After the situation was more or less settled, Alois was taken to the infirmary and a large-scale on-site investigation was imdiately conducted.
Fortunately, there were few injuries.
Most of the escorts who ca with the delegations from each country were resting in their quarters, and Victor, who had received word from Cantares in advance, had strictly instructed the servants and nobles staying in the palace not to leave their rooms.
Representatives of the countries who witnessed Alois going berserk while trying to kill Arendt imdiately called for an ergency eting.
While Laius was busy helping Cantares and Crown Prince Victor with the cleanup, the Third Knights, who had completed their mission, were led to a large reception room to begin treatnt.
Not long after Arendt and his party entered the reception room, the knights of the Third Order who had gone to fight other enemies also appeared one by one, with scratches.
“What the hell were they? They sounded strange.”
The knights grumbled, their expressions becoming even more sinister thanks to the scratches here and there.
Arendt, who was sitting alone on the large sofa in the living room, pressed the bridge of his nose and responded irritably.
“They’re probably not even human. I don’t know what they are though.”
It’s a good thing Laius showed up in ti to hold Stellar back, otherwise they might not have been able to stop Alois from going berserk.
The healer, who had given simple treatnt to the knights’ wounds, filled a cup with the potion and handed it to Arendt.
“I’m glad none of you were seriously injured. If Lord Arendt takes this, I think his injuries will subside a bit.”
When the healer who had bowed his head in goodbye left and the knights were finally left alone, Arthur, who had a bandage plastered all over his face, asked a question.
“So what happened? Wasn’t this the work of the evil cult?”
The other knights nodded and looked at Arendt, as if they were thinking the sa thing.
It seed like everyone had already gotten an idea of it during the battle.
Richt continued speaking with a very troubled expression on his face.
“When the Crown Prince went berserk, I saw sothing like dragon wings behind him.”
“Then surely…”
“That’s right. A dragon.”
When soone trailed off, Arendt blurted out:
Dragon.
The knights were speechless at the sudden, overwhelming presence.
anwhile, Arendt was having a staring contest with the sparkling potion.
“I’m not sure, but that’s what I think. It looks like my seniors have similar opinions.”
“You already explained it, so why don’t you just drink it quickly?”
“…Ha.”
When Arthur, who had been watching quietly, said sothing, Arendt let out a short sigh, closed his eyes tightly, and took the dicine.
“Uh, okay. Anyway, if they’re the ones we were dealing with, I can understand why they said they’d kill .”
“I guess so.”
Rider nodded reluctantly.
It was Arendt who ca up with the crazy idea of exhibiting dragon remains in the hopes that it might stimulate the dragons that were still alive.
Although it was an event held in the na of the royal family, Arendt was so involved in so many things… If they dug a little deeper, it would not have been difficult to find out who was behind it.
“I spoke briefly with His Highness the Crown Prince earlier, but for now, we plan to cover up this incident as the atrocities of the Evil Cult. Your seniors know this as well.”
Because the evil cult was more realistic than a dragon. And the dragon also seed to want to bla them for what he did.
Glenn, who had been silent, asked a question.
“The dragon behind this… is there any chance that he’s in league with them?”
“Probably not. I can’t say for sure about that either.”
“If that had been the case, the Nephele Kingdom would have already been in ruins.”
Arthur added to Richt’s answer.
Arendt, who had a sour look on his face as he finished the rest of his dicine, put the glass down on the table and grumbled.
“Considering that they didn’t pretend to be a cultist or blow up the Nephele Palace out of the blue, you could say they’re sowhat moderate.”
“Moderate?”
“Well, it would be possible for a dragon to completely destroy a kingdom…”
Rider nodded vaguely at soone’s skeptical question.
Instead of completely destroying the kingdom, the dragon ended up manipulating the troubleso Crown Prince.
Judging from the fact that the other rascals all withdrew after Alois was subdued, it seed like he had no intention of even seriously attacking them.
So… the dragon might have just been playing a little ga. Like a cat playing with a mouse.
While he was lost in thought for a mont, there was a knock at the door.
Arthur went out and opened the door, and a respectable-looking, elderly servant was standing there holding a communications crystal.
“Excuse for interrupting your rest. This is an urgent call for Sir Arendt von Eckhart.”
“Who is the caller?”
“His na is Prince Llewellyn, the third prince of the Everan Kingdom.”
Arendt frowned at that answer.
In order to hide the fact that they were friends, they only communicated through personal communication devices, but if he contacted the Lucain Kingdom directly, it must have been sothing urgent.
“What? Why did Prince Llewellyn call you?”
“Because we know each other.”
The knights, except Arthur and Richt, were unaware of the transaction between the two.
Arendt briefly debated whether he should go outside and receive it, but it was obvious why Llewellyn was calling him now. If he wanted to share the situation with his colleagues, he thought it would be better to just talk to him here.
When Arendt received the communication device, the attendant gave a brief greeting and left the room.
“What?”
– Hey! Why can’t I contact you? It’s urgent!
“There was chaos here too, so I didn’t have ti to receive communications. Why?
– Are you okay now? Oh, no. You promised . What’s with the tone? Say it again.
“Wasn’t it urgent?”
An irritated retort naturally ca flying out, but Llewellyn paid no attention.
– If you’re in a hurry, then you’re in a hurry, but that’s different! If you don’t change your tone, I won’t tell you.
“…This is so annoying, really. What. Why? What’s the problem?”
When Arendt, who had been pressing his temples, spoke informally, the knights around him were all startled. However, Llewellyn, who was on the other side of the communication port, seed quite satisfied.
– That’s right.
“Get to the point.”
– Damn, you’re cold. Anyway, when I arrived at the Nephele Kingdom, the situation was already over. Was it related to the chaos that happened there?
“Uh… I guess so.”
Arendt, who had been silent for a mont, glanced at his seniors.
– It seems like His Highness the Crown Prince is not here right now, so you can tell him later. King Nephele has woken up.
“…”
The knights held their breath at the unexpected news, but Arendt nodded calmly as if he had expected it.
“What happened?”
– You said there was sothing he was looking for? The princess made a deal with him herself. If they find it, she’ll definitely give it to him, so leave the kingdom. It was sothing that had to be returned soday.
Although Alois and Matthias didn’t notice it, the princess who had remained with the dragon in the palace seed to have realized that he wanted sothing else.
“So he backed down quietly? Is His Majesty safe?”
– I’ll tell you it in order. His Majesty is fine. The healer examined him, and he said that his physical condition has improved since before he collapsed. It seems that a powerful healing magic has been applied?
“…”
He didn’t even give him a bottle or dicine.
Arendt’s face wrinkled.
“What’s next?”
– His Majesty also rembers that Crown Prince Alois… no, the forr Crown Prince now. He rembers that Alois tried to harm him. They say that he drank the tea Alois offered him and imdiately collapsed.
That part was sothing to be resolved within the Nephele Kingdom.
“And.”
– This is the most important thing. The strange man left a condition to the princess before he left. He said that if they found the item, they had to hand it over imdiately. When she asked where she should give it, he said this.
Llewellyn’s voice, which had been quiet for a mont, resud its conversation.
– Give it to Arendt von Eckhart of the Caerleon Empire and tell him to co find . He just disappeared without telling her anything else.
“…I guess he wants to play hide-and-seek?”
– I don’t think so. He said to co back before half a year has passed. What the hell is that guy?
Arendt guessed that was why Llewellyn contacted him so urgently.
That made it clear. That damn dragon was clearly planning on playing tug-of-war with the fishing line Arendt had cast.
“That’s great. You now have more work to do.”
– What?
A deafening noise ca back from beyond the communication port.
Arendt threw out a sentence plainly.
“That’s a dragon. I’m pouring money into you to find it, so you’re going to have to pay for it.”
Although he was the one who threw the bait, there was no law that said he had to do all the chores himself. He was determined to leave all the annoying work to this guy.
– …Wait a minute, what? What? Dragon? Hey, hey!
Tak.
Llewellyn began to make a fuss, but Arendt cut off the communication.
The knights who had been absentmindedly listening to the conversation between the prince and Arendt looked at each other with dumbfounded gazes.
Arthur asked distantly.
“…Did you beco friends with the prince?”
“He insisted to be friends if he was going to enter the Nephele Kingdom as a prince. Anyway, please keep it a secret from the outside world. It would be a bit troubleso if it beca known that there was a connection.”
But Arendt just shrugged his shoulders naturally.
What should they do about this situation?
The knights beca a little distant.
“Why does he want to be friends with that guy?”
“Prince Llewellyn’s tastes are also…”
Soone trailed off.
They guessed that there was a rule that weirdos get tangled up together.
It was astonishing to see the Third Prince of the Everan kingdom clinging to Arendt.
It was two days later that Alois opened his eyes.
Alois, who had been blankly blinking at the sight of Matthias’ face as soon as he ca to his senses, imdiately let out a sigh when he noticed Cantares and Arendt next to him.
“…Fucking…”
Alois, who was trying to touch his face absentmindedly, burst into laughter with a pale face when he saw one shoulder that was now empty.
Although his consciousness was clouded, he rembered the general situation.
His screams, the sudden surge of magical power, and the expressionless, emotionless apprentice knight approaching him with a desperate look on his face.
“Damn, should I thank you for saving my life…”
“I am sorry to say this as soon as you opened your eyes, but you have been stripped of your status. You will return to your ho country with Prince Matthias and pay the price for your cris. You will have to live the rest of your life as a sinner.”
Alois didn’t really react to what Cantares was saying calmly.
He just stared blankly into space.
It was a cri that deserved death for touching the king, but the fact that he was only dethroned was probably the last act of kindness the king showed to him as a father.
Where on earth did it go wrong?
Since the mont he listened to Lexion’s words? When he steps forward and said that he could easily deal with an insolent apprentice knight?
No, maybe it was much earlier.
Alois laughed heartily, like a crazy person.
Arendt crossed his arms and looked down indifferently at the man who had once been a crown prince.
The story of a young man who was full of ambition and thought he would one day rule the world ended in tragedy.
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