CH 114

[Lucion.]

Russell let out a deep sigh.

Had Lucion forgotten what his condition was like in Great Light Temple back then?

“I know.”

Lucion slipped down the contact item.

“I’ll contact her after I check more. I know that much.”

[No, not that.]

“You mean about the light? I’m fine. Didn’t you go to Great Light Temple too?”

At Lucion’s nonchalant words, blood welled up in Russell’s neck.

[Lucion, you’re a warlock. You eat ratcho, which is a plant of light, in the morning, and feel light from the bracelet. Yeah, I can understand it up to this point. Because you need to develop light tolerance. But…]

“Don’t worry. At the end of the sentence, it said ‘P.S. Don’t worry about your divine allergy. We’ll take care of everything’.”

Lucion proudly pointed to the last part of the invitation.

Since it was written in the invitation, it meant that they were prepared.

[Sigh…]

Russell sighed again.

He wasn’t even a three-year-old child. He wasn’t supposed to believe the words written in the postscript.

[How are they going to block the light? Magic? Light melts magic. Only light can stop light. But you, Lucion, can’t use light to block the light.]

“Teacher, it’s not confirmed yet. So why don’t you calm down?”

Lucion smiled cheerfully, knowing that Russell was so angry because he was worried about him.

At that smile, Russell held back his anger and asked.

[…Are you going to go even if I say this?]

“It hasn’t been confirmed yet. But, Teacher. If there are no better conditions than this, I will choose this as the first step of my official activities.”

At Lucion’s resolute words, Russell’s face twisted, but he didn’t say anything anymore.

Lucion pointed to himself.

“I am a noble. This is an issue that cannot be entrusted to Kran as I do with the organization’s work. As my father said, I need someone to help me.”

―Ratta doesn’t want to fight. You’re not fighting, are you?

As the atmosphere became heavy, Ratta, who had been licking her paws, widened her eyes.

“No way. I respect Teacher.”

Russell knew it was lip service, but that made him unwittingly smile.

He hurriedly covered his mouth and suppressed his emotions.

[Lucion. I understand more than anyone what kind of situation you are in.]

Russell spoke calmly.

Lucion the nobleman and Hamel of Organization Ale. Lucion was now in a situation where he had to lead those two together.

It must be difficult.

[Of all the things we’ve seen, the image of the Saint suits you the most, so you choose that, but…]

Russell looked at Bethel, who put her hand on his shoulder.

[I’m not angry like I was a while ago. I’m not trying to get angry.]

[I know. You must be worried about Lord Lucion.]

[I’m not that worried. Lucion says he will voluntarily jump into the den of light again, how does that look to you?]

Russell clenched his fist.

“Young Master has become more resistant to light. I think it would be okay to trust him a little more.”

Hume raised his voice.

―That’s right! Lucion is good at everything!

[It’s not about trust, Hume, Ratta. And I always believe in Lucion.]

“In that case…”

[Except for this one.]

Russell cut down Lucion’s hopes.

For a moment Lucion’s eyebrows were pulled inward. Isn’t this different from what he had said?

“I’ll keep looking into it for now. It’s not just the South that I have to go to.”

Lucion waved to Hume to continue, and Russell tightened his eyes.

[Okay, let’s look into it properly. You can never go to that auction house.]

‘I don’t know about the temple, but I’m sure there are places among the nobility that hold charity events.’

Lucion was a noble, so he knew that habit all too well.

Those who didn’t like to give what they owned wouldn’t give anything.

* * *

“… What about the one I’ve already destroyed, Your Majesty? I’m good at breaking things, but I’m not good at making up stuff.”

Novio raised his voice and laughed loudly.

<I am contacting you to ask you about the situation in which three noble families have disappeared, so please refrain from laughing.>

“I know, but it made me laugh so what can I do? Even if I have to try it so many times, I’m going to crush them to pieces. I believe Your Majesty will take care of it.”

A deep breath came through the contact item.

<Lord Novio, you’re really going to do it like this?>

“If I didn’t do it like this, what did Your Majesty intend to give my son?”

<I was going to praise him for his handling of Roberio.>

“That’s not enough. You know, right? Nevast is moving. Their power is growing.”

<That’s why we need to give him more credit for taking out Roberio. Aren’t warlocks involved? The warlocks…!>

“They dared to attack my son. I think they deserve to die, so my opinion will not change.”

Novio never backed down.

He didn’t know about anything else, but how could he stay still when Lucion got entangled?

<…You. I’m going crazy.>

He heard the Emperor grinding his teeth.

“Your Majesty. I have kept my convictions and guarded the border for a long time, and I have never thought of rebelling…”

<All right, all right. Cut that number 12 out. It sounded pretty cool when you were drunk, but it’s awful to hear when you’re sober.>

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

<Anyway, I took a good look at the data you handed over. The Kingdom of Nevast and the warlocks have joined hands?>

Knock. Knock.

“Oh, my son is here, so I’ll call you later.”

<Lord Novio. I am the emperor…>

Thud.

Novio hung up on the contact item.

So, what if Ketlan was the emperor? They’d known each other for 40 years

It was better to have a good son.

He was still offended that Ketlan was using Lucion.

‘…Is Shaela doing well?’

Novio was sad that Shaela secretly sent a letter only to Lucion, but on the other hand, he thought it was fortunate that the brother and sister got along well.

The door opened and Carson came in.

“What’s wrong?”

Novio asked with his usual blunt expression.

“Is it okay to hang up on His Majesty like that?”

“His Majesty isn’t crazy enough to kick me out for something like this. Sit down.”

Novio suggested Carson sit down.

“Right. What’s going on?”

When Carson sat down, Novio asked again.

“I found a crow pattern.”

The warlocks who appeared on the border.

After examining them, a crow pattern was found.

“We have also confirmed that it is identical to the pattern Heint found in Luminos’ hideout before.”

Novio’s eyebrows twitched briefly at Carson’s continued words.

“Do you remember the unknown murder that occurred in the Baron Kokoren family not too long ago?”

“Is it connected?”

“That’s right. They teamed up with the people who released the warlocks on the border.”

“It is due to my negligence.”

Only then did Novio frown.

“I thought I had caught all the fish, but I got hit in the back like this.”

“Father.”

“Say it.”

“Is it really just one?”

“It won’t be just one.”

Novio’s eyes narrowed.

If it was this bad at the border, how bad it must be in other places?

“The warlocks who appeared on the border joined hands with the Kingdom of Nevast. Warlocks with crow patterns, Kingdom of Nevast. And the noble bastards who joined hands with them.”

Gradually, Novio’s voice became rougher.

His calm eyes were as cold as the top of the snow mountain.

“It must have happened because I, who guarded the border, missed the cockroaches.”

“No, Father. Our response was only delayed because the enemy made a different move.”

“No. It is also my fault. Find where the cockroaches came from, Carson.”

“I understand, Father.”

Carson bowed his head.

* * *

“Miella didn’t answer my call? What’s going on?”

When Lucion asked for a contact item, Kran confidently raised his voice.

<She requested not to take your calls.>

“Why?”

Lucion’s voice shrank slightly.

<The item Miella mentioned was swapped over to an auction house, and the theme of that auction house is light.>

[…Damn it!]

Russell swept his face.

He wished it wasn’t that place.

Lucion slipped off his mask and raised the corners of his mouth toward Russell.

‘I knew it would be there, just as I expected.‘

Eighty percent of the invitations were useless banquets.

Banquest full of intentions to meet and build personal connections without any purpose.

Those guys couldn’t be his sword.

The first step was to go to a place that was decent enough to match his image as a saint, but emphasized a special feeling.

Originally, it would be right to go to the Great Light Temple, but the Imperial family would hate it because it would increase the power of the Great Light Temple, and Lucion himself didn’t want the power of the Great Light Temple to grow.

‘From now on, I’m going to have a mysterious image.’

So, Lucion decided to go only to the places where the invitation had something special.

The first one was the auction house.

<I know I’m out of line. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t see Hamel acting so recklessly. I’m sorry.>

Kran apologized.

“No. it’s okay. That place has lights so what can I do? Even if I want to go, I can’t. I just called in to check.”

<…Really?>

Kran reacted with utter disbelief.

“Yeah. I’m not going.”

<Thank you!>

“…?”

What’s with his attitude, Lucion was very annoyed.

“Oh, by the way, have you contacted Peter?”

<He contacted us. I guess he can come to the auction house.>

“He didn’t say anything like reporting me separately?”

<That’s right.>

Lucion rubbed his chin.

Peter was voluntarily chasing after the Hand of the Void, so the absence of news meant that he didn’t get any information.

“Take Peter to the auction house. It’s why he joined the organization.”

Lucion felt that something was strange while listening to Kran’s answer.

“…But did you get an invitation?”

The Sertio Auction House was a place where only the top 1% could go.

From Lucion’s point of view, neither Chefran nor Chonest could be among them.

<Ah… No.>

[What? Why did you talk as if you’ve been invited?]

Russell showed an incredulous look.

If the organization couldn’t go, it was obvious that Lucion would do anything to get his hands on the item.

“It can’t be helped. Let’s reveal that the creator of the item is Miella. Send some evidence. Then I will give you an invitation.”

The auction house was about four days away.

The date was quite tight compared to other invitations, which were basically a week or three weeks at the longest.

It was clear that Novio had deliberately ignored the invitation to the auction house.

<It’s not that I didn’t think of that method, but still… Would that be all right?>

“From now on, we have to properly run the business owned by Viscount Chefran. Think of it as a promotional effect and take it easy. You have enough money for that, don’t you think?”

<Yes. Didn’t you give more to me when you overturned Viscount Chonest before?>

“That’s all right then.”

<I will definitely get that item!>

His aspirations were good, but Lucion himself looked like he was having a hard time.

‘I have to help. It’s mine.’

He had a lot of money.

It was nice that he only wanted to get one item at the auction house.

“Alright.”

Lucion answered briefly and picked up the invitation and got up from his seat.

Now was the moment to overcome the huge wall of Novio.