Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 355

355. The Alliance

“No way…”

The calm expression he’d been forcing crumbled. Seeing Raonhwi Jen, who looked on the verge of collapse, Isana offered a wry smile.

“So, we have our answer.”

“P-Please, wait a moment, Your Majesty. There must be some mistake. That gathering, supporting Ilya, it wasn’t Adris’s intention. Adris supporting Ilya was His Imperial Majesty’s wish.”

“Even Emperor Narjen is connected? Good, the mastermind is becoming clear.”

“…”

Raonhwi Jen froze, his explanation cut short by the chillingly simple conclusion. The breath he couldn’t swallow hung heavy in the air. Isana decided to stop there. With the situation practically laid bare, continuing would only provoke him. He didn’t want to get emotionally entangled.

In truth, Isana was also shocked by this connection. Ever since learning that the Grand Duke had extended his reach to Ramus, the greatest academy in the Alponf Empire, he suspected his influence stretched across the continent. But he never imagined the Carterus Empire’s imperial family would cooperate with him, especially Emperor Narjen, who had dedicated his life to improving his people’s lives. The Carterus Empire was already unparalleled in magic, but after his ascension, more practical magical tools were developed. He was revered as a ruler sent by the heavens, so Isana couldn’t understand why he’d join hands with the Grand Duke.

“…I remember hearing that His Imperial Majesty was fond of the late Empress Roa when he was Crown Prince.”

“…What did you just say?”

“It was a one-sided affection, and I know he moved on quickly. But I heard he was greatly shocked when she passed away. I believe he sent people to the Swalt Empire to find out the reason for her death. It seems those exchanges have continued until recently.”

Trouble piles upon trouble.

Isana bit his tongue to avoid crying out. Stories about his late mother always surfaced unexpectedly, and he was now afraid to even investigate. He raised his head and met Raonhwi Jen’s pale gaze. Seeing his dazed appearance, a hollow laugh escaped him.

“It seems the Crown Prince and I share the same star of destiny. We’ve even inherited emotional ties from our predecessors. It looks like we have one more reason to become close.”

“Now is not the time for such jokes…”

“I’m not joking. Let’s join hands.”

“…”

It was a more direct proposal than becoming close. Raonhwi Jen, who had been sighing, paused.

“It’s well known that Emperor Narjen enjoys the power struggles between his sons. He pretends to cherish the Crown Prince, the pride of the empire, but in reality, he envies him.”

These words instantly changed the calm atmosphere. Raonhwi Jen’s face, relaxed until now, immediately hardened. Isana calmly met his coldly sinking gaze.

“He wanted to become a magician but despaired because he lacked the innate talent, didn’t he? Unlike himself, his son was born a natural magician, so he must be burning with envy. Isn’t that why the Crown Prince is so wary that he can’t even trust his own knights?”

“Your Majesty.”

“Conversely, the second prince, Adris, resembles his father exactly—in appearance, talent, and even personality. I knew Emperor Narjen kept him closest, but I didn’t know he would favor him so much as to attach the chief court magician, who is related to the imperial family, and even share secret plans with him. It has become clear where the Emperor’s heart lies. This is just the beginning. Will the Crown Prince just stand by?”

“If you’re trying to insult me…”

“I don’t know why you interpret it that way. I’ve been saying the same thing from the beginning. I’m saying, let’s join hands. I will help the Crown Prince.”

“That’s a very generous offer, but what will I have to pay? Will you demand that I pay back the debt? Will I have to offer tribute to your country every year?”

“You’re distorting the meaning of an alliance. I simply hope we can have a friendly relationship. I’m only offering the support needed to protect the Crown Prince, not to solve everything for you. This alliance will not be made public. It wouldn’t be of much help to either my or the Crown Prince’s reputation.”

Isana’s expression didn’t change despite the glaring gaze. Raonhwi Jen, realizing he was serious, wore a complicated expression.

“There’s no benefit for Your Majesty in making such a deal with me.”

“There’s no way there wouldn’t be a benefit in having a friendly nation. Besides, the better the Crown Prince and I get along, the more we can escape this destiny of the stars, right? Frankly, I don’t want to fight two wars in my generation.”

“…I don’t even know how Your Majesty intends to help me. I think you’ve forgotten, but Your Majesty is still in the middle of a civil war.”

“Ah, that will be over soon.”

“The situation of war is unpredictable. You almost suffered a great ordeal just a few days ago. How can you be so confident?”

“Believe it or not, I’m a pretty lucky person. The flow of the world is moving in a direction favorable to me.”

“Are you trying to say you’re receiving divine protection?”

“You could say it’s similar.”

“What on earth…”

“Your Majesty!”

At that moment, the tent flap was thrown open, and Kay’s voice echoed. As he entered, the conversation between Isana and Raonhwi Jen naturally halted.

“Sir Serik, what’s going on?”

“Your Majesty, it’s a disaster. There’s been a problem at the place where the spies are being held.”

“Did Baron Liam die or escape?”

“No. It’s more serious than that.”

“Serious…”

“They’ve turned into monsters.”

“…!”

“Duke Cael has stepped in to suppress their rampage, but it seems they have the property of splitting apart as they are cut down. Their numbers are increasing too rapidly, and the damage is expected to be significant.”

It was certainly an answer befitting an emergency. Even as his face hardened, Isana was inwardly impressed. He had experienced a situation where people turned into monsters once before. He never expected to encounter it again as a way to dispose of spies who were no longer useful. Moreover, it seemed to be a different kind than before, as they were splitting apart.

“No sooner do I say it than another crisis strikes. Are you really receiving divine protection?”

While he was lost in thought, he heard a sulky voice in his ear. Seeing Raonhwi Jen’s face full of disbelief, Isana forgot the seriousness of the situation and burst into laughter.

“The situation is urgent, so let’s talk about this later. I trust you’ll understand.”

“Well…”

Isana quickly left the tent before he could finish his answer. Raonhwi Jen, who had swallowed the words he couldn’t finish, hurriedly followed. Serium and Dai, who had been waiting outside, followed, bewildered.

The scene wasn’t far away. As soon as they arrived, Raonhwi Jen gasped at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. Coming in person, the situation was far more serious than he had heard. He had imagined something beast-like when he heard the word ‘monster,’ but what was actually rampaging were grotesque shapes like blobs of slime. Some had dozens of red eyes, and others had sharp teeth. They were clearly living creatures, but none of them looked to be in complete form. Even if you looked at monster or demon beast encyclopedias, there were many hideous-looking monsters, but at least they had a shape that resembled something. This was the first time he had seen a creature that seemed to be clumped together without any foundation.

“What on earth is that…”

“They are fiends.”

“Fiends? That’s a fiend?”

Raonhwi Jen’s eyes widened at Isana’s answer. Fiends were less intelligent than demon beasts but were far more powerful and dangerous creatures. They were so dangerous that they were strictly controlled even within the Demon Realm, so it was extremely rare for them to appear in the Middle Realm. Isana was amazed that he recognized them at a glance, but he also couldn’t understand why he wasn’t panicking. Isana, reading his thoughts, explained.

“I’ve experienced something similar before.”

“Are you saying that people turned into fiends back then too?”

“Yes, I saw it right in front of me.”

“…What kind of life have you lived, Your Majesty?”

“At this point, doesn’t it seem like the fact that I’m still alive is proof of divine protection?”

Isana said it as a joke, but Raonhwi Jen couldn’t laugh along. It was because he actually thought it was true.

“Your Majesty! This place is dangerous! Please evacuate!”

Duke Cael, who was in the midst of confronting the fiends, recognized Isana and shouted. He was clearly flustered by the opponent that didn’t die even when cut down. As they had almost no contact with them, there was little known information about fiends. It was only natural for even a Sword Master to be disoriented in the face of an opponent he had never experienced before. The surroundings were already a scene of chaos. The soldiers, panicked by the sudden attack in the middle of the night, were only focused on defending themselves. It wasn’t appropriate to use bows or magic because they were packed so closely together in a narrow space. As a result, the number of injured was increasing rapidly.

“Your Highness, it’s going to be a disaster if we stay here. Let’s hurry and escape.”

Serium, his face pale, urged Raonhwi Jen. He nodded and turned to look at Isana. Isana was in the middle of a serious conversation with his knights.

“Where’s Peris?”

“He went to the pigeons after finishing dinner.”

“Ah, that’s right. Did you send word to Sir Sibel?”

“Alex should have gone to contact him.”

“We need to buy time for now. We need to separate people from those things. A way to lure them to one place…”

Contrary to his expectations that it would end quickly, the conversation was taking the form of a full-fledged discussion. Raonhwi Jen frowned, as he showed no sign of leaving the scene. On the battlefield, the life of the leader is the top priority. If he died here, this civil war would have no meaning. He was frustrated that the person who should be the first to flee was hesitating.

“Your Majesty…!”

Just as Raonhwi Jen, frustrated, was about to approach with the intention of forcibly dragging him away, Isana suddenly looked back at him with a surprised expression. At the same time, Raonhwi Jen felt a chilling sensation above his head. He reflexively tried to look up, but before he could, a strong force pulled him away.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“Your Majesty!”

The first thing he felt was a dull pain. It was only after he felt his head hit the ground that Raonhwi Jen realized he had fallen backward. Something had tried to attack him, and someone had grabbed him and rolled away, allowing him to avoid it by a hair’s breadth. The person who had saved him was none other than Isana. The blue eyes that he had always seen from a few steps away were right in front of him.

“Crown Prince, are you alright?”

Raonhwi Jen, who was stunned that the Emperor would save him himself, nodded blankly. The fiend that had tried to attack him was being desperately blocked by Kay and the Imperial Guards. Serium and Dai were also helping them. However, the situation was starting to get worse. Duke Cael, who had witnessed Isana throwing himself, was flustered and lost his focus. As his strength waned, the balance that had been precariously maintained collapsed in an instant. A fiend with tentacles wrapped around the Duke and the soldiers, lifting them into the air.

“Aaaagh!”

Screams echoed from all directions. Other soldiers rushed in with weapons, but they couldn’t touch it recklessly because it was an entity that split apart as it was cut down. Despair was gradually filling the faces of those whose morale had been broken.

Meanwhile, Raonhwi Jen, who had gotten up, looked at Isana with a pale face. Isana’s expression was just as grim.

“Your Majesty, it would be best to evacuate.”

“Are you saying I should leave them behind in this situation?”

“Then do you have any other solutions?”

“…I have no choice. In this case, let’s prove it properly.”

“Pardon?”

Raonhwi Jen, who had been frowning at the incomprehensible words, soon wore a look of astonishment. Isana, realizing that he had guessed something, smiled bitterly.

“Sikuel.”

At that moment, a cold sensation spread, and water droplets began to rise around Isana. Raonhwi Jen reflexively flinched. The water droplets that surrounded Isana soon split into two streams and soared upwards. It was only a moment before the transparent streams of water transformed into the forms of giant wolves.

“…!”

The beautiful water wolves stirred up the scene where the fiends were rampaging as if they had been waiting for their appearance. A huge water storm raged wherever they passed. It was as if waves were rising in a place that wasn’t the sea. The fiends were swallowed up in the rushing water without putting up proper resistance. Strangely, they only touched the fiends and did not harm the people in the slightest. The fiends trapped in the water didn’t last long. The struggling shapes shuddered and then drooped. The bodies, crushed like kneaded dough, clearly showed signs of being crushed to death. Immediately after, the water wolves, having finished their work, landed gracefully on either side of Isana. A humid air, like after a rain, flowed in the space where the surging waves had disappeared.

“…”

“…”

A strange silence settled over the soaked scene. The powerful force of the spirit was astonishing, but the identity of the one who had summoned the spirit shocked everyone. Everyone there was simply staring at Isana, dumbfounded. Duke Cael was no exception. Isana, who had no intention of revealing his abilities in this way, wore a troubled expression, but he quickly resigned himself to what he had already done. Suddenly feeling a gaze, he turned and found Raonhwi Jen standing there with a blank face.

“Um… Can you trust me now that you’ve seen this?”

Raonhwi Jen, who had been dazed, nodded without realizing it. Isana, having obtained the desired reaction, smiled faintly. A low voice, only audible to each other, followed.

“Then the alliance is established.”