/
Ruel unraveled his thoughts one by one.
“Setiria wants you to cut the commission in half, in addition, to gaining monopoly among major products, technical cooperation, and exchanges.”
Despite the increasing demands, Ganien’s expression did not shift.
He thought it was rather natural.
“Can you give me something to write this down?”
Cassion tore out a page of a notebook.
Ganien said, writing down Ruel’s demands.
“Keep talking.”
“I want to place a portal device connecting to Setiria here.”
Ganien’s hand paused.
“Of course, I’m going to make it a two-way portal device if both sides permit.”
“And?”
“Regardless of the reason, I want you to give me the authority to lead the Blue Knights.”
“I hope that you won’t use this authority to direct their swords at us.”
“Of course. I don’t betray my friends.”
Only then did Ganien’s stiff face smile.
“All right, I agree. I still owe you a lot.”
There were many other demands.
Ganien looked at what he had written and nodded.
“Perhaps, most of them will be accepted.”
It was natural.
Ruel deserved this much. He had the chance to fend off the traitors thanks to him.
“Oh, the king heard that you saved Dotol Village and said he would bestow you an honorary title. It’s a token of gratitude for saving the village twice. The title was given in the name of honor, but I think he intends to give you land itself.”
Ruel smiled pleasantly.
He got a land for free despite being an outsider.
“You are the first outsider to receive an honorary title. You can be proud.”
“Yes. Cough, cough.”
“…Don’t tell me, you’re not going to immediately leave tomorrow, are you?”
Ganien looked at Cassion and asked carefully.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m still thinking. More than that, you’ve secured a place to hide the Royal Knights in advance, right?”
“Of course. I’ve made a separate space in the mansion. My butler should be guiding them at this moment. We’ve prepared food for the Knights in advance. I’ve been careful not to be tailed, so don’t worry.”
Ruel finally laid in bed.
Ruel had something to check by hiding the Knights and going to the Ice Castle to obtain the power left by the last hero.
– Always move with the Great Purifier.
– Stop gaining that power, remember.
Who wrote those letters?
Won’t they come to see me in person because I might take the last remaining power fragment?
“Are you still tracking the Red Ash that ran away?”
At Ganien’s question, Cassion raised his brows.
“We are still tracking them. Just waiting for an accurate report. I don’t know how long it would take if you did it.”
“You’re picking a fight on purpose because your hands are itching, aren’t you? One more time. It will be different from before.”
“The leader of the Blue Knights is clingier than he looks.”
“Go out and fight. My head is ringing.”
At Ruel’s frown, Leo patted Ruel on the head.
Cassion spoke in a lower voice than before.
“I have one more thing to mention.”
“You have something else to tell me?”
It felt like he was dealing with the aftermath of a typhoon.
Black-blooded men and the Red Ash appeared in large numbers and attempted to kill Ruel, followed by the aristocrats.
All this happened in just two days.
But there is another fact that needed to be noted.
Ganien truly felt sorry for Ruel.
“Black-blooded men are not impossible to kill.”
Ganien asked back in surprise at Cassion’s words.
“What?”
“Go out and discuss.”
Ruel said, irritated.
It wasn’t something they had to say in his room.
“I don’t want to leave you now. I’ll call for Aris.”
Cassion politely declined Ruel’s orders and went to call Aris.
Ganien called the butler requesting a chair, and soon three chairs were placed in the room.
Aris began a heated discussion between the three of them after creating a screen to block sound with magic.
It wasn’t loud, but Ruel was strangely bothered.
Then Leo came up to his belly and pushed his face close to Ruel’s.
—Are you sleepy?
“Well.”
—This body wants to go there too, but if this body goes there, Ruel will be alone. This body doesn’t want to make Ruel lonely.
“You can go.”
Leo turned his head around and agonized. He finally sat on Ruel’s belly.
—This body will just be with Ruel.
“Yes.”
He fiddled Leo’s tail ignoring his eyes begging for compliments and inhaled Breath.
Ruel couldn’t sleep, but he closed his eyes.
‘…I think I forgot something. What did I forget?’
***
“…Ruel-nim.”
Ruel opened his eyes at Cassion’s low voice.
Immediately, he inhaled Breath and asked, “…what’s going on?”
“Prince Banios has contacted you.”
“Ah!”
Ruel grabbed his head.
He forgot the most important contact.
‘I should have asked Cassion to speak for me.’
“Before Ruel-nim loses his mind, I’ve contacted him in advance, so don’t worry.”
Ruel took a breath and blew Mana into the ring.
“I just woke up, so I apologize for presenting such a sorry state…”
-How are you feeling? I thought it would be alright, but I woke you up.
“Thanks for your concern, I’m fine.”
Ruel looked around belatedly.
Contrary to what he expected to be dawn, the sun was sinking down.
‘I guess I slept deeply after a while.’
His body felt better than yesterday.
-Every time I hear the news, my heart is so heavy, I never imagined something like this would happen. I’m sorry.
“No, I didn’t expect that either.”
-When will you be back? I’ll try my best to get you home early.
“It’s all right. Cough, cough… I’m sorry. Anyway, I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
‘I couldn’t leave yet.’
He didn’t have everything he needed to take from the Cyronian.
-My brother has moved.
Ruel closed his eyes for a moment and opened them.
As soon as one fuse went off, the rest exploded in succession.
-It’s not a big move yet. It’s to the point of pacifying the forces around you.
“The first target will be Your Highness. I think we have enough time until winter.”
It was not until this winter that Ruel became an adult and would be able to support Banios externally under the pretext of the coming-of-age ceremony and the inauguration as the head of household.
-You seem to have expected that. For now, it’s not a big move, so don’t worry about me. Finish your job and return safely.
“I look forward to a big present.”
-You can look forward to it.
That was the end of the conversation.
“I got busy.”
“You must be busy as you are trying to kill me by sacrificing yourself.”
Unless the second prince is an idiot, he couldn’t be unaware of Setiria’s importance.
Mindful of the surrounding gazes, the trap will not be placed in Setiria.
‘What would I do if I were the second prince?’
Tap. Tap.
Ruel tapped his thigh.
‘…I’d send my men to kill me themselves. If you did it in Cyronian, you could incite the Cyronian aristocracy.’
For him, the meaning of Ruel dying in Leponia and dying in Cyronian were very different.
If the second prince is aiming for the throne, he must silence Ruel to trigger a war.
There was no better opportunity to distract attention than war.
‘Because war also creates an opportunity to ascend the throne very easily.’
In the end, one way or another, the target was himself.
Ruel grinned.
It was a great opportunity for each other.
‘I have to disappear far away so that no one can find me.’
“You look excited.”
“I feel like I’m playing hide-and-seek.”
“There is only one hiding, but there are many seeking. Can you hide well?”
“I have to go to the Ice Castle, no one would think I went there unless I went crazy.”
Cassion smiled.
“That’s right. There’s no way we’re going to a cold, cold place unless the person who vomits blood is crazy. Thinking like that, Ruel-nim has a very good idea.”
It must have been an AI with less Mana Oath.
I can’t figure out what it’s like to turn out like that.
Ruel snorted and said.
“Get ready.”
“… Yes, I understand,” replied Cassion, with clenched teeth.
“Who’s going on this journey?”
Leo looked at himself in anticipation.
“I, you, Aris, Leo, and the shadows.”
—This body knew you would bring it too!
“We’re going very simply.”
There was a deep sigh of Cassion.
***
“…really warm.”
Ganien came to see Ruel off. His lips twitched at the sight of his clothes.
He was so thickly dressed that he believed that a snowman had come and gone.
Cassion was taking out another layer of clothes as if it was still not enough.
Ganien looked at the clothes and looked up with surprise.
“Do you really have to go this far? I know the situation is not good, but it’s not urgent enough to not be able to rest for a few days.”
“When will I ever see the Ice Castle again?”
Ice Castle was famous for its coldness.
Since Ruel has to go to gain a power, he had no choice but to go there.
‘Would I go twice just because I was crazy?’
Ganien’s expression suddenly softened.
The meaning of Ruel’s light words seemed to resonate differently with Ganien.
He looked as if he was looking at someone else’s funeral.
Ruel asked because Ganien’s expression was so unpleasant.
“What?”
“Nothing. Do you need anything else?”
“No. Cassion took care of everything.”
“It’s done for now.”
Finally, with Leo in Ruel’s arms, Cassion took two steps back and examined Ruel.
He looked like he was still lacking, but any more than this was only a burden to Ruel.
“Call me if anything happens.”
When Ruel grabbed his cane, Ganien hurried and said,
“Are you going to come?”
“There’s nothing I can’t do.”
“I think you’re underestimating the ice castle too much.”
Cassion said with a slight sneer.
Ganien returned with the same derision.
“You look down on me too much, it’s not that I couldn’t go there, it’s that I didn’t go there. If it wasn’t for this situation, I honestly want to go there.”
He saw the light after sparring with Cassion.
The path was so brilliant that it seemed like it was sprinkled with the sun.
Ganien asked with a grin.
“One more time?”
“Isn’t your tail too long* for a loser with it only waiting to get pulled?”
T/N: Something secret is bound to be revealed if it continues for a long time. (Ganien, for example, requested another duel with Cassion in order to witness the enlightenment again.)
Ruel inhales Breath and walked first.
Leo, cradled in Ruel’s arms, tug his clothes with his paws.
—Why are you going? This body wants to see the two of them talk.
“It’s not fun to watch because it’s a childish verbal fight.”
“Wait, I haven’t said bye yet. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to visit in a while, but what a grandiose farwell.”
Ruel snorted.
“Take this.”
What Ganien offered was a bottle of red reagents.
“Potion. It’s the best product, so you don’t have to worry about addiction. Take it with you just in case.”
“Yes, thank you.”
You have to get a present.
Cassion took the potion with a very unpleasant face.
“I don’t doubt your skills. Something you don’t know might come out like a black-blooded man.”
“I know.”
Contrary to what he said, Cassion’s gaze at Ganien was fierce.
“I’ll take good care of the Knights.”
Ruel left the room with a light smile.
Ganien has already arranged a way for him to sneak out.
Aris, who was standing outside in advance, followed Ruel.