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Chapter 67 - Delegation Representative (3)
The main character of the parade was Ruel.
The carriage was open upstairs for the parade.
Ruel felt tired as soon as he saw the carriage.
It looked like it had already become quite a sight though he had yet to embark on it.
“Don’t worry, you can come down and rest for a while.”
Ganien said brightly.
“How long would it be?”
“About 30 seconds to 1 minute?”
“It’s a meaningless sham.”
“Everyone has come to see you so you have to be considerate, Lord Setiria, Noble of Darkness.”
Ruel crumpled his face.
He wanted to strangle Ganien right away.
Ganien was wearing the symbolic Blue Knights’ uniform during the parade.
Ganien held Aris back to check several things for the last time before getting into the carriage.
It was Aris and Ganien who were escorting Ruel in the parade.
“Aris, you are no longer an ordinary person, but Ruel’s escort. With the title of knight, do you know how many responsibilities come with it?”
“I know what it means to be here.”
Aris managed to take a deep breath and calm himself down.
Last night, he was confronted by Ganien and learned from him that he had become stronger.
Aris was happy but not satisfied.
Because he wants to be even stronger.
Aris was dressed as a Setiria knight, not as usual.
A sky blue cape representing Setiria fluttered behind him.
Ttak.
With the sound of the cane, Aris followed Ruel.
The carriage departed under the escort of the Blue Knights.
When the gate of the tightly closed castle opened, people shouted.
Ruel went upstairs with a pre-prepared smile.
The wind blew hard.
Leo was wrapped around his neck in advance because he could not wear anything on the outside, like a cloak, due to the nature of the uniform.
Ruel closed his eyes and squinted them against the cold wind coming in.
The eyes of people looking at him were welcoming.
—There are so many people! Everyone smiles at Ruel! This body is very happy!
‘It’s cold.’
Ruel was able to wave his hands thanks to a magical item like a hand warmer attached to the uniform.
“Wow!”
When Ruel waved his hand, strong shouts came.
They didn’t know his name, but they knew the title that had already spread.
“O Noble of Darkness!”
A noble man who saved their village even though he was from another country.
People who appreciated his noble behavior shouted loudly.
“You’re so popular”
At Ganien’s voice from below, Ruel said with a smile.
“It’s noisy.”
Then Ganien appeared.
The shout grew even louder as the blue cape, which announced that he was a Blue Knight, fluttered in the wind.
Two people from different countries stood side by side and waved to show, at least indirectly, why the Leponia delegation came here and what they planned.
The effect was very good.
Standing side by side with a bright smile reminded one of a solid alliance.
After the parade, the King of Cyronian officially declared an alliance with the Kingdom of Leponia.
***
“Your Majesty, it is clear that the alliance between the two countries intends to exclude our Kran Kingdom!”
One of the nobles spoke up.
After declaring the alliance in the Cyronian Kingdom, King Kran gathered the nobles and hurriedly began a meeting.
“It seems premature to judge like that yet. You’ll have to decide after checking the movements of Leponia and Cyronian.”
“What are you talking about! The long-held balance has been broken! If you stay still like this, your eyes will be open and your nose will still be cut off!”
“Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Kran is the only country that will become an empire, even though it has maintained a balance so far. It’s obvious that they’re keeping us in check.”
The king opened his mouth with a bored face.
“Who are you kidding without knowing the purpose of the alliance?”
At the sound of scolding, the nobles looked at the king’s countenance.
“Your Majesty, may I dare to speak?”
The second prince requested to speak.
“Say it.”
“It is said that the Tonisk Empire, which had been abolished, is acting suspiciously.”
The nobles were surprised by the second prince’s remarks and paid apt attention to him.
“Is that reliable information?”
Even the king spoke in a serious voice without concealing his surprise.
What kind of place is the Tonisk Empire?
It was an opponent that the three countries could not win against even if they worked together.
But a few decades ago, the empire suddenly declared an end to it’s rule and closed its borders.
Since then, the three countries have maintained a balance with each other and continued their current relationship.
“As you know, the Cyronian kingdom is closest to the Tonisk Empire. I’ve confirmed through my ears that such information is circulating.”
“Well.”
The king agonized.
Kran didn’t get along with Cyronian.
If Cyronian had heard the news, it was natural to join hands with Leponia first.
“Treitol.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You brought up this topic, so come back with certain information. Let’s put this meeting off till then.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Treitol smiled broadly at the obvious envy of the other prince.
***
Ruel took off his scarf Leo, who was wrapped around his neck, and inhaled Breath.
It was inevitable that it was cold, even with magic items such as hand warmers attached to the body.
As Ruel drank the tea that Cassion had brought him, it seemed that his frozen body melted.
“At the time of the parade, there were a couple of disturbances. There were no incidents because the Cyronian side prevented any, but we are investigating it further now.”
“Afterall, not all nobles are in favor of the alliance.”
It was a small disturbance, a toenail compared to the attack of the Red Ash.
Ruel slapped a heat patch on his forehead, covered himself with a blanket, and placed Leo on his lap.
“Anyway, Nintra. I’m having a hard time today, so let’s make this quick. Cough, cough.”
Perhaps because it was cold, Ruel’s cough was deep.
Nintra could not hide his bewilderment at Ruel’s behavior, which seemed to be calm, as if he had no regard for himself.
How can this be the appearance of a person who has an enemy right in front of him?
Originally, Cassion would have taken Nintra out, but Ganien persuaded Sien to officially hand Nintra over to Ruel on the condition of sharing information.
Ruel thought it was good for Ganien to build up his debt.
“What’s the black water?”
“Like I will tell you…”
Ruel manipulated a shadow and covered his mouth.
Although he was almost unconscious, his body instinctively remembered this.
Nintra, who stood upright as if he would never be bent, gradually felt fear.
“Do you remember when you bled black blood and became a monster?”
After removing the shadow, he covered Leo’s eyes as he stared at Nintra.
“…I, black blood?”
Nintra seemed embarrassed for a moment, and then frowned and stared at Ruel.
Bump!
Cassion stepped on Nintra’s head and pressed him against the floor.
“All you have to do is answer the question he asks. Don’t do anything useless. Don’t even resist.”
Cassion put more weight on his feet and crushed Nintra’s nose against the ground.
“…kugh!”
Nintra tried to get away from Cassion’s foot, but his hands trembled with the fierce spirit weighing on his body.
“Where should I cut off first? People don’t die as fast as you think.”
“Cassion.”
Cassion took a step away from Nintra, expressing regret.
Blood flowed from Nintra’s crushed nose, and he barely raised his face.
“I guess you don’t remember, so how did we know it was black blood? You guys have hidden it so far.”
At that moment, Nintra’s eyes shook.
“Even if I cut off your head, you don’t die. You don’t burn to death. I don’t know if I can call you a human, Nintra.”
When the story he knew came out, Nintra’s chest tightened.
“You know, your throat was cut twice. You were burned. But you’re alive and well.”
“It, it can’t be! I, the one who was loyal to him, the black water… ”
Nintra stopped his speech abruptly, and his eyes lit up as if he had recalled something from him.
“You drank it, didn’t you?”
The corners of Ruel’s mouth went up.
As expected, Nintra became like that because of the black water.
“You said allegiance and all, and then you were abandoned, how are you feeling now? Very dog-like? That’s exactly how I feel, Nintra. You guys make me look like a dog.”
Contrary to his words, Ruel slowly inhaled Breath.
“What is the black water for, and how is it made?”
Nintra’s lips briefly opened and closed.
“Are you still going to stay shut up like a fool for the guy who abandoned you? You were used, you idiot. Cough, cough.”
Ruel coughed and sipped the tea in his hand.
Who knows if he has really been abandoned or not.
If loyalty was reversed by the sense of revenge, there was no better effect than that.
Ruel waited leisurely.
This is the last of today’s schedule as the king accommodated his body’s health as much as possible.
—Ruel, this body hates that man. It has been purified, but it still smells out of nature’s order.
Soothing Leo’s growling toward Nintra, Ruel just lay down.
It was desirable to rest, but Cassion burst out laughing at Ruel’s peaceful appearance in front of the enemy.
“Tell me if you want to say it.”
It’s been a long time since he had enough time for relaxation.
Ruel smiled at Nintra’s eyes, looking at him as he tried to keep his eyes open that were closing in tiredness.
The deeper the loyalty, the deeper the sense of betrayal.
He seemed determined.
“I don’t know how black water is made. But this water is out of nature’s order…”
“Why was it made?”
He already heard through Leo that the black water was out of order.
Nintra raised one corner of his mouth.
“I do not know. But I know why they’re after you, the Great One…cough!”
He spilled blood. It was red blood.
The fire in his eyes was extinguished very easily.
But Nintra moved his mouth as he clung to the last flames.
“… looking for it. Your existence…doesn’t allow it… run away. If you die…”
Eventually, he couldn’t speak until the end and the light went out in Nintra’s eyes.
Ruel inhaled the Breath.
The order is wrong.
He should have heard from the head of Leponia, who planted his own disease.
Ruel’s eyes frowned.
“Your presence seems to be preventing them from seeking something.”
Cassion noted calmly.
“Clean it up.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Cassion took Nintra out, Ruel closed his eyes.
Lick.
Leo licked Ruel’s cheek.
—Are you okay?
“It’s okay, thanks to you, my head is a little clear.”
Finally, he found out why the Red Ash was after him.
‘…Woa.’
He was a kind of seal that prevented them from looking for something.
They had to break the seal to find something or not, but had no choice but to use their hands because it didn’t break.
‘…Ruel Setiria, Ruel Setiria, what the hell are you?’
Now I understand why the Red Ash didn’t appear in the web novel after Ruel died.
The seal that was stopping them was broken when Ruel died.
Since the primary goal had been achieved, there is no reason for the Red Ash to appear.
They would have been laughing at those who knew nothing, slowly achieving their goals behind the scenes.
‘You’re going to act crazier in the future, because I knew you failed.’
The Great One turned Nintra into a black monster.
From the beginning, the Red Ash intended to manipulate him like this.
We needed a quick investigation into what the black water was.
“Aris.”
The door opened and Aris came in.
“Did you call me?”
“Bring me Ganien.”
Ganien’s side also had to investigate the black water.
“Yes.”
“Cough, cough.”
The chest pain after coughing made Ruel frown and smoothed his hair.
It was throbbing.
—Ruel, Ruel. Can this body eat? The filth is increasing.
“Not yet.”
He was still dressed in his uniform.
He was in trouble if he threw up without a handkerchief.
Ruel took off his stuffy top and waited for Cassion or Ganien to come.
“I took care of it.”
As soon as Cassion showed up, he looked at Ruel’s jacket, which he had thrown away carelessly, and made an ugly expression.
Unlike ordinary clothes, the uniforms are expensive because they are difficult to make. It was good to wear it as plain as possible.
The door opened as Cassion carefully picked up his clothes.
“Oh, my.”
Ganien knocked on the door, not coming in.
It was funny to knock after opening the door, but there was still progress.
“It smells like blood.”
He looked around for a moment.
“Nintra is dead.”
“You didn’t kill him, but he died?”
“Oh, he died in exchange for breaking Mana’s oath. Cassion, hand it over.”
Cassion briefly put his clothes on the table and handed over a bottle of black water to Ganien.
As soon as he saw the black water, Ganien looked serious.
“This is the black stuff I saw then.”
“Do an investigation.”
Ruel had to find a countermeasure.
If someone using black water was encountered again, what if he was not confident in his abilities to deal with it?
“Thank you,” Ganien spoke from the bottom of his heart.
Ganein didn’t know how he secured the black water.
But what was important was that Ruel gave it to him because he trusted him.
“Ganien, as you know, the Red Ash has infiltrated more than you think. Don’t trust anyone unless it’s accurate.”
“I know. I’ll be careful.”
Originally, he had Cassion and Aris, who were supposed to be by Ganien’s side.
Although Ruel had poached two of them, there were still many people who would be Ganien’s colleagues.
Ruel told Ganien one more thing since he had already called him here.
“At tomorrow’s banquet, the nobles who keep you in check will approach me to lure me in.”
Ganien waited for the next words because Ruel did not appear to be asking to stop them.
“As you know, there is a bar owned by Bianne Chen that is supposed to be a hideout of the Red Ash.”
“I heard so from the third prince as well.”
“Listen, I’m sure he’ll approach me. When it comes to deceiving an enemy, there is nothing like the enemy’s allies.”
Ganien was slightly surprised by Ruel’s intelligence.
Bianne and himself were at odds, but it was not visible on the outside.
“What role do you want me to play?”
He asked with anticipation.
“It’s a little different, but I need someone to mess with them, aren’t you interested?” Ruel smiled like a scoundrel.