Lucion’s mind raced with thoughts. ‘If Twilo joined forces with the Hand of the Void, the warlocks should have followed suit. How do they plan to kill ?’
One thing was certain—Twilo would undoubtedly be among those recomnded.
The red thread connecting Lucion to Twilo seed destined to entangle him with that man.
“Lucion?” Heint’s voice broke through Lucion’s thoughts, bringing him back to the present as he looked at Heint.
“Are you truly alright? If you can’t handle it, I can go ahead and talk to them,” Heint offered.
“No, it’s fine. They probably spread the news of my arrival, and there might be people who genuinely ca to see .”
“If you were to collapse, it would… um, really complicate matters.” Heint expressed his concern.
The festival grounds.
The ruler of the frontier, Novio.
His Imperial Majesty.
Carson.
‘…It feels distant.’
Heint felt an urge to close his eyes and escape from the overwhelming situation.
Seeing his distress, Lucion proposed a solution.
“If I feel like I’m going to collapse, I’ll let you know.”
“No, that’s not what I ant…”
“In that case, I’ll call for you just before I collapse, brother.”
Heint stopped himself from further explanations.
Sothing felt peculiar—a similar feeling to when he conversed with Hal, but without the annoyance this ti.
Heint glanced at Lucion montarily.
‘Nah, that can’t be. Their voices are different, and their hair colors are different too.’
The physique, well, with the hood and cloak, it might appear similar. Perhaps there were so minor resemblances.
As for the woman next to Hal… Heint couldn’t be certain.
However, the voice and hair…
Could they be altered with magic?
Heint recognized that his assumptions were absurd, but sotis his gut feelings proved to be right.
That gut feeling was triggered now.
‘If… if Lucion actually is Hal…’
Heint felt his heart pounding in his chest.
His mouth involuntarily felt dry.
A strange sense of déjà vu.
The light that responded to Lucion.
A body similar to Hal’s.
He decided to test it, just once.
‘If Lucion is Hal, he’ll react to my hand and block it.’
Just as Hal had effortlessly blocked his sword without intending harm.
Without hesitation, Heint reached out his hand.
But it was Lucion who blinked first.
It wasn’t until Heint’s hand hovered near Lucion’s head that Lucion’s widened eyes revealed surprise.
It was a natural reaction, one that an ordinary person would exhibit.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Oh, it’s because there’s dust,” Heint replied, awkwardly imitating the act of holding sothing in his hand.
‘..I almost caused a big problem. Why did I foolishly suspect Lucion when there’s no reason to doubt him? Lucion is just an ordinary person.’
Feeling his heart pounding fiercely after a long ti, Heint forced a broader smile.
“I’ll get off first then. Take your ti coming down when you’re ready. There’s still ti before the event starts.”
Heint stepped out of the carriage without looking at Lucion.
The murmurs of the crowd echoed loudly through the open carriage door.
Lucion closed his eyes for a mont, and as soon as the carriage door closed, he spoke.
“What did he do, Bethel?”
[He was trying to check.]
Bethel answered imdiately.
“You an to find out who I am?”
[Yes, he was checking to see if Lord Lucion was Hal.]
Lucion’s blood ran cold at Bethel’s subsequent answer.
“Why?”
Lucion’s voice trembled.
Where did it go wrong?
He’d been so careful.
[Sotis knights have a thing called intuition among themselves. Don’t worry, he probably just acted on his gut feeling and checked it out.] Bethel reassured Lucion, trying to ease his concerns.
He must have been terrified for a mont.
“Is that so?” Lucion asked, following up.
Bethel narrowed her eyes and nodded in response to Lucion’s next question.
[Trust . Because Heint hasn’t noticed yet.]
[Bethel is right. If he had noticed, knowing Heint’s personality, he wouldn’t have just let it go.] Russell chid in, providing additional reassurance.
Lucion let out a sigh of relief, feeling the weight on his shoulders lighten slightly.
“Thank goodness,” he muttered, even though the event hadn’t even begun, he already seed exhausted.
Taking a deep breath, Lucion stroked Ratta, finding solace in the familiar touch.
“Hu.”
“Yes, young master.”
“If you see acting strangely, don’t just lightly tap . Give a firm shake to snap out of it.”
“M-?”
Startled by the unexpected instruction, Hu stumbled over his words.
“Not where it’s visible, but like tapping my shoulder or gripping my forearm.”
“I can’t do that! Rather than hitting you, I would rather bite my tongue.”
“Is this sothing worth biting your tongue for…? No, what are you reading again this ti?”
―Ratta knows! It’s ‘Oh, My Master.’ It’s so much fun!
“…?”
Lucion’s eyes widened.
[It’s a novel with a knight as the main character. I recomnded it to you. It’s a must-read for a knight like .]
Bethel chuckled playfully.
Lucion couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Hu, Bethel, and Ratta extending her forepaws and locking fists.
When Lucion’s gaze turned to Russell, he shrugged.
[I don’t know, I didn’t read it.]
“Haha!” Lucion suddenly burst into laughter, his happiness evident in his expression.
Seeing him smile was a relief, despite the lingering doubts.
Even though he hadn’t been fully prepared, it was fortunate that everything was going well.
Still smiling, Lucion pointed his finger toward the door.
“Open it.”
“…Are you ready?” Hu asked, surprised by the sudden request, withdrawing his hand from the fist-bump with Bethel and Ratta.
“No.”
“Then…”
“Just go with it. Even if I had ti to prepare, a day wouldn’t be enough.”
Examining Lucion’s determined expression, Hu hesitated for a mont before gripping the doorknob.
His fingers trembled slightly as he fidgeted, but eventually, he mustered the courage to open the door.
A flood of words poured out.
The sound pierced through Lucion’s ears.
The once harmless chatter had transford into mocking laughter, insults, and hurtful words that seed to gnaw at his heart.
Feeling overwheld, Lucion felt as if he were subrged, unable to resurface from the depths of the ocean, consud by a whirlwind of emotions.
Ratta entered Lucion’s shadow, and Lucion stepped down from the carriage.
Thud.
The cacophony of indistinguishable sounds engulfed him like crashing waves, as if sharp thorns were piercing his chest.
Haa.
Lucion exhaled.
‘It’s not that kind of sound, it’s a shout.’
He repeated it to himself like a spell, a reminder.
Isn’t it ti to break free now?
He refused to bow his head or succumb to the unpleasantness that clung to him. Lucion kept his gaze fixed ahead, unaffected.
―Look at that! People are smiling as they watch Lucion!
Ratta’s cheerful voice brought a sense of relief, gradually calming the overwhelming waves.
Why does Ratta’s voice bring such comfort?
The murmurs around him grew clearer, and the faces of the people, once obscured by the foam of noise, began to erge.
They were smiling—just like on the day he beca a saint, people looked at him warmly.
Their laughter filled the air.
He felt the timid touch of Hu’s presence behind him, a reassuring sensation against his back.
Lucion took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
And he smiled.
“Saint! Saint!”
“Wow! It’s really the saint! Mom, the saint is sparkling!”
“Please, beco a light in the Tesla Empire, Saint!”
“Wow… Is that a person? This is insane, I’m going crazy.”
Various voices pierced Lucion’s ears.
Even with the diverse sounds reaching him without blending together, Lucion still felt a sense of fear.
He held his trembling hands tightly together, ensuring they didn’t show any signs of shaking.
With determined effort, he maintained a lifted smile and focused his gaze ahead.
Flowers were scattered.
There were flower petals scattered on both sides of him.
‘Could it be… that she ca.’
Seeing the colorful petals like heralds of late spring, Shaela ca to mind.
Though curious, Lucion couldn’t bring himself to look away.
For now, walking forward while looking ahead was the best he could do.
* * *
“Great job.”
Heint said, setting down his folding chair.
“…No.”
After taking a sip of water from Hu, Lucion finally settled into his seat. His entire body was still trembling.
“Lucion, once you board, the priests will follow onto the rest of the ship,” Heint inford him, gesturing towards the docked vessel.
“We’re proceeding with the lottery now. Just a mont.”
Heint left for a mont.
―Oh! It’s Uncle Troy!
Lucion’s eyes rolled at Ratta’s voice.
‘Veros ca all the way here?’
As their eyes t, Veros nodded his head.
‘This is not a good idea. There will be people who will look at the festival chosen for political neutrality with a disapproving gaze.’
If Heint had delivered his letter properly, the situation within the temple would have been turned upside down by now.
‘Why did Veros, who could call for Troy, co out of the temple?’
‘Did he think the inside wasn’t safe enough?’
-Nice to see you.
Troy’s voice could be faintly heard in the distance.
Just like Ratta, Troy wasn’t visible, as if he was hiding sowhere.
-I know what you’re worried about, Lucion. But Veros ca not for political reasons, but for the sake of the sea, so don’t worry too much.
‘Has Troy mastered mind reading?’
Lucion almost scread at Troy’s words, as he saw right through his mind.
[What, were you really thinking about that, letting worry about you, or were you thinking about sothing else, like politics or sothing?]
Russell freaked out.
Was he still trembling from just exchanging greetings a while ago? He felt the urge to at least touch Lucion’s hands, who was invisible to him.
―Uncle Troy! Ratta has a question!
-Tell .
―Umm, there is a black sea beyond. Do you know what that is? Ratta heard the explanation, but still doesn’t understand.
-That is corruption. Although the priests deny it, it is a very deep corruption.
[To the extent that you need to step forward?]
Russell asked.
-Yes. The sea border seems a bit unstable.
[Did the divine beast set that guard?]
Bethel looked around the festival site and saw the sea of death.
Viewing the Sea of Death from above, it was so dark that it invoked thoughts of death itself, as if one would never be able to escape once entering it.
The sight of the blue sea and the black sea not eting each other was astonishing for a different reason.
It was easy to understand why the story spread that the God of Light had touched the place and prevented the black sea from encroaching.
-It’s not . I’m just here to stop the corruption before it attacks the border further.
[Then did the God of Light really do this?]
Bethel’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
-Do you think there is a God?
[…I’m not sure. Maybe they don’t exist. If they did, would I end up like this?]
At Troy’s sudden question, Bethel pursed her lips and raised one eyebrow.
[Whatever it is, I’m a little relieved.]
Russell’s face softened.
[If there are no priests, I will possess Lord Lucion…]
Bethel’s words halted abruptly, causing Lucion to flinch.
Thud!
[Bethel!]
Russell snapped his fingers, suppressing the sudden surge of energy from Bethel.
Ta-ta-tak!
The knights, who were about ten paces away from Lusion, reacted to the inexplicable energy and surrounded Lucion, while the priests who were engaged in conversation reacted to the darkness and beca alert..
“Are you okay?”
Heint quickly approached.
He tried to suppress the light as much as possible, but the reaction just now was clearly darkness.
[…sorry. I’m sorry, Lord Lucion.]
Bethel felt sorry and didn’t know what to do.
Their eyes t as they looked at each other.
Twilo Sprikado.
She couldn’t control her emotions the mont her eyes t his.
She should have restrained herself.
“I’m… fine.”
Lucion’s voice trembled.
Twilo walked by as if flaunting his presence.
Their gazes briefly t.
At that mont, as Twilo smiled and bowed, Lucion noticed a brooch adorned with a dark red gem—a gem that seed out of place for a festive occasion.
Could soone wear such a brooch without it being a prearranged signal?
[That, that jewel. Isn’t that the jewel Gartio was talking about?]
Even Russell, in the midst of suppressing Bethel’s surging hostility, couldn’t help but express surprise.
[Russell. What characteristics did the owl have?]
Bethel urgently urged Russell.
[He said he had a scar on the back of his hand and his little fingernail was black. Have you seen it?]
Bethel’s face twisted at Russell’s answer.
[No way, no way…]
Bethel stuttered, but it was enough.
‘It’s him.’
Lucion closed his mouth and even the cup he was holding trembled from the discomfort flowing through his veins.
Bethel’s past confession, along with the red thread, and now the dark red jewel.
‘He’s the owl!’
Reviews
All reviews (0)