Chapter 244: Liqueur’s Way of Identifying Friend or Foe (2)

Sefira’s group descended from thousands of meters to the ground.

Halibo lost all sense of dignity and simply collapsed. As he realized the preciousness of the earth, he grabbed a handful of dirt in awe.

“Ground,

oh

, we’re back on the ground...!”

Hissop and Katherine only pretended otherwise, but they also leaned against a tree and let out breaths of relief.

At that moment, Charcoal, who had come down with them, quietly asked Keter. “If we went just a little farther, there would be a village. Was there a reason you chose to land in the middle of this mountain?”

Even if Charcoal had asked them to go down to the ground, Keter wouldn’t have obediently complied. He only descended after hearing that the rules of the Path of Glory had changed by order of the crown prince.

Charcoal had worried that Keter would ignore even the crown prince’s order, but because he unexpectedly accepted it and obeyed, Charcoal gained a bit of courage to speak. However, the response he received was nothing but cold.

“We came down because His Highness ordered it. Do you have anything more to say?”

“There is nothing more of His Highness’s message to convey, but...

Ahem!

This is merely my personal curiosity. Since you made the eccentric choice to walk through the sky, I wondered what choice you would make next,” Charcoal said.

Hissop found the conversation absurd as he listened to them speak.

There may be no fault in the tool, but to think the one who hindered us now asks what our next plan is. Is it that the prince’s pawns are shameless, or mages generally are?

Hissop thought perhaps both might be true, and looked at Keter. Although he was currently the acting head of the family responsible for Sefira, he didn’t have even the slightest intention of using that authority and ordering others around. It was because he had neither a clear plan nor any ideas to ensure they could finish the Path of Glory.

On the other hand, even if Keter and Daat might not have plans, they had endless ideas. If the superior neither knew well nor had ideas, then trusting and following others who did was the best choice. Believing this, Hissop entrusted all authority to Keter and waited. Of course, if a situation came where responsibility must be taken, he would step forward then.

Keter ignored Charcoal’s question and called, “Katherine.”

“Yes, Lord Keter.”

“Go gather some firewood. We’ll eat here.”

“Eat?

Haha

, you must still be too young to know better. You think lighting a campfire without any cooking utensils will...”

Keter suddenly pulled cooking tools out from Decameron’s pouch. When he even took out various spices, Charcoal’s eyes widened.

“A pouch with subspace?! Astonishing! I can’t believe Sefira possesses such a precious thing!” Charcoal exclaimed.

“Dork and Halibo, set up the tent. We’ll rest here for a bit before moving forward.”

All the camping supplies they needed poured out of Decameron’s pouch. Halibo was mentally dazed and physically exhausted, but with his tenacious characteristic and promise of rest, he moved diligently.

Daat, despite his small frame, didn’t look tired at all. Though he usually spent more time lying down than standing, he had once been the opposite, so he handled the harsh march and camping without trouble.

Keter didn’t give Hissop any instructions, and Hissop didn’t ask any foolish questions like what he should do. Hissop wasn’t someone who needed to be ordered. He could simply do what he wanted. This was Keter acknowledging and treating Hissop as the acting head of the family, and Hissop neither flaunted it nor found it uncomfortable.

“I’m going to get food,” Keter said and left.

Charcoal glanced between Keter, who walked off after completely ignoring him, and Hissop, and eventually followed Keter.

Halibo sneaked a look at Hissop, then whispered to Daat. “Is there anything Lord Keter can't do? He prepared a campsite in advance, and it looks like he’s even planning to cook too.”

“What he can’t do? Nothing.”

Halibo stayed silent in shock.

“There are things he doesn’t do, though.”

Thanks to Daat, who explained things so clearly, Hissop and Halibo immediately understood what he meant and nodded.

***

Charcoal couldn’t take his eyes off Keter for even a moment.

“What? Are you sure you can just pick up anything like that? And does your pouch also have a subspace? How does it hold so much?

Hm?

”

Keter seemed to be gathering even things that were likely inedible such as mushrooms with brilliant colors, grass that looked like weeds, and thick leaves. He only listened without replying. Then he bent down to pick up a sharp rock, throwing it.

Charcoal saw the rock flying toward him and reacted with his body before using magic.

“

Agh!

”

A boar that had been hiding in the bushes went limp after being hit by the rock.

Charcoal swept a hand over his chest and said, “Th-that startled me! At least tell me beforehand if you were going to hunt a boar!”

“Old man, you don’t have friends, do you?”

Charcoal didn’t say anything, confused.

“You’ve been rambling on about whatever you want since earlier... Would you like to end up like that boar?”

“Was I that bothersome? I’m still a royal mage, you know...”

“I don’t care whether you serve the royal court or the imperial one. If you’re just going to be annoying, then go.”

“I’ll help. Just tell me what you need. Should I carry the boar? You’ll need fire for the campfire, and I can light it. You also mentioned you’re all gonna rest, right? I can use magic so we don’t need someone on watch.” Charcoal offered.

“I don’t particularly need your abilities. If you really want to help, then tell me about the royal family.”

“The royal family...?”

Keter slung the boar he had hunted over his shoulder and said in passing. “There must be issues in the royal palace, power structures, and such. Or even information about His Highness.”

“

Haha

, so you’re trying to get information out of me, is that it?”

“Mutual aid. Aren’t you curious about me as well?”

“If I tell you, will you answer my question too?” Charcoal asked.

His loyalty to the royal palace had already weakened. What replaced that fading loyalty was a mage’s curiosity. Mages were beings crazy for knowledge. So long as they could satisfy their curiosity, they would sacrifice not only themselves, but even their own children.

“I swear I’ll answer without a single lie.”

“

Ahaha!

” Charcoal stroked his beard and laughed.

It was his way of showing that he gladly accepted. Thus, the two exchanged information. Keter shared knowledge about Magic Archery, and in return, he learned why the crown prince had issued the summon for the family heads.

“His Highness issued the summons to ascend the throne.”

“What does gathering the heads of each family have to do with taking the throne?” Keter asked.

“He wishes to firmly secure people on his side to crush Second Prince Rakan.”

“The fact that the two princes are fighting over the throne must mean they are certain that Queen Lillian will not return, right?”

That was a tremendous secret, yet Charcoal acted as if it were nothing special. “It is an open secret in the palace that the queen has been absent for ten years. It isn’t normal for the ruler of a nation to leave the throne not for five years, but for ten, don’t you think?”

“So public opinion must have moved in favor of having someone ascend the throne for the sake of the country.”

“His Highness declared that he would act as king until the queen returns. The high nobles all accepted it as well.”

“That’s odd. Our Sefira family is also among the high nobles, yet this is the first I’ve heard of it.” Keter tilted his head.

“

Ahem

, Sefira... frankly speaking, has no connection to the royal family. It’s truly rare for a master family to have no point of contact with the royal family.”

“So it seems His Highness dislikes Sefira, considering he dragged us down to the ground this way.”

Charcoal, who had been speaking without hesitation, now shut his mouth and continuously stroked his beard.

After a brief silence, Charcoal said, “I can’t be certain, but I don’t think he dislikes Sefira because he summoned me, after all. If he had wanted to punish Sefira, the Royal Dragon Knight Order would have acted.”

“So you’re saying he doesn’t hate Sefira since things only ended as a light warning?” Keter asked back in confirmation.

“It’s only speculation, but that’s what I think. His Highness wishes for the Path of Glory to be fair.”

“

Haha

, fair? A crown prince who’s fighting his younger brother for the throne talks about fairness. Now that’s funny.”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“I understand you’re upset about being sanctioned, but Crown Prince Rukan absolutely isn’t seeking the throne for selfish gain. He is surely someone who will become a virtuous king.”

“You seem to know Crown Prince Rukan very well,

hm?

”

“Didn’t I say? I’m a court mage. I’ve guarded him directly by his side before.” Charcoal said, straightening his back proudly.

Keter searched through the memories of his previous life.

Crown Prince Rukan and Second Prince Rakan were both children directly born of Queen Lillian, and thus, they weren’t ordinary people.

“I won’t chase after you. Instead, leave this nation and never return. That is my first and last offer to you.”

After Keter became Prime in his previous life and rampaged across the nation, Rukan had personally proposed that deal to him. Of course, Keter simply raised his middle finger and refused. A few days later, Second Prince Rakan came to him and made an offer.

“I’ll help you kill the first prince, Rukan.”

However, Keter refused Rakan’s proposal as well. He might have considered it if it were to help kill the queen, but someone like Rakan didn’t even enter his thoughts.

Now that I think about it, it’s strange.

A deep crease formed between Keter’s brows.

In my previous life, the ruler of this country remained Queen Lillian until the end. But now Rukan and Rakan are fighting for the throne?

Of course, the struggle for succession between Rukan and Rakan could turn out to be nothing more than a brief incident if the queen were to reappear midway. In that case, there would be no major difference from his previous life. However, it was impossible to know.

What if Queen Lillian is truly absent...?

Why was Queen Lillian not seated on the throne, unlike in his previous life?

I haven’t done anything to the royal palace yet.

Over the past six months, he had only influenced the southern region. Only rumors had spread in other regions. Could something this minor be enough to make Queen Lillian act differently than in his previous life?

It doesn’t feel like a coincidence...

Something didn’t sit right. Keter had no proof, but he couldn’t simply dismiss the strange feeling.

Though I have already discussed this with Dork.

While sharing future information with Daat, Daat pointed out things Keter hadn’t noticed. One of them was Queen Lillian’s actions. Everyone else behaved exactly as they had in his previous life, so why was Queen Lillian the only exception?

Keter didn’t know enough about the queen to determine whether she had truly disappeared or was still secretly active in the palace. However, Daat had insisted that she was definitely different.

“You said even you don’t know why you regressed, right? That could be related to Lillian.”

“But I’ve never even seen Lillian.”

“It might not be a direct connection. It could be one step, two steps, or even three steps apart. For example, what if your mother, Akrah, had ties to Lillian?”

“If all of that is true, what a messed-up relationship that would be,” Keter grumbled.

“Either way, if the information you gave me is correct, the summon for the heads of each family should come soon. When that happens, let’s go to the palace with Hissop. We can gather information about Lillian then.”

“As expected, everything feels like it’s finally starting to move now that you’ve come.”

After speaking with Charcoal, Keter became certain that Daat’s assumption was correct. Something had happened in the royal palace, which meant something happened to Lillian. Moreover, that pointed to a completely different future from his previous life.

Lillian and my damned mother. What kind of relationship do you two have?

A spark of anger rose at the thought that his birth mother had used every part of him.

Just at that moment, he sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching the camp.

There are people other than us deep in these mountains?

A grin curled up on Keter’s lips. He had been wanting to beat something up, so he felt grateful that something had come to him on their own.

***

While Keter was out gathering food, Daat and Halibo finished setting up the camp, and Katherine also returned with dry firewood. They were just about ready to cook, when a group of people emerged from the bushes.

“Pardon us. We first wish to state that we are not suspicious individuals.” A middle-aged man clad in full-plate armor, seemingly the captain among the knights, raised both hands to show he had no hostile intent. “Lenin, knight commander serving Count Blitz of the South, greets Deputy Patriarch Hissop El Sefira.”

Lenin went down on one knee before Hissop and showed respectful courtesy.

Hissop nodded, accepting the greeting. “Sir Lenin, what a coincidence it is to meet in the mountains like this.”

“May I explain the situation?”

“Go ahead.”

“First, the knights behind me serve Count Blitz’s family, just as I do. There are eleven of us here, and five others are escorting the head of the Blitz family, Bruce.”

“It seems you are also on your way to the royal palace, like us,” Hissop speculated.

“Yes. Passing through this mountain is much faster, so we risked danger and crossed the hills. Then, we coincidentally happened to see people descending from the sky. After confirming it was you, Lord Hissop, we came here.”

“Was that by your will, or the will of Lord Bruce?” Hissop asked with immense caution.

Then, a voice answered from within the bushes, “It was my will, Lord Hissop.”

“Lord Bruce!”

The one who stepped out of the bushes was Bruce, head of the Blitz family.

Bruce offered a slight nod in greeting to Hissop, and Hissop returned it.

“Lord Hissop, I am aware that the Blitz family and the Sefira family are not close. However, we also aren’t on such poor terms that we must scowl at each other, are we? Moreover, meeting like this in the mountains, I do not believe it is just a mere coincidence. With that in mind, I would like to offer a proposal. Would you like to walk the Path of Glory with us?”

Hissop crossed his arms at the proposal to travel the Path of Glory together.

“Sefira has many enemies,” Hissop replied.

“What family in this world has no enemies? Our Blitz family has our share as well.”

“Our pace would only grow slower with more companions. I worry what benefit there would be in deliberately traveling together.”

“

Haha.

Lord Hissop, I cannot fly through the sky, nor do I have the stamina to run long distances. Yet, I have reached this place within two days. Are you not curious how that was possible?”

“

Hmm...

”

“Join us, deputy patriarch of Sefira. If you travel with me, you won’t run out of time to reach the royal palace at the very least.”

Bruce’s face, full of wrinkles, was filled with confidence and goodwill. However, Hissop did not hastily agree and instead fell into thought. His hesitation wasn’t because of Keter. He was searching for an answer to the question of whether Bruce could be trusted.

At that moment, Keter appeared, resolving Hissop’s contemplation at once. Keter barged in, baring his teeth with a faint smirk, and kicked Commander Lenin’s shin.

“Coincidence, my ass.”