Chapter 310: Nearly ruined
There was a reason Kevin went as far as betraying his comrades and the Commander just to come here.
His arrival alone had already warned William and Emma of one thing. If Kevin could find them, then others eventually could as well.
And the reason behind Kevin’s actions was simple.
His perspective toward William had changed.
There was definitely a time when Kevin utterly despised the man. Not only had William constantly abused him and his comrades, he had also taken Emma away from him.
But as time passed and they went through countless situations together, Kevin realized something.
William wasn’t a bad person.
He was simply moody and extremely selective about who got to see his kinder side.
Kevin’s perspective on their relationship changed as well. It had to.
At first, he convinced himself that Emma was being manipulated by William. Yet even back then, a part of him knew Emma wasn’t foolish enough to fall for superficial charm while remaining blind to someone’s true nature.
And over time, William proved it again and again.
It wasn’t just Emma carrying that relationship.
William was just as devoted to her and willing to go to any lengths for her sake.
On countless occasions, he showed such overwhelming love and respect toward Emma that even Kevin, the reluctant one-sided lover, could no longer deny it.
They truly were made for each other.
That was why, when Kevin heard that William had revealed his demonic side before fleeing with Emma, his first reaction wasn’t fear or hatred.
It was confusion.
Why was everyone treating him like the enemy?
Hadn’t William protected everyone by destroying that Devil?
If he hadn’t intervened that day, everyone present would’ve died. And beyond that, humanity would’ve been dragged into a war against a Devil General.
That monster could’ve flattened entire cities and shattered the defenses of even the most fortified settlements.
William eliminated that threat... and quietly left with the one person he cared about most.
And if Emma hadn’t resisted him, but instead openly argued with a teacher that her decision was completely reasonable, then Kevin knew the truth.
People had misunderstood William.
Just like he once did.
That was why, ever since then, Kevin had trained relentlessly and honed his skills, not to fight William, but to prepare for the final war against the Devils.
He knew they would come eventually.
So he kept his focus on them, not on a young man who simply wanted to live peacefully with the person he loved.
But then, out of nowhere, information regarding William and Emma’s whereabouts reached the capital.
And the capital’s response was absurdly excessive.
Suppressing William had become such a priority that even the Great Hall had gotten involved.
"Sir Arthur, Lancelot, and even Miss Merlin are already on their way to this town. On top of that, the Imperial Legion, the strongest force in the capital, will begin marching here within a few hours. You two need to evacuate immediately."
William merely hummed and leaned back in his seat.
Emma sighed and shook her head. "They’re seriously overdoing it, aren’t they?"
William nodded. "Definitely. Either I’m secretly the final boss... or they’re overestimating me way too much."
Kevin frowned at how casually the two of them were reacting.
"Why are you both so calm about this?" he asked before turning toward the blond young man. "William... how are you this unaffected even after finding out your own father betrayed you?"
Kevin knew exactly what the two men meant to each other.
Despite William’s failures and the endless complaints surrounding him during his early years at the academy, there was one reason he never truly was kicked out of the place.
Count Delimore.
His father.
The man had always supported William, even when others looked down on him. And the fact that the very first person William contacted after everything happened was his father only showed how deeply he valued him.
So for someone that important to betray him...
Kevin expected a far greater reaction than this.
William let out a quiet hum. "You’re right. I am hurt. I didn’t expect Father to yield before them so quickly and trust the King’s shallow words that easily."
He shook his head lightly before muttering,
"But we’re not leaving."
Kevin clicked his tongue in frustration. "But why?"
Emma answered before William could.
"The Count gave them our location only for the military to arrive and find nobody here. Who do you think they’ll blame for that?" She tilted her head slightly. "Well... unless you’re willing to step forward and admit that you warned us."
Kevin immediately shrank back into his seat.
Yes, he supported the idea of William and Emma living peacefully.
But he also had to think about himself.
There was no way he could tell the Commander that he had ruined the entire operation by secretly visiting the very person they were supposed to suppress.
But then another question arose.
"Are you seriously planning to face all of them?" Kevin asked. "No offense to your confidence or abilities, but William... these are humanity’s elite warriors. I’ve never heard of the three major pillars of the Great Hall moving together before, and now they’re gathering for a single purpose."
"To capture you."
William nodded calmly. "I know. And don’t worry, I won’t fight them."
Leaning back in his chair, he continued,
"I’ll simply let them catch a glimpse of me so they’ll know I was here... then disappear into the smoke with Emma once again."
Kevin slowly nodded.
Surprisingly, that actually sounded like a plan.
Risky, yes... but reasonable.
Because if the military arrived only to find nothing, Count Delimore would likely suffer severe punishment for providing false information.
"In the end... you’re still thinking about your father first, huh?" Kevin remarked, admiration clear in his eyes. "Wish I could understand that kind of emotion someday."
William chuckled. "Maybe retire early and start a family?"
Kevin snorted. "I’m barely nineteen. Don’t assume everyone shares the same mindset as you two."
William and Emma exchanged a glance, faint smiles forming on their lips.
Kevin let out a long sigh before rising from his seat.
"Well, I should head back before my absence starts looking suspicious."
William nodded before he rose from his seat, followed by Emma.
The three of them walked toward the door in silence before Kevin suddenly turned back to look at them.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I wish you both a happy life ahead. You deserve it."
Leaving those words behind, Kevin vanished, teleporting back to the base.
The moment he disappeared, William turned toward Emma with raised brows.
"Why were you so reluctant, dear? Honestly, I think he could’ve been trusted with the truth."
Emma shook her head. "We can’t take any more risks, William. We devised this entire plan just to free Father from that constant burden. Kevin already risked everything by coming here today. We can’t afford to involve him any further."
William gave a wry smile. "Look at you. So cautious even around your old comrade."
Emma simply shrugged.
"Nothing comes before family."
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, drop a comment.
