RGS Vol 6 Part 13

In the palace, there was no one on the emperor’s side. Ashler, whom Karas had brought along, was now confined to the library with Melmond, and the ministers and nobles were still under Truyde’s command, posing no problem. However, things kept going wrong, one by one.

Having failed to kill the emperor on the battlefield, he welcomed him with joy, finally having the chance to deal with him up close. However, although the emperor was affected by the black potion, he didn’t become as addicted as he had hoped. Moreover, his magical power was unexpectedly strong. Even so, he didn’t panic at this point.

He believed that as long as Karas took the black potion properly every day, he would soon be brought up to his knees.

However, things went wrong again.

Karas did not refuse the demands of the King’s Heart and even raised the stakes as if in a gambling game. By the time he realized what was happening, the King’s Heart had completely collapsed, leaving only him standing.

The dinner that was proposed first by the King’s Heart became their own graves one by one. In fact, this was what he had wanted all along in the first place. This way, he could monopolize all the gains after victory. So now, he just had to watch with a smile as Karas succumbed to addiction, but even here, another problem arose.

The wooden pendant that Truyde initially requested had become an obstacle blocking his path. At first, he always had the advantage in his attacks, but in the end, he eventually was ensnared by his opponent. Before he knew it, he felt like the tip of a sword was already pressing against his throat.

It was beyond frustrating, it was infuriating.

Why was this happening?

This time, the black potion was effectively ruining Karas. The sight of Karas, who spent the entire day intoxicated and stuck inside his room without being able to do anything, resembled the late king. The arrogant tongue that had once asked, “Do you want to die right now?” had been revealed as a mere bluff, so all that was left was to mock him.

But that d*mn Dragon Forest.

Over three days, hundreds of people had entered the forest, but none had returned. And Karas, who seemed to know the reason, was only babbling nonsense, offering no help.

The secret of the forest, the reason why people entered and never returned, what could it be?

To have the wooden pendant right in front of him and yet he is unable to retrieve it. Nothing seemed to be going his way. Thus, the constant feeling of unease wouldn’t disappear within him. Though he had the upper hand now, Truyde feared he would eventually get entangled in Karas’ schemes and find himself cornered again. To shake off this feeling, Truyde clenched his fists.

No. As long as the black potion existed, that wouldn’t happen.

The black potion was the only poison capable of destroying the royal family. As a blood relative of the previous king, Karas would never escape the poison of the black potion as well. His power would never be enough to overcome it. So, there was no need to worry about his strange ramblings. The secret of the forest was likely Karas himself.

Though the magic fog supposedly vanished along in the fire, with the palace’s master back, it had turned into an inaccessible place once more, just like twelve years ago. If the wooden pendant was inside and no one could find it, then he needed to change his approach. Shaking off the problem that had troubled him for days, he issued a command to his subordinate who had just entered.

“Investigate someone for me.”

Who should I investigate?

In response to the subordinate’s question, Truyde mentioned the person who had been troubling his mind along with the other issues for the past few days. It was someone he had only seen once, yet they had left an inexplicably strong impression on him.

“The black-haired servant who is locked up with Melmond.”

If the forest had returned to the way it was twelve years ago, there was only one person who could retrieve it back. He just needs to find the real Regas.

Strangely, the thought occurred to him that this person might indeed be the Regas.

Moreover, wasn’t this person connected to Melmond, just like twelve years ago?

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The few days spent locked up in the library felt like years to those people who were inside. They stayed by Melmond’s side without sleeping, waiting until he finally stabilized after several close calls. However, even though Melmond’s condition had improved, the shadows didn’t disappear from Abel and his companions’ faces. This was because the news brought by Ashler’s subordinates about Karas had been the same for several days.

‘It is reported that he finds it difficult to move properly and does not leave his room. Just like when he first entered the palace, he spends his time sitting in one place, merely reading books, and in the evenings, he dines with the King’s Heart.’

Without Melmond’s medicine to support him, it was clear that he had succumbed helplessly to the poison. Melmond’s medicine could not be made without Melmond himself, so there was no way to have someone deliver it immediately. Despite Melmond’s condition improving, he still had not regained consciousness.

In the midst of all this, the Dragon’s Forest was the only fortunate aspect. For some reason, no one who entered the fog-free forest could come out. Thus, the news that covered the palace for days was the disappearance of hundreds of people. As time went on, rumors spread that they had been devoured by the forest and died.

The fog that disappeared twelve years ago had turned into fear, deeply enveloping the people. Initially, soldiers entered the forest, but when they didn’t return, Truyde began sending in Regas’ he had chosen. The Regas’, who caught his eye, trembled as they stepped into the forest under the soldiers’ swords.

The Regas Palace, which had always been filled with beautiful people even when the emperor was away, was completely emptied out within a few days. However, even as so many set foot onto the blackened land, the forest remained silent.

Had they all truly perished?

No one could find the answer, and it wasn’t until the fifth day that Truyde stopped sending people into the forest. Part of the reason was that there were no Regas’ left in the palace. Although relieved sighs were heard from all around, Abel and his group didn’t trust that Truyde had given up.

“He will definitely bring in another Regas from outside and push them into the forest again.”

Ashler, who never left Abel’s side, expressed his opinion as he sat across from him.

“Truyde is not someone who just let’s go of the weaknesses right in front of him. While it’s unfortunate for those who are sacrificed, it’s fortunate for us if Truyde is distracted by them.”

Despite his words of reassurance, Ashler cautiously observed Abel. However, Abel didn’t respond and just stared into space.

“Lord Abel.”

Hearing his name, Abel seemed to be awakened out of his thoughts and turned to Ashler, replying, “Yes?” Ashler, understanding that Abel was worried about Karas and the wooden pendant, gently comforted him.

“His Majesty is not that weak. Nor is he one to leave Lord Abel behind.”

Although Karas’ actions were often incomprehensible and seemed reckless, Ashler had come to somewhat adapt to them. Karas’ way of stepping directly into enemy traps always seemed to end in victory. Because of this, alongside his worry, he began to have faith in him.

Couldn’t Karas have another plan?

Moreover, he couldn’t shake off what the war profiteer had said before.

He mentioned that the emperor had a secret.

This left Ashler relatively calm among them all. He speculated that the Dragon’s Forests rejecting people like it did twelve years ago might be somehow related to Karas’ secret. It seemed plausible that Karas’ secret pertained to the forest.

Perhaps it was something passed down only to the successor of the Dragon. That could explain why he had entered the forest first and claimed it as the place of victory. However, with no concrete facts, he could only tell Abel not to worry. However, Abel nodded easily, seemingly less troubled than Ashler had thought

“Yes. His Majesty will hold out well.”

“I’m glad you think so. For now, please stay safe here, Lord Abel. I will assess the situation and devise a plan for His Majesty.”

“What if it’s not safe?”

When Ashler looked at him as if to ask what he meant, Abel raised his eyes to the space for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“I’m concerned that Duke Truyde might recall past events if he’s resorting to bringing in Regas’ from outside the palace.”

Past events?

A question came to Ashler’s mind, but he soon recalled twelve years ago. Abel spoke as if to confirm.

“When no Regas could reach the prince, the duke shifted his approach and considered other Regas sects. Because of that, I was able to meet the prince.”

Even now, twelve years later, a similar situation has arisen.

Then, wouldn’t the duke first think of another sect?

Ashler immediately understood the implication of Abel’s words and with a serious expression, he spoke in a low voice.

“He might recall Melmond and come looking for you, Lord Abel, considering what he saw a few days ago.”

Nod.

As Abel nodded, Ashler sprang to his feet.

“However, His Majesty didn’t leave me here without reason. I will protect you no matter what happens.”

At Ashler’s sincere vow, Abel scratched his head awkwardly.

“Thank you. But there’s a better way.”

“A better way?”

“Yes,” Abel replied, turning his gaze to the closed window.

“I will go and hide in a safer place. A very good place where even the duke cannot enter.”

“…Are you saying you want to go into the Dragon’s Forest?”

Ashler asked in a firm voice, shaking his head without even confirming the other person’s answer.

“It has not been confirmed yet whether the forest is the same as it was 12 years ago. There is no fog in the forest now. In the past, people who entered the forest were trapped in the fog and could not move, but we don’t know what changes have occurred in the forest now. In such a situation, if you enter recklessly, it could be dangerous, Lord Abel.

“You said the prince went in and came out, right? Then the forest will allow me as well.”

Probably.

He added, sounding unsure, but quickly continued confidently.

“And if I go in, I can find the wooden pendant and uncover the secret of the black potion. There are plenty of reasons for me to go.”

Abel’s words were practically correct. However, Ashler shook his head again.

“His Majesty ordered that you stay here, Lord Abel. Moreover, if His Majesty finds out you disappeared, the dozens of soldiers who have been guarding this place for days will lose their lives. By His Majesty’s hand.”

Abel’s expression hardened at the thought of the prince killing the soldiers rather than the deaths of dozens of soldiers alone. Seeing Abel’s disheartened look, Ashler sighed as if he had no choice and added a condition.

“However, if Lord Abel is in danger and flees to the forest for safety, His Majesty will understand. So, please wait just for today.”

Ashler added, seemingly with another thought in mind, muttered quietly.

“By evening, I might know His Majesty’s thoughts as well.”

Abel wanted to ask what he meant, but Ashler, who had been the busiest for several days, was already turning around towards another visitor who had come. Leaving Nani next to Abel, Ashler quickly disappeared toward the back. Instead of going outside, he would meet his subordinates at the back door where no one was around, and this time, it was the news he had been waiting for.

Sure enough, the subordinate visible through the half-open door was the one Ashler had been waiting for and as soon as he saw Ashler, he handed him something. It was a small bundle of paper, about the size of a finger joint that a bird had flown in and brought. Still, he could recognize the ring’s emblem stamped on the outside of the paper.

Ashler hurriedly unfolded the letter from Kin, who was rushing to the palace. After hearing about the war profiteer, Ashler was convinced that he had to pressure him to hear about Karas’ plans. Therefore, he contacted Kin that very night.

[Time is running out. Please provide a way to reassure the war profiteer so he does not betray us.]

The way to reassure the war profiteer could also become the greatest weapon to threaten him. Ashler quickly scanned the answer written on the small piece of paper. Fortunately, Kin had written down the answer he needed, but Ashler couldn’t help but frown.

Is this really the best way to reassure the greedy war profiteer?     

The priest, bedridden for several days due to the aftereffects of being beaten by Norhox, struggled to recall his memories. However, the urgency of needing to find something important quickly seemed to block his thoughts, and nothing came to mind. In the end, he even began to doubt if he had ever really seen that servant.

Despite his sick body, he had dragged himself to the library several times to see the servant, only to be turned away by the soldiers each time. However, he could no longer afford to just sit there and wait anxiously for a thought to come to him. Tomorrow, Norhox would visit.

It seemed that he was not the only one who had suffered at Norhox’s hands. News of others being beaten or vented upon by Norhox had been frequent in the past few days. It was natural that many found Norhox’s sudden mood swings strange, however, most people attributed it to other reasons.

It was rumored that one of the King’s Heart, who would die during the upcoming week’s dinner, was Norhox. The emperor, who they had expected to die in less than a week at the beginning of the bet, had survived for almost a month now, leading many to believe someone would die this time as well.

Even though the emperor was too intoxicated by drugs and unable to do anything recently, who could say if he still had the strength left to kill someone?

Because of this, everyone agreed that Norhox was irritable and mentally unstable. People mocked Norhox behind his back, but the priest couldn’t do the same.

He always felt like there were eyes watching him. It felt like the guards sent by Norhox were following him and watching him wherever he went. He considered running away and hiding for a few days until Norhox died, but the thought of what might happen if Norhox survived made him unable to move his legs.

Just thinking about it made him feel like he would come to beat him again, so the priest headed to the library once again.

Where on earth had he seen him?

Melmond’s servant had such a beautiful appearance that if he had seen him before, he would not have forgotten.

So why couldn’t he remember him?

He stopped near the library, which was surrounded by soldiers. They wouldn’t let him in, anyway this time either.

As he wandered around the area, night fell, and he had no choice but to return to his quarters.

What would he say when Norhox comes tomorrow?

Just the thought of it made his body tremble, and he halted in his tracks when he heard loud screams in the distance. Lifting his head to see what was going on, he realized the direction of the sound came from the Regas Palace, not far from his quarters.

‘P-Please, save me!’

‘I’m not really a Regas! P-Please, just don’t make me enter the forest!’

The pleading voice was no different from the screams he had heard over the past few days. They all became sacrifices and were devoured by the Dragon’s Forest, but there must have been a few of them left.

Perhaps he was the last one.

He wouldn’t be able to see those beautiful blond youths he had enjoyed watching…

Huh?

Paused.

The priest stopped walking and turned his head towards the Regas Palace.

Why is it that something he had just thought of made his heart stop in shock?

The priest repeated his thoughts from earlier to identify what had startled him.

The beautiful blond youths he had enjoyed watching, blond?

Gasp!

The priest’s eyes widened in shock. A certain place popped into his mind. The place where Melmond’s blond servant had once stood.

The Crimson Valley.

The very place where that madman had stepped in, claiming to be the emperor instead of Karas, leaving everyone dumbfounded.