★★60. Friction (1)★★
The emergence of demonic beasts did not cease even after the sun had set. It felt as if their numbers were swelling day by day, to such an extent that even Felix and Sylvia, who were mass-slaughtering them in large numbers, could not stop their incessant appearance.
“My Lord, at this rate, it seems impossible to even set up a tent.”
Hubert approached Felix to deliver the message. Felix, unable to take his eyes off Sylvia, who was freely moving in the distance using wind magic, responded.
“If this place is like this, the other areas must be no less difficult.”
“Still, wasn’t this place not originally known for frequent demonic beast appearances? How about we move for now?”
“Hmm…”
Wiping off his sweat casually, Felix pondered. Even though he, powered by the Black Dragon’s magic, did not tire, he was human and had physical limits.
That was the case for him, so he was worried about Sylvia, who was moving with a smaller body than his.
“It would be too much to move right now. We have to somehow make it through until morning.”
“Yes, understood!”
“Split the members into shifts for night watch and rest.”
“Yes, my Lord!”
At his command, Hubert quickly left the scene. Felix, with a subdued gaze, continued to follow Sylvia from a distance. He noticed a certain change in her demeanor but couldn’t make an accurate judgment.
Whether she was doing it because she disliked him.
Or because she thought it was unsafe around him.
Or even if she knew about the fact that he had imprinted on her.
Being a dimensional traveler, she might know it all, which only increased his anxiety. Lost in thought, Felix was approached by Henry.
“Your Majesty.”
“Mm.”
“Have you been completely cut off from news of the kingdom?”
“Yes.”
Felix agreed with a grimace. He had gathered some rumors, but there were limits. Henry simply nodded in response, not saying much more.
“It’s understandable. The fact that you have held out so far… the Duke would have…”
Henry hesitated for a moment then started to report with a more cautious expression.
“I received a report that the behavior of the Earl Lansmorris is very suspicious, and I was tasked by the Duke to look into it separately.”
“Lansmorris…”
Only then did Felix shift his gaze from Sylvia to directly look at Henry.
“Yes, the current… queen’s elder brother, promoted from a viscount to an earl.”
Listening to Henry’s words, Felix reminisced about the past. With a crooked smile, Felix asked.
“What is he plotting?”
“I haven’t been able to find out for sure, but I received information that he met with the crown prince of the Empire.”
“He met with the crown prince of the Corpora Empire?”
“Yes, that’s accurate information.”
“That’s really… whether it’s the elder brother or the sister…”
Felix thought of his stepmother, who had approached him kindly only to turn her back on him as soon as he became useless. The current Felix would have snorted, but the Felix of that time was young. He was more terrified of the specter of the dead king wandering the palace.
The information about the meeting with the crown prince of the Corpora Empire was very useful. Felix thought he should meet his uncle, Duke Sabelisa, as soon as possible.
And he resolved to capture the king of the demonic beasts and return to the kingdom as soon as possible to settle everything. Only then could he safely keep Sylvia in his arms.
His dark eyes, which had been diverted for a moment, naturally sought out Sylvia as the conversation ended.
Cutting through the quickly falling reddish sunlight, she was flying towards him. The rippling sunlight followed her like the wings of a fairy, so beautiful that he wanted to open his arms and hide her in his embrace.
Sylvia, who had gracefully landed, drew a gentle smile towards Felix.
“Shall we have a meal first? Sir Felix?”
Since it was awkward to call him Lord or Your Majesty, she had decided on a form of address herself. Those around them found it strange but accepted it as if it were the most natural thing. But Felix was different.
As if her words were an insult, he looked as though he had heard something unbearable. Like someone who had been betrayed, his expression froze and he stood still, which was noticed by Henry.
Henry quickly lowered his head with a shocked expression, slowly blinking. Felix’s gaze was too similar to the deceased king looking at the queen during his life, forcing Henry to press his lips together tightly. He remembered what his Lord, Duke Sabelisa, had said at the king’s funeral.
[I envy my brother because he inherited the royal blood more thickly… But now, my thoughts have changed. I’m glad I inherited less of the royal blood. I’m only telling you this, but that’s why I’m worried about my nephew. He has inherited even more of the royal blood than my brother.]
The madness that only the Capitis royal family inherited was already a well-known story among the nobles. Not only the deceased king but also previous members of the royal family had suddenly died due to madness.
Hoping what he had seen was wrong, Henry raised his head again. However, Felix’s expression was still distorted, intensely focusing only on Sylvia.
★★
After meeting Lucino and returning to the palace, Karl encountered his younger sister who had come out to meet him.
“Naomi.”
“Brother!”
Although she was a princess, being the youngest and the only daughter meant she was doted on, resulting in a bright and cheerful personality. However, her manners had not improved.
“Why did you come all the way here? And you ran again!”
“I was too curious to wait.”
Naomi, wrapping her arms around Karl’s arm and acting coy, couldn’t be scolded any further, and Karl just laughed.
“Nanny, I think we’ve spoiled Naomi too much… What do you think?”
He asked the nanny, who was anxiously pacing beside her, in a friendly manner.
“Prince, oh… It’s killing me too. I thought I served the princess with all my heart…”
The nanny, who had also taken care of Karl when he was young and understood his jest, had nothing to say after seeing Naomi running around in her dress without decorum.
“What were you so curious about?”
Karl asked as he gently flicked Naomi’s forehead, to which she pouted.
“It hurts, Brother! Ah, not that, did you meet Duke Visconti?”
“I did.”
“How did it go?”
Recently, Naomi’s greatest interest was in the benefactor who had protected the country. She was especially curious and admiring of the fact that it was a female mage. Therefore, she had been quite bothersome, following Karl around.
“Why aren’t you answering? Do you know her? If she’s a jewel mage, surely you know her, right?”
Karl, without giving any response and recalling the disappeared Duke Visconti for a moment, regained his senses with his sister pulling at his arm.
“It seems best to investigate this separately.”
“Why?”
Karl momentarily detached Naomi’s hand from his arm, placed it on his palm, and started walking again. With her brother by her side, she couldn’t act as freely as before and walked demurely, gazing at him. As they reached the palace, Karl released her hand and said,
“When I find out, I’ll tell you first. So, try to behave.”
“Pfft, you promised.”
Naomi responded with a pout, and Karl stroked her head once before moving on. His steps were much quicker than when he was with his sister, heading straight to his office. He first checked the documents laid out on his desk.
“Sylvia Arbor. It closely matches the description circulated by the Duke Visconti’s household…”
Moreover, they were the only ones who had left the fortress amidst that turmoil. Normally, if demonic beasts were trying to enter, going outside would be more dangerous, recognized by the fact that nobody would leave.
According to the gatekeeper, he had tried to stop them once. Despite that, they had rushed out as if fleeing.
“But a plant mage, not a jewel mage…”
Karl flipped through the documents with a puzzled look, slowly reading the report about the Croban mercenary group.
“Roy, is this information accurate?”
“Yes, a man named Ducran sold information about her to the mercenaries.”
“Can we trust him? How can you be sure?”
“She had previously received work through that place. It seems he circulated the information based on the records left from that time. Of course…”
“Of course?”
Karl looked at his aide, asking him to continue. Roy answered with an ambiguous smile,
“Technically, the information about her should have been destroyed. Not doing so and selling it instead is considered illegal.”
“Ah, I see.”
Information about mages and investigators isn’t released carelessly. Ducran’s action was indeed questionable.
“It’s the same context for handing over information about the Croban mercenary group.”
Karl nodded in agreement with his aide’s words and flicked through the documents with his finger.
“So, she’s with the Croban mercenary group, according to this information.”
“Yes, that’s the most plausible assumption for now.”
“Then, we need to find out where the Croban mercenary group has headed.”
“Yes, we’re already on it. We’ve sent out small squads of knights in the direction the gatekeeper saw them last. We should hear something soon.”
Karl lightly patted the diligent Roy’s shoulder and sat down at his desk.
“When we find her, we’ll have the gifts ready, right?”
“Of course. She’s the savior of our country. I’m dying to meet her myself.”
“Haha.”
Karl looked forward to that day.
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