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Author: CleiZzEditor: Aker and Jada
It was strange.
He must be dreaming.
Before coming to the palace today, he had Ganien’s villa checked.
But who are these knights that get along so well with the Blue Knights and trained so intensively that you would be dumbfounded just by looking at them?
Why are those knights wearing the insignia of the Leponia Royal Knights?
Why are you greeting Ganien so warmly?
Why?
“It’s complicated because the number of family members has increased. We ask for your understanding.”
Ganien smiled lightly.
The Marquis and the nobles following him could not hide their bitter expressions.
The missing Royal Knights of Leponia had reappeared.
It can’t be.
‘I don’t think so. It shouldn’t be!’
The Marquis shook his fists.
“Come this way, please.”
Following Ganien’s guidance, the Marquis and his followers arrived in front of the room where Ruel Setiria was.
“Cough, cough.”
Before they could open the door, a cough greeted them.
It sounded like an indicator they were heading to hell.
“As I said before, Lord Setiria is not feeling well, so please keep the conversation as short as possible.”
With a warning, Ganien opened the door.
Thump. Thump.
The Marquis’ heart beat wildly.
His legs were so wobbly that even the feeling in his hands and feet was disappearing.
“Sorry, Ruel. The guests are here.”
“
It’s alright.”
He heard a faint sound. The soft voice was Ruel’s.
The moment the curtains over the bed were opened, the Marquis and the nobles grew cold in an instant.
It was evidently Ruel Setiria who was lying in the bed.
How could I mistake him?
“
Ru,ru,ru
 ”
The Marquis fell to the floor clutching his chest as if he had a heart attack.
How the hell is Ruel Setiria here?
Isn’t it magic? He wanted to shout at once.
“I’m sorry. I have a visitor, but I couldn’t even greet you properly.”
Ruel stroked Leo lying next to him and expressed his embarrassment.
“It’s magic! It’s definitely magic!”
One of the nobles shouted with great surprise, but soon shut his mouth.
Ruel’s eyes were directed to Ganien.
He pretended to explain the situation quietly to Ruel.
“The guests
 You weren’t.”
Ruel’s corners of mouth rose as he saw them devastated.
“You’ve come all the way here, whether you’re a guest or not, so I’ll just think of it as if you’re here to visit. But before that, let me stress one thing.”
Ruel inhaled Breath and pointed to his ear.
“I was just lying here in bed, but the rumors were so strong that I heard very clearly how I had disappeared. Perhaps we should listen to that nonsense directly from the source.”
Ruel’s eyes looking at them sank coldly.
***
“Sigh.”
Ruel sighed.
Seeing them shaking, the pressure they felt seemed to be relieved, but simply looking at them made him tired.
Ganien’s giggling and snickering didn’t stop next to him.
“
I’m glad.”
Aris arrived late, heard the explanation from Ruel, and finally took a breather.
Most of the shadows took care of the situation ahead of time, but they were delayed by unexpected events such as an enemy disguised as guards or a landslide blocking the way.
In the end, Cassion was able to come before the nobles arrived at the villa by a slim margin carrying Ruel in his arms.
“If it wasn’t for Cassion-nim, something really big would have happened.”
Aris praised Cassion, but Cassion looked calm.
Cassion had already received the opportunity to take a sword from the Cryonian royal treasury.
He didn’t even get carried away with the barely-passing compliment.
—This body also warmed Ruel. Leo stared at Aris intently.
“Well done, Leo. If it wasn’t for Leo, Ruel-nim would have caught a cold.”
—Hehehe.
Leo’s tail swung wildly.
“Your complexion is not good. How about taking a break now?”
Cassion said kindly to Ruel’s tired-looking face.
For a moment, Ruel frowned.
“Act as usual. It’s creepy.”
“Alright.”
Cassion changed his way of speaking and suggested it again.
“You’ve been exposed to a lot of cold air. Because you came here in a carriage
”
“Bring Bianne before me.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“There’s a Cyronian knight in front of you. You’re being too confident.”
It was uncomfortable for Ganien to turn a blind eye to the fact that they were openly planning on infiltrating an underground prison.
“I explained everything in advance, and His Majesty must have allowed it.”
“I know. It’s just a little uncomfortable.”
Ruel turned to look at Cassion.
“You must have attached the shadows one by one, right?”
“I attached them all.”
First, the Marquis and nobles were sent back nicely.
Let them mistakenly believe that there is not enough conclusive evidence to capture them.
So we can turn around and expose the evidence.
The shadows will wait and seize the moment the evidence they hide comes out.
“So, what happened to the wound?”
Ganien asked Ruel.
When Cassion brought Ruel in, he smelt a familiar strong iron scent.
It wasn’t any normal wound.
“There must be something you can tell me before that.”
At Ruel’s relaxed smile, Ganien folded his arms and made a discontented look.
“Yes, it’s right for me, a debtor, to bow my head.”
“Yes, you should bow down.”
Ganien sighed deeply and opened his mouth.
“It was Count Iria Promien who gave the order to attack you, and that order came down from the Red Ash.”
“Red Ash. Who?”
“The order came in a letter and he said he didn’t know who it was. The letter was burned immediately. But the evidence of your attack is clear, so His Majesty will punish him.”
‘You cut off the tail cleanly.’
If we searched his house now, there won’t be any evidence.
It was too bad.
“It’s one thing about your attack, but I got my hands on additional interesting news.”
“What is it?”
“He said he had received an attack plan from Corrence Lumina, a lord from Leponia.”
“
!”
Ruel recalled the attack plan that one of the Red Ash had left out when he robbed their temporary hideout.
Originally, it should have been transferred to the Tonisk Empire, but he had secured it himself.
‘Corrence handed over the attack plan to Iria, and Iria handed it back to Red Ash again?’
There’s no way that Corrence could have moved himself.
“Who’s the middle man?”
“Originally, it was Matyros who used poison on you, but it changed midway through.”
When the name Matyros was mentioned, Ruel looked at Aris.
From his angry expression, he noticed that Aris hadn’t shaken off Matyros yet.
It was not an easy memory to forget.
Ganien also stopped talking for a moment and followed Ruel’s gaze.
And soon he looked apologetic.
He mentioned his name in the presence of Aris without any sense.
“I’m fine. You can continue.”
Aris replied, embarrassed by the two men’s gaze.
‘So, does that mean that the slaves stolen by Matyros went to Cyronian?’
Tap. Tap.
Ruel tapped his thigh.
“He said he didn’t know the name of the new individual. Anyway, I said it with confidence because it had the Lumina family’s crest on it.”
Ganien handed over the magic item.
“I left a record with magic, so check it out.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll contact you as soon as I find out more during the rest of the interrogation.”
“Yes.”
Ganien rose from his seat.
“His Majesty asked me to let him know when you intend to leave.”
“Two days later.”
“So soon? What about the wound?”
“It would be better for His Majesty and Cyronian if I leave quickly.”
It is impossible to punish the aristocracy in the presence of delegations from other countries.
Knowing that, Huswen must have asked Ganien about his intentions.
He had to leave Cyronian anyway.
He stayed in Cyronian longer than expected, and while the incident was roughly outlined, he will obtain all the information he needed with the news brought by Bianne.
As soon as Huswen handed over the final reward given to him, they would be finished.
“Ganien, ask when the royal treasury will open. I have to go pick out something.”
“More than that, where did you get hurt? There’s no way Cassion wasn’t watching. I was sure Cassion was unbeatable.”
“I met the Great One.”
Ruel smiled and briefly explained the situation where he met the Great One.
Ganien was speechless.
And after looking at Aris and Cassion once, he stood up quietly from his seat.
“
then, rest.”
After confirming that Ganien was out, Ruel said.
“Take a shadow and report every story that comes out during the interrogation of the nobles.”
“Alright.”
If the opponent was Ganien, he wouldn’t have to add a shadow, but Huswen was different.
Because he is a king, he will act in the interests of his country in the end.
There will surely be information that is cut off in the middle.
Ruel had to know everything though.
‘
Corence Lumina.’
An unexpected person was named.
For now, ‘I won’t touch Setiria. There is no retaliation,’ the Mana’s oath is at stake, but it was different before.
If he had interacted with the Red Ash before, it could have been enough for him to be the one who planted the disease in Ruel.
Ruel closed his eyes and opened them.
He was tired.
“Ruel-nim, isn’t it too early to leave in two days?”
Aris asked insinuatingly while playing with Leo in the corner.
Leo tapped Aris’ hand.
It was a sign to play.
“That’s what I think.”
Cassion also helped.
Riding in the wagon itself was hard on the body, and the cold wind was blowing strongly while carrying out the mission as an adventurer.
In the end, while rushing on the way to the villa, didn’t the wound burst?
“How much longer do you think I can stay?”
Contrary to their expectations, Ruel’s response was cooperative.
“A week
 No, why don’t you stay for another four days then leave?”
Cassion personally knew that he had to leave as soon as possible.
But the wound needed time to heal again.
In fact, four days were not enough because of the slow recovery.
“Okay.”
“Get some more rest
?”
Cassion stopped talking and doubted his ears.
—Is Ruel sick?
Leo jumped up and put his front paw on Ruel’s head.
—Ruel always does the opposite of Cassion’s words. Ruel, who answers easily, is strange.
They heard a short laugh from Aris, but it disappeared in an instant as Ruel’s gaze turned to Aris.
“Then, I will pass it on to Ganien, assuming that we are leaving in four days. I will also report to His Highness Banios, so please rest comfortably.”
What’s the point of waiting one more day?
Cassion’s face smirked.
“Follow me for a moment, beast.”
Cassion had previously helped Leo and was thinking of taking Leo for a while so that Ruel could sleep more comfortably.
—Alright, Ruel, I’ll go and come back after a while. Sleep well.
Leo rubbed his face against Ruel and then followed Cassion, who was retreating.
“Then I’ll wait outside.”
Aris also went out in relief.
‘Why do you all like it so much?’
Two days was the minimum amount of time he had set.
However, considering his physical condition, he thought it was impossible and allowed Cassion’s suggestion.
Ruel closed his eyes while looking at the room where he was the only one left.
‘It’s been quiet for the first time in a while.’
Ruel forced himself to sleep, wrapping his stomach that was throbbing even if he took painkillers.
‘I just have to get better.’