novelraw Chapter 186 : Chapter 186
Chapter 186 : Chapter 186
Chapter 186 : To the Empire
“Along with six top-tier Magic Knights, the Master of the Green Tower appeared……?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
At the answer of the Dragon Sword Duke, Kyle Dragon, a smile blossomed on the King's lips.
“Hahahaha. This is an unexpectedly big catch. Perhaps even more so than catching the Demon Cult Leader. You have done a great deed, Duke.”
The Duke also smiled slightly at those words.
People called him the Destruction King or the Destruction God.
However, if the King had been merely gentle and benevolent, how could he have controlled him?
That appearance of smiling cruelly at the words that one of the Empire's seven pillars had been destroyed was precisely the true appearance of Lockhart Iron I.
“Are you not worried that war might break out?”
“In the first place, the Magic Tower Master moved without notice. How could the Empire complain about him moving in secret and dying on his own?”
The King looked particularly happy saying those words.
“Perhaps that possibility might arise in my generation.”
To the extent that excessively preposterous words came out.
“Your Majesty, you must be prudent. Still, it is yet…….”
“No. The situation in the Empire is also changing. It may not be a matter for us to be prudent or not anymore.”
“Pardon? The Empire……?”
“Actually, there were some ambiguous signs, but I became certain after hearing that the Magic Tower Master came to catch Sir Muno. That their chronic problems are deepening.
Why else would the Magic Tower Master have moved that far?”
“Ah……!”
“The reason it is not yet largely visible on the surface is probably because the Deus Imperial Family or the Magic Towers are pouring money to cover it up.”
“If so…….”
“If it goes as expected, the Empire will start to crack within a few years. I think we should contact the Tower of Spirits in advance. And the neighboring nations as well.”
“Neighboring nations?”
“Since the Empire's fundamental problems began to surface, the Evil cult appeared in our Kingdom. And big and small problems erupted one after another in other neighboring countries of the Empire. I do not think this is a coincidence.”
“Then…….”
“If that conjecture is true, we must see a conclusion in this era, not the next. Without fail.”
The Duke, who flinched at the tremendous story the King laid out, also soon smiled bleakly.
‘I thought at best it would be a matter for my next generation…….’
The feeling of fighting spirit that had been forcibly suppressed rising again.
“My later years will not be boring.”
“Yes. It will become like that. We should prepare properly starting from now.”
“If our Kingdom is to grow larger amidst that change, we would need a more certain weapon, wouldn't we?”
“Do we not already have a usable card?”
“Yes. I will raise him properly. He is a guy who grows fast anyway, so if we roll him in actual combat, in a few years…….”
“Oh, fortunately, there is news that that friend would exactly like. If we send him instead of the investigation team…….”
When the top power holders of the Iron Kingdom smiled predator-like smiles resembling each other.
“Woo…… Achoo!!”
Muno, who was coming down the Northern mountain range, caused ripples among the quiet party by sneezing loudly without any warning signs.
“Are you protesting right now that you stayed up all night alone?”
“Ah, no. Suddenly……. I apologize.”
He only realized it after the day broke in the morning, but it seemed the red potion Karina and Hansen took was not a panacea.
Even though it was a precious item used only in urgent situations, the aftereffects were considerable.
Right now, Muno had to go down the Northern mountain range while protecting the two Red Iron Knights who could not exert even half their skills and Lauel who struggled to even shoot a bow.
It had become a much worse condition than he thought.
‘Damn old man.’
Couldn't he even persuade the wyverns?
Of course, rather than that.
“M, Sir Muno. I am sorr…….”
“What are you sorry for. Ms. Lauel did enough.”
“T, thank, you.”
It was also uncomfortable because he had to mind the two women who were harmoniously getting along for some reason.
So.
“It seems this is another guy’s territory.”
As soon as Hansen gave the signal.
“I will handle it!”
Kwaaang!
It was natural for him to dash out just like that.
A situation where combat with monsters was rather more comfortable.
It took a whole two more days to return to Drasen from the depths of the Northern mountain range, which had taken only a few hours to go up.
* * *
For some reason, Lian was waiting for Muno's party in the Drasen territory.
Even opening the castle gates and coming out to greet them as soon as they appeared.
Since the party were all superhumans who had evolved at least five times, they had almost recovered from the aftereffects of the last two days.
But it couldn't be helped that he became nervous at that urgent-looking appearance.
“What is going on?”
“What happened to you, Brother? Besides, Sister-in-law and that knight?”
At the very bothering word, Muno glanced slightly at Karina and answered quietly.
“……He is Sir Hansen of the Red Iron Knights. There was a bit of an incident in the mountain range.”
“Ah, so…….”
There was no way the Kingdom's elite would move just because there was a ‘bit of an incident’, but for some reason, the younger brother seemed to accept it.
“So?”
“There was content I couldn't understand in the communication that came to the territory, and it was about those people.”
Hansen reacted first to Lian's following words.
“Communication?”
“Yes. It was an order for the member of the Royal Knightly Order who is with the Black Knight to return to the capital immediately. I doubted it, but to think it was referring to the Red Iron, and even including Sister-in-law…….”
When it was particularly bothering that Karina flinched at those words.
Lian's gaze turned directly to Muno.
“And another order came down for you too, Brother.”
“Me?”
“Yes. So I was very worried. That you might bring in another inexplicable matter.”
“Another?”
“No, you know that thing before.”
At the brother's equivocal words, the darkness that covered the sky like a black night and the eyes like full moons immediately came to mind.
The words that the massive darkness left as well.
- Someday this child will find you again. And when that time comes…….
- Wait with a joyful heart, human.
- That time will not be so long even in human time.
The body warmth of the small and cozy baby dragon he lost(?) at that time too.
‘Come to think of it, wouldn't it be not far from there?’
The depths of the mountain range where he fought the Seven-Star came to mind anew, but now was not a suitable time to recall the past.
“Ah……. It’s not something like that, I will explain the details after we go in.”
“Brother, it is troubling if something keeps happening outside the human world. It’s hard to clean up…….”
He was dying of exhaustion, but his brother was only saying incomprehensible things.
“Enough. I said let’s go in first? Is it because of that communication?”
“Yes. Precisely, it is because of the communication that came to you, Brother. Because it seemed like urgent news.”
“Urgent news?”
“That Legner family. Permission came down from ‘that side’ to investigate directly.”
Everyone's complexion could only stiffen at those words.
On top of that.
“But a contact even came that His Majesty the King pinpointed you to be sent, Brother.”
Even the King's incomprehensible order.
‘I welcome it if it's catching their tails, but.’
Was it really a good thing to enter the Empire when there was even an attack by the Imperial Magic Tower Master?
His head could only become complicated.
‘Well, since there is the royal investigation team…….’
He thought it would be fine if he was with them.
But Lian's words that followed immediately betrayed his expectations nicely.
“However, what I am worried about is that they limited the number of personnel from that side. Saying they will solve it directly. To only send witnesses…….”
“What?”
“They said they would allow about three people, and His Majesty picked you as the leader, Brother.”
“Ha?”
It is the continent's culture that one team of a knightly order usually consists of six people.
The restriction of the number to three people was practically a threat not to get deeply involved in the investigation.
‘And me as the leader?’
Leaving aside the Red Iron Knights including the Blood Knight Anthony or the delegation.
He could not read the King's thoughts at all.
However, the news his brother conveyed did not end with that.
“They said if the witnesses do not come, the Northern King would handle it on his own. So the contact was to ask you to hurry as much as possible.”
Ha…….
It made even less sense.
To the northern part of the Empire where the Legner family was located, going from Aslan would be twice as fast as going from Drasen.
“And one of the people to join was already selected by the investigation team, and since he is a somewhat elderly person, they said he already departed. Saying he would see you at the border…….”
“Mm? ……Ah!”
At those words, there was a person who immediately came to mind.
Only then did he seem to feel a bit more relieved.
“The other person is…… If Sister-in-law cannot go, it would be Ms. Lauel, right?”
“It has to be.”
Strong vanguard and archer, and the strongest Spirit Master.
‘If only there was a priest in charge of recovery, it would be a perfect party…….’
Muno ignored Karina's stinging glare while recalling memories of the game from his past life.
In fact, the feeling of wanting to be with her a little longer was the same for him too.
‘To think we would part ways so quickly.’
It weighed on his mind again now that they couldn't even have a proper conversation due to feeling awkward since that night two days ago.
“Sir Karina, I will go check the communication. Then immediately…….”
“Yes. I know.”
Karina, who sighed quietly while answering Hansen who was about to run to the castle, approached him.
Looking at each other's regretful appearance reflected in each other's eyes, an embarrassed laugh came out for no reason.
It was fortunate that they were both smiling.
“……You didn't forget what I said, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“We will meet again soon, us.”
“Of course. Definitely.”
Even before Hansen came back from communicating, Karina was preparing to leave.
But now he seemed to understand.
‘The moment of farewell is better to be short.’
Even more so if they were a relationship that would meet in the near future.
Muno sent Karina off outside the castle like that.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Yeah. I'm okay.”
“Still, you are…… lov, ers, right?”
There was a subtle hesitation in Lauel's voice.
In the past, he would have just equivocated, but.
“Still, we each have things we must do.”
Muno only answered with a smile.
Even while watching Lauel's expression darken a little.
“It will become even more dangerous from now on. Lauel, if your goal is revenge, there is no reason for you to stay by my side.”
He rather conveyed words as if pushing her away.
And as expected.
“Not at all. I already decided to serve you for the rest of my life.”
He smiles a sigh-mixed smile at Lauel's answer that came out without hesitation.
When his heart felt warm yet a little heavy.
Unexpected words followed.
“So, please don't let go of me.”
“What?”
As he asked back with blank eyes, Lauel, whose face became equally blank, hurriedly turned her gaze away.
She looked like she realized what she said belatedly.
“I, meant in the forest…… when we run, for you to hold me with the iron chain too……. T, that way wouldn't we go quickly together…….”
A hollow laugh came out at the excuse she soon rambled and hurriedly patched together.
But the meaning contained in those words was already known by both the speaker and the listener.
In the appearance of Lauel staring at him silently after stopping her speech, suddenly Karina of that night when starlight was shattering overlapped.
“……If I don't let go, will you keep following?”
“Yes! For however long.”
‘The two people’ answered with bright smiles.
‘Am I a person worth this much…….’
Feeling the warm and grateful hearts that weighed heavily on him, Muno smiled awkwardly.
“Without resting a little…….”
“The matter is urgent. My heart has rested enough, Mother.”
“Ahem. Let us let him go since the boy is all grown up, Elina.”
His parents seemed very regretful, but he didn't want to hesitate for no reason.
“Brother, when you return again, this year will have passed, right?”
“……Probably?”
“Then perhaps early next year, there will be something that will surprise you quite a bit.”
“What?”
“It's a good thing, so you don't have to worry.”
He put the brother's meaningful words away in a corner of his head for now.
‘When the head is complicated, rolling the body is the best.’
He didn't think it would be greatly dangerous.
Himself who evolved once more, Imadi who calls himself a half but is a Seven-Star Spirit Master, and even Lauel.
On top of that.
[Since you are not sneaking into the Empire but are an envoy who received official recognition, the Magic Towers will not be able to touch you. Muno Drasen, you just focus your attention on dealing with the Evil cult.]
Since there was even the King's assurance.
‘This time for sure I will catch you, Exlam.’
The enemy of his biological parents in his distant memories.
And the one who made his childhood a hell.
He grinds his teeth recalling the blurry face of the gray-haired old man.
And.
“Let's go, Lauel.”
“Yes!”
Tudadadada.
The Black Knight began to run through the cold field again, scattering dust.