Episode 76

Isn’t it better this way?

However, they seemed pleased, smiling triumphantly.

“They don’t know I’m the renowned genius of magic, Ishael.” 

The disguise magic was still functioning flawlessly.

I smirked and looked around.

Perhaps fearing an attack on the office, they had prepared various weapons.

I held a flail with sharp spikes and glared at them.

“Do you have time to chat?”

“…?!”

“First, spill the beans about your backers.”

“Uh, hehe!”

“Second, admit you’ll die if you resist.”

“Um, you see, we have a curse on us, so we can’t say much!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Well….”

“Then, start with what you can say.”

Ann and Hans hesitated for a long time before finally opening their mouths.

At that moment, Dylan whispered casually.

“They’re despicable swindlers. They might even try to deceive us, so I’ll prepare a necessary device.”

He took a small vial from his pocket and put it in their mouth.

With graceful and precise movements, Ann and Hans swallowed the potion, looking puzzled.

“What is this…?”

Dylan emphasized sternly, “If they don’t tell the truth, they will suffer terrible pain and die.”

“Hehe. Lies….”

“Try experimenting with the truth or lie.”

It was a chilling voice.

Not only Ann and Hans but even my complexion turned pale.

But I chuckled softly and said, “Just talk about your backers. Then I’ll release you.”

* * *

The person who hired them was Count Orléan.

The owner of the splendid Matap Tower, Count Orléan, harbored deep resentment against Ishael Odette.

Well, that’s understandable, since she ruined his wife’s life.

On the day of the hunt, Count Orléan’s wife’s actions were arbitrary, and it was determined that Count Orléan had nothing to do with it.

But his political life came to an end.

He had to hand over the Matap Tower, which he had been in charge of for a long time, to another family.

His territory was also at risk of being taken away, and his title as a count was on the verge of being confiscated.

Even though it was his wife’s arbitrary action, he was in a position where he would soon be thrown into prison for aiding and abetting.

Since he had already become a criminal, he made up his mind.

He would shatter Ishael Odette’s  life to pieces.

He secretly contacted the terrorist group, “Red Castle.”

There, he met Ann and Hans.

They were mid-level officers of the “Red Castle.”

They had antisocial personalities, knew black magic, and were geniuses in swindling.

“Did you conspire with Count Orléan to create a fake mine and prey on the residents?”

“Well…roughly.”

“They even impersonated me.”

“Well…we were told to ruin the territory economically and disgrace Ishael Odette.”

Ann and Hans exchanged glances and nodded.

The information they knew ended right here.

* * *

I teleported the members of the “Red Castle” and swindlers Ann and Hans to prison using teleportation magic. I also sent the report they had on Count Orléan.

However, I had a question.

“They said they were under a curse that prevents them from revealing information, so how can they talk about Count Orléan like this?”

Could it be that Count Orléan is not a significant piece of information?

Or maybe there’s another mastermind involved.

But now, it was up to the Emperor to figure it out.

I needed to properly examine the ledger created by Ann and Hans.

I looked at the ledger and murmured, “Well, they’ve put a spell on it, just as I thought.”

<ul>

      <???>R</???>

      <???>A</???>

      <???>H</???>

      <???>O</???>

  </ul>

“Fill in the squares here, it seems.”

“Squares?”

He looked at me seriously and repeated, “Yes, the squares.”

The word “squares” was so cute that I burst out laughing.

Dylan looked puzzled, tilting his head.

“Why does something so trivial look cute?”

I looked at him with doubt.

Even if someone else said that, it wouldn’t sound cute at all.

Especially when Claude says it, I’d want to give him a pat on the head!

Strangely, though Dylan had a somewhat cool expression and sharp features, he still looked cute.

I quickly lowered my gaze and murmured, “I’m not sure right now. I’ll think about it.”

I hurriedly flipped to the next page.

It was all blank pages without a break.

Was it a mistake to unfold the last page without thinking?

On the last page of the ledger, a blood-red magic circle was drawn.

As soon as I recognized the presence of the magic circle, a dark light shot out and quickly hit Dylan.

It must have been dark magic.

I quickly reached out and closed the book.

It was a bonus to put my hand on the book to purify the dirty dark magic.

Thankfully, the faint light that flowed out of my hand effortlessly dispelled the dark energy.

I trembled with my pale hand and opened the book again.

Thankfully, the dark aura had disappeared.

At that moment, Dylan lightly embraced my shoulders and asked, “Are you okay?”

I was fine.

In fact, he looked more tired.

His body, which was holding me, seemed to be overly heated.

I quickly reached out towards Dylan.

His breathing had been subtly uneven since yesterday when we entered and exited the disguised mine with dark magic. I could sense a slight fever from his body.

He looked fine, so I thought it was just tolerable.

But now…

The impact of the dark magic from the ledger seemed more severe now. 

“Are you okay, Dylan?”

His breathing was somewhat erratic, and his cheeks were flushed. Yes, it seemed about twice as difficult as the day the blue door opened.

“Dylan seems to be greatly affected by dark magic.” 

Both during the hunt and today. Could the secret he mentioned about revealing when the journey is over be related to dark magic? I felt like I was slowly getting to know more about him.

I firmly held Dylan’s hand and smiled brightly. 

“Do you trust me?”

Even if Dylan was under the influence of dark magic, I believed I could help him break free from it. He pressed his forehead against my cheek with a boiling sound. 

“Yes, I’m fine now.”

“Thank goodness!”

“You truly are my savior, Ishael. But…”

Was his fever transferring to my cheeks? My heart raced with anticipation. I reached up and held his cheeks in my hands.

“Are you still feeling unwell?”

His red eyes gazed at me. The liveliness returned to his cheeks, but the look in his eyes was as pained as a truly suffering person. It seemed the negative effects of the dark magic were gradually fading.

“Yes.”

“That’s an excuse.”

Dylan’s eyelids trembled slightly as he stared at me. With reddened cheeks, he honestly confessed, “Yes, it’s actually an excuse. I lied because I wanted to be closer to you, Ishael.”

Dylan became so honest that I was taken aback. The current him seemed like a chariot named Desire, awakening for the first time to desire.

“Don’t stop here!”

…I thought, but he gazed tenderly at me and whispered, “Today is also our honeymoon, you held my hand, and you even cooked delicious food for me…”

He murmured lightly, “I thought you would understand if I lied just this once.”

With just one trembling voice from him, all my defenses were disarmed.

“…You’re too honest.”

In other words…

“I understand. I now know that you’re sensitive to dark magic, Dylan.”

“…”

“From now on, the capable me will protect you!”

Dylan stiffened as if hearing this for the first time. Well, who else could protect a strong person like him?

Wait a moment.

His pride as a knight might have been slightly hurt.

The moment I thought that, a natural and bright smile spread across his face.

“Then I…”

“Yes?”

“I’ll just stay by your side like this.”

Looking into his red eyes, I took a deep breath.

After that, I whispered softly.

“…If you wish.”

He murmured as if emphasizing it softly.

“Understood. I won’t leave your side.”