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Chapter 30 (Part 2)
*Warning: arm dismemberment*
Recap : “He might be the one who summoned the dragons! He’s a cowardly dark attribute user; he must have wanted His Highness to slay the dragons in order to get some high-grade materials. He should be killed at once while he is still vulnerable!”
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Dark attribute users were considered absolute evil in the Kingdom of Soleil. It was no wonder that this was the case since history has made it so. Moreover, those of the Dark organization actually have killed many people.
Perhaps that was why the people around me who were listening to that woman’s words turned their eyes on me so sharply. They were knights and mages who belonged to the country. So, instead of being frightened like civilians, they just aimed their killing intent at me.
That woman’s words were likely speaking on behalf of this society. Saying that Luca, a prince, and I, a dark attribute user, being together was ridiculous. That society would not allow it.
The people of the Ninth City had looked upon us favourably, even though we were both men. In the Eighth City, the guild staff had looked at us with kindness. In the Seventh City, we were allowed to walk hand in hand. But that was only because I was hiding my hair. None of them knew that I was a dark attribute user in those instances. The moment they find out, they would probably react the same way as the knights did here.
Furthermore, that woman said that if the other person was a prince, then it would be even worse if the lover was also a man.
“…OW! You! Let go of me! Ow—Don’t pull my hair!”
“I’ve been told not to let go. He didn’t say, ‘don’t pull’, though. Actually, you really are annoying. Why don’t you shut up already?”
Nina kept tugging at the woman’s hair in her frenzied state. Miranda, who had been supporting me for some time, gritted her teeth. Camilla stood in front of me as if to protect me even with her small stature, holding her large wand. I could feel the anger radiating from the girls.
I appreciate their concern. But they don’t need to worry this much; I’m used to this.
Ever since I became an A-rank adventurer and more people started to know me, I’ve been met with the occasional killing intent, and looks of disgust or fear when I stroll the streets. Although no one knew me from the Sixth City, I was sure that I would be exposed to the same situation again when I returned to the Twelfth City. And since they didn’t try to do anything to me in the end, there was no point in worrying about it.
“It seems that you have nothing more to say.”
“Huh? …Ah, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”
With a thud, the woman’s other arm fell off.
Blood spurted out with a splatter, and a scream rang out.
Nina, startled, let go of the woman’s hair. The woman then flailed around in extreme agony. She was crying and sweating profusely, blood and dirt smeared all over her body.
Luca just looked down at her with disdain as she was soiling herself.
“Why should my beloved be disgraced by a piece of trash like you? If you think that scum like you are worthy of me, then you are too stupid to be saved.”
“Aaahhh!! W-Why!? Aghhhh! E-even though I adore you so much!! Why!?”
“Do you think it’s okay to kill someone’s lover if you adore them? Do you think it’s acceptable to kill someone for being a dark attribute user? Where on earth does such a law exist? No matter who it is, a murderer is a murderer. Furthermore, it was an attempted murder of my beloved in front of me, the Prince. There’s absolutely no excuse. You are already a criminal. If you continue to speak out of turn, I will execute you right here and now.”
“Hiiiieee…!!”
It was a cry of pure terror. Luca raised his sword above the woman’s head, and his blood thirst to really kill her sent her into a state of panic.
Luca has really become strong. That was probably why the intimidation he radiated was so overpowering, and seemed to squash even the nerves of those around him. I could feel the inexplicable anger radiating off of him even from where I was standing.
“Your Highness, executing her here would cause problems later on. Let’s take proper procedures first.
“I guess so. I’ll allow you to stop the bleeding now. Nina, gag the criminal and tie her feet so she can’t escape.”
Luca nodded at the duke’s words and lowered his raised sword. He was still looking down at the woman. Everyone else but the knight and Nina, who had received the orders, was unable to move. They were overwhelmed by Luca’s vicious killing intent.
As I watched this, Camilla spoke up.
“Luca is a fearsome man. If he wanted to gag her, he could have done it a long time ago. But he didn’t stop her from lashing out at you. He wanted to make sure that the woman would get the death penalty. I suppose he is that unforgiving. No, maybe he was just scared. If it weren’t for Noel, he might have lost you.”
“Is that so? It seems to me that he was giving the woman a chance to apologize.”
“That’s also true. If she had realized her mistake and apologized, she would have been forgiven. Her arm had already been cut off. However, it is very difficult to admit one’s faults. It’s even more difficult when you’re a proud aristocrat like her. I’m sure Luca knew that.”
I see. Then the knights I met in the reception hall must have been sensible nobles. They apologized to me. Perhaps it was just because I was an S-rank adventurer, though.
At any rate, one of them was over there, pouring a potion on the woman. Now Nina was tying the gagged woman’s legs with rope. As expected of a former thief, she seemed to still have the usual restraining devices.
The woman was stupefied. She was drooping and trembling with fear. She was frightened by how cold Luca’s blue eyes were as he looked down at her.
Those eyes finally left the woman’s. Next, he turned to the knights and mages around him.
“I’m sure you guys don’t have the same mindset as that criminal who thinks it’s okay to kill people without question for having the dark attribute, do you? Most of you seem to have turned your murderous intent on my beloved. Surely, you didn’t think such a thing is true, especially since you don’t have any basis for it, correct? You didn’t think that her words, which became more and more unsightly with each outburst, were true, did you?”
Silence reigned.
No one could answer. Actually, they had taken the woman’s word for it. It was because I was a dark attribute user. I knew it could not be helped. But if they were to nod their heads, it would be like saying that they were criminals just like that woman. Thus, they would get their arms cut off. That was just how intimidating the situation was.
No one answered. They just kept on enduring the oppressive atmosphere.
Was that Luca as the Prince? The formidable existence of a person who stood at the top was so overwhelming that it made them feel a sense of dread.
After a while, he finally seemed to be ready to pardon them and addressed the knights again.
“I will not allow incompetents who can’t judge right from wrong to stand above the citizens as magic knights or nobles. Don’t ever act in such a way as to disgrace the Kingdom of Soleil again.”
With that, they all saluted in unison in reply. After nodding at them briefly, Luca looked at the duke.
“Duke Magnifique. I leave it to you to deal with her.”
“Yes, sir.”
The duke nodded gravely as he was entrusted with that task. His leadership would surely be put to test from now on. What kind of crime should he charge the woman with? How could he appease the nobles around him without offending Luca and the royal family?
I might be Luca’s beloved, but I was still a dark attribute user and an adventurer. It was still survival of the fittest. I was too exhausted to stand up on my own, and it was my own fault.
But the fact remained that she had nearly killed a Count’s daughter, the Prince’s childhood friend. In addition, Noel was the daughter of the Vice Commander of the Royal Capital Mage Order. Her father was the second in command of the Mage Order, which was one of the top two orders along with the Order of the Royal Guards. If he were to find out what happened here, he would probably try to crush that woman’s entire household. The duke had to give her a punishment that would stop the Count from doing so.
The lightest punishment would be death. There were probably plenty of other punishments that were harsher than death. Though, I didn’t know much about the aristocratic society.
As I was pondering this, Luca, who was talking with Nina, looked at me. He gave me a rueful smile. The bittersweet smile on his face seemed to say, “I’ve shown you a bad side of me.” It wasn’t bad, but I was more relieved to see the usual Luca.
The two returned to us. But then Luca froze, his eyes widening in surprise.
As I was about to turn my head to see what was wrong, I heard detestable laughter coming from behind me.
“Fuahahahaha! Well, what a wonderful farce we have just witnessed.”
This voice… it couldn’t be.