Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 218

The Crow trembled like an aspen.

As an Einheartian [a citizen of the Einheart Empire], as a Circler [a magic user who draws power from a circle on their chest], as a Crow [a member of the Empire’s secret service].

Thump!

He couldn’t possibly be unaware of this power that stimulated the depths of his heart.

The Emperor’s Ring.

It was a power, akin to an authority, known to be possessed only by the legitimate children of the Empire.

Before he knew it, the Crow was kneeling on both knees, head bowed.

“An unnamed Crow! I greet the heir of the Empire!”

Having said that, the Crow.

Shuddered.

His whole body continued to tremble.

Even for him, living within the secrets of the Empire, the number of times the Crow had actually seen the Emperor could be counted on one hand.

No, the reality was that even the Imperial family could not easily see him.

Born as a Crow, raised as a Crow, what they were instilled with was.

-Absolute obedience.

You must not disobey the words of the Imperial family.

To think that the silver hair the handsome man had was truly a symbol of the Imperial family.

His hair is pure white.

He should be calculating and grasping the situation, but.

“Raise your head.”

Before that majesty, there was nothing he could do.

Rowan spoke again.

“What is your name?”

“I am merely a Crow.”

The Crow had neither a name nor a nickname.

He was just a Crow.

He would use a pseudonym as needed, but there was no name that he was truly called by.

“Come closer.”

Rowan spoke like an Einheartian noble.

It was unbearably ticklish, but.

-You are my disciple.

He endured, recalling the words of his Sword King master.

-Remember. You must never forget your position.

His Sword King master, who was usually taciturn, had spoken those words with emphasis.

The Emperor of the Empire, and also the founder of the Empire, Ziegkhardt von Damian.

Rowan, his disciple, had the qualification to represent him.

Therefore, when dealing with the people of the Empire, he had to have that much status.

-Learn the etiquette of the Empire.

He had been told to remember the etiquette of the Empire.

Shudder.

The Crow, trembling, stood before Rowan.

Swoosh.

Rowan’s hand was slowly approaching the Crow’s chest.

For the Einheartians who were Circlers, the chest was perhaps more important than the head.

Even those who could live with their heads cut off would die unconditionally if their circle was broken.

However, the word ‘absolute obedience,’ deeply embedded in the Crow’s chest, was even opening his chest.

Thud.

The moment the touch finally reached.

Wheek!

The Crow’s body bent backward.

The Crow’s ring was spinning even faster.

“As expected.”

Rowan muttered to himself, as if he had felt something upon seeing it.

‘It’s different.’

The Emperor’s Ring was originally the power of the Emperor.

The power to subdue and make all those beneath him obey.

Rowan had already tried to use the power of the Emperor’s Ring several times.

However.

‘Obedience.’

There was no one on whom that word worked properly.

Just now, Count Obura was the same.

He was an Einheartian and a Circler, so he should have taken a posture of obedience the moment the power of the Emperor’s Ring was activated.

But he didn’t.

“He overlaid a contract.”

The oath had been altered.

The Crow’s obedience was not only due to the power of the Emperor’s Ring but also due to the imprint of obedience engraved on him.

Rowan.

Saaa!

Changed the Crow’s imprint.

It would be impossible for anyone else, but it was possible for Rowan, who possessed the power of the Emperor.

When the two circles, rotating and resonating, aligned with the same wavelength.

Thump!

The Crow collapsed forward.

***

Late at night, the Louvre Museum.

It was a place that boasted ironclad security after closing time, as it housed the world’s treasures.

But now, the lights were on.

“…….”

Three figures wearing black hoods stood in front of the Mona Lisa.

“Captain.”

A shadow from within the hood opened its mouth.

“Are you sure about this?”

A voice filled with worry.

“It could be a trap.”

He was speaking in a sharp voice, as if wary of everything.

“……….”

But no answer came.

“Captain.”

“I know.”

The answer that finally came was a magnificent voice.

A voice so beautiful that it could bewitch people with just its sound.

“But what can we do now?”

It was also a cold voice.

“There’s no other way.”

“Even now, going back to the Holy Kingdom….”

“If we go back to the Holy Kingdom?”

From within the hood, the beautiful voice flowed out again.

“Do you think that if we return without completing our mission, what will happen to us in our current situation?”

“…….”

“Kanehlich.”

The owner of the beautiful voice spoke, taking off her hood.

What was revealed was a short-haired woman.

Her flowing golden hair was beautiful, and her delicate face was suitable for attracting everyone’s attention.

Who could have imagined.

That this beautiful girl was.

“We’re already traitors to the Holy Kingdom.”

The famous Holy Kingdom, the Seven Knight Orders.

Among them, the captain of the Batella Knight Order, Phile.

“But that’s…!”

“A powerless cry is just empty. So, there’s no choice.”

The others also took off their hoods.

“We have no choice but to grasp at straws.”

Phile, Kanehlich, and Goliath, who had left the Holy Kingdom after receiving a mission from the Holy Kingdom.

They had been staying in Paris for several months for their mission.

However, time continued to pass without any progress, and the pressure from the Holy Kingdom was only increasing.

She was also aware.

‘They want us to die.’

This mission was just given to make them die.

She didn’t know why she was abandoned, or why she had to be abandoned, but that was the intention she felt from the mission.

Without any direction, the deadline for the final mission had ended just the other day.

Not completing the mission of the Holy Kingdom was enough to be branded as a traitor to the Holy Kingdom.

But if they could somehow complete the mission, they might be able to overlook the fact that they had exceeded the deadline.

That’s why.

“How long are you going to make us wait?”

“……!”

It seemed that Phile was the only one who felt something, as the other two knights quickly turned their heads and looked around.

“Come out.”

As Phile’s words fell, footsteps were heard from afar.

“It is an honor to meet you.”

An appearance without any distinctive features, clothing and speech that could be seen anywhere.

He was a person who seemed to blend into anywhere.

“Crow.”

The secret of the Empire.

The guardian of the Empire.

It was clear that he was a Crow, called the dark side of the Empire.

-I would like to have a close conversation.

A note delivered to Phile in the morning.

-There is a way to hunt the Crimson Giant. If you want to discuss the details….

Come to the Louvre.

That’s what was written.

The mention of the Crimson Giant, and the fact that they were told to come to the Louvre, which was under strict surveillance.

‘Crow.’

Phile had already expected the Crow.

The Crimson Giant was related to Phile’s mission, and the Louvre was a meeting place mainly used by those who had a way to evade control due to its strict control.

It was also known as a meeting place for the Crows.

“Why did the Crow want to see me?”

The Crimson Giant was a person of the Empire.

The Crow was the same.

In that case.

“It is to assist in the mission of the Captain of the Batella Knight Order.”

“So why the Crow.”

Phile’s tone was aggressive.

As Kanehlich had said.

‘Trap.’

There was a possibility that all of this was a trap.

It was often said that the Crows would eliminate the nobles of the Empire as needed, but the Crimson Giant was a big shot among big shots.

He was an existence that neither the Crows nor anyone in the Empire could easily deal with.

That’s why.

‘An impossible mission.’

Rather, it was more plausible that the Crows had laid a trap to catch them because it was known that they were trying to eliminate the Crimson Giant.

“Because it is what that person desires.”

“What…?”

Everyone’s faces, including Phile’s, hardened.

The Crows were beings outside the status of nobles.

If there was an existence that they spoke highly of….

“This is where my role ends. Then I….”

The Crow was quietly stepping back.

“Captain, if anything happens….”

Goliath and Kanehlich stepped in front of Phile and spoke.

“Use us as bait and run away.”

A voice as if they had already resigned themselves to death.

“If it’s what we think it is, you have to survive no matter what.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How can I leave you behind….”

“Captain.”

Phile bit her lip.

And.

Thud.

The presence was heard not from the front but from behind.

Wheek!

Phile’s group quickly turned their heads and became wary.

Phile had at least sensed the presence of the Crow earlier, but this time, none of them had even felt a presence.

They had maximized their senses with all sorts of tension, but they still couldn’t feel it.

What was there was a man who was like a sculpture displayed in the Louvre Museum.

Unruly silver hair.

Languid….

“You…!”

Phile’s eyes widened as she jumped out from between Kanehlich and Goliath.

“It’s been a while.”

Rowan greeted her with a blank face.

* * *

“What happened!”

Phile shouted frantically.

“How did you get here! And what’s with that silver hair?”

Phile was excited and kept talking as she approached Rowan.

“Are you okay? Have you been well?”

She had been talking to herself for a while.

“Ahem.”

“Captain.”

Her subordinate knight’s voice from behind made her come to her senses.

Flushed!

Her cheeks turned red.

“…….”

She had realized that she had gotten excited without realizing it because she was so happy to see him.

“It seems you’ve been doing better than I heard?”

At Rowan’s words, she lowered her head even more.

“It’s been a while.”

Kanehlich and Goliath also came forward and greeted Rowan.

But their reactions were quite different from Phile’s.

“…….”

Eyes of wariness and suspicion.

“How.”

Kanehlich opened his mouth.

There was only one thing he wanted to ask.

“Did you receive help from the Crow?”

“……!”

It was the Crow who had guided Phile’s group here.

It was also the Crow who had arranged the meeting with Rowan.

The Crow.

‘Only serves its master.’

That master could not be a high-ranking noble of Einheart.

Only the supreme master by birth could be their master.

The master of the Empire.

-The Emperor.

Or only the Imperial family, his clan, could control the Crow.

“…….”

Phile also flinched, as if she had finally noticed something strange.

This man in front of her, Rowan….

“Because I am the heir of the Empire.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the heir of the Empire.”

“……….”

Everyone had a dumbfounded look on their faces.

“To be precise, I guess I’m the successor of the Empire.”

“Y-you, now….”

Phile felt her whole body trembling.

A memory suddenly flashed through her mind.

-Find out for me.

There was a request that Rowan had made to her in the Silver Domain.

-Ziegkhardt von Damian.

He had asked her to find out about the founder of the Empire.

The founder of the Empire had a supreme achievement of founding the Empire, but little was known to the public.

Only his name was passed down, and there was nothing to learn about him.

Phile had returned to Einheart and searched for him for Rowan’s request.

-I think it’s because of the founder of the Empire.

She was in danger of being abandoned by the Holy Kingdom.

In that case.

“The founder of the Empire, Ziegkhardt von Damian.”

Rowan stood up straight and looked down at Phile.

And said.

“Did you find out anything about my master?”