Side Story Chapter 268

“What the hell are you talking about?” Anna shouted, dismayed.

The rest of the group was equally put off. Cain repeatedly opened and closed his mouth but couldn’t say anything because Kireua was his prince. His other followers couldn’t believe their ears either.

“...Can you repeat that, Prince?” Theta asked.

“I’m going to Swallow on my own.”

Theta narrowed his eyes. “Are you... out of your mind, by any chance?”

While Kireua had been unconscious, Cain had told Theta about Kireua’s assassination of the emperor Hubalt, so Theta was aware of Kireua’s skill. It was a calculated move on Cain's part because of the Magic Tower’s continent-wide influence; they would spread the news much faster.

But that didn’t change the fact that what Kireua was trying to do was madness.

“I heard about what you pulled off in Hubalt, but this is entirely different. The security in Swallow’s capital will be higher than ever, so there’s no way you can infiltrate the place on your own.”

“But I can’t give up on my teacher,” Kireua said, undeterred. “He’s like another parent to me. Speaking of which, I would like Sir Cain and the other knights to return to Avalon and join our main army as soon as possible.”

“There’s just no talking to you.” Theta turned to look at Cain. “Hey, aren’t you going to say something?”

Cain took a deep breath.

-When I was unconscious, His Majesty visited me in my subconscious realm.

Cain froze just as he was about to step forward. His eyes turned to Kireua, his lips trembling.

-His Majesty told me that I’m like a dam on the verge of bursting. I’m only going to keep passing out.

-Are you saying...

-My body will break down even if I do nothing. It’s like the water behind the dam just keeps getting higher and higher.

Cain bit his lip.

-Fortunately, His Majesty told me what to do.

Cain’s face brightened up.

-He did?

-Yes, he told me to control my desires. My choice right now is the first step in doing so.

Cain tilted his head, confused; he couldn’t see the correlation between Kireua controlling his desires and heading into Swallow alone.

-With a strong man like you by my side, I’ll naturally seek more power.

Cain forgot they were talking telepathically and cleared his throat. It was embarrassing to hear such a remark, but it still felt good. However, Cain’s reaction told everyone around them that he and Kireua were talking in private.

-Above all... I have a feeling that I’ll be able to control this desire if I go to Swallow.

Kireua’s assertion was incomprehensible to Cain.

-What in the world do you mean?

-Grand Duke Lucifer’s fury got the better of him, such that he even became an undead. Yet he was able to suppress his anger for decades after he met someone in Swallow.

Cain's eyes widened in realization.

-The Grand Duke called that person his hope. I’m curious—who in the world is this person and how did they earn the Grand Duke’s approval and help him suppress his anger?

-Isn’t that all the more reason for us to join you? If we conclude that this person is a threat to the continent, we’ll have to eliminate them like Hubalt’s emperor.

-...No, the person will probably not be similar to Kurz.

-How do you know?

It was just a gut feeling. Kireua didn’t have a way to explain to Cain, so he kept going instead of answering Cain.

-Anyhow, my trip to Swallow is essential. I have to cultivate myself to avoid dying and I need to investigate this potential new enemy. I’m sorry, Sir Cain, but... I’ll trust you with affairs in Avalon.

In truth, Kireua was also very nervous. Duke Tremblin, the vaunted Sword Emperor, had passed away. Of course Kireua was worried about Avalon, but he had to go to Swallow. The way things were going, he would lose control of his desire for power and simply break down on his own before he even fought the Battle God. Besides, Kireua trusted his brother.

‘Selim. If I can pull this off, don’t tell me you can’t overcome this crisis.’

Kireua glanced beyond the Black Monster Forest.

“...I’m sorry. It was rude of me to do that in front of you, Tower Master.”

“I understand your reasons. Are you guys finished discussing?”

“Yes.” Kireua nodded. “My answer remains the same.”

Theta glanced over at Cain, who reluctantly nodded.

“

Sigh.

I’m starting to feel like I made a terrible mistake coming here,” Theta disparaged with a weak frown. “I don’t want to be blamed for sending someone's precious son to his death.”

“No one will blame you. Shall I write a letter in my blood absolving you of fault?”

“That isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s about my conscience.” Theta turned to look at the others. “Any volunteers to be the young prince’s guardian?”

This was the only way Theta could assuage his guilt.

Someone immediately raised their hand into the air.

“I’ll go!”

Everyone turned to look.

Theta’s eyes were filled with distrust. “I really can’t put much faith in a person who’s interested in a man young enough to be her son...”

“Stop joking around. I don’t care if you’re the Tower Master—I’ll just fly you away if you keep doing this.”

“Hmph. You’ve got some guts to challenge me with wind.”

“You wanna go?” Anna cast her baleful gaze around. “Even if there are other volunteers, I’m following Kireua to Swallow. That’s the end of the story. I have no reason to take orders from Avalon, so I’m sure that none of you have a problem with it.”

Silence fell upon the area. Even if Anna wasn’t being threatening, no one else would have volunteered because the only thing that any of them could think about right now was their families’ safety. The fortress in north Avalon had been breached, putting their homeland in danger.

“Then it’s decided. Let’s go.” Anna got on the warp gate to Swallow.

“...I’m really not sure if I’m doing the right thing.”

After a moment, the Black Monster Forest hummed.

* * *

Three days later in Swallow’s central plaza, a crowd of people was gathered to see the end of the man known as both the king of Thran and the Flame Emperor.

“Is Ulabis really going to die?”

“I know we’re here to see it, but I can’t believe it either. I guess the palace is trying to crush Thran’s spirit completely.”

“I’m not sure if it means anything. The Flame Emperor is already a mess, so can’t we consider Thran our lands?”

“No, the Flame Emperor is Thran’s symbol. As long as he’s alive, Thran’s fighters will continue to run wild in Swallow.”

The people of Swallow weren’t the only ones who were watching the scaffold erected in the center of the plaza.

-Don’t listen to them. Wait for the right time. On my signal, units three and four will detonate the magic bombs we installed near the plaza. Using the confusion, units one and two will destroy the platform’s supports and rescue His Majesty.

A Thran knight, face concealed deep within a hood, whispered into an artifact they had prepared in advance.

Just then, Ulabis was dragged onto the platform in chains. The people of Thran watching amid the crowd clenched their fists tightly.

-Don’t lose your composure or our mission is doomed.

Most of them would probably die in this mission even if they didn’t lose their composure. There didn’t seem to be a lot of guards in the plaza at first glance, but it only took a short inspection to see how high the security actually was. Every one of the guards in the area was at least an Expert. No one would be able to get by them.

“They’re coming out!” someone in the crowd shouted.

The terrace of Swallow’s palace provided a full view of the plaza where the scaffold was installed. A group of people walked out onto the terrace. In the center were Duke Voltaire and the Fox Master, the de facto rulers of Swallow.

“Shall we get started?” Voltaire asked.

“...Yes. If the preparation is done, let’s begin.”

“It’s still an hour from the announced time for the execution... Wouldn’t it be better to let more of the dregs gather before we execute the Flame Emperor?”

Fox Master shook her head. “No, don’t underestimate Thran. We’re going to stick with our plan—execute the Flame Emperor an hour before the announced time to catch them off guard...”

“I understand,” Voltaire answered. He jerked his chin.

The two knights on the scaffold nodded in response. After a moment, a drumroll signaled that the execution was about to start. Thran’s people were bewildered.

“Th-There should still be some time left.”

The ordinary spectators were also perplexed by the sudden start.

‘They’re willing to go this far...?’

The knight commanding Thran’s rescue operation gritted his teeth in frustration. He felt certain that he was playing into the Fox Master’s plans again.

‘I really wanted to see what that fucker looks like under the mask before I die...’

There was no time. When the drumming ended, the knights on the scaffold would skewer Ulabis’s heart with their swords.

-My lord! Your signal!

“...Shit.” The man cussed aloud as he grabbed a stick of magic fireworks in his inner pocket.

Once he detonated the fireworks, the knights waiting for his orders would set off a chain of explosions.

‘They must have finished preparing, so I just hope they don’t make any mistakes...!’

The man bit his lip and began to squeeze the fireworks to set them off.

And then the drumming suddenly died out.

“What?” The spectators looked to the base of the scaffold, baffled. The knights who had been beating the drums were dead—decapitated. The bewildered spectators quickly looked around the plaza in search of the perpetrator.

“O-Over there!”

A masked person stood on the palace’s roof, much higher than the terrace where the nobles of Swallow stood.

“That person... managed to cut off our knights’ heads from that distance?” Voltaire’s lip trembled, but he quickly whispered, “...Do you think it’s Kireua Sanders, Fox Master?”

It was a surprising question because Voltaire sounded like he had been expecting Kireua’s arrival.

However, Fox Master, the one who had predicted everything until now, was bewildered for the first time.

“...No, that isn’t Kireua Sanders.”

“It’s not? Then...?”

If the masked person was truly Kireua Sanders, there was no way that the Fox Master would fail to recognize him.

“Who... in the world are you?” the Fox Master murmured.