Chapter 184
VBVThe rain fell without end.ihId
k9zctThe sky was covered by dark clouds, and in the north of Alprosen, the sun hadn’t been seen for weeks.xAl
lLbtAn anomalous weather event, unseen in centuries, also cast a shadow over people’s hearts.GjmU
ehdr4“…It’s heartbreaking.”D0t7d1
1u6eThe crown prince of Alprosen, Alpion Alprosen, wore a dark expression upon hearing the cries rising from the half-submerged villages.1KvH2
yId“What’s the situation in the Hopen plains?”gbf4
Hsp1“It’s estimated that more than 80% is underwater.”ObsppV
jXJIxs4The Hopen plains were located in a lowland area, which worsened the damage.tuEiMU
BnqH52i“It’s terrible.”wz008
bVPWy“It happened right before the harvest, so the loss is even greater. If it had come just a little later…”ZdyFNpL
47E0mAt least they wouldn’t have to worry about a food crisis as well.o47MyD
N5UT23f“It’s cold from the rain. You should get inside the carriage, your highness.”2BC1Hc
8bmThough it was just a drizzle, after so many days of nonstop rain, the temperature had dropped drastically.t9P
T6a8x“No. I won’t seek shelter while my people, who have lost their homes, remain under the storm.”gtd
mtZKKaNAlpion brushed the wet hair from his forehead.lVufus0
nBTQFDQHe had already been touring the northern region for three days, visiting multiple villages, and the further he went, the worse the situation became.7G7i
9gjNThe first villages were partially flooded, but in the more recent ones, a third of the town was underwater.Mlh
g03X“We’ll spend the night here. Set up tents on the hills for the displaced and give them something to eat.”FLPf8Se
YN24WIq“Yes, your highness.”gsELHK
8J6MzThe prince’s entourage was barely a hundred people, but they had emptied the royal family’s subspace pockets to bring hope to the victims.gno
krCThey carried a huge amount of supplies—mostly food and tents.AeHGFx5
inAzibAt nightfall, after personally leading the relief efforts, the prince returned to his tent.TrbP
NlLTY“You’ve all worked hard.”ciatUb1
FD8YP“The ones who truly did the work are you all. I just gave orders.”VO3r
28SlDJSThe prince chewed on a piece of tough jerky.5M0j
nsj“Your highness, we can prepare a different meal…”HRE
afOa0“No, it’s fine. I’ve eaten worse at the Academy. Leave me.”fBUP
kpe2V“Yes, if you need anything, call us.”rhI9feq
CykMoyGenerally, students at the Academy were treated well, but during exams and field training, they had to survive under harsh conditions.sJWqBXv
K51c2ikGoing hungry for days wasn’t unusual.DU1w1cu
mn4mI“Back then I cursed it every day, but now I see it all had a purpose.”e1a2sDR
JVendTThe prince smiled and thought of a certain person from the Academy.Eqg
lAY7q“…He said he had finally succeeded in his research. So he did it.”H9iXDC
oGaj8Y4Though years had passed, he still remembered his face clearly. More accurately, he had never been able to forget it.VfLA
HhHAlpion’s expression grew nostalgic, and his mind drifted to the letter he had recently received.Kf5kU
PL0n7AcHe asked his escort knight:P2Ue3PD
iFbqD21“No news from Fernan Pellenberg?”T1zXJTt
Kbb0k“No, your highness. But… what do you mean by saying he would visit you?”nJp
L4ZKSr“It’s nothing. I’m tired. Leave me.”zEc3Vk9
cZoRUr9“…Yes.”ql1KTK
aDLLjGThe escort withdrew, confused. Left alone, the prince took out a gold and platinum pendant.9Fjun
pjjPVTWhen he opened it, a magical photograph was revealed. Though years had passed since his graduation from the Academy, he always carried it with him.R0oGDx
8G65yE“There’s no doubt.”wYqJRBx
36LANo one knew what was inside that pendant except for him and Rosalia, the other person in the picture.JKQbvZ
Nt39“It must have been Rosalia who told him.”SFKK
vcTShe wasn’t the type to talk much or share secrets.Yhz9i
may4KbIf she had told Fernan about that photo, it meant they had a close relationship.5i7
CDKN“…Did Fernan sponsor Rosalia’s research?”BbS
WQZGFFHad they gotten close because of that? Even if not, as professor and student, there were always chances to build ties.2qwL
tXcK2What he didn’t understand was why Fernan had used that as a pretext to seek him out.VmZ
PDYADCThey had no prior connection.0xiAq7
9hw“So what he’s after is to create that connection with me.”lKt
xbnWgyTRosalia had given Fernan a reason to approach him. The photo was merely a means to open that door.91g6OxF
nMUAlpion relaxed slightly upon reaching that conclusion.XwF
2JQa3Ax“…Then, what’s Fernan’s true reason for wanting to see me?”Z7MI
3Jm1WlUnderstanding the other’s intention before a meeting was fundamental.vsU
TO9uTP6Night fell, but the prince’s mind was clearer than ever.iOMo77
uby4vj***vLfY8P9
IZEoDJThe next morning, the rain had continued through the night, soaking the land to the bone.cNk
193At least the rainfall was a bit lighter.gPoWyPx
pVzCT“Thank you, your highness!”fVvFPa
dkgMU“You’ve saved us!”V63uy
cDLH“Thank you!”sSsTXO
8sV93t0The tents and food distributed weren’t much—barely a campfire in the winter—but to the villagers, it was a ray of hope.4p6C
T7d“When the rain stops, a relief brigade will come! Hang in there! The kingdom will always stand by you!”j53qICb
xG0SuvnThese were farmers who couldn’t easily leave the land where they had lived their whole lives.ZrQokg
h58PAs long as the village wasn’t completely submerged, they wouldn’t leave it.0lG04ab
15ZNThe prince’s entourage continued on.mykmKF
9FMut2U“Up to this point, the situation wasn’t so bad?”MgtDv9F
SlpTy“Yes, your highness. In the last few villages, they could still survive. But further north, most have been submerged and the people have already fled.”b3gm
Kvtqvg7The kingdom had sent three legions to assist in the recovery.nit8o
y5CKs9However, the continuous rain made any work impossible, and the only thing they could do was guide refugees to designated cities like Piwin and Kaden, to prevent further collapse of the remaining towns.FQwLH3
ucaq“It must be chaos.”NN7fT
EATGdD7“Your highness, wouldn’t it be best to return? The danger is too great. They say homeless monsters are wandering the area. Piwin or Kaden are safer…”DfkMbp
srhzD“Then, before heading further north, let’s stop at villages like yesterday’s.”BknWfJK
WFsqt9M“Yes, your highness.”GF1ikU9
9dvBut they were soon forced to stop.gvLrC1
tGv“The road is blocked!”RpjMt
C4q6“A landslide, your highness. The mountain gave way due to the rains.”TmsQC08
hNxThe avalanche of earth and trees had completely sealed the route.PX5
InZw1oF“We’ll have to take a detour.”bxhv
D97Qof“So be it.”5t9Pn
HMN4The group turned back to take another route.2JpPg
kWh5“…The ground has collapsed.”vIJL0
0eXBut there, the entire terrain had caved in, and in some sections, the river had overflowed, flooding everything.RjyjmgQ
I8G0r“We won’t be able to go any further…”3yq
ijvB“We might find some intact paths, but more are likely destroyed than usable.”bZ9p
qM1“It’s too late for today. We should return the way we came.”O6bzRI
E6wMR“Yes, then—”v6xsj
hlS“Monsters! Everyone, battle positions!”Ssv
wuimIn the fine rain, with the sky darkening toward dusk, monsters appeared from the shadows—feral and displaced from their lairs.F1O1
QQrEThere were about twenty trolls. The escort knights drew their weapons.CTo
59ypL“Don’t let them get close!”o1b8W
Ts6tThe twenty knights dismounted and ran across the muddy mountain. Though the ground kept shifting, none of them faltered.Ip4a3
rPRVnnThe trolls roared and charged at them.QzgUXW
sADoAM—!6SQcIfi
kJMKieeeek!HGj
lo7h9hPKiaaak!vj0RwV
8GIyiwThe clash was brutal—blood and screams filled the air. All the blood was from the trolls, and so were the cries.AOOJm
vpeamyCIn an instant, twenty troll heads rolled across the ground.cNw
SuoAlpion Alprosen was the crown prince of the Grand Kingdom of Alprosen.5Nh
IW8DVAnd those who accompanied him were knights of the kingdom’s strongest order—the Black Whale Knights.H53Y
U0JTrolls were nothing more than insignificant obstacles.V4X3Qv
Gko5Q4“Well done.”X9lt
2ea“We merely fulfilled our duty.”CVidGCn
NYQThe knights returned to their posts as the rain washed the blood from their swords.bAr
Tr8nhZ“It’s getting dark, your highness. We must set up camp as soon as possible.”jsoG
KaqNQ6“Do what you deem necessary.”wNPdiU
i2DeDrThe nearest village was too far away, but it was also difficult to find a good campsite in the unrelenting rain.U16
VF9w“There, I see a light.”wQPVf
dge“A light in the middle of the mountain?”cLIGiRO
gpBWOuThey spotted a faint glow.4m1c
8RbA“It looks like a fairly large village.”bDqU
CjYjf“It must be a slash-and-burn settlers’ village. Being on high ground, it hardly suffered from the flooding.”jiCM
Zo6E“Settlers are usually very wary, but given the circumstances, we have no other choice.”M6iK7
VjdHr2u“Then that’s what we’ll do.”EZn
gg480iBThe prince’s entourage knocked on the village palisades.CjSr
CcH8“Who… knights?”n8gx
VTGox“W-What do you want?”gA0AE
78EyDQThe village was stirred, but seeing that they were knights, their guard dropped.2wi0
Coyn8NNAnd when they realized it was the Black Whale Knights, all thoughts of resistance vanished.59dx7jz
1z4W“…The crown prince?”7eOetx
FOXS“Apologies for the intrusion. We got lost in the mountains. We only ask to stay one night and will leave in the morning.”VsmR
s06jm“B-But if you stay…”yKYk7ko
BM32“We won’t take your homes. A clearing to pitch our tents will be enough.”bjdr
U75Dw“And the food…?”djsVt
psP“We brought supplies, don’t worry.”BFTy3
Ryq2vuThe news of the prince’s presence caused a great commotion, but they managed to settle it.RVt
ErCB“If all the roads are like today’s, we won’t be able to continue. At dawn, we’ll head for Kaden.”aAUfmk
EK5csq“So it shall be, your highness.”EtSvEEe
jtn0mAlpion fell asleep quickly but woke up suddenly to the commotion.LFJN7Oa
rG7QoQ“What’s happening?”AHDLqo
wR0XV“Your highness, something strange is happening in the village!”vCMUntY
Iz7nh“What do you mean?”o6M
GlKBgThe prince rushed out of the tent.mPxala9
THMuRya“What is this…!”zZSAT
dm8WmKAn ominous aura churned on the ground. The sky, which should have been dark, glowed with an unsettling red.TS8D9
1xR“A magic circle?”zTWme
ut6cw“It covers the entire village!”nLGYYkb
nL6sSymbols in unknown colors covered the ground in a red light. It was undoubtedly a magic circle.XH6K78q
n3rZr“Is this… demonic magic?”h29Q
eSib“Your highness, it’s dangerous! We must evacuate now!”Nty
IoKyXvoThe aura was the same as that emitted by monsters corrupted by magic.cU9
MTl8Kyaaaaak!kq8rph5
o3kGueeeeh!JwDVpH
mE1InrHelp!ZBYb0
Drp6The screams of pain heard in the village were those of its inhabitants.I3f
882t“What the hell…?”DsvM
8Pn“It’s a trap! Someone’s come for you, your highness!”C5z
suTehSThe camp fell into chaos. Everyone woke and prepared to flee. The knights surrounded the prince in a tight formation.n8LH6k
vhHweAnd soon they understood the nature of the circle.Mavf
lrjbeyO“The mana…! The aura…!”02H3WX
Al8XS“Our strength is weakening…!”SRiag5
uuj1y“Your highness, we must get out of here right now!”Ympy
frmIt was a circle that absorbed the life force of all living beings and converted it into demonic magic.yIk1
yYnuZA horrific spell that horrified them all. They had to escape at any cost.DX9
tUif2gQBut at that moment—6nY
cC0H1Kwoooargh!8xT50j
3ic4XLlGrrr…ZfNCwfa
4XyMonsters. And among them, demonic beasts.mNW
b56Drawn by the corrupted mana, they began to surround the village.pMPgiLq
PneDtIt was an obvious trap.wUAnnSe
3En“…It can’t be…”iFCFmm0
KgmgAlpion gritted his teeth.B4LJPu
h0oxcHe never imagined suffering an attack like this in Alprosen itself—let alone one orchestrated by the corrupt.kVQ4
Oi2p“…Your highness, we’ll clear a path!”K2J65yS
IDrtB“We must protect the prince!”t12b
7eJMrLN“No one gets left behind!”AUL
r1Vi“We have to go now—even the horses are suffering from the magic!”Rut
tTZFNThe Black Whale Knights formed a triangle with the prince in the center and charged forward.01E
1LUq“There’s nothing but mountains around. The flattest path is the way we came—wait, there are people ahead!”ZLlJ
06YIEL“Move aside!”EN8Sb
cQhnBA group blocked their path.Laz
K9s56RzThe knights shouted, thinking they were villagers, but received no answer.tSL
9AJHMoreover, they seemed immune to the magic circle’s effects.h6W
3PGTheir clothing was far too luxurious for peasants.lHXR0
vh6“They’re corrupt, no doubt. Attack—!”IoB7z5S
RWyConvinced they were the culprits, Alpion gave the order. The spears pointed toward them.2Qr1T2G
ZUt4lThen—wZlMYA9
X9BShhhhhh—zNZ
K1JbrOne of the strangers poured a liquid onto the ground. The circle trembled and began to emit a sharp-smelling smoke.MYhDzbG
GnqN9And soon—FyoDc6
aSKI4ZK“…The magic circle?”CQd9pS
6IUThe red light began to weaken.GkGyKD
siQThe corrupted mana howled as if crying out in pain.rx4DOJK
XpBX“S-Stop!”yGfj
udxAnyone with sense could see it: they weren’t corrupt.d1XSC
9YqBoqThe spears halted just short of them.HIGV
eE8uThey were three men and one woman, all holding vials in their hands.51Q
j0oHM“…Who are you?”2wojW5
Bja4rpM“We’ve come to fulfill a promise, your highness.”bFH
D5wy1“A promise?”JcrCfrp
7ItISP3“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Fernan Pellenberg.DJywD
qSWzYlSorry I can’t introduce myself properly, but this is more urgent right now.”yxKwpEg
7rs9ZJThe man who introduced himself as Fernan tossed an empty vial to the ground. Dozens already piled at his feet.J17
HX36ne“…What are you doing?”jMip
Nj5I02Y“Erasing the corrupts’ magic circle.”5YdBoPM
gE8OUQHe pulled another vial from his subspace and poured its contents onto the ground.g9MP7im
EPz“……”Bwd
mCOPmvg“……”uSUGFX3
OLizRkThe prince’s entourage, who should have been fleeing, could only stand speechless, watching the scene.ZgzCUh
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