Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
“… That’s to say, it’s a bit difficult.”
Heint glanced at Lucion while taking a sip of his tea.
The moment he showed signs of pulling away, Lucion smiled and rather pulled Heint back.
“Hyung-nim. There is no way that You’re thinking of leaving, saying it’s a secret?”
“No, I’m not leaving, but I’m forbidden from revealing the Imperial Knights’ matters to outsiders.”
“I understand that. But I’m not an outsider, I’m a person involved. Didn’t the mages attack me?”
Lucion lightly shook his tea cup.
With an entire day, wouldn’t Heint contact the imperial family?
He wanted to know how the imperial family was moving now.
Because he was planning on dropping villains that couldn’t be coaxed on them, matching the speed of movement of the imperial family.
“Even if I couldn’t hear the details inside the carriage, I clearly heard my name.”
Lucion certainly struck a chord.
“I may not know about anything else, but there is no way for me not to understand what it means for the enemy to call my name, right?”
“… Haaa.”
Heint finally sighed under Lucion’s unceasing questioning.
“His Majesty is paying serious attention to this matter, so He will capture them immediately. I, too, will make sure to capture those bastards.”
“Then I can rest assured. I’ll wait, keeping in mind that Hyung-nim said that He will for sure capture them.”
Lucion quietly took a sip of his tea.
‘I sent Luminos’ location to Heint’s new house, so he will probably get it when he arrives there, right?’
Currently, the fact that Heint was moving to the place closer to the royal family was still unknown even to Carson.
Naturally, as he shouldn’t know about it either right now, he will be able to avoid Heint’s suspicions.
‘Ghosts are really useful.’
“But Lucion.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
“Until when are you planning to wear that bracelet? I’m not trying to talk you out of it, because you said it’s a gift, but it’s dangerous to you.”
“Hyung-nim.”
“Yeah, I’m listening.”
Heint looked at Lucion with a serious gaze.
“If I get close to the Light, won’t I, too, be able to accept the Light one day?”
When Lucion cast-down his eyes, Russell pointed his mouth towards Bethel, whispering with clear enunciation.
See, see, it’s starting now.
Latta perked up her ears and asked brightly:
— Russell. What is Lucion starting?
[Ah, nothing, nothing.]
Russell urgently shook his head and stepped back.
“That… is. Um.”
Heint rubbed the back of his neck.
He never heard about the divine power allergy getting better if one got closer to the Light, so it was very difficult to form a sentence.
“I know.”
Lucion said with a bitter voice.
“I also know how absurd it sounds, but I’m scared that my family will be harmed because of me, so I want to keep it as a charm and hope Hyung-nim doesn’t tell anyone.”
“I didn’t open my mouth even to Carson. If that guy knew, he would take it away right away.”
Heint at last smiled.
“Indeed. Carson hyung-nim is the type of Person to do that.”
“Lucion.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
“I don’t know when, but it seems that the Grand Temple will dispatch someone to the border in the name of purification.”
[What? Those bastards are coming here? Why?]
Russell raised his voice.
Lucion’s expression also hardened, and Heint hesitated, before continuing.
“There… is another piece of bad news. Do you want to hear it?”
“I want to hear it.”
“The Holy Nation Nevest contacted the Empire. High Priest Eol is coming to apologize for what he did, and may come to see you with that excuse, and…”
“Yes?”
Lucion’s voice finally jumped out.
Even when he heard it, he was very dumbstruck.
‘You’re coming to see me without asking for my opinion?’
“… So we and the Grand Temple plan to go to the border at a similar time to protect you.”
Heint watched Lucion’s reaction as he finished speaking.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Yeah, it’s ridiculous. No one asked about your opinion here.”
“I know for certain what kind of position I’m in. I’m just a well-decorated statue.”
Lucion’s voice was sharp.
Him, the imperial family and the temple all knew that a saint was a symbolic position.
That said, it was a symbol that couldn’t be ignored.
Even by the Holy Nation Nevest.
“Don’t worry about that part. His Majesty and His Highness the 5th Prince are working hard putting their heads together.”
Lucion knew it would be useless to ask why he wasn’t there.
Because in reality, he had no power.
‘Alright. Nevest. You’re thinking about me as a thorn in your side, right?’
The bastards under the name of the Holy Nation very clearly saw him as their enemy, as they didn’t ask him, the saint, for his opinion.
As such, Lucion wasn’t at all planning to just silently suffer.
“Ah, I got this. I planned to give it to you yesterday, but I didn’t have an opportunity.”
Heint took out a plaque.
An eagle standing side by side with the sun.
‘The symbol of the imperial family.’
Lucion realized it was specially produced by the imperial family at his request for the authority to move soldiers the moment he saw it.
‘Soldiers are in my hands now.’
“His Majesty asked me to pass it to you.”
Lucion accepted the plaque and looked at his empty hand.
‘Now, what is left are my accomplishments?’
The fact that he was the one to reveal the work of Count Roberio was still unknown.
‘Ah…’
The corners of Lucion’s lips momentarily twitched.
The imperial family probably had similar thoughts to him.
There may be a better moment to reveal his contributions than he thought.
“Please tell His Majesty I received it with a grateful heart.”
“Naturally. I’ll make sure to convey it, as is my duty.”
Heint nodded, as he spoke.
“Hey, Lucion.”
“Please speak.”
“Am I permitted to teach Hyum some simple movements?”
“Yes. It’s okay. You can teach him for a short time all You want.”
If Hyum and Heint weren’t tied in a master-disciple relationship, what couldn’t he permit?
***
After Heint returned to his room, Lucion almost threw himself onto the bed.
‘The Holy Nation Nevest didn’t visit the Empire in the novel.’
Leaving out that purpose, the Holy Nation Nevest had to remain neutral.
What so-called neutrality came with was an unreasonable clause that they couldn’t interfere in international relationships.
‘It seems that they plan to use this matter as an excuse and set foot in the Empire, but they can’t do that. They absolutely can’t.’
Lucion was also one of the people who didn’t want the power of the temple to grow.
If the temple’s power grows, the current balance of power will naturally crumble.
No good things happen when balance crumbles.
Originally, the power of the Empire’s Grand Temple should have grown after the bombing incident.
‘However, this time was different.’
In the first place, the bombs didn’t explode, and though they concluded that this deed was done by a warlock, the incident itself was completely buried.
The Empire’s Grand Temple even bowed their head to the imperial family, so they chose a different route from the Holy Nation Nevest.
‘Well, in the end, the Grand Temple’s power will grow because of me, but they’re already under the imperial family’s boots, so they won’t be as active as two years later when Heint was moving.’
Lucion looked at Latta’s ball play, which was turning violent, and then turned his gaze to Russell.
“Master-nim.”
[You’re thinking about why Nevest moved?]
“Yes. That’s right.”
Lucion answered with a giggle.
[Aren’t they trying to get rid of a part of that ‘neutrality’?]
“Master-nim has the same thoughts as me. Bethel, you?”
Lucion turned to ask Bethel.
[I think they’re coming to judge Lord Lucion. To see if Lord will be of help to Nevest or not. Don’t you have to check in person to judge?]
“You both have points.”
They couldn’t be certain if the opponent was coming with just one goal.
Lucion bit his lip, and fell into thought for a moment.
However, strangely his thoughts shifted from the problem of Nevest to the immediate need to grow the organization and people left to win over.
Sometimes, he thought that knowing too many things was a real headache.
“Ah, by the way, how is it, Bethel?”
Lucion stopped thinking and asked Bethel.
[What do you mean?]
“I’m talking about this place, Cronia. It’s a place you will be staying for a while. It’s better to like it, at least for time being.”
Lucion put an emphasis on ‘for a while’ to show his intention of not forcing Bethel into loyalty.
That Lucion was leaving Bethel to do whatever she wanted.
It was because of the gradually growing taunt of the red thread, as if informing him that it was the right answer.
Bethel smiled and suddenly laughed a bit.
When Lucion was asleep last night, Bethel looked around Cronia.
The castle walls were thick and enormous, enough to be called the pride of the border, leading to the rocky region.
Unlike the capital, life here was secluded and comfortable.
However, at the same time, it was contrasted with the fact that every house had at least one weapon, which was highly unusual.
Bethel recalled the waterfall she observed until the sun rose in the morning, and spoke up.
[Not matching the dreary name of the border, Cronia is sturdy and beautiful. I feel comfortable even just staying quiet, and if I came here when I was alive, I would have enjoyed it even more.]
“Is that so? It feels different from the central region with the capital, right?”
[And there is no warlock as comfortable as Lord Lucion.]
Bethel spoke with full sincerity.
“No, I wasn’t trying to ask about that, so you don’t have to struggle to mention it.”
When boasting about himself came out, Lucion jumped up and shook his head.
[I’m doing so because I want to say it. Can I speak, Lord Lucion?]
Bethel took off her helmet.
She was smiling.
[As Lord Lucion knows, I died from betrayal.]
— La-Latta doesn’t betray. Never.
Latta, who bit the ball and tried to climb onto the bed, was startled and hurriedly denied.
“It’s not about you, Latta.”
Lucion grabbed Latta and put her on the bed.
She immediately climbed onto Lucion’s knees, wagging her tail.
[I still hate warlocks. I can’t forgive them for taking everything from me.]
Bethel’s face twisted slightly.
Lucion just listened to her words.
[But thanks to Lord Lucion, my vision has expanded. Not all warlocks are bad. I think I want to believe in that.]
Bethel slowly took out her sword and knelt down.
[Lord Lucion.]
“Yeah.”
[Will you accept my sword?]
The eyes of Bethel, who took out a sword, were filled with fear.
Lucion knew best how difficult it was to say those words.
For the heart that was hated by people and betrayed, those words were as painful as being ripped in half.
[Can you… also accept my trust?]
Bethel’s voice shook.
Don’t betray me.
That’s how Lucion received Bethel’s words.
“Bethel.”
[I’m listening.]
“I won’t betray you. I know how it feels to fall into despair.”
Lucion grabbed Bethel’s sword and used domination magic to instill Darkness in Bethel.
Bethel didn’t refuse Lucion’s Darkness.
When Lucion’s Darkness spread to her, it filled up the cracks and her old armor changed to a new one. Her sword, which Lucion was holding, and her helmet also changed.
A dragon pattern appeared on plain armor, together with a fluttering red cape.
— I swore my heart and life to protect you bastards! But you- you bastards betrayed me? Me? … All right! I will someday come to kill you! I’ll pierce your heart with my blade, curse and curse you again, while laughing at you to my heart’s content!
An enraged voice flowed out of Lucion.
It was Bethel’s memory.
Like him, she probably also saw a part of his memories.
[Lord Lucion, how the hell…]
When Bethel looked at Lucion, her eyes teared up.
Lucion didn’t ask what memory she saw.
Because she also didn’t do so.
Snap.
The red thread was cut.
The Death Knight, who was under the last boss, had now entered his hands.
— Whoaaaa.
Bethel flinched at Latta’s voice.
[… I can hear Latta’s voice?]
[Because you made a contract.]
Russell clasped his palms and smiled widely.
At last, Lucion made a contract with Bethel.
[Congratulations, Lucion, Bethel.]
“Bethel, thank you.”
Lucion stretched out his hand to Bethel.
A black star appeared at the back of her hand, informing that the contract was finalized.
[Please, I hope you will show me that I didn’t make the wrong choice.]
“Of course. If I didn’t plan to do so, I wouldn’t have taken the sword from the beginning.”
[But… what on earth is Latta? Something — …is strange?]
Once Bethel made a contract, she felt a strange closeness to Latta.
“Latta is a Divine Beast.”
He had no plans on hiding it anyway, so Lucion spoke, stroking Latta.
Bethel blinked.
“A real Divine Beast.”
At Lucion’s repeated words, Bethel stared at the small and cute black fox.
[To be precise, she is a Divine Beast of Darkness.]
When even Russell nodded, Bethel raised her finger and pointed at Latta.
[A- a real Divine Beast? You mean that Darkness also has Divine Beasts?]
“Let’s put aside the surprises and test it.”
[What are you talking about?]
At Bethel’s question, Lucion stood up from his seat.
“I’m talking about body-sharing.”
*~*~*
Translator’s note: Heint is getting a bit too hard on imperial family propaganda.
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