novelzi Chapter 24
Chapter 24
A magpie, boasting its blue feathers, was flying through the sky.
As it left a streak of shimmering blue behind it, the magpie landed directly on a window of the Kaulan Imperial Palace.
Tap, tap.
“Come in.”
Upon receiving permission, the clever magpie grasped the window latch, opened it, and stuck its head inside.
Hopping into the room, the magpie presented its leg, bound with a letter, to Reinhold.
[Report on the Appearance of the Demons]
Reporter: Tigreia
“Finally.”
The handsome young man with golden hair and blue eyes unfolded the report and read it carefully.
The initial content matched what he had previously received.
The demon, identified as a succubus, had been dealt with using holy water that the porter had at the time.
Even the recovery of the hero, Luciena Estel, was mentioned.
“Hmm?”
‘The expected destination of the porter and the hero is Waltercrua.’
“Waltercrua, huh...”
Reinhold had informants scattered across every city in the world.
The commercial city of Waltercrua was no exception.
In fact, due to it being the location of Ravin, a former candidate for the hero’s party, the spies there were even more skilled and significant.
Despite this, it wasn’t easy.
Ravin had already killed one informant.
Though the informant was more of a small-time thug, the fact that a fish was found in the corpse’s possession was a clear warning.
Moreover, ‘they’ had advised against provoking Ravin any further, so they were just watching from a distance.
“If the hero, the porter, and the thief join forces...”
It would be quite troublesome.
If Luciena fought without regard for tactics, it would take the combined efforts of a saint, an archer, and a shield knight to counter her.
If Tigreia was there, the outcome would depend on who struck first, but if there was a thief hiding and backstabbing, it would be a counter to the mage.
As Reinhold was finishing the report, something else tapped at the window.
“Come in.”
This time, it was a raven.
The raven, draped in violet-black, fluffed its feathers upon seeing the magpie with its blue-dark plumage.
“Hand over the letter.”
The raven nudged the magpie aside with its body and extended its leg to Reinhold.
The letter attached to its leg contained only a short message.
‘Redhead sighted, they said they’ll take care of it.’
Crumple.
Those bastards.
Acting as if they were the ones who discovered her, and now ‘they’ were stepping in?
The useless informants who wasted money must have heard about Luciena’s sighting from ‘them’ and hastily scribbled a sentence to send the raven.
“What should I do...”
Both the hero party and ‘they’ were trying to disrupt the balance Reinhold had achieved.
It was extremely annoying and arrogant.
As the guardian of the world, it was his duty to maintain balance, yet they were blindly driven by their own desires.
“Deliver this message: Find the hero’s weakness and, if possible, kill them. Given the hero’s fierce nature, it will be kill or be killed, so act with determination.”
Conversely, to the magpie, he said,
“The world still shows signs of chaos due to demons, so a hero is needed. Make thorough preparations and go to Waltercrua to meet the hero. However, if the hero is deemed a greater threat than the demons, render them incapacitated or kill them. Do not rush your preparations.”
With that, the two letters were sent off.
As the birds flew away, Linachien leaned gently on his shoulder.
“I always learn so much from you.”
“Despite starting late, Your Highness is improving rapidly. I look forward to seeing more.”
“To be recognized as a great ruler, one must be a complete and ready leader now, not in the future.”
“Do not be impatient.”
Reinhold wrapped an arm around the crown princess’s shoulder.
“The finest vessels take the longest to craft.”
“You give me strength, Morgan. If I had someone like you by my side since childhood, I would have been ready to be an empress by now.”
“Your Highness’s childhood experiences, though painful, allowed you to better understand and embrace the people of this empire. It was a valuable experience.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
The crown princess thought of a boy.
A boy who was always upright, despite his thin frame.
A boy whose feelings she knew but couldn’t accept due to her noble birth.
A boy who left after a cheeky remark, despite her efforts to reward his loyalty.
“I’ll return as a man who can stand equal to you.”
He had only taken the name Lin that she gave him, after the sewage alley incident.
Reinhold would have been furious at such a rude remark, but Linachien regarded even that boy as an important subject, worthy of her affection.
A ruler must love and enrich their subjects.
“Recently, I’ve been thinking about you, Lin.”
She hoped he was living well in a peaceful countryside, healthy and farming.
Living within his means.
***
“Heading to Waltercrua to secure Lucy?”
“Spending a day on preparation.”
“A day? No, it might actually be too short for dealing with Lucie.”
The mage and saint headed towards Waltercrua.
“Let’s stick to the plan, got it?”
“Don’t act too familiar with Lin!”
“Don’t screw things up with your temper!”
“Sigh...”
Between the bickering Ravin and Lucie, Lin sighed.
“So, you’re moving, huh.”
Watching them, she smiled gently.
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”
Calming her excited heart, she whispered,
“I’ll come for you soon, my Lin, once I eliminate the obstacles.”
The second main episode of DLC 2 had officially begun.
“Just wait a little longer, my Lin.”
And ‘they’ also began to move in earnest.