Chapter 310 |
Chapter 310
If one were to turn back time to one hour before the self-proclaimed 'mage' came to Aquilonia,
Dardin, who had already arrived at Aquilonia's royal castle, had to have an audience with the Queen before returning to the tower.
To be precise, he didn't know that Yurik had secretly snuck into Aquilonia first and encountered the Queen,
So he was desperately squeezing out every excuse he could think of, worried that the Queen would be furious about the fact that the 3rd Prince hadn't come.
He had come because he was told to go first, but who exactly was this powerful mage they were talking about?
Was there another mage to bring from Asgard? Perhaps it was that mage who had given Yesung the magical tool?
Would that mage readily step forward for internal affairs of Aquilonia's royal family?
More than that, how was he supposed to spread rumors? As soon as he returned, he had been confined to the royal palace's audience waiting room under strict surveillance.
Surely if it was news about the 3rd Prince, she should have come running as if her feet were on fire?
If not that, was this a sophisticated psychological warfare tactic of deliberately making him wait?
There were many suspicious points, but Dardin tried to calm his mind and compose himself.
Getting anxious here would surely only corner the 3rd Prince further.
At least for now, in this country, the Queen held the upper hand.
While Dardin was sitting upright looking down at an empty table without even a cup of tea,
Someone burst through the door without warning.
It was the Queen's close associate, the Royal Guard Captain.
As always, he approached Dardin arrogantly with his smooth face.
"Ah, Baronet Hessen. I didn't know you'd be stuck in a place like this. I thought you had already gone to the audience chamber."
"...I'm honored, Captain. I thought someone who's always by Her Majesty the Queen's side would be here - what brings you to such a place?"
Despite the clearly sharp, sarcastic tone, the Royal Guard Captain snickered as if it wasn't even worth consideration.
"Unlike the very busy Baronet, I'm someone who clearly does only the work assigned to me."
"Her Majesty the Queen sent you, Captain."
"Not exactly. But I am here because of an order from Her Majesty the Queen."
"What kind of order brought you all the way to such a place?"
"Don't be so prickly, Baronet. I came all this way, so don't make my steps worthless."
"Captain."
When Dardin warned him, the Royal Guard Captain smiled brightly.
"It's nothing else, but there was an order to move the personnel imprisoned in the tower to another location. Ah, please be at ease. There hasn't been any other word about Baronet Hessen yet."
"Move those imprisoned in the tower? Where to?"
"I can't tell you that much. Isn't it also a place you'll have to go soon, Baronet?"
The Royal Guard Captain only said that much, but by this point Dardin had already caught on.
Generally, if there's no problem with the prison facility itself, prisoners aren't moved.
Moreover, since they were in the special situation of being political prisoners, they shouldn't leave the tower.
There was only one reason why prisoners, or those under equivalent suspicion, would be moved to another location.
Execution of punishment.
"...That can't be."
"No, Her Majesty the Queen has been quite patient. But you failed to return with His Highness the 3rd Prince, didn't you?"
"Just because of something like that?"
"Just because? Don't you know how much interest Her Majesty the Queen has in the currently unique heir of the royal family?"
Suddenly dizziness struck.
It was the Royal Guard Captain who caught Dardin's arm as he staggered, overwhelmed by reality.
"Oh my. If I had known Baronet would be shocked, I wouldn't have told you. Her Majesty the Queen will scold me."
"To stop it."
"Pardon?"
"To stop it, what do I have to do? It's not time yet, please just half a day, no. Even just a few hours, somehow-"
The smile disappeared from the Royal Guard Captain's face.
There was absolutely no trace of joking in his eyes looking down at Dardin.
A hard voice dragged him back to cruel reality.
"It's impossible now. Unless a miracle happens, there's no way Her Majesty the Queen would change her mind."
"But there must be a way somewhere!"
"Thinking of that was your job. But now it doesn't seem to be the case."
He let go of Dardin's arm that he had been holding.
Though Dardin's body swayed and he took several steps backward, he managed not to fall.
The Royal Guard Captain watched this sight and spat out words that seemed mocking or perhaps contemptuous.
"You're not planning to survive alone leaving them behind, are you? Baronet, I'm greatly disappointed. If that's not the case, we could handle you here first before they die."
A knight who had received the most honorable position of captain among the royal guard knights in recent years.
As rumors circulated that he was personally selected by the Queen, he carried out any of the Queen's orders without complaint.
But before Dardin had begun earnestly planting spies called 'saplings' in Aquilonia's royal castle,
Dardin had first made contact with him.
There was only one reason.
The Royal Guard Captain had owed his life to the precious only daughter of the Primavera Viscount family even before he became a knight.
And that debt had turned into a small romantic affection that still remained in his heart.
The contact with the captain wasn't requested by Eva, nor commanded by the 3rd Prince.
It was the result of Dardin carefully pursuing a clue he had accidentally caught while talking with Eva.
After the former royal chief physician Viscount Primavera and his son below him were executed for failing to save the 1st and 2nd Princes,
When even the remaining Lady Primavera disappeared mysteriously, Dardin's contact was an irrefusible proposal to the captain who was investigating this.
So eventually, though reluctantly, for the sake of Lady Primavera,
For her who had become the 3rd Prince's associate, the captain was temporarily cooperating with Dardin.
The captain thought to himself that cooperating with such a guy was indeed distasteful.
The scabbard hanging at the captain's side made a clanking sound.
Though it was a threatening sound just to hear, Dardin stood there still in silent response.
The captain inwardly mocked Dardin who had shut his mouth tight like a clam. Of course he couldn't do this or that.
How many things had that stupid baronet before him bet on the card called the 3rd Prince? The captain thought Lady Primavera was the same. What kind of mad act was she performing, betting her family's survival?
The captain thought it was a choice he would never make.
He was watching the seemingly absent-minded Dardin and was about to turn around and leave.
He would somehow extract at least Lady Primavera. And he was determined to do so.
But just as he turned around, Dardin's calm voice was heard.
"He will come."
"...? I don't know who you're talking about, Baronet?"
"I'm talking about the greatest mage in Aquilonia's history."
Who was that?
The Royal Guard Captain momentarily thought Dardin was talking nonsense. Frightened humans sometimes babbled impossible things.
But Dardin declared with an expression that was too clear and confident.
"A mage, one great mage cannot be compared even if a hundred ordinary mages are gathered. He will change Aquilonia's royal family and change this country."
"-Just one mage?"
"How much was accomplished by Grand Mage Eibon alone? Of course, I won't say that Eibon achieved it all by herself. But without Eibon, we wouldn't have enjoyed the benefits of magic until now. Whether neglecting that power or being excessively in awe of it."
"Do you think such mages are common?"
"You're slow with news, Captain. Do you know what I saw in Asgard?"
Dardin smirked.
"A powerful mage. Asgard's King was rejoicing and worrying at every word he said. If Asgard with such an existence achieves continental unification, well. I'm curious how they could stop it with Brythunia's berserkers and navy."
"That's quite a leap, Baronet."
"Humans become weak before a mage who can overturn the seas. And I'm telling you that the only mage who can stand against him will come here."
The Royal Guard Captain could no longer tolerate and overlook this.
Did he think great mages comparable to Eibon grew like carrots in a field?
He clicked his tongue and took a step without listening to Dardin's words anymore.
But immediately then,
-Ruuumble...
A loud noise of something collapsing echoed in the uncomfortable waiting room.
If it could reach here in the main castle, the source of the noise must be quite close.
The Royal Guard Captain was flustered, but nothing could be confirmed from here.
He could only see Dardin's mouth forming an arc.
Baronet Dardin Hessen spoke with the same kind and intellectual face as always.
"See? I told you he's coming. Why don't you believe me?"
* * *
A black horse tore through empty air and emerged.
Its blazing eyes burned like fire under the sun, and it was falling like a comet with long afterimages trailing behind.
Its dark mane and body, which didn't reflect the intense light at all, looked like an otherworldly being crafted from the most perfect shadow.
On top of it, which was twice as large as an ordinary horse, sat a young man who looked fragile and somewhat timid, with a gentle impression.
The red hair of the young man wearing black gloves that didn't fit his hands fluttered.
Moreover, he held in one hand a long and large staff that might have been fashionable among mages of some era.
He looked up at the tower once, then whispered something to the white, round bundle hanging on his shoulder.
The guards who had been watching the tower were just about to escort prisoners and withdraw when they saw the suspicious person who had suddenly appeared and pointed their spears at him.
Then the young man's head tilted. Bewilderment appeared and disappeared over his emotionless expression that didn't match his age.
"I'm looking for people."
"Who are you? Come down right now and put down what you're holding!"
"They were people who were in this tower. Three people? Yes, probably three is right."
"Teleportation magic within the royal castle is only allowed in permitted areas! Come down immediately, put down all your possessions, and prove your identity!"
"Do I really have to? How bothersome."
He only said that, then jumped down from the horse.
Then the hesitating spear tips gradually approached closer.
The young man, realizing he was being surrounded, dropped the white bundle sitting on his shoulder to the ground.
The white bundle that had been rolling on the ground turned once, and was now a snowman-shaped doll complete with a body.
"Aphoom-Zhah."
[Believer, freeze humans?]
"Just up to their feet, please."
Just up to their feet? This guy was properly insane. The guards snorted and surrounded the young man who appeared to have no armed elements at all.
"Huh. My, my feet."
"Feet? No. What is this?"
No, they had tried to. But their shoes were now firmly stuck to the ground.
Seeing the glittering frost and thin ice at the tips of their shoes, they tried to move several times, but all attempts failed.
It's cold! It's ice, what the hell is this, my feet won't move!
Hearing the commotion, the young man nodded and crouched down on the ground with still an expressionless face.
The young man's voice, which had been flat as he brushed the stone floor, suddenly became bright.
"Ah, there is some. There was some here too."
What? Before the guards could ask,
He savagely bit his own palm. Small pieces of flesh and blood dropped to the ground.
Not satisfied with that, the young man rubbed his reddened palm on the ground and whispered.
"Good. Come up."
It's dark and damp down there. Come here. Stop by briefly.
It was ominous. The guards, helplessly bound to the ground, felt a faint vibration.
The vibration grew stronger and stronger, and when they finally thought something was imminent from the ground,
-Boom!
A huge monstrous creature burst up from the dirt floor.
Stones and sand poured in all directions.
A stench that made their noses feel like they'd rot, and darkness even though it was broad daylight.
The guards began screaming when they realized what they were looking at were thousands of blinking eyes,
But it took less than 2 seconds for them to be eaten by the bugs and become quiet.
