Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 118

People were spurring their horses forward with fierce momentum.

The 1st and 3rd Knight Orders led the charge, with the King’s black steed galloping in the center as always.

A portion of the Central Army, carrying supplies, followed the Knight Orders from the rear, maintaining a slight distance.

Reaching the border of the Riverton territory, the King briefly halted his soldiers.

This was to receive a report from the 2nd Knight Order, which had arrived and been on standby for several days.

“Glory to Cayenne.”

Rodrick gave a short nod, while Lee Jae simply offered a smile.

The report proceeded swiftly.

“We moved as cautiously as possible, so neither we nor the Central Army could conduct extensive searching. However, after discussing with Count Riverton, there don’t seem to be any obvious places where troops could hide. There have been no suspicious movements detected either.”

Then, the King’s gaze turned towards the Count.

Count Riverton’s face was ghostly pale.

He was well aware of the gravity of the situation.

A royal family member colluding with the remnants of an enemy nation, suspected of leading a reconstruction army.

The King was treating this matter with utmost seriousness, even controlling the border.

Yet, the place they had hidden was, of all places, his territory.

Moreover, it was a slum he had never considered important.

He could potentially have everything overturned along with them.

“Your Majesty, I am truly sorry. It is entirely my fault.”

However, the King didn’t seem particularly interested.

“We’ll talk about that later. I always have more than enough people I want to hold accountable besides you.”

“……”

“If you want to be reprimanded, wait your turn.”

The King, speaking curtly, studied a detailed map of Riverton for a while.

Then, he asked the Count and the knights for their opinions.

“Where are the suspected hideouts?”

While the Knight Orders hesitated, the Count, more familiar with the territory’s affairs, cautiously stepped forward again, eager to make amends.

He pointed to a couple of places on the map.

All of them were locations somewhat distant from Belfasten.

“Your Majesty, I speculate it could be here or here. The distance to Belfasten is too short for troops to have entered unnoticed, even a small number, and it lacks structures that could be utilized.”

The King’s blue eyes, gazing at the map, were lost in thought.

He understood what the Count meant to some extent.

It meant that unless they were being reckless, they wouldn’t have infiltrated so close to the capital.

The dilemma deepened, but the King couldn’t shake the feeling that Belfasten was the right place.

“No, Belfasten is the place. We’ll go there first.”

It wasn’t just because of what Lee Jae had told him.

He had felt a strange sensation ever since entering the territory.

Now, it felt like more than just sensing something; he even had the illusion that someone was pulling him.

He naturally looked at Lee Jae but hesitated to say anything.

Lee Jae, what is this feeling?

Have you always… felt this way?

The King’s soldiers, having entered deep into the territory, surrounded Belfasten widely and were gradually closing in.

Unlike their fierce gallop until now, the horses were walking at a slow but cautious pace, clip-clop, clip-clop. It was for the sake of searching.

So, Lee Jae, sitting in front of the King, could also examine the surroundings more closely.

‘So, this is Belfasten.’

Perhaps it was because Hayley had never even heard of the place.

It was a very unfamiliar and strange landscape.

Lee Jae’s gaze, slowly surveying the surroundings, suddenly stopped on the right side of the road.

There was a place that looked like a cemetery.

“Belfasten Street Cemetery. Third from the entrance…”

Lee Jae immediately closed her eyes and recited a short incantation.

It was a spiritual command to wish for the deep rest of the spirits she had once formed a connection with.

And after a moment, she opened her eyes and was as certain as the King.

The Royal sibling and Ilias are somewhere here.

Lee Jae could guess the real reason why they had bothered to hide in Belfasten.

This place was filled with the resentment and sorrow of countless dead.

That meant the ghostly energy was strong.

It was the perfect place to perform a soul-summoning ritual.

Sure enough, vengeful spirits were already lurking ominously beside the knights or whispering something above them.

It was evil speech, and the sight was, in fact, like a living hell to Lee Jae.

Looking at the place where vengeful spirits gathered, she could tell.

Who among the people here was having a hard and painful time.

Lee Jae stared blankly at one of the knights.

So, you were smiling every time you faced me in the hallway, even though you were like that.

How much sadness did you endure to smile like that?

Biting her lower lip tightly, she placed an arrow on the bowstring.

It was to help people whenever the situation became serious.

She waited for the moment when the distance narrowed.

However, she had to repeatedly point the arrow tip downwards again.

It was none other than the King.

“Um, Your Majesty.”

“What.”

“…It’s nothing. Never mind.”

The King was now showing a miracle, almost single-handedly parting the sea with every move he made.

When he got close, the vengeful spirits scattered.

Should she have stimulated them with ghostly energy instead of the holy sword?

Lee Jae felt the King’s energy suddenly surge wildly again.

The King had a puzzled expression in many ways, but Lee Jae didn’t know much about the royal family either.

And the same situation was repeated several times.

He was driving away the vengeful spirits with his inherent energy, so it wasn’t a bad phenomenon up to that point, but they kept moving to find new targets.

Lee Jae had no choice but to speak up.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is it? If you called me, just say it.”

“I’m really sorry, but could you please go to the rear for a moment?”

“What?”

“Back there.”

Lee Jae pointed to the end with her finger.

The King was taken aback, but he knew there must be a reason, so he asked her.

“What kind of treatment is this now? I’d rather you treat me like a patient.”

“Actually, I can’t even aim properly because of Your Majesty.”

“……”

“I’m not good at hitting fast-moving targets.”

As Lee Jae honestly explained, even confessing her weakness, the King scratched the end of his eyebrow.

And then it happened.

Lee Jae and the King’s gazes simultaneously turned towards somewhere in the air.

It was because both of them felt a dark and ominous energy that was different from ordinary spirits.

The red-eyed demon couldn’t come close.

But it didn’t move away like the other vengeful spirits either.

As it opened its mouth wide, a thick, black liquid dripped down its lips.

The demon said coldly.

-Come here.

-Follow me.

Lee Jae’s face hardened at the eerie voice.

“Your Majesty, it’s calling us.”

But as soon as she told Rodrick, she felt a slight hesitation rising.

Should I destroy that thing right now? Can I really follow it? What is it relying on?

Lee Jae unconsciously looked for the boy king again.

But the guardian spirit had long since moved away from his descendant and was watching with a blank face.

Like someone observing from afar.

And the King made the choice.

With a fearsome face, he lashed out with the reins.

He couldn’t see anything, but he felt the energy gradually moving away.

The attitude of the knights, who sensed something from the King’s expression and demeanor, also changed in an instant.

And Lee Jae saw a slightly strange sight.

When many people had spirit and changed their eyes, the vengeful spirits lurking around the group couldn’t easily approach.

So, this is what real spirit is.

The King continued to spur his horse, watching something he didn’t even know.

And before they knew it, the 1st Knight Order formed ranks to escort the King and Queen.

It was after running for a long time.

In everyone’s eyes, there was a dilapidated old house.

The surrounding scenery was desolate, and the place where people’s footsteps had long ceased was the past itself.

The King stopped his horse in front of it.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Your Majesty, is this the place?”

“Yes. Don’t get too close yet.”

The King stopped the people not only to assess the situation but also because he felt an unusual energy.

And Lee Jae could grasp the specific circumstances more than anyone else.

The eerie mansion had its door half-open, as if inviting them in.

But upon closer inspection, sinister and ominous things were happening in front of the creaking door.

A fist-sized black circle was forming on the dirt floor.

The black circle was gradually expanding its area, as if a whirlwind was rising.

Lee Jae recognized what it was at a glance.

‘Ilias. You… opened a demon gate. You’re near here.’

That was a completely different dimension of the problem than a simple summoning technique that calls out spirits one by one.

A demon gate was the passage itself that connected their world and our world.

The stronger the killing, the greater the responsibility the caster bears if it fails.

Lee Jae realized that Ilias had been saving his strength for this moment.

If he had done something like that, it meant that the opponent had risked his life.

And through the gradually opening demon gate, black demons were already struggling to stick their heads out.

It was such a hideous sight, but Lee Jae thought.

Can I close that demon gate? There was no point in worrying about that now.

Because it had to be closed no matter what.

‘Ilias. Is this your trump card? But you’re not the only one putting in all your effort. Actually, I’m also putting my life… my life on the line for this.’

Lee Jae’s eyes, which had been detached since leaving the royal palace, became fierce.