Chapter 178: Change (3)
Hume put strength into his voice.
“I had a dream that revealed the location of the black orb.”
“Where is it then?”
Lucion asked with a serious expression.
“It’s in the east.”
‘I wish it could be more specific about the exact location…’
Lucion felt a sense of regret.
If meeting Brachion Myronist, the first prince of the Myronist Kingdom, last time was just a coincidence, how should he find the next black orb?
“I believe there’s something you desire in the place we’re heading.”
Hume hurriedly continued, and only then did Lucion’s eyes widen as he asked.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Hume.”
When Lucion smiled at Hume, Hume’s expression also brightened.
“I apologize for not being able to provide more details.”
“No, it’s alright. You’ve found out the location of the black orb and mentioned it will be where we’re going. That’s sufficient.”
From Lucion’s perspective, acquiring the black orb as soon as possible was of utmost importance. It was only natural for him to feel impatient.
Hume felt warmth in Lucion’s comforting words.
“Well, then, I’ll go get some food.”
―Ratta will also return. Don’t be sick, Lucion.
Ratta wagged her tail and forepaws and chuckled bashfully.
Hume turned and glanced at Lucion, a fleeting thought crossing his mind.
‘That figure who provides me with information…’
“Why?”
“…No, it’s nothing. I’ll be back.”
‘He resembles the young master…’
Hume shook his head and walked away.
* * *
The next day.
It was supposed to be a day to go from the central region to the eastern region, but Heint was trying hard to stop him, so they were forced to stay in the central area.
<… Are you listening?>
Lucion was taken aback by the urgent call from Miella.
What did he just hear? “I’m listening. So…”
<Alright, let me repeat. After contacting Mr. Zamad, he said it was a simple task, so I received the samples the next day.>
Forging a sword was difficult, but creating an item to protect the magic stone by sealing the light was apparently easy.
Lucion couldn’t fully comprehend the world of craftsmanship.
<I was so excited that I stayed up for several nights to work on the project that had been halted. The ores provided by Mr. Zamad are truly remarkable. I’m grateful for the excellent ores he supplied for Hamel!>
Miella paused for a moment before speaking.
The news of the mine being operational didn’t surprise Lucion, as he had heard about it in Kran’s report.
Nevertheless, he was happy as well, eager to hear what came next.
<Ah, anyway. I ended up breaking several magic stones and countless samples, but in the end… I managed to retain only the regenerative power… I did it!>
Miella suddenly burst into tears as she spoke.
<I can’t confidently say it’s complete yet, but reaching this point… it took so long. I’ve been thinking about it and working on it for such a long time, but after I was driven out of the family, I couldn’t afford to continue.>
He knew.
Miella had even been deceived by her business partner and had lost everything.
He knew how desperate she was to get hold of that item, even if it meant making deals with the bad guys.
Though in Heint’s hands, Miella and her work are gone.
[I know you want to go check right away, but no, Lucion. You come first.]
Russell firmly pressed down on Lucion’s forehead as he tried to sit up.
―Ratta will help too.
Shush!
Ratta came running, wagging her tail, and firmly grabbed Lucion’s arm.
<… I know.>
Miella’s voice trembled.
<Meeting Hamel. Hamel helped me at that time. Everything could change for me. Thank you very much. Thank you, Hamel.>
Miella seemed to be holding back her tears with great effort.
<…Ha. I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention, but suddenly, suddenly tears just started flowing.>
Miella’s emotions seemed to overwhelm her, and she struggled to control her tears.
“You can cry,” Lucion said softly, breaking the silence.
Miella’s voice choked up as she responded, <I-I mean, if you say so, h-hic, what can I do…?>
“Well done. You did a great job.”
As Lucion spoke softly, only the sound of Miella crying could be heard.
Bethel tilted her head slightly with a pained expression, as if she had experienced something similar.
How much time has passed? Miella sniffled.
<… I’m sorry.>
“No, you don’t have to apologize. When tears come, you shouldn’t hold them back, you should let them flow.”
<Still, I’m embarrassed… So, I’ll contact you when the situation progresses a little more!>
Miella abruptly ended the call.
Lucion quietly put down the communication device.
‘Crazy!’
The corners of Lucion’s mouth twitched as he removed his mask.
‘It’s almost done!’
With a heart filled with excitement, Lucion clenched his fists.
Amidst the constant danger to his life, the news Miella delivered felt like a refreshing rain shower drenching the earth.
‘I can’t stay still.’
Lucion straightened his posture.
[Lucion.]
“Would a walk nearby be okay?”
Lucion held the mask in his hand once again.
[Why do you need a mask for a walk?]
Russell’s eyebrows twitched.
* * *
“… ha.”
Heint, who had been writing a report, opened the window and glanced downward.
He frowned at Hamel’s middle fingers, which were held high above his head.
“What now?”
Lucion smirked and gestured for Heint to follow.
[Lord Lucion. Why do you keep provoking him?]
Bethel wondered if Heint’s patience had reached its limit.
It wasn’t the first time, but the second.
After watching Heint move, Lucion taunted as he leisurely walked forward.
“If Heint sees me as Lucion, he may think I’m a good guy. But if he sees me as Hamel, he finds me annoying. I’ve done him a great favor, yet he remains indecisive.”
[That’s right. It’s quite frustrating.]
Russell agreed.
Frankly, the information Lucion provided to Heint was incredibly valuable, worth a fortune if it were to be monetized.
If Heint just took it for granted, wouldn’t he be nothing more than trash?
―Was being indecisive a bad thing? Even Ratta couldn’t decide whether to eat the strawberry or chocolate cookie first.
Ratta, lurking in the shadows, suddenly stomped her feet.
―Was Ratta a bad Ratta?
The corners of Ratta’s eyes drooped as if she were about to cry.
Seeing Ratta being overly serious, Russell desperately held back his laughter.
“That’s different,” Lucion said bluntly.
―Really? Ratta isn’t a bad Ratta?
“Of course not. Ratta is so kind.”
Hume replied, smiling lightly.
He felt the urge to pet Ratta right away.
“You can decide whether you want the strawberry cookie or the chocolate cookie first.”
Lucion paused and glanced at Ratta in the shadows.
―Yes! Ratta will continue to think about it!
Ratta wagged her tail, and Lucion resumed his pace.
[Lord Lucion. Sir Heint is coming.]
Bethel, who was laughing with them, spotted Heint in the distance and alerted Lucion.
[Hmm.]
Bethel spoke up.
[What if, Heint, no, the Empire only uses you and then discards you… What will Lord Lucion do?]
“Why would I want to take over the branch?”
Lucion’s mask turned yellow.
There was no way that the most central anthill did not have information about the traitorous Fourth Prince, Owen Tesla.
The Kingdom of Neubra would also want to hold the Empire’s weaknesses.
“If they betray me, I’ll expose the flaws in the imperial family.”
The flaws of the Empire, which had allied with Neubra, an enemy kingdom, while having a prince who is a warlock.
Would the Empire really want that exposed?
Lucion stopped walking, and a moment later, Heint approached.
“What’s the matter?”
“I came because I had something to discuss. I wonder why you have such a sour expression.”
“Why do you keep raising your middle finger? It’s disgusting.”
“It’s my greeting to you. If you don’t like it, you can do the same.”
Heint tightly bit his lip, choosing not to respond to Lucion’s sarcastic remark.
“Give this to the High Priest, the head of the Great Light Temple.”
Lucion handed Heint a letter.
“…A letter?”
“And I need to meet with the Emperor.”
“…”
Heint looked at Lucion in silence.
Whether he found it absurd or had anticipated it, Heint was surprisingly calm.
“I’m not asking for something too extreme, am I?”
Lucion mocked, whether he meant to or not.
“Those letters you sent me, were they from you?”
“Why don’t you answer my question first?”
Heint asked, but Lucion didn’t even bother to answer.
If his opponent was so brazen, he had to be even more brazen.
“His Majesty has requested to meet with you.”
‘…Was this what the king was talking about yesterday?’
Lucion continued to attach a ghost to Heint and monitor him, as he didn’t know what discussions would take place with the imperial family.
He had heard about Heint’s meeting with J.L. and the compliments he received, but his mood was far from pleasant.
What he needed was not Heint’s praise but a promise from the imperial family.
“What’s the intention behind this?”
Lucion remained cautious. It seemed too easy to suddenly be granted an audience with the Emperor.
“Don’t be wary. His Majesty wishes to see you with good intentions. He has no intention of causing you harm.”
Heint grimaced, but softened his expression as much as he could.
“Do you expect me to trust your words when you don’t even trust me?”
But Lucion remained suspicious.
“I anticipated you would say that, so His Majesty has already prepared a letter of authentication for you. Take a look.”
‘He managed to slip it in among the reports.’
Lucion was unaware that the imperial family had sent a letter of authentication along with the reports.
[When was it sent?]
Even Russell expressed doubts.
Reluctantly, Lucion accepted the letter of authentication handed over by Heint.
Not only did it guarantee his identity, but it also explicitly stated that they would not harm him. To top it off, the official seal of the imperial family was imprinted on it.
How could an imperial knight forge the imperial seal?
“His Majesty is very concerned about this matter.”
While Lucion scrutinized the letter of authentication, Heint quietly spoke.
He was relieved that Hamel had come to find him quickly and unexpectedly.
“I suppose so. It’s strange that you don’t seem concerned, considering the information I provided isn’t trivial.”
But Lucion scoffed.
It was funny how he said the obvious as if it were a big deal.
At that moment, Heint’s eyebrows twitched.
“Don’t be sarcastic. It means the king thinks highly of your work.”
“But he won’t publicly acknowledge me. Because I am a warlock.”
“No.”
Heint refuted Lucion’s words.
“If this incident is resolved, His Majesty has expressed his willingness to rectify any false information.”
“Anyone can make promises with their words. What guarantee do I have?”
“That’s true. However, His Majesty is not someone who speaks recklessly.”
‘I’m well aware of that.’
Until two years ago, the current Emperor was hailed as the brightest sun of the Tesla Empire.
“I swear on my knighthood that no harm will befall you. Even if such a situation were to arise, I will stand by your side,” Heint declared, approaching with a serious demeanor, causing a slight shiver to run up Lucion’s arm.
“Why are you acting this way?” Lucion asked.
“I have a brother, a rather unique brother, and something he said made me realize something,” Heint replied.
‘He’s talking about me.’
Lucion barely suppressed his itching mouth.
Heint placed his clenched fist over his heart and bowed his head. “As an imperial knight, I owe you a great debt, Hamel.”
If it weren’t for Hamel, they would have remained oblivious to the meticulous preparations of the Neubra Kingdom to strike the Empire.
They would have been unaware of the many nobles who had been swayed to the Neubra Kingdom and might not have known the true nature of Nevast, whom they believed to be an ally.
Hamel had been a benefactor to the Empire.
Heint should have acknowledged Hamel as someone who had helped the Empire, rather than labeling him a warlock.
‘Really?’
Lucion was dumbfounded.
Heint, like the main character in the novel, was a very strong-minded person.
“Ah. It’s a prerequisite to being on your side; don’t get me wrong.”
Heint, who just moments ago was so polite, couldn’t completely hide his unsettled expression as he lifted his head.
“What misunderstanding? Your expression makes it seem like you’re about to punch me right now,” Lucion retorted, snorting, and extended the letter once more.
“This letter identifies a traitor to Nevast within the Great Light Temple.”
“What… You mean… Nevast has reached out to the Great Light Temple too?”
Heint was surprised.
“…But if the conditions are right, will you really be on my side?”
Lucion asked again, just to make sure.
“I pledged my knight’s honor, so naturally, I must uphold it.”
“Very well, then. I will contact you when the time is right,” Lucion stated before storming off.
It was almost absurd to say that he would dare to make an appointment with the emperor first, but Hamel’s bewildered attitude only brought one thought to Heint’s mind.
Hamel was a person.
Hamel, the warlock, was also human.
Just a bit extraordinary.
Regret filled Heint’s eyes as he watched Lucion depart.
Author's Thoughts
"anthill" is sometimes used as a metaphor to describe a type of organizational model. An anthill organization refers to a decentralized and self-organizing system, inspired by the social structure and efficiency of ant colonies.
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