“…Was it not a lie?”
Cain, wearing a mask, frowned at the distant flashes lighting up the sky.
The Crown Prince had clearly said that Robert would join deceitfully, yet the current atmosphere made it seem as if they were genuinely pointing swords at each other.
He recalled hearing that there were entangled emotions involved. Perhaps Adele was truly enraged by Robert’s betrayal.
Of course, the Crown Prince had warned against jumping to conclusions.
But Cain had no intention of just taking that at face value.
The problem was that the Dead Dragon sleeping within Kaitel had grown too big.
If this situation continued, it would spiral out of control, and he needed to cut down any dangerous sprouts beforehand.
Handing the reins to demons this time was something Kaitel should never have done.
Once he organized the North, he would eliminate Robert and simultaneously march on the capital.
Then, he intended to kill the Crown Prince and seize the Imperial Palace before the Dead Dragon appeared. Wasn’t that the reason he wore the mask in the first place?
Cain, with a mask featuring a grinning clown face, quietly looked over the top of the city walls.
Though there were pouring stones and arrows, their forces were not suffering significant damage.
“They’re being more defensive than I expected. If that’s the case, they might as well not resist at all. I have no idea what they’re thinking.”
At Cain’s words, another masked individual beside him nodded.
Even though they shared equal status due to their masks, as the leader of the Imperial Army, he had to keep this fact concealed for the time being.
With Robert rampaging around and having accounted for quite a few, this newly revealed force had to appear entirely as Kaitel’s domain.
For now, the Imperial Army had to follow until they sorted out the North. However, if this sluggishness continued…
Cain briefly glanced around and clicked his tongue.
“I’d love to summon the demons.”
“…That’s a dangerous move.”
If he lost control, he might not be able to handle a demon like Minotaurus running rampant. And wasn’t it the demons he had summoned as a contingency in case Robert betrayed him?
If demons were to show up while they were still in the midst of attacking the Northern gates, he had no idea how the Imperial Army currently assaulting the walls would react.
Of course, this was a thought he could only entertain because he hadn’t fully grasped Cain’s intentions.
Upon hearing that, Cain subtly smiled and fiddled with the gem in his pocket.
The Imperial Army? From the start, the main force wasn’t the Imperial Army but the demons.
He had failed to handle all four demons brought along, as Kaitel opposed bringing the two demons, just in case.
But that was irrelevant. The two demons he had brought were renowned as warriors among their kind.
Minotaurus and Mephisto. With those two names in mind, Cain briefly pondered while watching the soldiers pounding against the walls.
And he felt the power and flashes in the distance.
Flash.
…It was unexpected that Adele was this strong. But surely, she couldn’t be stronger than Robert facing the Minotaurus.
Perhaps after a little time, they would be subdued, and the Northern Army, fighting so hard now, would lose their motivation.
“Shall we wait a bit?”
“The moment we unleash the demons, we must be ready to oppose Kaitel. It’s fine if you’re prepared, brother. But I think we need to be a little more cautious.”
“I’ve already reconsidered this several times, and I have no intention of giving up.”
Kain’s eyes, hidden behind a mask, narrowed at the use of “brother,” but he knew all too well that the continued rampage of Kaitel was disadvantageous for him as well.
If the Dead Dragon awakened like this, it would really be the end.
If they could quickly draw out the demons, swiftly deal with Robert and the North, and then surge forward to the capital with that momentum…
There would undoubtedly be a possibility of killing Kaitel and seizing the capital of the Empire without worry about the Dead Dragon.
But still, a man who couldn’t shake off the rising anxiety in his mind let out a sigh.
He couldn’t grasp the cause of this indescribable unease.
The reason Kain was so obsessed with the demons must stem from individual desires.
The gaze directed at Kain, who was tightly holding the jewel in his possession, was growing sharper.
#
As time passed, Adele’s sword slowed down, but on the contrary, Robert’s sword began to speed up.
Who would have thought there would be this much of a skill gap?
Adele had thought she had seen Robert’s sword several times, but as her emotions settled, she couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh in response to the growing disparity in skill.
“I can’t even keep you held down now. If I try to hold you, won’t you escape with sheer force?”
“If you hold me down, I wouldn’t bother escaping, but it’s not just the North I’m tied to.”
When only Adele had a connection, it didn’t much matter.
For instance, when she first came to the North, if Adele had held him down, there wouldn’t have been anyone to say anything about it.
But now, if that were to happen, Mira-zen and Adrian would rush over immediately.
There was also the fact that Adele, being a Grand Duke, couldn’t do that, but now, with the charge of treason hanging over her until the Crown Prince dies, she was undeniably a criminal.
“Indeed, that Saint who turns into a fox the moment she sees me wouldn’t just sit still.”
Creak—
For a moment, glances exchanged through the swords suspended in mid-air. Robert’s sword, which didn’t break a sweat, seemed to have taken a step forward.
Perhaps he had faced more of the Minotaurus than he realized, but still, if he was being pushed this hard while doing everything he could, the gap in skill was undeniably clear.
The truth was, he tried to block it. Although it was true that Robert had done something vile, it was reckless to do something like this just to save himself.
The decision to respond sincerely, mixed with emotion, was made under the belief that Robert would be able to endure it.
But… I never thought I’d be this overwhelmed. Now, even blocking the sword feels like too much effort.
They don’t intend to injure each other with these serious strikes. They’re just exaggerating their momentum to make this fight look intense to the outside world.
But even that is realistically exhausting. I want to stop it. Unfortunately, I can’t.
Would a man who risked his life to save himself easily change his mind?
Clang! Adele, having forcefully deflected the sword, quietly took a breath.
As she removed her sweat-soaked hair from her cheek, her gaze was directed at Robert, who was watching her.
“…If I tell you to go back, you won’t think of doing so, right?”
“Do you really think I came here without knowing why?”
“You’re a foolish one. You found your way to my death and now say you won’t leave even if I try to stop you.”
“In my view, Adele is the foolish one. Why didn’t you run away? If you realized what I was thinking, you should have just fled far away and saved yourself.”
This time, it wasn’t a call to the Imperial Palace; the Imperial Army was merely heading out towards the Grand Duke waiting in the North.
If she had recognized her intentions, there would have been enough time to escape. Of course, plans must have gone awry.
She might have missed the opportunity to properly counter Kaitel, but as long as Adele survived, that was enough.
“I can die.”
Adele said that with a blank expression before looking at me and giving a small smile.
Surprised by the gentle smile from a woman who usually wore only scoffs or cynical looks, she twisted her lips a bit more and continued speaking.
“But you can’t die. I know it’s selfish, but I’m inherently a selfish woman.”
The thought of escaping had already crossed her mind.
The thought of her disappearing from the North, leaving Robert unable to use this expeditionary force and missing the chance to strike the Crown Prince, had also occurred to her.
If that happened, would Robert be safe? He might be taken down under the pretext that he could have colluded with her.
She might figure that out by repeating the same time over and over again, but Adele didn’t want to consider even the slightest risk.
If her danger led to Robert’s plan succeeding, wouldn’t that be too cheap?
Thus, she thought it was okay to throw away one life. After all, there were many other women besides herself, so she entertained such self-deprecating thoughts as well.
Realizing Robert’s gaze had turned cold, Adele quietly sighed.
She thought he wouldn’t understand. It seemed he was quite angry about her saying that she could die.
What can she do? Her long-time friend had informed her that the Imperial Army wouldn’t just refrain from hitting the North.
And it wasn’t hard to guess that Robert had rushed here to prevent that.
“Let me say one last time. Leave me and go.”
“Let me say one last time. I’m not going.”
“Sure. I’m not going.”
“…then I’ll have to cut you down here.”
“Try it. If you can.”
Adele, holding the sword, aimed it directly at Robert.
The tip was so close it seemed it would touch his throat, yet Adele’s hand only trembled without spilling a single drop of blood.
She couldn’t cut him. It was predetermined from the start that she would lose at the end of this conversation.
Crack.
Even as Adele gritted her teeth and glared, Robert’s expression remained calm.
In fact, his mind was focused on the waves of magic felt from afar.
The energy coming from the north gate felt unusual. It was even more immense than the power she had felt when she first saw the Minotaurus.
It must be the restored power of the Minotaurus or some other demon.
Adele now had to evade. Robert, looking at the sword aimed at his throat, smiled bitterly.
The sword he brushed aside was sheathed immediately.
It was a blade that never intended to stab in the first place. From the moment it was aimed at her, it held no murderous intent.
“Are you not going to stab?”
“…I will stab.”
“Then stab me. My throat is right here.”
As Robert stepped closer, Adele took a step back.
Her trembling arm eventually let the sword drop to the ground.
With empty hands and weakened legs, she was pushed back until her back hit the walls of the city.
Boom—!
The distant flash of purple indicated the appearance of demons.
There was no more time to waste, so Robert looked at Adele’s quivering lips and smiled softly.
“I’m fine.”
“But still. Knowing how I think of you—!”
“This should be enough to reassure you.”
Boom—
I don’t plan on dying.
I didn’t come here to die, and the power I used while fighting Adele was merely a fragment of the strength I had obtained.
The magic extending toward the sky soon roared and shot out like a flash.
Unlike before, the brilliance, which radiated with such overwhelming power, momentarily left Adele in a daze, and with a thud, her body slumped.
Robert, quietly gazing at his own hand, carried Adele towards the soldier standing by the city gate.
Adele shouldn’t be involved in this fight. It was solely his battle; he handed Adele to the soldier and gently brushed the forehead of the fainted woman.
“You’ll be fine. Probably, nothing will happen.”
It was strength cultivated to protect. If it could be broken by such trials, he wouldn’t have come confidently in the first place.
“Even if something happens, I’ll make sure it amounts to nothing.”
Robert, sword in hand, turned his head again. Then, he dashed toward the demons, never looking back.
To let go of regrets. To solidify his resolve in this battle.
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