RGS Vol 4 Part 22

Tap, tap, tap.

The soldiers nearby took a step forward toward Norhox’s group as if they agreed with Ashler’s words. The soldiers of Norhox, dressed in fancy clothes, flinched at their movements as if they were frightened, but Norhox was different. He arrogantly raised his chin and stared at Ashler’s group.

“You risked your life for His Majesty…. How dare you boast about your loyalty to me? In front of the King’s Heart who sacrificed for the royal family and the nation for hundreds of years! Listen carefully, Ashler. Although you arrogantly insulted me, I will forgive you this time considering your efforts to find the culprit. So, among you, find the culprit without fail and kneel before me by this evening.”

“Marquis, please provide evidence before making such claims.”

“Evidence? The evidence is right here!”

Norhox threw the documents he held in his hand at Ashler. Ashler eyed Norhox suspiciously before bending down to pick up the rolled-up leather-bound papers. Though it only took a moment for him to untie the string and open the documents, it felt like hours to those watching.

As Ashler’s eyes slowly scanned the contents, everyone’s gaze was fixed on his face. His expression gradually hardened, and a fierce look appeared in his eyes. When he silently lifted his gaze, Norhox conveyed the contents to everyone present.

“Recently, near the capital, there has been a group committing slaughter and plunder in someone’s name. That, too, in the name of His Majesty. But.”

Norhox looked at the surrounding soldiers with sharp eyes again.

“Not only were those plunderers cruel, but they were so strong that even the soldiers sent from the capital couldn’t handle them. It was as if someone was helping them from behind, making them impossible to capture. The testimony from the soldiers who barely survived was all the same. They all said the plunderers were men who had just returned from the war. They said, ‘As much as we suffered fighting the enemy in the war, those of you who lived comfortably must disappear.’ They all carried the flag of the emperor’s forces that you, Ashler, are so proud of. Ashler, do you understand now? Among those who swore to follow no one but His Majesty, there is a mad murderer who has killed innocent people!”

Ashler’s jaw trembled as he gritted his teeth. The ones who had helped the murderer from behind were undoubtedly the King’s Heart who had orchestrated this plot. But to falsely accuse and blame them for everything. However, the soldiers, unaware of the situation, listened to Norhox’s story in shock, glancing at each other nervously.

Is there a murderer among us?

“That claim requires evidence.”

As Ashler barely uttered those words, Norhox raised one corner of his mouth.

“Evidence? The dozens of burned villages and massacred people are the evidence. But if you want something more precise, I will bring the few survivors to identify the culprit among you. That is, if you can’t find him yourself.”

Everyone watched Norhox’s smile with anxious eyes.

Who could know if the surviving witnesses he mentioned were manipulated by the King’s Heart?

No, they undoubtedly were. Then Norhox’s sharp voice resonated through the air.

“Or are you deliberately hiding him? Come to think of it, where is the 1st Battalion Commander? I distinctly remember telling you to bring him along.”

As Norhox looked around searchingly, Roster stepped forward to inform him of Kin’s absence. Norhox sneered as if this was proof, they were hiding the culprit.

“It would be wise to find the culprit by this evening before you bring disgrace upon yourselves. I will now go to fetch the witnesses who will identify the culprit among you.”

With another smirk, Norhox twisted his lips and left with his soldiers, giving them a deadline. The soldiers murmured amongst themselves in rising unease, but Ashler ignored them, absorbed in the documents. Instead, Roster quieted them down and approached Ashler.

“It seems we need to call the Commander of the Royal Guards immediately. Hey, what are you looking at?”

As Roster voiced his opinion and Ashler didn’t respond, he lowered his gaze. Kin, who had approached with a serious expression, also read the last part of the document Ashler was looking at curiously.

[In order to eliminate the traitors that harmed the people, tarnished the imperial name, and endangered the country, it is hereby declared in accordance with the laws that have maintained the greatness of this nation for hundreds of years. The emperor’s army, which harbors the group of traitors, shall never enter the sacred capital under any circumstances.]

Only then did Ashler’s group finally understand why Norhox had come here despite not being in charge of managing the Regas’. This was his true purpose. To disband their army here. Roster and Kin also changed like Ashler.

As they couldn’t take their eyes off the documents and were frozen in place, one of Kin’s subordinates approached and broke the heavy atmosphere among them. The subordinate’s voice sounded unusually somber as he delivered the news.

“The unit officer has just died.”

Ashler and Roster turned to the expressionless Kin. After silently nodding at the news from his subordinate, he turned his body and started walking away. Being framed as the culprit and now the death of the unit officer. No one could stop him.

Ashler and Roster felt uneasiness from his retreating figure, but they didn’t have the luxury to pursue it now. Ashler raised his eyes and looked up at the sky. The sky was once again brightening with its usual blue color.

Thanks to the fire, the Commander of the Royal Guards had spent the night sitting next to Karas, guarding the emperor’s quarters. Initially, his cheeks had been flushed with excitement at watching Karas sleep, but he quickly turned pale when Ashler and Roster arrived with dark expressions. He heard about the incident that happened at dawn from them who came to check on Karas’ condition.

“What will become of us now? Everyone wants to cross the capital and confirm our victory in front of His Majesty’s palace. Does this mean we can’t even enter the capital?”

The Commander of the Royal Guards asked, examining the documents with trembling hands. But Ashler and Roster remained silent. Frustrated, the Commander of the Royal Guards raised his voice, forgetting the sleeping emperor behind them.

“No, that’s not the issue. A traitor among us? This can’t be true. How have we fought for six years on the battlefield? We can’t just disband like this. Sir Ashler, Sir Roster, say something.”

When the Commander of the Royal Guards called them, Ashler muttered reluctantly.

“It’s my fault. Yesterday, when Norhox blamed the war profiteer for the fire, I should have accepted it.”

“Don’t spout nonsense in a situation like this.”

Roster reprimanded, then added in a low voice.

“Norhox came here intending to disperse us from the very beginning. No matter what you said, the result would have been the same. D*mn it, those wretched King’s Heart b*stards.”

The Commander of the Royal Guards nodded in agreement with Roster’s curse and then asked angrily.

“Can’t we just eliminate them like this? We have the advantage in terms of troops. Let’s use this opportunity to wipe them all out.”

“Wipe them all out? Who?”

When Ashler asked in a cold voice, the Commander of the Royal Guards frowned.

“The King’s Heart, of course.”

“And what about the people in the capital?”

“….”

“Not just the capital. Unless we eliminate all the people who believe anything the King’s Heart says, we can’t even get close to them. And if we fight the King’s Heart amongst ourselves, how many soldiers do you think would follow us?”

“But…”

“The people are not our enemies. They are the families of the soldiers.”

The Commander of the Royal Guards lowered his eyes with a gloomy expression as if he had no more arguments to make. However, he still had the desire to lead the army and storm to the palace, even if it meant starting a war. Roster took the sagging documents from the Commander of the Royal Guards’ hand and examined them again.

The acts of the traitors described there depicted them as if they were the most vile demons and monsters in the world. It was clear that all the damage had been exaggerated on purpose. As he was looking around to see if there was anything to refute, someone’s hand snatched the document away. Roster looked up immediately in annoyance.

“Hey, I was reading!”

He stopped mid-sentence, his breath catching in his throat. However, his reaction was nothing compared to the shocked, wide-eyed expressions of Ashler and the Commander of the Royal Guards. The person who had taken the document glanced at its contents and then casually threw it to the floor as if it was nothing. Then, he slowly turned his eyes around and his gaze stopped at Ashler. After a moment, Karas asked a short question.

“Where is he?”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Something moist touched his shoulder briefly before falling away.

Rustle, rustle.

Something light was moving on the ground.

Then, a small noise followed.

Swish, swish—

The light object quickly disappeared into the distance, and then approached again. This time, something moist touched near his eyes, tickling him.

Abel barely lifted his eyelids that didn’t want to open.

Blink, blink.

Through his narrow field of vision, a rippling water could be seen. Startled, he lifted his head, and the water that had touched his face fell to the ground.

What is this?

Abel mustered his strength and raised his upper body.

More water splashed down this time. Only then did he realized that he was lying on the edge of the water and the ground. No, to be precise, his body was draped over something protruding from the shore towards the water. He had tried to hide from the soldiers last night by staying submerged underwater for a long time.

He swam deep into the water, afraid that he might be seen on the water’s surface if he moved in shallow water. He kept telling himself, “Just a little more, just a little more,” hoping they would believe he had been hit by an arrow. He finally surfaced just as his mind was about to go dizzy, and fortunately, the soldiers’ lights were nowhere to be seen.

However, in the pitch darkness, he couldn’t find his way to the shore. He blindly flailed his arms again, hoping to grasp something with his hands and feet. Losing direction in an enormous lake so large that you can’t see its end was another kind of terror.

As he felt his strength almost vanish, his body touched what felt like solid ground, and he seemed to have fainted right then and there. That must have been the final relief of knowing he was safe. Now, the sky was clear without a single cloud, as if it had never been dark. Abel turned his eyes to look around.

A forest of tall trees soared high as if piercing the sky, spreading out in front of him like a fortress wall. However, sunlight poured down through the small gaps in the lush leaves. Countless golden threads extended endlessly from the sky to the ground. A sparkling green forest. Even in a bewildering state, his gaze was momentarily captivated by the sight.

But then he realized how perfectly fine he was seeing all this. His heart wasn’t in pain. Usually, after moving even a little and then waking up, he would struggle to breathe. Yet now, it was nothing like that. Taking a deep breath, his chest didn’t feel tight as if the air couldn’t fully enter.

Now, when he puffed his chest and inhaled deeply, the air filled his lungs, refreshing him all the way to his head. Just like when his body was healthy before. Although his body was covered in scratches, bruises, and cuts, the most important thing was that his heart was stable, and his lungs were fine. It wasn’t just that. His body, which had always been heavy and weak despite eating good food and getting plenty of rest, was now brimming with full energy.

Abel sprang to his feet and felt his body with his hands without realizing it.

I’m still Young Master Lil, right?

He turned his head and looked at his reflection in the knee-deep water, seeing the beautiful face with blond hair.

What? Why do I feel fine?

More than the joy of being alive, his mouth gaped open at the realization that his body was completely fine.

My goodness, is it because of that?

“Hahaha, uhahaha― The effects of the snake wine are finally showing!”

It was true that snake wine was good for vitality!

Melmond didn’t have a second child for no reason thanks to the snake wine!

The effect of the snake wine had made Abel a fool. Thus, the simpleton, overwhelmed with joy, sang praises of the snake wine while heading towards the forest. While the man, believing he had become stronger from the snake wine, caused trouble in nature, the sun in the sky began to tilt slightly to the west.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

‘Where is he?’

Though the question’s subject was unclear, he couldn’t ask back.

Who are you asking about?

How could he dare to ask such a question?

It was evident that he had recognized the reincarnated Abel.

“Y-Your Majesty, are you all right?”

Ashler stood in front of him, barely able to speak with a trembling voice. He was the only one who could ask a question, but the others remained frozen with their mouths agape. They were so focused on looking up at Karas, who had awakened, that they didn’t even realize the blasphemy of daring to sit in the emperor’s presence.

“Your Majesty. Where does it hurt?”

“Where is he?”

The repeated question sent shivers down Ashler’s spine.

How could he answer that? When Ashler couldn’t bring himself to respond, Karas’ different eyes grew sharp.

“You. Why aren’t you asking who I’m looking for?”

Gulp. Ashler barely swallowed his dry saliva and finally opened his mouth.

“Who are you looking for?”

Though he asked belatedly, Karas had already sensed that something was off. He turned his gaze to Roster and the Commander of the Royal Guards, who had just stood up.

“You all know who I’m looking for. And why I’m looking for them.”

A cold silence filled the air. Even without Karas meeting their eyes as to confirm their answer, their pale faces revealed that they knew Lil’s identity. However, admitting it out loud was impossible.

It would be tantamount to confessing that they had deceived the emperor. It seemed as though Karas’ frosty rage might burst forth any moment. Roster and the Commander of the Royal Guards couldn’t even lift their eyes in fear. Yet the anticipated immediate punishment didn’t come. To Karas, something more important than their deception was at stake.

“Abel, where is he?”