Novels online

Chapter 346

My Villains Episode 346

59. plateau(6)

“The first time I noticed something strange was the spring equinox the year before last..”

Similar to Earth, on this world the vernal equinox is considered the day when spring begins in earnest..

At this time, it was also a long-standing tradition of Gwangmyeonggyo to dedicate a festival to the ‘flower maiden’ in hopes of a good harvest and fertility..

“After the group worship, we were given about half a day to watch the festival. The wind was so strong that Princess Yuril also received permission from the abbess to go out together..”

Yuril suffered from extreme grief after losing her mother, Queen Besen, and entered a convent on her own to overcome it... … This was the royal announcement. Of course, not many people believed this at all..

“The princess was very happy because it was something she would never have dreamed of doing normally. They often don't let me go to mass at the cathedral, but it's a festival..”

Princess Yuril took her monastic vows seven years ago, around the time Ulkar was gathering power in earnest..

The timing was so odd that rumors spread from the royal capital to the outskirts that Lionel III had forced Yuril to take monastic vows in order to keep Ulkar in check..

Lionel III considered Queen Besen's two siblings not his own children. In his view, if Yuril married a powerful nobleman, it would have been like gaining a reliable ally in Ulkar, her half-brother. Confining Yuril to a convent would have seemed like a good option..

Ulkar, who had been listening to the story with a stern expression, slowly parted his lips..

“I guessed that there would be a lot of restrictions on behavior, but was it to that extent?.”

“1There was a time when I couldn't leave the monastery for an entire year. At times like that, I would climb over the wall to see the princess..”

“beyond the wall?”

“yes. “I can’t even dream of going outside because there are so many guards, but the wall between the monastery I was in and the princess’s convent was pretty weak.” Ulkar looked back with slightly widened eyes, so I just shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know Angie was like this either..

“Oh, that's not important... … . After going out like that, I was watching the festival, and before I knew it, the guards had disappeared..”

“guard?”

“yes. Whenever the princess leaves the convent, guards are always present. But it doesn't make sense that people who are so strict that even going to the bathroom would let go of a princess at a festival..”

Shea continued speaking with a slightly excited expression..

“It felt ominous for some reason, so I was about to go back, but as expected, some strange men attacked me. Even before the sun goes down, in the square where a festival is in full swing..”

“The gangsters tried to kidnap the princess, and I and the other nuns hung on desperately. Meanwhile, Bree and Rebecca were stabbed. People flocked to see the children gushing out blood like a fountain, and the guards came running behind them. The gangsters all run away, and Bree and Rebecca are left dead.

Only later.”

Ulkar crossed his arms and cupped his forehead. Because it was dark inside the tent, long, deep shadows fell on his face..

“I thought the royal capital would be shaken up for a while because of this, but somehow, not only the royal capital, but even the religious order acted as if nothing had happened..”

“……Has anything like that ever happened again??”

“It was only once that it was so blatant and dangerous, and it hasn't happened since the Royal Guard members who were assigned as escorts were completely changed. Rumor has it that it was because the captain of the guard personally managed the princess's escort.……

“If you are the captain of the guard, Lord Caliora?”

“Yes, it's him.”

“……I guess so. Because Lord Calliora abhors such low-level charlatanism..”

Calliorra. It's a familiar name..

He was a great man who won the title of the strongest knight of this era even though he was born as a commoner..

“Still, strange things continued. A crow died after hitting its head on the window of the princess's room, and a cat that the princess had kept secretly was torn to pieces and thrown in front of the chapel. There was also a case where a nun who was close to the princess was poisoned..”

“……Poisoned? In a convent?”

“yes. No matter how much sacred power the senior nuns poured into it, it couldn't be deciphered. At first glance, I heard it was a magic poison made by mixing mercury and rain. What was your name?-”

“‘a brilliant dream’.”

“Uh, yes, that's right. It's a very expensive poison that costs about five gold coins per drop.……

Perhaps because he had heard the terrible story, Ulkar remained silent for a moment. When I looked sideways, I saw that his hand was trembling slightly as he touched his forehead..

Was it the fear of almost losing his beloved sister, or was it anger at those who had done such a terrible thing?.

As the prince continued to remain silent, Shea had already calmed down and was rolling her eyes here and there..

After making eye contact with her, I glanced at Ulkar's gaze and opened my mouth..

“So, what specifically is the story the princess told me to tell??”

“Oh, that's……

She hesitated for a moment and then closed her eyes tightly..

“Actually, there is no such thing..”

“•♦♦♦♦•what?”

“I'm sorry, I lied..”

“What nonsense are you talking about now? Everything I've said so far is a lie?”

Because I growled without realizing it, Shea got scared and shrugged her shoulders..

“Oh, no, no. What happened to the princess is true..”

“Then what is a lie??”

“I have something to tell you, that's all..”

“No, why would you lie like that?,”

“The princess is not a person who can ask unreasonable favors from others. I, who have no power whatsoever, am not the kind of person who would go to the prince on the battlefield and ask him to convey his message..”

“So what I'm doing now is……

“It's purely my judgment. I thought the prince was the only one who could help Princess Yuril.,”

Shea, probably overcome with emotion while speaking, kneeled in front of the chair with tears in her eyes..

“Please forgive me, my prince. Yuli, no, I felt sorry for the princess, so I lied to her because I wanted to help her..”

“••••••Umm.”

I wanted to comfort Shea, who was tingling, but deceiving the royal family was clearly a serious crime. It was impossible for me to step forward and forgive Ulkar while he remained silent..

And well, it seemed unlikely that Ulkar, known as the great warrior of the weak, would severely punish Shea, a mere merchant's daughter..

“……Yes, I guess so. Because Yuril is a kind-hearted and gentle child..”

Ulkar wiped his face and looked down at Shea with dry eyes..

“I want to believe in your good intentions. But I need proof.”

“……Evidence, yo?”

“okay. Proof that you are Yuril's friend. Can you prove that you came to me as a friend of Yuril and not as someone else's swindler or swindler??”

“uh……

Shea, who was twitching her lips with a scared expression, thought for a moment and quickly nodded as if she remembered something..

“yes yes! There is a story that Yuril told me that I should never tell anyone else. It was a story only I knew..”

“what is that?”

“Uh, that's it……

When she glanced sideways in my direction, the prince urged with an expressionless face:.

“speak.”

“Oh, but you.”

“Lord Phoenics is my knight, so there is nothing to pay attention to. There is no secret between us that cannot be revealed..”

……yes? That's how we were.?

Whether I was embarrassed or not, Shea swallowed dry saliva and parted his lips..

“Well, Yuril said that when she was young, maybe seven years old, she received an oath from her older brother..”

“oath?”

“yes. At that time, the token of that oath was buried in the backyard of Baekpo Palace... … . Under the cherry tree.”

Ulkar, who was quietly looking down at Shea, soon burst into laughter..

“ha ha ha!”

He was laughing loudly and nodded, wiping the corners of his eyes..

“Yes, that happened once. I've had that happen... … He muttered with a faint smile..

“He said he would marry me when he grew up, and he insisted so hard that I said I would understand. So he even asked me to swear that I wouldn't trust him..”

“I couldn't handle the fact that he, who normally couldn't say anything he wanted, was making such a fuss and was crying and throwing a tantrum. They say that Yuril has now grown into the most beautiful woman in the capital. It's just overwhelming..”

When I saw him leaning against the backrest and closing his eyes, it seemed like he was reminiscing about past memories..

“Yes, Baekpo Palace. There was a time like that.”

After smiling like that for a moment, Ulkar got up and approached Shea..

“Yeah, I don't believe you..”

“yes yes‘?”

The prince knelt down on one knee in front of Shea and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders..

“Thank you for visiting me. You are a rare good child..”

“Me, Your Highness.”

“Since I said I'm Yuril's friend, you can think of me as your brother..”

Ulkar said something, but Shea seemed like he couldn't hear anything. It was clear to see that his face was bright red and his eyes were spinning..

After a light hug, Ulkar placed his hand on Shea's shoulder and made eye contact..

“If there's anything you want, let me know. I will listen as much as I can.”

“Uh, no, I… … . Just for your sake, Your Majesty..”

“Is that so?.”

The prince nodded and turned to me..

“Lord Phoenics, could you please give me this child? I want to keep you by my side and take care of you..”

“yes? Uh, whatever. If Shea wants to, so be it..”

“I see..”

As her eyes turned back to me, Shea looked between me and Ulkar and muttered..

“I, um, would like to do as you say, but I also have friends from back home with me. Goleman and Cabas, but they really like Phoenix Nari and the others..”

“hmm. I know what you mean..”

Ulkar smiled and helped Shea up, slowly stroking her hair..

“Looks like I got you into trouble..”

“……uh,”

“If we are under Lord Phoenics, we will be able to see each other again at any time. If you ever want anything from me or need help, please come to me..”

“Yes, yes.”

That prince, did you do that on purpose?.

Looking at her, it seemed like she was just doing it selflessly, but Shea seemed to have already lost her mind..

Well, a man as big as Ulkar wouldn't do something like that just to seduce an ordinary girl. He must just have an instinctive knack for bewitching women. Tsk, if you do that, you will have a lot of trouble in life..

“Is there anything else you want to say??”

“yes? Uh, no.”

“okay. If you do that, it's late at night so go back..”

“ah… … . Yes, Your Highness.”

As the half-fazed Shea left the tent, Ulkar sat back down and looked back at me..

“Kyeong-do seemed to be hearing this for the first time..”

“Ah, yes. He kept quiet until the end, saying he had to tell His Majesty directly..”

“Is that so?.”

Ulkar nodded and asked a few more questions about Shea..

“……He seems like a good kid. Please take good care of him..”

“Of course.”

“What do you think of the story about Yuril??”

“well… … . I trust my subordinate, but what about you, Prince? Is it a bit long? ?”

The prince shook his head resolutely..

“No, I don't mean that. Shea and I think the kid's story is trustworthy enough..”

Ulkar leaned back against the backrest, touching the corners of his eyes as if they were tired..

“Actually, I had a guess from the moment Yuril’s story was brought up. I already expected that kind of danger would befall that child..”

Perhaps because he was tired, his eyes were slightly bloodshot. The yellow light illuminated the indigo eyes, creating a dark yet slightly eerie glow..

“The timing and method were unexpected. I didn't know it could be this fast or this dirty... … . Phew. No matter how much I hate my half-sisters, they are still family. How can they be so cruel?.”

“As for family... do you mean Zacharis??”

“The eldest brother may be behind it, but it is Aekaris who did it directly..”

‘‘Skinny Lion’ Aecharis.

He is the second son of Lionel III and the half-brother of Crown Prince Zacharis..

He assists the kingdom's prime minister and king's representative, Zacharis, and holds the civil and military positions of chief butler and cavalry inspector..

“If my father, His Majesty, or my eldest brother had come forward in person, I would not have heard this story. On the other hand, the second brother is surprisingly incompetent..”

I was a little surprised. Not only was it the first time I had seen Ulkar belittle someone, but the target was another prince..

“……Oh, that's a good thing..”

“Actually, that's not true. Maybe you could say it's the worst.”

“yes? It's the worst?”

“My second brother has been coveting Yu Lil for about ten years..”

I was horrified by the dirty nuance in those words..

“No, you mean your younger brother??”

“I'm not the type of person who cares about such things in the first place, and I don't consider him my blood-related younger brother anyway, so I have nothing to qualm with..”

Ulkar maintained his composure while saying these words. There was just a faint twinkle in his eyes..

“I'm glad that Lord Caliora is still in her rightful place. If he is there, at least Yuril… … It won't hurt anything.”

“He seems like a trustworthy person.?”

“The person who completely erased the prejudice I had unconsciously harbored against commoners. He knows honor and never bends his convictions. Even if Lord Caliora had no skill with a sword, I would have called him a knight without hesitation..”

It's just a flood of rave reviews. I'm so jealous.

“However, once the eldest brother officially ascends to the throne, Lord Calliora will not be able to do anything..”

“What are you going to do??”

“……well. I don't know what to do. What do you think??”

“Well, I don't know anything about the situation in the royal capital, so I have nothing to say. still……

“still‘?”

I said with a bitter smile.

“I understand that this is not the situation where you can throw everything away and go rescue Princess Yuril..”

“That's cool.”

Ulkar smiled bitterly and nodded, as if imitating me..

“But it's true. “It’s not a situation where you can rush to the king with an army.” The King's territory is not only enormous in size, but it is also the most fertile land on the continent. Thanks to this, the population is enormous, so if you decide and conscript, you could easily gather around 30,000 to 40,000 people. Of course, a standing army of more than 7,000 people is a separate thing..

To challenge a royal capital with such power was like starting a rebellion that had no chance of success in the first place..

If Ulkar only listened to Shea's words and aimed his sword at the capital, wouldn't about half of the army that followed him fall away?.

“Then, how about sending someone separately to get the princess??”

“Do not ignore the king's spies. The royal capital is a place where it is difficult for ordinary informants to enter, and the Monastery of St. Thomas is located in the center of it all. It's close to impossible to get Yurill out of there..”

The prince sighed with a heavy face..

“And above all, I won't put my people in danger. “I won’t make you bear the stigma of a traitor.” When I was silent, the prince opened his mouth after thinking about it..

“……It would be better to keep quiet about this for the time being. Please make sure that you and Shea keep the secret..”

“……Would you mind??”

“Our immediate task now is not Juril, but the electors of Mitergeland. You can't break the military spirit..”

There were all kinds of emotions in my eyes, so I didn't dare say anything..

Then, suddenly, I remembered a conversation I had with Hayla one day..

“Well then, how about trying a trick with a priest of the El Ganor Church??”

“Priest? It won't be easy. Even a decent bishop-level priest cannot have any influence on a religious order..”

“How about a representative of a religious denomination??”

Ulkar looked puzzled but answered.

“Representatives are not equivalent to cardinals. That would be possible, but how can we move the only five delegates in the church??”

“……Oh, I see..”

Well, what was that guy’s name? I think it was 'Blah Baptiste'..

The priest who is said to have been taken as a mistress by Heila's grandfather and to me, he is the grandfather of the Jinwaejong clan..

Even now, it feels like there is a connection with our family, so I wonder how we can rub it together.?

When I thought about that and hesitated to speak, the prince smiled and gestured..

“It's dawn soon. Please go back slowly and get some shut eye..”

“Oh, I guess so.?”

“Tell them that the knights are waiting for you and that you will quit today..”

As I was about to leave the tent, I suddenly looked back..

With his silver prosthetic arm and rough hands clasped together, Prince Ulkar still had his eyes downcast. Deep darkness was visible beneath the eyelashes..

Then the darkness looked at me.

I held my breath for a moment. There was something sticky writhing in the darkness that did not fit at all with the Ulkar I had seen so far..

It's somehow familiar.

It was murderous intent. A deep, deep murderous intention that I have faced through artists..

“……Sir Phoenics?”

“Uh, um. Oh, good night, Your Majesty..”

Prince Ulkar blinked his watery eyes and smiled as if he had never done that before..

It was a very nice smile for a man to see, but I ended up leaving the tent as if running away..

“Hehe, hehe.”

The knights and soldiers who were waiting in front of Ulkar's tent gathered, but nothing was heard..

……Perhaps, the darkness I just witnessed may be the seed of ‘Ulkar, the King of Murder’..