novelraw Chapter 89 : Chapter 89
Chapter 89 : Chapter 89
Chapter 89. Battle (1)
Gawain’s voice was cold.
“What is it you want from me, truly?”
He was unsettled by Yohan’s sudden shift in demeanor.
The man who had always shown courtesy now seemed icy, as if the mask of politeness had been discarded.
Just like the wily old monsters of the capital.
Yohan spoke slowly.
“I only wish to help you, Your Highness.”
Suspicion flickered in Gawain’s expression.
“You knew the truth of the Third Prince’s palace attack—and yet you sided with the Count. With my mortal enemy. And now you claim you want to help me? Your words make no sense.”
Yohan’s expression remained calm.
“As I said, in politics there are no eternal allies or enemies. The Count and I merely use each other. Sooner or later, our bond will break.”
Gawain let out a bitter laugh.
“In other words, your talk of helping me is a lie. What you really want is to use me. A tool to pressure the Count.”
Years ago, the Count had attacked the royal family. A heinous crime. If the truth ever surfaced, the Staviana family would be destroyed.
And the very proof of that crime was Gawain himself.
Handled correctly, he could become leverage against the Count.
Yohan’s lips curved.
“Correct. As expected, you understand me well. I need you, and one day, you will need me. Let us walk the same path.”
Gawain’s voice was stiff.
“I see why you need me. But what about me? What can you give me in return?”
“A fair question. I will help you exact revenge. And more—I will restore to you the throne that was stolen.”
“The throne… you mean—”
Yohan nodded.
“You will become crown prince once again, and in time, rule as king.”
Shock swept over Gawain’s face.
He fell silent, then steadied his voice.
“I have no wish to be king. And besides, with what confidence do you claim you can grant me vengeance or a crown? I didn’t take you for one to spout such empty boasts.”
Yohan’s expression hardened.
“Does it sound like boasting, Your Highness?”
There was an odd force behind his words and expression.
“Well, anyone would—”
“Consider what I’ve done. From the moment I entered my post, I protected the barony from the Count, and in less than a year, I raised my family from ruin to a seat on the Council. And you call me a mere boaster?”
Yohan was undeniably gifted. Barely of age, yet he had achieved so much.
Even speaking with him revealed how exceptional he was.
Gawain could not outright deny his ability.
“You’re right. Your deeds prove your talent. I’ll acknowledge that. But trust is another matter. I cannot trust you. To take your hand feels like being pulled into an abyss.”
Yohan said,
“If you cannot trust me, then let us simply use one another.”
“And as you said yourself, such ties inevitably shatter. I would rather not begin such a bond.”
“You fear me. You fear being discarded after being used.”
Gawain nodded.
“Exactly. A man like you is most dangerous. You move only for your own gain.”
Yohan clicked his tongue.
“And you want only the loyal? Then wake up, Your Highness. This world is no fairy tale. Men like me abound. Reject them all, and you will accomplish nothing. Not revenge, not even survival.”
Gawain spoke evenly.
“I hear your advice, but I have my own way. I cannot walk with you. It was an interesting talk. But I’ll take my leave.”
He rose from his seat.
Yohan’s face darkened.
“If you leave now, you will regret it.”
Gawain scoffed.
“Why? Will you send assassins after me, like the Count?”
“There will be no need. Soon the Church will judge you.”
Gawain was being corroded by the Cursed Spear Turabak.
If the Church learned this, he would not survive.
It was only a matter of time.
Gawain frowned.
“…What are you talking about?”
“You will soon become a demon. You’ve contracted a sickness. Only I can save you.”
Gawain laughed incredulously.
“Ha! So you are a mad liar after all. I misjudged you.”
But Yohan pressed on.
“Stay in this castle and receive treatment. It is your only chance to live.”
Anger flooded Gawain’s face.
Grinding his teeth, he said,
“Sir Yohan, let us never meet again. I’ll go now. No need to see me out.”
He turned toward the door—But his steps faltered. His expression stiffened.
Yohan dabbed his mouth with a napkin and rose.
“You cannot leave this castle, Your Highness.”
Gawain’s head turned back toward him, slow and creaking.
Like an unoiled machine.
With effort, he rasped,
“W-what have you done to me…”
The dining hall doors opened.
A silver-haired girl entered with a smile.
“I slipped something into the soup.”
She snapped her fingers.
At once, Gawain’s heart thudded violently.
Blood surged through his body at unnatural speed.
His veins bulged against his skin, glowing with dark-blue mana.
His body blazed with light.
Agonizing pain struck, like burning alive.
He couldn’t even scream—only glare at Yohan with hate-filled eyes.
“Kh… hhhuuughk—”
Yohan said,
“Bear with it, please. This is all for you.”
Gawain’s arm lifted slowly, intent on striking despite the torment.
Ilea turned to Yohan.
“Yohan, he’ll break free soon. Leave the hall.”
No poison in soup could truly subdue Gawain.
He would shake it off quickly—and then come for Yohan’s life.
Yohan nodded.
“I’ll deal with the guard. Leave Gawain to you.”
Even being caught in their fight could mean death.
He hurried from the dining hall.
***
On the castle ramparts, Captain Yuri of the Third Prince’s guard sat, gazing down at the lord’s keep.
As night fell, the castle’s atmosphere shifted.
The noble fortress seemed cloaked in sinister air.
Moonlight poured over crumbling spires, stretching warped shadows across the ground.
From the deep well within the walls, a chilling draft rose.
The wind howled like ghosts.
Gooseflesh prickled across Yuri’s skin.
Unease stirred in her.
“…Hmph.”
Her lord, the Third Prince, was within that keep—alone in enemy territory.
Knowing well the Count’s ties to Yohan, Yuri could not feel at ease.
Her second approached.
“Captain, if you worry so, why let His Highness go alone?”
Yuri sighed.
“He forbade us to follow. What could I do? No one bends his will.”
The prince always dismissed his guards. He found them cumbersome.
The lieutenant chuckled.
“If memory serves, he even forbade us from watching.”
Yuri grimaced.
“This isn’t surveillance, it’s protection.”
“No, Captain. It's an obsession. Really, how many in this world could even harm him?”
The prince was a monster. He hardly needed guarding.
Yuri retorted.
“Fool. I’m not protecting him. I’m protecting that family from him.”
“What do you mean?”
The Count was his sworn enemy, and Yohan was allied with the Count.
If things went awry, Gawain and Yohan might clash.
That could trigger Gawain’s rampage.
If so, the Miyatro family would be erased from the map.
And Gawain himself would not escape punishment—killing the Watcher of the Abyss and a Council member demanded a price.
Guarding the barony meant guarding Gawain as well.
Yuri waved the matter off.
“Explaining is pointless. Go drink instead.”
Her lieutenant grinned.
“Captain, you should pull back too. His Highness is nearly of age. Do you still need to hover over him like a mother hen?”
Yuri shot him a glare.
“Say one more word.”
Hands raised, he backed away.
“Then I’ll vanish. Lovely girls are waiting in town. Haha!”
He leapt from the wall and was gone.
Yuri returned her gaze to the keep.
The ominous aura grew thicker.
Mist clung to the spires like miasma.
“Is it just me? Why do I feel so on edge…”
She slapped her cheeks, but the unease only deepened.
The air grew heavier.
She felt eyes on her.
“You still here? Don’t toy with me.”
There was definitely a presence.
She whipped her head around—But froze.
Blood-red eyes stared back.
A vile being sat right beside her.
A demon hidden within the darkness of Chimya.
A chilling voice pierced her skull.
“Mortal. Fight me with all your might.”
Mapheltan meant to test his strength.
A captain like Yuri was a suitable opponent.
Startled, Yuri sprang back. Her pupils trembled.
“Y-you… White Horn?”
Mapheltan’s mouth curled.
“Indeed. This is your chance to slay an Apostle. Draw your blade.”
Yuri’s eyes darted toward the keep.
“Your Highness!”
She leapt from the wall, her duty as guard demanding she check his safety.
Mapheltan clicked his tongue.
Dark miasma coalesced in his hand.
The Cursed Spear Turabak appeared.
He hurled it at Yuri.
The spear tore through the night.