Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Marcel barely managed to compose the end of his voice, which had almost trembled.

Even asking this simple question brought a wave of tension.

It was probably because of the meaningful words Eddie had said back at the ruins.

But Marcel, pretending he had never heard such words, acted nonchalant and asked Ronan.

And Ronan, with a smirk resembling Furas', said.

"Headmaster Devens was more brazen than I thought. He was trying to avoid handing over Eddie with some pathetic excuses, so I made it so he couldn't keep Eddie for long."

"How?"

"I publicly supported Headmaster Devens, saying that since he wasn't holding onto Eddie for any other reason, he would surely return him on his own once the treatment was over."

"And what did the Headmaster say to that?"

"He said I was right and thanked the Kirhausen family for their support."

"Since the Headmaster himself affirmed that he would ‘surely return Eddie on his own,’ now the longer he drags it out, the deeper the suspicion will grow."

"Exactly. As expected, you quickly grasp the family's intentions, Young Master."

At Ronan's praise, Marcel's expression subtly hardened.

Truly, Marcel had quickly grasped the family's intentions.

And that was the problem.

Because he couldn't understand at all why the family's intention was 'to get Eddie back.'

'According to the family's judgment, Eddie woke up long ago but pretended to be in a coma to deceive the family. And he must be in contact with the Headmaster.'

If so, the possibility of Eddie's betrayal was already high.

He couldn't know if he had completely joined hands with Leodimir.

But what did that matter?

The mere fact that he was deceiving the family and secretly contacting the family's arch-enemy was reason enough to cast him out.

'But… even with such a sufficient reason….'

And yet.

The family was not casting Eddie out.

On the contrary, they were trying to get Eddie back from Leodimir somehow.

Marcel's pupils began to tremble slightly.

His stomach churned and his head spun.

The uneasy thoughts he had been suppressing kept trying to take shape.

Ronan, unaware of Marcel's inner turmoil, continued to speak with a contemptuous laugh.

To him, Eddie was just one of the many arrogant opportunists he had come across.

"He's dreaming a foolish dream for a mere tail."

“……”

"He must think that since he's made a name for himself throughout the empire, the family won't be able to touch him even if he betrays them. Headmaster Devens must have played on that thought and filled his lungs with air."

"But since it's come to this, even if Eddie leaves Kirhausen, he won't be able to go to Headmaster Devens."

"That's right. He's a smart kid, so he'll probably figure that much out. In the end, he'll conclude that staying in Kirhausen is the best option."

“……”

"Then we just need to strictly enforce the hierarchy and discipline him so he doesn't do it again."

Ronan smiled confidently.

Marcel couldn't look at him any longer and turned his head slightly.

"This is all… what my father has judged and instructed."

"That's a rather obvious question."

"To crush Eddie's arrogant dream and keep him tied to the family, it's all…"

"It is all the Master's will."

"I see."

A calm reply.

Along with it, a memory flashed through Marcel's mind.

Eddie's golden eyes, looking straight at him in the darkness.

In those eyes, there was no trace of 'fear of a superior.'

'No, in the first place, did that kid ever fear me?'

Back then, Eddie spoke as if he were sincerely explaining a fact he had known all along.

"Even if I show my intention to betray, Kirhausen won't cast me out anyway," he had said.

And he had added.

"Didn't you find it strange? My nerves are still on edge and my energy is a mess, but suddenly my mana has stabilized."

The first statement was proven not to be a mere bluff.

For some reason he couldn't fathom, the family was not trying to cast Eddie out even though they anticipated his betrayal.

If so, could the second statement also be true?

What kind of connection was there between Eddie's mana and his own?

'I don't know. No matter how much I think about it…'

It was at that moment, as Marcel's mind became complicated with riddles.

"By the way, how has your mana been since the holiday, Young Master?"

Ronan, as if a ghost, asked about his mana.

Marcel felt a chill run down his spine.

'It must be… a coincidence, right? Yes. The talk about Eddie just ended, so he's probably just asking about my well-being lightly to end the conversation…'

Many thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

But Marcel managed not to show his surprise.

No, in fact, there was no reason to be surprised.

It was natural for the family's butler to be concerned about the well-being of the next family head.

There was no way Ronan could have another motive.

So he just had to answer as things were.

Marcel steeled his heart and replied.

"Since the holiday… it's been stable like before."

A lie he had uttered without realizing it.

And Marcel was surprised at himself for lying and froze for a moment.

'Why did I… lie to Ronan? I could have just said it's been low since the holiday….'

But Ronan's subsequent reaction surprised him even more.

"I see. That's a relief."

Ronan nodded as if Marcel's answer was a matter of course.

He even had a satisfied smile on his lips.

Marcel felt that something was strange.

Ronan wasn't acting like that because he had noticed his lie.

He was truly taking his lie as a matter of course.

The conversation was subtly going off track.

But Marcel still couldn't figure out where the deviation originated from.

'Why do I keep getting this strange feeling that… all of this is going to connect into one thing…'

The inexplicable deviation made Marcel endlessly uncomfortable.

Ronan added one last seemingly concerned remark to Marcel.

"Young Master, you don't need to worry about anything and just focus on preparing for the midterms. Eddie will be back before then."

Marcel didn't reply to that and got off the transport ship.

The bows from the pilot and the members of the Second Knight Order didn't even register in his eyes.

Woooooong-

Hwoooo-

Behind him, as he left the transport ship landing field, the Esca lifted its massive body into the air.

The Esca, which had taken off in an instant and was disappearing into the sky.

Marcel couldn't look back even when the Esca had become a black dot in the sky.

And when he finally reached the campus and looked up at the sky.

“……”

A rain cloud had gathered in the sky that had been clear just a moment ago.

* * *

Meanwhile.

Rob was on his way somewhere on a transport ship with Blake.

The ship they were on was not the Lacania city hall's transport ship, but a small, old, illegally modified one.

It was an unregistered transport ship that could only be boarded through shady routes, which Blake had secretly procured for them to go to the Irvine Post headquarters.

Creak- Squeak- Creak-

Rob kept fidgeting, uncomfortable in the creaking seat.

"It's so cramped."

For over 10 years, he had only sat in the front row of luxurious transport ships funded by taxes.

Riding a cheap transport ship like this was unbearably uncomfortable.

Moreover, he had no idea how they had illegally modified it, but this damn transport ship's windows were blocked, so he couldn't even guess how far they had come.

'If he was going to get one, he should have gotten a proper one.'

Rob frowned and glanced at Blake sitting next to him.

He was staring straight ahead with a thoughtful expression.

Seeing the tense-looking Blake, his heart softened a little.

'Well, he must be nervous. He's on his way to sell out none other than the Imperial Minister of Finance.'

In fact, Blake was probably more scared of this situation than he was.

Rob had already anticipated that he would be abandoned when Archimedes took the students from the campsite.

The reason he had diligently gathered evidence of his collusion with the Minister of Finance was as a precaution in case the day he was abandoned ever came.

But Blake had only been working as his subordinate, so it was understandable that he would be scared.

And, despite that, Rob was truly grateful that he had unexpectedly stayed by his side.

'He didn't even have time to prepare himself, and yet he chose me in that situation. What a commendable fellow.'

Rob's gaze, which had been glancing at Blake, was now filled with warmth.

He felt a little sorry for having harbored complaints.

He had given him this chance to turn the tables, and yet he had glared at him over such a trivial complaint.

It seemed his habit of treating him harshly had remained.

'When this is all over, I'll have to give him a hefty share.'

With that thought, Rob straightened his posture.

Then, the old metallic sound came from the seat again.

"Ahem."

At the repeated noise, one of the men sitting in the back seat coughed pointedly.

At the clearly intentional cough, Rob glared back.

“.......”

The three men in the back seats were employees sent from the Irvine Post for escort.

Overwhelmed by the three well-built men, Rob turned his head back and looked ahead quietly.

In fact, there was no reason for him to be intimidated by the men right now.

Rob was strictly a guest of the Irvine Post, and the men were just employees escorting him.

But the atmosphere they exuded was too unusual to be looked down upon.

An extraordinary strength could be felt from their sturdy bodies and physique, and their occasional speech and actions had a certain discipline to them.

Rob was not one to lose in a fight of strength, but he knew instinctively.

That even if he tried his best, he wouldn't be able to properly handle even one of them.

'Well, it's not like I'll have to fight them.'

Rather, he felt a little relieved thinking that they had sent high-class personnel who were also good at fighting.

'Lacania must be in an uproar right now. Well, it's not my city anymore.'

As his mind became more at ease, Rob chuckled thinking about the city hall, which must be in a state of chaos, and the citizens who must be panicking.

His final responsibility as mayor?

A guilty conscience?

He had thrown those away long ago, along with his faith in the Minister of Finance.

Rob once again checked the evidence Blake had brought.

Fortunately, there were no problems with the boxes loaded on the transport ship.

All the evidence of the Minister of Finance taking bribes over the years was there without a single exception.

It was a bit questionable that Blake had brought the originals instead of copies, but that didn't matter now.

'I have to hang on to the Minister of Finance this time, no matter what. That's the only way I can take the slush fund and seek asylum!'

The Irvine Post was the third-largest newspaper company in the empire.

And the information he was providing was evidence of corruption of a high-ranking official of the imperial family, the Minister of Finance.

With his own exposé as the one who had given him the bribes, the Minister of Finance now had only jail time to look forward to.

'I'll make you pay the price for abandoning me like an old shoe.'

Thus, he would escape and enjoy a peaceful life with his family with the money he had managed to scrape together.

With that thought, Rob leaned back in his seat.

Then he closed his eyes and instructed Blake to wake him when they arrived.

“…Yes, Mr. Mayor.”

Blake was silent for a moment, then answered in a low voice.

Without confirming Blake's expression as he looked at him while answering, Rob slowly drifted off to sleep.

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