The Imperial Capital, Duke of Wassenberg's Manor.
Slap!
An enraged Edgar's hand slapped David's cheek hard.
Watching this, Diana let out a sigh.
'I knew this would happen.'
Because the summons deadline was tight, David had headed straight to his own territory the day he returned to the Imperial Capital from Belzer.
And today, as soon as he arrived at his private residence in the capital—having returned with his private soldiers from the territory to respond to the summons—he had to face his furious father.
"Why did you do something I wasn't even told to do!"
It was because David had killed Vania while on his way to check on Ryan.
That day, Diana thought David was lying on purpose to corner the Third Prince.
But.
'To think it was true. That my brother would do such a crazy thing...'
She never even dreamed of it.
The reason she thought David's words were obviously a lie was because Vania was a member of the Imperial Family.
"Do you know what you’ve done! You’ve made it impossible to even negotiate with the royal family!"
Father always maintained a certain distance in his relationship with the royal family. After all, they had to continue acting as puppets.
The reason the Emperor could no longer tolerate it and made a life-or-death decision this time was probably because of the attempt to build a medical cartel and wipe out the sick.
His father realized for sure this time that they shouldn't do things that are too hard for those endlessly weak people to endure.
They must also refrain from actions that cross the line they can handle or seem inappropriate.
David killing Vania, who had become a member of the royal family, is exactly that kind of act.
He even thought that the royal marriage between the Third Prince and Vania was a strategic move by the Imperial Family.
"Father, it looks like the Third Prince had a very close relationship with Vania. He lost his mind when you provoked him by implying that you killed her."
Diana couldn't believe that Vania was really dead, so she told her father the story.
The father, who had been feeling uneasy upon hearing those words, first questioned David upon his arrival about the truth of the incident and became enraged like this.
"Father told me to dig up what Ryan was hiding, didn't you? Killing her has become the most conclusive proof."
"Who would do that…!!!"
Diana sighed again as she watched her father and brother exchange.
Yeah, honestly, Father's decision to send David to Ryan was wrong from the start.
Hiding? Ryan? What?
Her father suspected that his supernatural ability might have manifested, even if belatedly...
'If that were the case, he would have returned home immediately. Why would he be suffering like a dog in that backwoods village?'
A fatal misjudgment uncharacteristic of a father who was always wise, and an overly hardline policy from an older brother who does not know how to set boundaries.
Those mistakes strangely intertwined to create this frustrating situation.
Father tried to make one last attempt to persuade the Emperor, but even that became difficult.
At that time.
“It’s been a while, everyone!”
Elliott, who had not yet sensed the tense atmosphere, appeared with a cheerful greeting.
As if belatedly sensing the strange atmosphere, he blinked his eyes and looked terrified.
"What's wrong with the atmosphere?"
“Richard...”
Edgar, clutching his throbbing forehead, slumped onto the sofa and asked.
“I’m the only one who came.”
"What?"
At Elliott's words, Edgar immediately glared at him with sharp eyes.
"The child's condition was really bad. I was worried he might pass out on the way, so I just left him there."
"Ha!"
Edgar let out a sharp sigh, trembled, and gritted his teeth. His face was flushed with fever.
"Father, are you angry? No, try to understand Richard's heart as he heads toward his true nature."
Elliott chirped.
"He had a seizure just at the mention of Christa's name, so he must have felt like he was going to hia death. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had fainted on the way. If things had been different, I would have brought him back."
"..."
Edgar felt troubled and simply ran his hand over his dry face.
Diana, who had been watching the whole situation unfold between the brothers, felt a bit uneasy for some reason.
Why?
David and Elliot...
His children, who had always acted like tongues in his mouth, were not moving according to their father's will, leaving him disoriented.
It felt as though everything was going slightly awry.
A subtle crack.
Like a creaking gear somewhere.
***
"By the way, can we really trust everything that guy Richard says?"
Ryan said, sounding uneasy.
"What if it's a trap that bastard set?"
Dressed in pitch-black assassin attire with a holster dangling from blades.
In the early evening under a bright moon, crouching in the distance while observing enemy movements, he looked just like a robber.
"Who are you speaking to? Do I have to answer?"
Kali, who was waiting beside Ryan, spoke.
"No, Bunny, and you don't have to answer. I'm just talking to myself. Save your voice."
Yes. I am now sharing her vision within Kali's shadow.
"I was a little suspicious from the start that he suddenly went to Elliott's estate to avoid his father's eyes."
Ryan kept talking about Richard. He seemed quite anxious.
"You’re saying he never even started from his true nature? And he even told us the exact time of the purification summons?"
Hmm.
Now that I put it like that, it really sounds like a trap.
"Actually, wasn't it discovered a while ago? What is the probability that it was a trap designed to lure us all in just as Father intended, after we got beaten to a pulp?"
"Even if the probability is 100%, we have to go in ourselves to verify whether it is a trap or not. And if it is a trap, we have to try again."
“Oh, right.”
Ryan grinned at Kali's clear answer.
Our family motto is 'Just dive in.' If you overthink, weigh the pros and cons, or doubt things, you could end up failing.
Therefore, we decided to stick to a consistent creed: drive it in, and if you drive it incorrectly, revert to try again.
From the moment there were as many as two holders of the <Poem of Regression>, the winner of the fight was actually predetermined.
"The time has come. Execute the infiltration."
Ryan and Kali stood up.
As soon as we infiltrate, we split up.
Ryan goes to track down the location of the superpowered individuals, and Kali and I go to find Christa, who might be isolated.
Father had clearly been turning the disabling function on and off lately for the purpose of educating the rebellious Christa.
If he does that, he might not have my sister, who possesses terrifying abilities, present at a meeting where all people with supernatural powers are gathered.
It was because of my concern.
Why is the security so tight?
Wassenberg Castle, built by slathering money on it.
It is hidden like a fortress behind towering walls, and there is only one entrance.
Moreover, since today was the day for all the family members and noble retainers to gather, private soldiers were swarming the single entrance and standing guard thoroughly.
'How on earth do they plan to infiltrate a place like that?'
I was worried for a moment, but physical work is not my field.
"How much money would it cost to hire all of them?"
As I got closer, I could see the blue epaulets on the shoulders of the soldiers' uniforms.
‘It’s as expected.'
They are all members of the Wassenberg [1st Infantry Corps], boasting exceptional skills.
In that case, the headcount must be thirty, including that bastard Private Commander.
'I should slit all their throats.'
The Blue Battlefield Medal is not worn by just anyone. It was a mark bestowed by Father himself, who strictly selected those who had long been loyal to the family.
In other words, the 1st Infantry Corps are the ones who know in detail about Wassenberg's insane behavior...
Nevertheless, they are people with a history of loyalty, unhesitating obedience to all kinds of orders, and taking charge of cleaning up the family's dirty work more than hundreds of times.
I found a familiar face among them.
Axis of evil!
Corps Commander, Yannis.
I have quite a bit of a grudge against that guy.
The day I went to support the subjugation for the first time after becoming an adult...
"...There are still more injured people over there."
"They are not our soldiers, so there is no need to treat them."
The person who tried to instill truly correct values in me when I knew nothing.
What would have happened if Kali hadn't encouraged me that day, telling me it was okay to act as I pleased?
Being naive, I might have nodded at that bastard Yannis's words.
Then Reiner, who had suffered a fatal injury back then, would have died, and I wouldn't have met Nike or become her lover.
'You son of a bitch!"
When I think about this and that, I...
'Uh?
At that moment, I sensed something strange.
'What?
Come to think of it, why am I looking at that bastard Yannis's face this close right now?
If they are really 'sneaking in,' are Ryan and Kali walking right in through the front door?
<The Mirror's Eye Telepathic Message Book>
[Dad, are you crazy? You said we were infiltrating! Just how far inside are you walking right now!]
"Huh?"
Upon hearing the telepathic message, Ryan gaped wide and wore a dumbfounded expression.
"Who is it?"
Yannis asked with a bewildered look as he spotted the two confidently entering the front gate, even though they didn't look like visitors at all.
Then.
<Instant Death>
The bodies of the 1st Division guarding the entrance collapsed in unison, except one.
All of them, silently.
They went to the other world in a flash, as if falling asleep.
"Isn't this supposed to be an infiltration?"
Ryan tilted his head and added.
"Belzer-style infiltration."
You, you're a crazy person~!!!
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment