Chapter 249 : Chapter 249
Chapter 249 : Between Defying the Heavens and Embers (5)
***
Going back in time a bit—
Around the time Bihen and Batz were having a battle of nerves at the rear of the procession.
A suffocating silence hung over the forefront where Philinus II, Adeline, and the major ministers were located. Thanks to that, an atmosphere reminiscent of a funeral procession rather than a King's royal procession was flowing.
"What in the world is this? Isn't this the greatest scandal in the history of the Kingdom?"
"Shh! Lower your voice. Has this crazy friend gone mad with a death wish?"
"So you're saying His Majesty the King, the Duke of Conwell, and Bihen Benkou, these three are in a love triangle—"
"Hah! How would I know that?! If you keep talking nonsense, get away from me. If you're going to die, die alone, tsk."
The Civil Affairs Officer freaked out and ran away from the side of the City Administrative Officer with quick steps.
It wasn't just those two. The others were also busy secretly exchanging whispers among themselves while reading the mood.
Since the vast majority were Chancellor Zisair's limbs, their loyalty to Philinus II was boundlessly shallow. It was safe to say there was almost none.
In the midst of this, with the King constantly engaging in sudden actions like a clown and only creating all sorts of scandals here and there, the situation was that gossip and tongue-clicking didn't cease among the subjects even for a single day.
Today was exactly the same.
There is no one here who doesn't know the tragedy of Princess Isabel, the mother of the current Duke of Conwell, Adeline. The present situation that unfolded surrounding her was more than enough to stimulate everyone's primal interest.
"Ah, my words were a bit harsh earlier, Adel. I unconsciously got excited and ended up......"
"......."
"W-Won't you forgive me?"
Philinus II was restless and didn't know what to do. Only his innocent fingernails were being mangled by his front teeth.
"Forgiveness, you say. That is completely absurd."
"Ah, Adel......!"
"You do not need to apologize to me. No, you must not. Just continue to do as you have been doing."
Adeline's voice was barbed. Her large eyes were bloodshot with tears not yet dried.
Adeline shuddered even more at Philinus II's stupidity. It would have been easier to resent him if he had at least treated her consistently and maliciously from start to finish. This unpredictable attitude was rather provoking her anger even more.
"Adel, then stop being stubborn now. I told you earlier, right. With a single word from me, I can pardon that person. Although he spouted nonsense quite well without even knowing my immeasurable grace, I can cover that much with my broad generosity. So—"
"I will decline."
Adeline was entirely absorbed in checking on Stanley while ignoring Philinus II. Stanley was being dragged along, strung together on an iron chain with the other prisoners.
"......."
Philinus II's eyes gradually became sharp. Anger slowly surged up.
'......I said I was sorry, I said I'd even specially pardon him, I even said I liked you, I did all of this, fuck!'
He ground his teeth. His facial muscles twitched as if having a spasm.
'What, are you telling me to prostrate myself and beg? Me, the King?!'
It was then. Suddenly, warmth was felt from behind his back.
Looking back, it was Zisair. He was patting him with a gentle hand.
"Chancellor......!"
Zisair just smiled without a word. It was a gentle smile as if saying he understood everything.
At that sight, sorrow suddenly swelled up in Philinus II. As expected, he was the only one in the world who understood his loneliness and anguish.
'Heh heh, yeah. Let's see just how stiff your neck can be, Adel.'
He quickly wiped the tears welling at the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand.
Zisair had said that taking the Duke of Conwell as his official wife was an excellent choice even for the sake of his political foundation. However, setting that aside, he humanly cheered on his romance as if treating his own biological son. That was a great comfort to Philinus II.
'Yeah. I just need to trust Zisair.'
Isn't it going exactly according to his plan this time as well? So he just needed to silently follow him.
'Oohuhuhu.'
A gloomy smile spread across Philinus II's mouth. He smacked his lips while imagining Adeline lying face down naked in his bedroom.
"I heard news of you occasionally from the guys newly coming in. The day I heard the words that you had pacified Conwell, my heart was so overwhelmed that sleep didn't come."
Stanley struggled to continue his words with a completely hoarse and cracked voice. Just following the procession with his crippled legs looked like too much for him.
Adeline, who had given up on stopping him, vowed to show a resolute and strong appearance instead, but even that wasn't easy. Every time Stanley's cracked voice touched her ears, the edges of her eyes grew uncontrollably hot.
'.......'
There was someone watching those two with pity from behind, and it was none other than Gunt. He continuously let out deep sighs.
'Just why is he going this far?'
Gunt shook his head. He knew that Stanley was an upright, loyal subject who was imprisoned while trying to let the world know of Princess Isabel's unfair death.
Even so, the act of digging up old matters from the past to persistently torment Adeline like this was something he couldn't understand at all.
'It must definitely be because of that human.'
Gunt narrowed his eyes.
Chancellor Zisair. The mastermind who manipulated the foolish King into using such a vicious trick.
'.......'
However, that was it. The strength gently slipped out of Gunt's tightly clenched fists. Following that, even his shoulders drooped heavily.
Even if he knew the mastermind, what would change? That clear fact returned as a painfully bitter sense of despondency.
'Royalty cannot intervene in state affairs.'
Due to that old custom, he had been excluded from the center of power in the Imperial Capital. It wasn't a lust for power. He only wanted to dedicate himself for the sake of the country's peace.
He climbed up to the position of Imperial Magic Corps Commander just to be at least near the royal court, but even that had clear limits. Because in the end, it was a good-looking honorary position far removed from politics.
'Is this reality.'
In the Imperial Capital where the giant tree called Zisair had taken root, he was nothing but a passing breeze.
Like a candle standing before a typhoon...... the will of Gunt, John Langdros Aleos, was incomparably helpless.
"Commander, do you feel uncomfortable somewhere? Your complexion isn't good."
Gunt suddenly lifted his head. The one who awakened him from his thoughts was Imperial Capital Knight Commander Ludsilla.
"A-No."
"It's reasonable for you to be exhausted from the forced march. Take it moderately easy."
"Thank you for the advice."
The two smiled bitterly at each other.
Originally, in the history of the Kingdom, it was an unwritten rule that the Knight Commander and the Magic Corps Commander did not mix, like water and oil. It was often taken for granted that they had a hostile relationship, growling at each other whenever they saw one another's faces.
Gunt and Ludsilla were a highly exceptional case.
Before long, the procession arrived at the 'border'.
While everyone was distracted and astonished by the overwhelming sight, Adeline grabbed Stanley's hand.
"I absolutely cannot do this. Sir Stanley, just leave with me. It doesn't matter what kind of trick they pull. I will handle it all, somehow......!"
GRAB.
Stanley overlaid his hand on top of Adeline's hand.
Adeline felt warmth from the rough and gaunt hand. At the same time, the world fell silent.
"Please close your eyes tightly. That is the only thing I wish for."
Stanley returned the last will his liege, Princess Isabel, had left him entirely to her daughter.
It was the only command he had ever disobeyed in his life.
He, at least, absolutely did not want to become a nightmare for Adeline.
"Execute!"
Along with the sentence heard from afar, Stanley's figure disappeared from sight.
Adeline reached out her hand reflexively. At the same time, her reason snapped. It was the moment she spat out a scream with bloodshot eyes.
SWISH—!
A single black shadow leaped over Adeline's head and threw its body into the abyss, chasing after the plummeting prisoners.
It was Bihen.
***
It seems those bastards separated us because they didn't know what we'd do if Adeline and I were stuck together, but.
They were wrong. It was rather like they gave me an opportunity.
If I was probably next to her......, yeah. It would have been difficult.
To dive off recklessly like this.
SWOOOOOSH—!
The sharp sound of cutting through the air mercilessly scratched at my ears. Only pitch-black darkness was in front of my eyes, nothing could be seen. I plummeted endlessly. It was a long time that felt like an eternity.
'There's no need to panic.'
It's not entirely without a bottom or end. I experienced it before.
The mine in Labotas. I had plummeted similarly back then too.
'First, send a clone down below—'
It was then.
WHOOOOSH!
In an instant, a massive wind blew in from the side. Although it was pitch-black in front of my eyes, I felt as if my field of vision had flipped.
My body deviated from the trajectory of falling vertically and was being fiercely sucked in somewhere.
'T-This is......!'
An enormous suction!
I had forgotten for a moment. Ultimately, this place is the Demonic Realm. It was a place where an incomprehensible barrier would more than likely be laid down.
Tzzzzt!
I activated the Ghost Eye. The deep blue ghost fire gathering at the corners of my eyes burned long.
'I can sufficiently cope if I sense the flow of mana.'
If it's a trap, at the very least, traces of a spell formula or some kind of artificial power would remain.
'......None?'
The vision seen through the Ghost Eye was also entirely just pitch-black. It meant there was no intervention of mana here.
It was the moment I narrowed my glabella.
'Wait, this wind—'
It wasn't swirling chaotically. It was 'guiding' my body somewhere as if passing through an invisible giant pipeline. It was accompanied by an appropriate amount of resistance and pressure.
'It's not a simple fall.'
It would be correct to interpret it as some ruthless entity, unobservable even with the Ghost Eye, safely delivering the tributes dropped from above to a specific zone.
The destination is probably the place where the starving pack of Demonic Beasts is.
'If so, there's no need to intentionally go against it.'
I relaxed my strength and hitched a ride on the wind current as if entrusting my body to a rapid stream.
Then, my body, which had been wildly fluctuating, stabilized like a lie.
SWOOOOOSH—!
I descend, elegantly crossing through the darkness while riding the wind.
Before I knew it, I became able to catch my balance in midair.
'Guide me.'
How much time had passed?
The faint light that looked like a small dot far away gradually grew larger, and soon my vision brightened.
At the same time, the screams of the prisoners who fell first were heard up close.
"Uwaaaah!"
My eyes widened. The uneven stone floor was rapidly getting closer.
At this rate, everyone will die instantly.
'So they intend to eat chopped up meat.'
I immediately twisted my body in midair and drew the Heavenly Demon.
The clones that formed in a line assumed the exact same drawing posture as the main body in unison.
'Distance control is important.'
If it's too early, there's no effect, and if it's even a little late, it's a complete disaster.
'Now!'
I swung with all my might toward the surging ground. It's not cutting. It's crushing and bursting in the air.
'The profound principle of Sundering the Sky.'
CRASH!
A bundle of Sword Aura exploded on the floor. As a reaction to that, a massive gust of wind struck up from below.
THUD! THUMP!
The prisoners swept up in the headwind sprawled out in all directions respectively. The sound of bones crushing could be heard mixed in amidst the screams and loud roars, but...... let's ignore it. They should be thankful for just escaping instant death.
"Phew."
I sheathed the Heavenly Demon and corrected my posture.
Through the thickly risen dust cloud, Stanley could be seen coughing and raising his body.
"As expected, he's worthy of being the Princess's escort knight."
I approached and supported him to stand up. His gaunt forearm was grabbed in one hand. It was truly commendable that he endured without being shattered to pieces.
"A-Aren't you that person who was next to My Lady earlier? What in the world is this......"
Looking around, the other prisoners hadn't been able to overcome the shock and were all in a fainted state. This old knight, Stanley, was the only one perfectly maintaining his consciousness.
"Let's just say it's My Lady's order."
"W-What?"
"I'll explain later, first we need to get out of here—"
It was then.
'......!'
Suddenly, my chest beat fast. It felt like a heavy boulder was pressing down on my heart. To compare it, it was a density that felt as if all the murderous intent and hostility I had experienced up until now were completely combined together.
My gaze went there on its own accord.
In the middle of the deep darkness. A distance where a horizon would normally be. It was not empty. The pitch-black Shadow Legion was lined up endlessly like a curtain closing off the world.
At the very forefront of that pitch-black wave, an entity standing tall was looking down at me haughtily.
Funnily enough, even though it didn't have a head, a gaze was felt.
'The Headless Spectral Knight.'
Did he say it was the Knight of Embers?