Chapter 245

Even though he had already been deceived, the second prince went out once more.

He couldn’t sleep peacefully without fully resolving the unease caused by the first prince.

But after failing twice, the second prince changed his method.

【The Mercenary King, who attempted to assassinate the regent, kidnaps the first prince who was in confinement!】

【A traitor worthy of divine condemnation! How far will the Mercenary King’s atrocities go…!】

It was all the Mercenary King’s fault.

All the anger, all the consequences, were his burden to bear.

“That damn Mercenary King!”

“Not even eating him alive would be enough! Was it not enough with the regent, and now the first prince too?”

“What if he kidnaps the princess next?”

“What the hell are the royal guards doing?”

No 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.

That they insulted or looked down on him was fine—but for an outsider to attack and kidnap him was something they could not tolerate.

The people were furious, and upon hearing that the special taxes would be used to capture the Mercenary King, they began paying them fervently.

“…Fernan.”

“Yes.”

“Now I’m a failure who tried to extort the second prince, and also a bastard who kidnapped the first prince.”

“These are things people will only say while this lasts.”

“They say the Mercenary Guild is already in chaos.”

Although the Mercenary King was the guild’s grandmaster, it didn’t mean he had absolute power.

The 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.

“As long as this isn’t over, there won’t be a dismissal.”

“And after it’s over?”

“Then no one will dare even suggest he should be dismissed.”

“Are you sure?”

“Maybe as the Mercenary Guild’s grandmaster, these words might bother you, but…”

“I get what you’re saying.”

Garrett let out a snort.

“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.”

Even so, Garrett had turned a blind eye. For him, it was normal for mercenaries to seek better rewards.

As long as it didn’t damage the guild’s overall reputation, he let it slide.

“Now that I see him shine in this situation, I think I did the right thing.”

“I’ll make sure that thought stays firm.”

“You’d better.”

**

Yuli flipped through the pages of a book.

Reading popular market novels was her only hobby.

When 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.

The reality that had changed so suddenly was too heavy, and she needed a corner of peace for her heart.

Perhaps 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.

It was then that—

“Your Highness, the regent has come to see you.”

The sudden announcement made Yuli shudder.

Not 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.

‘No, stay calm.’

They haven’t discovered me. There’s no reason to worry.

She took a deep breath and controlled her expression.

“Tell him to come in.”

The door opened. The second prince entered with a haggard face.

Without asking for permission, he slumped onto the sofa and muttered wearily.

“Why weren’t you at the banquet hall? Didn’t I make it clear you should keep hosting banquets?”

Thanks to you, I went for nothing.

“What a funny joke.”

Yuli closed her book with a sharp snap.

“Wasn’t it Your Highness who banned parties after the Mercenary King’s attack, claiming it wasn’t the time for them?”

“…Yes, it was me.”

The second prince frowned and nodded reluctantly.

His brazen attitude repulsed Yuli. Though they shared blood, he felt more distant than a stranger.

“I’ll be direct. Have you received any message from the first prince?”

For a moment, Yuli almost let her face betray her.

Does he know? Or is he just fishing?

Seeing his nervous eyes, Yuli bet on the latter.

“What kind of question is that? You yourself forbade me from writing to him and even hid where he was.”

“…Yes, it was me.”

“Are you joking with me?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

The second prince growled, exuding a murderous aura that made Yuli bite her lip.

“I haven’t told you anything, I admit it. But even so, tell me if you’ve received any message from him.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

Bang!

He slammed the table with such force that the ornaments fell to the floor with a crash.

“I don’t have time to play with you. Yes or no—choose one!”

His 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.

“He will come looking for her someday. After all, the princess is the one closest to him.”

“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.”

It was exactly as Fernan Pellenberg had said.

It made sense that the second prince felt anxious, but seeing him on the verge of hysteria convinced her there was something more.

“Were these the side effects of hypnosis or suggestion?”

They said the corrupt beside him was gradually devouring his mind.

She pitied him, but at the same time thought it was a well-deserved fate.

To betray his father and brother, only to end up like this? Ridiculous and pathetic.

Even so, she burned with rage.

How little did they think of Linelt to dare manipulate a prince’s mind?

For now, she could do nothing. Only endure.

“Since you’re asking, the answer is yes.”

“…That makes no sen—What did you say?”

“I said yes, Your Highness.”

Yuli took a letter from her chest.

“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.”

“Give it to me right now!”

Gerlan snatched the letter from her hands and unfolded it desperately. It was the handwriting he knew, the same style as before:

[This time it’s for real. I’ll bring the Mercenary King, the one they say tried to kill you. And…]

[If you don’t come, you’ll regret it. I swear on my name and my honor.]

And again, a time and place for the meeting.

“That damn Antenor…!”

There was no doubt—he was provoking him.

The problem was, even if he wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t.

What if Antenor revealed everything? What if he had proof?

That 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.

“Who else knows about this?”

“No one, only me.”

“If this letter reaches other ears before mine, you’ll pay dearly for it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Gerlan stood abruptly and left without saying goodbye.

Yuli watched him until he disappeared, then rose as well.

She took the bag with the bottles of holy water and got ready.

The day had come.

The day to cleanse Linelt of the corrupt and the scum devouring it.

She headed toward the king’s chamber. Her steps were heavier than ever.

⸻

It’s said that if one holds back three times, even murder can be avoided.

In other words, people can usually only endure up to three times.

‘If this is a lie again, I won’t let it slide…!’

Gerlan also considered this the last time and went to the meeting spot.

The tenth royal villa, at the easternmost edge of the Kingdom of Linelt.

“Have you been well, brother?”

There stood the person he had longed to see—not just to reclaim, but to tear to pieces. Antenor Linelt greeted him calmly.

“……”

Gerlan’s gaze, filled with murderous aura, softened slightly. Just as he expected, Antenor wasn’t alone.

“So, the Mercenary King was sent by you.”

Dozens of mercenaries, and right beside Antenor stood the Mercenary King himself.

Gerlan ground his teeth.

“You dared send the Mercenary King to assassinate me? And you still call yourself the First Prince of Linelt?”

“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.”

“What nonsense are you saying? I never ordered him to eliminate the corrupt…”

Suddenly, Gerlan stopped.

“…Right. I did. Yes, I did.”

Then why did the Mercenary King turn out to be the traitor? He never threatened him.

“Patrick…!”

A sharp pain pierced his head. At the same time, his mind cleared. Fragments of memories surfaced.

Not perfectly, as if someone had tried to erase them with black ink, but he could understand the general picture.

Gerlan’s eyes turned bloodshot.

“Seems I have no talent for mental magic. Dantalion used to say such trivial things would never affect him.”

However, Patrick Pirandello met Gerlan’s gaze with complete calm.

“Do you feel wronged, for having been under suggestion?”

“How dare you do this to me…?!”

“Your Highness, look around you. Does it matter now?”

Even if you’re angry—what can you change?

“What can Your Highness do at this moment?”

“You…!”

“It was your choices that led to His Majesty falling ill, and to the First Prince going mad and being confined.”

Either way, wasn’t it inevitable that you and the First Prince couldn’t coexist under the same sky?

“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?”

“……”

Gerlan closed his mouth. Patrick was right. No matter the reason, having reached this point, there was no other choice.

At that moment, Count Pirandello stepped forward. He bowed—not to the First Prince, but to the man calmly standing beside him.

“It’s you, isn’t it? The one shaking the Kingdom of Linelt.”

“I’m not the one shaking it—you are.”

“At first, I didn’t know who it was.”

After fighting the Mercenary King, he mobilized all his resources to find him.

And yet, he couldn’t. It was as if he had vanished from the world without a trace.

For Patrick Pirandello, who had extended his influence throughout Linelt both in the light and the shadows, that was unexpected.

He 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.

“Then I narrowed the candidates down to three.”

Schwaben, Pellenberg, Alprosen.

Abroad, there were few who could command an organization with such power and influence.

“And it didn’t take long until only one remained.”

“Who?”

“Pellenberg.”

The richest in the continent.

The ones with the largest information network.

Within the Empire, Schwaben surpassed Pellenberg.

Within Alprosen, Alprosen surpassed Pellenberg.

But in Linelt, a third kingdom outside those two great powers, Pellenberg ruled.

“And you are…”

He had achieved all of it through immense wealth.

“Fernan Pellenberg. Isn’t that right?”

The man removed his cloak.

His slicked-back black hair and blood-red eyes were revealed.

“Correct.”

“Fernan Pellenberg? What the hell are you doing here?! This is interference in internal affairs!”

Ignoring Gerlan’s shouts, Fernan asked:

“Let me ask you just one question.”

“What is it?”

“What’s your relationship with Baelz?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“The mark on your wrist. That one is only engraved on contractors of equal rank, isn’t it?”

“……!”

In that instant, Patrick Pirandello’s composure cracked.