Chapter 151: Before Departure (2)

***

As Cassion entered the room where Hilim was staying, he immediately saw Ruel and Banios.

“Today, Hilim Tonisk’s condition isn’t good, so I’d like you both to wait here. I will check on him myself.”

“Understood,” Banios replied, with Ruel nodding in agreement.

Cassion moved to another soundproof chamber inside the room. 

Hilim, with his arms tightly bound to prevent self-harm, was muttering to himself in the corner, repeating that he needed to ‘hide’ unaware of Cassion’s arrival.

‘The flag shines…’

Cassion genuinely hoped the flag would shine. 

Currently, he was investigating all four princes and two princesses, including two princes of Kran. 

Moreover, in preparation for any potential incidents that might occur in the enemy’s stronghold, he was meticulously recording all the geography and mapping their movements. 

This time, he hoped the number of things to investigate would decrease, as he felt somewhat apologetic for how hard his subordinates were working.

Cassion carefully took out the flag that Banios had given him.

‘…!’

Cassion’s eyes widened slightly. The emblem of the Tonisk Empire engraved on the flag was glowing.

‘It’s real.’

The man who claimed to be a prince was indeed of royal blood. 

The Tonisk Empire had truly vanished from this land. 

The false board had disappeared, revealing a new game on top of it.

The fight, the outcome of which no one could predict, had genuinely begun. 

He could already hear the deepening concerns of his master.

When Cassion opened the door and stepped outside, Ruel and Banios looked at him intently.

“Hilim Tonisk is indeed of royal lineage.”

Upon Cassion’s words, Banios closed his mouth, and Ruel’s lips curled slightly.

‘Great Man, as expected, you were in Kran.’

***

Ruel walked around the quiet training ground, inhaling Breath.

—Ruel, are we skipping cocoa today?

 Leo, who had been following Ruel, finally asked after some hesitation.

“I feel like exploring a bit today.”

—Oh, so no cocoa then?

“Perhaps.”

Leo’s tail and ears drooped in disappointment. 

He had come to expect cocoa during their nightly visits to the training ground, so it seemed he was looking forward to it again today.

Ruel chuckled and teased, “Leo, did you really tag along just for the cocoa?”

—Ah, no, this body followed you because this body likes Ruel!

Despite Leo’s denial, the sad look in his eyes suggested that more than half of his purpose was indeed the cocoa.

“Would you like to go have cocoa with Hina? Astell is likely still in the kitchen.”

Leo’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“I’ll wait here until you return.”

—Really?

“Really!”

Without anyone calling her, Hina appeared, looking at Ruel with eager eyes.

—Eek!

Leo jumped in surprise, clinging to Ruel, but then promptly smiled at Hina.

“Leo-nim,” Hina carefully approached Leo and gently patted him.

Observing her joy, Ruel gestured with his hands, saying, “I don’t need anything, so you should go with Leo.”

“Ah, no! If I leave, I won’t be able to protect you, Ruel-nim!”

After receiving a stern rebuke from Cassion previously, Hina was more cautious.

“This is my home, and you’re only going to be gone for a little while, so go.”

—Hina, this body wants to have cocoa.

“Yes, shall we go together then?”

Leo rubbed against Hina’s leg, and her resolve crumbled in an instant.

—This body will be back soon!

With short legs kicking excitedly, Leo hurried off to the kitchen with Hina.

As Ruel watched intently until Leo disappeared into the mansion, he let out a deep sigh.

“Hah,” Taking a deep breath, he continued his interrupted steps, inhaling Breath. 

The Empire had vanished, and the Great Man was in Kran.

‘Whose body did the Great Man enter?’

Trino Setiria knew who the Great Man had possessed. 

Ruel wished there were more clues left behind. 

There was a suspicious person, but evidence was still elusive.

‘Regardless, even if I find the Great Man, how can I defeat him?’

Since they had failed to eliminate the Great Man before, perhaps the royal family had hidden something.

The scope had narrowed considerably, but there was still much to find.

‘The King.’

Ruel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘I need to find the King.’

Even though he had been happy to think he had found the King in the spirit’s house, that had merely been a fragment of power left by the King, not the King himself.

‘I am the only Ruel Setiria who has survived to this point, though I’m not sure which number I am.’

Ruel walked a lap around the training ground before stopping.

He had been feeling this way for a while, but it was hard to believe that he was truly in the world of a web novel.

“SSS-Class Knight” was still ongoing, so why would a different story be unfolding?

It seemed that only stories that couldn’t be found in a web novel were being revealed.

‘What if this isn’t a world of a web novel, but a real world?’

Where have all the people who previously became Ruel Setiria gone?

Had they gone back?

Or…

Ruel clenched his fist.

‘What if I find a way to return…?’

He gazed at the mansion, which was brightly lit. The scenery had become so familiar, leaving behind a deep sense of longing.

‘Do I want to go back?’

Ruel inhaled Breath, slowly closing his eyes before opening them again. He pushed any unnecessary thoughts aside. 

He looked at his own hands, clad in thick gloves.

Ruel Setiria received the power to control monsters from the King, and through this, they could figure out where the King was.

‘I am clueless. I wish they would at least guide me on how.’

Ruel repetitively clenched and unclenched his hands before lifting his gaze to the starry sky.

‘If I find his memories… will I know?’

Ruel Setiria had met the King when he was young. Although it might have been merely a fragment of power, perhaps it offered a slight clue.

Ruel continued to ponder, walking several laps around the training ground before sitting on a chair in the corner.

Kuroo kuru.

The spirits that had detached from his body tilted their heads, as if asking if he was okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine now, so no need to worry,” Ruel assured.

Kuroo kuru.

The spirits smiled with their eyes.

Sniff.

Ruel wiped his nose and looked back up at the sky.

It was time to let Ganien know.

He also needed to negotiate with Huswen.

Infusing the ring with mana, Ruel asked, “Ganien, are you available?”

-…Ruel.

Ganien let out an exasperated sigh.

-Why do you always contact me at the same time? It’s quite unnerving. What’s the matter today?

“The knight captain is pretending to be weak.”

-That’s a separate issue. Frankly, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it if I were in your place.

Ruel could faintly hear Ganien muttering that “an event keeps happening continuously.”

“Today’s news isn’t easy either, so listen closely.”

-Again? This is crazy…

Ruel allowed Ganien a moment to collect himself.

“Before that, can you find out when His Majesty Huswen is available to talk?”

-I’m on duty today. Damn it.

“That’s good news.”

-It’s not good news for me… But why are you outside again? Where’s Cassion? Good children should be sleeping by now.

Ruel couldn’t help but laugh. He hadn’t expected to be treated like a child again.

“How many years apart are we?”

-Ten years.

“…”

The age gap was wider than he had imagined.

“Are you saying you want me to call you ‘older brother’ even now?”

-…It sends shivers down my spine, so no.

Ganien replied in a truly disgusted tone.

“Ganien.”

The jokes stopped here.

Ruel called Ganien seriously.

-Okay, wait a moment. Do you think a king has so much time on his hands… Your Majesty?

-What are you doing during work hours, Ganien?

A faint voice from Huswen could be heard.

He seemed pleased to catch Ganien slacking off.

-I wasn’t slacking off, Your Majesty! What are you doing right now?

-I was taking a stroll. A stroll. Hmm, your way of talking is suspicious.

-I was in contact with Ruel. Can we chat briefly?

-Why not? Let me speak to him for a moment.

Some background noise was heard.

-Oh, Lord Setiria. What’s the urgency at this late hour? It seems rather pressing.

“Your Majesty, would you be interested in making a deal with me?”

Ruel skipped the pleasantries and cut to the chase.

-A deal… I’d like to hear the details first.

“It has to do with the Empire.”

-What do you want?

“Give me the highlight of the event.”

-Is there something you need to tell me?

Huswen seemed to pick up on a hint from Ruel’s brief statement.

“Will you agree to the deal? I’m confident you won’t regret it.”

-Do you think this deal is for the benefit of Cyronian?

“Yes, absolutely. If it wasn’t meant to benefit both our nations from the outset, I wouldn’t have brought it up to you, Your Majesty.”

-If you were in my position, would you accept this offer?

Ruel put strength into his voice.

“Without a doubt. I would have accepted it immediately. It holds that much significance.”

-Then I concur. I will stake Cyronian’s honor on this pact. If you wish, you can record this conversation. Should you visit, I will personally draft the contract. As the king of a nation, I am unable to go back on my word.

“I trust you, so I will reveal first.”

Ruel took a moment to breathe.

“The Empire no longer exists.”

-…Is that what you’re implying?

At the disappointment in Huswen’s tone, Ruel couldn’t help but chuckle. He had anticipated this reaction.

“I received this information directly from a member of the Tonisk Royal Family.”

The mention of royalty changed Huswen’s reaction.

-W-What did you just say?

“I said, I heard it directly from a member of the Tonisk Royal Family.”

-What…what does this mean?

“The Empire has fallen. What we believe to be the Empire now is nothing but an illusion.”

-Who… who could possibly bring down the Empire?

Huswen’s voice rose in volume.

“The Empire collapsed at the hands of the Great Man. I believe that the current situation is orchestrated by the Kingdom of Kran, who knew this fact.”

-Wait, hold on.

Huswen was breathing heavily.

-I’m trying to grasp this situation. Are you certain the person you met is truly a member of the Tonisk Royal Family?

“Yes. I confirmed it through the flag that the Empire gave to the three countries before the war. Are you familiar with this?”

-If it’s the flag given by the Empire… Ah, you mean that humiliating flag?

“That’s right.”

-I heard that my grandfather tore it to shreds the moment he received it. So, Leponia has kept it.

“Yes, they have. In any case, I confirmed that the flag started to glow in his presence.”

-I see.

Huswen understood immediately what it meant for the flag to be glowing, as he was already familiar with it. He let out a series of gasps, struggling to find words.

“Now I will tell Your Majesty my conditions for the deal.”

-Go ahead.

Huswen’s voice sounded slightly sharp. How frustrated he must have been, not knowing he had been stabbed in the back and played by the enemy.

“Someone must inform the world that the Empire no longer exists. Please grant me this crucial moment as promised.”

-Indeed. That moment holds great weight. It carries substantial influence.

Pause.

Upon hearing Huswen’s words that seemed to prolong the conversation unnecessarily, Ruel waited with slight tension.

‘He wouldn’t really back out of the promise, would he?’

Taking on a large role was only one part of it. There were still other opportunities available.

-It’s a very tempting position, but I will grant it to you as promised. That position is not large enough for me to forsake my relationship with you.

“Your Majesty, I plan to extend this opportunity to Prince Banios.”

-How admirable. My knights often slack off during duty, and the nobles only think of ways to press me down, yet you are actually strengthening the foundation for the Crown Prince. I really envy you.

Huswen repeated his envy several times as if feigning regret.

“Your Majesty, I am thinking of shaking up this newly arranged board. Would you join me?”

-You always manage to surprise me. How can I assist you?

Ruel shared the same information he mentioned to Banios regarding the alliance with Huswen.

“I will inform you again once a detailed plan is outlined.”

-Lord Setiria.

“Yes.”

-I’ve been jesting until now, but this time I speak earnestly. I will create a position for you. Whenever you feel inclined, visit Cyronian. You will be welcomed with open arms.

Huswen, who had been talking around in circles, sincerely offered for him to come to Cyronian.

To be honest, it was a wonderful proposal, but he was Setiria.

“Thank you for your generous offer.”

-Take your time to consider it.

“Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask.”

-Feel free to speak.

“The Empire now stands vacant. I would like to see what lies within it. I hope you can remove the seal placed at the entrance of the Empire.”

-It’s not easy to break the seal, but I’ll try. I guess I’ll have to stop for a walk here. Well then, have a good night.

Ruel inhaled Breath and replied, “Yes, I wish you a good night too, Your Majesty.”

Only then did Ruel ease his shoulders, relieved that the negotiations had proceeded more smoothly than anticipated.

-Ruel.

Ganien cautiously spoke up.

“You haven’t hung up yet?” Ruel sniffled.

-How can I just hang up after hearing this? Damn it! What the hell is this… ha.

Ganien struggled to find the right words as he let out several sighs.

While he took a moment, Ruel continued inhaling Breath and waited patiently.

-Ruel, given the situation, wouldn’t it be better for you to be in Leponia?

“That’s true.”

If this were a game of chess, Ruel was the king.

There was no place safer than Leponia, which had cleared out the Red Ash.

“But as I’ve mentioned before, I’m simply doing what others cannot. If you think about it, Cassion has done most of the work, and I’m just putting in the finishing touches.”

-I don’t see it that way. Others probably won’t either.

“Stop with the uncharacteristic flattery and get back to work. Goodbye.”

Ruel felt an itch at the nape of his neck and quickly cut off the communication.

Sigh.

A white breath fogged the air.

Ruel stood up and started walking around the training ground again.

Crunch.

The sound of stepping on snow echoed under his feet.

—Ruel, Ruel!

Leo’s excited voice made Ruel wave his hand slightly. 

Leo rushed over and circled around Ruel.

—This body had a delicious meal! Look, this body’s front paw…

Leo paused for a moment and looked at his front paw.

“Leo-nim ate a whole cake,” Hina chimed in and smiled brightly.

“Is it good, Hina? You have a bit on your mouth.”

As Ruel gestured towards the corner of her mouth, Hina quickly covered it, surprised.

Similar to Leo, there were remnants of chocolate cake on her lips.

Ruel chuckled and inhaled Breath again.

“Let’s head inside, Leo. You should rest too, Hina.”

“Have your concerns been resolved?”

“It wasn’t a situation that worrying could fix from the start, but I’m not feeling down about it.”

“That’s good, I was worried. It’s good to see you smiling, Ruel-nim.”

—This body also enjoys seeing Ruel smile!

With both Hina and Leo chiming in, Ruel hurriedly turned his head away.

Such compliments still made him feel rather shy.

Hastening into the mansion, he paused briefly.

Snowflakes began to fall once more, coming down steadily.

—Look, it’s snowing!

Leo looked up at the sky with his mouth agape.

“Shall we build a snowman?”

—A snowman? What’s that?

Leo immediately picked up what Ruel muttered.

“Perhaps we can make one tomorrow? You can discover what a snowman is then!”

—Sounds fun!

Witnessing Leo’s wide grin brought a smile to Ruel’s face as well.

Author's Thoughts

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read