Chapter 81: Play Chess

“What?”

Ruel asked in response.

—Ten front paws of this body, no…

Even with all the forepaws, there were more than 10 of them.

Leo sat down and tried to count his back feet, but gave up neatly.

“Anyway, the dirty stuff has decreased.”

There was no way that the markings would suddenly shrink.

‘Why…’

Suddenly, the mysterious woman came to mind.

“Because I will take the mark off your body, you can live.”

Ruel gazed at the hand she had held.

‘Did you take some of the marks? Therefore…’

“It’s okay.”

He understood her last words belatedly.

He felt nauseous for some reason.

–…do-does it hurt? (Leo)

“Ruel-nim, it’s time to change the bandage…”

Cassion paused as he entered the room.

He blinked to see Ruel again, wondering if his eyes were wrong.

“Does it hurt that bad?” (Cassion)

Ruel was surprised to feel the sensation of tears falling on his palm.

“Enduring the pain won’t make you heal faster. I will give you more painkillers.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Wiping away tears, Ruel shook his head.

“Is that guy here?”

“He didn’t come.”

‘He didn’t come? It’s the third day.’

Ruel hid in the Ice Castle to avoid the ‘taggers,’ but because of the mark left by the Great One, he should be aware of Ruel’s location.

It was strange that though the woman took some of his marks, he still couldn’t locate them after all this time.

To this point, he has easily grasped the location.

‘Are there any conditions for the method of finding my location?’

“Ruel-nim, Chief, I have something to tell you.”

Hina appeared.

“Tell me.”

“I confirmed that they were trying to enter the Tonisk Empire and trapped them. They are currently under interrogation.”

Ruel calmed Leo, who was startled by Hina’s sudden appearance, while listening to the report.

‘You mean they headed for the real Tonisk Empire, not an imaginary one?’

What does the Red Ash have to do with the closure of the Tonisk Empire?

Ruel instinctively put his hand to his stomach and hurriedly pulled his hand from the pain.

—Be careful. It’s not better yet! Exclaimed Leo, freaked out.

Hina looked lovingly at Leo’s panicked appearance.

“How long will it take them to throw up the rest of the information?”

Hina answered Ruel’s question with her eyes averted.

“You’ll get the remaining info by the end of the day.”

“What about Ganien?”

“He is collecting evidence to exterminate any nobles entangled with Red Ash. We are also helping by securing evidence.”

“How’s Noah doing?”

“Yes, he’s getting well acclimated to the underworld.”

Cassion frowned at Hina’s answer.

“He’ll only learned bad things by the time he comes back.”

“No, sir. Looking closely, I believed he learned flexibility to solutions other than money.”

“What’s the atmosphere like in Cyronian?”

“There is a rumor among the nobles that Ruel-nim has disappeared. Sooner or later, I think they’ll visit His Majesty Huswen and request the rumors to be investigated.”

“Really?”

Ruel had a meaningful smile.

Even though the power of recovery was circulating, the wound healed slowly.

Thanks to Leo’s diligent cleaning of the wound with his forepaw, the potion worked, but its effectiveness was so insignificant that it was better to not waste it.

There seemed to be some special effect in the power of the Great One.

“You can’t move yet.”

Cassion warned.

How the hell does he perceive himself?

‘Who cares about my body as much as I do?’

Ruel replied sourly, “I know.”

Thinking of his weak body, Ruel planned to rest for a while longer, about a week, or if need be a shorter period of about 3 days before moving on. While the Red Ash couldn’t find him, Ganien and Noah would grab them by the nape, only after he was safe enough to make their moves.

‘How will that guy meet us next?’

Considering the conversation between the woman and the Great One, the place she took him to was no ordinary place.

“Listen, Setiria. Unlike us, he can’t set foot in this world because of restrictions. That’s why he can’t make his move.”

‘If the Great One can’t come here, how can he control the Red Ash?’

“Find the king.”

‘Who is the king?’

The king she was talking about didn’t seem to mean the actual king.

Cassion turned over the communication device to Ruel.

“It’s Bianne.”

“Connect.”

-My, my lord!

Bianne called him desperately.

“What?”

-Are you alive?

“Did you wish for me to die?”

-No, that’s not it. Now that the Lord has not returned, there is an uproar in the castle.

It’s already been a week since Ruel reportedly left for Dotol.

-The Blue Knights said my lord’s wellbeing was unknown as they parted ways to subdue monsters at His Majesty’s command. I was worried about the safety of the lord, so I rushed to contact Ruel-nim.

That’s bullshit.

He came to check if he was really dead or not.

“That’s enough. What’s Red Ash doing now?”

-With the news that the lord was injured, an order was issued to find and kill him.

“Anything else?”

-During the shift of nobles aligning with Red Ash in opposition of the alliance, the Lord disappeared and now we are in a situation where we cannot make a choice.

‘Oh, come to think of it, there was a good idea, but I hadn’t used it.’

Ruel smiled.

“Sir Chen.”

-Yes, what?

Bianne was embarrassed when he called his name ever so gently.

“Shouldn’t you join the opposition with the Red Ash that are against the alliance? It’s not too late, and I’ll be very glad to see the power of your family in action.”

-My, my lord, that’s…

Bianne was on the verge of tears.

Isn’t this just jumping into the flames on your own initiative?

“Oh, don’t worry about the last royal banquet incident.”

When the issue of the royal banquet was brought up, Bianne’s distressed voice was heard.

“Cough, cough.”

His chest and stomach throbbed with pain at the same time when he coughed.

‘Damn it…’

Ruel frowned and opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell His Majesty well, so focus on infiltrating and extracting information.”

-Is that true! Are you really going to talk to His Majesty?

“I promise.”

-Thank you, thank you!

Bianne thanked him over and over again before cutting off the communication.

One of the best things a high-ranking aristocrat can do is to line up behind the winning team.

Red Ash had already worked with him, but he didn’t obtain what he wanted. Then he must have thought hard about who to line up behind in order to continue living. As a result, Bianne chose to support him. His surveillance reflected this fact.

“Ruel-nim, will you spare Bianne?”

Ruel smirked at Cassion’s words.

“Yes, Bianne wants to live like this, so I have to give him a chance to live like that. It’s perfect to use.”

Ruel lost a lot this time.

He didn’t even know the enemy’s face when the people who protected him silently died.

‘She died, unknowingly to me.’

He had a pit in his stomach, to add to learning of his possession of the Great One’s power.

‘I have to return more than what I lost.’

Ruel didn’t know exactly what it means to say that the Great One can’t come to this world, but through trial and error he learned there’s no more effective way than to cut off the limbs of the tree.

‘I’ve thrown out the bait one by one, so now I’ll have to wait patiently for them to latch on.’

Ruel stroked Leo’s back and smiled silently.

***

Chak.

Banios lowered his cup and smiled at the man sitting in front of him.

“Long time no see, brother.”

The man tried hard to return the smile with a tired face.

“Yes, long time no see, Banios. It’s been a while since I saw you. Are you eating well?”

“You should take more care of your health than worry about me. At this rate, I think you’ll be the first to be killed by your own work.”

Banios glanced around and whispered softly.

“So how about a drink tonight?”

“Gosh, is alcohol a medicine? Why don’t you just take this position instead?” Banios shut up. His older brother’s suggestion was not just a suggestion.

He was telling him how to avoid his second brother.

How to give up the throne and hold a major position so that his second brother can’t easily touch him.

“Brother, why did you take the throne…”

“That’s enough. I don’t want to be uncontent at this rare chance to chat, something we haven’t had in a while.”

“Yes, I said silly things.”

“It’s late, but you did a good job. Why don’t you take this opportunity to take charge of diplomacy?”

“I’m…

Step. Step.

Banios stopped talking at the familiar sound of heels.

“The youngest has an appreciable idea, so why don’t you hold off a little longer, brother?”

With a gentle smile, the second prince walked in.

Banios hid his feelings behind a smile

“Looks like your work was completed early. When I suggested drinking with my brothers after a long time, you rejected it so coldly.”

The second prince smiled lightly at Banios’ whining.

“I’m sorry, little brother. I didn’t know it would be completed so soon either. Don’t be angry.”

The servant rushed to pull out the chair and the second prince sat down and shoo’ed away the servant.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m on the youngest’s side. Our youngest looks like he’s up to nothing, but he’s definitely preparing for a huge leap forward.”

“I’m not playing. I’m just enjoying my freedom.”

The Second Prince giggled at Banios’ confidence.

“Your conversation ability has improved a lot. Adoris, don’t you think so too?”

“Was it today or yesterday that the youngest speech improved?”

“Oh, well, it just happened. It’s been a long time since we’ve met like this, so what do you think about this?”

Banios posed as if pouring alcohol with his hands.

“That’s good.”

Banios expressed his disappointment at the words of the First Prince.

“You said no earlier.”

“Us brothers have gathered together, and there is nothing happier than today.”

“That’s right, I’m excited to listen to what the youngest is going to do after a huge leap.”

“I like to play.”

“Do you like it that much?”

“But, we can’t hang out forever.”

At Banios’ words, Adoris looked at him with a smile in his eyes.

The moment he saw Adoris’s eyes, the corners of Banios’ mouth trembled slightly.

“Don’t worry, youngest. I’ll take care of everything. You don’t have to do anything like now.”

He was laughing, but it was a warning.

“Adoris, Banius is now an adult. Shouldn’t you take care of yourself?”

“I’ll protect the youngest. Don’t worry, brother.”

Adoris rose from his seat.

“Let’s get up on a happy day like today, and we need alcohol, not tea.”

Adoris looked down at the two and laughed.

***

“… Don’t you know how to rest?”

Cassion swallowed several words, suppressed his anger, and asked.

“I’m taking a break.”

Ruel was quietly buried under a thick blanket, holding a meat pie in one hand and examining the data in the other.

Leo, who was wriggling under the blanket, poked out his head.

—Cassion is angry. Did Ruel do something wrong?

“No, I was lying in bed quietly today.”

“…where did you get that data from?”

Cassion himself didn’t give it to him.

He took a breath and looked at the shadowed spot.

It was only for a moment, but the shadow trembled.

“Hina, I told you to keep an eye on Ruel-nim, but I don’t remember telling you to turn over the data to him.”

“I ordered it.”

Cassion let out a choking sound at the shameless sound.

“What’s the point of staying still? All I can do is sleep.”

“That sleep is very necessary for Ruel-nim.”

Didn’t the wound burst while coughing yesterday?

“You take it too seriously. I fell sorry to Billo for staying longer than planned in Cyronian.”

What about me?

Cassion was dumbfounded.

Goong.

Leo put his front paws on Ruel’s head.

—In the eyes of this body, Ruel is at fault for this.

“…?”

—Everyone wants Ruel to get better soon. Ruel should not see the white thing, but sleep with this body first.

Cassion made a subtle expression.

He didn’t expect to get help from the beast.

—This body will sleep with Ruel, so lie down quickly.

Leo hurriedly hid his face under the blanket.

His prickly ears moved from side to side and urged Ruel.

‘I slept all day long. I slept yesterday and today.’

Ruel despised the all-white-world, he hated being in bed motionless.

Sometimes Ruel wondered what magic Aris used to make that popping sound, and Ruel wanted to see what the Ice Castle looked like.

All he saw during the visit to the Ice Castle was the tiresome bed and the snow that can be seen all over Cyronian.

“Ruel-nim.”

When Hina appeared, Ruel welcomed her.

“Did they open their mouths?”

“Yes, the real hideout of Red Ash is said to be located within the Tonisk Empire.”

Tap. Tap.

Ruel tapped his thigh with his finger.

Author's Thoughts

Hello to everyone. In March, updates will be infrequent. I'm not sure; I'm currently working on my thesis. So I'll simply update when I have time. The same can be said for other series, such as "This Bastard is Too Competent." Thank you very much for your patience and support. If anything happens, I'll simply notify you via Discord. 🙏💕

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read