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Author: CleiZz Editor: Aker and Jada
Ruel felt something falling behind him.
Whoosh!
Cassion’s dagger was lodged into the wall in the corner of the carriage.
Blood dripped down.
“
Cassion.”
Ruel frowned, taking off the cloth that covered his face.
Then he covered Leo’s eyes before straightening his tousled hair.
“The carriage is dirty.”
“Aris will clean it up in a minute.”
“What about the body?”
Instead of answering, Cassion covered himself once more with a cloth and stabbed a dagger behind him.
The pure white cloth was stained red.
Cassion said naturally.
“Ah, did I tell you that there wasn’t only one person in the carriage?”
“No.”
“Don’t worry, my men will take care of the bodies.”
“
you knew?”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“That’s why you kept encouraging me to sleep?”
Cassion smiled undisturbed.
“There’s that, but it’s also what Ruel-nim needs, isn’t it? I will call Aris for a moment.”
Knock. Knock.
The carriage stopped when Cassion knocked on the carriage wall.
Immediately, Ganien clung to the carriage door and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Cassion went down the carriage and explained the present situation to Ganien, and soon Aris came into the carriage.
—Aris

Leo looked at Aris with a tearful face.
It didn’t get on Ruel’s clothes, but the carriage walls were covered with blood.
“
I’ll clean it up in a minute.”
Aris quickly recited a spell.
Cassion spoke to Aris, who chanted the spell.
“Listen as you do, Aris. The enemy sent an assassin. I cannot leave Ruel’s side, so watch out for any more possible assassins.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Ruel inhaled Breath.
A smooth journey seemed to be a word that didn’t fit him.
“Can you catch them?”
At Ruel’s words, Cassion shook his head.
“They’re not half-hearted. A forced confession won’t work and their tongue is firm. I’d rather just kill them. Even if their arms are cut off, they will bite Ruel’s neck with their teeth.”
“
okay.”
Ruel calmed Leo while watching Aris use magic.
***
“Ah, how irritating!”
Noah stopped peeling the vegetables and threw them aside.
All the knights are eating, but why is it that only he can’t eat?
Rustle.
Feeling murderous intent, Noah instinctively looked back.
It was Aris.
“Shit, I thought it was a Cassion.”
“Pick it up.”
“What?”
“These are the ingredients Ruel-nim will eat.”
“That’s nice after being well-fed you’re bored and want to come and pick a fight with me?”
“It’s what Cassion told me to do.”
Noah’s eyes flickered anxiously for a moment.
Eventually, Noah picked up the thrown ingredients again, washed them clean in the flowing stream, and placed them in the basket.
“That’s enough
.”
Aris drew his sword and swung it at Noah.
Swing.
As soon as he hit something, a drop of blood fell next to Noah.
Aris rolled his eyes in a hurry.
“It’s the enemy.”
“Y, you’re crazy!”
He had swung without hesitation.
That guy must be crazy.
“One gold coin per enemy head.”
As soon as he came to his senses at the words that were music to his ears, Noah put aura in his bracelet.
‘Crazy, one gold coin per neck!’
Unlike his days as a hunter, when he always prepared thoroughly, there was not much he could prepare for as Ruel’s servant.
In order to keep up with the unpredicatable flow, they needed weapons and magical devices that allowed them to fight at any time even when they were not ready for battle.
Noah brought a bracelet that can store weapons from the royal treasury and a bow that turns Aura into arrows.
‘As expected, I was good in resisting the other temptations and bringing this.’
He was confident in removing traces as good as any assassin.
Noah entered the forest, in his wake not a single grass blade moved with not a rustle to be heard.
***
“
hah.”
Aris caught his breath and gripped his sword tightly.
It was Cassion’s order to come get Noah, but because Ruel’s only official escort was himself, he expected that if he left, separating from everyone else, he would surely become a target for the enemy.
“Aris, you’re in charge of Noah. I already told Noah, so don’t worry and look forward.”
He had said when Aris was departing from the carriage where Ruel was.
Only then did he fully understand why Ruel decided to pick up Noah.
Aris took a deep breath in calmly.
Thanks to the earrings, the natural mana was faintly visible.
He could distinguish between the hidden enemies.
“Your descent is a mace, and what you embrace is
.”
The enemy would not allow Aris to cast a spell uninterrupted and promptly swung a sword at Aris’ neck.
Ting!
However, Aris had already had his shield spell up.
Aris continued his spell, staring at them through the shield.
“
what bloodless blood.”
Spark.
“Show me fear and dignity on my way.”
The sword was struck with lightning.
The lightning struck here and there, enough to give goosebumps looking at it’s destructive power leaving the enemy to hide themselves again.
Boom. Boom!
Unlike natural mana, which naturally drifted, this mana flowed artificially.
Aris unshielded, and charged forward.
A dagger flew in front of his face.
Shh!
He heard the wind whip behind him.
Aris did not stop running as it was a negligible attack.
Kangkang!
The arrows knocked down all the daggers.
The back suddenly became chilly, but Aris believed Ruel’s words and only looked forward.
‘I don’t have to worry about my back.’
He injected more mana into the sword and hit the ground where the enemy was hiding.
Quaang!
A lightning explosion occurred.
Aris immediately raised his sword above his head and shot it down at the enemy who appeared.
And he immediately threw off the unpleasant sensation that rattled his hands, and breathed mana back to his side and swung it.
Quaang!
Two people appeared in the lightning explosion that exploded again.
Shh!
As he hit the other guy’s neck right after he saw an arrow lodged in their head.
Aris memorized the spell, feeling the sense of his life being cut off.
“Let everything be purified through your splendid red light.”
Then he turned around and released a flying flame butterfly made in his palm.
The enemy immediately caught fire.
Hwarreuk.
No screams were heard.
The enemy wielded a dagger to kill Aris even as the flames wrapped around him.
Kkang!
As soon as each other’s swords collided, the lightning surrounding Aris’ sword struck him.
Spark!
The enemy trembled all over and fell to his knees.
But nevertheless, he wriggled his fingers and showed strong hostility toward Aris.
It’s an enemy, but it was still unnerving.
Swoosh!
The arrow pierced the enemy’s head.
Looking at the enemy falling to the ground, Aris shook off the blood from the sword.
‘
there’s no more.’
After a while, Noah appeared.
Aris sheathed his sword looking at Noah, stepping over the body on the ground.
He didn’t want to admit it, but it’s definitely easier to have his help.
“Let’s see.”
Plop.
Noah threw two additional bodies with arrows inserted neatly into their heads onto the pile, smiled broadly, and spread out all his fingers.
“Five gold coins. You killed that one first, so I didn’t count it out of conscience.”
Aris frowned for a moment.
He didn’t look at himself with greed as he did when he first saw him, but he still didn’t look good acting only for money.
“Here.”
Aris took out five gold coins and held them out in his hand.
Noah ran right away and opened his palm.
When exactly five gold coins fell on the palm of his hand, the corners of his mouth spread to his ears.
It was similar to the price of hunting all day equaling a weeks worth of hard work .
‘I’m glad I helped Ruel-nim. I’m glad I followed him. Noah, you’re a lucky man!’
“Cleaning up the mess
”
“What I do is well done. Anyway, I got the money, so clean up will be a bonus.”
“Don’t forget to prepare the ingredients because Cassion will be waiting for you.”
“Yes, yes. I’m a great peeler.”
Aris was tempted to ask why he had only done it half-heartedly so far if that was the case.
It seemed to take time to adjust to the difference of before and after Noah was bribed.
***
When there was an attack in the carriage, the fuzzy mongrels hid without leaving a single hair behind, and when Ruel ate peacefully, they appeared like ghosts, and the number always seemed to increase.
‘Two turned into four
 .’
Fortunately, unlike Leo, who eats well while chewing pies next to him, all they did was stick to his body.
“Have you no appetite?”
When Ruel fiddled with the fork, Cassion, who couldn’t help but ask, asked.
“No, it’s delicious, but it’s a little funny that the rice is well prepared even in the middle of this mess.”
Ruel’s meal was naturally delayed as much as Noah’s preparation of the ingredients was delayed.
Just as he was about to take a bite, an enemy assassin fearlessly aimed at Ganien’s neck.
The Knights were immediately on alert, immediately spreading out in search of other hidden enemies, under the direction of Ganien and Torto.
“It’s not an enemy the knights can’t handle, so feel free to eat, and if you feel stuffy in the carriage, I’ll have my men clear the enemy.”
“No, thanks.”
Even he didn’t want to eat while watching the enemy die.
“The enemy’s skills are not bad, but their method is lacking. If they had failed after attacking Aris, they should have taken a step back, but it appears they don’t know how to retreat.”
“They worked hard to raise their skill, but today is their first practice run?”
“You can see it that way. I don’t know who released it, but it’s a strange thing. Raising an assassin is pretty daunting. With this level of skill, it would have taken 7 years, but to release it randomly and without a plan like this seems like flaunting.”
‘It’s a show
’
Was it really necessary?
Ruel put the meat with vegetables in his mouth with Cassion staring at him.
***
“That’s as far as I can go to see you off.”
Ganien pointed to the bridge towering over the waves.
It was the end of Cyronian.
“Yes.”
Ruel said calmly.
“You can rest assured that the wizards brought this time were chosen by His Majesty. They’ll freeze the waves like before, and you’ll be able to cross comfortably.”
Ruel was relieved that Huswen had chosen to bring them.
There were several raids on the way here, but no black-blooded men had made an appearance.
That fact didn’t bother him.
“Thank you for escorting and seeing me off so far, and I hope you get back safely.”
“Don’t worry. Because I heard the weakness of the black-blooded man from Cassion.”
In response to Ganien’s answer, Cassion smirked and said.
“It won’t be that easy if you do it?”
“It’s strange that I can’t do it even though you did it.”
“Yes, do your best.”
Ganien tried to swallow his anger at Cassion’s sarcastic remarks.
As it was a farewell ceremony for Ruel, we had to maintain our composure.
Ganien spoke as brightly as he could.
“I’ll contact you as soon as information comes out, whether it’s the information the nobles have revealed or the black water.”
“I will contact you if I have any information on the Red Ash.”
“Well, see you next time.”
“Yes.”
The door closed after a calm goodbye.
Ruel laid himself down again.
It will take time for the waves to freeze.
He closed his eyes only to open them and see Leo.
—Are we going back to our home now?
“Yes, I must go back.”
—Yay! Go back. This body is best at home!
Leo jumped in place.
Instead of biting Breath, Ruel looked at the little mongrels attached to his body with a chilling expression.
“When did they come again?”
—They said they came because the smell was good.
“I’m going crazy.”
While the carriage door was open for a while, the fuzz balls decided to make a visit.
He didn’t know when the smell that attracted the spirits would disappear, he didn’t know how many would show up in the future.
“I’m glad I can’t see them.”
Cassion laughed with relief.
“You’d freak out if you saw it. I already have six of them attached to me.”
Cassion’s expression hardened as he listened to Ruel.
“So when are those spirits going back?”
Ruel asked Leo.
—I don’t know. They said they wanted to stay for a while. You don’t have to worry because this body has firmly stated that this side of Ruel is taken by this body.
“
okay.”
It doesn’t matter if you can’t get rid of it, it doesn’t harm you and you don’t have to play with it like Leo.
“Cough, cough.”
Ruel grabbed his stomach from the pain that occurred after coughing.
The fuzzballs rushed in and sat huddled on Ruel’s belly.
‘What are you doing?’
Leo perked his ears when Ruel frowned, questioning the mongrels’ behavior.
Soon they smiled walking near Ruel’s face.
—In return for allowing the spirits to stay without evicting them, they have offered to erase what should not exist in this world.
“
what?”
—They’ve said there is something in your wound that should not exist in this world. This body doesn’t know what it is, but this body knows removing it will heal Ruel!
Leo’s tail wagged pleasantly.
‘Somehow it didn’t get better.’
When the Great One stabbed himself, he was sure to imbue him with some power or curse.
“Ruel-nim attracts so many different things. Fortunately, there are good directions as a result.”
“Hand me the medicine.”
By the time Cassion handed over the medicine to Ruel, the carriage set out.
“Are you okay with getting seasick?”
“I’m just going to lie down.”
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“The welcome ceremony will be held on the day I arrive at the palace?”
Judging from the way Ruel avoided the question, it looked like he was in pain again.
Cassion answered Ruel’s question, pretending not to know.
“Yes, it will be held simply in consideration of your condition.”
“Damn it, does it mean that it will be done whether I’m sick or not?”
“Isn’t that the nobility of the royal family?”
“
 damn it.”
Ruel bit Breath irritably.
“The second prince earnestly requested His Highness to shorten the welcoming ceremony, which was supposed to last for three days, into one day.”
He knew but couldn’t help the irritation that arose.
‘I want to go home and rest.’
The stopped carriage moved again.
The waves look frozen.
Leo suddenly clung close to the window and saw the frozen sea.
—Ruel, this body wants to swim in the sea someday.
“Later. Maybe we can swim in the lake next time.”
Leo immediately ran to Ruel and wagged his tail.
—Really? Going to the lake? Before that, it was beautiful with stars! This body wants to swim in a lake of stars!
“Yes, Lake Prina is very beautiful.”
—Very well, this body will swim there.
Ruel also closed his eyes for a moment, drawing time to spend in Lake Prina.
‘I’ll go one day. I’m not lying.’