Chapter 177: Puzzle Pieces (3)
vEZKThat single sentence broke the silence of the banquet hall.Z3aBb
q2x2Even though the King had personally stated that I could wish for anything, no one would have been expecting Legal Immunity to be brought up.TAZ
NV393OKing David was someone who stayed faithful to his own words. He would have given me anything I desired, even if that involved a royal treasure.xliF3l4
MvFDbhHowever, what I asked for was an Immunity from Persecution. Asking to be pardoned for any crime I commit, was ominously similar to notifying beforehand of a crime.cYUc0K
tmaHrhTo be fair, that wasn’t wrong. But what they would never expect, was that it would be a crime of treason.KuQcO41
pI5s1F“Legal Immunity, huh…? Was not expecting that, Baron Lork.”xTRzeu
qJNt6nThe King appeared to be in a slight dilemma but soon gave permission.f2p
XbKQa“Good. Baron Korin Lork. I shall grant you a Legal Immunity guaranteed by the royal court. No matter what crime or sin you may commit, it shall be forgiven once, if you do indeed decide to use it.”bD8n
t9EHThe King’s words had to be heavier than anything else, and they thus couldn’t go against their own words. No matter the intention I had, the King could not withdraw what he said.x3LZHc
m4BtwfDon’t worry, Father-in-law. This wouldn’t be a bad story for you either.R35s
I40l“Next, Lady Marie Dunareff. We shall grant thee the staff of the Great Mage from the royal treasury—”9uNd
hGGzbS5The main named characters of Korin Guardians each received a reward depending on their contribution. After the award ceremony was over, the banquet hall regained its noise and excitement. It was getting late, but the dishes were constantly being refilled for everyone to have their fill for the night.Knr
veWYU“Knight Korin.”qM2MEl6
jnvTKThe banquet was in full festival mood when a lady came over with the help of a walking stick.3lm
Cly2QI“Your Highness Elizabeth.”e8UUF
locaSg“Fufu. You are the academy senior, so why don’t you be less formal?”B214yOy
bsvCPkf“The palace has its own set of rules, after all.”kMdmGpQ
5CiB“Were you really born a commoner? How are you so knowledgeable about the rules?”mXV
t0c“I’m sure you’ve looked into it already.”RkuWdH
njxmrqePrincess Miru smiled impishly before changing the topic.BVTm
7BBIc“His Majesty wants to have dinner together.”NoK
Gh7lV“I see.”9gNtM
cZvTuIt was the same as how it went in the last iteration after I said, ‘Please give me Her Highness Miruam!’ Well, it shouldn’t be as spicy as it was back then at the very least.sM9q9
PoZI left the banquet hall with Princess Miruam, and we were immediately greeted by a group of maids and servants who guided us to the venue. Unlike how it was back at the banquet hall which was rather open to the public, we came across more and more guards the deeper we went into the palace.wM12Q5
d2HULKnights and soldiers were patrolling around the palace and barriers set up by mages were prohibiting intruders.65FQ
PePuBQI could still remember how it was impossible to get around the palace in secret unless you were following either the Great Mage or the Assassin skill tree.5Lte
byn2ZW‘Everyone’s busy.’3OBs
BngLEtPerhaps because of the crowd of people from the banquet, the guards and servants all appeared quite busy. However, none of them were running and there weren’t any loud conversations going on, as all of them were representatives of the palace.duT3E
4Lf79bThey had to be mindful of dignity and class since the residence of the royal family was currently being visited by a bunch of nobles. Thanks to that, this place had a completely different atmosphere to the outside world, as if it was in a totally different dimension.xOMz4
zus‘I had to leave before I even got used to this place though.’HXBzYAE
TeqcwiUI recalled the times when I used to live here for a short period of time when Princess Miru spoke to me.4YnA
vDUP8“An interesting reward you asked for.”MITMNf
nXajv“You mean the Legal Immunity?”NFOUEdR
Tygf“Yes. It sounded like a declaration that you would commit something in the future that would warrant you using that Legal Immunity.”olS4
dHL“Not wrong.”7XX0wZs
If7b4A crime of treason, that is.raRRR
sVlh2“May I ask what it is going to be?”dLLO7y
p58uka“It will spoil the fun if you hear about it beforehand. Please wait for the surprise.”BTFudw
gPTlkWaMiruam suddenly stopped her feet and turned around, and so did the surrounding maids and servants.gRZ
Q6uW“I am curious about what you are going to do with that Legal Immunity. I am very intrigued.”dsYA
4auwm4F“Thank you for being interested in me.”6XPB
xYYv2QNI looked around at the servants and the maids… All of them looked familiar – they were all people whom Miruam had persuaded into her faction.rHFTYx
dzBAlthough Princess Miruam had lost quite a large supporter with the fall of the Tower of Mages, she was still standing strong inside the palace. There was no need to worry about our current conversation being conveyed to someone else.Swswd
mYkInside the secret and secluded room surrounded by the walls of maids and servants, she pulled my tie to bring me closer to her.88mEarZ
B7r“My offer is still valid.”QZYLTC
3xctgC『You can do whatever you want to me.』kcMFe6
FBmA shockingly sweet fragrance stimulated my nose. She didn’t even bother hiding the venomous light in her eyes – those same eyes were so enchanting and captivating that she didn’t even need to.7fw8
BG5OIt was a sensuous seduction proving how she was like a flame, willing to sacrifice her own life to achieve her objective, however…x0v525
l7QM『Did you wake up? I was just looking at your sleeping face.』1B6XX
MThgI could still remember the warm and bright smile she had beneath that venomous face, and her defenseless side which she showed only to me.LWaP
5NvLb“Let’s see.”L3NcZ
CeyAMt5Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her towards me. The maid next to her flinched but Miru held them back with a gaze.oJm3
q4uKHZSoon, she turned towards me, and our crimson eyes looked into one another.ji2
obc5me“It’s an attractive offer, but I would have to decline for the time being.”7kF1
YOK“Meaning?”VXto4
MqD“Please wait patiently. I will come back with another offer.”m3Y9
fGRun0E“Hmm…”uzCFP4m
hVRPrincess Miru scrutinized my face as if trying to discern my intentions.x3p3
oTp0r“Well, fine. But you better not be too late.”fDBwF1
oljZg2With that, we resumed walking down the palace until we were at the entrance of the hall where the royal family shared their meals.sjL
im7g“Do you need me to tell you about the royal etiquette?”7yqIdB
WE4aHmo“It’s fine. I’ve learned them all.”oDJhTa
arD“I wonder who taught you the royal etiquette. Was it Estelle?”UVLq03
1I06q‘It’s you.’wY4o2X
NrvThe dining room inside still looked familiar, because nothing had changed since the last iteration.4Lk
oystUnderneath the brilliant chandelier was a large dining table, covered by a white tablecloth. Three people were sitting down next to the table filled with all sorts of dishes.Jb1JJVu
WWtKing David, Queen Asher, and Estelle the 1st Princess…jJFSx
xMlqkMTThe King offered me a seat.i0m
nfho“Take a seat, Baron Lork. You too, Princess Miruam.”Dsn
Z0iVAmI already greeted him at the banquet hall so I sat down without any formalities. On the other side of the seat was Estelle, who gave a faint wave after seeing me sit down.xWhJ
REQ‘Hello~’f3Q
rYqShe seemed to have regained some of her energy and looked a lot better than how she did before the banquet.weeFB2
VeZrXt“Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty.”OXC7
byXYHdQ“Right. I heard you are a vassal noble of the Dunareff Dukedom.”bYX
2F9kn“It was thanks to a small connection we had.”HIYlYT
WvP7bdr“Saving the young lady of the dukedom is more than just a small connection, I would say.”38ax
M5MAs expected, the King was aware of Marie’s vampire awakening incident.Yg6Z
Jzd5g1“The Dunareff is a long ally of the royal court and an important family in charge of the Kingdom’s lifeline. Helping them is no different from saving the Kingdom.”owa3
YiiBl2“I am flattered, Your Majesty.”LB5GoT
fDu8EcI replied with a slight bow to his compliment. Hearing that, King David smiled and said while shaking his hand.pqusHOe
HaSb3Z“There’s no need to be so formal, Knight Korin. You are a benefactor who has saved my daughter, and a hero that subjugated the wicked Tower. I am indebted to you both as a father of a child and as the Kng of a Kingdom.”60Tc
szK“It’s an honor.”bysOm
8IMFD“Haha. Like I said, don’t be so formal. I still find the heroic tale of your infiltration into the Steel Archipelago impressive to this date. Estelle was talking about it all the time.”Ksg
9q4Just like the princesses, King David was a blunt and straightforward King. Even in the last iteration, he didn’t treat me with prejudice even though I visited him with the pregnant Miruam.hSVvpNj
PBvJR『Miru has found herself a good man.』A91NK5
pOvAlthough I did get violated, I was still a commoner that impregnated the princess, and yet he glossed over it without making a big deal out of it. Instead, he sincerely requested while grabbing onto my hand.pVkR6K
hBc2『Please take good care of my daughter. Be a warm home and a place to return to for that girl. She’s a pitiful child.』WQv
lXfPHe was genuinely concerned about Miru and entrusted her to me but…2LG5aNv
b6yh…Sorry Father-in-law. What I did in the last iteration… wasn’t enough.kITBoAp
a9XAjG8“Ah. Look at me talk the whole time with food on the table. Let us eat first.”Qd7r
pDrlQAzKing David picked up his cutleries first so that I could start eating whenever. That was when Estelle cut off a large leg of a turkey to place onto my plate.Us9GI
hAs5“Here you go, Dongsaeng~”Z3EPlf
0AbiqwEstelle said with a wide smile and a sparkling set of eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Queen Asher.SO7Reii
TXQ“Oh my, Estelle. You are being very considerate of Knight Korin, aren’t you?”9i7
o7lxVK4“He is the one who saved my life after all~”gJ1v
TZW4CThe Queen teased but Estelle replied mischievously without concealing her goodwill.hc7
PtQX16“Ah, Korin-dongsaeng will now be my ‘Dongsaeng’ so please treat him like a son. Father. Mother~.”5MUd6
rhf“Oh my.”UyGL
c0MR7“Hoh?”nAUZ
pPZuQueen Asher covered her mouth in surprise whereas King David… had a look in his eyes that was in complete contrast to Duke Marde’s.nw4j
7G0U“Don’t make it embarrassing for Knight Korin, Estelle. There’s no way he would feel comfortable if you do that as the higher-up, right?”wQrDuX
XpEghdPrincess Miru commented against her but Estelle continued without stopping.SDkUK
mnpfu9“For others, maybe, but he will be alright around me. Right, Dongsaeng?”YP18
05x“Kuhum… Let’s stop there, Saintess.”nz187t2
xbX2t“Come on~. You can’t do that after taking my first kiss?”P3dg
EL4MWait, Missy!? You can’t say that here!sQu
14SP“Oh wow…!”evS
Y0JwM“Hmm… So that’s how it is.”rZbK
0igtlrThe King and the Queen were now giving me looks that were much more intense compared to before. I was chewing on turkey, but I couldn’t even tell how it tasted anymore. Even Princess Miru was looking at me with squinted eyes!Iw2hTf
HyVw“Hmm…”cfbRPFs
HhG7Ahh, that look, those eyes… I could understand what they meant. ‘Is that why you turned me down?’ was the look on her face…Nt0WUgf
vRdthwCIt’s a misunderstanding.Ahb
uHKTs“Also, I have heard you slept with my daughter, is that correct?”PA8F2
1V4UByX“Kuhum…!”xou2v
LCjraDid you say everything? Estelle! Hide some stuff from your parents please!WxtnKX
hpd“Your Majesty. The thing is…”yNY80T
ClVk“For several days with your bare body at that…”A84Y
AaiSgI turned to Estelle with a flick, asking her to say something, and she commented while covering her heated cheeks with her hands.oLT
tRHGOI9“I told you that’s not the case. Korin-dongsaeng was about to freeze to death so I had to warm him up.”f4o
GuQQ“Whatever the case, it is true that he has seen the bare body of a marriageable lady. How is it, Knight Korin? She’s a lacking daughter, but would you be happy to live with her?”tkbUDu6
ZEo5“Oh come on. We are not in that kind of relationship yet. It’s just a matter of time, though.”0CCdxp
tG8YgeMatter of time? What is? Hello? Estelle-noona?qMRj4
kachGVq“You weren’t interested in any of the promising young nobles of the Kingdom, but it’s a different story for the hero, huh? This too I suppose is fate.”0Oj3S
ukrMAyEBoth in the last iteration and now, for some reason, I had this feeling that this old man couldn’t wait to send his daughters off for marriage.Cewl
sQcI guess it did make sense, considering how neither Estelle nor Miruam had fiances let alone any prospects for marriage. There weren’t any successors either, so maybe that was why he loved it so much when Miru was pregnant.amVR3R
iVfk“Father.”sIb1
hbiThat was when Princess Miru opened her mouth after a long silence.UOq
SYpw6r“Although Knight Korin has been granted Legal Immunity, that alone won’t be enough to save face for the royal court. How does it sound, that you give him another different reward?”Jeqy
jy5TR“Hmm?”rIry
UUyKing David had a surprised look on his face, as if he wasn’t expecting Princess Miru to show goodwill towards me.i3QJ
U46po4c“Another reward apart from Legal Immunity… Knight Korin did indeed contribute enough for another reward.”R0Ai4
HmoGn4“I am flattered.”pNOFw5C
gnS66S“However, there is one thing I need to ask beforehand. Where are you planning to use the Legal Immunity?”M9p
UOtQOYf“…Apologies, Your Majesty.”tnLhQ
N2jiAiI refused to answer his question in a roundabout way, and the King seemed slightly troubled by it.qKc
2KG6“How concerning. A crime that would warrant the hero of the Kingdom to rely on Legal Immunity… I cannot imagine what you are trying to do using it.”XUr
togB0zETreason, Father-in-law.Tsk5d8
lY2Just a little… act of treason and betrayal.cBI5o7D
iMX3“Let me ask one question then. What is the direction of that crime?”8a93t
9JORAAfter giving up on asking about the content, the king now asked about the direction and ultimate objective of the crime. This much was something I could tell him.40IilY
0KJSo“There is one very important lesson I have learned from my Master.”xohC7n
J1rAll the puzzle pieces were in place. The completion of the puzzle was for one sole purpose.phcWZ
BuK09cK“Justice. Justice. Justice. You are to seek only justice.”Esa
E5TgBl3Both in the past and now, all I want is a happy ending.9dLTYB
8dBQKX………9Tj
er86r……r4xiY
1Xs19g…aVEBUp
V1iThe meal ended with relative comfort despite being in the company of the royal family. After the meal, maids cleaned up the plates and brought cups of tea.xdy
u7CmInOKing David took a sip of the tea, placed the cup down and said with a smile.ZLW1a
fpuo“Right. I do agree that we need to give another reward apart from the Legal Immunity. You have the right to receive more.”s7u
7OrH“Thanks for your kindness, Your Majesty.”pAM
o5qQd4a“I wondered what I should give you, but you would already have many of your wants fulfilled. The Dunareff Dukedom is being generous with their sponsorship, are they not?”R6I
rZpX“…”5tUwQj
zVdh“Young Lady Marie. I know that she is harboring serious feelings for you, and the financial support of the Dunareff means you wouldn’t need the royal treasures or peerages.”qUt
xczaTHj“Your words alone are enough, Your Majesty.”kbOO
Dq1IPh“I can see you are not disagreeing with me either.”M17ja
H4A“…”4iqh
yyO“As such, I thought about what you would need and have come to a decision.”VUke
RKn5pWhat would it be, I wondered. Judging based on his words, it didn’t seem to be a treasure or a noble peerage.jcqzOS
zrSQ“Thy request for Legal Immunity must have been for an extraordinary and greater good. Thus, I shall promise thee, a noble knight pursuing justice.”1us5p
ZecCSJKing David reflected his trust in me with his kind yet solemn tone of voice.ZpZp4
yzneF“Ask me for anything you wish. Like Legal Immunity, I will grant thy wish once no matter what it may be.”G2Ee1p
5QkFcg“…!”Tnc
o55e7A double reward and a tremendous promise at that.vFVaDUk
Yn9Only one wish had been given to the player until now, and yet here I was being granted another one. The unbelievable declaration of the King instead made me hesitant on accepting his offer.Bch
ig6“Your Majesty. But…”JxE
CtMN“Do not refuse it. I know thee and thy actions. I have heard of thy righteousness and magnanimity, guaranteed by the Saintess and I have confirmed it with my very eyes upon this encounter.5Gsuy
oop“Thou art a compassionate hero. The financial supporters of Dunareff, reinforcements of Arden and Merkarva Academy are all aware of this. I have not a single doubt that thou art treading down the path of justice and good.1uPXn3
ZQR“An unusual movement is swaying the continent. A traitor has come out of Merkarva and the Tower of Mages have done incomprehensible evil. There will be more coming.”bk888tb
QBFcdIFor a moment, King David’s eyes scanned past Princess Miru, who floated a sly smile that concealed her intentions even from her own father.BW8K
Kro“Winter is coming. It will be a harsh season for all of us, and the Kingdom must prepare for it.”qrE0zW
PWj『Please take good care of my daughter. Be a warm home and a place to return to for that girl. She’s a pitiful child.』ILFX6
rxdThe King was someone who was the most concerned about Miruam, while at the same time being the most conscious and vigilant about her madness, fury and hatred.a0N8h
ul8F4i***DPN6t0
IdK“You weren’t expecting him to promise something like that, were you?”HbhjZX
N4GqAfter the dinner, Miruam returned to her palace.e6YxB
yQ89QShe was aware that the King was vigilant of her. He was worried about where her hatred and fury would bounce off to, and kept an eye out on the factions that got along with her.itF0
bfW2TXTower of Mages and the Old Faith. Upon seeing the highest authority groups of the world taking irrational and absurd actions, he appeared to have sensed something coming.Dg8Jnu
LihyluXThanks to that, what Miruam had said in order to buy the goodwill of Korin, ended up granting him another pair of wings aside from the Legal Immunity.fQn4kHK
0zuxCG“Fufu…”MwT
tKU『Father, oh Father. Do you think this would be enough to stop me? This is partly your responsibility as well. The moment you buried my mother, you have lost all rights to dissuade me of my revenge.』A6PIOxW
T8XThose who knew of Miruam all said that she was like a venomous serpent.zBAgkS
9OvOQHowever, they were only half-right. She was indeed a serpent with a lethal dose of poison, but what they did not see was that her tail was on fire.FZ20sm
rq43Her body was on fire – she was on flames that would scorch the disgusting dogs at the end of her destined journey. Even if that would end up scorching herself in the process, Miruam could not stop half-way.CuMUs92
uWMV3That had been her lifelong wish for the past 10 years.eoBQlC
auukqQq“No one can stop me. No one.”2qd
oJj“If you say so.”pePXsDi
z6e“…”LX7mzSt
LnzsThis was her palace and her bedroom which should be safe from anyone… and yet there was a guest who had come in before she did.zqJy9n
LUJxNAO“To think you would enter the room of a lady without permission. You lack the etiquette of a gentleman.”bnaJLg
aAjig“I hope for your understandanding, Princess. There were too many people roaming around outside.”UA5wy
rU0f11PHe was saying that despite hiding from the eyes of all those people with ease. Miruam tried to pour him a glass of wine, but the man was already drinking it from the bottle.ZAJ0TO
U9xRTd“It has been a while, Danann of Light. Sir Tates Valtazar.”1H5
a48Y0Tates Valtazar, the usurper of the world aiming to seize the throne, had been waiting for Miruam in her room.rVzRMIP
N1MFZjA“Right.”pEEfwQ
AW9EyHe was the same as always. Just like a middle-aged man strolling around the streets, he was leisurely and relaxed.IjE
0CPa1However, Miruam knew him; the grand goals he had in mind and his sense of justice which laid on the border of madness.xVZi
zs7xjrCMost importantly, she knew his otherworldly power that would rightfully let him call himself the King of Gods.OAfxRt
M45“You have been suffering a lot of losses these days, haven’t you? To a disappointing degree. At this rate, is there meaning in me sponsoring you anymore?”6Us7bM
19fCWl2She said in a rather insolent manner to the man who could single-handedly destroy the entire palace. It was only possible because she wasn’t working under him – the two of them were more like allies than a master and subordinate.bkKcH3
SqJRecently, the actions of her ally were disappointing to say the least. They failed to retrieve the Primal Rune through Fermack, and also failed at controlling the media through the awakening of the living jiangshi.lHj
kkDIOeXThe greatest failure of them all was the dumbfoundingly pathetic downfall of the Tower of Mages and their failed attempts. The fall of the Tower of Mages would have been a big hit even to Tates Valtazar and yet he remained as nonchalant as ever.LSUro
D05tK“Don’t worry about it. It’s just as usual.”M4o
0rlKM“…?”PIcYI91
19YwHyHe looked used to it, which Miruam could not understand.1FOF7vS
s2RPiOa“This accursed world hates me too much. I suppose it can’t be helped as I’m the usurper.”Iis
j0PDespite lamenting his position, he drank from the bottle with the most relaxed expression on his face.lT4An
5Kibxpj“Well, fine. I’m hoping you won’t fall until I achieve my goal.”HgHFXZ
obgvMiruam wasn’t interested in the new world or whatever that Tates was going to create as long as she could achieve her own objective.qkwGSB
OlDMPHe had the power to obtain his wish, had a large faction supporting him as well as the fate to change his ‘destiny’… but things of the future did not matter to her in the slightest.ftFKXp
fg80DHWhether he succeeded or failed did not matter.5wVV
UNM569W“Anyway, here. As per the contract.”Btedij
04ZrNznHe threw something at Miruam, and a ‘snake’ slithered out of her dress to bite it.RrBp
RK5F9“…”u5Le
bPu8pThe treasure that the snake bit onto was the greatest treasure in the world, Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny.fthN
ZXCTreating such a treasure like a pebble on the streets… Miruam was baffled by his carelessness but was at the same time endlessly drawn into the beautiful gem.efT
9szz“Read your destiny, your undetermined fate.”Zg9jU1L
IRsOne of the conditions of the contract that he had forged with her 5 years ago included the temporary use of Lia Fail once a year, which would allow Miruam to read her destiny and—e9zklx7
SOMNv8U———f8a9
qFqr———v8q9gu
gsf1aXg———DYb8ej
PxlX9Using that, she read her fate.GZ5
yE92qJ“Haak…!”LG4
jtNn6Gasping for breath, she even dropped the walking stick that was supporting her body. Her aching legs couldn’t support her weight and she ended up falling onto the ground.bYOn
TROylQPShe, who cared the most about dignity and status in the entire palace, collapsed miserably and couldn’t even try to stand back up. It wasn’t because of her exhausted body, nor the shock that came from reading her destiny.GZ3
cowgdz“Fufu, fufufufu…! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”Bbq
u1EhLike a madman, she laughed.QERT5
tr7zZAsIn joy and ecstasy.UPMKY6
vKR2g0B“Hoh~”HBC
YHAnZlNTates looked intrigued by that shift and her reaction, because it was his first time seeing her laugh like that.DgU
aVi“Has destiny been modified?”agYC
gYjKO“Yes. It has. Fufu. That damned destiny has finally changed. I found myself, not as a dead failure, but smiling happily and joyously more than anyone else in the world.”0FGB6I
wkDRHer fate had changed.YgpL
kXZ5XvFThe flame called Miruam let out a genuine laughter.lX97F5T
5qCy1At last.DAlYY
Y9tHThe small change that happened last year, had finally come to fruition and showed a full result this year.6ZUq9l
TPW02She saw a son of a bitch screaming in pain in death, proving of her success, and standing next to her was her destined knight.Uv7e0
RiKATK‘I knew it. It was you, Korin Lork. You’re the one who changed it.’4Ns
1RGK3x4My hero.TnW6JA
ToSpOMy prince.f1NSy
4pdMy destiny.q4sw
4ZeHe is the one who will fulfill my lifelong wish.OSJ
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