Chapter 38

Chapter 38

“Our Highness is too weak to use it, but our country has long-standing exchanges with Larchen. Isn’t it a relationship where the predecessors decided upon an engagement? At a time like this, if Hillenton were to go to war with Larchen…”

“If?”

“Of course, Berthas Hillenton will have no choice but to return to his country.”

“I guess so.”

“If he holds the sword for that country, wouldn’t it be natural for him to become enemies with Larchen?”

“Right. That’s right.”

“He has to listen to the words around him.”

“Right.”

​Watching Usman nodding his head, Haliman laughed. Even if the heart was weak, it was too weak. If he wanted something, he had to force it, and he must hold it in his hand and not let go… that was the characteristic of the people of the Khalifa Empire.

Haliman laughed when Usman was not able to behave in the way of the Khalifa as he was the crown prince who had studied abroad in Larchen as a child.

“Your Highness. The people of the Khalifa…”

“Has to have what they want.”

“By force.”

“By force.”

“Rather than giving it to others…”

“Break it.”

“You know it, so that’s enough.”

​Usman laughed along with Haliman.

​”Then, shall I follow Your Highness’ orders and contact the Crown Prince of Hillenton?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Of course.”

​Isilis was having trouble finding out who was behind the kidnapping. She asked Allure, the chief wizard.

​“Is there anything you can search through Aire’s memories?”

“There is none. It seems that they only exchanged letters, but the handmaid who delivered the letters in his memory also disappeared.”

“Most likely dead.”

“That’s right.”

“What is the content of the letter?”

“The contents themselves are written in cipher, which takes time to decipher.”

“I can’t believe this happened.”

​She thought she had been sighing often these days, but she couldn’t hold back the bursting sigh. Isilis couldn’t stop thinking about Aire.

Her existence was revealed when she was seven years old. It was the day when the predecessor empress embraced her for the first time and expressed her anger. It wasn’t her father’s fault. No, maybe it was a mistake…?

A woman had drugged her father and then conceived Aire from that one relationship… Due to the appearance of the woman and the child, the nobles requested her father’s abdication. Still, it was not done due to the previous Empress’ insistence.

After that, her father traveled around the battlefields, where he died.

“I don’t know if that was a coincidence…”

“Did you say something, Your Majesty?”

“No.”

​The chief attendant, who was listening beside her, seemed to ask, but Isilis shook her head. She still had doubts about her father’s death.

‘…It won’t make sense that he obediently took the aphrodisiac.’

He was a Sword Master. On top of that, a magic swordsman. If so, ordinary drugs wouldn’t have worked on him. Clearly, there was something.

In her childhood, there were times when she resented her father though the previous Empress was aware of all of this, so she kept her father by her side as her consort. Her father’s skill was too superior to say that he was hit by a blind arrow on the battlefield.

​“Was that where it all started?”

​It was such a long time.

‘I wonder if there have been people who have been targeting the imperial family for such a long time.’

What they wanted was the Imperial Family.

Larchen was a country that couldn’t be maintained without the Imperial Family. Even if they wanted to rebel, there was only one reason why it was impossible that they couldn’t defend their country afterward.

Even if they dreamed of overthrowing the state through treason, it would be a problem after they succeeded.

There was the Khalifa Empire, which was now an ally but was unknown when they will change sides, the Salas Empire, a pirate nation across the sea, and finally, Hillenton, which had just emerged as an empire.

There was only one reason why all those countries couldn’t aim for Larchen. It was because the Imperial Family’s magical power was strong.

​‘Then, it is clear that they are trying to get their hands on the Imperial Family…’

​This was the first time that she felt fortunate that the princess had no magical powers. If she had magical powers, she would have been constantly threatened with kidnapping.

​“What do you plan to do with Aire, Your Majesty?”

“Shouldn’t you kill him?”

​Isilis answered Allure’s question.

​“I asked the obvious.”

“I only saved him because the previous empress told me to. She said the child was without sin, but now he is a sinner. The situation is different from the previous empress’ time.”

“Then, do you intend to carry out a public execution?”

“Of course not. Now, the Empire’s guests are all over the capital, so we shouldn’t look bad. So, I’ll kill him quietly.”

“When are you going to do it?”

“Let’s go now.”

“I will follow you.”

​Isilis had to see the execution herself because while he was not a member of the imperial family, he had a lineage comparable to that of a noble. Allure opened his mouth again as they walked down the silent corridor.

​”Your Majesty.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What are you going to do with the princess?”

“I don’t know yet. Her magic manifestation may come later.”

“Is that so?”

“What measures are there?”

“When she grows up a little, how about having her practice magic?”

“She doesn’t have any innate magical power, so is this possible?”

“Shouldn’t we do something?”

​They were a group of wizards united by their loyalty to the imperial family.

​“Can the princess, who has no magical powers, inherit the throne?”

“Why not? Even if she doesn’t have magic in this generation, isn’t it possible for it to manifest in the next generation? That is Larchen’s strength. If it’s for the sake of the imperial family who sacrifices themselves for the sake of the Magic Empire, we are willing to sacrifice our magical powers at any time.”

“I wish everyone were like you.”

Isilis whispered softly as he patted Allure on the shoulder.

The loyalty of the wizards was sky-high, but the knights were different. It wasn’t that Larchen didn’t respect knights, but there were many knights who thought they were being discriminated against. Larchen was a country founded by magic. Discrimination was inevitable.

“How about the Knights?”

“Marquis Cyrkan is doing well on his own, but…”

“But?”

“Something is strange.”

“Strange?”

Isilis continued to question him, Allure followed her, lowering his voice.

“He has frequent meetings with the knights these days.”

“Wasn’t that always the case?”

“It’s different. Usually, it would be a crowd, although the number of people who gather is always the same.”

“The number of people gathering the same?”

“If the number of people is different, it would be the usual, but the same people always gather. In order to avoid others’ eyes, they set different times and different places to meet. Still, wouldn’t there be something about meeting the same people every time?”

“….”

“It’s strange, Your Majesty.”

“Is that how you see it?”

“That’s right.”

“Then dig into the Marquis Cyrka. Secretly. And get a list of the people who are gathering.”

“The list has already been drawn up.”

“As expected.”

“In the land of wizards, they cannot escape the eyes of wizards.”

Isilis admired Allure’s words in a laughing tone. From the birth of this Empire, the wizards’ loyalty to the Imperial Family was blind.

“I am lucky, because you are here.”

“We are fortunate that Your Majesty is in good health.”

“….”

“The existence of the imperial family in Larchen is the same as the existence of wizards. Without Your Majesty, the foundations of this country would be shaken. You always guide us from your place.”

Watching Allure admonishing her while bowing down, Isilis thought.

‘How can I abandon these people?’

She couldn’t do that.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it. A future of following Berthas and hiding somewhere to raise the child, but there was too much on her shoulders to do so. It was all the duty and responsibility of what she had enjoyed so far.

“I will continue to do so.”

“I will follow you.”

Allure’s words pressed against Isilis’ shoulders. When Isilis arrived with Allure, things were happening. The wizards were blocking Aire’s rampage.

“What is all this about?”

Allure asked the flustered wizards.

“I do not know… there was a sudden explosion.”

“You should have done it right!”

It was already late. It was clear, in Isilis’ judgment, that Aire had walked an irreversible path. As his eyes turned black, dark energy crept up.

“Dark magic…”

The wizards who were watching whispered.

‘What kind of group is this…’

So Aire, a member of the Imperial Family, was treated as useless and was just used as a throwaway card. After taking a deep breath for a moment, as Isilis waved her hand, Aire was subdued with a single gesture.

“As expected…!”

Even though she could hear admirations from other wizards beside her, that wasn’t the point.

“Aire. Answer me.”

“….”

“I know you are listening.”

“….”

“If you can answer, blink twice. Do you want to die like this?”

Isilis sensed that Aire didn’t want to die just yet after looking at his quick blink.

“Then, who is it? The one who used black magic on you.”

She continued to whisper to Aire, who was unable to answer.

“Who is it? Duke Verus? Marquis Miller? Or, the Margrave?”

Isilis, observing Aire’s reaction, widened her eyes. She was heartbroken at the sight of Aire suddenly biting off his tongue and dying.

“Allure.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“One of three.”

“It seems so.”

Isilis’ expression hardened. One of the three people whom she gave faith to was a traitor.

“Who could it be?”

“Your Majesty. There is one blind spot.”

“Blindspot?”

“All three of them don’t know how to use magic.”

“Just because they don’t know how to use magic doesn’t mean they can’t use black magic.”

“Yes…?”

Black magic was something that could be used only if the original conditions are met. It didn’t matter if the user wasn’t a wizard since they could draw a magic circle or use black magic as long as there was a medium that could be used and if there were sacrifices.

The wizard who drew the magic circle the previous day used his own blood and magic as a sacrifice.

“So, any of the three could be behind it.”

“Then… Wouldn’t that broaden the range?”

“That’s right.”

“We’ll have to find it soon.”

“I guess so. We don’t have time to relax.”

The fact that black magic existed somewhere in the Larchen Empire offended her. The wizards carefully asked Isilis, who seemed to have a bad expression.

“Your Majesty. What to do with that person…”

She commanded the wizards who were talking about the cold, hardened Aire.

“Burn it.”

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