Chapter 205 : Chapter 205
Chapter 205
Amethus's Ars, Oracle.
A power that loosens the constraints of time to glimpse a fraction of the future.
The foresight it provides is at most about 3 seconds. It is also difficult to handle.
However, when combined with Amethus's swordsmanship, it becomes an unrivaled, invincible ability.
Thirty heads fell, thudding to the ground.
None of them were easy opponents.
The senior agents of the Cordis intelligence agency were the elite of the elite, individuals who had at least reached the level of a centurion in the military.
It was just that their opponent was Amethus.
"...This is..."
Amethus, sheathing his double-edged sword, let out a groan.
Apart from the result of the battle, he felt a slight sense of bewilderment.
"Shion, you need to come see this."
"What is it?"
"...Look at their attire."
I glanced at the corpses.
The bodies, separated from their heads, had stained the surroundings red.
As Amethus had said, I examined their clothing and scoffed.
"It's the uniform of the Schmeizen capital's imperial guard. A few are wearing knight's armor."
"...Were you expecting this?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Replicas are rampant, and the country is in chaos. Could there be a better environment for the Cordis intelligence agency to plant its spies?"
The same face, the same actions, yet not the same person.
If you have to suspect even your own family of being a replica, there's no way a real spy would be discovered if they slipped in.
"...The capital, Föhn, must be in a serious situation."
"On the surface, it will look fine. Which will make it even more serious."
"We'll have to assume all the key figures are puppets of the Empire."
"No, you can't even trust a single guard."
I shook my head.
"We have to assume that everyone except the Widow Queen we're trying to meet is in the Empire's hands."
"...This is very troublesome."
"Furthermore, they already know we're coming. They must have prepared thoroughly."
Look, senior agents are already attacking us.
I kicked one of the heads.
It rolled across the ground emptily.
I heard Yulan retching behind me, but I ignored it.
My eyes sank deep.
The capital of Schmeizen, Föhn.
I don't know how deeply the Cordis Empire is involved.
I don't know what they are doing there.
But I knew what I had to do.
"I'll say it again. Our goal is to make the Widow Queen of Schmeizen and Yulan meet."
Yulan raised his head.
He had finally been unable to hold back his nausea and had thrown up a mess of vomit.
"The Cordis intelligence agency will try to stop us by any means necessary. We would win if we faced them head-on, but there's no reason to do that either."
"...Then?"
"Cover your face, Yulan."
I smiled faintly.
"They won't be able to lay a single finger on us."
***
"Let's hide the carriage here."
I said, summoning 'Fantasy Finger'. Of course, it was invisible to Amethus and Yulan.
The Fantasy Fingers moved busily, cleaning up the corpses. It wasn't difficult.
They dug a deep hole, poured the corpses and blood-soaked earth in, and then covered it up again.
We placed the carriage next to it.
We also tied up the horses.
We left some hay and water nearby, so it should be fine to leave them like this for a few days.
"We'll enter the capital tomorrow. If we go in normally, we'll get caught at the checkpoint."
We had to assume that the high-ranking people in the capital, Föhn, were all on the Empire's side.
Since they would have planted their spies 14 years ago.
"Since we have time, I'll explain in more detail."
I said.
"The King of Schmeizen, the Widow Queen Aida."
She was the last hero.
"She's famous as a dictator, but in reality, she's a puppet. She doesn't even know she's being controlled, but she's playing right into Cordis's hands."
For the past 14 years, she had been suffering from madness.
The Cordis Empire gradually filled the queen's surroundings with their spies and sycophants as she began to go mad.
She became increasingly reclusive and exclusive, and the Schmeizen she ruled became the same.
This was also why the strange phenomenon of 'Mimic Crumb' occurring every day was not well known to other countries.
"We have to bring the mad queen, who doesn't even know she's mad, back to her senses."
I stroked my chin.
"How is this possible..."
I turned my gaze.
"You are the key, Yulan."
"...Me...?"
"Yes."
Yulan scratched his head in confusion.
"How I can help Her Majesty the Queen..."
"Your existence alone is enough, because she went mad because of you."
"...What, am I?"
I smiled faintly.
"Yulan Yotgendorher."
The regressor prince said, as if whispering.
"The husband the Widow Queen Aida lost long ago, or rather, thought she had lost. The lover she adored."
"......I was her husband?"
"That's right, Lord Yulan."
My tone changed to be polite.
"Officially, you died 14 years ago. It was reported that your body couldn't be found due to the chaos caused by the 'Mimic Crumb'. But that wasn't the case. You were living in the Underworld, having lost your memory."
"...Even if you say that."
"I've confirmed with the survivors of the Underworld. When they fell into the Underworld, you were already there."
"...It seems like that might be...?"
All the survivors fell into the Underworld 11 years ago.
Everyone except Yulan did.
So when had Yulan been there?
14 years ago.
The Empire had thrown her lover into the Underworld to get the Widow Queen in their grasp.
"The Widow Queen will come to her senses when she sees you."
"Is that really enough? How can you be sure?"
"There's a way."
The Widow Queen from before my regression had told me herself.
To bring Yulan from the Underworld and have him meet her from that time.
That it would work.
Since it was her own words, there was no reason to doubt.
However, I didn't explain.
I couldn't tell Yulan about my regression.
"Amethus, what do we have to do to meet the Widow Queen?"
"Four layers."
Amethus said.
"We have to break through four layers of defense."
"How are there four?"
"The city wall, the inner fortress, the imperial palace guards make three. And the Widow Queen's personal knight order."
His jade eyes glanced at the distant capital, Föhn.
Even from a distance, the pointed imperial castle was visible.
"There might be one more layer trying to stop us."
"So the two of us have to break through five layers of defense."
Maesh, Erta, Schmeizen.
The three great nations that symbolize the West.
Meeting the king of one of them would not be an easy task.
But Amethus's lives were never easy.
"It'll be simple."
***
The next day, the golden snow fell without fail.
It was 'Mimic Crumb'.
"Let's depart."
I strode forward through the golden snow.
Amethus followed behind.
Yulan, unable to stick his head out from inside the carriage, asked.
"Uh... it's still snowing, isn't it dangerous...?"
"Not at all."
I chuckled and extended my hand.
The golden snow touched my fingertips.
The 'Mimic Crumb' emitted a golden light as if trying to imitate my soul, but it was soon engulfed in blue flames and burned to a black crisp.
"Souls that have found their own Ars are not affected by Mimic Crumb."
"...Then I will be affected, Shion."
"Amethus's flame will protect you."
Amethus, enveloped in jade flames, nodded.
That flame belonged to the ancient god 'Breath of Light'.
It couldn't be pierced by something like Mimic Crumb.
"......It's real."
Yulan, who had hesitantly stepped out, touched the jade flame that melted the golden snow as if it were a marvel.
To him, it was only warm.
The golden snow falls.
It was the calamity that covered Schmeizen.
"At this time, all soldiers must hide under a roof."
The thought of turning Cordis's calamity against them felt good.
"If we run straight to the imperial palace, who's going to stop us?"
***
Tempos and Kelle were on guard duty at the Schmeizen city wall.
"...This snow, how can it not take a single day off."
"More importantly, Tempos, do you know who these guys are?"
"I don't know either, Kelle."
Tempos shrugged.
In front of them were two pieces of paper.
On one was a drawing of my face, on the other, Amethus's.
Since they were magically treated, the drawings had a near-lifelike accuracy.
"Shion of Merion, his subordinate Amethus. Report immediately upon discovery and subdue them..."
"...Hey, Tempos. Come here for a second."
"Why."
"Actually, I've heard about these two..."
"Huh?"
Tempos frowned.
"Then why did you ask me earlier?"
"I was wondering if you knew too. Hurry and lend me your ear. The knight sir can't hear..."
"Sheesh. What are you trying to say."
At Kelle's words, Tempos leaned his ear closer.
There was an imperial palace knight not far away, so they had to be careful with their words.
Kelle lowered his voice as much as possible.
"...Do you remember Ajio? My cousin I told you about before."
"The friend who sells pickled fish in Bururade? Of course I know. My wife loved the jar of herring roe he got for us."
"That's a relief. I'll ask him to get more. No, that's not it.... I met Ajio for a drink a while ago. I heard about these two then."
"They must be famous?"
"Famous is an understatement."
Kelle continued.
"Shion and Amethus. They say they are the heroes of heroes, known throughout the West."
"...Huh? What did they do to be heroes?"
"They say these two defeated the three Empire legions that invaded the Bururade Peninsula. And they killed the Whale of Hobel Bay and found the White Lord."
"......The White Lord has returned!?"
"Lower your voice...!"
Tempos's eyes went wide as if he couldn't bear it.
"No, is it true? That's unbelievable! Even for a lie, that's too much..."
"It's true. The imperial families of Maesh, Erta, and Konland have officially recognized their achievements."
"...No, but why didn't we know..."
"Why do you think so?"
"......Damn it, this wretched country."
They were sick of their country's isolation.
It had always had little interaction with other countries, but it had become an increasingly closed country for the past 14 years.
Now, it was even awkward to call it a part of the West.
"More importantly, if those guys Shion and Amethus are such heroes, why do we have to stop them?"
"...And why do you think that is?"
"Damn it all. I mean, is it just a day or two.... This country is in this state..."
"...Let's stop talking."
Kelle glanced sideways.
It was clear he was afraid their conversation would leak out.
"...I don't want to end up like Henry."
"...Damn it, that guy won't be able to come back, will he?"
"...It wasn't just anyone, he cursed Minister Belsazar so loudly..."
"...Idiot, he should have been more careful with his mouth when he was drinking..."
They were in the middle of their chatter.
"There."
A fierce voice cut in.
It was the imperial palace knight who had been avoiding the golden snow.
"What are you two whispering about?"
"...It's nothing, sir."
"I didn't ask that, I asked what you were talking about."
"...It's really nothing, we were just talking a little about a secret pub we know..."
"Hmph. How boring."
The imperial palace knight scoffed.
He blatantly ignored Tempos and Kelle.
"Just stand guard properly."
"...Yes."
Tempos whispered softly.
"...Stupid fool, who would come when this golden snow is falling."
"...Hey, he'll hear you, Tempos."
"...Let him hear."
Kelle, aghast, poked Tempos in the side.
He was more of a coward than Tempos.
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
The two bickering guards let out a cry. The imperial palace knight looked up.
"What is it, now?"
"No, sir.... Over there..."
"What is it... huh?"
The three men exclaimed in one voice.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Outside was all golden.
It was because the 'Mimic Crumb' was falling heavily again today.
But there were people walking through it.
They were enveloped in a strange jade-colored flame.
"What? What!?"
"...B-But it's still snowing?"
The imperial palace knight shouted.
"It's, it's them! Shion and Amethus!"
"Huh, huh, huh?"
"Stop them! Stop them!"
The knight raised his voice even more and pointed his finger.
"Hurry and stop them, you lazy bums!"
"N-N-No, sir! How can we stop them when it's still snowing! We can't even go out!"
"...Ugh! Just try to do something!"
The imperial palace knight stomped his feet in anger.
Shion and Amethus smiled at the men and then, they soon disappeared towards the imperial palace.