novelraw Chapter 192 - The Tonisk Empire
Chapter 192 - The Tonisk Empire
‘Why does he keep repeating this to me?’
Ruel could not find any connection between the fact that the Great Man could not fully control Treitol’s body and how to deal with him. If Treitol could have expelled the Great Man from his body, why hadn’t he done so earlier? However, at present, his focus was on the fact that Treitol
“Your Highness.” Ruel addressed Adea, glancing at Cassion who had already placed shadows on Treitol. Cassion nodded, indicating that he would look into the situation.
-I’m listening.
“Pretend to be pursuing Prince Treitol. Your course of action remains the same.”
-Then I…
“You must claim the throne.”
The opportunity had come. Adea had the evidence and power to confront Jayel decisively.
“End Jayel’s life and take control of everything.”
Ruel could hear Adea swallow nervously.
-Will the goddess Hela forgive me for all of this?
Ruel remained silent. He was not Hela.
-Lord Setiria.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ruel altered his address towards Adea. He was no longer a prince but a king. Upon hearing his new title, Adea exhaled deeply.
-Those are weighty words indeed. Nevertheless, I will not let slip the opportunity you have presented me.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. And please, in the name of the corrupted warlock, purge this land of Red Ash.”
-Red Ash. That’s right. That’s where it all began.
Adea’s voice regained strength, as it was something he truly desired.
-Thank you, Lord Setiria. I have come this far with your help. I will be in touch again.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I hope you achieve what you desire.”
The call ended with Adea disconnecting first. Another move was made on the chessboard. It felt as though the Great Man’s carefully laid plans were shaking. Now, only one piece remained to be moved: the Kingdom of Leponia. Ruel smiled and infused his ring with mana.
“Your Highness.”
In response to Ruel’s serious tone, Banios answered appropriately.
-Speak.
“Your Highness, the time has come.”
-Already? Isn’t this two days earlier than expected?
“There’s been a slight issue.”
-An issue? Is it a troublesome situation? I’ll assist in any way I can.
“Not exactly. Prince Treitol has taken action on his own. Your Highness will likely soon hear news of the King of Kran’s death.”
-Does this mean the Great Man has intervened?
Banios asked cautiously.
“Not exactly. I can’t be sure yet, but the Great Man and Prince Treitol are separate entities.”
-So… does that mean he hasn’t completely lost control of his body?
“For now, it seems that way. Nonetheless, the situation hasn’t changed significantly, so please do not worry.”
Whether Treitol’s actions were deliberate or inadvertent, the ruler of Kran had already fallen. Just as the deceased cannot be revived, a puppet that has slipped from one’s grasp cannot suddenly resume movement.
“Thus, it is appropriate for you to make your move, Your Highness.”
-I understand. I’ll wait to see how things develop before acting.
Banios seemed about to end the communication but added,
-By the way, there is something I need to inform you of.
“Please proceed.”
-Yesterday, His Majesty handed me the key to the royal treasury.
Receiving the key from Brans signified the transfer of the throne to Banios.
-Interestingly, it’s not the physical key but the royal crest that now appears on the back of my hand as proof of identity.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
-I’m not officially crowned yet, so let’s hold off on such titles. I’m merely preparing for potential unforeseen events.
Banios’s tone was solemn. The unforeseen circumstances seemed to imply a scenario where Ruel might lose control to the Great Man. If the Great Man were to take over his body, it would be after Brans had passed the key to Banios, enabling a distinction between the authentic and the counterfeit.
-Ruel, be careful and cautious. In the end, his target is you.
“I am always mindful of that, so do not worry, Your Highness.”
-Anyway, I will now end our communication.
Only after confirming the disconnection did Ruel close his eyes. All the pieces were now in motion. The board set by the Great Man needed to be shaken even more than it was now. Intensely.
***
Two days later, news of the King of Kran’s demise spread across the kingdom. Jayel, the owner of the Kran royal necklace presented by the Cyronian, was to be executed. Adea oversaw the beheading.
The execution was a stark contrast to the usual mourning period following the king’s passing. Adea gave the signal, and the blade of the guillotine swiftly descended, severing Jayel’s head.
Bang!
With a horrific sound, Jayel’s head fell to the ground, rolling away. Adea stared directly at the scene before speaking.
“We are the people of Hela.”
The murmurs faded as Adea continued.
“We will never, ever, allow ourselves to be swayed by outside conspiracies.”
The crowd’s faces showed fear in response to this warning-like statement. Adea quietly pointed at Jayel’s lifeless body.
“Furthermore, Jayel, once a princess of this country, fell victim to the corrupted warlock, disrupting our alliance with the Kingdom of Leponia.”
The blood splattered on Adea’s face intensified the ferocity of his gaze.
“Therefore, I hereby declare war against the corrupted warlock.”
It was Adea’s first command as king. It was a sound that woke those who had been buried in peace, a proclamation against the Red Ash.
Bang.
The knights standing behind Adea slammed their shields onto the ground.
“In the name of Hela, we shall restore justice and honor. We will reclaim our dignity.”
Adea turned his body, hearing the cheers of the crowd, and stepped down from the platform of execution.
‘One.’
The blood of those who were destroying the country has barely been shed.
***
“Ruel-nim.” Cassion called out to Ruel after receiving a note containing a report from his subordinate.
Ruel paused from his salad, setting down his fork. “Go ahead.”
Thanks to Huswen’s consideration, Ruel could move comfortably within the mansion. Aris, after receiving teachings from Mayre, had secluded himself in his room for two days, striving to understand how to unravel the magic circle.
Noticing Ruel’s improved appetite and his regaining health, Cassion began to speak.
“Prince Adea has executed Princess Jayel and declared war on the warlocks upon ascending the throne.”
Ruel’s lips curled up into a smile.
‘Very good.’
The king had been killed in Kran, just as the relations between Cyronian and Kran had turned sour because of him. The culprit was the warlock Cyronian had mentioned.
‘Cyronian won’t miss this opportunity. Adea’s sudden rise to power and the quality to be the king will surely be questioned.’
Huswen joyfully lashed out at Kran, venting his long-held feelings. Kran, a nation with deep religious connections, felt the blow even more deeply due to the royal necklace symbolizing its royalty. As Kran sought a solution, war with the warlocks became inevitable. This situation could prompt action from Leponia.
‘Chaos is inevitable.’
The fragile alliance among the three nations would be strained. However, this state would be temporary. As long as they kept an eye on the Tonisk Empire, conflict might be averted, and the value of the name Ruel Setiria wouldn’t be maintained forever either.
It was all about buying time. The stage was set. Wiith Leponia’s participation, the embers that had faded would ignite once more.
‘How will the Great Man react?’
Ruel picked up his fork again.
“Where is Prince Treitol headed?”
“He’s en route to the Neutral Zone.”
“The Neutral Zone?”
Though just a large village, the neutral territory offered access to various locations like the Beast Forest, Leponia, Cyronian, the Tonisk Empire, and even the Ice Castle.
‘Could it be that he’s coming to kill Mayre, who might be the last guardian? Or has he figured out the ‘king’s’ position? Or is he coming to Leponia to confirm my death?’
The sudden movement from someone previously silent unsettled Ruel.
“Yes. However, Treitol seems to be in a very unstable state. He attempts self-harm whenever there’s a chance.”
“Be careful and keep watching. Don’t forget that the opponent is the Great Man.”
“Understood.”
Ruel listened to Cassion’s reply, turning his gaze to the window. The blizzard that had been falling all day long had started to ease a little.
“Is it okay to leave now?”
“Yes, but you haven’t recovered enough for the journey yet.”
“That’s alright. Any news about Aris?”
“No updates yet. However…”
Cassion halted, noticing the sparkling ring on Ruel’s hand.
—Sparkle! Sparkle!
Ruel couldn’t understand why Leo was so excited about something sparkling. Leo rushed over, energized. Ruel patted Leo and infused mana into the ring. It was his uncle. They had communicated earlier that morning.
“Uncle, what’s happening?”
-Ruel.
Tyson was smiling brightly, in contrast to the worried expression he had shown in the morning.
It seemed there was good news. Ruel felt his own excitement rising.
-I have fixed the warp’s size and confirmed the powder’s reaction in the black water!
“Really?!” Ruel asked, surprised.
-Yes, indeed, I managed to stabilize the warp’s size a few days ago. However, I needed to conduct tests before sharing the news. Here, take a look at this.
Tyson placed the communication device down and moved to the side quickly. Two warps were set facing each other, with Tyson standing beside them. The warp had quadrupled in size, now stable and consistent. When Tyson tossed an apple into the warp, it moved back and forth at a fixed height.
-Can you see it?
“I can see it clearly. Thank you so much for your hard work,” Ruel said, mirroring Tyson’s smile.
The warp device was a crucial tool that could potentially avert disaster in Leponia. The success they had achieved seemed almost unbelievable. Ruel watched the apple moving back and forth with delight.
‘Money really is the best, after all.’
Ruel couldn’t stop smiling, feeling a warm sensation in his chest. The support from the royal family had significantly accelerated the research progress. However, he hadn’t anticipated such rapid advancements.
-Ruel, it’s too early to celebrate.
Hurriedly, Tyson moved to another spot, still brimming with excitement. In the distance, magic knights lay exhausted on the floor. Tyson held up a pouch containing black powder, reminiscent of a Black Wayfinder.
-Do you remember this?
“Yes, I remember.”
The Black Wayfinder was a warlock’s magic that could create powder by absorbing the mana of the Devotee of Darkness. This powder had the power to correctly guide death.
Tyson had thought he had failed because there had been no vessel to contain the mana of the Devotee of Darkness until now, but he immediately focused on the powder after the warlock came to Setiria.
The black powder was made from the Devotee of Darkness’s mana, so what would happen if the same mana was infused back into it? This question sparked research that led to Tyson successfully creating the black powder.
-I’ve also discovered that the mana of the Devotee of Darkness possesses a particularly haughty nature.
Tyson laughed out loud, delighted by the fact he had uncovered.
‘Haughty, huh?’
Ruel found it hard to believe. It seemed to relate to the nature of controlling darkness.
-Anyway, it was challenging to settle this cute thing into the powder.
Tyson looked fondly at the black powder.
“How much mana has been infused into that powder?”
-About 1%.
‘Only 1%?’
Ruel pursed his lips in thought.
-Ruel, isn’t it fascinating how the color changes with just 1% of your mana infused? We’re contemplating a name for this powder. Ruel, any suggestions?
“For now, just let me see it.”
Thinking about a name for the powder made Ruel uneasy, recalling a recent title that had emerged.
—Ruel.
As Tyson moved towards the glass box filled with black water, Leo called out to Ruel softly.
“What is it?”
—That powder resembles you.
Not knowing what kind of reply would come, Ruel hurriedly tried to cover Leo’s mouth.
—It would be nice to call it the Darkness of Mercy…
-Darkness of Mercy?
As Ruel belatedly covered Leo’s mouth, Tyson seemed to have caught the small sound of their exchange. Why are they all so good at hearing?
“Let’s just ignore that, please.”
-Hmmm.
Tyson appeared deep in thought, his expression surprisingly intense.
“Uncle, please show me quickly.”
-Ah, sorry about that.
Tyson stood in front of the glass box with a slightly awkward expression.
-Pay close attention.
As Tyson sprinkled the black powder into the black water, a faint sizzling sound filled the air.
“It’s shrinking,” Cassion remarked.
“Shrinking?”
—Really?
Ruel and Leo turned their attention to Cassion simultaneously.
“It has indeed shrunk, but only slightly.”
Upon Cassion’s confirmation, Tyson’s smile widened.
-It’s still embarrassing that it hasn’t shown enough effect for practical use.
“The first step is crucial, though, isn’t it? Uncle, your efforts are commendable,” Ruel expressed sincerely.
-I’ll ensure we can deploy it in real combat.
“Yes, please make that happen.”
Time was of the essence now. Success was imperative, and they had to push forward with unwavering determination.
Knock. Knock.
The door swung open hastily.
“Ruel-nim!”
Aris burst into the room.
Spotting Tyson, he exclaimed, “Tyson-nim, please hold on a moment!”
-Aris…?
Tyson was taken aback. It was the first time he had seen Aris raise his voice like that. Aris retrieved a paper he had been clutching against his chest and presented it to Tyson.