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Chapter 49
I couldn’t believe it.
‘That can’t be.’
I gripped the blanket tightly with both hands. I could feel Russell’s gaze fixed on me.
“The mastermind was a magician who lost everything while lurking around gambling dens. I heard he opened a portal to move the barbarians from the north.”
“That can’t be…”
“Yes. That man was just bait. He died suddenly shortly after being caught.”
Russell let out a faint sigh. He seemed to believe what I was saying.
“I also heard that the remaining barbarians from the north attacked Glacies Castle. Fortunately, the knights were stationed there, so it ended without any damage.”
That was a relief.
No one had been hurt. I exhaled, feeling reassured. I turned my head toward Russell’s voice.
“Russell. Are you okay?”
“I’m not injured at all. More importantly… why did you act so recklessly?”
“It was a situation that demanded it. That’s all there is to it.”
“I see… but there’s something I want to confirm with you.”
“What is it?”
Russell asked cautiously.
“I heard from Princess Rena that you can hear the voices of trees… Is that true?”
So he knew all along but pretended not to.
“It’s true. But I can only hear the voices of living trees.”
“Then why didn’t the dukes believe you?”
“They ignored me. Since I’m blind, they treated me as if I were crazy. After that, I stopped mentioning it.”
But today was different.
By extending my imagination to the fullest, I could hear the voices of things I couldn’t directly touch.
Russell spoke with a complicated expression.
“You… you don’t even realize how powerful your magic is.”
“Is my magic really that powerful?”
Russell gave a slight nod.
“Magic is based on imagination. Magic that allows communication with plants has never been recorded in history.”
“For example… what could I do with this power?”
“If you develop it, you could turn the trees you touch into weapons.”
Weapons…
‘But when I thought back to stabbing the goblin’s heart today… I don’t think I could turn trees into weapons.’
The feeling of a blade piercing skin and penetrating a heart was horrifying.
‘Let’s change the thought.’
Now that I thought about it, why did Russell reveal that he had grown up in the slums?
“Russell. Why did you tell me that you grew up in the slums?”
Everything about Russell was full of questions.
I was 23 now, and he seemed to be in his early 30s, so he could have met me when I was about to die.
‘Even as a miserable beggar in the slums, he remembered every face of the people who lived there.’
The person who gave me courage had a blurred face.
‘Even without strength, you can take a step forward if you have courage… That’s all lies.’
Ah.
If possible, I should ask about that child too.
“You said it yourself.”
He started gently, holding both of my hands and bringing them to his face.
“My magic is magic that saves people.”
The warmth I felt in his palms was vivid. He was smiling warmly.
“You came to me knowing I was a monster or the lion of the north. And you also said my magic is to save people.”
“Russell…”
“So? Do you find it disgusting that I grew up in the slums?”
“No. Not at all.”
Russell looked surprised at my answer.
“Wasn’t your answer too quick?”
“I thought about it carefully. Well… when you said you took revenge, was it against people like usurers… the malicious ones?”
They had driven me to the brink of death. Now it was hard to imagine they still lived in the slums under the sunlight rather than in the shadows of the system.
“Yes. I killed them.”
He said it with an expression as if it were nothing.
‘Russell’s precious people were killed by the tumors of the slums.’
I waited, keeping my hands on his face.
“I relentlessly tracked down and killed all those who killed my loved ones. Later, guards came, but I bribed them to look the other way.”
That was why the ruffians weren’t around.
“Some people in the slums thanked me. They said, ‘Thank you for killing the one who killed my daughter.’”
Russell had already killed them by then.
“But after the Royal Knights came, things changed. I barely fought off the knights, but someone mentioned my eye color… and I entered the imperial palace on my own.”
There, Russell confronted the Crown Princess under the Emperor’s orders.
From an odds perspective, it was an obviously disadvantageous fight.
“Everyone said I would lose. They said a reckless wretch born from a spark of mischief dared to interfere.”
“But you won, right?”
Russell possessed magic strong enough to overcome any disadvantage.
‘Magic can skip generations… maybe the Emperor’s blood is stronger in him?’
Even if I asked, he probably wouldn’t answer straightforwardly. Better to ask what I could find out.
“Asha said she’s my bodyguard.”
He smiled faintly.
“Asha was never good at lying. I thought she had hidden it well until now… but I expected this incident to reveal it.”
“Why did I need a bodyguard?”
“Because it would be difficult for you to walk without assistance. Also, I thought it necessary to prepare for an ambush. By the way… was Asha a good bodyguard?”
I nodded silently.
Without Asha, I wouldn’t have survived the crisis.
I felt the muscles in my cheeks tense in his palms. Russell smiled.
“That’s a relief.”
“Your Highness, if I may, the Emperor wishes to see you…”
As soon as I heard Frater’s voice, I quickly pulled my hands away. But it seemed already too late.
After a brief silence, I heard the sound of the door closing as Frater replied.
“Call us when you are ready.”
“No. If you have something to say, say it.”
Well… I’m embarrassed…
Braving my shyness, I cleared my throat to shift the atmosphere.
Perhaps noticing this, Russell spoke.
“What does His Majesty wish to discuss?”
“He wishes to personally award the two who helped resolve this incident.”
“I see… I understand.”
Russell released me and leaned back in his chair.
“There’s something both of you need to hear. Soon, a delegation from the Kingdom of Casus will probably arrive.”
“A delegation… then they’ll probably stop by Glacies Castle to clear up any misunderstandings.”
Russell nodded slightly.
“Yes. But the Emperor has already noticed and is moving behind the scenes.”
“What? Even though the mastermind is dead?”
“You left a hint.”
There must be an underground organization in the slums. I had informed the Emperor of this.
‘Just one word and they’re already moving?’
Then the Kingdom of Casus was effectively on the radar. And they wouldn’t be unaware of that.
“But they can’t act officially. Casus will publicly maintain peace while secretly preparing to destroy evidence meticulously.”
“I want to ask about the Kingdom of Casus. What kind of people are the Casus royals?”
They pretended peace on the surface, but secretly prepared to stab people in the back.
If my memory was correct, the Kingdom of Casus had been secretly maneuvering in the slums for at least 20 years.
And Russell didn’t even know about it.
“It’s a bitter fate.”
I was about to ask what he meant when Russell answered with a sigh.
“The Crown Prince once set a trap for me.”
