Chapter 18

Episode 18 — Secrets and the Protagonist (1)

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water droplets falling from the ceiling of the cave struck a pale face and flowed down.

Drip.

The last droplet, which had been barely hanging on, struck his temple. At that impact, the deeply closed eyes finally trembled.

Blink. Blink.

Because his vision would not focus properly, he closed and opened his eyes several times.

'Is this Teritum, where only the good can go? It is too damp for that, though. Then is it Hodie? It seems the doctrine saying the imperial family is the race of gods was true. Is my whole body aching because this is Hodie?'

He had heard that in Hodie, there was a monster called Escam that repeatedly cut people alive and put them back together, but seeing as that was not here, it did not seem to be Hodie either.

Considering how his whole body ached, it also seemed like he had already been put back together and taken apart several times.

The duke, who had been organizing the religious knowledge he had diligently learned throughout his life according to the flow of consciousness, suddenly came to his senses.

‘I am not dead yet.’

He put strength into his eyes again and looked around.

It was too dark to see his surroundings, but judging from the sounds and the sensation against his back, it seemed to be a cave.

‘Did I fall into water and survive by luck?’

In truth, if the duke had been a little more clear-headed, he would have known that, judging from the height he had fallen from, even if there had been water below, it would not have been strange for his entire body to have shattered.

But Duke Feedus had not fully come to his senses.

Thinking that he might have been swept away by the current and ended up in a cave near the cliff, he slowly released the strength from his body.

Since he did not have the strength to raise himself yet, the duke slowly focused his consciousness and checked the condition of his body.

Head, arms, torso, legs…. Oh dear, I twisted my right leg.

After examining himself in order, there did not seem to be anything particularly wrong besides the throbbing pain in his right ankle.

His whole body ached, but considering that he had fallen from a dizzying height, he was more intact than expected.

‘Did I not fall from the cliff?’

He had definitely fallen while hearing the 1st Prince’s laughter.

Tollin, who had been trembling as he looked at him, had also watched his final moments, and the emperor, whose expression was laughably bored, remained in his memory too, and then,

—You cannot die yet.

And there had also been the black-haired prince who had muttered that to him.

When even the face of the 7th Prince, who had crookedly raised one corner of his lips, came to mind, the duke felt chills run down his back.

Yes, the 7th Prince.

He had clearly muttered that he could not die yet.

‘As if he had known I would survive.’

Once his thoughts reached that point, he remembered the bag full of stones the prince had given him during the hunting competition.

This time, the duke slowly raised himself and groped around his waist.

He could not feel the bag.

‘It must have been swept away by the water when I fell.’

Well, after falling from that height, it was strange enough that he was even still wearing clothes.

The duke sighed and this time looked around to figure out exactly where he was.

No, he tried to look around.

"Are you looking for this?"

If only he had not been startled by the low voice that came from behind him.

The duke was grateful for the fact that his body had no strength and he could not make a sound.

Otherwise, at the voice that suddenly rang out, he might have forgotten his age and screamed like a young girl.

In the darkness, someone had been sitting quietly without any presence.

Judging by his outline, he seemed quite sturdy, and the man’s golden eyes quietly looked at him.

The duke stiffly accepted something that seemed to be the bag the man handed him.

The heavy weight made it clear that it was that damned pile of stones.

"......Thank you."

"It is nothing. I took it off for a while because continuing to carry it seemed like it would strain your body."

"Ah, it seems you saved this old man. I do not know how to express my gratitude…."

He seemed like a better person than expected, but the duke slowly answered without lowering his guard.

The other party was skilled at hiding his presence well enough to fool his sensitive senses.

Even if that had not been the case, the aura he gave off was unusual enough that the duke could not feel at ease.

His instincts, honed through leading battles for over thirty years, told him that the other party was by no means weak.

In a situation where he did not know whether this man was his savior or something else, he could not yet let go of the thread of tension.

"No, there is no need for repayment."

The man answered bluntly.

"So long as you answer my questions obediently."

Because his air was by no means gentle, the duke looked at him silently.

His gaze was cold enough to give the illusion that the unspoken words, If you answer, I will not kill you, could be heard after it.

Duke Feedus pondered.

From groping around his waist earlier, it seemed he was now completely disarmed.

Either his weapons had been swept away by the current, or the man in front of him had collected them all, like this bag.

It was not that he had neglected his training, but it was true that his body had grown slower compared to the days when he was engaged in battle.

Could he win in a physical fight?

If the opponent was unarmed, somehow…

Shing.

While the duke was thinking, the man quietly drew a blade from his waist.

He is perfectly armed.

Moreover, his posture was quite stable, so the duke sighed inwardly.

The form of the well-honed silver blade shone in the darkness. And then he opened his mouth.

"Are you someone connected to the imperial palace?"

"No, absolutely not. I am simply a senile old man who lost his footing while passing by. My name is Jing."

Fortunately, Agony Feedus, who had stepped down from the position of head of the House of Duke Feedus, was currently in the lowest state of noble pride in his entire life, so he was able to answer without hesitation.

* * *

Fortunately, Agony Feedus, no, the self-proclaimed “Jing”, survived with both legs and both arms intact.

"Um, could you at least untie my feet?"

Though he was currently walking with his intact limbs bound by ropes.

A rope loosened just enough for him to barely take steps restrained both his feet, and his arms were bound behind his back.

Still, perhaps the man was not entirely heartless, because he had provided something like a splint for his right leg.

Whether out of consideration for him or because it was pitch-dark ahead, his pace was also slow.

He was truly a kind young man.

If possible, he could reveal that popularity even more by untying the rope and freeing him.

It was not that he could not walk, but it was not exactly comfortable either, so he spoke to him, but the person who had bound him continued walking while looking only ahead, as if his words were not worth hearing.

In one hand, he held the thick rope pulling him along like a leash used to walk a puppy.

"You may not know this, young man, but if one falls at my age, it does not simply end there. If the hip bone breaks, it is over. In the worst case, one could even die."

He tried to show the image of a pitiful old man as much as possible, but it was useless because the golden-eyed man still did not even glance at him.

By the way, was there a place like this beneath the cliff in the forest?

There had been people who fell below the cliff and died, but no one who returned, so at first the duke thought there might be such a cave.

But after they had walked for quite a long time and nothing appeared, he gradually began to wonder exactly where he had been swept into.

Judging by the way the man had first asked whether he was connected to the imperial family as soon as he woke up, he seemed at least to be part of a force opposing the imperial family and the nobles.

In the worst case, they might be followers of heresy, but he had heard that those opposing the temple had all been wiped out long ago.

He had also been the very person who carried out that work.

While wondering whether there was another organization he did not know about, he moved his feet.

Since one of the things he had done while living as the sword of the imperial family was capturing and offering up such people, the duke watched the man’s back sharply out of habit.

‘If I follow him like this, will I be able to meet all of them?’

‘If so, it will be difficult to wipe them out alone, so after escaping, I will need to lead reinforcements and raid them. Will I be able to determine the exact location?’

Thoughts like that filled his head.

Then suddenly, he remembered his own situation and let out a hollow laugh.

‘What am I doing right now?’

He had rebelled against those to whom he had devoted his body and heart in loyalty and had even been executed.

What use was any of this now?

Had he not abandoned all loyalty toward the emperor the moment he fell from the cliff?

Though his life until now would not simply vanish, there were clearly things more important to him than that.

Right now, more than anything, he needed to meet the young duke he had left behind, the ducal castle, and Tollin, who had shouldered everything.

Not be dragged along obediently like this.

"Where exactly is this place? And why are you taking me away while tying me up like this?"

"...."

"I truly have nothing to do with the imperial family. I am simply an old man with a slightly injured leg. As for why you are capturing me…. I think I can roughly guess. Whatever it is, it is all a misunderstanding, so I hope you will release me. Even if you take me with you, I will only waste space and food."

In truth, it was all a lie.

Although he had already withdrawn from the front lines long ago, was now treated as a dead man, and would probably have to live in hiding for the rest of his life, he was still the former Duke Feedus, and there was an abundance of valuable information they could obtain from him.

If they learned the duke’s identity, that kind young man would try to take him along no matter what.

It was obvious that it would not be in as gentle a manner as now.

He might even try to break the sprained leg entirely.

But from the looks of it, despite the fame of the House of Duke Feedus, that young man did not seem to know his identity.

If he had known, they would not be walking this comfortably.

He did not know why the man had judged him to be connected to the imperial family, but if the other party was not certain, it was worth continuing to confuse him.

As the damp and slippery floor gradually became familiar to his feet, his eyes also grew more accustomed to the darkness, so Agony was able to take in more information.

For example, the fact that this place might not be a simple naturally formed cave.

When he faintly saw that each of the things he had thought were simply stalactites had shapes carved into them, Agony now truly had to slow his steps.

He had a strong premonition that if he followed any farther, it would be difficult to get out.

Because this was not near the cliff where he had fallen.

"I do not think this is my first time asking."

Agony put a little strength into his left foot and held his ground until the rope pulling him went taut.

“Where is this place, and where are you taking me?"

At the voice that contained not even a little playfulness or complaint, only then did the man turn his head and look at Agony.

After a brief standoff, the golden-eyed man opened his mouth.

"Once someone has entered this place, there is no one who asks such questions."

Agony fell silent, not knowing what on earth that meant, and the other party’s voice continued without fluctuation.

"Because this is a place one cannot enter even if one has the will to do so. Especially those who serve the imperial family. They are desperate because they cannot find this place, so there is no reason for them to ask such a question. Since this is what I suspect, that is why I am taking you while tying you up, old man."

At the gaze that seemed to ask whether that was enough of an answer, Agony nodded.

The young man put down the rope he was holding and once again drew the sword he had pointed at Agony when they first met.

"So if you are truly sincere in asking where this place is, old man, then you are one of two things. Either you are insane…."

Agony thought that the golden eyes of the other party, slowly choosing his words, seemed to flash for an instant.

He looked into Agony’s eyes with a piercing gaze and moved his mouth.

"Or you came after receiving the call of God Amica."

Agony silently accepted that gaze without being able to answer.

Perhaps he had not wanted an answer, because the young man turned around again and moved toward one of the stone pillars.

Then he thrust the silver sword in front of it.

The moment Agony felt that the man had gripped the handle and infused something into it, the blade began to shine.

The light that started from the handle flowed along the floor and connected to the pillars that looked like stalactites around them.

Before long, the strange patterns engraved on all the stone pillars held light and bloomed.

And the cave began to move with a grand sound.

Agony could not close his mouth at that unbelievable sight.

The sight of the floor, which he had believed held nothing, twisting and opening a new space.

The unbelievable sight of a new world immediately revealing itself beneath his feet.

Through the misty field of vision, he saw a beautiful castle.

Agony, who had been staring blankly at that dazzling sight, came to his senses at the voice directed toward him.

"In any case, I cannot release you, old man, so just follow me."

Only then, in the brightened view, could Agony properly see the face of the young man who had treated him as something between a dog and a human prisoner.

Golden eyes, thick eyebrows, and a slender face.

But what captured Agony’s eyes was not his features.

Black hair as dark as pitch, fluttering in the wind blowing up from below.

Strangely, his eyes went to that perfectly ordinary black hair.

And Agony felt his lips dry out.

This was the result of lamenting the fate that had placed him not in the lesser evil, but in the worst possible situation; of doubting his own circumstances, standing in the stronghold of those said to have been wiped out fifty years ago; and of resenting whether the fact that he had barely survived was part of the grand design of the first Sierra Abiran to invite him to a more painful death.