The fact that the Sword Saint has fallen to be known as a King Assassin spread as quickly as his once-revered fame.
It can’t be true!
The Sword Saint would never commit the Great Sin of killing his lord…
Many knights who had admired and respected Regnas protested fiercely.
It was the same for the crown prince of the Valtarian Empire.
As Alexis listened to the shining tales of the Saintess Party, he harbored a longing for the outside world. For him, the tragedy that unfolded in the Pug Kingdom was nothing less than an unthinkable nightmare.
“Sister! Sir Regnas could never have committed the treason of assassinating the king!”
“…But given the circumstances, it seems to be true.”
With one strike, he brought down the royal castle.
He even annihilated all the nobles present in the banquet hall.
Was it that he never intended to conceal his identity?
Regnas showcased the aura of the Sword Saint as he destroyed the kingdom.
Given that he spared Prince Erik, it seemed unlikely he meant to hide his identity. If he had intended to cover his tracks, he wouldn’t have made the mistake of leaving survivors on purpose.
“The royal scepter of the Saintess discovered in the Fairies’ Paradise. And the magical equipment of the sage possessed by the Apostle of Fresh Blood. And now, the Sword Saint has revealed himself… What in the world has happened to the Saintess Party?”
The traces of the Saintess Party, which had long gone undiscovered, were now appearing one after another.
A sense of foreboding washed over them.
It felt like signs revealing that a massive storm was approaching.
Ludmilla swallowed her heavy silence as she looked at Alexis.
“Don’t worry too much. I will investigate the reality of the situation thoroughly.”
“Yes, yes…! Sister.”
Seeing Alexis’s pale complexion, Ludmilla forced a bitter smile.
It was only natural to be in shock.
Ever since he was young, he had harbored an unblemished admiration for the Saintess Party.
The fact that the hero he genuinely admired turned into a cruel murderer caused despair. Despite the only survivor testifying to the facts, Alexis still denied them.
“I should consult Edanant first.”
The warmonger, who had been a part of the Saintess Party alongside the Sword Saint, might know something.
With that in mind, Ludmilla gently patted the dejected Alexis as she thought of Edanant.
“Your Highness Ludmilla.”
“What is it?”
A knight clad in full armor approached Ludmilla, wearing a troubled expression.
It seemed that something urgent had arisen.
“There has been a bit of a ruckus in the palace.”
“Who dares to disturb the palace! The situation is already dire.”
“Well, um… It’s Edanant.”
“…What?”
The culprit causing the disturbance in the palace was none other than Edanant.
Ludmilla’s eyes widened in shock as she displayed her bewilderment.
*
They had received information that Prince Erik, who had finished his audience, was heading to the healing center.
Ludmilla barged in without hesitation to hear the detailed account from the only survivor of the tragedy.
Finding him was not difficult.
The pretty boy with delicate features stood out immediately.
“Prince Erik.”
“Who might you be?”
He faced a handsome man with cascading blonde hair.
Had he been attacked by Regnas? A faint scar marred his cute face. It was the result of not receiving healing magic in time.
A scar on his face…
It seemed the past grudges were being returned in kind.
The cursed prince would now confront his scar every time he looked in the mirror, just as Regnas would be reminded of his troubled past.
“I am Edanant von Hohenberc, the second son of the Hohenberc Family.”
“Hohenberc? Then that means…”
“I am the brother of the hero Maximilian.”
“I see.”
When he revealed that he was the brother of Maximilian, a comrade of Regnas, Erik’s expression hardened. He tried to maintain a neutral appearance, but his unease was evident.
It was no wonder he was on edge.
Those with dark pasts tend to be suspicious by nature.
I sat in a chair beside Erik to level our gazes. Then I opened my mouth toward the increasingly wary prince.
“I hear you are the only survivor of the massacre.”
“Cough! Well, sort of…!”
“I’m curious why Regnas would leave a survivor after turning the royal castle into a sea of blood. Did the Sword Saint not entrust you with a message?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Was there any reason to keep his mother’s sworn enemy alive?
There had to be something.
Regnas must have planned to use the fallen prince to send a message.
But a problem arose.
Erik, having received a message from the Sword Saint, was holding back on revealing it. The cunning prince, while timid, was afraid of disclosing Regnas’s message.
“I am the crown prince of a kingdom guaranteed to be treated as a guest by His Majesty! How rude, Edanant! If this continues, I shall lodge a formal complaint at the Imperial Palace!”
“Ha ha, is that so…?”
I muttered while shrugging at Erik’s agitated voice.
Quite a quick wit he had.
Using his status as a royal guest the moment he met the Emperor was fitting for someone who had abused his mediocre power for tyranny. Even after his kingdom fell, he clung desperately to power, resembling a madman.
“I heard from Regnas. I understand you’ve committed some rather nasty deeds in the past.”
“W-What!”
“So spill it. Before you embarrass yourself coming from a fallen empire.”
“Kugh! Regnas…! That scoundrel!”
The prince’s face twisted in a hideous manner.
It was due to fear that his past wrongdoings might be exposed.
At that, Erik was left speechless as he swallowed hard.
“There, there was nothing next…! Regnas said just that!”
“………”
Nothing next.
Was that what Regnas’s message meant?
This was hard to understand.
Damn it. Just put it in simpler terms.
“I believe you are not lying.”
“It’s the truth! Regnas definitely said that!”
Seeing Erik yell and tremble in his rage, I nodded and stood up.
I had obtained Regnas’s message.
There was no longer any reason to face the fallen prince.
I heard a crunching sound behind me.
I responded by shrugging my shoulders.
“Edanant.”
“You have arrived, Your Highness Ludmilla.”
My steps to leave came to a sudden halt.
Ludmilla slowly walked in from the entrance.
Please don’t tell me you got into a spat with Prince Erik at the healing center? It’s not like you got into a fistfight…
But seeing Ludmilla’s furrowed brows, it seemed like my worries were confirmed.
“Y-Your Highness Ludmilla…! I meet the benefactor who saved the Pug Kingdom in person!”
Facing the overwhelming presence of the princess, Erik abruptly jumped to his feet and bowed.
Had they met before?
It seemed they had interacted during the time of saving the Pug Kingdom.
But for some reason, the moment Ludmilla faced Erik, her expression turned menacing. There was no trace of warmth, only a chilling coldness.
This was the first time I had seen such a side of Ludmilla.
She usually treated others with respect and consideration.
Her blatant contempt toward Erik made something within me squirm. I wanted to tell the prince to switch places with me right away.
“I am ashamed, Your Highness Ludmilla! You personally saved the kingdom, yet… I failed to protect the royal family and citizens from the brutal evil!”
Erik faced Ludmilla and began an impassioned speech as if possessed by a spirit of loyalty.
He dropped to his knees on the ground.
He even let tears flow down his cheeks.
Was he trying to suck up to Ludmilla now, just like he begged for mercy from the Emperor? What gall! I would have bitten my tongue from shame.
“……”
I turned my head to look at Ludmilla.
And I witnessed her cold, blood-red eyes.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
I instinctively trembled in the face of Ludmilla’s gaze filled with contempt.
“The crown prince is quite remarkable. Facing an enemy and shamelessly prolonging your life. If I were the prince, I would have continued swinging my sword at the Sword Saint who assassinated my father.”
“T-That is… The Sword Saint Regnas was trying to reveal the atrocities that occurred in the kingdom! If it hadn’t been for that, I would have fought with the resolve to die together!”
Such pathetic excuses only fueled her anger further.
I could feel it through the dismissive shrug Ludmilla displayed as she turned away.
“Come along, now!”
“…Yes.”
Why was she taking out her frustration on me? Did a spinster hysteria suddenly hit her?
With a booming voice ringing in my ears, I let out a heavy sigh.
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