Chapter 120: The Target The Man Was After

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“Is it okay to leave the castle vacant like this?”

“I have some business nearby.”

“It’s not a place you can easily come and go to just because you have business.”

Fenrir did not hide his displeasure, perching himself atop a rock.

The last time he had contacted Cabelenus, he had been in Schwarhan.

Even if he had been travelling alone, he couldn’t have moved this quickly.

There was no doubt that he must have used some kind of special method.

"It can’t be helped. The situation isn’t exactly ideal."

"It’s no fun if you keep cutting the conversation short every time."

"There’s no need to say pointless things."

"It’s not a pointless remark. If we had used the method Your Highness employed, we might have been able to complete the promised mission more quickly as well."

Fenrir’s lips stuck out in a pout.

Cabelenus pressed his lips together, frowning at the glare directed at him, and finally let out a long sigh.

“In any case, it’s a method you can’t use.”

“You won’t know until you try.”

“If you attempt it carelessly, you’re almost certain to die.”

“Is it really such a dangerous method?”

“Yes.”

Cabelenus clenched and unclenched his fist.

Using teleportation magic repeatedly with his bare body, instead of a medium like a carriage, clearly took a toll on him.

Even he, whose body was different from that of ordinary humans, felt this much strain; a normal person would be crushed by the pressure and die outright.

“Then there must be a reason you risked coming to see me. You’re not here just to check whether the plan is proceeding as scheduled, are you?”

Fenrir deliberately showed off the bracelet on his wrist.

He had heard that Schwarhan’s magical technology was impressive, but seeing it in person made him truly envious.

Although it was still in the experimental stage, the magical device that made the existing communication units portable and allowed contact anywhere grew increasingly fascinating the more he looked at it.

“I needed to adjust the plan.”

“Are you saying Your Highness moved for something as trivial as that?”

"Her condition isn’t good."

"..." 

Fenrir’s cheerful expression froze in an instant.

"I did find a way to buy some time, but it was really nothing more than just that."

"…Is she that unwell?"

“To be honest, it feels like I chose the lesser evil just to avoid the worst.” 

Cabelenus raked his hair back in irritation.

Thanks to the soup, Alicia’s condition had gradually improved, but no one knew how long that would last.

Just because her lifespan had been slightly extended didn’t mean it was over.

The day after drinking the poisonous herb soup, as if it were a punishment for unnaturally prolonging her life, Alicia inevitably burned with fever and writhed in agony.

Yet even in her suffering, Alicia didn’t utter a single moan.

For fear that her young son might hear her screams, she endured the pain in the man’s arms, doing her best to hold herself together.

"They said she could last about two years like this, but knowing full well how much she’s suffering, I can’t just leave her be. I need to find a solution as quickly as possible."

“Being impatient won’t make things move any faster.” 

“If we find Prime, we can solve it.” 

"When you say ‘Prime,’ you mean the God of the Empire, don’t you?"

"They said he might know a way to save Alicia."

A gleam flashed in Cabelenus’s eyes.

Fenrir let out a deep sigh as he looked into the man’s eyes, which blazed like the flames of a furnace.

Cabelenus might be hopeless at explanations, but Fenrir could at least tell he was speaking from the heart.

"I’m curious, but it seems there are complicated circumstances, so I won’t ask further. After all, what matters is the result. So, what are you planning to do?"

"I intend to go straight to the Temple of Prime in the capital."

"That doesn’t seem like a good idea."

“It can’t be helped. This is the best option.” 

“The best option?” 

"I’ve checked all the artifacts related to Prime, but found nothing. Now, only one possibility remains."

Cabelenus turned his head and looked toward the west.

It was in the direction of the Empire’s capital, Alaugust.

“Even if it’s called the Temple of Prime, that doesn’t necessarily mean Prime actually exists.”

"By probability, it’s the most promising. And…"

Cabelenus slowly closed his eyes.

The emotions from that time now felt strangely distant, as if they belonged to someone else, but the memory of his first murder remained vivid.

"Looking back, the events of that day passed by far too quietly."

"That day? When exactly was that?"

"..." 

Cabelenus said nothing and simply stared at the distant sky.

It was a memory he hadn’t wanted to bring up, so he had buried it. But in hindsight, the events of that day had been resolved and covered up with an almost suspiciously simple ease. 

And there was only one person capable of carrying out that act.

“You’re making me curious. Why bring it up if you’re not going to answer?”

At Fenrir’s complaint, Cabelenus turned his head back.

"What became of that man?"

"I was the one who asked the question first… but oh well. I’m in a powerless, fragile position, so I have no choice but to cater to the whims of Your Highness, the Grand Duke."

At Fenrir’s exaggerated shrug, deep wrinkles appeared on Cabelenus’s forehead.

"Enough nonsense."

"If I may tell a story that Your Highness would enjoy, everything went according to plan. We made it appear as though the Emperor’s experimental subject and the Roaquin army pursuing me had completely annihilated each other."

"That would make a fine gift for the Emperor."

"He’ll be extremely pleased. To really get under his skin, we dressed the Roaquin corpses in the garments of the followers of the God’s representative."

The bloodstained robes were no longer white, but they still bore the seal of the God’s representative.

The robes worn by the followers of the God’s representative both concealed Roaquin’s traces and served as a link between the God’s representative and Roaquin.

"He’ll surely be infuriated by the God’s representative’s connection to Roaquin, but he won’t be able to touch him recklessly."

“What can he do? It’s his own fault for going around showing that face so gleefully.”

Regardless of the truth, the important thing was that Zerpheus had accepted James in front of everyone, and thanks to that, he was restoring the crumbling imperial authority.

He could no longer cast aside the God’s representative he had personally accepted.

"What about the rumours?"

“It’s spread widely enough. Thanks to that, everyone must be quite confused. After all, the despised Roaquin and the noble God’s representative make for a very unseemly pair.”

"But he goes well with the Emperor."

"Well, it's because they can be bound together as the Roaquin mixed-blood Emperor and the God’s representative whom Roaquin follows."

"Thanks to that, the Emperor will lose his reason."

Zerpheus had spent his whole life struggling desperately to shake off the label of being tied to Roaquin.

Even if there were eyes around and he couldn’t actually kill James, it would still be possible to stir up his anger.

"He must have been expecting news of the test subjects he set loose running rampant, but what he got instead was a scandal with Roaquin. Just imagine how furious the Emperor must be."

"But that alone isn’t enough."

"Of course I'm aware. That’s exactly why I went through the trouble of fabricating the God’s representative. Just wait; something interesting is about to happen."

Fenrir leisurely curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

The plan was still underway.

"You’re more capable than I expected."

Cabelenus murmured under his breath.

It was pure admiration.

"I’m not called the next chief lord for nothing. Compared to that kid who rose to an unfit position with his father’s help, there’s no comparison."

"I see."

"Normally, in a situation like this, shouldn’t there be a question about my past?"

"That has nothing to do with me."

"Your Highness, you are truly cold-hearted."

"..." 

Fenrir grinned playfully, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of interest on Cabelenus’s face.

In the end, Fenrir lowered his head helplessly.

"…What happened to the Elder?"

"He’s imprisoned. Just as you requested."

"Given his temperament, he must be furious."

"Is there any need to care? He’s going to die anyway."

"Yes. The moment I return to Schwarhan, the first person I’ll kill is the Elder. I have a few grievances against him. Of course, Your Highness wouldn’t be the least bit interested in hearing about them."

Fenrir forced a laugh, but once again, he was the only one laughing.

Fenrir glanced at Berbe, who was keeping watch from a distance, gauging her reaction, and spoke again.

"Did you know? Among the soldiers who pursued me, there wasn’t a single one who was the Elder’s son."

“So he didn’t come himself.”

"The Elder must have deliberately not called him. After all, he knows I’m stronger."

Fenrir thumped his chest for emphasis, but the unresponsive Cabelenus was hardly a good audience.

“…It’s not something I’d expect from the Elder, but perhaps that’s what a true parent is. It means that, rather than the honour of Roaquin he cried out for so fiercely, or even his own life, his child is more precious.”

"Are you hoping I’ll comfort you?"

"Even if I wanted it, I know you wouldn’t give it."

"..." 

“After I decided to strike the Elder, I knew it would end like this, but I couldn’t help feeling bittersweet. Honestly, our relationship didn’t start on good terms, but at some point, it wasn’t only resentment anymore. There were even times when I thought we got along fairly well in our own way.”

"..." 

"I half-expected it, but you really won’t say a single comforting word."

Fenrir roughly raked a hand through his hair and sprang to his feet.

It didn’t matter since he hadn’t said it to seek consolation in the first place.

He had known for a long time that there could never be only good choices.

“Then, rather than a story Your Highness isn’t interested in, shall I tell one that might pique your interest again?”

Fenrir’s gaze fell on the corpses scattered across the ground.

"Do we really have to deal with things like that?"

"Depends on the situation."

“They were all civilians. Yet when it came to fighting, they were just as strong as trained soldiers.”

"So?"

“What do you mean by ‘so’? Surely you’re not saying you didn’t understand what I meant?”

“No. I understand.”

“And yet you remain so calm? Even our army suffered greatly when their ambushes cut off all communication. And if creatures like that were to swarm together… ugh. Just the thought of it is horrifying.”

His narrowed green eyes swept over Cabelenus’s face as if probing him.

Reading people’s expressions was second nature to Fenrir, but figuring out what this indifferent man was thinking was always difficult.

“It’s true that they can create a powerful army, but they can’t keep producing them endlessly.”

The most crucial ingredient for the experiment was monster blood, but it had already been eight years since the monsters disappeared.

No matter how close the experiment was to completion, it was about time they started suffering from a shortage of ingredients.

Zerpheus’s army inevitably had its limits.

“How can you be so sure it’s not endless?”

"We have what’s needed to create those monsters."

"Even if I asked what that is, you wouldn’t tell me, would you?"

Cabelenus didn’t answer, but Fenrir, sensing the situation, raised a white flag and backed off.

Even idle curiosity had to be tempered depending on who it was directed at.

“It can’t be helped. Since I can’t hear Your Highness’s story, I’ll just have to give up and mind my own business. Hey, Berbe!”

“Why are you calling me? What a nuisance.”

“This time, don’t push yourself. Take it easy.”

Fenrir lightly waved toward Berbe, who had drawn her sword in preparation for the approaching battle.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Young Master?"

“I’m telling you to get ready to run before you even think about your sword. From now on, we’ll join up with the main force and move together.”

“To move toward the main force, we need to take care of this first. Unless you’ve gone deaf, there’s no way you didn’t hear that sound.”

“It’s fine. Our splendid Grand Duke will take care of that.”

Fenrir gave Cabelenus a wink.

“If you fell into the water, you’d probably just float face-up.”

Cabelenus cast a look of disbelief at Fenrir’s sly grin, then drew his sword.

The sound of hoofbeats drew steadily closer.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Besides, in the first place, Your Highness didn’t come here to see me, did you?”

“If you know that, why not start preparing to run? It’d be troublesome if I accidentally cut down Roaquin’s next chief lord.”

Cabelenus curled one corner of his lips slightly as he drew his sword.

From the very start, the man had a different target in mind.

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