Episode 79. The Lurking Darkness
His heart pounded.
Henry glanced in Isabella's direction, then turned his head toward the voice.
Brick.
How could Henry not know that name?
After all, he had dedicated his life to the imperial palace.
He knew the pasts of every noble close to the royal family.
Henry held his breath.
"So, if I go to Hiloshine now, there's a way to make a living?"
"I don't know. But it's better than here, isn't it? It's just starting to develop. And I heard Lottera has returned."
"... Lottera?"
"As you know, when Lottera ruled Hiloshine, there weren't any valuable territories. Even though it was a wasteland, they brought in a lot of money. The special products from Hiloshine couldn't be sold here because they weren't available. Anyway, I think I'll go to Hiloshine with my family."
"Will that temporary lord accept you? That guy is named Brick. I don't know where he came from, but I hear he's very strict. Isn't Hiloshine under control right now?"
"...If not, I'll just lie down."
Henry exhaled.
Brick.
Brixton. How could he not know that name!
It was the name of Lottera's eldest grandson. He had a connection with Henry during his time as a young Prince.
Henry pursed his lips.
Even if he concealed his name with the nickname Brick, Henry couldn't help but know.
Brick, Lottera, Hiloshine, Renisha!
A little thought gave him the answer.
Brixton and Haylin had returned.
He didn't know how they had ended up in Hiloshine, but Henry felt he knew why they had to meet their fate.
Henry was a spy.
He could relay news from Hiloshine to the imperial palace at any time.
It must have been the work of those who didn't want Henry to know about Brixton and Haylin.
But he couldn't kill Henry, could he?
After all, Laxus was behind Henry.
In the end, as a last resort, they would have blinded Henry...
“Hahaha...”
Henry laughed.
He felt a burning heat.
Now that he knew all the secrets, venom filled his chest.
There was a limit to getting caught up in this damned political battle.
Henry’s gaze fell on the sleeping child.
Isabella was soundly sleeping with a gentle face.
He could harm that child right here.
His murderous intent surged.
However, if he did something like that, he might not be able to withstand Hiloshine’s fierce pursuit.
Hiloshine, Brixton, was never a man who missed his target. Didn’t he always win first place in hunting competitions?
Henry closed his eyes tightly and then opened them.
There was nothing he could do about it now. Henry...
Henry bowed his head toward Isabella.
The child’s characteristic milky scent stung Henry’s nose.
“Wait, Isabella. I’ll definitely throw your family into the abyss. Then crying won’t do any good.”
Henry slowly straightened up.
He raised his hand. The waiter approached Henry’s table.
“The child fell asleep first. I was just going to use the bathroom...”
Henry laughed awkwardly.
The waiter noticed Henry’s eyes weren’t focused.
He couldn’t see.
“I think we’ll need a servant.”
“I’ll do that.”
Henry waited quietly.
With his vision blurred, there was nothing he could do.
Not long after the waiter left, the servant arrived.
He looked large, as if he’d exerted himself.
From the silhouette he could see, he seemed quite tall.
The servant helped Henry to the bathroom.
As soon as Henry arrived, he called the servant over.
Leaning against the sink, Henry pulled a note he’d prepared from his pocket.
“Find me a carriage to get here.”
“Huh?”
Henry placed a heavy pouch of money in the child's palm.
"I have some faraway business to attend to. If you keep this a secret, I'll give you another pouch."
Henry waved another pouch filled with money.
The servant rolled his eyes.
For some reason, knights were swarming outside.
What an errand in such a situation.
Something loomed over him, but he couldn't resist the lure of money.
That money could easily feed him for a month.
The servant bowed his head.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon."
They would do anything for money.
Even if they couldn't afford a comfortable, luxurious carriage, they could probably find a cheap saddle carriage.
"Where did the old man go?"
Meteo asked the valet.
Isabella was asleep, head buried in her mouth, and the other side was empty.
"He went to the bathroom. He'll be back soon."
"Thank you."
Meteo nodded and took Henry's seat.
Fortunately, Isabella seemed unharmed.
Her head was down, which had made his heart sink.
Meteo adjusted the child's posture and leaned back in his chair.
He had followed the moment he heard that Henry and Isabella had gone out. Meteo was inspecting the weapons crafted in the blacksmith shop.
He had seen and felt much while traveling the continent.
His discernment was bound to be exceptional.
The weapons crafted in Hiloshine these days were of particularly high quality, but he still couldn't figure out what they were made of.
Unless Renisha wanted him to reveal it, Meteo would never know.
People were blindly loyal to Renisha.
He thought he knew why.
Renisha was secretive, dangerous, and all at the same time, cool.
Meteo rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at Isabella.
"What do you think your aunt is doing now?"
Meteo snickered. What is she doing with a sleeping child?
Henry narrowed his eyes.
Something seemed to be reflected in his unseen eyes.
Standing, supported by the errand boy, Henry asked,
"Is someone sitting where I was just now?"
"Yes. I don't know who, but a man is sitting there,"
Henry said without hesitation.
"I guess we'll have to postpone the greeting. Let's go out the back door. You said a carriage was waiting, didn't you?"
"Yes!"
The messenger helped Henry out through the back door.
Henry gave the boy two more pouches of money.
"This is the price for keeping the secret. If you break it, you will pay the price."
The boy's eyes widened at the ominous voice.
"The price?"
"Yes, the price. It's a terrible thing. Do you see my eyes? These eyes are the ones that paid the price. You could end up like me."
The boy trembled.
Henry closed the door after checking that the boy was pale.
This should have been a sufficient warning.
The carriage pulled away.
Only then did the stiffness leave his body.
Henry leaned his head against the carriage. The coachman swore loyalty to Henry, who had offered him a large sum.
It might rattle, but this carriage would safely transport Henry to the palace.
All Henry had prepared at the mansion were money, sleeping pills, and a note with the address of the palace.
With just that, he escaped. It must have been the price of his carelessness.
Hiloshine was focused on protecting the child.
He probably hadn't thought a blind man could do anything.
"Idiots,"
Henry muttered.
What was regrettable was that he hadn't been able to get Isabella into this carriage.
He had planned to calmly return and take the child... but that was too bad.
Henry slammed his fist into the carriage.
Still, he knew Brixton was alive.
Laxus must have planted more eyes than Henry, so he must have heard from Hiloshine.
Did Laxus know about Brixton?
Everyone who put Henry in this state will pay.
It had been a long time since Renisha had a day to relax.
All the urgent matters in the system had been taken care of.
Now, all that was left was to wait and see how things would turn out.
Barbara returned to the canary.
Canary was attempting to cross the ocean, clinging to the hand of the Marquis of Danvers.
And the nobles of high society returned to Renisha.
Then, what about Lexus?
"Pfft."
Laxus was left alone, a solitary Emperor.
No one would follow him or consider him Emperor.
Tomorrow was going to be even busier than yesterday.
It was the day Renisha and Kassius were to move into their mansion.
Laxus would think he had prepared it with his own strength, with his own will.
[Prepare a new mansion in the capital.]
This was one of the orders Renisha had given to Turiel, Danvers, and the Chamberlain.
Initially, they had planned to repair and use the mansion.
However, it was too small and too exposed, making it difficult to do anything secretive.
They needed a grand, secretive, old mansion.
And a mansion that hid a secret.
Renisha carefully chose a mansion.
Even for Laxus, building a mansion in a few months was impossible, so they had no choice but to choose one and repair it.
Turiel relayed the mansion Renisha had chosen to Danvers, who then relayed it to the Chamberlain, who in turn relayed it to the Emperor.
"Shouldn't we get Renisha back? Are you going to leave Your Majesty's first wife out there like that? She needs a place to return to!"
She hadn't been quietly sitting in Hiloshine.
Renisha had been preparing for the future, one step at a time.
"Everything...is going smoothly."
Kassius stared at Renisha.
An unbecoming gloom settled over her face.
"I heard that weapons production in Hiloshine is picking up speed. Gale Calliot has revealed Hiloshine's secrets to the Emperor, but he won't get anything."
"...Are you happy?"
"Yes, I am."
Renisha nodded slowly.
This cup of tea with Kassius was so leisurely, thanks to the smoothly progressing work.
Nothing was holding Renisha back.
“There won’t be many people left protecting Laxus. No, they’ve already begun the search for a new Emperor. Most of the nobles who smile in front of me have other thoughts on their minds. Find the new Hientri bloodline.”
“...”
“I have to defeat them, too, Kassius. Countless Hientri bloodlines will crawl up to the capital. We need the Hiloshine army to prepare for that time.”
“Renisha.”
“Yes.”
“Are you truly happy?”
Renisha’s eyes widened.
Kassius asked her, puzzled.
“I don’t know why you don’t look happy.”
Kassius sighed and kissed Renisha’s fingertips.
“May all my luck be on your side.”
Renisha placed a hand on her chest, feeling an inexplicable tingling sensation.
His heart pounded.
Henry glanced in Isabella's direction, then turned his head toward the voice.
Brick.
How could Henry not know that name?
After all, he had dedicated his life to the imperial palace.
He knew the pasts of every noble close to the royal family.
Henry held his breath.
"So, if I go to Hiloshine now, there's a way to make a living?"
"I don't know. But it's better than here, isn't it? It's just starting to develop. And I heard Lottera has returned."
"... Lottera?"
"As you know, when Lottera ruled Hiloshine, there weren't any valuable territories. Even though it was a wasteland, they brought in a lot of money. The special products from Hiloshine couldn't be sold here because they weren't available. Anyway, I think I'll go to Hiloshine with my family."
"Will that temporary lord accept you? That guy is named Brick. I don't know where he came from, but I hear he's very strict. Isn't Hiloshine under control right now?"
"...If not, I'll just lie down."
Henry exhaled.
Brick.
Brixton. How could he not know that name!
It was the name of Lottera's eldest grandson. He had a connection with Henry during his time as a young Prince.
Henry pursed his lips.
Even if he concealed his name with the nickname Brick, Henry couldn't help but know.
Brick, Lottera, Hiloshine, Renisha!
A little thought gave him the answer.
Brixton and Haylin had returned.
He didn't know how they had ended up in Hiloshine, but Henry felt he knew why they had to meet their fate.
Henry was a spy.
He could relay news from Hiloshine to the imperial palace at any time.
It must have been the work of those who didn't want Henry to know about Brixton and Haylin.
But he couldn't kill Henry, could he?
After all, Laxus was behind Henry.
In the end, as a last resort, they would have blinded Henry...
“Hahaha...”
Henry laughed.
He felt a burning heat.
Now that he knew all the secrets, venom filled his chest.
There was a limit to getting caught up in this damned political battle.
Henry’s gaze fell on the sleeping child.
Isabella was soundly sleeping with a gentle face.
He could harm that child right here.
His murderous intent surged.
However, if he did something like that, he might not be able to withstand Hiloshine’s fierce pursuit.
Hiloshine, Brixton, was never a man who missed his target. Didn’t he always win first place in hunting competitions?
Henry closed his eyes tightly and then opened them.
There was nothing he could do about it now. Henry...
Henry bowed his head toward Isabella.
The child’s characteristic milky scent stung Henry’s nose.
“Wait, Isabella. I’ll definitely throw your family into the abyss. Then crying won’t do any good.”
Henry slowly straightened up.
He raised his hand. The waiter approached Henry’s table.
“The child fell asleep first. I was just going to use the bathroom...”
Henry laughed awkwardly.
The waiter noticed Henry’s eyes weren’t focused.
He couldn’t see.
“I think we’ll need a servant.”
“I’ll do that.”
Henry waited quietly.
With his vision blurred, there was nothing he could do.
Not long after the waiter left, the servant arrived.
He looked large, as if he’d exerted himself.
From the silhouette he could see, he seemed quite tall.
The servant helped Henry to the bathroom.
As soon as Henry arrived, he called the servant over.
Leaning against the sink, Henry pulled a note he’d prepared from his pocket.
“Find me a carriage to get here.”
“Huh?”
Henry placed a heavy pouch of money in the child's palm.
"I have some faraway business to attend to. If you keep this a secret, I'll give you another pouch."
Henry waved another pouch filled with money.
The servant rolled his eyes.
For some reason, knights were swarming outside.
What an errand in such a situation.
Something loomed over him, but he couldn't resist the lure of money.
That money could easily feed him for a month.
The servant bowed his head.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon."
They would do anything for money.
Even if they couldn't afford a comfortable, luxurious carriage, they could probably find a cheap saddle carriage.
***
"Where did the old man go?"
Meteo asked the valet.
Isabella was asleep, head buried in her mouth, and the other side was empty.
"He went to the bathroom. He'll be back soon."
"Thank you."
Meteo nodded and took Henry's seat.
Fortunately, Isabella seemed unharmed.
Her head was down, which had made his heart sink.
Meteo adjusted the child's posture and leaned back in his chair.
He had followed the moment he heard that Henry and Isabella had gone out. Meteo was inspecting the weapons crafted in the blacksmith shop.
He had seen and felt much while traveling the continent.
His discernment was bound to be exceptional.
The weapons crafted in Hiloshine these days were of particularly high quality, but he still couldn't figure out what they were made of.
Unless Renisha wanted him to reveal it, Meteo would never know.
People were blindly loyal to Renisha.
He thought he knew why.
Renisha was secretive, dangerous, and all at the same time, cool.
Meteo rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at Isabella.
"What do you think your aunt is doing now?"
Meteo snickered. What is she doing with a sleeping child?
***
Henry narrowed his eyes.
Something seemed to be reflected in his unseen eyes.
Standing, supported by the errand boy, Henry asked,
"Is someone sitting where I was just now?"
"Yes. I don't know who, but a man is sitting there,"
Henry said without hesitation.
"I guess we'll have to postpone the greeting. Let's go out the back door. You said a carriage was waiting, didn't you?"
"Yes!"
The messenger helped Henry out through the back door.
Henry gave the boy two more pouches of money.
"This is the price for keeping the secret. If you break it, you will pay the price."
The boy's eyes widened at the ominous voice.
"The price?"
"Yes, the price. It's a terrible thing. Do you see my eyes? These eyes are the ones that paid the price. You could end up like me."
The boy trembled.
Henry closed the door after checking that the boy was pale.
This should have been a sufficient warning.
The carriage pulled away.
Only then did the stiffness leave his body.
Henry leaned his head against the carriage. The coachman swore loyalty to Henry, who had offered him a large sum.
It might rattle, but this carriage would safely transport Henry to the palace.
All Henry had prepared at the mansion were money, sleeping pills, and a note with the address of the palace.
With just that, he escaped. It must have been the price of his carelessness.
Hiloshine was focused on protecting the child.
He probably hadn't thought a blind man could do anything.
"Idiots,"
Henry muttered.
What was regrettable was that he hadn't been able to get Isabella into this carriage.
He had planned to calmly return and take the child... but that was too bad.
Henry slammed his fist into the carriage.
Still, he knew Brixton was alive.
Laxus must have planted more eyes than Henry, so he must have heard from Hiloshine.
Did Laxus know about Brixton?
Everyone who put Henry in this state will pay.
***
It had been a long time since Renisha had a day to relax.
All the urgent matters in the system had been taken care of.
Now, all that was left was to wait and see how things would turn out.
Barbara returned to the canary.
Canary was attempting to cross the ocean, clinging to the hand of the Marquis of Danvers.
And the nobles of high society returned to Renisha.
Then, what about Lexus?
"Pfft."
Laxus was left alone, a solitary Emperor.
No one would follow him or consider him Emperor.
Tomorrow was going to be even busier than yesterday.
It was the day Renisha and Kassius were to move into their mansion.
Laxus would think he had prepared it with his own strength, with his own will.
[Prepare a new mansion in the capital.]
This was one of the orders Renisha had given to Turiel, Danvers, and the Chamberlain.
Initially, they had planned to repair and use the mansion.
However, it was too small and too exposed, making it difficult to do anything secretive.
They needed a grand, secretive, old mansion.
And a mansion that hid a secret.
Renisha carefully chose a mansion.
Even for Laxus, building a mansion in a few months was impossible, so they had no choice but to choose one and repair it.
Turiel relayed the mansion Renisha had chosen to Danvers, who then relayed it to the Chamberlain, who in turn relayed it to the Emperor.
"Shouldn't we get Renisha back? Are you going to leave Your Majesty's first wife out there like that? She needs a place to return to!"
She hadn't been quietly sitting in Hiloshine.
Renisha had been preparing for the future, one step at a time.
"Everything...is going smoothly."
Kassius stared at Renisha.
An unbecoming gloom settled over her face.
"I heard that weapons production in Hiloshine is picking up speed. Gale Calliot has revealed Hiloshine's secrets to the Emperor, but he won't get anything."
"...Are you happy?"
"Yes, I am."
Renisha nodded slowly.
This cup of tea with Kassius was so leisurely, thanks to the smoothly progressing work.
Nothing was holding Renisha back.
“There won’t be many people left protecting Laxus. No, they’ve already begun the search for a new Emperor. Most of the nobles who smile in front of me have other thoughts on their minds. Find the new Hientri bloodline.”
“...”
“I have to defeat them, too, Kassius. Countless Hientri bloodlines will crawl up to the capital. We need the Hiloshine army to prepare for that time.”
“Renisha.”
“Yes.”
“Are you truly happy?”
Renisha’s eyes widened.
Kassius asked her, puzzled.
“I don’t know why you don’t look happy.”
Kassius sighed and kissed Renisha’s fingertips.
“May all my luck be on your side.”
Renisha placed a hand on her chest, feeling an inexplicable tingling sensation.
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