CH 332

“An Adenstein does not need anyone's permission to move." 

The other side flinched at the word ‘Adenstein.’ However, it was such a minuscule movement that Ingrid didn’t notice it. She was too busy focusing on all the unidentified people who had gathered around them.

But the princess was different.

“So you know the name Adenstein.”

The other person did not answer, however, she didn’t need one.

“That person?”

The unidentified person flinched and began trembling.

“While I do not know why you are so surprised, if there is someone you serve, then call them here.”

When the unidentified person remained was silent, the princess opened her mouth again. But before she could talk, Ingrid stepped forward.

“Your Highness, one of them just disappeared. Just as you ordered, I think they have left to report it.”

The princess gave a brief nod at Ingrid’s words and settled to quietly stare at the unidentified being.

“Are you the owner of the forest?”

“We merely live and tend to the forest; we are not the owners.”

Ingrid’s eyes sharpened when their tone became noticeably politer. 

“Wait there. If he wants to meet you, he will come to you in person.”

Since the unidentified person was talking, the princess hoped to ask about the archmage of the forest, but the unidentified being didn’t give her a chance.

Swish.

Just as they had appeared, they disappeared as silently and without a trace. Soon, the forest was enveloped in silence again. But now, the silence was different from before. Ingrid and the princess could feel countless eyes watching them.

“Hm?”

Who knows how much time had passed like that, but the hidden gazes of the surveilling beings disappeared simultaneously.

“Did they run away?!”

A few impatient knights shouted. They said it was obvious the masked beings had escaped because there was something worrying them. The knights insisted that the unidentified beings be tracked down and questioned immediately.

“I will light a fire, Your Highness. If there is anyone hiding in it, they won’t survive without running out.”

Before she had time to stop them, one of the knights set a thick bush on fire.

“Immediately put that out. As the guest, how can you be so rude?”

“Your Highness, you are not the guest. You are the owner of this forest. Those unidentified beings who are not bowing down and worshiping your procession are the ones who are rude.”

The princess scolded the knights for their impatience, but they didn’t listen to her.

“There’s no time, Your Highness. The pursuers will catch up with us by tomorrow at the latest. Now is not the time to be discussing etiquette.”

This time, Ingrid didn’t take the princess’s side either. The pursuers who were getting closer by the minute were making her anxious. 

“We came as guests, but before we could even meet with the host, we’ve caused trouble for them.”

The princess lamented. 

“Your Highness, please stand back.”

Ingrid grabbed the princess’s hand and dragged her back. It seemed like Ingrid was worried the spark may land on the precious body of the princess.

However, the sparks didn’t reach the princess, let alone the bush right next to her.

“Huh?”

At first, they initially attributed it to the wet bush rejecting the sparks, so the knights set the forest on fire once more. However, the results didn’t change.

The sparks went out before it even started burning. 

Something was strange. Even if raw wood didn’t burn well, there was no way a fire that was lit with determination could go out this easily.

The knights took out dry cloth, set it on fire, and threw it into the forest

Psssss.

They saw the flames go out as if it had never been set on fire in the first place.

“Well, that’s ridiculous.”

Then, an unfamiliar voice was heard from somewhere.

“Who are you?!”

Startled, the knights drew their swords and carefully watched their surroundings.

“Who is the bloodline of Adenstein?”

Woosh!

Who knew when he had approached. Ingrid quickly turned and swung her sword at the sound of the voice coming from behind her. However, by the time her sword flashed through, the owner’s voice had already passed.

“It’s you.”

When the polite voice was heard once again, it was just a short distance away from the princess.

“Stand back!”

Hastily, Ingrid shouted as she emitted sword energy. The energy reached its peak and shot out towards the unidentified person in an instant.

The sword used by a knight who was considered by the Empire to be at the top would never be weak. Her sword contained devastating power. 

Nevertheless, the person blocked her sword too easily.

Tap. 

He hadn’t noisily raised his momentum to cross swords with her, nor did he push aside her sword with an unknown technique. 

The man grabbed the sword surrounded by sword energy too easily.

Ingrid clenched her teeth and twisted the sword at the unbelievable sight. However, the man didn’t care about her reaction at all.

“I can tell just by looking at you.”

The princess’s eyes wavered as she took in the sight of the man who had suddenly appeared in front of her. She had never lost her fortitude in any crisis she may have occurred, but not this time. 

“I, I don’t…”

The man’s eyes widened at her unintentionally spoken words.

“It’s not just your looks that’s the same.” 

His wide eyes soon curved into half moons. He was so calm it didn’t seem like he was surrounded by knights who were emitting fierce fighting spirit. When the princess saw that, she asked.

“Will you tell me who you are?”

The man responded in a blasé manner to her question.

“A pitiful father who thought he got a present only to be led around by his nose.”

It was a baffling answer.

“I am the one who will pay the debt you owe.”

Although the words themselves were unfathomable, the princess realized that the man in front of her was the one she had been looking for. 

“Are you perhaps the ‘salvation’ that’s been passed down…”

“Ah, let’s talk about that later. Let’s first deal with your pursuers.”

Before he even finished talking, he grabbed Ingrid’s sword and threw it. The sword flew like an arrow and stabbed a bush.

From there, a man dressed in armor that was dyed black staggered out and collapsed. 

“It’s the third prince’s tracker!”

Ingrid shouted when she saw the pursuer that had been tirelessly chasing them all the way here.

“What? This is a family fight?”

At that moment, the man’s expression changed. Until a moment ago, the man had seemed so relaxed, but then his expression seemed to get colder before it turned ice cold as a bitterly blowing cold northern wind.

In that time, dozens of shadows seemed to pop out of the thicket. Dressed in black leather armor, all of them looked assassins.

“If you are truly the ‘salvation’ passed down through generations, then please save the princess! She is not an insignificant person who should be killed in a place like this and by rogues like that!”

Seeing that, the man spoke coldly.

“Even if you hadn’t said that, I have no intentions of watching a child who has inherited the Adenstein’s bloodline falling right before my eyes.”

Hope bloomed on Ingrid’s face. He was the man who had effortlessly blocked the sword that she had swung with all her might. She believed that he could easily defeat those atrocious assassins. 

“I will help, sir.”

When the assassins had appeared, the other knights had escaped. The only ones left were her and the man. 

She drew out her dagger and stood by the man’s side as she prepared to face the enemies. However, the man gently raised his hand, and then lowered it. 

And at that moment, arrows rained down from the forest.

A rain of death was pouring down from the forest. 

***

It was truly shocking to see the assassins, who had been trained to deal with powerful knights, dropped by flimsy arrows.

But the man didn’t even pay attention to the fallen assassins.

“Is this a battle for the throne?”

It was such a frank question that Adelaide couldn’t find the words to answer him.

“It’s a civil war, sir.”

Ingrid answered for the princess instead.

The man didn’t say anything for a long time.

“Go back.”

When he finally spoke, the answer the princess heard was completely different from what she had expected.

“I have no intention of helping the children of Adenstein fight against each other.”

At the man glimmering with hurt and disappointment, Adelaide unintentionally stepped forward. 

“While I do not know what caused such heartache and grief…”

“Seems like you can read auras as well. Your insight is definitely incredible, however, if you try to express it at any time, then it will become a rope around your neck.”

Although his words were closer to a warning, it didn’t sound like a threat to her. 

It was strange. Obviously, the man was a difficult person and it felt uncomfortable to be around him. It was too terrifying for her to face an opponent whom her insight would not work on.

But nevertheless, she left familiarity with the man. She didn’t know whether it was because of the unknown affection filling the man’s eyes or because of her own desperation to cling to something that had been handed down for generations.

The only thing important right now was that he was a trustworthy person.

“I will keep your words in mind.”

“You’re a good kid.”

It could have been weird for a person who looked to be in his 20s to speak like an old man, but Adelaide couldn’t feel a single bit of awkwardness.

“But sir, I cannot follow your instructions and go back.”

She drew upon her courage to speak. The man frowned at those words.

“Didn’t you just say that you didn’t wish for those who inherited the blood of Adenstein to die? If you send me back now, then it will be the same as you killing me.”

It was ridiculous coercion, but the man remained quiet as he listened to her. 

“Do you wish to live?”

When he finally spoke, she shook her head in response. 

“At first, I just wanted to live. But now, it’s different.”

On her way here, she had witnessed the horrors of the civil war with her own eyes. The glory that the Empire had built up over hundreds of years had burned and the precious citizens had been strewn across the roads as corpses. She had even seen knights who had lost their pride and become wolves to exploit the survivors.  

All of this had been Adenstein’s fault. It was the Adenstein bloodline that had destroyed the Empire built by their ancestors and it had been the Adenstein bloodline that had plunged their citizens into chaos.

And as a member of the family, she felt a huge responsibility for it.

She herself had nothing. All she had were a few knights and nobles who had lost their pride after tasting defeat once, and were obsessed with life and had useless delusions.

Nevertheless, she had a strong longing.

“I want to end this terrible civil war.”

At those words, the man spoke.

“If you want to end the war, then I can go and end it right now.”

The man was speaking too easily about a war that the princes, who had split the Empire’s power, had been fighting for nearly ten years and still hadn’t finished.

“I will be honest.”

Adelaide didn’t dismiss the man’s words as mere bluff.

“I want to become the Empress.”

It was a confession that had left her mouth for the first time. Surprisingly, nothing happened when she finally said it. The only one surprised was Sir Trail.

“P, princess…”

“I know, I’m being presumptuous and crossing the line. It’s ridiculous that a princess with no power or ability is daring to talk about the Empire’s throne. It might make you wonder how a princess, who may die at the hand of assassins, will subdue her powerful older brothers.”

If she was being honest, even she didn’t think there was much possibility. Unless there was a miracle, she didn’t think she would ascend to the throne.

But then, a miracle happened. 

“The innocent face. The ability of insight. Even your ambition. It all resembles her.”

The words were either admiration or lamentation. Then, the man looked somewhere into the forest.

“Ophelia, don’t you think so too?’

No one could be seen, but a gentle yet powerful voice answered from beyond the forest. 

“You can’t hide blood.”

The leaves rustled and through the forest, a woman appeared.

“Ah?”

When the woman suddenly appeared, Adelaide couldn’t help but utter a silly sound.

The woman standing there looked exactly like her.