Chapter 131: A Connection I Suddenly Remembered

Raion quietly slipped out of Taron’s Palace and headed east.

The eastern side of the Royal Capital belonged to the Kright Territory.

There, the legitimate son of the Kright Ducal Family, William Kright, and all remaining family members who had served as lords were imprisoned in Derafro.

For now, another noble had been assigned as lord and was running the territory.

“The one who supposedly came here was Marquis Walter Wellis, right.”

He was one of the royalist nobles, just like Marquis Salad.

He was an unusual figure—a civil official who hadn’t followed Duke Alito Kright but instead had chosen to follow the king.

As I stepped into Kright Castle, I pondered that for a moment before deciding to find the Adventurer’s Guild first.

“Welcome!”

Heron, a female clerk of the Adventurer’s Guild, greeted me.

I walked straight to the counter and took monster corpses out of storage.

Thud! Thud-thud! Thud—!

They were five Pugbears and ten Black Wolves that I had hunted on my way from the Royal Capital to the territory.

For a moment, all attention around me focused on the sight.

“Ah… you’re disposing of all of them?”

“Please do.”

“May I see your badge?”

It was to check adventurer certification. I handed over my badge.

The moment the golden ‘S-rank’ insignia was revealed, Heron’s eyes widened in shock.

It was because this was a rank she had never once seen in the Kright Territory.

“Are you really S-rank?”

“You can see it for yourself. Please convert everything to coin. And a meal as well.”

Saying that, I moved to a seat tucked in the corner and sat down.

As I did, I pictured Patrick trembling in Taron’s Palace.

‘He must have noticed by now, right?’

I had slipped out of the Royal Capital when everyone was asleep.

From that moment, I ran nonstop and managed to arrive at the Kright Territory by dawn.

“Well, it couldn’t be helped. The thought came to me so suddenly that I had no choice but to rush out.”

After a short wait, stir-fried pork was served.

It was a dish made using the recipe I had spread earlier through Fordman.

“They made it pretty well.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s good.”

In response to Heron’s question, I smiled.

After that, I finished my food.

Right as I did, Heron returned with a pouch full of gold coins, perhaps having finished disposing of the Pugbears and Black Wolves.

“Altogether, including the meat, hides, and usable materials, it comes to 230 gold.”

“That’s more than I expected.”

“The hides were very clean. How did you hunt them?”

“I ended it with a single strike. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”

After settling the payment, I exited the Adventurer’s Guild.

I walked for a while, then slipped off the main road into an alley.

‘Even though I openly revealed that I was an S-rank adventurer, did they decide not to believe it?’

There were people who had been following me since I left the guild.

They were the group that had been sitting on the opposite side while I was eating.

All five of them were closing the distance with a shady air about them.

‘What should I do with this…’

I had something important to take care of, so I needed to stay in the Kright Territory for a few days.

If I caused trouble here, the news might reach the lord.

“Hey!”

As I walked through the alley, two men rushed ahead of me and blocked the path.

At the same time, three appeared behind me.

They were the very ones who had tailed me from the Adventurer’s Guild.

“What annoying pests. Is it the money you want?”

I lifted the heavy pouch of gold coins in my hand.

As if it were obvious, the men grinned with wicked smiles.

“You catch on quick. Just from looking at you, you seem like some spoiled noble brat full of bluff. Guess you don’t know how serious it is to impersonate an S-rank adventurer.”

“Is that such a serious crime?”

“Of course. If you get caught pretending to be S-rank anywhere in the kingdom, you go straight to prison. So before things get ugly, hand that over.”

Their eyes were fixed on the pouch of gold.

I gave the men a brief once-over.

They were C-rank mercenaries with not even a hint of real force coming from their bodies.

“I didn’t want to cause a scene.”

“What…?”

I didn’t even need to draw my sword. Just as I was about to swing the sheathed blade—

Thud! Thud-thud!

The three men behind me were knocked away.

It wasn’t my doing.

A figure who had jumped down from the rooftop had taken them out.

“…Who?”

“You’ve got nothing better to do than surround a person in an alley and try something foul!”

The sudden newcomer shouted that and kicked the two men in front as well.

The movements were so fast they couldn’t block or dodge.

I, who had been about to swing my sheathed sword, instead wore a bewildered expression.

‘Could it be…’

The voice flowing from the figure was that of a woman.

Her appearance left me feeling unexpectedly unsettled.

“Hey! Are you alright?”

“Deborah… Mineta?”

The moment the name slipped out, her face stiffened.

She immediately lunged forward, trying to grab me by the collar.

But I swiftly dodged her hand.

“You—! What the…!”

“You’re still as hot-tempered as ever.”

“What is that supposed to mean! ‘As ever’?!”

The woman called Deborah this time swung her fist.

The left-right jabs she threw were remarkably fast for a woman.

‘It really is Deborah Mineta?’

Her movements matched those of a warrior of considerable skill.

Impressed, I leapt backward and landed.

At the same time, she darted forward and brought her raised leg down in a stomp.

Thud—!

I could have dodged, but instead I raised my arm to block it.

The distance between us shrank until we were face-to-face.

“I thought you were a man in danger. Who are you? An assassin aiming for my life!”

“Let’s move this leg first.”

“If you don’t reveal yourself, I’ll smash the arm that blocked my attack first!”

Pak!

I knocked her leg aside and stepped back.

My gaze shifted around, and I saw the men collapsed on the floor.

Meanwhile, Deborah threw another punch at me.

Bang! Kwa-bang!

Startled, I hurriedly dodged.

That small fist, which had looked delicate, dug into the wall.

Her attacks continued. I couldn’t leave it like this.

‘If I drag this out, the misunderstanding is only going to get worse.’

At that moment, a faint blue aura flowed out from Deborah’s entire body.

As the misunderstanding grew, she also seemed ready to attack for real.

In response, I lifted the sheathed sword and struck the ground.

Kwaang―!

The impact spread from the floor to the wall, shaking the surroundings.

Deborah’s posture loosened in surprise.

“Let’s stop here. I’m not trying to harm you.”

“What was that shock just now! And how do you know my name?”

“I learned it through information. Princess Deborah Mineta.”

At the accurate address, Deborah’s expression darkened further.

It meant her identity had been a secret.

Then she raised her aura again and asked,

“Who are you? How do you know me!”

“I am Raion Canel of the Canel Kingdom.”

“……Canel? The third prince of the Canel Kingdom here?”

“That’s right. I waited because I heard that the princess would be passing through here after leaving the Mineta Kingdom.”

My purpose for coming to the Kright Territory had been Deborah Mineta.

I didn’t know the exact date she would arrive, so I had planned to wait several days.

Of course, I never imagined I’d run into her like this.

“You knew I’d be passing here? How?”

“Before that, let’s move from here.”

“You’re really the third prince of the Canel Kingdom?”

I took out the royal badge and showed it.

Even with that, it might have been hard to believe.

Deborah glanced at the badge and tilted her head.

“You’re not an assassin aiming for my life, right?”

“If I were that kind of person, wouldn’t I have already gone for your life?”

“How did you know I’d be passing through here!”

“I have an informant. And the assassin……”

“Why are you cutt—!”

In that instant, I drew my sword from the sheath I had driven into the ground.

A single-edged blade shot upward like the wind, blue aura bursting forth as it sliced toward the roof behind Deborah.

Swaaah! Kwa-bang! Kwa-kwa-bang!

It all happened in an instant.

A man dressed entirely in black fell from the collapsing roof.

Thud!

“So the assassin did follow this far.”

Judging by the aura he had just released, he was a powerhouse just before reaching the level of Swordmaster.

He had been waiting for an opening the moment Deborah let her guard down.

“How did you…….”

“Let’s move first. I’ll call people to clean up here.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just a moment. You all, disappear quietly. Don’t twist your mouths in your sleep later.”

I spoke to the ones who had collapsed earlier after getting their jaws twisted by Deborah Mineta.

They must have been pretending to be unconscious, as their shoulders twitched slightly at my voice.

Then I took Deborah and headed to the lord’s residence.

When we reached the entrance, the mansion guards blocked our way.

“Halt! For what reason have you come?”

“Tell Walter Wellis that Raion Canel has arrived.”

I held out the royal badge toward the guards.

Their expressions stiffened immediately upon confirming it.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“No need to make a fuss. Just open the gate and call the marquis.”

“Y-Yes! I’ll notify the inside right away!”

Deborah followed behind me into the mansion.

Not long after, Walter Wellis, lord of the Kright Territory, rushed out.

As the distance closed, he, too, recognized me.

“Your Highness! What brings you here……! If you had told me in advance, I would have prepared something!”

“It’s fine. More importantly, I’d like to borrow a quiet room to talk with this person.”

“Ye……s?”

Walter Wellis’s gaze moved to Deborah Mineta, who had been standing behind me.

Her arms, legs, and abdomen were carved with firm muscles.

She emanated the presence of a warrior, making it hard to guess what relationship she had with me.

“She is Princess Deborah Mineta of the Mineta Kingdom.”

“……Pardon? Princess? Truly? Ah—let me guide you to the reception room.”

Even while walking, Walter Wellis continued tilting his head as if still unable to fully trust Deborah Mineta’s identity.

After we reached the reception room, he bowed and withdrew.

Once the two of us were alone, Deborah sat on the sofa and spoke.

“Now tell me. How did you recognize me? And how did you know I’d be passing through here?”

“Because I obtained information that the Mineta Kingdom recently fell into the hands of the Dior Empire.”

At those words, Deborah’s expression turned ice cold.

It was not a distant story. Even now, whenever she thought of that day, it felt as though her blood boiled backward.

“And the reason you waited for me?”

“To assist you.”

“You mean the Canel Kingdom wants to help the Mineta Kingdom?”

“If necessary. For now, you must take back the throne that your uncle usurped.”

The reason I rushed to the Kright Territory after remembering her was exactly that.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.

But among everything involved, the most crucial puzzle piece was Deborah Mineta.

Whatever needed to be done, having her meant possessing the key to resolving the most important matters.

“Where in the world did you get information about our Mineta Kingdom!”

The Mineta Kingdom was located at the far eastern edge of the continent’s center.

From the Canel Kingdom, one had to travel northeast and cross the Danas Federation for a long stretch to reach it.

The distance made information-gathering difficult, so it was understandable that Deborah found it hard to believe.

“If you need information, I can introduce you. More importantly—do you have the will to reclaim your kingdom?”

Her decision was the most important factor.

If she, the princess, had no will, then nothing mattered at all.

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