20 – Unwashable.
Thump thump thump!
Even though she had boarded the carriage to go back,
Elaine’s heart was far from calm.
In the end, she covered her face with both hands.
It seemed like that was the only way to feel a little better.
Where did that courage come from?
She hadn’t intended to bring up the engagement from the beginning.
She just wanted to have a serious talk with the prince again.
But…
When she saw the two people sitting on the swing, her world suddenly turned upside down.
The beautiful knight with red hair.
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The moment she saw her raising her fist to hit the prince.
No other thoughts came to her mind.
So she left the count who came with her and ran alone.
She lifted her dress with both hands, but it wasn’t easy to run in a maid’s outfit.
Yet she ran.
That’s how she stood in front of the prince.
The only thought she had when she faced the prince was:
“I fell in love with you at first sight.”
“Unless it’s you, I will never get married, no matter how stubborn I am…”
The emperor’s words kept echoing in her mind.
Was it courage or foolishness?
Or perhaps it was a desperate longing.
Honestly, I still don’t know.
But if I just stayed still, without doing anything,
I felt like I would definitely lose the beautiful princess, who didn’t seem like an ordinary person.
That’s why I shouted.
Let’s get engaged.
Without fear.
“Haah-“
My head hurts.
I was so confused because of the unorganized speculations and the emotions that were raging like a bull stung by a bee.
So many things had suddenly changed too quickly.
The completely different situation in the Viscount’s house, and the way the Viscount was acting like my father, but late.
Everything was an incredibly strong stimulus.
It felt like being a small sailboat waiting for a shipwreck in the midst of a raging storm.
I was anxious.
I was afraid that all these sudden changes, like a summer shower, would disappear in an instant like bubbles.
And then, I met eyes with the Viscount.
It was somewhat natural for words of pent-up resentment that I had been holding back for a long time to impulsively burst out.
Rather, it was inevitable.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Her voice, sharp and unlike her usual self, carried a sense of urgency.
“……”
The Viscount merely looked at her with a composed gaze, unable to utter a single word.
“Why? Are you trying to play the role of a father now? After driving Mother away so miserably?”
Like a predator chasing its prey, Elaine’s words became even more fierce.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Somehow.
Ever since she mentioned the engagement to the Crown Prince, it felt like the firmly closed iron gate in her heart had swung wide open, giving her a dizzying sensation.
Because of that, she was freely spewing words that should never be said, especially considering their social status.
It wasn’t because she had gained the Emperor’s trust.
Nor was it because she was soon to be engaged to the Crown Prince.
It was because her heart, like an untamed colt, kept leaping and bounding, ruthlessly lashing out at her like a whip.
***
“……”
Elaine’s father, Astus Bart.
Right now.
He couldn’t say a word to his daughter, who was glaring at him.
Because he had done nothing as a father for her until she turned eighteen.
He knew very well that he didn’t even have the right to make excuses.
The words she had said in front of the Emperor.
If it hadn’t been for her daughter, she would never have said them.
Merdia Bart, the daughter of the late Count Karan and the wife of the Marquis.
Her marriage to him was never her choice.
The Marquis Bart had sincerely loved Elaine’s mother.
He had always intended to marry her.
Her previous status as a maid meant nothing.
Money was overflowing, and there was nothing money couldn’t solve.
But then, it was just before their marriage.
The Bart family, who held power throughout the continent, was facing a crisis and their influence was rapidly declining.
And in the midst of it all, she lost her father, the late Count.
The Bart family was the most influential family in the empire.
There were countless servants under their command, too many to count.
If the family were to fall, countless people would be unemployed overnight.
During those sleepless nights filled with insurmountable worries.
The only person who reached out a helping hand was Count Karan.
With his assistance as a member of the Shurain Duke’s faction, the Bart family was able to barely recover from the brink of collapse.
That’s why.
She couldn’t refuse the Marquis’ demand to marry her daughter.
Even after the unwanted marriage, which resulted in the birth of her daughter, Katia.
I could not forget the woman I loved.
So Elaine was born.
As if she had been waiting, Elaine and her mother became hostages.
Count Karan began to quietly take control of Bart’s upper region.
It was a cruel shackle.
It felt like cold metal was tightening my throat every moment.
Yet, in order to protect the woman and daughter I loved, I had no choice but to endure it.
So I had to ruthlessly drive out the woman I loved.
Even the beloved daughter had to pretend to be unimportant, wearing a mask.
Yet, amidst my daily intense work, gradually stripping away Count Karan’s control, something unbelievable happened.
Suddenly, the Marquis’s treatment of Elaine changed.
I found out that it was because Katia fought with my mother and won.
But that was not the only surprising thing.
Around that time, a letter arrived from the Emperor.
And yesterday.
A mysterious document arrived from Lord Gruend, who was surely in the underground prison.
Everything was clearly written there.
Why Bart’s upper region suddenly fell into crisis.
Everything was…
It was the Duke of Schlein’s order to submerge Bart’s head in water.
Obeying the command of that wicked man.
Gerund, the lord, had attacked Bart’s head throughout the continent, lowering the value and credibility of the goods through various vile schemes.
The Duke of Schlein.
He was the enemy who killed my father.
Filled with anger, I stayed up all night with bloodshot eyes.
Then, as the darkness of the night gradually receded, the dazzling dawn broke.
The Marquis finally made up his mind.
He vowed to take revenge by any means necessary.
With that determination.
Marquis Bart produced the emperor’s letter.
It contained only a few words.
But when it came to the personality of the emperor, who was once a great conqueror, he knew better than anyone else.
The emperor cherished his first prince, Eos, more than anyone else. Much more than his second son, Servis.
Even though he had committed so many wicked deeds consistently, just by looking at how he still thrived.
The letter, written in a trembling hand, concealed a deep affection that could never be hidden.
For many years, the intuition of the giant who led Bart’s head to be the best in the continent never ceased to shout.
Undoubtedly, the emperor wanted to pass the throne to the crown prince, Eos.
If that was the case, there was no hesitation.
I would assist the emperor and the crown prince in seeking revenge.
And at the end of that path,
he had vowed to make his daughter the most noble lady in the Mersenne Empire.
Until morning came. He had made that promise without rest.
It was definitely so…
But now, right in front of him, he couldn’t wipe away a single tear that his daughter shed.
No matter how much he thought about it.
He didn’t deserve to do that.
So, the Marquis tried to hide his expression, stained with sadness, and looked out the window again.
Even though it was still far from noon.
Because of the thick dark clouds, the whole world had suddenly become dark.
It was an undeniable fact that the future was as dark as the sky.
Revenge would not be easy.
The biggest obstacle was, of course,
the notorious and wicked Prince Eos, who had committed all sorts of atrocities.
***
Shoo…
The rain that started falling after lunch continued to pour even after nightfall.
For spring rain, it was quite a heavy downpour.
It was as if a falsely accused woman had finally burst into tears, flowing endlessly.
But even so…
The black cloak that covered my entire body and the hood turned inside out were not even slightly wet.
The sword in my hand was the same.
It was because I had summoned the wind spirit, Wind, and wrapped my body in a thin breeze.
Rustle, rustle-
I slowly moved through the darkness, stepping on the muddy water.
I was only a few steps away at most.
There, suddenly, due to a gust of wind that made the horses skittish, a carriage next to me toppled over uncontrollably.
It belonged to Duke Pellios, the leader of the Half-Queen Faction.
Around him, there were layers upon layers of assassins wearing black masks.
“….”
It seems they are well-trained.
As I approached,
They turned one by one without a word, facing me.
They must be the ones trained by Duke Schlein.
If I hadn’t attached Wind to Duke Pellios in advance,
The retired magician that he is now,
He would have had no choice but to meet his end today.
“Who are you bastards!”
Black liquid was dripping down from the Duke’s forehead as he opened the door and stepped out.
The thing that was definitely clear was that there was no sign of stopping in the pouring rain.
“Are these damn dogs of Shulein!”
“……”
Tap tap!
The assassins, who had maintained silence until now,
Without any response, just looked at each other and nodded.
Then, some approached the duke, while the rest ran towards me.
There were about twenty enemies.
It was clearly a disadvantage.
However, there was no disadvantage.
At this moment when rain was falling everywhere.
I could have killed them all using the water spirit, Aqua.
But for some reason, I didn’t want to go overboard today.
Because I was reluctant to see Elaine again.
It was because I had accepted the engagement she proposed.
Purely for my own sake.
To use her as my healing potion.
I had accepted it without any emotions between a man and a woman.
Of course, I knew very well why she said that.
It was after meeting the emperor.
Surely, the emperor had insisted stubbornly. So, it was clear that she had no choice but to speak like that.
Even though I knew all that, I accepted the engagement.
Only to use the saint.
The deep guilt in my heart remained unwashed, even in this heavy rain.
So today, I had no intention of holding back.
I commanded Aqua.
First, the five around Duke Pelios.
I will kill them first.
What I ordered was simple.
To manipulate the rain flowing down their faces and pierce the guilty lives.
I ordered them to mercilessly pierce their tender flesh by moving the tiny droplets on their eyelids and the water flowing down their necks.
“Kkuk!”
“Keung!”
“Kkuhak!”
The chilling screams of the assassins spread in all directions, making even the raindrops tremble.
The reason why those who had been rushing toward me like starved hunting dogs suddenly stopped was because of that.
They quickly turned their heads, sensing that something was wrong.
Of course, all they saw were the five lifeless bodies and the stiff duke.
Without hesitation, I rushed towards the unsuspecting enemies.
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My mana was still sufficient.
I used the earth spirit, Rak, to my advantage.
I made the footsteps of the person who threw the sword a little dimmer.
The blade, which was flying rapidly and splashing water, lost its strength due to the unbalanced body.
Avoiding it was an easy task.
Schwack!
I effortlessly jumped up, rotated forward, and diagonally sliced his neck.
Thunk-
The lifeless body fell into a puddle, splattering death in all directions, staining it red.
Only fourteen remained.
I was still at a disadvantage.
What was clear even in the darkness was the gaze that had lost the will to live, filled with fear.
Despite surrounding me, they took a step back instead.
I still had plenty of mana.
I severed the windpipe of the person furthest away.
Thwack!
To make it clear that it was me, I flicked my finger.
“Ugh!”
Leaving the man who fell backward with blood splattering from his eyes alive was to create even greater disturbance.
This was the first time something like this had happened.
They must be skilled assassins.
They must have killed countless magicians.
They knew better than anyone else that if they quickly approached before the mage had a chance to cast a spell, even a small wound would make the frightened mage lose the nerve to use magic.
That’s probably why I feel scared.
It would seem as if they had used some unknown magic with just a flick of their finger.
What they feel now is the fear of facing an enemy they have never encountered before.
It was an indescribable terror that spread through the minds of those who were only familiar with training and orders.
Snap!
I flicked my finger again.
“Urgh!!”
Clang!
“Urgh-“
To maximize the fear rooted in the hearts of the enemies, this time I used more mana.
With the rainwater flowing down.
I gently touched the tendons of my wrists and ankles.
If I only used healing magic, it would be an easy task to reconnect them.
Those who fail in the operation are destined to be disposed of, as is the fate of those who join Shulain.
The fear intensified by the inevitable death.
In the end, it was a way to make them give up hope.
When I saw my comrade sinking into the muddy water, groaning in agony and struggling, I felt a significant sense of crisis.
In shades of blue, red, and yellow.
Each blade began to draw mana in its own color.
Naturally, it was something we never used in covert operations.
In other words, it meant that every assassin’s life was at stake.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to survive against me.
I still had plenty of mana.
I drew mana into the sword I held.
My mana resembled the color of my iris, a green hue.
The wind that wrapped around my body became even more fierce.
The feeling of being incredibly light.
The speed of my running became even faster.
Swift.
Even though I stepped on the muddy water, it hardly splashed.
It felt as if I were flying through the rain.
Chu-hwa-ak!
The crimson energy enveloping the sword tried to block me, but my sword was much faster.
Amidst the incessant rain.
Crescent moons of different colors appeared all around.
Neck, arms, waist, legs.
I flew incessantly, darting towards various targets.
But nothing could reach me.
Between enemies and between allies.
Avoiding repeated attacks, I moved faster than raindrops.
The knowledge of swordsmanship in my memory guided my body’s movements.
Yet each action was forceful like a turbulent current, yet gentle like a spring breeze.
There was no excess.
The green glow from the tip of the sword continued to draw unbroken curves.
As if fighting against the darkness of the night.
Countless green lines were drawn in the pitch-black darkness.
And at an incredible speed.
Clang!
Finally, when the last one fell.
Someone stood in the rain.
A soaked peacock and only me, untouched by the rain.
Ignoring the gaze of the astonished and fearful peacock.
I finally granted death, which they had desperately avoided, to those who were still struggling.
Because I knew well that no information would be leaked anyway.
It was an act of mercy.