(200) Reunion (1)
A man who had ridden on horseback stopped in front of Martina. He jumped off his horse, flinched in surprise at the sight of Ariana, and then approached Martina and whispered something.
Martina's face, which had been smiling like a winner the whole time, suddenly contorted. Martina glared at Ariana while muttering curses.
Ariana smiled sweetly.
"It looks like things didn't go as planned."
Martina strode over and kicked Ariana in the stomach. Glaring at the coughing Ariana, Martina spoke.
“I thought I only had to deal with the Northern Lord, but it seems your old man was stronger than I thought. I guess they say a lion is still a lion, even if it’s all old and toothless?”
As if her anger had not subsided, Martina kicked Ariana once more. Trampling on Ariana, who had collapsed from the force, Martina spoke to her fellow creatures.
“Let’s hurry. Western Lord must be almost at the East by now. We will join forces with our party from the northeast and attack the North directly.”
Ariana was blindfolded again and put in a vehicle somewhere.
She finally realized their plan.
The intention is to cause turmoil in the Empire while simultaneously attacking the Eastern and Northern Territories.
'Western Lord intended to have Victoria poison the Crown Prince and implicate the East in the scheme. It must have been the Western Lord's doing that her father left the East to resolve matters in the Northeast. That is why Grandfather had to come to the Empire himself to solve their problem.'
The members of the White family were currently scattered far and wide.
Western Lord would have wanted it to turn out exactly like this.
'Did Father return to the East after settling the affairs in the northeast? Or is he somewhere else?'
Lord Rodian Oblen was always second in command from the very beginning.
Rodian was born as the eldest son, but he was constantly compared to the second son, who had a good personality and talent.
If the second son had not died at the opportune moment, he would never have been able to sit on the throne of the Western Lord. His parents did not know until the day they passed away that the reason their healthy second son died was due to poisoned tea secretly smuggled in by the eldest son.
Even after safely ascending to the throne as a feudal lord, nothing changed. The former Emperor cherished the Eastern Territory and trusted Theodore, the then-feudal lord of the Eastern Territory, like family, leaving no room for Rodian to infiltrate.
Rodian's inferiority complex, stemming from being compared to others since childhood, turned into a desire to dominate this continent.
He had no intention of stepping forward. After all, even if he sat at the highest point, he would only be compared when someone better appeared.
What Western Lord wanted was the shadow of the strongest. He desired that position—one that is unseen, yet allows him to exert influence.
“I can finally see the East.”
At the sound of Brussels Crown, the current King of Paganus, speaking, Lord Rodian of the West raised his head and gazed at the high wall visible in the distance.
After driving for several days, they arrived at Taravan City, a border region of the Eastern Capital.
Having ridden a horse for a long time with his aging body, his whole body ached, and he felt like he would collapse at any moment, but he did not show it and spoke.
"Our alliance will now shine."
Lord Rodian had no intention of personally going to the battlefield.
He planned to hide in a suitable place, issue instructions, and observe the situation as it unfolded, then emerge at the end of the war to bring together the people in confusion.
However, Paganus's current King, Brussels, was very suspicious.
Lord Rodian of the West firmly stated that there would be no war if he did not accompany them.
Western Lord had no choice but to come here with Brussels.
Brussels said.
“If things had gone according to Western Lord’s plan, the Empire would be in chaos by now.”
“At the very least, it seems they won’t be able to send reinforcements for the East.”
Western Lord smiled wryly.
The East was always a thorn in the side. Although the current Emperor suspected the East, he could not stop relying on them.
People thought that the Northern Territory, where magical powers remained, was the strongest, but in reality, the place with the most outstanding military power was the Eastern Territory.
Perhaps because they lived in a place with good weather, the people of the East possessed strong physiques from birth and mastered martial arts quickly. Due to the favorable climate, animals and plants thrived, making them even wealthier.
How could the North, living in a barren land, possibly defeat the East?
If they could not overthrow the Eastern Territory, they could not possess the Empire.
The Western Lord sent Victoria to the Empire for this war, instigated the assassination of the Crown Prince, and caused an incident in the northeast of the Eastern Territory to force the Eastern Lord to vacate the territory.
He involved the East in the assassination of the Crown Prince to make Theodore absent, and maintained a good relationship with the current King Paganus to coax him into starting a war.
It was clear that the East could not have anticipated that the Paganus would attack with all their might.
Nevertheless, he was anxious.
'If only I had a little more time...'
He should have proceeded after shaking the East up and rooting them from the inside, but there wasn't time for that. Having suffered a major blow from the perfume incident and lost the trust of the Emperor as well, he could not afford to be complacent.
He had an ominous premonition that an invisible hand was dragging the West down the path of destruction, so he had no choice but to act hastily.
'But.'
Western Lord looked back.
Thousands of soldiers were following behind.
The Paganus who ate the beast's heart. And the soldiers were secretly raised by the Western Lord.
They will do their part.
'That’s not the end of it.'
There were also soldiers remaining in the northeast.
As soon as they join forces with the Paganus, who have been causing trouble in the Empire, they will come over here and lend their strength.
'So...'
Western Lord glared at the fortifications of the East, which looked incredibly high and solid.
'It's over for the East now, too.'
Carradine White, the former consort of the Eastern Lord, was in Taravan City.
Margrave Fuchion, who guards the city of Taravan, reported to Caradin.
"I hear that a dust storm is rising in the north. It seems likely that what you were worried about will come to pass."
There was something Theodore had told Carradine before heading to the Empire.
"Russell is away, and so am I. Something feels off. So, would you go to Taravan and keep an eye on it? If any problems arise, just make sure the barrier doesn't collapse."
Carradine muttered, recalling Theodore's worried expression.
"The peace on this continent has indeed lasted too long."
"Do you attack first?"
“No, my ancestors instructed me to guard the wall so that it does not collapse. I will go in the direction of guarding it to prevent innocent casualties.”
The eyes of the old woman, who had spent her entire life on the battlefield, shone coldly.
Cyrus felt like he was going to go crazy. Literally, he felt like he was going to go insane and die.
He felt as if his insides were burning black and twisting. It felt even more dizzying than when he was fighting the elephant, and he just wanted to lose his mind.
It has already been five days since the imperial palace collapsed.
Cyrus and Theodore set out to find Ariana immediately after the fight ended, and later, knights who had recovered were also mobilized to search for her, but no trace of her could be found anywhere.
Ariana disappeared as if she had sunk into the ground.
Everything went dark.
He knows that falling into confusion solves nothing. Because he knows this well, he has never lost his composure, no matter what problem he has faced until now.
But he couldn't do that now.
“Ariana... where on earth did you disappear to...?”
A hoarse voice came out from between parched lips.
After searching the vast mountains thoroughly but being unable to find Ariana, he had entered the path leading to the East.
If it were Ariana, there was no way she would have left no trace. She would have left a recognizable mark for anyone looking for her.
The fact that he can't find even a single one of those things... maybe...
"Cyrus."
Theodore, who was running with Cyrus, called out in a calm voice. Cyrus turned to look at Theodore with bloodshot eyes.
“Don’t worry, Ariana is probably still alive.”
“How... how can you be so sure?”
“I heard that a girl named Victoria disliked Ariana so much.”
While searching for Ariana, Cyrus told Theodore everything that had happened, except for the part where Ariana died and came back to life.
“Victoria must have felt inferior to Helena. She likely suppressed that inferiority complex by tormenting Ariana, who was inferior to her. Now that Ariana is in a better situation than Victoria and has even caused her great pain... Victoria wouldn't want Ariana to die easily.”
Two days ago, he received a report from the knights who had toured the Imperial Palace.
Rachel, Jacob, and Royal Consort Aelra died, but the bodies of Victoria and Harold could not be found.
“Victoria must have fully recovered by eating even the heart of a Paganus or a reptile. Now that she has been given a second chance, what would be the first thing Victoria wants to do?”
Cyrus was not thinking.
You ask what Victoria wants to do first? Victoria has always wanted the position of Empress. She would do anything to become Empress.
"The way I see it, it looks like she would want to grab Ariana first and inflict as much pain on her as she was tortured."
Cyrus's heart sank at the word "torture."
Theodore remained unwavering even as he spoke of the possibility that his granddaughter might be tortured. It was not because he did not love her. It was because he knew that wavering and suffering would not make things any better.
Moreover, because Cyrus was wavering so much, Theodore was actually able to keep his wits about him.
“Cyrus. Ariana must be where Victoria is. So give it some thought. Where could Victoria—the Western Lord’s useful granddaughter—be by now?”
Cyrus squeezed his eyes shut.
He understood Theodore's intention in asking him that question. He wanted him to break free from confusion, think, and act.
So let's think about it. Where is Victoria?
“Disaster has struck the Empire. The Imperial Palace has collapsed, and soldiers have been trampled to the ground. Even if the Eastern or Northern territories are in crisis and ask for help, the Empire will not be able to send aid.”
"Yes."
“The Western Lord is most concerned about the Eastern Territories. He might be attacking them right now. Victoria is likely over there. After all, she must be used as a pawn to aid the Western Lord should he ever be in danger.”
The confusion cleared from the red eyes. The coldness that had been oozing out of uncontrollable restraint vanished.
Cyrus composed his expression and spoke.
"Let's go to the East."
There was an encampment with quite a few military tents set up in the wide area below the ridge. Martina and her party entered it.
Ariana listened intently as the vehicle suddenly stopped and the voices of the people grew louder.
“What happened?”
“We succeeded in destroying the imperial palace and killing the Emperor.”
"Ooooo!"
"Karuto's kids are dead."
“What? That’s ridiculous. There was an elephant, and yet it died?”
“Even the old man from the East has joined forces. Ha, I didn't know a senile old man like him could still wield a sword. Oh my, Princess.”
Ariana felt a chill run down her spine at Martina's voice.
However, she stood quietly without showing any signs of nervousness.
"Is that it?"
A voice she could not forget, even in her dreams, was heard.
The sound of footsteps from her memory approached Ariana.
Ariana gently closed and opened her eyes in the darkness. Soon, the veil came off, and the piercing sunlight stung her eyes.
Although her eyes ached as if they were on fire, Ariana stared quietly at the other person without even frowning. The other person's face formed clearly in her blurry vision.
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“You didn’t know we’d meet again, Ariana?”
A man who had ridden on horseback stopped in front of Martina. He jumped off his horse, flinched in surprise at the sight of Ariana, and then approached Martina and whispered something.
Martina's face, which had been smiling like a winner the whole time, suddenly contorted. Martina glared at Ariana while muttering curses.
Ariana smiled sweetly.
"It looks like things didn't go as planned."
Martina strode over and kicked Ariana in the stomach. Glaring at the coughing Ariana, Martina spoke.
“I thought I only had to deal with the Northern Lord, but it seems your old man was stronger than I thought. I guess they say a lion is still a lion, even if it’s all old and toothless?”
As if her anger had not subsided, Martina kicked Ariana once more. Trampling on Ariana, who had collapsed from the force, Martina spoke to her fellow creatures.
“Let’s hurry. Western Lord must be almost at the East by now. We will join forces with our party from the northeast and attack the North directly.”
Ariana was blindfolded again and put in a vehicle somewhere.
She finally realized their plan.
The intention is to cause turmoil in the Empire while simultaneously attacking the Eastern and Northern Territories.
'Western Lord intended to have Victoria poison the Crown Prince and implicate the East in the scheme. It must have been the Western Lord's doing that her father left the East to resolve matters in the Northeast. That is why Grandfather had to come to the Empire himself to solve their problem.'
The members of the White family were currently scattered far and wide.
Western Lord would have wanted it to turn out exactly like this.
'Did Father return to the East after settling the affairs in the northeast? Or is he somewhere else?'
***
Lord Rodian Oblen was always second in command from the very beginning.
Rodian was born as the eldest son, but he was constantly compared to the second son, who had a good personality and talent.
If the second son had not died at the opportune moment, he would never have been able to sit on the throne of the Western Lord. His parents did not know until the day they passed away that the reason their healthy second son died was due to poisoned tea secretly smuggled in by the eldest son.
Even after safely ascending to the throne as a feudal lord, nothing changed. The former Emperor cherished the Eastern Territory and trusted Theodore, the then-feudal lord of the Eastern Territory, like family, leaving no room for Rodian to infiltrate.
Rodian's inferiority complex, stemming from being compared to others since childhood, turned into a desire to dominate this continent.
He had no intention of stepping forward. After all, even if he sat at the highest point, he would only be compared when someone better appeared.
What Western Lord wanted was the shadow of the strongest. He desired that position—one that is unseen, yet allows him to exert influence.
“I can finally see the East.”
At the sound of Brussels Crown, the current King of Paganus, speaking, Lord Rodian of the West raised his head and gazed at the high wall visible in the distance.
After driving for several days, they arrived at Taravan City, a border region of the Eastern Capital.
Having ridden a horse for a long time with his aging body, his whole body ached, and he felt like he would collapse at any moment, but he did not show it and spoke.
"Our alliance will now shine."
Lord Rodian had no intention of personally going to the battlefield.
He planned to hide in a suitable place, issue instructions, and observe the situation as it unfolded, then emerge at the end of the war to bring together the people in confusion.
However, Paganus's current King, Brussels, was very suspicious.
Lord Rodian of the West firmly stated that there would be no war if he did not accompany them.
Western Lord had no choice but to come here with Brussels.
Brussels said.
“If things had gone according to Western Lord’s plan, the Empire would be in chaos by now.”
“At the very least, it seems they won’t be able to send reinforcements for the East.”
Western Lord smiled wryly.
The East was always a thorn in the side. Although the current Emperor suspected the East, he could not stop relying on them.
People thought that the Northern Territory, where magical powers remained, was the strongest, but in reality, the place with the most outstanding military power was the Eastern Territory.
Perhaps because they lived in a place with good weather, the people of the East possessed strong physiques from birth and mastered martial arts quickly. Due to the favorable climate, animals and plants thrived, making them even wealthier.
How could the North, living in a barren land, possibly defeat the East?
If they could not overthrow the Eastern Territory, they could not possess the Empire.
The Western Lord sent Victoria to the Empire for this war, instigated the assassination of the Crown Prince, and caused an incident in the northeast of the Eastern Territory to force the Eastern Lord to vacate the territory.
He involved the East in the assassination of the Crown Prince to make Theodore absent, and maintained a good relationship with the current King Paganus to coax him into starting a war.
It was clear that the East could not have anticipated that the Paganus would attack with all their might.
Nevertheless, he was anxious.
'If only I had a little more time...'
He should have proceeded after shaking the East up and rooting them from the inside, but there wasn't time for that. Having suffered a major blow from the perfume incident and lost the trust of the Emperor as well, he could not afford to be complacent.
He had an ominous premonition that an invisible hand was dragging the West down the path of destruction, so he had no choice but to act hastily.
'But.'
Western Lord looked back.
Thousands of soldiers were following behind.
The Paganus who ate the beast's heart. And the soldiers were secretly raised by the Western Lord.
They will do their part.
'That’s not the end of it.'
There were also soldiers remaining in the northeast.
As soon as they join forces with the Paganus, who have been causing trouble in the Empire, they will come over here and lend their strength.
'So...'
Western Lord glared at the fortifications of the East, which looked incredibly high and solid.
'It's over for the East now, too.'
***
Carradine White, the former consort of the Eastern Lord, was in Taravan City.
Margrave Fuchion, who guards the city of Taravan, reported to Caradin.
"I hear that a dust storm is rising in the north. It seems likely that what you were worried about will come to pass."
There was something Theodore had told Carradine before heading to the Empire.
"Russell is away, and so am I. Something feels off. So, would you go to Taravan and keep an eye on it? If any problems arise, just make sure the barrier doesn't collapse."
Carradine muttered, recalling Theodore's worried expression.
"The peace on this continent has indeed lasted too long."
"Do you attack first?"
“No, my ancestors instructed me to guard the wall so that it does not collapse. I will go in the direction of guarding it to prevent innocent casualties.”
The eyes of the old woman, who had spent her entire life on the battlefield, shone coldly.
“But if their strength is weak, they will have to bear the full force of our swords.”
***
Cyrus felt like he was going to go crazy. Literally, he felt like he was going to go insane and die.
He felt as if his insides were burning black and twisting. It felt even more dizzying than when he was fighting the elephant, and he just wanted to lose his mind.
It has already been five days since the imperial palace collapsed.
Cyrus and Theodore set out to find Ariana immediately after the fight ended, and later, knights who had recovered were also mobilized to search for her, but no trace of her could be found anywhere.
Ariana disappeared as if she had sunk into the ground.
Everything went dark.
He knows that falling into confusion solves nothing. Because he knows this well, he has never lost his composure, no matter what problem he has faced until now.
But he couldn't do that now.
“Ariana... where on earth did you disappear to...?”
A hoarse voice came out from between parched lips.
After searching the vast mountains thoroughly but being unable to find Ariana, he had entered the path leading to the East.
If it were Ariana, there was no way she would have left no trace. She would have left a recognizable mark for anyone looking for her.
The fact that he can't find even a single one of those things... maybe...
"Cyrus."
Theodore, who was running with Cyrus, called out in a calm voice. Cyrus turned to look at Theodore with bloodshot eyes.
“Don’t worry, Ariana is probably still alive.”
“How... how can you be so sure?”
“I heard that a girl named Victoria disliked Ariana so much.”
While searching for Ariana, Cyrus told Theodore everything that had happened, except for the part where Ariana died and came back to life.
“Victoria must have felt inferior to Helena. She likely suppressed that inferiority complex by tormenting Ariana, who was inferior to her. Now that Ariana is in a better situation than Victoria and has even caused her great pain... Victoria wouldn't want Ariana to die easily.”
Two days ago, he received a report from the knights who had toured the Imperial Palace.
Rachel, Jacob, and Royal Consort Aelra died, but the bodies of Victoria and Harold could not be found.
“Victoria must have fully recovered by eating even the heart of a Paganus or a reptile. Now that she has been given a second chance, what would be the first thing Victoria wants to do?”
Cyrus was not thinking.
You ask what Victoria wants to do first? Victoria has always wanted the position of Empress. She would do anything to become Empress.
"The way I see it, it looks like she would want to grab Ariana first and inflict as much pain on her as she was tortured."
Cyrus's heart sank at the word "torture."
Theodore remained unwavering even as he spoke of the possibility that his granddaughter might be tortured. It was not because he did not love her. It was because he knew that wavering and suffering would not make things any better.
Moreover, because Cyrus was wavering so much, Theodore was actually able to keep his wits about him.
“Cyrus. Ariana must be where Victoria is. So give it some thought. Where could Victoria—the Western Lord’s useful granddaughter—be by now?”
Cyrus squeezed his eyes shut.
He understood Theodore's intention in asking him that question. He wanted him to break free from confusion, think, and act.
So let's think about it. Where is Victoria?
“Disaster has struck the Empire. The Imperial Palace has collapsed, and soldiers have been trampled to the ground. Even if the Eastern or Northern territories are in crisis and ask for help, the Empire will not be able to send aid.”
"Yes."
“The Western Lord is most concerned about the Eastern Territories. He might be attacking them right now. Victoria is likely over there. After all, she must be used as a pawn to aid the Western Lord should he ever be in danger.”
The confusion cleared from the red eyes. The coldness that had been oozing out of uncontrollable restraint vanished.
Cyrus composed his expression and spoke.
"Let's go to the East."
***
There was an encampment with quite a few military tents set up in the wide area below the ridge. Martina and her party entered it.
Ariana listened intently as the vehicle suddenly stopped and the voices of the people grew louder.
“What happened?”
“We succeeded in destroying the imperial palace and killing the Emperor.”
"Ooooo!"
"Karuto's kids are dead."
“What? That’s ridiculous. There was an elephant, and yet it died?”
“Even the old man from the East has joined forces. Ha, I didn't know a senile old man like him could still wield a sword. Oh my, Princess.”
Ariana felt a chill run down her spine at Martina's voice.
However, she stood quietly without showing any signs of nervousness.
"Is that it?"
A voice she could not forget, even in her dreams, was heard.
The sound of footsteps from her memory approached Ariana.
Ariana gently closed and opened her eyes in the darkness. Soon, the veil came off, and the piercing sunlight stung her eyes.
Although her eyes ached as if they were on fire, Ariana stared quietly at the other person without even frowning. The other person's face formed clearly in her blurry vision.
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“You didn’t know we’d meet again, Ariana?”
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