaining a gift for their master.

The shark, the outlaw of the sea, was sauntering along, completely oblivious to the wyverns preparing to capture it behind its fins.

"Like this, like that, like this, just approach like that and pounce all at once, Moiya~?"

Moiya signaled to the wyverns with a flashy hand gesture.

No one understood Moiya's signal, but the plan was to catch the shark alive, so everyone, united in one mind, split up on either side of the shark and waited for an opportunity.

As the shark, distracted by the large stingray that appeared before its eyes and gaping its sharp teeth, silently dashed toward it, the wyverns waded through the water.

Just as they were about to pounce, a "Keeeeeek-!!"

A pig's throat-snapping sound was heard from the surface.

It was the hungry cries of the Galaco.

The shark, startled by the sound, scurried away at a frightening speed.

"Damn you, snakeheads!"

Moiya, unable to contain her anger at the sudden appearance of the Galaco and having missed her master's gift, blew fire from the water.

"We should've just blown all their heads off back then, Moni~!"

Moiya and Moni glared at the receding shark, their gazes drawn to the surface.

"But why are they here? Are they out to play like us?"

“What do you know? They’re so noisy, aren’t they~!”

Today, he was about to incite the other wyverns to get out of the water, saying that he would fry the rest of their heads to a crisp, but “Ow? Is this Moiya~?”

Moiya quickly snatched up the red jewel that was sinking into the water.


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