Chapter 245
0wZEven though he had already been deceived, the second prince went out once more.KHG
gubhzRHe couldn’t sleep peacefully without fully resolving the unease caused by the first prince.yC5
jXW2kX5But after failing twice, the second prince changed his method.j00fH
1kmqNfw【The Mercenary King, who attempted to assassinate the regent, kidnaps the first prince who was in confinement!】DinJ8
OLKZNv【A traitor worthy of divine condemnation! How far will the Mercenary King’s atrocities go…!】Bu3Mr
cCBSmIt was all the Mercenary King’s fault.ZacJM6U
mi1aOAll the anger, all the consequences, were his burden to bear.uyBQ7e
umW9MUv“That damn Mercenary King!”oY1pQ
kTH“Not even eating him alive would be enough! Was it not enough with the regent, and now the first prince too?”5TO6m
hR4tVV“What if he kidnaps the princess next?”BcBu
K0GLNrN“What the hell are the royal guards doing?”27lOVRq
namFmNo matter how crazy the first prince had been, no matter how many he had killed during his madness, he was still the kingdom’s rightful heir.uSu
8tv3DThat they insulted or looked down on him was fine—but for an outsider to attack and kidnap him was something they could not tolerate.0EZRH
PzetThe people were furious, and upon hearing that the special taxes would be used to capture the Mercenary King, they began paying them fervently.joW9lU
C7Tj“…Fernan.”bSI
iT5Ha46“Yes.”2ymkK
4q2TseZ“Now I’m a failure who tried to extort the second prince, and also a bastard who kidnapped the first prince.”rHyog
SJHpo“These are things people will only say while this lasts.”pdW4T5
MWH“They say the Mercenary Guild is already in chaos.”AuTFq
UPJgQAlthough the Mercenary King was the guild’s grandmaster, it didn’t mean he had absolute power.YWA9FRZ
PUPEUThe guild had formed an official investigation committee, and even though there was no verdict yet, rumors were already spreading calling for his removal for crossing the line.0qzUoR
gYGJJ“As long as this isn’t over, there won’t be a dismissal.”zi97PAA
PnsSb“And after it’s over?”Ovcrodt
4JBU“Then no one will dare even suggest he should be dismissed.”z4YW45g
42bW16“Are you sure?”0s0Ple
il3z4mF“Maybe as the Mercenary Guild’s grandmaster, these words might bother you, but…”xsWIfs
VV0vuZS“I get what you’re saying.”kUM
AvD80k7Garrett let out a snort.qoL
utNd8I5“Why would it bother me? It’s only natural for a mercenary to follow the money. And I’ve known for a while now that the hands of the powerful already reach inside the guild.”i2HaY
ohLWEven so, Garrett had turned a blind eye. For him, it was normal for mercenaries to seek better rewards.pCgfdo
TWXgfkRAs long as it didn’t damage the guild’s overall reputation, he let it slide.AoM
2WTrpY“Now that I see him shine in this situation, I think I did the right thing.”AmZPMYP
lKY“I’ll make sure that thought stays firm.”7qPnK6A
w4rZ3Vt“You’d better.”Tj1H
IwuDfj**xRAY
GR6qYuli flipped through the pages of a book.KhB
bnmNHReading popular market novels was her only hobby.apRG0
vcaypELWhen her father fell ill, when her older brother went mad with insanity, and when the second prince began treating her like a caged bird, she sought refuge.xQDVTWG
bRyThe reality that had changed so suddenly was too heavy, and she needed a corner of peace for her heart.1II5jub
bZkXSPerhaps that’s why, every night, she ended the day reading a book. It had become a habit; if she didn’t read, she felt an odd emptiness.thd2bK
6VKBhCcIt was then that—2OiKo4o
oryb“Your Highness, the regent has come to see you.”L4K
hsHRu0The sudden announcement made Yuli shudder.489
xhXXo5Not only because there had been no prior notice, but also because she feared he had discovered what she had been doing behind the second prince’s back.dd7M
XhfkoD‘No, stay calm.’mJg5h
AaWtjNThey haven’t discovered me. There’s no reason to worry.Q7qw2R8
UdOJTShe took a deep breath and controlled her expression.NvjjN
aD8L“Tell him to come in.”XATtMe
389pdjrThe door opened. The second prince entered with a haggard face.xCFbs3
CqjyWithout asking for permission, he slumped onto the sofa and muttered wearily.jJHh
ThKKv“Why weren’t you at the banquet hall? Didn’t I make it clear you should keep hosting banquets?”28lA48
wgbThanks to you, I went for nothing.FVT3co
Muhsh9y“What a funny joke.”CjgpEC
DSB54IYuli closed her book with a sharp snap.hahgoF
giI5“Wasn’t it Your Highness who banned parties after the Mercenary King’s attack, claiming it wasn’t the time for them?”KguPA
ANCEm8“…Yes, it was me.”31s5s
IOnThe second prince frowned and nodded reluctantly.3LTGb
zCW1drHis brazen attitude repulsed Yuli. Though they shared blood, he felt more distant than a stranger.JlWeQl
9zjpFmJ“I’ll be direct. Have you received any message from the first prince?”ljMjTc
fERFor a moment, Yuli almost let her face betray her.UotS
5JmMCDoes he know? Or is he just fishing?0MYvhL
ANkwKYSeeing his nervous eyes, Yuli bet on the latter.wO3VO
c9edvLa“What kind of question is that? You yourself forbade me from writing to him and even hid where he was.”AoQTBr
mqh“…Yes, it was me.”i1B
WiUdp“Are you joking with me?”O8UM
wTDq“Do I look like I’m joking?”YTdKzW
VAbNIdLThe second prince growled, exuding a murderous aura that made Yuli bite her lip.E25U
ob5VV“I haven’t told you anything, I admit it. But even so, tell me if you’ve received any message from him.”L4f
CzGE“Do you think that makes sense?”aJ4E
cBg8pBang!2dDd
hfD1He slammed the table with such force that the ornaments fell to the floor with a crash.7ELV2ab
9RtNR8“I don’t have time to play with you. Yes or no—choose one!”nJI
bPd1kHis bloodshot eyes and furious scream made her hesitate. It was the first time since her father’s collapse that she had seen him this unhinged.seCBX
CrD“He will come looking for her someday. After all, the princess is the one closest to him.”1yw7
FF4G0iq“So he will surely pester her with questions. And in that case, do as you please—pretend you know nothing or give him this letter.”xPRY
GAhen6EIt was exactly as Fernan Pellenberg had said.gF22N
FMkMcLSIt made sense that the second prince felt anxious, but seeing him on the verge of hysteria convinced her there was something more.LTB
xBb“Were these the side effects of hypnosis or suggestion?”Kv6mZvC
pZhipThey said the corrupt beside him was gradually devouring his mind.zg96
muJHQOShe pitied him, but at the same time thought it was a well-deserved fate.TjbLYD
sDMNSuTo betray his father and brother, only to end up like this? Ridiculous and pathetic.UPgU
X1qXIsEven so, she burned with rage.sM4nIP
t95n9How little did they think of Linelt to dare manipulate a prince’s mind?xwx
NL8For now, she could do nothing. Only endure.SNi8
fZgCd“Since you’re asking, the answer is yes.”TeSTbA
8EL“…That makes no sen—What did you say?”e4pf6by
o1xX6“I said yes, Your Highness.”HY9n
s3PjTZHYuli took a letter from her chest.ItqZO7
3An“I don’t know when or how it got there, but it was suddenly among my books. And from the handwriting, it’s my brother Antenor’s.”MGf3
PaHT“Give it to me right now!”IeHw
hT6mEEGerlan snatched the letter from her hands and unfolded it desperately. It was the handwriting he knew, the same style as before:qqPGS1
ozfh[This time it’s for real. I’ll bring the Mercenary King, the one they say tried to kill you. And…]47LDBBI
D7AE[If you don’t come, you’ll regret it. I swear on my name and my honor.]SGF
NaUGRFQAnd again, a time and place for the meeting.HQbCo8g
vlC5KT“That damn Antenor…!”k1R0yp
mWukThere was no doubt—he was provoking him.EjNwc
AhpwUThe problem was, even if he wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t.dWX0Y
2VAWhat if Antenor revealed everything? What if he had proof?tWgNQ3v
aEXNThat would be the end. Worse yet, the fact that he had tried to kill the king with the help of the corrupt would be a fatal blow.TIw
VVlUCT“Who else knows about this?”XKvu
TbAg4“No one, only me.”ygAAJ
wlu1zm“If this letter reaches other ears before mine, you’ll pay dearly for it.”f71HC
fcW“I’ll keep that in mind.”0cf2yN
1dDsBhXGerlan stood abruptly and left without saying goodbye.VnkY
jEEV83Yuli watched him until he disappeared, then rose as well.AoA6fdh
bnLgNZ0She took the bag with the bottles of holy water and got ready.w7UaCY
wxRNThe day had come.jeAEU
HFic1dThe day to cleanse Linelt of the corrupt and the scum devouring it.NiA
7DsFShe headed toward the king’s chamber. Her steps were heavier than ever.bdA
ztAHqT⸻7KtArm8
t0kLUIt’s said that if one holds back three times, even murder can be avoided.fat
4wg5In other words, people can usually only endure up to three times.58tozp
0eDtG‘If this is a lie again, I won’t let it slide…!’jW9Rj
otHK8Gerlan also considered this the last time and went to the meeting spot.VtAfDv
8jef4The tenth royal villa, at the easternmost edge of the Kingdom of Linelt.FLcgsvr
HvZI“Have you been well, brother?”xTjF8
VStveThere stood the person he had longed to see—not just to reclaim, but to tear to pieces. Antenor Linelt greeted him calmly.7wQPwU8
hybkyp“……”ikRW
shLKGerlan’s gaze, filled with murderous aura, softened slightly. Just as he expected, Antenor wasn’t alone.T6VE8b7
3qDm7“So, the Mercenary King was sent by you.”1rVo0A
DJTAISTDozens of mercenaries, and right beside Antenor stood the Mercenary King himself.Gqm56PJ
zwkGerlan ground his teeth.PvIOGl
voLy83“You dared send the Mercenary King to assassinate me? And you still call yourself the First Prince of Linelt?”deIUJ
G5TTNts“What are you talking about, brother? You’re the one who hired the Mercenary King to eliminate the corrupt. He fulfilled your request faithfully, and then you stabbed him in the back.”yB3n
Yd1XvUY“What nonsense are you saying? I never ordered him to eliminate the corrupt…”9w91nc
p6REzSuddenly, Gerlan stopped.58Ghw
Rt6“…Right. I did. Yes, I did.”ON4xOtA
X5dqQThen why did the Mercenary King turn out to be the traitor? He never threatened him.LYR
qhfWN“Patrick…!”5kbdUQ
07mSCA sharp pain pierced his head. At the same time, his mind cleared. Fragments of memories surfaced.ukna
DErw0Not perfectly, as if someone had tried to erase them with black ink, but he could understand the general picture.5dRf
i0dGUkcGerlan’s eyes turned bloodshot.63URxQ
Bf5ckF“Seems I have no talent for mental magic. Dantalion used to say such trivial things would never affect him.”a9RuB
xMxSHowever, Patrick Pirandello met Gerlan’s gaze with complete calm.objm
llAfqc“Do you feel wronged, for having been under suggestion?”twBD
91dh9z“How dare you do this to me…?!”vAHI
qW7D“Your Highness, look around you. Does it matter now?”TS3t
bM75pukEven if you’re angry—what can you change?p4r
Xpdf“What can Your Highness do at this moment?”nqBvP
ETk6R“You…!”rZ2
ui7U“It was your choices that led to His Majesty falling ill, and to the First Prince going mad and being confined.”qpC3
vHkKioEither way, wasn’t it inevitable that you and the First Prince couldn’t coexist under the same sky?HQKTNkO
U4YQI“Do you still not understand what’s important? Do you think the First Prince or the Mercenary King, now turned into an instant pariah, will let you be?”TogauPW
kw3fP“……”SS2Kcjd
09XAUnRGerlan closed his mouth. Patrick was right. No matter the reason, having reached this point, there was no other choice.gYiLp
i2WAt that moment, Count Pirandello stepped forward. He bowed—not to the First Prince, but to the man calmly standing beside him.I9zj
WWm5C“It’s you, isn’t it? The one shaking the Kingdom of Linelt.”X2AEDO
Bk8If“I’m not the one shaking it—you are.”PAJh6qn
K5Yb“At first, I didn’t know who it was.”JzCz
t3dKAfter fighting the Mercenary King, he mobilized all his resources to find him.NBRjkm
l4UWAnd yet, he couldn’t. It was as if he had vanished from the world without a trace.xA1pc
66jVYMSFor Patrick Pirandello, who had extended his influence throughout Linelt both in the light and the shadows, that was unexpected.Os8
CHtWHe believed himself to be the ultimate puppeteer, but within Linelt, there were those watching him from above, as if holding him in the palm of their hand.KRf3y55
URZcbL“Then I narrowed the candidates down to three.”lUgxsju
VrqR5OSchwaben, Pellenberg, Alprosen.EYY8NI
YOX8qOLAbroad, there were few who could command an organization with such power and influence.WI6KTBX
9YztTt“And it didn’t take long until only one remained.”bvN
VwhmtTf“Who?”CC9YmYY
Fht“Pellenberg.”LmZ
eTVThe richest in the continent.w4F0o2
SjYFWxZThe ones with the largest information network.slLWBMj
Dpll28hWithin the Empire, Schwaben surpassed Pellenberg.cnTsy
XYEWithin Alprosen, Alprosen surpassed Pellenberg.nk2
yEb5AbBut in Linelt, a third kingdom outside those two great powers, Pellenberg ruled.qklA6O
jNZM“And you are…”DOU0
311glvZHe had achieved all of it through immense wealth.p3wwC
HJ7yZ6g“Fernan Pellenberg. Isn’t that right?”DWS
iyLThe man removed his cloak.okgj
6Uu47His slicked-back black hair and blood-red eyes were revealed.V8ZphCI
uWx“Correct.”aob
H3EeuWv“Fernan Pellenberg? What the hell are you doing here?! This is interference in internal affairs!”1YVm
Xa8BYpcIgnoring Gerlan’s shouts, Fernan asked:wMxy8C
rtAKO“Let me ask you just one question.”68YmO
W2zwyP“What is it?”WkJDobG
RzRaEJo“What’s your relationship with Baelz?”QohbU
hLzU“What the hell are you talking about?”BWdrJJJ
wb78126“The mark on your wrist. That one is only engraved on contractors of equal rank, isn’t it?”NnsH
oZ09“……!”aBO8
YcpDtEIn that instant, Patrick Pirandello’s composure cracked.0zG
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