Water pooled on the basement floor, and the fuses helplessly sank into the water.
Was that all? As steam from the hot water pipe rushed in, the sturdy beeswax seal melted away futilely like candle wax.
The rope that had served as the wick hung limply, soaked in steam. The ice-iron dust inside the pillar clumped together in the moisture and poured onto the floor like lumps of muddy earth.
In the midst of the chaos, Les closed the basement door while holding Lou by the waist.
The eyes of the two people, who were gasping for breath, met.
“Wait a minute, you..."
Les looked down at her.
It was the first time they had faced each other at such a close distance.
Thick eyelashes, red lips, trembling slightly—why did I think of this face as just a boy all this time?
There was no way he wouldn't know. The soaked dress and the fallen wig were telling the truth.
The frail body held in his arms was clearly a woman's.
'Did you trick me? Since when, exactly?'
Peleus's mind was seething with confusion.
Lou was just as flustered. She hadn't expected such a sudden downpour when destroying the hot water pipes.
What was reflected in Les's blue eyes was disappointment and a sense of betrayal at having been deceived.
Even she, whose face had become thick-skinned to the point of being thick-skinned, could not easily utter a single word at this moment.
"Stop. I can explain. The deception I intended to—"
She was about to say it wasn't true, but she bit her lip.
'Why am I explaining this? As if I'm afraid this man will be disappointed in me.'
Lou couldn't understand it herself.
Can I even make an excuse? How much can I reveal to this person? Does doing so make the fact that I deceived him disappear?
Countless thoughts rushed into her mouth. It prevented me from uttering a single word.
"When the hell did you start~ ugh."
Les furrowed his brow in pain.
It was only then that Lou noticed his shoulder was unnaturally twisted.
He sustained an injury a little while ago while striking the hot water pipe with only his muscles to avoid being caught in the magic power detection trap.
If he hadn't saved her from the sudden downpour of hot water from the bursting pipes, she would have been in a terrible state.
"Did you just hear that sound?! It's a basement quirk!"
"It's not time yet. Who moved on their own accord before His Excellency even gave the order!"
At that moment, the sound of dozens of footsteps running down the stairs after hearing the loud noise rose up the basement ceiling.
"I'll explain it later."
Right now, getting out of the way was the priority.
Lou hurriedly scanned the surroundings and pointed to the basement ventilation shaft.
Les lifted Lou without hesitation. Lou pushed her body into the ventilation shaft first, and he followed suit, throwing himself into the narrow passage.
The two men crawled desperately up the ventilation shaft, where steam was rising terrifyingly, like beasts. Hot, humid air rushed deep inside, but they could not stop.
"Damn it, snap out of it, you bastards!"
Bam.
The heavy iron door of the basement swung open as if smashed, and soldiers burst in.
"It's an intruder! An intruder! Oh my god! What is all this?"
"Aaaah, noooo!"
However, what greeted them was nothing but thick white steam that made it impossible to see, and a muddy puddle of ice and iron powder that was stale and dirty.
***
At that time, the banquet hall of Osric Castle
The Governor of Barmia, whom everyone had been waiting for, finally appeared.
"Lord Osric, happy birthday. I wonder if it is a bit late."
Governor Lanz was tall and imposing, but he wore a smile the whole time, making him look like a great gentleman.
"I am Baron Azif. It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency."
Lord Osric, who was standing by the governor, snorted inwardly as he saw the men swarming in like clouds.
'Ha, this man may look like a gentleman on the outside. Do you think gold will just fall from the sky if you shake his hand? You have no idea how much you have to endure just as much.'
Let them experience the harsh realities, too.
Before the Governor-General, there were many people with other motives, in addition to those seeking to open up deals for concessions.
"They say he lost his wife at a young age and never remarried because of his deep affection for her."
"He is much younger and more handsome than I thought."
Even among the noblewomen with grown daughters, heightened glances were exchanged. Wasn't the Queen of a nation, even a small one, in a position twice as good as that of a noble lady from the frontier?
Just then, a beautiful young lady with rosy cheeks held out a box with a ribbon to Joachim.
"Our family would like to present this to Your Excellency."
It was a sweet courtship.
"You know the famous 'Legend of Saint Augustine' of the continent, don't you? That beautiful story where bestowing Saint Augustine's blessing upon lovers of the century makes them pledge eternal love."
Inside the box was an intricately carved music box.
"Where are the borders in love? I prepared this with the hope that the two nations of Valdina and Barmia will prosper just like a pair of lovers. Although it is a model based on the original in the Holy Kingdom, the jewels embedded inside are all real."
Diamond dust was sprinkled over the lover doll's clothes, and a sapphire symbolizing an unchanging heart was embedded on the winding mechanism at the back.
"Young Lady really put a lot of thought into this."
The Governor's eyes remained indifferent, but the corners of his mouth curved into a gentle arc.
"Therefore, though it may be presumptuous, I have the honor of dancing together."
The young Lady wanted to dance with the Governor-General, using the music box as an excuse, but her words were cut short as his subordinate hurriedly approached.
“Your Excellency, just a moment.”
Then, a subordinate whispered softly into the governor's ear.
"Hmm."
The governor nodded and asked for the understanding of those around him.
"I have received an urgent message from home, so I must leave for a moment."
"Oh, of course. As a member of the royal family, you must have many state affairs to attend to."
People chimed in in agreement. Those who had been vying for the seat next to the Governor, in particular, were inwardly relieved that the young lady who had just presented the music box would not be able to monopolize the opportunity, and they saw him off.
Before leaving the banquet hall, Joachim turned around for a moment.
"..."
Under the dazzling light of the chandeliers, the warm banquet hall, with the garden visible through the glass windows, was a peaceful paradise itself.
He twisted the corners of his mouth upward.
'Soon, we will witness the spectacular sight of this heaven shattering into pieces.'
His steps became much lighter.
"We have arranged for you to watch from the tower balcony. We will escort you."
His subordinate whispered, saying it was the perfect place to admire the magnificent view while remaining untouched by the aftermath of the explosion.
"Right. Tell the kids to start now, too—"
It was when he was taking a step.
Kur, bam~!
Just as he turned the corner in the hallway, a deafening roar rang out. It sounded like massive pressure bursting.
Joachim furrowed his brow deeply.
'I clearly told you to wait until my last breath.'
They had not yet completely left the banquet hall. The subordinates' faces turned deathly pale.
"Run! Get out of the way!"
"Your Excellency, be careful!"
Joachim squeezed his eyes shut and lay face down.
They tried to prepare for the aftermath of the explosion, but for some reason, nothing happened.
Instead, drip, drip, something cold brushed against Joachim's cheek.
"Huh...?"
He lifted his head. The hallway ceiling was becoming damp with moisture. The antique patterns were also staining, spreading into increasingly darker colors.
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened."
Just then, Barmia's soldiers rushed up from underground in a panic.
"Someone burst the hot water pipe. Due to the moisture, all the iron dust has become unusable!"
At that moment, Joachim's face contorted miserably.
***
Splash. Splash.
With every step he took, the sound of squelching water greeted Joachim.
Tuk, tuduk.
Clumps of dust clumped together on the ceiling and walls were falling thickly onto the floor, forming a mound of sand.
The explosion ended in failure.
Furthermore, those powders that had turned into trash were ice iron that Barmia had bought at a high price.
The spare containers, where the remaining ice and iron dust had been collected, had also been soaked in moisture and were unusable for a long time.
“Oh, Your Excellency!”
"There was an intruder in the basement. If we guard the basement, they will eliminate all of our Barmia Knights..."
Joachim rubbed his throbbing temples.
The guards in the basement were top-tier elite knights. And yet, they were defeated so helplessly?
Even if the opponent was an Aura Knight, it didn't make sense.
Are you saying even the magic detection trap was of no use?
"It, it looks like they burst the coffin without an aura."
Along with the subordinate's words, the cross-section of the horribly twisted hot water pipe came into view. It was a steel plate thick enough to make one sick of looking at it.
“Wow, crazy..."
Was this something that could be cut by human strength? Knight Barmia's face turned pale.
"Your, Your Excellency, what shall we do?"
"Blockade the island; no one can get out."
Until the intruder's throat is cut.
Joachim's voice sank low.
"Ha, if we blindly block the attendees of the banquet, we won't be able to handle the consequences..."
Slap.
"Stop talking nonsense and catch these rat bastards first!"
Joachim slapped the helpless subordinate across the face.
"It won't be too late to hand over the maps first and then occupy the castle."
Whether it was an explosion or a massacre, this seething rage had to be released first. Joachim's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
"Search immediately."
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