Chapter 151: Inside the Prison (1)

A sharp tension filled the air.

Hundreds of soldiers surrounded the area.

Knight Commander Ruteo Candir slowly approached while surrounding Deborah.

“Don’t do anything foolish!”

“Sir Ruteo, do you truly believe you can capture me? And besides, we protected the Royal Capital of Mineta!”

The power that Raion and his comrades had displayed just moments ago had been truly extraordinary.

Moreover, there were even the High Priest and Holy Knight who had come from the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.

No one would dare to treat them carelessly.

But Ruteo Candir’s thoughts were entirely different.

“You expect me to believe that you and the princess defeated all those monsters? Don’t make me laugh!”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“The monsters must have simply changed direction!”

From atop the wall, even the smallest estimate of the monsters numbered in the thousands.

And yet, the people now standing before him were fewer than twenty.

Ruteo Candir could not believe that they had truly fought those monsters.

“Raion!”

He called out as if daring him to say something.

But Raion, after watching the situation unfold, dropped the hilt of his sword to the ground.

Clang―!

“Let’s take a rest first. We’re exhausted from the battle.”

Clang! Clang―!

At that moment, Patrick and Turklan also dropped their swords.

As their weapons fell, Deborah could no longer find the words to speak.

“But… I suppose there’s no helping it.”

Clang…

In the end, Deborah withdrew her aura and lowered her sword as well.

At once, the soldiers closed in, spears aimed toward them.

“Take them all to the Royal Capital! And the High Priest and others, please follow us.”

“We must return to the Holy Kingdom.”

The situation was urgent due to the appearance of the demons.

Marianne refused immediately, not knowing how much time would be wasted if they entered the capital.

However, Ruteo Candir’s expression twisted.

“It would be wise of you to follow quietly.”

“Is that a threat? We are people of the Holy Kingdom.”

“It is His Majesty’s command. If you refuse, this will be the end of your polite treatment.”

The Holy Knight Commander Larsen, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward.

“Your words seem excessive.”

“To think I’d meet the famed Sir Larsen here again. The last time I saw you was when the late King visited the Holy Kingdom, wasn’t it?”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t wish to make a scene. If you come quietly, there won’t be any trouble.”

At his heavy yet sincere tone, Marianne glanced toward Raion.

She recalled the name Deborah had called out earlier. Then she turned back to Larsen and spoke.

“We’ll cooperate as well.”

“But, High Priest…”

The Royal Capital of Mineta had not taken action even when the monsters marched.

They had merely closed their gates tight, and now, after all was done, they sought to capture those who had defended the city.

“Please, just do as I say.”

“…Understood. But we cannot disarm.”

“That will suffice. Sir Ruteo should understand at least that much.”

Marianne’s sharp gaze fixed on him.

The High Priest Marianne and the Holy Knight Commander Larsen Heights, said to have reached the level of an advanced Sword Master—

Even with hundreds of soldiers around them, if they fought now, heads might fly.

Lacking such courage, Ruteo Candir flinched and frowned even deeper.

“Follow me.”

Leading the way, he walked ahead, and Raion and the others slowly followed behind him.

Only Deborah, accompanied by the people of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom, entered the Great Hall of the Royal Capital.

A large and solidly built man stood waiting inside. Though his physique exuded the presence of a warrior, he was dressed in luxurious garments.

When Harlan Mineta, who had been waiting there, saw her, his lips curved upward almost to his ears.

“Oh—! My niece has finally come home.”

“……”

“Didn’t you miss your uncle?”

“…Of course I did. I missed you—so that I could cut off your head.”

Several ministers stood around them.

At Deborah’s words, murmurs broke out among them before they fell silent, wary of Harlan Mineta’s gaze.

“Hahaha! My niece has grown rather fierce during her time away from the kingdom.”

“Did you ever give me anything worth softening for?”

“I heard from Sir Ruteo—you’ve reached the realm of a Sword Master, haven’t you?”

He had been informed before she entered.

Of course, Harlan Mineta himself was also a Sword Master.

However, he had reached that level only in his mid-thirties.

Now, his twenty-three-year-old niece had attained the same realm—he couldn’t help but be surprised.

“And what does that have to do with you?”

“Did you think I would kill you upon capturing you?”

Deborah Mineta was the only remaining bloodline of the former king, Charta Mineta.

Though Harlan now sat on the usurped throne, legitimacy still belonged to her.

For Harlan Mineta to solidify his rule, she was the first one who had to be purged.

“If you’re not planning to kill me, then what?”

“A means to form an alliance.”

“Are you planning to marry me off?”

At that question, Harlan Mineta rose from his throne, took up the sword that had been resting beside him, and walked forward with heavy steps.

A dark, ominous killing intent seemed to hang in the air.

Deborah felt a chill run down her spine.

Harlan Mineta’s lips curled faintly as he spoke.

“You need only do as I say. If you try to stir up unnecessary trouble, it will not end well for you.”

Knights approached from behind Deborah.

They were royal knights of the Mineta Kingdom, each possessing Sword Master–level skill.

Even though Deborah had attained that realm, she was merely at the beginner stage.

There was no way she could handle more than two Sword Masters at once.

“Take her away.”

At his command, the knights grabbed Deborah by both arms and dragged her out of the Great Hall.

Marianne and Larsen, who had been watching the scene silently, both furrowed their brows.

But neither of them spoke.

They simply waited quietly for Harlan Mineta to speak first.

“High Priest from the Bachenan Holy Kingdom, what brings you here?”

It was a display of courtesy only in form.

His voice dripped with arrogance and conceit.

The atmosphere was unpleasant.

However, Marianne maintained a calm expression.

“As a Messenger of Grace, I came to spread salvation across the continent.”

“Salvation, you say… it must have been an unpleasant sight to behold on such a noble journey.”

“We were able to pass through safely thanks to the salvation granted by the Goddess’s blessing. Because of that, you see.”

There was a subtle sharpness in her tone.

There was no way he couldn’t notice it.

But Harlan Mineta ignored it and replied smoothly.

“Yes, the Goddess’s blessing indeed. But since the situation with the monsters gathering in such numbers is suspicious, High Priest Marianne and your companions will have to stay here for a while.”

“I’m sorry, but we must return to the Holy Kingdom.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

Armed knights stepped forward, surrounding them.

Larsen and the Holy Knights, already tense, sensed it beforehand and prepared themselves.

If it came down to strength alone, the upper Sword Master Larsen might hold the advantage.

But the Mineta Kingdom was famous for its military might.

Even the king himself had reached the level of Sword Master, so it wasn’t a situation to take lightly.

“Are you saying you’ll make an enemy of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom?”

The Holy Kingdom of Bachenan, built upon the faith in the Goddess, was not a nation to be trifled with.

And yet, the Mineta Kingdom had just declared its intent to detain the High Priest and Holy Knights of such a nation.

“There are unavoidable circumstances, so please stay in the kingdom for a few days, High Priest.”

“That is impossible. We must return to the Holy Kingdom, no matter what.”

“If you cannot remain quietly, then we’ll have no choice but to use force.”

“What did you just…!”

At Harlan Mineta’s words, the surrounding knights’ eyes gleamed.

Their hands reached for their sword hilts before anyone realized.

Marianne’s expression hardened for the first time.

In response, Harlan Mineta gave a thin, sneering smile.

“If there’s nothing more to say, then please keep quiet. Escort them out.”

Surrounded by knights, Marianne and her party were led out of the Great Hall.

After that, Ruteo Candir knelt on one knee.

“You have worked hard, Your Majesty…”

“Enough. What of the ones captured at the point where the monsters turned away?”

“Other than the princess, there were three men. They’ve all been locked in the underground prison.”

“Have you learned who they are?”

“Judging by their appearance, they seem to be wandering adventurers or mercenaries, but they appeared to be accompanying the princess.”

“They must be mercenaries she hired for her return to the kingdom.”

Harlan Mineta let out a hollow laugh and sat back down on the throne.

At that moment, one of the ministers standing to the side stepped forward.

It was Dominus Flomen, Duke and second in rank within the Mineta Kingdom.

“Since the princess has returned personally, the alliance with the Kingdom of Moratz that Your Majesty has been concerned about should no longer be an issue.”

“That is truly fortunate. Everyone, make sure there are no complications with Princess Deborah’s marriage.”

“Do not worry, Your Majesty.”

With Dominus Flomen’s reply, King Harlan Mineta turned his gaze once more to Ruteo Candir.

Just as he was about to speak, a gatekeeper’s shout came from the entrance to the Great Hall.

“Charoen requests an audience!”

There was no title or affiliation mentioned.

At the sound of such a man requesting an audience, Harlan Mineta’s expression changed.

“Sir Ruteo, find out what the princess intended with those imprisoned men. Everyone else, you are dismissed.”

At his command, the Great Hall emptied.

Afterward, a middle-aged man known as Charoen entered.

After leaving the Great Hall, Ruteo Candir headed straight for the underground prison of the Royal Capital.

He planned to extract the princess’s intentions through interrogation if necessary.

He descended the damp staircase.

Thick stone walls and iron bars filled every direction.

Splash. Splash.

“Ah, Commander! You’ve come!”

“Indeed. Where are the ones we locked up today?”

“Well, um…”

The jailer hesitated, then led the way.

Following behind, Ruteo Candir arrived at the cell where Raion and his companions were confined.

“…Hmm?”

Beside the iron bars, dozens of daggers were piled up.

He turned to the jailer behind him and asked,

“What are those?”

“They came from the old man we locked up earlier.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, sir.”

Even after a rough count, there were more than thirty of them.

When he picked one up, he could feel its edge was anything but ordinary.

It hadn’t been sharpened in just a day or two.

“You’re saying these really came from that old man?”

Ruteo Candir’s gaze turned toward Patrick, a neatly groomed middle-aged man with white hair.

Inside the narrow cell, Patrick was pouring tea for the red-haired man beside him.

Drip… Clink.

“…Hm? Tea?”

The warm tea was fully poured.

With a composed expression, Patrick gave a slight bow and neatly set down the teapot.

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