Chapter: 141
Inside the spacious carriage, Lian was sweating bullets in a strange war of nerves.
“Iris, no matter how close we are, you can’t just hop on my lap and cuddle without permission.”
“But if you say it’s okay, then it is, right?”
“Well, that might be true, but it could cause a scene for others. This isn’t just a space for the two of us.”
“Got it! So that means if we’re alone in a room, it’s fine, right? When we get to our accommodation, let’s share a room!”
“W-What?! I mean… is it really okay for just the two of us to share a room with all our companions around?!”
“But we’re siblings, so it doesn’t matter.”
In the midst of Noah and Iris’s heated debate, Jess had slyly nestled her head on Lian’s lap, pulling his hand toward her beautiful hair.
“Pet pet.”
The meaning behind her hushed whispers felt adorably cute, causing Lian to absentmindedly stroke Jess’s head. The way she tilted her ears, ready to be petted, reminded him of when she was much younger, making him chuckle.
Her lips, slightly pouted, had turned a peachy hue. Her narrow eyes sparkled enticingly as she looked up at him. In that moment of unexplainable tension, Lian swallowed hard.
“Jess…”
Just then, Iris, spotting Jess acting all cute with Lian, called out in a voice that sounded like something out of a horror movie.
“Hey hey.”
Realizing she could be cast aside, Jess quickly wrapped her arms around Lian’s waist. Iris’s hair began to shake silently. For some reason, it felt like a dark aura was swirling behind her.
“Get off your brother’s lap right now!”
“Ugh, nooooo!”
Jess rubbed her face against Lian’s tummy like a petulant child, pressing in even closer. With Jess’s ample figure and soft skin pressing against him, Lian felt like a statue, frozen in place.
Noah stared in stunned silence at Jess and Lian, his face turning crimson. Memories of his own past actions flashed in his mind. Reflexively, he brought his hand to cover his mouth, but his gaze unintentionally drifted toward Lian’s lips.
“Are you not getting out!? That’s my spot!”
“No way! Master Lian is MY Master Lian!”
While the inside of the carriage was turning into a chaos zone, outside, everything was calm. The Knight, who was sitting on the coachman’s seat, smiled softly to himself.
“Ah, the young master sure is popular already.”
He couldn’t quite make out exactly what they were arguing about, but it was clear there were several people fighting over Lian.
“At least we don’t have to worry about an heir.”
The Knight chuckled as the carriage sped ahead.
*
The world of Dark Fantasy was made up of a single continent. In the west lay a vast expanse known as the Empire, while the eastern lands were divided among about twenty countries.
The Demon King’s Land was situated in the center of the continent, gradually growing in power like a cancerous cell. The east of the Empire and the west of the Demon King’s Land were touching. Thus, the Duke guarding the north had no choice but to move east.
While there were plenty of people who could deal with monsters or barbarians invading from the north, only the Duke could effectively repel the invading enemies from the Demon King’s Land.
For this reason, they were heading north. The village where they had stayed was located in the east of the Empire, closer to the Demon King’s Land than the capital.
Yet, it wasn’t so incredibly close that it would be heavily impacted by invasions.
Given their departure was skewed to the east, heading north would soon lead them to the castle where the Duke was staying.
The black horses pulling the carriage had been born from selectively bred stock, boasting top-notch appearance, size, and capabilities. They possessed the strength to casually fell trees and smooth out uneven paths. Naturally, they were also incredibly fast.
If they had been riding normal horses, the journey of six weeks would have been reduced to three. To cut the travel time even further, the coachman headed for the ‘Royal Road.’
The Royal Road was a well-maintained path exclusively used by nobles or royalty. Only chosen individuals could use it, making it a difficult spot for thieves or brigands. Such roads were spread all throughout the Empire.
Tada-dah!
As the sturdy horses began galloping down the smooth road, their speed doubled. If they continued like this, they could reach the Duke’s house in just a week.
The Royal Road had accommodations for nobility or royalty at various intervals, making it far more comfortable than any camping experience they had previously encountered.
However, the Royal Road, with its grand width, didn’t lead directly to the castle where the Duke stayed. For that reason, they left the Royal Road on day five.
In just about two more days of travel, they would reach the Duke’s residence.
Knight Pantone took a deep breath in and let it out, watching the flecks of white snow begin to fall gently.
“I’ve made it back alive.”
Just as Pantone felt relief for having reached this point in one piece,
Boom!
A group of Knights appeared, kicking up dust as they rode in on their horses. The delicate tiger design engraved on their shining white armor showcased their affiliation.
They scanned their surroundings warily. The gripping air made both the coachman and mercenaries hold their breath. They weren’t out looking for enemies; instead, they slowed their horses to approach the carriage.
“Pantone… you’re alive!”
The leading Knight exclaimed in surprise upon spotting Pantone. Considering how few made it out alive from the Demon King’s Land, it was a perfectly reasonable reaction. Pantone smiled brightly and replied.
“Long time no see, Zeon captain.”
“Ah… indeed, you’ve made it back.”
Though they belonged to different Knight Orders, there was no animosity between them, so they welcomed the chance to chat.
“What brings you here?”
“I was ordered to escort the carriage.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Knights surrounded the carriage. It looked as if they were treating the carriage like an enemy, or maybe it was for thorough protection.
“His Excellency is waiting…”
“He’s at the castle. Hurry along. There’s a long way to go.”
Pantone felt a peculiar discomfort at the Duke sending the Knights rather than coming himself, but he shook it off. His loyalty was too strong to let such feelings affect him.
Rumble!
Dozens of horses thundered across the ground, creating a sound like a bomb going off. Zeon leading the group prompted them to pick up speed even more.
Thanks to their nearly flying pace, they completed a two-day journey in just one day. However, since they had to eat on the carriage, the Knights and those aboard had no encounters.
“His Excellency’s child, huh…”
Zeon glanced at the carriage and clicked his tongue softly.
“They’ve been around for quite a while now, those kinds.”
The fact that the Duke’s child had gone missing was common knowledge. Following that, swindlers began to swarm. In a world where magic exists, some would even try to pass off children who looked like the Duke as his long-lost offspring.
As this scenario repeated itself several times a year, the Duke had lost all hope of his child being alive. Instead, he had slaughtered anyone who dared to claim they had found his child. Since then, the number of con artists approaching the Duke had significantly decreased, but they hadn’t vanished completely.
“If it weren’t for Pantone, they probably would have sent assassins instead.”
Pantone was a Knight with loyalty that even the Duke recognized. During a blizzard, he hadn’t hesitated to slice off his own thigh to keep the Duke and his Knights from starving in the cave.
Due to the trust and faith placed in him, they sent the carriage, but that trust was outweighed by suspicion, hence the sending of mercenaries and other Knights.
“Since he returned from the Demon King’s Land, it wouldn’t be odd for a Dark Sorcerer to be lurking around.”
The news of Pantone finding the Duke’s lost child felt more realistic than the notion that they’d fallen victim to a Dark Sorcerer’s magic. The mercenaries and Knights carefully surrounding the carriage were just in case any con artist aboard tried to make an escape.
“Ugh… Pantone, please let it be that you’ve just been brainwashed or hypnotized.”
If Pantone had teamed up with the Dark Sorcerer or the Demon King to pull off such nonsense, death would be his only answer. Zeon hoped fervently that Pantone had simply made a mistake, that he had been brainwashed or hypnotized by a Dark Sorcerer.
The reason he had so much confidence without even checking the face of the person inside the carriage was simple.
“If they’re saying the Duke’s child is a twin, it must be brainwashing or hypnosis.”
It stemmed from the blatantly obvious errors within Pantone’s story. He wasn’t the only one thinking this way. Everyone waiting at the castle for Lian’s group harbored similar thoughts.
Time passed, and unexpected guests arrived in front of the white palace.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
