April 26, 2021
"Are you sure it’s alright to leave the fortress unattended like this?"
"I had business nearby."
"Business? This isn't exactly the kind of place one can casually travel to and from."
Fenril made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction as he perched himself on a nearby rock. The last time he had been in contact with Cabelenus, the man had still been in Schwarhan. Even if he had traveled alone, moving this quickly should have been impossible. He must have used some special method.
"It couldn’t be helped. The situation isn't ideal."
"It’s no fun when you always cut conversations short like that."
"There’s no need for unnecessary chatter."
"It’s not unnecessary. If we had used the same method Your Highness did, we could’ve completed our assigned mission much faster."
Fenril pursed his lips in a slight pout. Cabelenus merely pressed his lips together, frowning at the pointed gaze directed his way, before letting out a long sigh.
"It’s not a method you could use anyway."
"You won’t know until I try."
"If you try and fail, you’ll most likely die."
"Is it really that dangerous?"
"It is."
Cabelenus clenched and unclenched his fist. Using teleportation magic in rapid succession without a medium like a carriage had taken a serious toll on his body. Even with his inhuman endurance, the strain was undeniable. If an ordinary person attempted it, they wouldn’t survive the crushing pressure.
"Then there must be a reason you risked such a dangerous method to find me. You’re not here just to check if everything is going according to plan, are you?"
Fenril raised his wrist, showing off the bracelet he wore. He had heard rumors about Schwarhan’s advanced magic technology, but seeing it in person was something else. Even if it was still in the experimental stage, a portable communication artifact—small enough to carry anywhere—was an impressive invention.
"There was a need to modify the plan."
"Is that really worth Your Highness personally coming here?"
"Her condition isn’t good."
"......."
Fenril, who had been grinning moments ago, suddenly stiffened.
"I managed to find a way to buy time, but it’s just that—buying time."
"......Is she that unwell?"
"To be honest, I feel like I chose the lesser evil just to prevent the worst outcome."
Cabelenus ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Thanks to the soup, Alicia’s condition had stabilized somewhat, but there was no telling how long that would last. Extending her lifespan wasn’t enough. As if paying a price for forcing her body to hold on, Alicia suffered fever spells and pain each time she took the herbal concoction. Yet, no matter how excruciating it was, she never let out a single cry. She endured it all in his arms, suppressing her suffering so that her young son wouldn’t hear her screams.
"They say she can last about two more years like this, but I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer. I have to find a way, as soon as possible."
"Panicking won’t solve anything."
"If I find Prime, everything will be resolved."
"Prime? You mean the Empire’s god?"
"I was told he might be the key to saving Alicia."
A sharp gleam flickered in Cabelenus’s eyes. Fenril sighed deeply as he looked at the blazing determination in the man’s gaze—like a roaring furnace. Cabelenus was never good at explaining things, but at the very least, Fenril could tell he was serious.
"I am curious, but it sounds like a complicated matter. I won’t pry any further. In the end, what matters is the result. So, what’s your plan?"
"I’m heading to the Prime Temple in the capital."
"That doesn’t sound like a good idea."
"There’s no choice. It’s the best option I have."
"The best option?"
"I’ve checked all the artifacts related to Prime, but there was nothing. There’s only one place left."
Cabelenus turned his gaze westward, toward the Imperial Capital—Alogost.
***
"Just because it’s the Prime Temple doesn’t mean Prime actually exists there."
"Logically, it’s the most probable place. And..."
Cabelenus slowly closed his eyes. That emotion, long buried, felt foreign now—like it belonged to someone else. Yet, his first act of killing remained vivid in his memory.
"Thinking back, that day passed by far too quietly."
"That day? What day are you talking about?"
"......."
Cabelenus didn’t answer, his gaze simply fixed on the distant sky. He had locked those memories away, unwilling to revisit them. But looking back now, the entire incident had been wrapped up far too neatly. The only person capable of orchestrating such a thing... was just one man.
"You’re making me curious—why bring it up if you won’t explain?"
Fenril’s grumbling made Cabelenus finally turn his head back.
"What happened to him?"
"You’re dodging my question again. Well, it’s not like I have a choice, right? I’m just a powerless, fragile man, so I have to cater to the whims of the great Grand Duke."
Fenril exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders, making deep wrinkles appear on Cabelenus’s forehead.
"Enough nonsense."
"If it’s a story that will please Your Highness, everything went according to plan. The Emperor’s test subjects and the Roakin forces chasing me clashed and were annihilated—just as planned."
"The Emperor will be delighted with that gift."
"Oh, he’ll be ecstatic. We even went the extra mile—dressing the Roakin corpses in the robes of the god’s followers to make it more convincing."
The once-white robes were now stained crimson with blood, but the insignia of the god’s representative was still clearly imprinted upon them. These robes, worn by the followers of the god’s chosen ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ one, not only concealed Roakin’s identity but also served as a crucial link between Roakin and the god’s envoy.
"The god’s representative won’t be pleased to be associated with Roakin, but they won’t be able to act rashly."
"Well, that’s their fault for showing their face in public so openly."
Regardless of how it had unfolded, the important thing was that Jerpeneus had accepted James in front of everyone, restoring the crumbling imperial authority in the process. Now, he had no choice but to keep the god’s representative by his side.
"And the rumors?"
"They’ve spread sufficiently. Everyone’s in quite a frenzy over it. The despised Roakin and the noble god’s representative—a rather jarring combination."
"But they fit well with the Emperor, don’t they?"
"Of course. The Roakin-blooded Emperor and the god’s representative of Roakin’s faith—it’s the perfect match."
"Thanks to that, the Emperor is bound to lose his mind."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Jerpeneus had spent his entire life desperately trying to rid himself of the Roakin label. Even if he couldn't kill James outright due to the watchful eyes around him, provoking his anger was entirely possible.
"He was probably expecting news of his test subjects rampaging, but instead, all he got was a scandal tying him to Roakin. Just imagine how furious the Emperor must be."
"But that alone won’t be enough."
"Of course. That’s exactly why we went through the trouble of fabricating a divine envoy. Just wait—something very entertaining is about to happen."
Fenril curled his lips into a relaxed smirk. The plan was still in motion.
"You’re more capable than I expected."
Cabelenus muttered under his breath, his words laced with genuine admiration.
"There’s a reason people call me the next leader. I’m nothing like that man who rose to an unearned position thanks to his father."
"I see."
"Usually, this is the part where you ask me about my past."
"It has nothing to do with me."
"Your Highness is always so cold."
"......."
Fenril grinned playfully, but Cabelenus’s face showed no interest whatsoever. Eventually, Fenril lowered his head with a sigh.
"......What about the old man?"
"He’s locked up, just as you requested."
"With his temper, I bet he’s furious."
"Does it matter? He’s as good as dead anyway."
"Yeah. The moment I return to Schwarhan, the first thing I’ll do is kill him. I’ve had a lot to settle with that old man. Not that Your Highness would care about any of this."
Fenril let out a deliberately loud laugh, but as expected, he was the only one laughing. He shot a glance at Berbe, who was keeping watch from a distance, before speaking again.
"Did you know? Among the soldiers who chased me, the old man’s son wasn’t there."
"So he didn’t come himself."
"I’d bet the old man deliberately left him behind. He knew I was stronger."
Fenril thumped his chest proudly, but Cabelenus wasn’t the type of audience to react to such bravado.
"......That’s not like him. But I suppose that’s what being a real parent means. No matter how much he cried about Roakin’s honor or his own survival, in the end, his son mattered more."
"Are you offering me comfort?"
"Even if you wanted it, I wouldn’t give it."
"......."
"I knew this would happen the moment I decided to take him down, but still... I can’t deny I feel a little conflicted. We didn’t exactly have a good relationship, but at some point, I stopped just resenting him. I even thought we worked well together in some ways."
"......."
"I had a feeling, but you really won’t say a single comforting word, will you?"
Fenril ruffled his own hair before abruptly standing up. Not that it mattered—he hadn’t brought it up expecting sympathy. He had known for a long time that not every choice in life came with a neat and happy ending.
"Well then, instead of a story you don’t care about, how about something that might actually interest you?"
Fenril’s gaze landed on the corpses sprawled across the ground.
"Do we really have to deal with things like that?"
"Depending on the situation."
"All of them were civilians. But when we fought them, they were as strong as trained soldiers."
"So?"
"So? Don’t tell me you don’t understand what I’m saying."
"I understand."
"Then why are you so unfazed? Even our forces lost contact for a while because of those things. Now imagine if there were an entire horde of them... Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl."
Fenril’s narrowed green eyes scanned Cabelenus’s face, searching for any kind of reaction. He was good at reading people’s expressions, but deciphering the thoughts of this indifferent man was always a challenge.
"It’s true that they can create a powerful army, but they can’t produce them endlessly."
The most crucial ingredient for the experiments was the blood of monsters, but monsters had disappeared eight years ago. Even if the research had reached completion, the supply of materials was bound to run dry sooner or later. Jerpeneus’s army had an inevitable limit.
"And how can you be so sure it’s not endless?"
"Because the key component for creating those creatures is something that’s in our hands."
"And if I ask what that is, you won’t tell me, will you?"
Cabelenus didn’t answer, but Fenril took the hint and backed off. Curiosity was only worth indulging if the person in question was willing to entertain it.
"Fine, fine. Since Your Highness refuses to share, I’ll just get back to my own business. Hey, Berbe!"
"What do you want? Don’t bother me."
"Try not to overdo it this time."
Fenril waved lightly at Berbe, who had drawn her sword in preparation for the coming fight.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Young Master?"
"I mean, get ready to run instead of fighting. We’re meeting up with the main unit and moving together from here on out."
"If we’re heading to the main unit, we need to take care of this first. Unless you’ve gone deaf, there’s no way you can’t hear that sound."
"It’s fine. Our brilliant Grand Duke will handle that part for us."
Fenril shot a wink at Cabelenus.
"You’d probably just float face-down if you fell into water."
Cabelenus shot Fenril an unimpressed look before unsheathing his sword. The sound of hooves pounding against the ground was growing louder.
"I’ll take that as a compliment. Besides, Your Highness didn’t come all this way just to see me, did you?"
"If you already know, why don’t you start running? It’d be a shame if I accidentally cut down Roakin’s next leader."
Cabelenus smirked slightly as he raised his sword.
From the start, his true target had been someone else.
