Chapter 194: A Mysterious Turn of Events |
‘I’ve never been wrong about this feeling! If I follow him, I’ll get caught up in another life-threatening trouble.’
He had suffered a lot from the absurd situations that Eurius had created over the years.
There was only one conclusion.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t follow you right now. You should get permission from your brother first.”
Galeus laughed softly when he heard that answer.
“Hehe… Can’t you change your mind?”
“No.”
“That’s a pity.”
“…!?”
Galeus, who had been talking from a distance, started to walk towards him.
“What?”
“I’ll deal with your crime later. Neither His Majesty nor I can disobey the will of those great people.”
“You’re crazy!”
Leon began to back away with an annoyed expression.
That meant he would take him by force, right?
He was just talking big, this was kidnapping!
“Let’s go.”
Galeus quickly reached a position where he could touch Leon with his hand. But there was someone who blocked him.
Pit!
“Huh?”
With a very faint sound, Galeus stepped back.
The reason was simple.
Swoosh.
The chest part of his white robe was cut off. If he hadn’t stepped back, not only his clothes but also his blood would have splattered.
“I won’t allow you to approach any further. Apologize for your rudeness and leave.”
In the end, Beatrice had drawn her sword. She quickly approached Leon’s side and whispered.
[We don’t have time. Listen carefully to what I say.]
“Hoo…”
Galeus let out a slight exclamation.
Even to him, who was the best warrior in the Western Continent, this strike was quite sharp.
It wasn’t something anyone could do to make him back off.
‘That’s right! That cold woman finally earned her keep!’
Seeing her make Galeus back off, Leon’s face brightened.
He thought he could somehow escape. But there was a shadow on one side of Beatrice’s face.
[As soon as I throw myself at him, go outside and ask for help.]
[…!?]
Leon’s face hardened again at the sound of her whispering softly.
“What did you say?”
“I don’t have confidence in holding out for long.”
***
“She became like this a week ago?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Eurius stared at the bed without a word.
What he had feared had actually happened.
“What’s the situation?”
Heinz, who had a worried expression, answered.
“The doctor said there is no danger to her life. The problem is that she doesn’t regain consciousness, but according to the examination by Jegal Sae, it’s a temporary injury and it will take some time to recover.”
“Phew… That’s a relief.”
Beatrice was lying flat on the bed. She was already in this state when Eurius arrived. He had to hear a shocking report as soon as he arrived.
“Leonhardt is missing? And Beatrice is unconscious?”
“It’s all my fault for being negligent. Please punish me!”
The knights of the Sharnos Order, who had been left behind to guard Leon, tried to kneel down in anger. But Eurius’s expression was calm.
“Get up. Judging by the situation, it wouldn’t have made any difference if you guys had intervened.”
“But!”
“It’s not your fault. I need some time to think, so please leave me alone.”
“…All right.”
Eurius answered firmly and dismissed the knights. He had too much to think about right now.
“…”
He looked at Beatrice, who was lying on the bed, slowly and carefully.
‘As expected, there are no visible injuries. Then there is only one conclusion…’
His eyes moved to the building outside the window. Leon’s office, where he had been staying, was in a terrible state, as if it had been hit by a bomb. But the people who fought there were only unconscious, not injured? There was only one thing that this meant.
‘Someone who can easily subdue her must have come. And judging by the fact that they spared her life, they must have some kind of relationship!’
The suspects were narrowed down quickly. How many people could handle her, who had reached the level of a superhuman?
‘Come to think of it, the emperor also mentioned that place and his expression changed, didn’t he?’
Eurius muttered with a suspicious expression.
“Could it be the Holy Kingdom?”
Various questions and hypotheses flashed through his mind.
***
As soon as Eurius came out, there was someone waiting for him. He was scratching his head with an awkward expression.
“Damn… I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would happen either. I was watching you too, but I didn’t expect this situation.”
Even for the emperor, this incident was quite painful. He had also been hit in the back of the head.
‘That cunning bastard of the Holy Kingdom is quite good.’
“…”
Eurius thought for a moment and opened his mouth.
“Now tell me everything without hiding anything. What are those guys from the Holy Kingdom doing?”
Eurius had already labeled the Holy Kingdom as an enemy. He had always thought so, but there were too many suspicious points.
‘First of all, it’s the previous life. Why didn’t they help me?’
According to Galeus, their enemy was a cult that served an evil god. But Eurius did not receive any help from the Holy Kingdom in his previous life. He even tried to arrange a political marriage with Beatrice to ask for their help.
Moreover, he had received many attacks from the cult in his previous life. Unlike now, there were many simple assassins, but why didn’t they help Eurius, who was their enemy?
[The Holy Kingdom is absolutely neutral. We cannot participate in the power struggle within the empire.]
They used to reject Eurius’s request with such words. And according to his guess, that was why Leon was kidnapped this time.
The emperor sighed at Eurius’s gaze.
“You have some idea? You’re a quick-witted guy.”
“…”
Swoosh
The emperor drew his sword from his waist again and smiled.
“Then see for yourself. Go to the Holy Kingdom.”
***
The clash happened in an instant.
Boom!
With a sound of something exploding, countless pieces of wood and stone dust flew in front of Leon’s eyes.
“Ugh!”
Leon groaned and quickly covered his eyes and nose and ran out of the room. He was trying to ask for help as Beatrice had told him. But the next moment!
“Gasp!”
He couldn’t move at all. A terrifying force bound his whole body in an instant.
“This…”
Leon looked around with a desperate expression. The dust settled slowly and revealed the situation inside. The building was blown open as if it had been hit by a bomb. The walls on all sides were blown away by the impact of the clash.
“…”
Beatrice lay on the ground as if she were dead.
“I didn’t kill her.”
And Galeus walked toward Leon with a calm expression.
“Then let’s go to the Holy Kingdom.”
Boom!
A dazzling light burst out as soon as his hand touched Leon.
***
“We have arrived.”
“…!?”
Leon’s eyes widened. In front of him was a huge palace made of white walls. He knew that there was only one such building on the continent.
“Could it be… the White Palace?”
The White Palace was where the pope of the Three Great Orders resided! In other words, it was located in the capital of the Holy Kingdom. But Leon had been in the faraway Eastern Continent just a moment ago. How did he get here?
His question was answered by Galeus.
“I used an [Item].”
“An Item?”
“It is a precious tool that the Great One bestowed upon us for the sake of the Holy Kingdom.”
In his hand was a half-burnt piece of paper.
