Chapter 185

In an instant, the air in the hallway turned icy. The agreement had been established to recognize the North’s independence in exchange for protecting the Central from monsters. Now that they had gained independence, they could not interfere in Central matters, and any dealings with Central nobles had to be left to Emperor Remus’s judgment.

However, with Raygrain’s sword piercing through the shoulder of Annabelle, a Central noble, the agreement had already been shattered beyond repair.

“Y-Your Grace,” Zero stammered, bewildered, lacing his voice, but no one responded.

Raygrain, having made his announcement, effortlessly lifted Scheuer into his arms and moved forward without hesitation.

“Jess, we’re returning to the North.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Jess replied.

He scanned the scene of devastation, taking in the chaos and bloodshed surrounding them. As he caught Zero’s gaze, he nodded slightly, aware of the weight of their situation, and followed Raygrain without hesitation.

It was a moment tinged with finality, knowing he wouldn’t see Zero for some time. And thus, on the day the monsters crossed into the Central, the pact between the North and Central was irrevocably broken.

***

When returning to the North, no one came to see them off, unlike when they arrived in the Central. Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule.

“See? I knew it was a good idea to go to the North! I may not know much, but I’m confident in my ability to hit and run.”

The third tablet said it would guide the path of light. In the temple, this was interpreted as the path of someone with divine power, meaning it was the path of the temple. Thanks to this, High Priest Sevi seemed quite pleased to officially visit the North. Standing in front of the portal to the north, Scheuer quietly surveyed the anxious surroundings.

Everyone was barely hiding their unease. The breaking of the agreement with the North meant that there would no longer be protection from monsters for the Central from Blenga. There were a few knights who had seen firsthand that monsters could cross into the Central at any moment.

Moreover, with healing flowers only found in the North, if monsters invaded the Central, it would be as good as a death sentence. Amidst this, the fact that High Priest Sevi was heading to the North was hardly reassuring.

“Ha, it’s a crime that the gods love me too much. Being pretty is a crime.”

No one had the courage to tell him as he arrogantly tossed his hair in front of the portal. Koa simply bowed his head, filled with regret, instead of responding. Seeing Koa looking like a sinner, High Priest Sevi shouted,

“How about it? If you come with me, you’ll be safe too. Koa, aren’t you grateful? ”

“Yes.”

“Your answer is too short; it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Yeeees, High Priest Sevi.”

Seemingly displeased with her long answer, High Priest Sevi’s attention shifted to Scheuer, who was nestled in Raygrain’s arms.

“Did you break a leg or something? I haven’t seen you touch the ground since earlier.”

Embarrassed, she tightly grasped Raygrain’s shoulder and said,

“See, Your Grace? I’m perfectly fine! ”

But he ignored her and continued walking resolutely toward the portal.

However, he continued to walk toward the portal, ignoring her. The paralysis poison that Annabelle had unleashed was long gone, but Raygrain’s worries showed no signs of abating.

“I’ll show you to Leilda when we get back. Even in this state, you’re skilled.”

At his words, High Priest Sevi feigned surprise, as if she had heard something unbelievable. 

“Why would you show anyone when we have the one and only guaranteed divine power loved by Lapel here?”

It was as if Raygrain had intentionally provoked him, responding quickly as he headed toward the north. Upon arriving in Blenga through the portal, the first thing that greeted them was a letter from the royal family.

“From His Majesty Emperor.”

In a rush, the Emperor’s direct aide had come to the entrance using a transport stone, a privilege usually reserved for diplomatic matters. With the pact broken, no one could step foot in the mansion without Raygrain’s permission, leaving the aide to brave the biting cold of the North as snowflakes clung to his hair.

Once the main gate was opened, it revealed a warm garden thanks to the temperature control stones, making the contrast quite remarkable.

High Priest Sevi leaned forward to peek at the aide.

“Oh, is that ice? ”
The aide’s face showed a hint of anticipation at High Priest Sevi’s curious gaze. However, High Priest Sevi simply turned away and strode confidently toward the garden.

“Warmth is definitely the best. They say it’s dangerous outside the blanket.”

Koa bowed his head in apology and hurriedly followed him. Raygrain, from the beginning, seemed to have no interest, not even glancing their way. Scheuer shook his shoulder and asked,

“Can’t we just receive the letter? ”

“No need to.”

“Can’t we at least look at it? ”

She locked eyes with him. His stiff gaze conveyed his firm resolve. In truth, she was curious about the Emperor’s stance. She wanted to know if he was aware of the situation involving his son Silcar and how he planned to handle Lady Annabelle. The more comparable cards one had, the better.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Scheuer stretched her body while still nestled in his arms. Suddenly twisting her body, Raygrain’s arm quickly supported her back.

Taking advantage of that moment, Scheuer reached her arm toward the iron bars of the main gate. Realizing this, the imperial aide hurriedly shoved the letter through the bars with trembling hands.

Before Raygrain could lift her up, Scheuer had already snatched the cold letter. Worried he might take it from her, she quickly tore open the seal. Inside was a message that seemed hastily written, along with a seal confirming it was from the Emperor.

I’ve heard about the breaking of the agreement.

I deeply regret to hear that the Central people attempted to harm the Duchess. I sincerely apologize. Today, at the request of Duke Litton, I approved the divorce. [After revoking her title, I will promptly proceed with the Central’s procedures to hold her accountable, so do not worry.]

The Emperor handled the situation quite swiftly for someone who received the news late. After approving the divorce and revoking her title, Annabelle was now in a situation where she belonged neither to the North nor the Central.

This meant that if Raygrain were to harm Annabelle, it wouldn’t be considered an offense against the Central, thus not violating the agreement. It was a loophole that could be exploited if one wanted to argue.

No matter how much of an emperor he was, he couldn’t completely ignore a documented agreement, so it seemed he created a workaround.

‘The Emperor seems willing to uphold the agreement.’

The imperial aide waited for Scheuer’s response, perhaps hoping for a slim chance. But she folded the letter and pointed toward the Duke’s residence.

“See, I really just looked at it. Now let’s go! ”

“Right. Showing it to Leilda is the priority.”

“Okay!”

The royal aide could only lower his head in disappointment, witnessing that Scheuer had truly only glanced at the letter as she had claimed.

“What on earth happened, Silcaro? ”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

The heavy voice of the Emperor settled in the audience chamber. Though he was of an advanced age, his sharp eyes still reprimanded Silcaro.

“The Walker Imperial Family is supposed to act as mediators. How could you have acted in a way that angered the North? ”

Silcaro could only lower his head, unable to speak. He had neither given the black magic stone to Annabelle nor asked the North to convey the proposal to destroy the Netrigar.

‘Where did she steal the black magic stone from?’

As he pondered, it seemed she must have taken it from his pile of clothes while he slept at the villa. It was his mistake. Somehow, things have been going too well lately.

As the silence lingered, the Emperor barely suppressed his anger and continued speaking.

“I’ve heard that the third tablet is drawing monsters to the Central. What do you think will happen to the Central without the North? ”

“Sir Zeros is there, and there are quite a few knights from the North in the Central. We should call them first and discuss countermeasures with the Imperial Knights.”

“Do you think that will be enough to overcome Blenga’s power? ”

“……”

Power. That damned power!

In the face of such overwhelming strength, the skills Silcaro had painstakingly built up were of no use. He gritted his teeth, lowering his head so Emperor wouldn’t notice his discomfort.

The Emperor, looking troubled, pressed his temples as if he had a headache and sighed heavily.

“Fine. Until we can negotiate with the North again, we must prepare as best we can. I hear you showed considerable skill during the hunt today.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll leave this to you.”

“Understood.”

Silcaro couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at the Emperor’s reluctant facade as he passed responsibility to him.

After bowing, Silcaro left the audience chamber, his footsteps filled with pent-up anger. He headed straight to the underground prison without hesitation.

For some reason, the knights who should have been on guard were nowhere to be seen.

‘Has someone visited?’

As he cautiously entered, trying to conceal his presence, he heard the voices of Duke Litton and his son.

“Mother. I’ve come to see you one last time.”

The son’s voice trembled softly. He seemed to be holding back tears. How ironic that someone who abandoned their family would seek out their mother. Has his father ever given him a word of praise?

Only the burdens of duty and responsibility were laid solely upon him. Soon, Duke Litton’s voice echoed through the underground prison.

“Annabelle, your divorce has been approved today.”

“Really?”

Annabelle’s bright voice, which had been silent until now, rang out. Duke Litton calmly watched her, wrapping his arm around his son’s shoulder as he spoke.

“The Emperor will not spare you. Is that still alright? ”

“Who says I’m going to die? ”

“You’ll know when you see.”

“As soon as I’m released, I won’t forget how you humiliated me in front of so many people.”

At Annabelle’s bold outcry, Duke Litton turned his head away. Perhaps it was too hard to bear; he simply led his son out of the prison.

After confirming that Duke Litton had completely disappeared, Silcaro entered. Upon seeing Annabelle, who was wrapped in cloth around her shoulders, she immediately stood up.

“Your Highness! What will happen to me now? You will spare me, right? ”

“Why did you say such things to the North, Annabelle? ”

At Silcaro’s gentle voice, she seemed relieved and burst into tears.

“I just hoped you could escape from Erina a little faster. How do you think I feel having to see you with that woman all the time?”

“But I told you to wait.”

“I’m sorry. I thought it was a perfect plan.

“Sorry?”

Silcaro quietly repeated her words. Annabelle nodded vigorously.

“Of course. Now that the divorce is finalized, I hear Erina was quite injured during the hunt. She must have lost the knights’ trust. If you use that as an excuse to break off the engagement…

Despite her shoulder injury and the pain it surely caused, her face was alight with hope. Meeting her gaze, Silcaro smiled broadly, taking in her enthusiasm.

“I’m sorry too, Annabelle.”

Before her words could finish, Silcaro’s sharp blade pierced through her chest. Bright crimson droplets splattered across Silcaro’s once pristine face. His expression, previously smiling, now turned cold as he stared at Annabelle.

Her eyes, disbelieving, fluttered as she fell to the icy ground. Unable to even scream from the pain, Annabelle gasped out, her body twisting before collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut.

Silcaro lightly prodded her lifeless form with the tip of his sword. There was no response. He meticulously confirmed her breathing before retrieving a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blood from his blade.

Then he rubbed the blood splatter on his own face with his hand and answered her silently.

“If you knew it was wrong, you shouldn’t have done it.”

Her life had already been forfeit.

He understood his father, Emperor Remos, better than anyone.

“If you had kept your mouth shut, you wouldn’t have died so soon, Annabelle.”

Indeed, she should have been more cautious.

Leaving her behind, Silcaro left the prison.

“Man, after all, is stupid, phenomenally stupid.” – Dostoyevsky