Chapter 193: The Unexpected Visitor
“Wait? You want me to go to the Holy Kingdom?”
The Emperor frowned and turned his head to the statue.
“Did you give me such a quest?”
[I did not.]
Heimdall casually dismissed the question.
The Holy Kingdom was a place where a system that acted as a god ruled.
Why would he order him to go there?
“Ah… damn it!”
The Emperor suddenly let out a sigh.
“I’ve been hiding it well, but I’ve been exposed. Is it the work of that damned old man?”
“Exposed?”
Eurius looked at the Emperor with a bewildered expression.
He turned his head sharply and shouted at Eurius.
“You! Where did you hide the vessel?”
“The vessel?”
He felt like he had heard that term before. But before he could figure it out, the Emperor snapped at him.
“Your younger brother! The one who killed you in your previous life!”
“Do you mean Leonhart?”
Eurius became more suspicious.
He remembered that the Demon Cult tried to kidnap Leon.
Of course, he prepared enough guards for him in anticipation of that.
But when he heard that, the Emperor sighed and clasped his head.
“Ha… If you didn’t hide him so well and left him in plain sight, it would be too late already.”
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s no time to explain! Grab my hand!”
Eurius reluctantly took the hand that the Emperor offered.
Swoosh.
‘A sword?’
The Emperor drew his sword and lightly drew a circle in the air.
And at that moment!
The scenery around them began to recede like an arrow.
Shiiiiing!
“Huh!”
Eurius felt his body being sucked into somewhere.
At the same time, the surroundings distorted wildly.
Pop!
“We’re here!”
“Where is this?”
Finally, the strange distortion disappeared and Eurius looked around.
He was just in a dark temple, but now he saw a city with tall buildings everywhere.
Eurius let out a hollow laugh.
“Is this Nakyang?”
Amazingly, the Emperor lightly swung his sword and crossed hundreds of kilometers of distance to arrive at Nakyang, where Righteous Alliance was located.
It was an unbelievable feat even if he saw it with his own eyes.
But he didn’t give him time to admire it and bit his tongue.
“As expected… It’s too late. Look at that.”
He looked at where he pointed and Eurius widened his eyes for a rare occasion.
“Ah!”
The buildings of Righteous Alliance were collapsed here and there as if a storm had swept through them.
There was no doubt that a fierce battle had taken place. But the reason why Eurius was surprised was not because of the buildings.
Bang!
He kicked the ground and flew into the building. Eurius had a reason to be anxious.
He had assigned some of the best warriors to guard Leon before he left for the Demon Cult extermination.
‘The Demon Cult seems to be after this guy, so I’d better leave some elite guards even if it means losing some power.’
The elite guards he chose were the ones he Divine Graceed and relied on the most.
‘She should be able to save her life even in the worst case scenario, but I have a bad feeling.’
***
A few hours before Eurius and the Emperor moved to Nakyang.
“Huuuuh!”
Leonhart stretched out on his desk in his office and got up from his seat.
‘There’s hardly anything to do these days.’
Even Jegal Seungwoon, who used to be his companion, left for the Demon Cult extermination.
Righteous Alliance, where most of the experts had left, was very quiet.
Creak.
He opened the door and left his office when someone quickly approached him.
“Second Prince. Have you finished your work?”
“Ugh!”
Leon saw who spoke to him and gave an awkward smile.
“Haha… I’m going to take a break now.”
“I see. I’ll escort you to your quarters.”
“…”
She spoke in a stiff voice. Leon looked at her with an uncomfortable expression.
“Ahem… Anyway, thank you.”
“…”
The knight. Beatrice silently moved her steps toward Leon’s quarters.
Leon felt very burdened by her.
Of course, he knew that she was an excellent knight.
As a bonus, everyone in the palace knew that she had a special relationship with his brother, Eurius.
‘Her appearance is fine, but she’s so cold. What does my brother see in her?’
Leon grumbled inwardly as he followed her steps.
Their conversation was always businesslike. But couldn’t she at least talk to him a little more friendly, as a fellow attendant?
Besides, Beatrice was a woman who made it hard for him to casually strike up a conversation, as if she would be offended by his kindness.
‘If my brother hears that I’m bothering her, I’ll be in trouble.’
He didn’t seem like that kind of person, but Leon had no choice but to be wary of her because of Eurius.
The good thing was that it didn’t take long to get from the office to Leon’s quarters.
“We’re here. Have a good night.”
Beatrice stopped in front of the bedroom door and bowed politely to him.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Leon quickly replied and tried to open the door. But then.
Clang!
“Excuse me.”
“Huh?”
The sword was drawn before the words.
Beatrice pulled Leon’s body back and pointed her sword at the bedroom door.
Leon asked her with a surprised expression as she suddenly drew her sword.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s someone inside.”
“In my bedroom?”
It was already dark outside. A
nd there was no one in this continent who would come to visit him.
Beatrice’s sharp senses had caught the faint presence inside the bedroom.
“I’ll go in first.”
She said with a cautious face as she grabbed the doorknob.
She was quite nervous because she had been warned by Eurius beforehand.
Bang.
“Ah!”
But Beatrice, who jumped into the room, was unusually startled.
“Who are you?”
The faint presence in the bedroom was someone she knew.
She had greeted him a few times in the holy kingdom when he followed her father.
“Hmm? What brings you here, daughter of the duke?”
The old man with a snow-white beard. The archbishop of the holy kingdom, Galeus, looked at her with a puzzled expression.
He had said he would return to the holy kingdom, but he was in Leonhardt’s bedroom.
“What are you doing here, archbishop…”
“Are you a cleric by your outfit? Do you have business with me?”
But before she could express her doubt, Leon entered the room.
He judged that it was not an assassination attempt by the situation.
“Oh!”
Galeus got up from his seat and bowed deeply.
“I am Galeus of the holy kingdom. Are you the second imperial prince?”
“Is that so? What do you want from me?”
Leon received his greeting with a bewildered expression.
Archbishop Galeus was one of the most powerful people in the holy kingdom, second only to the pope.
He was someone who had no reason to come looking for him, who had already fallen far behind in the succession rights.
‘Something smells fishy.’
But Galeus spoke calmly as if he had made an appointment.
“I came here with the Divine Grace of some great people. Come with me to the holy kingdom.”
“Divine Grace?”
“Yes. Do you remember that I visited your imperial crown prince not long ago?”
“My brother?”
Leon tilted his head.
He felt like he had heard something similar before.
“But why do you suddenly come to me? And what Divine Grace are you talking about?”
“Hmm…”
For a moment, Galeus glanced at Beatrice, who was standing behind Leon.
“It’s not a difficult story. We made a mistake in interpreting the Divine Grace. The person who was supposed to come has changed.”
Leon was skeptical even after hearing that.
“So, you mean, my brother was originally going to the Holy Kingdom, but it changed to me.”
“It’s all my fault.”
Galeus bowed his head and apologized, then opened his mouth again with a serious look.
“Then go. The great ones are waiting for His Majesty.”
“Now?”
Leon was slightly taken aback.
Going to the Holy Kingdom was not a difficult story. But his sharp sense felt something suspicious from Galeus.
‘I thought so before, but this guy is hiding something.’
“Haha… Your suggestion is good, but it’s not me who decides my whereabouts right now.”
Leon replied with a forced smile.
“I’ll ask for permission when my brother returns and visit the Holy Kingdom right away. Then there will be no problem…”
“That won’t do.”
“…!?”
Not only Leon, but also Beatrice looked at Galeus with a surprised expression.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. His Majesty, please come right now.”
“What…”
Leon looked at him with a dumbfounded expression rather than anger.
No matter how holy the kingdom was, even if it was the order of the Three Great Orders, they couldn’t tell the imperial family what to do.
But Galeus was looking at him with an expression that everything was already decided, which was absurd.
‘Ah! This guy is also not normal.’
Leon finished his thoughts and made a firm decision in his mind.