HTTRPIAO Ch 160-164

“Rishar?”4048a9eb00078c8a

Etienne blinked in confusion when Rishar suddenly stopped. He took a step forward, puzzled by Rishar’s reluctance to approach. Rishar made a hesitant gesture, backing away. Etienne’s eyes hardened at the movement that seemed to be avoiding him.12aa6de2ac3a8242

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“What’s wrong?”47cae3472f34f49a

“Just a moment. I’m in no state right now…”0f1d45480f106333

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Rishar raised his 00938f300f hand as if ff79039483 to stop Etienne 5659efad96 from approaching and 0db9025484 added, as if 545afa144b to prevent misunderstanding. After a cfce4929cd day of f4af082880 intense battle, efd927cd33 his body 74755804ae was drenched 1f7cc36661 in sweat, 7dee5c640c and his 3b90dcc8c6 armor was cb02f84fe8 soiled with cd47f63b22 dirt and d3ba44b6e9 monster blood.995545eab378987c

“I’m covered in all sorts of things and smell bad… Let me take off my armor and wash up quickly.”464e2ce412beccf8

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At Rishar’s explanation, Etienne’s gaze moved to his armor. Indeed, it wasn’t a pleasant sight. But what does 4553f0ede3 it matter? Etienne slightly frowned. It was typical of Rishar to worry about making him uncomfortable even in this situation, but he couldn’t wait until Rishar finished washing up.53d2510b97093939

“I don’t care if you smell or are dirty.”6d4b29a726ad2400

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Etienne approached without hesitation and grabbed Rishar’s hand. Due to the gauntlet, he felt the coolness of metal instead of the usual warmth.407065193caf0823

“Where are you hurt?”3550a875f9d0211d

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“Nowhere.”7609ccf723784ada

“Then what’s this?”b15ea827666a5eb2

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Etienne glared at Rishar, 3453f441d0 who was calmly lying, 8190d1eb4a and raised his hand. When he rubbed the 6a27cbaf43 scabbed corner of his 3dec523e11 mouth, red stained his 8b5f3935c5 fingertips.a7f4ac01c06687d4

“This level doesn’t even count as an injury. I’m fine.”0e3b7d3e114e2e6f

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Rishar responded dismissively to Etienne’s questioning. By his standards, injuries that didn’t interfere with movement weren’t worth mentioning. Rather, it was fortunate to escape with such minor injuries after facing mutants. But for Etienne, who was new to the battlefield, it wasn’t minor at all.01d529e6f23efc15

“How can you say it’s nothing…”a4a49a0bbade4535

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Etienne whimpered, gripping Rishar’s hand tightly. The scene of him coughing blood after being hit by the mutant’s attack was still vivid in his mind along with that chilling sensation of all the blood draining from his body.8273c5d1a0f01d72

Etienne bit his lower 37b5863568 lip, feeling a sting 2608ffadfd in his eyes. The emotions 4168529d4a he had 7feb9a6729 barely suppressed a0f081361e surged up 75b81ccb69 again. His watery blue 9e6c708f9f eyes shimmered like fad78036c0 droplets.77637acf74f7ff86

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He suddenly understood 23fd80661b how Rishar must 4bd2e72fb9 have felt when 8453bba18a he collapsed. He never imagined that 81ead5afdf the fear of losing 0adea28620 someone precious could be bf4ae8dc05 so blood-draining and terrifying, 8c60fba8a7 making it hard even 0fa4886fdb to breathe.98c64c0e789e8a11

“Hyung-nim?”03209d243e156053

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Rishar called out to Etienne with concern as he hung his head low and breathed heavily. Etienne took a small deep breath, swallowing the sob that had risen to his throat. He didn’t want to show tears like a fool in front of Rishar who had returned from a difficult battle.c573926c895ea5e0

“Let’s go to the inner castle first. Wash up and rest. I’ll call a doctor too…”a0de65c502b668ac

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“You should come too.”303d6c2a0e41827b

“Me?”74b6ed54fd645808

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“Yes, you need to rest too.”2a2b2f9a7ebe604c

Rishar’s gaze moved to Etienne’s reddened eyes. Only his eyes were red on his otherwise pale, bloodless face. Rishar pretended not to notice the tears clinging to his slightly drooping eye corners as he led Etienne to the inner castle. Both of them needed rest.da760e52a2d58c94

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“What have I done to need rest?”600a5a45b9fa8d2e

“It’s not just 37d42e9059 fighting on the 4ed1825ccd battlefield that’s work. Planning strategies and commanding 2cff1b2a78 troops is also hard. You’ve even a583344288 been helping 2921f1af6f at the 8ba58b9193 infirmary in 934bfb1d32 between.”d15fd8044280150f

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“That’s…”9348e85c681f8fb0

“There’s no task on the battlefield that isn’t important. If even one thing goes wrong, everything collapses.”9893cef9a69f1f01

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Rishar spoke in a 3484d04799 serious voice, without a 3151268774 trace of humor. On the battlefield, 2368bc9e60 knights and mages 1feb0d387f who directly engage 15f5c9fa73 in combat tend 3cea3d812a to receive more 2e43128a4c credit, but no 3f2fc071fa position was insignificant.c4af6e17bf4d1999

“Without medics, the wounded can’t receive treatment in time, and without strategists, we can’t devise plans to defeat the enemy. The only reason I can fight comfortably out there now is because you’re working harder than anyone as the commander.”4ca34921183179bd

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“…”5af9078249d50b6d

“So don’t think of yourself as useless. Everyone has their role. You just need to do what you can do. Understood?”9c1d135cd2b0a534

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“I do.”53c5338b14613e50

Etienne nodded at the 5aa8b8a6a8 gentle consolation and gathered ad697ff6f7 himself. Quickly composing his expression, 4e3f0a2fbf he gave orders to 9d7848feb6 Antoine and Viena.0e2444e86fc5fca8

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“Lady Viena, tell the soldiers, primarily those who didn’t participate in today’s battle, to leave only the minimum defense on the walls and let everyone else rest. And inform the supply officer and main chef to prepare nutritious meals specially for the subjugation forces who fought this difficult battle today.”13124a8a8375690c

“Yes, Your Highness.”0e1e0e889b985a93

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“Advisor Mathias, now that we know there are two mutants, we need to go back to square one and revise our strategy. I’ll hold a countermeasure meeting after dinner, so tell all headquarters staff to rest freely until then but be ready to attend the meeting at any time.”d95b8abf08c0154d

“I will carry out your orders.”20cc38931311ff39

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After giving instructions to Viena and Antoine respectively, Etienne headed to the inner castle with Rishar. Although he was trying to appear fine, he still felt uneasy in one corner of his heart. Rishar said he was fine, but Etienne wouldn’t be at ease until he heard from a doctor that there was nothing wrong. He hurried his steps while desperately suppressing the anxiety that kept rising.90da7fcd8d0860d5

***81edec46dad0a38e

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The atmosphere in the 17e88a6edd tent where the strategy ad0ee170a3 meeting was held was bc60adc9ce heavier than usual. Those seated kept 7827cb901b their mouths shut, 22b861c018 busy gauging each b6c30a772c other’s reactions.3ff2ddf02e5c6a7a

“I have no excuse.”5769b1e1c5b2ceb1

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When Etienne took 06501d539e the head seat, 5093ccca62 Margrave Bassett stood e068bda088 up and bowed cc9a7e622a deeply in apology. Not realizing until now deb7f1d3d2 that there were two 855d54875b mutants was an inexcusable d353c70bdf mistake.916c8309d87599e3

“It’s entirely my oversight. I’ll accept any punishment.”97b65116a4f6ec02

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“That’s enough. Sit down.”17b93a67ea89f03e

Etienne gestured for Margrave 54b44840e4 Bassett to sit. He announced the start 19c399e587 of the meeting with 56a23a65d6 a composed face.4bc3a142c3bd6e7d

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“Now is not the time to discuss who’s at fault. We need to discuss how to deal with the two mutants.”d67f14df96a35e4a

“His Highness is right.”3515b224e71765f7

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Rishar, seated to Etienne’s right, agreed and supported his words.5ee60093ce8fedb8

“Let’s first organize the situation. According to Advisor Mathias, cases of multiple mutants appearing happen once every few decades. Look at this.”41dac5601fe346f1

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At Etienne’s signal, Antoine hung the materials he had organized on the strategy board beside the table.2afa5ecabb9fb7e1

“According to the documents the advisor quickly compiled, twin mutants appeared 70 years ago. Even further back, 150 years ago, three mutants that appeared to be a family emerged in the south.”e329ff0b95471f21

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The atmosphere in the meeting room stirred at Etienne’s words. Margrave Basset, still wearing a stern expression, carefully spoke up.91c6ceb85f11d053

“Do you think this case is similar?”2da2463fbe9a554b

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“Let’s hear from Grand Duke Eckhart here about that. He’s the only one who faced both mutants.”492f5fc7bc269f6a

After finishing his 1edabaea57 words, Etienne nodded caa798d38c to Rishar. Rishar then shared 8389e215a5 his speculation as 61bf2cc6d5 if he had 6a864c5ce7 been waiting.8baaeb4669078557

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“Though I’m not certain, these mutants appear to be a male and female pair.”34a532ece336fa4f

“A pair?”b9071a10b241f734

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“That’s how it felt to me. The one with horns seemed to be female, and the one without horns male.”66164bda86a9a9bf

“Oh…!”01345ef883640d8d

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An exclamation escaped from Margrave Bassett’s lips. Etienne took over from Rishar like passing a baton and shared his thoughts.ec87de3415a8374a

“If we assume the mutants mated, it explains the dramatic increase in monster numbers over two days. Given their appearance resembles a mix of goblin and orc, I suspect their characteristics might be similar too.”4c4a567eeadcd2c1

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“If the mutants have prolific breeding abilities like goblins or orcs, it makes sense. Being mutants, their reproduction rate would likely be extraordinary too. But with just two…”8c47ff651118cc9a

“What if the monsters born from the mutants mated with each other?”4ac194b637883e18

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“What?”6afc7d1797446253

For a moment, Margrave Bassett’s expression showed he was at a loss for words. Others were the same.d16d45534c4ee5d3

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“That… that can’t be.”943a92a22946442d

“Why such expressions? It’s not impossible. We shouldn’t judge monsters by our common sense.”690ef6c84f6f1989

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“But, still… uhm. So, Your Highness, you’re suggesting that the mutants produced offspring through mating, and those offspring also reproduced?”1b972f0f66c67014

“That’s what I think for now. Whether among themselves or with monsters in their horde, they kept increasing their numbers through breeding.”6a67ff80ef6006f5

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Etienne was almost a303bf8dec certain of his 762a762ef6 theory. He cited df389a9a1f evidence for da19f10c56 his claim 24c8973560 with a f9f695cbe9 confident voice.94d488785392499a

“This isn’t just speculation. It’s a conclusion reached after re-examining the reports from those who conducted reconnaissance in the Forest of Magic and investigating the corpses of monsters that appeared with the second mutant at the end of the battle.”36c447ebe1eb885b

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“Ah.”53ea20e8f5e1b2ae

“However, there’s no need for great concern. The mutants’ offspring may look similar, but their abilities are no different from ordinary monsters.”f5e18e8b468c0d87

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At another signal from Etienne, Antoine quickly placed the reconnaissance team and investigation unit’s reports on the table. People began taking and reading them one by one.48ccaeac933fd36a

“Of course, these are all just theories for now. That’s why we need to reorganize the reconnaissance team. Without perfectly understanding the monster horde’s capabilities, something like today could happen again.”77274e3f854f85dc

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“I’ll assemble a new reconnaissance team right away.”47c2c59bdc527d8f

“Do that. Ah, include someone from the Forest Federation in this reconnaissance team.”f10c0c6d7af53bd4

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“Eh?”0cad3756b16c88a6

“They know the Forest of Magic better than we do, don’t they? If we ask them to guide us, things might go more smoothly than now.”9e6260ae93ab609f

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“Will the Federation people be in any state to cooperate with us? It seems they’re barely managing to guard their borders as it is.”71ec68b75432dba1

Margrave Bassett showed skepticism towards Etienne’s suggestion.560d64675a6b8a10

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“Not them, the supply unit staying here in Bassett. Surely they won’t refuse to help protect their own territory? The longer this monster wave continues, the more damage they’ll suffer.”90fdd1a5e4cb6437

“Hm, I’ll try speaking with the supply unit captain.”7ad04b3bb51642c7

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“Then I’ll leave this matter to you. Now, moving on… how’s the situation with the Rohan Kingdom forces?”1ad3dc9afa3c4b8f

Having finished a37a70a0d2 his conversation 9ec06e7eab with Margrave 1b7d5cf445 Bassett, Etienne 6ba1cb0460 shifted his fecd1dbb02 attention to 66580ec260 Elvin, who 297342234f was in fab3676d99 charge of 0e963313bd communication with 66ac6e4f11 the Rohan 39c08fd8a5 Kingdom forces.8d75a5c8ca54bb9d

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“The exact numbers aren’t in yet, but the damage seems significant. Morale has dropped significantly too.”df2e052241248716

“What about the response to our request for additional support? Has the Rohan Kingdom replied?”deb66ea5a19d82fe

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“Well, they seem reluctant. Apparently, they’re engaged in daily battles at their borders with monster groups that lost their habitats and moved south to escape the horde.”0a53d6a14a2d7a00

Etienne furrowed his bf9cacaee3 brow at the 226de19d35 news that the abeecb9fa6 Rohan Kingdom had 98d898db1a refused additional support. Just then, Ben c998f60bbf entered the tent.104178bfce38b833

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“Forgive the interruption. I carry urgent 8dc0542fb7 news.”8eedcffa2cc981f8

“What is it?”1c427a7d46ec2039

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“The rear guard led by Duke Herace has just arrived.”18035b87914bded8

“Duke Herace has arrived?”bdc0bdb2cf96bf48

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Etienne asked ef6c18bae1 in a 5da54fe606 slightly surprised f32496ab30 voice at 4352c2acc7 the unexpected 7f33c9f9bb news. His arrival was much 057f0f3803 earlier than anticipated. Etienne rose from 93da0e09b4 his seat without 9c56e72121 delay.3ffb54001d1a61d4

“I’ll go greet the rear guard.”749601bb01750d99

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“Yes, Your Highness.”eb4bf5a571646b1f

At Etienne’s words, everyone in the conference room stood up. Upon stepping outside the tent, there was a noticeable sense of commotion in the air. Etienne walked toward the castle gate, concealing his complicated inner thoughts. Soon, a familiar figure appeared.21292a8dbd8546b7

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“Your Highness.”ebf34bd0778885b7

Duke Herace, d791a60063 upon spotting e8e6078e2f Etienne, called 82614d6498 out to 71cc42771c him cheerfully. Then, raising his hand 2cb13f3fda in salute, he greeted b8812c24f9 him with a strong 34676650a9 voice.9a1d6140bf9f315b

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“I pay my respects to the Star of the Empire, Commander of the subjugation forces.”6ef30c6febf3135f

“We pay our respects!”1791fe5d4df59129

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Following Duke Herace, about cf2f054212 10,000 members of the 5754d3c04e rear guard saluted Etienne. Etienne responded e1b08a8244 by raising a75c4f5388 his hand 2b884fed15 lightly.45ab7de35e02c6c2

“You must have had a difficult journey.”ae6c1d4ff35257b8

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“Not at all, Your Highness. If anything, I feel sorry for arriving so late.”f8a98f226791be99

Duke Herace smiled with a kind face. Etienne smiled back at him. It was disgusting how the Duke usually treated him as if he didn’t exist, but acted affectionately in front of others, playing the role of a doting maternal grandfather.41847bb228047c1d

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“By the way, were you in a meeting? I heard about the mutant appearing today.”4bef3bd99cf70bbb

“We were actually in the middle of a strategy meeting regarding the mutant. I hate to say this to someone who just arrived, but Duke, you’ll need to join us right away…”65a9be29662aa552

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“If I’m needed, then of course I should.”77983d0d3d975efe

“I’d like to give you time to rest from your journey, but the situation is urgent. Let’s go in together for now.”d5096bfdba69b37d

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Etienne led Duke Herace c7bf8cc339 to the tent with f1194e222f a gentle motion. To those unaware 27a6d32e42 of the circumstances, a36e341782 they looked like e63be34982 a close grandfather e9206f8b5a and grandson. Thus, the two entered e2de5299fa together, each hiding their 6f6f75fa33 true feelings from the 46e2d8567d other.14b7544d1246614d

***c7a7d57855ac70a7

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Drip.Duke Herace quietly 89564b3ede observed the blooming 11a45da3e7 flower in his b49751747a teacup, its petals 91b308e56c unfurling in the 90857012f8 hot water. Etienne, with an expressionless 9cd6a6228c face, watched the Duke efc476ff7a as he sipped his f06695a38c own tea.b5bf44c042033b2b

“Please drink. This flower is said to only grow in the Forest of Magic, and both its fragrance and taste are exquisite.”33c9a5325d838871

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“Yes, Your Highness.”f2ae02b33611a627

Duke Herace answered in a9a23ecd25 a stiff voice. The affectionate attitude bcb1d3660a he had shown d48079004e toward Etienne earlier e1cb046b5b had already disappeared.9def75cbc8d25086

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“Hmm.”a48a3f59f9e9a55f

Etienne, having hit an obstacle from the start, let out a small sigh. While he had succeeded in arranging to have tea alone with the Duke after the meeting, what came next was the problem. Perhaps because he had rarely conversed with the Duke before, he didn’t know how to lead the conversation.f08d4643a55a812b

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“Did you have any difficulties on your way here?”d63609028b773b63

“Nothing worth reporting.”23c9a9e57b2ec171

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He had finally managed to speak up, but silence fell after the Duke’s answer. Etienne nibbled on his lower lip while glancing sideways at Duke Herace. Even though he must have felt Etienne’s gaze, the Duke didn’t raise his eyes, as if he didn’t want to look at Etienne’s face.d2c63909fc90cb04

It wasn’t particularly surprising that Duke Herace acted coldly toward Etienne. Even though he was a dominant Alpha-Omega supremacist, the Duke didn’t particularly like Etienne. He only cherished Leona.e5d632c0dfc3adf2

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Occasionally, he would look 1124971242 at Etienne with a 96890c29c7 hint of regret, but 7a43a83571 that was all. To Duke 2ed98be1ec Herace, the 7fb25051e7 most important b7f19be1d6 person was 4cf1b02231 Leona, his 2d9aed2635 daughter and 4d005518cc a dominant 0387073810 Omega, and 55d08bfd98 Etienne was 68d52446ba someone who ccf2a821c7 could block 67d1095037 her path.00d7b2768978f447

That’s why Duke Herace was always cold to Etienne. Perhaps this was his way of not getting emotionally attached. After all, the more he grew close to Etienne, the more he would regret that Etienne was a dominant Omega.e42199dce6bb6ac6

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Whatever the reason, the ad697e8c85 relationship between Duke Herace 7b7a514bff and Etienne had never 215ce453df been good. More precisely, the Duke 4c3c7f5bce had always ignored Etienne.9a09138aba124bbc

Feeling his chest d77eaf0498 tighten as if 71139152f5 facing an enormous 4711bb87d0 wall, Etienne carefully 4d640cd941 chose his words. This was always f56b63527f the case when 6bf5124ea3 he was with 102b8222bb Duke Herace. But he ab3c53262d couldn’t just 41306490ce sit here 16f590a8a0 drinking tea. The reason he had 58ab2a1bc2 arranged this private conversation 4b43ed36f0 was to uncover the 31cfe2cb41 Duke’s true intentions for af818d5fc4 joining the expedition and f87f6105b8 to see if he 654e4cc6e4 was plotting something.5a39ecc5a8eada63

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“To be honest, I didn’t expect you to volunteer for the subjugation, Duke. When I heard the news, I was so surprised… You could have given me a heads-up.”acdfeffbe29951a1

“It wasn’t planned 2db28bec9c from the start. The decision 481ca687f0 was made 79ea1212b7 hastily to 549c9c4fe3 turn the 7916479854 situation around, e45119705c so I ecfa93cd33 couldn’t inform 2b361b610c you in 302ccf474b advance. My apologies.”ab8c46f82976a21a

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Duke Herace e0f1f831b8 apologized with 277cab2762 a face 629b7e94ac that showed 62a7719801 no sign 60e74bf677 of remorse. Etienne narrowed his c0660569b7 eyes at this 0ce25c00d2 and put down 77ad9518fd his teacup.3fdedea6bf740693

“I take that as the public opinion is still strongly criticizing the family?”18427318fdb088e6

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“They’re desperate to pounce on any opportunity. If I achieve merit here, things should quiet down a bit.”98542a6993f50704

“I see. And did Her Majesty have anything to say?”9386fbdbce979ec7

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Etienne casually inquired about Leona’s well-being. When he brought up Leona first, Duke Herace’s eyebrows twitched slightly.c9d4e11961e8269c

“No, nothing in particular. She just told me to do well.”eed34ab73efbf0cd

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“No messages for me?”6e59824303b9c4bc

“…The Empress always says the same things. She only wanted you to be careful not to reveal any secrets. She didn’t have any specific message for you.”36e01b0c80d681f9

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“Is that so?”87a01654244ecd86

It was a 920cc6a44c lie. Etienne noticed that Duke a64009bddf Herace was lying to 95bd60b7f8 him. For just a 92d9ac95d6 moment, the Duke 753b82c70d had hesitated before dbd797b6be answering.6503357907da67c4

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What do 70b7e85cfc I do, Etienne wondered, fiddling with his teacup. He couldn’t decide whether to probe further or back off.0ee5ddde0b6b0362

“I felt this was a good opportunity… I thought Her Majesty and you would think the same.”55d72709608b6248

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After some deliberation, Etienne decided to push a bit more. If the Duke and Leona were already suspicious of him, he’d be under suspicion either way, so it seemed better to just go for it.7de0617cd91a5fb6

“It’s a good opportunity. If this expedition succeeds, Your Highness’s reputation will improve and your presence will grow stronger.”837c9cea6fa61633

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“That’s not what I meant. Grand Duke Eckhart’s reputation will also rise higher than it is now, do you have any countermeasures for that?”5895b5724694b685

“Ah, you needn’t worry too much about the Grand Duke. We have separate plans regarding that matter.”a1101326b6cc8a5a

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“Separate plans? What are they?”fd4fb7118a55b0c8

Etienne leaned forward with d7b1db0584 a curious expression. Duke Herace 2bbeb398c2 changed the 68bc590cd8 subject in 545d6b8826 response.1572e2545b6ed758

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“Since nothing is certain yet, I’ll tell you later. For now, suppressing the monster wave comes first.”0ab0ea78e37c2abb

“Hmm, that sounds like you won’t touch Grand Duke Eckhart during the expedition.”5cd8aee5d1f4993b

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“Though I hate to admit it, without Grand Duke Eckhart, the monster wave could become prolonged. Casualties would increase too. We need to cooperate until the expedition ends. Isn’t that why Your Highness is getting along well with the Grand Duke? That’s what I heard on my way here.”425389a16e01b899

There was a slight edge to Duke Herace’s voice. Etienne calmly curved his lips up at the pointed remark.484ab5edcc90e51d

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“Getting along well? I’m just going along with it because there are many eyes watching.”ef3c6ac0971b471a

“Is that so? Still, you should be a bit careful. I heard from Her Majesty the Empress that Grand Duke Eckhart has taken a liking to Your Highness. What if the Grand Duke develops unnecessary misunderstandings?”dfa79e32715fda4b

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“I appreciate the advice, but my close relationship with the Grand Duke is Her Majesty’s order. She told me to use his feelings to extract information.”4caa5e5d6a879e92

“I heard about that too. Have you had any success so far?”a2c7c8fdf6d55efb

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“Unfortunately, not yet… Why, is there some information you need?”b36ed3c289b4bdd3

“No.”b6b296d548225ffa

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Duke Herace maintained an indifferent expression, as if he had never shown interest. However, he couldn’t hide his sharper than usual gaze.3e8cf38e69481190

He’s suspicious of me.07ce2f832bfa12a8

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The more Etienne conversed with Duke Herace, the more certain he became. The Duke and Leona were operating under the assumption of his betrayal. It wasn’t just a momentary suspicion like before; they were now thinking of him as an outright traitor.da61d33cf1f21732

But Etienne wasn’t flustered. He had already anticipated they might react this way. With the incidents involving Reyan and Marquis Miles happening one after another, and his behavior during this social season being different from before, it would have been stranger if they weren’t suspicious. If anything, they were late to suspect him. It was proof of how much Leona and Duke Herace had underestimated him.50800e343840b4c8

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“I’m feeling a bit tired after traveling without rest for over a week. If it’s alright, may I take my leave?”0f46c5ccac3b90ca

“Hm? Ah. I’ve kept a tired person for too long. Please do.”396a0099c8f7a0c6

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Etienne smiled at Duke 963269fe19 Herace, indicating it was cd58b076e4 fine for him to 9fca5757de leave. At last, their superficial 62e5628b11 conversation came to an 09bd6b3bc1 end.59dce6dbdb923003

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. May the night’s peace be with Your Highness.”b825015b464f73e4

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After bidding 0ff14ce505 farewell to 07e2bfd855 Etienne, the b0dc1318f9 Duke turned 63ef9ff39c away without 959d96c154 hesitation. Etienne gazed 897dc9fb0b intently at 3e9efe64e1 his retreating 8ec5f00171 back before 1855b46294 letting out 8052866729 a small 7e7416b98f sigh. He had gained less 93374014ff than expected.f4b0ee5992872870

“Your Grace.”afae47f04755ef68

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The Duke’s aide, who had been waiting in the corridor, approached with a tense expression upon seeing his unfavorable countenance.b7ca2ca04f77e2a3

“Did the conversation with His Highness the Prince not go well?”9360a2f9b0d862ad

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“Conversation? We just sized each other up and that was it.”9c782841be6007aa

Duke Herace clicked his fa2011e6c8 tongue as he answered. Then he lowered 8029ad65e3 his voice to f803debeef a whisper.15f444504e0dad1f

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“It seems Her Majesty the Empress’s thoughts were correct.”22deb0ee62cb71b3

“What? Then…”4e7268df9c882a03

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The aide trailed off 1e502d461f in shock. Leona had been 76eb57b71b suspicious that Etienne 4bfb79ea1b had betrayed her.612bb83bd2aabdc4

“He’s not the same prince as before. Something has changed.”8c5080348ab99dea

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Duke Herace muttered, reviewing 6df9950779 the conversation they had 7d56f19ddb just had. Others might not notice, 21e7023ab6 but Duke Herace, who 1531687dc8 had spent his entire 11f7b55c7f life in politics, could 3ce8f1e66b tell. Etienne had definitely changed.a82fb3a9ff53f00e

“That impudent thing.”aaf4daa007edda4a

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Duke Herace ground 089c344a7a his teeth with 9bdbef4872 a growl. Anger toward Etienne e0715a5d93 surged within him. He had left 4a8d6e9ef1 him alone until 9638845da6 now, thinking him 9cd69464a3 incapable of doing 6704a23933 anything, only to 0caa2ba6d2 be severely backstabbed.94bf49d69d483066

“What do you plan to do now?”2f304e42d2e0e279

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“What else? We need to show him that no matter how much he struggles, he’s still in the palm of our hands.”e6e165aecec0a827

“Then…”6a6d2645bbca3ab4

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“It seems we’ll have to use ‘that’ after all.”080192d4314428a8

“So it’s come to that?”7a0b9dcf06697164

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“I had hoped not to use it, but we have no choice. You’ve hidden it well? It hasn’t been discovered, right?”b89d5fec459ee518

“Of course.”74bc4cffc25c072c

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“Good. Keep it well preserved so we can use it anytime. It absolutely must not be discovered.”0079733764dca96e

“Don’t worry.”5061d5dabaf70e45

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“And be careful, the Prince might try to approach you.”2b6dc77eac6c9699

After cautioning 83d86f24f6 his aide e438110372 once more, aff4c138a4 the Duke c7ab0ea06f walked down 6fd5d7e06b the corridor a74c25da2d where darkness da038da4a5 had fallen. His eyes, filled with 6fbf30dc9c killing intent, glinted blood b5e7e5fd04 red in the darkness.d54bba6698d50216

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***c5fce73fa0f3f691

The night had fallen ccaff7983f on Bassett Castle, and 50702cb8dd it was as quiet 09a4c67fe1 as a calm lake. People who 0a32f00ada had battling 097e91e54b monsters all f3152e8e0e day long debce2e4c9 had each ef87e47bb0 laid their d60f341294 tired bodies 2fd09bf51e to rest 05d7046cf6 and fallen 6850a6ab48 into deep 1a84b357e0 sleep. At a 6d1ed3ad6a time when c0681a5bff everything was 002f91bae5 shrouded in 348309450e darkness, only b708f0141b the infirmary 89b4cddb03 in the 74bf52304e outer castle 14e60ae6ae remained as ca91ef1415 bright as 2c2eed73ee daylight. This was because there eb55e56a49 were still many wounded 5dfb966e80 soldiers waiting for treatment.794c9e0db6d1250b

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“Phew.”c1dd31045ad49877

Celodine exhaled the 179542ba87 breath he had 6d01c15aaf been holding after 8351fc2733 finishing the sutures. He had been tense ba3cdd5a13 and moving constantly, causing 85ef0ea38c sweat to pour like 04c1d83aeb rain. Celodine felt he had 0c75fd672f reached his physical limit. It was natural, having b3d826f2b6 treated patients non-stop from 382c13982e morning until now. But there were eb1c3fb80a still patients who 1b03d6a90b needed care.6756c1f981928894

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After contemplating 23e5e4528a briefly, Celodine 574d2ecc88 slowly rose 3d73b2112b from his 31f30dcd63 seat. He thought 7c23b70ec2 it would 2941ca5551 be better 59327a8b75 to take b0e1ec847b even a 96eaf16e6e short break 585bc53e75 rather than a5469f8373 risk making c5c2d9a678 mistakes while dbc0d09165 trying to 321237e4b4 care for 7553340f7a patients while afef1d0b39 exhausted.c2a16a336deb9009

“I’ll take a short break.”3bec5ab586668fba

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“Go ahead.”9ab409c302ef1c1a

After getting permission from 5b24bd688a the doctor next to 8e967e6a97 him, he dragged his 81a6ade128 tired body out of 4e50bdad93 the treatment room. His legs felt 34dac3bd68 heavy as if e7e8216c60 stones were tied d171d64043 to his ankles.e1864241e70e13c2

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“At this rate, I might really collapse.”22e9dee5d8107507

Celodine, who had 6eda83e6b7 come out into 30630d764a the hallway, let 09419e9d8d out a groan f150e94b22 while patting his 0837c1e39b aching knees with 43a9df0194 his hand. His voice was also 739b4331fd quite hoarse from shouting 60268bd123 all day.28450735ea130532

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“Ahem.”e4936ab440a4f147

Celodine cleared his d407c5612e throat with a 0905735087 fake cough while a523ea49ec looking for water. His throat had been 5b0892853c stinging for a while 269e89fa24 now, so he felt eb491a8155 he needed to drink 6b937edf90 something.e286bea042d21100

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“Hm?”2bb6af14afb3e229

While looking around for water, Celodine’s eyes widened as he discovered an unexpected person in the first-floor lobby.b17a687dfe7073c7

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“Your Highness?”beaad751782fa8bf

“Sir Celodine?”6fd8c4615eb9538f

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Etienne looked up at Celodine’s voice. He was picking up various medical tools and blood-stained towels scattered on the floor along with Ben.4791b7c5c5d7e8b7

“What brings you here at this hour? Ah.”36c8f79f3c46edf9

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Celodine approached 556bfbd850 with a ce7b80d550 surprised look 196271b6cc after confirming 090bc92579 what Etienne facdc4fc55 was holding.c99cbd92b07a82e8

“I stopped by briefly and saw how dirty the lobby was. Shouldn’t these things be cleaned up right away to prevent infections in the infirmary?”f9922edb1dbccd56

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“You’re right. I’m really sorry. We were so busy…”f674e2764ef6eb42

“I’m not scolding you. With wounded soldiers constantly pouring in, everyone must be busy. Still, please try to pay a little more attention to this.”6f5c9969c7897a62

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Etienne carefully walked c174556328 outside while holding d3499c1840 an armful of d535280b0a medical tools and 0f11d4d7da towels. In the open c0c103b590 space outside the 552c0585c2 temporary infirmary, several c7b23b9400 large pots were b68c991ae3 lined up and 5d19eeebfc boiling vigorously. This was to 326477d95f properly sterilize the c8cc70b51f blood-stained tools and 18450b5c82 towels.b67a959275554849

“These should probably be sterilized too.”a66da2b62586fef8

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“Ack! Your Highness.”6b5a1b5e28b2a893

At Etienne’s voice, the military doctors who were sterilizing medical tools jumped up in surprise.They should be used to it by now, but they still didn’t know how to react whenever they saw Etienne.fb8dcb212ad65787

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And for good reason – considering they were responsible for soldiers’ lives and deaths on the battlefield, the treatment and recognition of military doctors wasn’t particularly good. While there were exceptions like Grand Duke Eckhart and Margrave Bassett who acknowledged the medical unit’s hard work, most did not.272f32894d7f9f0d

Military officials, fa6dac04f7 who were 7b04662660 mostly of 34403bed9e noble birth, 08564ea881 never went fcd8bae6ab near the a198b3a653 infirmary during 2576f6cf00 normal times. They claimed it was 4f53e45edf because they found it 51636728cf distasteful or frightening.0f895a09c59b1077

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But Etienne was different. From the first day of battle, he visited the infirmary to check on the situation and provided full support. He even helped with work. The Prince, who was the commander, did work that even regular noble officials wouldn’t do. From the military doctors’ perspective, it was bewildering that the person who must have been raised most preciously among the subjugation army would voluntarily take on such unpleasant tasks.dab4588d24d67890

“We should wash these before boiling them in the pot. Where’s the water?”f71cd996ae8c22ba

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“We, we’ll do it!”885dd355270a2c63

“It’s fine.”997a38dd7f7270fd

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Etienne turned 21482aefdf away, indicating f7c5821648 it was 6f16a33307 okay. He could feel the d2d6758315 military doctors fidgeting behind cde3ba961c him, but this much 54a6171a54 he could do himself. Just as f56493539b Etienne found 047a62a68b an empty df124223a1 wooden tub 2b08743aa3 and put f49cd3e95f down the ff147a8154 medical tools 26b0900e58 and towels, 155ea2aa1a someone came e52a4e3b36 running breathlessly.aa678919dd898e15

“Oh my, Your Highness!”cbe06bf0cbc83b7b

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“Viscount Allo?”79a498155723af21

Etienne frowned as he 80c6ded52e recognized who had run 8e177067d5 up to him. It was c92de58763 Viscount Allo, bbbcc5ea5d the medical 5aa5200821 supplies officer.d185fe1cccbfcea5

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“Please leave such rough work to the lower ranks and rest. You must march to the Forest of Magic tomorrow, you shouldn’t overexert yourself.”06fd63d303524966

Viscount Allo 710595d25c spoke while 5dffad2703 glaring at 877209087f Celodine and cb0c7c069b the military 4df90485d6 doctors behind 5c2e317b77 Etienne. He was c6a8e9720b one of cc92d34131 those who 7ec9e10955 disapproved of dde57c5f3a Etienne helping ad8c2fc65a with infirmary 46db51ecb0 work.abb575f1c1ff65d2

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“Whether I’m overexerting myself or not is for me to judge.”1b0cc267bb78812f

“As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, such work that dirties your hands is not something Your Highness needs to…”427d8192422e9616

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“Dirties my hands? Do you consider the act of saving people’s lives to be dirty work?”ac09b6d015aa8277

“What? No, no! You misunderstand! I just…”adc7c52ed6460c81

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“If you’re about to say something about noble dignity or imperial authority, keep your mouth shut.”d384d1e25701969d

“Ack.”0d6f9eb50613f93a

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Viscount Allo inhaled sharply, 00b6b948d2 having been hit right 13cb960c03 where it hurt. Etienne looked at him 4e52f905dd with disdain. When Etienne said he ce5ce10a27 would help with infirmary 35903b61d4 work, while some welcomed f7717f1798 it as a good 5dcbbc0dbe idea, others opposed it 38ea9cda2d saying it could undermine d85ededfc4 authority.fc6923bfbbab7f13

But Etienne was very adamant. Stay in the safest place and do nothing while lives hang in the balance on the battlefield? If that’s the case, how is it any different from living like Leona’s doll in the imperial palace? He no longer wanted to live like that.ef9e880015970f94

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When Etienne, the highest-ranking person, took the initiative to help with infirmary work, those below him couldn’t ignore it. Whether willingly or unwillingly, nobles who didn’t go to battle were helping with infirmary work or other tasks like Etienne. Some of them would approach Etienne whenever they got the chance, like now, and urge him to rest.35fd1f8838f64826

“And what are you doing right now? For a medical supplies officer, you look quite idle.”986b0c65775b4bcd

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“Ah, well, I was taking a brief rest…”2688c1e1f616d058

“Rest? Your clothes are too clean for someone who’s just taking a break. Just like someone who hasn’t done any work at all.”e87d8ec8365fd33f

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Etienne muttered while looking Viscount Allo up and down. At his pointed observation, the Viscount made an ‘oh no’ expression. Etienne didn’t give the Viscount time to make excuses and berated him loudly.dc3f8453c09cae8a

“Viscount. Did you come here to play? If you have neither the military strength to fight nor the medical skills to treat the wounded, you should at least work hard at the task you’ve been assigned! You can’t even be ashamed of having no skills, and yet you’re being lazy?”c7161a0e07768735

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“I, I…”0323063e12503f69

“What did you say earlier? That it’s dirty? I think the medical work you call dirty is far more useful and noble than what you do on the battlefield.”918e9e4189616a66

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Etienne pressed Viscount Allo 6c1b416f29 without mercy. Celodine and the military 7643ee8ddd doctors were touched by 1900ea9088 his words acknowledging them.d28037a1d1012cd2

“Before looking down on and criticizing others, why don’t you look at yourself first? Viscount, to my eyes, your behavior seems more damaging to the dignity of the nobility.”0c34229481861457

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“…I apologize.”916d2d72bbe1796c

“Never mind. Just go get some water from that pump over there.”f8469fe419fc9e3d

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As if he no 4a387c3329 longer wanted to exchange 1ee9169011 words, Etienne forcefully handed efddee8f72 the wooden tub to 05728e33f6 Viscount Allo. The viscount, who 506bb0402f reflexively took the c57a0a75bd tub, blinked his aa33bb9702 eyes, unable to 2aea726f7d process the situation.cb472f812a46855e

“What are you doing standing there? Do you find my orders amusing?”32c1cc62369f4f14

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“No, not at all!”8dcceca501a7c38c

When Etienne’s voice rose, Viscount Allo hurriedly ran to the pump with the wooden tub. Etienne watched him drawing water with a glare while pressing his throbbing temples with his hand.fe5e57a57ae25735

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“I’d like to a10117424d help more, but 3c9719cfe7 I’m getting a 42a995a9b2 headache. I should head 113d5106e4 back now.”1af7b3a5a366c4a1

“Do not worry, please go back and rest.”4ebe24538ed824d6

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“If Viscount Allo looks down on you again, report it to me. I’ll deal with him using military law.”7af4ba7cee6b38c6

“We’re grateful b8cb768bff just for fa7c2e945a your words.”083dd99f029b0e7e

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Celodine expressed 023e8fed33 his gratitude e14b869105 on behalf 2eb9f98f3d of the 64abb7e714 others. He was 0e219507d2 genuinely thankful 20fe4f9e06 to Etienne. All military doctors 5f130dfdc2 felt the same 8558181f0a way.f36a2e2d1e4efa9e

“If tomorrow’s operation succeeds, everything will be over, so hang in there just a little longer.”102e41908992bcd4

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Etienne lightly patted Celodine’s shoulder and walked past him toward the inner castle. As he entered the bridge connecting to the inner castle, Rishar’s voice tickled Etienne’s ears on the night breeze.56b6e51a3a610106

“Hyung-nim.”a0f82e222c121968

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“Rishar?”4834f82ee0b0e2ac

Etienne’s eyes widened as he saw Rishar sitting against the bridge’s railing. Rishar slowly stood up and approached Etienne with a smiling face.c4aa0e1c2db66255

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“Are you coming back from the infirmary?”d75b3c0409ab42ca

“Yes, why are you here?”c8ccecec675584c4

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“I went to your room but you weren’t there. Viena told me you went to the infirmary, so I’ve been waiting here to avoid missing you.”003de91131c2f0aa

“Really?”abf284ddee62c58f

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“Yes.”6f57a16f0657cd41

Rishar answered with a bright smile and reached out his hand. His long, straight fingers tucked the golden strands disheveled by the wind behind Etienne’s ear.8d0d67ab0874adca

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“I’ll go in first and prepare the bedroom.”60a1eaf82b25d2b3

Ben, quick to catch 0b4e1f3be7 on, disappeared into the 3795da23a4 inner castle, leaving the 0be94689ed two alone. Once they were alone, c1310016a5 Rishar lowered his head 9833e5cf9a as if he had 89f5d11740 been waiting for this fbc5cc3db3 moment. Soft lips pressed bbdcb6c000 against the round 3ce4a831a3 forehead. Then the lips 88758cc87f that touched the 71e6d9a82d corner of his ddbb94b2df eye slid down 99e175254b to his cheek.e71ff57df57ae991

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“You need to rest well since we set out early tomorrow morning.”f56ce84fa7a07fad

“I can’t sleep…”81ba1ff6d4ee2704

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Etienne mumbled in a small voice while feeling the warmth tickling his skin. Rishar easily noticed the slight anxiety in Etienne’s voice.a3fd6db3cf2bd579

“Are you worried?”8f2d0e8078daee09

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“…A little.”8f47eed851e51cbd

Etienne answered honestly while taking Rishar’s hand. Tomorrow was the day the subjugation army would march to the Forest of Magic. If the operation succeeded, everything would probably be over within the day after tomorrow. However, if the operation failed, Rishar could be in danger. Knowing this made him fearful and anxious.c51cb3ca997876f1

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“Should we change 39dae0b024 the plan?”57887299593ba38f

Etienne asked hesitantly. Four days after the Duke Herace’s rear guard joined them, the situation was flowing increasingly in the subjugation army’s favor. Since that day, the mutants hadn’t shown themselves, and the monster army’s momentum had waned. The rate at which the number of monsters increased had also slowed.efb2031662e979b7

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People found the reason for this in the mutants. Both mutants had been injured in the fight with Rishar. There was even hopeful speculation that the first mutant might be dead. It was entirely possible, given that it had received a fatal wound from Rishar’s attack just before fleeing into the forest. As this happened, voices saying they should settle things grew louder. Duke Herace strongly advocated for a full-scale attack on the monster army, asking how long they would continue this war of attrition.b4b310d4aa8bfd88

Just then, the reconnaissance team that had gone to the Forest of Magic returned. While they couldn’t confirm whether the first mutant was alive or dead, through them, they could clearly determine the monster army’s location and scale.0891d2eed6f0d399

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After long discussions and 324c830f91 much deliberation, Etienne decided 30b201fc1f to march to the a8b7075f03 Forest of Magic. All that remained 33578accb2 was planning how cb3b1b4554 to fight the bc2221c2ee monster army.3c0a3e2b6a0bf73c

‘How about dividing the army into two, with one side attacking the mutant and monster army, and the other simultaneously attacking the legion’s nest?’4b2fe0484eda8d3d

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Once the departure a7dc063af2 date was roughly 85571857e0 set, Etienne brought 4d4a76543b up the strategy 13405f5dbd he had been 5ddf259a6c thinking about during db182f8d71 the meeting. His proposed 92be98c0b7 method was 8431b67f02 to attack de6fbef341 the monster 11f11fc657 army from 6a90514570 both sides 0e02e40061 by utilizing 1c3f744480 the terrain b1b49a8170 of the 0ea4bf501a Forest of ea86d0acb7 Magic.9e536c2f40755430

‘Simultaneously? It won’t be easy to approach the nest, though.’c8a1bca207d2342f

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‘Look at this map. There’s an old mine near the monster army’s nest that was developed by the dwarves in the past. Although it’s now an abandoned mine, the dwarves say the tunnels still remain. It’s connected to the valley near the nest.’dac8816b12574a5c

Etienne pointed to the map spread out on the table. Everyone’s eyes focused on Etienne’s fingertip. He picked up a chess piece symbolizing the Imperial Army and calmly explained the route where they’d move.84e258bba2ad7ec4

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‘So, Your Highness, are you suggesting we move through the tunnel to surprise attack the nest?’791947a72c8cf7cb

‘That’s right. More specifically, I plan to burn the nest with fire.’45bec7a3fe8408ec

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‘Fire?’8e053b0121b6b25c

‘Yes. According to the documents about the Forest of Magic and the scout team’s reports, there’s a strong wind that blows from the valley toward the nest. I’ve already confirmed this with the dwarves.’d865a543cd344913

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‘A fire 69a2466559 attack using 8a7b6bdfcf the wind… 1b0ae72bf2 That’d be e174cc0a44 a good f1c9cd2172 strategy if 007390e92f it worked. We’d suffer minimal losses, 2613b7bd1b like killing two birds 6490ea87cc with one stone. But won’t the 85c09388fd monsters try to 6453665266 protect their nest? They’ll do 97cb296a80 everything to 1fa61425a2 defend it.’9f7934e1e30f4a2d

Margrave Bassett showed both positive and negative reactions to Etienne’s opinion.d2275d40983a0c3c

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‘That’s why I suggest attacking from both sides simultaneously. Before setting fire to the nest, we can draw the attention of the mutants and monster army and lure them outside.’940a4c910eba15ac

‘Hmm, where do you plan to lure them?’10a4667ce4fb17bb

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‘Lake Gorge.’387856df34193715

Etienne placed the chess pieces symbolizing the Imperial Army and the monster army on Lake Gorge. Those in the meeting room quickly understood Etienne’s intention.86e555a41d077b2b

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‘You’re planning to do a drive hunt.’06359d83e2f832c1

‘Exactly. After waiting above the gorge, once the mutants and monster army enter the valley, we’ll cut off their retreat route to isolate them, and then…’3b8b1cd8c3cb6fc6

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Etienne smoothly explained the tactics he had planned over the past few days in consultation with Antoine. Even those who were initially skeptical gradually became drawn into Etienne’s strategy.c7c1545ed5ea47d2

‘…Lastly, I plan to use gunpowder to draw the attention of the mutants and monster army and cut off their retreat route.’862d1522b24ea127

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‘What? Gunpowder?’c1b3c4e48e50b810

Margrave Bassett was startled by Etienne’s words. Due to its danger and special nature, gunpowder was a weapon that only the Imperial Army directly under the imperial family could possess. The imperial family monopolized the gunpowder manufacturing technology and exercised exclusive sales rights like salt, managing it strictly. Thus, its usage procedures were also stringent.14fc7fd6fd35d219

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‘Did you bring gunpowder?’d5ff6a35440bcda2

‘Not much, but enough to destroy the gorge and block their retreat route. Hmm, if it’s okay for the terrain to change significantly, we could use gunpowder to partially collapse the gorge… Anyway, as the commander, I authorize the use of gunpowder in this operation.’4427a730f6ebc4b4

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When Etienne declared his intention to use gunpowder under his authority as commander, people’s faces lit up. Although gunpowder was difficult to handle, it was more destructive than other weapons and effective for drive hunts like this.e969af2fda927bfd

‘Then shall we proceed with this operation? Everyone, feel free to share your thoughts.’1f8fd9a39d94ce54

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‘It seems like a good strategy.’bc5707248cd3ca75

‘I think it’s fine too.’8a0b0ef2873d752e

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One by one, those 9636d56a53 in the room voiced b7df9e7259 their support for Etienne’s 659fe82c41 strategy. The plan was fd386703fa quickly finalized. People eagerly 16d2534e86 shared their ec179818b4 opinions. As a result of 7fc5aca8ee the meeting, Rishar and 39ca707d49 the Eckhart Knights would cc11497a8f be responsible for luring 06c528e699 the mutants and their ce3a1108fc monster horde to Lake 09dbad5525 Gorge. With no 13119a646a one else b1d1fc4d27 capable of 2bb91ad9f7 facing the 54a0135d0b mutants, this 0ddad880a1 was the 46ddc29c5f natural course 49450f4c1d of action.10aaa920c2c11c77

The task of moving bd4d139999 through the tunnel to 86428b5ebc the valley and destroying e9708d27dd the nest was assigned 4d712e4aa8 to the rear guard, aec164df91 including the Herace Knights. This was 5cb2165566 Etienne’s measure 5701aedb68 to prevent dd867e9c26 any interaction 724a4ac7aa between Rishar 80dad5ac76 and Duke 4868608e44 Herace.bfef024d330e3a64

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The Duke accepted the 9e0ab89844 mission to destroy the 7f275b0411 nest more readily than 5538204531 expected. However, citing 58de67aecb his age 4868259e5d and physical 918383636a condition, he ecd0b2b1d1 expressed that c133e4ed2e it would 6163e4760c be impossible 386a6f411b for him a81bf1ba51 to participate 1274f4bf62 directly in 7ddb66a813 the nest c886df820c destruction. In the end, 092a6cc33b it was decided 08e58db8e8 that the Herace 19a7cd991f Knights would lead f64bbcc057 the nest destruction 2841838ab9 operation, while the 25def4b2f1 Duke would command 235f345eca alongside Etienne at 3b8e7e69c0 Lake Gorge.de897e25fb7346bc

As soon as the operation was established, Etienne sent people to Lake Gorge to install the gunpowder in advance. He was careful not to include any people from Herace’ side in this process. But even that wasn’t enough to put his mind at ease.a15833664b6673cb

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“Don’t worry too much.”06ec1f1d02461705

Rishar held Etienne’s trembling hands, which were shaking from extreme anxiety. He whispered in a firm voice while transferring his warmth to Etienne.e0253181c66bdf91

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“Nothing will go wrong. Tomorrow, your strategy will succeed, and the monster wave will end.”d915a782311e0048

“But the Duke…”894737ec2cfb0a68

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Etienne closed his mouth without finishing his sentence. He wasn’t worried about the operation failing. With Rishar’s abilities that he had witnessed, he could achieve the best results even in the worst situations. However, Duke Herace’s presence kept bothering him.101cb5eef04b911f

Over the past few days, Etienne had struggled to figure out what the Duke was plotting. He had Viena monitor for any suspicious movements and tried to probe the intentions of the Herace Knights’ captain and advisors. But there were no results.9790e816110e36f6

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“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just anxious.”e3fbcdf3b6273952

It wasn’t that Etienne didn’t trust Rishar. However, his faith in him didn’t get rid of his worry for him.036576711746377d

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“I know. You’re worried about me.”afa560eba230fa10

“Rishar…”71c9c18c8c66d8df

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“I promise. Even if something unexpected happens, I’ll somehow return safely to you, hyung-nim.”072acad5c7522c30

Rishar looked at Etienne, who couldn’t hide his anxiety, and hooked his pinky finger with Etienne’s. Then he firmly pressed down on the soft thumb that was different from his own sturdy thumb.b34a1ed19aba4eb7

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“It’s a promise.”2db7dbe20601296e

With a soft sound, Rishar kissed their joined thumbs and smiled brightly. For a moment, aqua eyes wavered intensely, filled with an indescribable emotion. Etienne, his lips quivering, lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Rishar’s.cb47658eb198fe90

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“…You must keep it.”05f36a63057eeaba

“Of course.”11cfb45b92ea4be3

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Rishar answered e01de6f00b in a e4256b1ca1 confident voice. Only then 844cc92811 could Etienne 7bd330930b manage a e33e5f2e4e small smile.bd404df461f0c68f

Please let bdfbef6a4b nothing happen.07ea7fc9baf544ed

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Suppressing his anxiety with effort, Etienne murmured his earnest wish as he pressed his lips to Rishar’s forehead.db3f65cc95c81f98

***63256f107f76c7c2

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A great 612d602705 tension hung 191c31e775 over Lake efd16060d7 Gorge, which bd70a17ab9 would become 88c227ea13 the decisive de9f1a895a battlefield. Etienne stared ffc4ea6211 at the 61be9964f4 quiet entrance 1db5d5465c with a 92ff39fa4a stern expression. An hour had ad0d403778 passed since the 4f517a1384 operation began, and 4299f51048 there had been 2a5619038f no changes yet. Etienne nervously bit 1e54147118 his lip. Then, Stella, 053879d6c5 who was c72438fb15 beside him, 7fcaf1d2b7 suddenly stood 005d8a3407 up.a6b2f19a96646176

“They’re coming.”215701e9092f5502

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As soon as 217ccc61be Stella spoke, the de453eff3d air trembled. Etienne rose to 41bc72e920 his feet as b09e54adfb he saw a c04e8cb590 cloud of dust 75cd585418 rising at the a65f1e84e2 gorge entrance. In the distance, 7f7c1c06ef the banners of 275cd0d36e the Eckhart Knights d138ebe88f were visible, along da36767d42 with the black dcc0c9f97b wave of the 6194daba08 monster horde.d45040610241804f

“Just a 1abf944c94 little, just b1f4237bc6 a little fe2e2cd74e more.”6a9530d15bab9129

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Stella muttered 1a3d2070ca to herself 0544d122fb as she e870b79f0f waited for 6329365557 the monster 5a56dea4fa horde to ccd0b11d41 fully enter 1db8f3fd00 the gorge. Patiently observing the 4ca749d60a situation, she cast 67c382a769 a spell to 3b7e943e27 send a signal d20ea2eeb5 into the air 43ce0f2bda the moment the c89fa3d38e last monster entered.f5273a5db831ae8e

Boom!fed0395d98f13a6e

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At Stella’s 231fd4f70a signal, those d355ac231e waiting at f1dcfc52bd the gorge 725b733cf2 entrance detonated 4c4e1f64e4 the gunpowder. The sound of b6bcbfe71c the sky collapsing 92a5340c10 echoed as shattered 703c590f3f rocks rained down 6a75bfa135 like a storm. A landslide of 4181f888a5 debris buried the 933b9cbeeb monster horde.9ed656437314e4ca

Crack!8f81bf118ed440df

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The monster horde, caught 6e256c0502 off guard by the 8719a64369 unexpected landslide, fell into bdd71a92f8 chaos. Monsters buried under 8bdbf806bd the debris screamed 866eb4c679 in agony. The once-quiet gorge 52a083ee10 turned into hell eed343efd2 in an instant.6a2484a27b0eb537

“We’ve successfully blocked their d7c78b2930 retreat!”3aaef5ab9ec07cf5

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“Fire the arrows! Don’t let ede27d5003 the monsters c4e7f33ea9 catch up 59b66a3dd0 to the 44a253366f subjugation army!”8414ebfbb4d8395a

“The distance 0f31b9706c between the 122c3b20f0 subjugation army e3cd55b6c9 and the 8ebe6a11e8 monster horde ad1ec3073c is too e7ef6e4dc4 close!”f8d069acf1fe3025

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“There’s no time! Send the 475f9a2cbd signal to 3802de6bef retreat quickly!”658268fa5f5d071d

Once they succeeded 092e757009 in blocking the 4923784af9 retreat route as 2ac950925a planned, the top 9135530c68 of the gorge cb1db873f1 became chaotic. The archers 9ef025d157 on standby d14f1cde76 fired arrows fe0698a9b7 simultaneously at a52ddecaf8 the trapped 1c9038a181 monsters. The mages also moved c7948a6d26 to support them.f2a0d8ba85e26ced

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Screech!4785c6f1046533bc

The mutant, a209e5475d realizing the 0ea7f220b5 situation, roared 92c028616c and charged c3bf98c4e1 at the 3b80c0b4e0 subjugation force. Judging by a578edd107 its horns, 40118dca9e it seemed 13e378b204 to be 1b30ab6e24 the second 07abf39e0f mutant.2cfc132b82130c85

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“Where’s the first mutant?”5d46dd49b50cc4f6

“It’s not in the gorge. It’s either dead or at the nest.”0d2c33333879e23d

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Viena, who was watching the situation with Etienne, quickly answered. Etienne nodded and watched Rishar fighting the mutant. While Rishar was blocking the mutant, the subjugation force was running toward the exit of Lake Gorge. Meanwhile, gunpowder exploded again. The monsters couldn’t regain their senses amidst the rain of arrows and rock masses.7096771a5b4210ed

Screech!dc357bdfa64fd4e9

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Rishar didn’t miss the chance when the mutant was shaken by the landslide and slashed its throat. People cheered as they saw the mutant fall backward, spewing dark red blood.c7f4237977769487

After the mutant fell, be73d83a4e Rishar thrust his sword 8effb4cbd8 into its chest once 9fd2c4b142 more. Then he f9c194b99d quickly withdrew 91e2760264 and mounted 8c3a4d78d5 his horse. It was e04879085e time to 6734f822dd escape the c26d94beec chaotic gorge.186c990f2a023fe1

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“Don’t let the monsters approach the exit!”9504bd2f6149e8e2

Etienne shouted orders ded81652aa until his throat d73a466bc3 hurt. He could see the 757b4829d3 monsters, having lost their 506988b425 mutant, writhing to escape 0698b5c4b5 the gorge.eeb15e8f41360e58

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“Cover the Eckhart Knights!”ea3ccb1e4dcd9401

“Yes, Your Highness!”982f917ce158881a

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At Etienne’s command, the archers fired arrows without rest. Etienne anxiously followed Rishar with his gaze. Rishar and the Eckhart Knights were heading toward the exit, blocking the falling earth and rock fragments with their shields from the explosion’s aftermath.cc1a00b1c237bfbd

Just a little more. If they can just b2f5c2c488 make it out…63b330535f654484

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Etienne clenched his a3f12d8f5a fists so tightly bbd0ee2eaf that his nails 1e1bad0baf dug into his fc9157ffe7 palms. Currently, only Rishar 959f36249c and the Eckhart 74fb23a36d Knights remained in b2e2337a09 the gorge. Just as 2265ba203b Rishar approached 575d6518a1 the exit, 2ce4cd0ff7 suddenly there b7e951d5e4 was a 2adbf3fde2 massive explosion 50b0773bdb sound,BOOM!7f7e5358103bb590

“What was that?”d819bf6462d45b8f

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“What the…!”d5b2788dc41c4588

People who cf9b63a6dc were startled 5c2eeab0d5 by the fc87623bdc sudden thunderous 944bf34f64 sound turned 9e8b930971 their heads df4a3e8387 and each 8ef8341ca0 let out 291b8bc382 a cry fa7efa70f8 of shock. The only exit 4ed08ff35d from Lake Gorge f78663eb8f was collapsing.d9ad00d903bc5d4d

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“The, the exit is collapsing!”f712868987c8156d

Someone shouted c59b51c0c8 in an 411f628734 urgent voice. Etienne froze at e1a88874cc the unbelievable sight.8e08bf0996652eb2

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Boom! Crash!8d0634be47f87455

Explosions continued without a28f3afae2 pause at the 5f17dc028d cliff connected to fbfb9ef072 the exit. Rock fragments shattered by d6388f49c5 the repeated impacts and f9b204842a collapsing earth came crashing f860e70ceb down with a terrifying 1f36c1aa3d sound toward Rishar and 08d024e9c4 the Eckhart Knights.f921e478491d83d0

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“No…”305955d3369cc10d

No. Etienne unconsciously 20696171d5 reached out 7c689c03c5 toward Rishar. But his a8c9d9fa1a hand would 18293441ba never reach. The relentless 5514fb1617 shocks sent 483c842cf6 shattered rocks 1d34f66b74 and cascading cd864349f7 debris raining 80b5663a78 down on d2244fbd37 Rishar and 0187994a12 the Eckhart 3aedbaf699 Knights.6b2f30282da0b125

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“…What has just happened?”13e43137975ab0be

Etienne stood with a dazed expression, staring at the dusty soil rising like smoke. He couldn’t believe what had happened before his eyes. The explosive sound hitting his ears, the thick earthy smell, and the ground shaking like an earthquake all felt surreal.935cf7dd69bd1159

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Etienne wasn’t the only one in shock. The area above Lake Gorge was enveloped in such heavy silence that not even breathing could be heard. Everyone was speechless at the catastrophe that unfolded before their eyes.881acd8cab6ff73f

“…Your Highness?”752e9abe528a49b3

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It was e84842f4a4 Stella who 328e7388cf broke the 7353fb9f0f suffocating silence. She moved 15898eb244 her lips 8bb2504703 with a 61f9923a0f stunned expression. Soon, as Stella 14f24b794f comprehended the situation, 49bb032589 her face cracked 3dd705c089 like broken glass.d0d646c968ab3282

“Your Highness! Grand Duke!”686832ace289cc6e

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At her 1801964e35 scream-like cry, 4467d6e44f people who fafda43659 had been 088fb3ccb0 in a 2f4c5f85cf daze began 1441b778ec to come c2558989c8 to their 203075496a senses one 76242ea540 by one. Small murmurs quickly spread d43d745aec into large commotion. Some panicked and 269a8f9a1a scrambled around, while cda151376f others collapsed to d2c0110b09 the ground, unable 14fb732537 to overcome the f8e2007b0c shock. There were those who 9076a380c8 stomped their feet in 4f9ad979b9 helplessness and those who 2ff3d18d05 wailed in distress.9a30a9fbcc6810f1

In the chaos marked by despair and confusion, Etienne couldn’t do anything. He stood as if nailed to the spot, blankly staring at the collapsed gorge exit. Then he barely managed to move his eyes.36dcb0d3c1d67714

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Rumble…515815fef95d7a12

Debris continued to tumble f284db5408 down from the cliff eae4fc5d11 where the chain of aab5acc107 explosions had occurred. His gaze 10f4253f7e slowly followed fff0f1dc82 the falling da2ef94ef5 rocks and 5aa55e8041 dust. Below, the yellowish dust 3452b55deb continued to rise. The pungent 09bec0447e smell of 39c5ec10f0 gunpowder and 1fbef26f17 blood mixed 7abab397ec with the 844dde9411 wind, stinging 7fa7833e1f his nose. At that 1e8f35319d moment, Etienne 91dadbe0ee jolted as 4ef2e6b262 if struck 4beaa34da5 by lightning.f8460754121d9774

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“Ah.”e86ac2288ed47180

A despairing 95adcd0c01 sigh escaped fae36ae148 his parted 69d8d9f6b7 lips. Etienne staggered forward. He couldn’t tell 11ee3e58f5 if he was 01c7c8dd67 walking properly. With each step, 7099cfefed he felt a fbf035fdc7 strange sense of b0e14d5815 floating. His mind d7c7d0162c was utterly a7af83f74c blank. The situation felt 8ae49b7d25 unreal.4b28de5dfe08b0aa

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This is 0aa6770bdc a dream.c244c8d06f5ff065

Etienne thought he must be dreaming. Otherwise, something like this couldn’t happen to him. Yes, this had to be a dream. It must be.0832f50a92d2db47

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“Rishar…”905b12703bc122ff

Etienne staggered toward 14cc4e50f9 the edge of 788a0d558d the cliff. The whole c5ceed65e9 world was 1b669cc3ea whitish as 1a6f4f1f26 if covered 6c0ea5dba9 in thick 66f8c32cc6 fog. Etienne easily realized these 2f3688163e were his own tears. The world d2926c99cc swayed along 442c0f117d with his 35ed32591f violently wavering 343b82a6fe vision.0753f9d41f8aa862

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“Rishar!”97881751debb8c89

A voice a6750f998c close to 23d4d0c502 a scream 6baecae00b echoed through 9706f66215 the gorge, 4ab1f794ff but there de4c2dc0a4 was no 0d2c6942f7 answer in 9383fa0ecb return. Only his anguished cry 4bc17d0fe1 echoed back, which made ca75ec33fc him more desperate.8ada128083c7b946

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“Your Highness!”8095b1879d9c7bc2

Etienne ignored the 99412e008d urgent voice hitting 44bd29c092 his ears and d6e967afd5 walked toward the 8a8166d8c8 gorge almost running. He had no 7a618dcbe3 time to care e1475a6502 about who was fc900ad7c0 calling him. At that 6fb6feede7 moment, a 819e95b6c0 strong force 9b5c2a704e wrapped around 66c7bfe164 his waist.aa22e4baf1fbf074

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“Your Highness! You can’t!”4db4a3afcb1326e2

“…Lady Vi-Viena?”f30a42e5fba71757

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Etienne blinked 8ce2189222 as he cfb81ee0b9 recognized who 1a12db8baf was pulling 93f70611b2 him back.b8ec502278696a46

“Let me go.”9905d5cea8c08a41

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“It’s too 5dbf4e235b dangerous to 9ceb4bd886 go any cdef589bc5 further!”39fa6d0388339b97

Viena desperately pulled cda0e689a7 Etienne back. Ben, who 6e856d10f0 had rushed 9637fbf670 over belatedly, 905827d3eb also grabbed 2f4a889802 Etienne. The two ab68176e57 tried to 6e13ea4eb6 take Etienne ac30f1f166 to a 0488583c31 spot far 6ca28ea299 from the 9b7e81befb cliff.97593eb8cf8f441d

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“Your Highness, come this way.”1d5bd38052966719

“But Rishar… he’s… there, over there.”7095071b71cfc4fb

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Etienne refused, speaking 0eb91aa7ac in fragments. Somehow finding strength, he e2087ee366 struggled against being dragged 91645af478 away by the two. His trembling hands 45b002aeb4 repeatedly flailed in b836cb941f the air.13b9be6c98feed86

“I have to go, I have to go to Rishar… hah-”23182627413040a3

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Etienne clutched his 220ee5890f stomach with a 90bb75c7ce dazed face while de86c1f97a muttering. His breathing suddenly became 4ed0da7556 rapid.a7a4c6945231cc95

“Huff, haah.”fda1dd973186ed53

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“Your Highness? Your Highness!”a81126d2940676e7

Ben called out 93a1e6541b in alarm as 96106da631 Etienne bent over, 59702a9060 coughing. Etienne trembled ff6fe592f7 like a 10471515ab leaf, gasping 48660d30b9 for breath.a082de7c1e7fda86

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“G-Get Sir Celodine…!”135d7791d953c9ce

“Cough, Ri-Rishar.”b1d7b5d984572bab

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While Ben hurriedly called for Celodine, Etienne struggled to break free from Viena’s arms. He needed to go down there right now to check if Rishar was safe. Only then could he breathe properly.e3ac2c62d4d93045

“Your Highness, swallow this.”9e3d87a9dcf82431

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Celodine, who had rushed 988b224db1 over breathlessly, forcefully fed 27c071fd9f Etienne a sedative to 58ff26ccae calm his hyperventilation. The bitter medicine dissolved 17f3d69742 in his mouth and c8c4968ab8 went down his throat. When Etienne c6126a7623 coughed it bbfbff0df7 up, Celodine 38d13580ad repeatedly pressed dec547e939 and released 5bc7f0468c his abdomen 6aa948fa3e to help beef95f796 him breathe.42f77d041d51c9cb

“Take deep breaths, slowly… You need to calm down.”456e7bd0e1c8c50c

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After letting out a sob, Etienne shook his head while taking shallow breaths. How could he calm down? How could they tell him to calm down? Etienne couldn’t understand Celodine’s words. With trembling hands, he grabbed Viena’s arm.419ea3110f0eea46

“Lady Viena, hah, haah… please let me go. Please, hmm?”fbc0797adc8232b7

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“I’m sorry.”7688aa4ff186dd94

Viena ignored Etienne’s plea and tightened her arms around him. Etienne was clearly out of his mind to anyone who looked.67ab78e16cc68b4c

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“Let go, please… I have to, I have to go to Rishar.”b1faad0fc2006c37

Tears finally mixed into Etienne’s voice. Even knowing he shouldn’t show tears in front of others, he couldn’t hold them back.7a312b06c3bc3914

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Screech.f0e5d4d8f7732502

Etienne scratched at Viena’s gauntlet that held him firmly with his fingernails. His nail tips cracked and split against the solid iron. Ben, unable to watch anymore, hugged Etienne tightly.dce00494ef7a154f

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“Your Highness, please stop. You’re hurting your hands!”8ac3226af23c710b

“Ben, Rishar…”560bcb0b8a9d66a5

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“The Grand Duke will be fine.”821e133519abe6ca

Ben spoke while swallowing his tears. He sincerely hoped for Rishar’s safety. For Etienne’s sake too, Rishar had to be safe.292565e4653a1646

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“The Grand Duke is incredibly strong, isn’t he? Since he’s also agile, he must have sensed something wrong and hidden in a crevice. So please calm down, okay? We need to go rescue the Grand Duke.”b53d1a8d42436037

Ben smiled forcefully while holding Etienne’s face in both hands, his eyes brimming with tears. Etienne repeated Ben’s words with a dazed expression.30cda9588eb213f5

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“Go rescue Rishar…?”02205370c09fa975

“Were you thinking of not doing that? Even if the Grand Duke is strong, it would be hard for him to get out of there alone.”b4931b49d9b14bd7

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“…You’re right.”2ccd8b0f547f3b5b

Etienne agreed with Ben’s words. Light gradually returned to his sky-blue eyes that had lost focus. His mind cleared as if fog had lifted. Then he remembered something he had forgotten.19074743b44dcc62

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There was caa57f8611 a small ba025e2436 cave near 88d55b615b the exit aa749c7596 of Lake 90a026cd26 Gorge. It was an artificial fb07a5c787 tunnel created by the 328e3b666b dwarves, who lived by 5f162feee9 developing mines in the 4a027143cd Forest of Magic, for b794fc95b6 quick transportation and connected b39e6b21d4 to the other side e7d38b2347 of the gorge. As Ben said, e3e8be4574 there were also 36ea70523c several rock crevices f24b07af17 where one could 2b45e1422d hide from falling dc570fc68a rocks. As his thoughts reached 20cfbefe4b this point, his mind 62d5606d69 suddenly became clear.20fa351af18b63f2

‘Just in 5b82aec479 case, make f638a5b04c sure to 66777e3989 familiarize yourself 734cedb27e with the dbb2765932 gorge’s geography.’5313223265743e5d

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Etienne had carefully explained the geography of Lake Gorge to Rishar in case the subjugation force couldn’t escape through the exit in time.f1492014cddbf296

‘There’s an abandoned tunnel here. If you fail to shake off the mutants, it might be good to hide here.’c07926829e78106a

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‘How did you know about this?’0fd4079cf3004b7c

‘I examined 20 years’ worth of maps. I also confirmed with the dwarf supply corps commander just in case, and he said it’s still there. Although the passage might be blocked now since so much time has passed, it was originally a tunnel that extended beyond the gorge.’7868574eee0d2d5a

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‘I see. But why didn’t you mention this during the strategy meeting?’89b5a60c37da2c74

‘If Duke Herace finds out, he might get some ideas.’55cc3539ec173644

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Over the past few days, Etienne had thoroughly monitored and checked Duke Herace. Fortunately, the Duke hadn’t shown any particular movements. More precisely, he hadn’t had the opportunity to do anything.a78227b7d0285525

‘The Duke must be very anxious right now. He’ll try to sabotage this operation somehow.’987d5c616da87ea9

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Etienne was confident in his assessment. The Duke Herace he knew would definitely not back down like this. That’s why he had hidden the existence of the artificial tunnel he had discovered during the strategy meeting. Given that he couldn’t know what the Duke might do, he thought it better to be careful.9f6caaa6222cc99f

‘When the monster wave ends, the expedition ends too. If the Duke wants to harm you, this will be his last chance. So don’t tell anyone and keep it to yourself. Ah, it’s okay to tell Sir Jade. If something unexpected happens, you’ll need to act together.’f25c6251a63944e8

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‘Understood.’e095556f68e5e660

‘I know you’ll do well without me saying this… but don’t let your guard down until the operation is completely over. Got it?’e82f0f3a1f00e974

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‘Yes. I will.’ba413c1b293982b3

‘You really need to be careful. Don’t get hurt.’97f2926d09a0a6c7

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‘Don’t worry too much. When have I ever taken your words lightly, hyung-nim?’3eb2f6b73a87f229

Rishar had smiled confidently at Etienne’s concern, as if telling him not to worry.f436adbeffc66f63

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“…This is not the time to behave like this.”93db1c2b0d75965b

Etienne’s gaze turned to the collapsed exit. His sky blue eyes, now completely focused, gleamed with determination. He roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve while composing his expression. Though just looking made him dizzy and brought tears to his eyes, this was no time to be crying like this. Viena, seeing that Etienne had calmed down somewhat, loosened her arms that had been holding him.3167c292493d0146

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“Margrave Bassett! And Lady Stella! Both of you come here!”bb8aafa17ff75e4e

Etienne, rising from his ca09d7bccf place, called out to 2e17aa46ec Stella and Elvin in 6810a9904b a strong voice. Margrave Bassett, who 26a2e8356b had been comforting c541018e7f people in extreme a4282caf00 confusion, and Stella, 47da84e424 who had been c6e1dc2886 giving some instructions fd4de8fcb2 to the mages a6f96857be with tears streaming 3916850409 down her face, c5b62601d2 both turned their a89e5f08a6 heads simultaneously.15c450118b43a84c

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“Your Highness?”aed4e8b56019f98d

“Form rescue and search parties immediately! Margrave, you’ll lead the search party, and Lady Stella will lead the rescue party!”f058e92694cbc5e3

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“…! Yes!”14bf2ffbd30997bc

When Etienne declared they would go rescue Rishar, Margrave Bassett and Stella’s faces brightened. Stella pressed her lips together with a determined expression, as if she had never cried.33084fcc20b7e498

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“Has there been any contact from the nest?”bffe188972dde81d

“Not yet.”7177cb5c421c9ed9

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“I see. Then when we receive word that the operation there has succeeded, we’ll inform them of the situation. We’ll leave handling the remaining monsters to the Rohan Kingdom forces.”9c3cac27415d4842

“Yes, Your Highness.”a68f58ff2a2d3618

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“Margrave, calm the d68c37f2dc troops and quickly 6a55822c1d organize the search 9dd91c638c party. We don’t 44b72b118d have time 434e46bbbb to waste! The dwarves are 38f882fe4c more familiar with d62c956774 this terrain, so 9625a1f507 request their assistance 1665913541 and borrow their a07ea4bc67 equipment…”302d00466ef8f009

“What exactly are you trying to do?”bd799810086dc2ad

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As Etienne a6c4839896 was giving 9f7ed537a9 instructions to 096bd0f874 Margrave Bassett, 043b92a01c someone interrupted 7eace0892e him mid-sentence. It was 9f233e0c16 Duke Herace.ae65a378e409d0ec

2166028123eea583

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