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Author: CleiZz Editor: Aker and Jada
***
“
aww”
Ruel swallowed a groan.
As soon as he woke up, his stomach ached as if it had been cut out by a knife.
“You can’t.”
Aris shook his head as he tried to lay Ruel down again.
“No, it’s just a little sore.”
He had woke up suddenly with his stomach painfully throbbing.
Leo brought the cane.
Ruel stroked Leo and held his cane.
Cassion reluctantly opened his mouth.
“I don’t think you’ve forgotten the promise you made with me?”
He finally got a promise from Ruel that he would stay for a week if the wound burst before leaving the ice castle.
“Yes.”
Ruel stood up proudly in front of Cassion.
He walked at first with a cane and then without his cane.
Every step he took was fine except for the throbbing pain.
Ruel approached Cassion and smiled, handing him the cane.
“Aren’t you hurt?”
It was much slower than usual, but the wound was healing thanks to the power of recovery.
Cassion opened his mouth with a strong grip on his cane.
“Yes, but it didn’t burst.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? It seems to hurt every time you walk.”
Aris knew the expression of enduring pain.
Every time Ruel moved, that expression was made.
“It’s okay, I’m used to being sick.”
Ruel smiled as if to assure them, but somehow it sounded sad.
Ruel spread his arms in advance.
“Shouldn’t I be heavily armed leaving?”
“It’s impossible to bundle up like before because of the wound. Instead
”
What Cassion took out of his magic pouch was a white cloak.
It was not a normal cloak, but enchanted.
“This is a thermal cape made by Aris.”
Magic items were not made with a ‘boong’ just by infusing magic into the object.
Ruel heard that in order to keep magic in an object, various magics are used, such as a magic formula that allows the owner to use a certain amount of mana and allows the object to withstand mana.
It was only possible for Aris to make it so quickly as he is a genius.
“I heard from Tyson-nim how much magic resistance Ruel-nim can withstand, and I made it considering your growth so far.”
“It’s your first work, isn’t it?”
Ruel smiled pleasantly.
If it’s a gift, you should always take it.
“Yes, this is my first piece. After Ruel-nim acquired that title, you seemed to hate the color black, so I dyed the cape white.”
“That’s a good choice.”
Ruel wanted to raise his thumb right away.
—This body too, do you have one for this body?
Leo ran to Aris right away and rubbed his face against his leg.
Aris took out a white cloth and tied it to Leo’s tail.
“It’s the same material as Ruel-nim’s.”
—With Ruel?
“That’s right.”
Leo jumped from place to place.
Aris looked at Leo cutely and turned to look at Ruel at the flapping sound.
Gulp.
Since it was his first work, it would be a big problem if he calculated the resistance level wrong.
The cloak covered Ruel’s body.
“I like it because it’s warm.”
Aris smiled broadly at Ruel’s smile.
“Do you feel nauseous or dizzy?”
Still, he asked about his condition just in case.
“There isn’t.”
Ruel answered briefly and reached out to Cassion.
Cassion handed over the fox mask to Ruel’s hand.
“Aris, change your appearance with magic with Cassion.”
“Yes, I will change it back to how it was before.”
Three adventurers, Han, Cassion and Aris, have already contacted Ganien and asked him to make a record of entering Cyronian a month ago.
When asked if Cassion and Aris would be caught because they had the same name, Ruel welcomed them.
The three adventurers’ origins and track record were perfect.
When Ruel thought of the time the Red Ash would be wasting, he naturally laughed.
“Let’s go.”
Ruel grabbed his stomach and came out.
“
Wow.”
As soon as he came out, Ruel naturally admired the view.
The white scenery seen from the window and the white scenery seen directly with the eyes was different.
It was a magnificent view.
It was like a world full of innocence and purity.
“It’s a boring place,” Cassion spoke out plainly.
“But it’s also a beautiful place. It’s charm changes with every time I see it. As it’s the closest place to the sky, it’s a place where you can see stars so close at night.”
“Yes.”
Ruel smiled.
He wanted to count those many stars there were in the night, but he had to depart now. He moved his feet, leaving his regrets behind.
***
As he stepped out of the Ice Castle and entered a small nearby village, Cassion sensed a sharp atmosphere.
As expected, they expanded their search to near the Ice Castle.
Not knowing if he was aware, Ruel was slyly talking to the merchants.
Ruel soon smiled brightly, looking at Cassion and Aris, and pointed his finger at the carriage.
“Get in.”
“Ruel-nim is very sociable.”
Aris whispered softly to Cassion.
“He must be good at acting.”
“Really?”
Aris followed Cassion, who moved first.
“It’s a carriage that goes to the capital, but he’s in trouble because there’s no adventurer. I decided to go to the capital, too, and escort him while sleeping and getting something to eat, brother.”
Ruel opened his mouth innocently.
For a moment, Cassion felt goosebumps all over his body.
—What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?
Leo tilted his head.
—Ruel doesn’t call Cassion that nice.
Ruel kept opening his mouth, enduring the urge to hold Leo’s mouth.
“I’m sorry, I made my own decisions.”
“
!”
Cassion and Aris flinched for a moment.
“But our horses froze to death, so there was no way to go to the capital.”
“Well, yes.”
Cassion managed to answer.
He almost forgot that he had to adjust to the acting.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
When Ruel smiled broadly, Cassion struggled to hide his crumpled face.
—Ruel, Ruel, what’s wrong with you? Cassion didn’t do nothing. Or does it hurt a lot? Oh! You have a little fever!
Ruel then turned to Aris.
Ruel immediately asked because he could see that he was at a loss.
“You’re okay, too, brother?”
Aris was the same age as Ruel, but Aris looked older because of his size and height.
“Ye, yeah, it’s alright.”
When Aris forced a smile, Ruel hinted at him.
‘Shouldn’t you like it if I call you brother? What’s wrong with you?’
—Ruel, what’s wrong with you? Cassion and Aris are all weird!
Leo managed to grab his head with his short front paws.
“Haha, colleagues are on good terms with each other.”
“Yes, that’s right. Oh, thank you again.”
When Ruel bowed his head lightly, the man waved his hands.
“Thank you very much! We were worried about the lack of personnel to escort us. We’ll leave in 30 minutes, so I’m here to tell you that if you have something urgent to do now, you’d better hurry up.”
“Yes, thank you for your consideration.”
Ruel had already finished introducing himself as an adventurer from Leponia to that merchant, considering that it would become a problem later.
Seeing the merchants go away, Ruel pretended to go to the market and whispered to them.
“Cassion is first, Aris, you are second.”
—What about this body?
“You’re Leo.”
—This body is originally Leo.
Seeing Leo puzzled, Ruel went on again.
“I introduced myself as an adventurer from Leponia, and I received the request because I showed them the adventurer’s certificate. Do you know what the situation is?”
“Yes, it would have been better if you had told me in advance. Do you see the goose bumps?”
Cassion rolled up his sleeves to show his skin with goosebumps.
‘When I was looking for the Knights, you used to say ‘brother’ a long time ago.’
Ruel saw Aris.
“Aris, what about you?”
“I understand. Are you feeling better now?”
“No, give me some medicine.”
“Ruel-nim, I
”
“The wound hasn’t burst yet.”
Cassion sighed and handed over the painkiller to Ruel.
Even if he supported Ruel, it would not be easy as long as he traveled as an adventurer.
‘It’s important to prevent anything from happening in advance.’
After coming to Cyronian, the assassination missions had stopped for a while, and the number of missions to be investigated in Cryonian has decreased compared to Setiria.
Most of all, after returning to the Ice Castle, my hometown, it was clear my subordinates had become indolent.
Cassion thought it was okay.
***
It took about two days to get to the capital.
The merchant selected by Ruel chose a good path, even if it was small in size, to travel.
In case of a possible danger, Cassion ordered his men to clean up the way for the merchants in advance.
Thanks to that, there was no great danger, and there were no monsters roaming around or bandits blocking the way.
The capital was visible in the distance.
One of the merchant members who left on reconnaissance returned to the merchant owner and reported.
“There are soldiers blocking the road with wooden barricades in front of us.”
“The soldiers?”
The merchant owner asked back with a puzzled look.
It’s been decades since he’s taken this road.
He didn’t see soldiers blocking the way except for special things.
Cassion already noticed through his men that they were enemies disguised as soldiers and reported to Ruel.
“It’s a merchant in name, but isn’t it strange that the thief doesn’t appear at all?”
It was right to confront once because it could have been suspected that nothing happened and to reach the merchant on the road smoothly.
They were just scapegoats for it.
Ruel inhaled Breath calmly, unlike the uneasy atmosphere at the merchant.
The merchant carriage stopped in front of a wooden barricade.
The merchant owner got out of the carriage and opened his mouth to the soldiers.
“Why did you block the road? There was no announcement from the country in advance.”
“There was news that a vicious killer was passing by this road, so I just blocked the road for a while. I’ll just check your ID and send it to you right away.”
A murderer. It was news he hadn’t heard.
But the opponents were soldiers.
It was a wise choice to pass by smoothly rather than causing trouble.
“Alright.”
The merchant owner explained the situation to the members of the merchant and gave the same explanation to Ruel’s party.
Everyone got off the carriage for confirmation and collected each identification card and handed it over to the soldier.
“The number is the same as the number of identification cards.”
The soldier opened his eyes red to look for Ruel, who was hidden in it, one by one.
The soldier wrinkled his eyes only after confirming them as adventurers.
‘It’s all real ID cards.’
Usually, a specific mana is planted in the ID, so the soldier had an item that identifies that mana in his arms.
Nothing ever sounded like a fake.
Thinking that it was a waste again, a man wearing a mask alone stepped on his eyes.
“Hey, I need you to take off your mask.”
Following the soldier’s raised mouth corners, Ruel also raised mouth corners.
“Isn’t checking the evidence first? Aren’t you a soldier?”
Because monsters and miscellaneous things exist in every country, the same tokens were distributed to adventurers in every country.
Adventurers were relatively free to go back and forth regardless of their status or country.
Therefore, the token was absolute for the adventurer.
Unlike normal IDs, the adventurer’s certificate could be checked if it was one’s own or not by infusing mana on the spot without any magic items.
Due to the nature of the soldier’s job, where he has to deal with many adventurers, he should already know that fact.
He should have checked if the token was real, not the mask.
“Who are you?”
Ruel’s words spread like waves and turned the mood around.
The merchant members were also one of the jobs that often encountered adventurers.
One by one, the merchant people also looked at the soldiers with suspicious eyes.
The men disguised as soldiers showed their true colors.
“This is why quick-witted things are annoying.”
Their numbers are 20 including hidden colleagues.
There are only eight escorts at the merchant, including adventurers.
It was worth a try.
“Kill him.”
When a soldier who appeared to be the head of the enemy gave orders to the other soldiers, Ruel laughed at them and inhaled Breath.
“These days, bandits do all sorts of things.”
The rabbit jumped at the tiger.
***
“Your Majesty, you can’t do this!”
The Marquis looked at Huswen and raised his voice.
The nobles who followed also spoke in one voice.
When the aristocrats in the east and west were caught one after another under the charge of treason, the remaining aristocrats stood up.
The crime of treason was not the name of anyone’s dog, and even the nobles who were caught had already passed 10 people.
This is not a cornerstone for strengthening royal power, but what is it?
“What do you mean?”
Huswen looked at the Marquis with displeasure.
“Even if the crime of harming Your Majesty is decapitated right away, the conviction will welcome it with open arms. But what is the crime of harming the representative of the missing delegation?”
Treason was a matter that should not be touched, no matter what one’s status.
So, the Marquis slightly looked around and mentioned Ruel Setiria.
“What do you mean by the Lord of Setiria disappearing? Lord of Setiria was attacked on the way back from Dotol, and the person who instigated this was Count Iria Promien and the captured nobles.”
Another wrinkle was carved between Huswen’s brows.
The Marquis rolled his eyes for a moment.
Why do you keep mentioning that the missing Ruel Setiria has not disappeared?
“Don’t you ask what that means?”
The Marquis raised the corners of his mouth slightly at Huswen’s shout.
He must have wanted to buy time.
Time to find Ruel Setiria, time to find the sins of the nobles.
Can you give me that chance?
“With all due respect, it has already been a week since Lord Setiria disappeared from Dotol. This news has spread throughout the capital, but how is Your Majesty referring to the missing Lord Setiria?”
“Then I am oppressing them by making a crime that doesn’t exist when the representative of the delegation has disappeared!”
“Well, it’s not that
”
“In the first place, you probably don’t know what it means to say that Lord Setiria disappeared.”
The representative of the delegation who came to accept the alliance disappeared.
This was a major problem that could lead to war.
“This is an act of insulting the entire delegation in Leponia, which is like insulting Leponia. Can you handle it, Marquis?”
Something was out of the ordinary.
I heard that he put pressure on Cyronian to find Ruel Setiria, who also disappeared in Leponia.
But what exactly is Huswen’s confidence?
“Aren’t you asking me if I’m bringing out something I can’t handle right now?”
It was also a crime to spread false rumors.
The Marquis thought carefully and opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, this lowly subject is worried about the safety of the country with one heart. I request for you to call for Setiria’s lord.”
What if Huswen’s confidence is a lie?
No matter how things turned out, now was a golden opportunity to destroy Huswen’s power and seize power.
He couldn’t miss it.
“Lord Setiria is not feeling well right now so I can’t call for him.”
Also.
The Marquis’ face lit up.
The bravado was a bluff.
“But.”
An unpleasant word popped out.
“Why don’t you go see it yourself?”
Huswen smiled.
The Marquis’ brow wriggled.
“Before that, I will tell you clearly, no matter how noble you are, the honor of the delegation has been tarnished, so you who are standing now will have to pay for all your sins.”
“Of course, Your Majesty, if the news heard by this lowly subject is wrong.”
The Marquis was sure.
Huswen is buying time now.
I can’t give you more time.
“Your Majesty, I want you to tell me where the lord of Setiria is.”
“Sir Croft.”
Huswen suddenly called Ganien.
Standing quietly next to him, he strode out and bowed to Huswen.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You will guide him.”
“Alright, Your Majesty.”
Why Ganien?
The marquis turned his head quickly.
“Your Majesty, Lord Croft has a heavy duty to protect you. I’ll go with others.”
Huswen laughed.
“The lord of Setiria is staying in Lord Croft’s villa. Isn’t it right for Lord Croft, the owner, to go with you?”
It was a laugh.
It was Ganien’s villa that was the first place to check after Ruel Setiria disappeared.
Not even Ruel Setiria could be found there, not even the royal knights he had brought.
The Marquis replied, pressing the corners of his mouth, which seemed to fly high at any moment.
“I understand.”