Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Rosteratu’s end was more futile than one could imagine. Albert realized this as he found out how ugly a man could be after being so overcome by terror.

The man, who used to threaten and perpetrate Albert with violence due to his inferiority complex, was just. This small.

Far from showing any sympathy towards a boy who had just lost his family after surviving alone, that man laughed about how well things turned out. But here, now, that man howled as his limbs were being snapped. He also went as far as clinging onto Albert’s leg, begging.

Albert brought upon torment and agony towards that man. With magic, he healed that man’s body parts. It would have been too merciful to kill him right away.

But finally, Rosteratu Grey was dead.

Albert calmly wiped the blood off of his sword. With the man collapsed on the ground like that, he looked more like a beggar than a king.

When stripped away of his magnificent clothes and social status, that man truly was nothing.

It was all due to this man that Albert had been so blinded by the thought of revenge. It was all due to just this kind of man that so many people had lost their lives.

Albert recalled the faces of the people who were loyal to him.

Those people who had to be buried six feet underground remained as painful, yet unforgettable memories.

And those unforgettable memories served almost like a guilty conscience that constantly suffocated him.

Despair washed over him as he recalled all the innocent people who died in the past.

He should have achieved his revenge while thinking of only them. He did what he had to do.

However, at the end of everything, the inevitable sense of emptiness reached him. As he straightened his clothes, he slowly walked away.

He wanted to see Rosé’s face.

All he could think of now was that this void within him could be filled by seeing her laughing and joking just as she usually did, while also saying that everything’s fine.

He had been particularly careful not to get any blood on him.

Apart from now wanting that man’s blood on himself, he didn’t want Rosé to be frightened of him.

As he neared the tower, Albert found everyone asleep. It all went according to plan.

Hundreds of people, at least, saw Rosé cast that spell.

With them as witnesses and with the contract between them as evidence, no matter how unhappy the nobles would be regarding her origins, they wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Your Highness, you’re back!”

When Mercy saw Albert, she rushed to his side immediately. Seeing the beads of sweat on her forehead, it seemed like she was still maintaining her illusion spell inside the soldiers’ minds. Perfect.

In everyone’s imaginations, Rosteratu’s likeness was vividly reproduced. At this time, he should be confessing all of his sins before dying.

This illusion would serve as added memories after manipulating them. This was Mercy’s strong suit.

It was due to the greed of the former lord of the magic tower—her father—that she painstakingly started having illusion magic as her specialty.

Even so, there was no one who could reach Mercy’s level now.

“And Rosé?”

“…She went to the palace.”

Albert’s eyes narrowed. With his arms crossed, his expressionless countenance made him look as though he would kill Mercy right then and there.

In a low, subdued tone, Albert asked.

“Why the palace.”

Mercy shut her eyes tightly.

“…A small problem occurred amidst the rebel forces, and there’s a task that could be done only by a mage. She personally volunteered to go because I cannot leave this spot.”

“If all you needed was a mage, why didn’t you call me.”

“…Miss Artius said that we shouldn’t call you. That Your Highness needed to be where you were.”

Mercy couldn’t refute what Rosé said. After all, she had been watching Albert for many years.

Before she became the lord of the magic tower, she often went in and out of the palace with her father, and one particular face she saw there always clearly drew attention.

However, very unlike that face’s dazzling appearance, it wouldn’t be long until she’d find out how broken he was inside.

Rosteratu had schemed together with Mercy’s father, who was the tower lord then, to isolate and torment Albert.

It was impossible for her to not know about her father’s atrocities, but because she had still been young, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

No, maybe she could have done something. But she had been so afraid.

She had been afraid of how her father, who always treated her kindly, could abandon her in turn. It took quite a while for her to get over that fear.

That’s why she also wished for Albert’s revenge to be perfect.

She knew that Albert would be angered the moment he’d find out that Rosé wasn’t here, but she couldn’t help but let her go to that place.

“I cast double defense spells and an invisibility spell on her, so she should be fine. She only needs to undo the restraints.”

After letting out a deep sigh, Albert stood right in front of Mercy. He looked down at her and whispered in a low baritone.

“I know with what kind of thought process you decided to send her away. But from now on, do not do anything like this.”

“…I am aware of how capable Your Highness is, but it’s impossible for you to read minds.”

“Your guilt is apparent.”

Mercy flinched. Albert was, as always, incredibly quick-witted. To the extent that it was impossible to hide anything from him.

“Just because you’re trying to hide your emotions from your face—you must have thought it would be fine.”

Mercy clenched her fist in response.

“How could it not be like that, Your Highness.”

Rarely would there ever be a smile on that face as adulthood was thrusted upon her, and so only vestiges of the innocent girl she once had remained.

Before they knew it, the sun was now shining brightly high up in the sky.

Albert’s gray hair shimmered brilliantly like silver beneath the sun’s rays.

“It’s because you suffered through that abuse as well,” Albert said.

Mercy thought that she would never hear such words of consolation ever in her life. Albert walked past Mercy, who halted in place.

“I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, never prioritize me over Rosé ever again.”

His hand gradually went up. Towards Mercy, who was standing absentmindedly, Albert gestured a farewell.

“Come to the palace once you’re done. Lock the tower’s entrance before you do.”

He couldn’t let other people come and go through his space.

In an instant, Albert disappeared. The incantation went by so fast that Mercy couldn’t even see it properly.

‘…Does he not have any limits to his capabilities.’

After Albert left her there, Mercy shuddered alone. Perhaps Albert’s magical prowess could even reach a dragon’s level someday.

It was unrealistic, but if it was him, it was perhaps possible.

After surpassing the level of a human or a mage, rather than staying as a human being, he might just become a transcendental being.

* * *

Blanc and I went down the long staircase. We kept going down and down.

The path before us got narrower and narrowed the more we traversed it, and at some point, it even became claustrophobic. Blanc walked right next to me as though to comfort me.

As we walked on, finally, we could glimpse the end.

“We’re almost there.”

“Uh-huh…”

We soon arrived at the dungeon, the surroundings of which were much darker and much dingier.

There was moss and mold inside the prison cells, where only the most heinous of criminals were locked up.

It was so dark that it was barely possible to see the outlines of a person’s face in here, but I was able to make out the shapes of the two people beyond the prison bars. They were both unconscious.

Over there, then.

As I tried to walk closer to the two people who were trapped in that cell, I flinched right away as I felt something cold touch my neck.

“Who are you.”

Hearing the young woman’s voice, I gasped.

…How thorough of them to have left someone here. However, I was confused why this person could see me.

“A mage? You’re holding a wand.”

“……”

“Don’t think about turning invisible. Any invisibility spell wouldn’t work here. Magic is repelled in a place like this.”

…So that means I wouldn’t be able to conjure any magic either. What should I do? I turned my thoughts over and over.

It seemed like this person had yet to notice Blanc’s presence.

Blanc had walked so silently, and ordinary people would still just see him as a black cat, so it would be difficult to see him in the dark.

So I asked Blanc to do something for me.

“Blanc, bite her leg!”

Blanc’s teeth were actually quite sharp, so this might be enough to shock this person.

“Okay!”

And on cue, Blanc’s vigorous response was followed by the woman’s horrified outcry.

“AACK!”

After a moment, the woman started rolling on the floor. I raised the sword in my hand and pointed it at the woman’s neck.

“…Seems like I won.”

“So you have an animal with you.”

The woman smiled bitterly, but after she noticed Blanc’s presence, she wondered to herself.

“…A cat’s bite couldn’t possibly hurt this much.”

The woman soon lay down on her back as she muttered.

She didn’t seem to care about the sword I was pointing at her neck. Rather than her, I was more worried about how she might get stabbed by the tip of the sword while she moved like that.

It’s ridiculous.

“Um, are you even aware of how I can slash your neck right now?”

“Dunno. Do as you please. The knight order deserves to be ruined anyway.”

…?

What was she talking about? The moment I tilted my head to the side, the woman threw a key at me.

“Open the cell with that.”

“…Weren’t you pointing a sword at me just now? Are you under some kind of spell?”

“I only did that to fulfill my duty as a knight… But you know, now that I think about it, it would be better for me to just help along with the knight order’s ruin.”

I think I can vaguely guess what she’s talking about here. Under Rosteratu’s administration, it was nigh impossible for there to be a proper knight order.

“While I wasn’t allowed to join the battle outside, I was told that it was a great mission in itself to guard this place.”

Pain could be felt palpably in that bitter voice. To me, it seemed like she was tired of it all.

As she lay on her back there on the ground, she didn’t look threatening at all. Actually, I kind of sympathized with her.

Most of the knights I saw earlier were men. It wouldn’t be easy to survive in that kind of environment as a woman.

“Why don’t you hurry and move along? Aren’t you here to break out those two mages?”

Instead of answering, I continued to hover close to the woman. I wouldn’t be able to carry them out alone anyway.

“If I can’t undo the restraints here, I’d have to carry them up the stairs… But I can’t do that alone. So help me. If you’re going to fail your mission anyway, commit to it and fail completely.”

“…Fail completely? Bwahahaha! Yeah, you’re right. I gotta go through with it until the end.”

In response to my words, the woman burst out laughing. She soon rose from the ground.

I couldn’t look at her properly earlier because I was so nervous, but now I noticed how much bigger her physique was, even compared to most men.

“Give me the key.”

I obediently handed the key back to her.

She then opened the prison cell and soon picked up both mages on her shoulders. Even though it must have been heavy to carry two people like that, it looked easy breezy to her.

“Shall we?”

While admiring her strength, I nodded. The woman started up the stairs first.

There’s quite literally no sign of any physical exertion on her part. She looked so relaxed, as though she was just taking a stroll.

Out of the blue, she murmured.

“Don’t try to threaten me with a sword again, Miss Mage.”

“Huh?”

“I’m someone who wields a sword, so I can see it. You’re not used to holding one.”

It seemed like my threats a while ago didn’t work. But I nonetheless agreed.

“Yes, it’s all thanks to your change of heart, Dame. Or else I’d be dead by now.”

“…How honest.”

Turning her head slightly to face me, she blinked for a moment.

“Not bad, that attitude of yours.”

And she nodded in satisfaction.

——