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Chapter : 39
You Are Indifferent to Yourself.
Something creaked beneath the ground. A dense, unfathomable darkness spread thickly.
This was instinct.
Something was coming.
Charlophe was not the only one who sensed it.
“Your Majesty! Please step back. We will escort you from here!”
Katarina and the guards drew their swords. The ringing steel echoed through the delegation’s palace.
“Something is approaching. Lower yourself, Your Majesty!”
Rain poured down in heavy sheets. Dark crimson hair absorbed the rain and sank heavily.
Charlophe fixed her gaze into the darkness.
Far away, the darkness writhed.
Noises buried beneath the rain gradually became clearer. What gathered in a swarm was a horde of monsters.
“Insect-type monsters!”
Shapes crawled out from between the shadows.
The rumbling grew louder from the north, and wherever the one-eyed ground-spider passed, white webs spread across the ground.
The rain dissolved the webs, and a white poisonous mist rose like a mirage.
“Your Majesty. Please evade. Someone, escort His Majesty inside the palace!”
Tap. Tap.
Outside, the rain grew harsher.
“Tsk.”
Benjamin set down his quill.
“Is your work not going well?”
He took a cigar from the side table. As he lazily closed his eyes, his senses dulled.
In this state, concentration would be difficult.
With a dismissive wave, Benjamin closed the documents.
“Shall we end things here for today?”
“Has it passed evening already?”
“Yes. I’ll have them prepare something light for dinner.”
“No. Where is the Empress?”
“She stepped out earlier. She’s outside, it seems… ah, I’ll send someone.”
Benjamin narrowed his eyes. Perhaps because of the rain, other sounds were muffled.
“…Your Majesty.”
“I felt it too.”
Soon, his face twisted like that of a demon.
“Which bastard is rampaging inside my palace again.”
The rain had delayed his awareness. His eyes sharpened.
“I should go see their faces myself.”
“If it’s the north, that’s where the delegation is.”
Dark mana bloomed. They had dared crawl into a place they should never have entered.
Benjamin gripped the windowsill. His gaze fixed on a single point.
“Those vermin… where do they think they are….”
He leapt straight out the window.
The insect monsters surrounded Charlophe and her group.
“Even if they’re low-grade, they’re still monsters. Be careful not to touch their webs.”
Charlophe collapsed weakly, scraping at the dirt for no reason.
“Spiders?”
“A hybrid of spider and larva.”
Charlophe stared vacantly at the ground-spider monster.
“All insect-types are low-grade monsters. Rain is poison to them as well—it should neutralize the toxin.”
“Why would they appear in the northern palace…?”
“We’ll investigate once this is dealt with.”
Charlophe frowned.
“Kiiwng.”
A wolf cub bit her finger.
“You bit me?”
As she stroked its white fur, the wolf licked her fingertips with its small snout.
“I know you’re scared, little one—but I’m weaker than you.”
Sticky fluid dripped down.
Charlophe pulled a silver dagger from her sleeve and drew it. It had been a decorative charm tied to the hilt with embroidery, barely a finger-joint long.
“Ah….”
A fuzzy spider creaked as it moved its legs.
Crunch. Scrape.
Something scratched beneath the ground.
“Charlophe. Come back.”
Someone whispered beside her head.
“Oh dear. Can’t move?”
“You…”
“Why do corrupt things keep crawling up to the surface? Since the ancient pact was forged, those driven underground now yearn for life.”
The creatures vanished from her sight.
Benjamin, having removed his outer coat, draped it over Charlophe.
“Cover yourself, Charlophe.”
As she tried to pull the coat down from her face, Benjamin’s hand overlapped hers.
“You’re soaked from the rain.”
“Ah….”
“I never thought I’d see you like this again.”
Charlophe looked up at him, seated on the ground.
Rain blurred her vision.
She collapsed as if crumbling.
Beneath the ground.
The very edge. Where all sleep.
The beginning and end of the boundary zone, the beginning and end of the ancient pact.
Bones clattered as they approached.
Eyes followed them. Bone-made jaws clicked together.
“Who are you.”
“Who.”
“Who is it?”
“Who came here?”
“Did you come down?”
Her vision was blocked.
Someone hid Charlophe.
She felt hands pulling her away, as though severing something.
“It’s bugs! Bugs! Aah! I hate spiders the most! Disgusting! Horrible! They’ve got fuzz on their legs! I’ll burn all that fur off! Aah!”
Tatante looked down at his attendant with disdain.
“Aah! A larva—!”
“Can’t you be quiet for once?”
The attendant, stomping on monster corpses, screamed in revulsion.
“Aah! This is a desert ground-spider! What did those southern continent bastards drag in here?!”
“They said there must be no trouble with this delegation—yet aren’t you the one causing it? You’re from the forest folk, and you hate insects this much? Tsk. I don’t know what use you’re good for. You’re an embarrassment to your clan.”
“Aaaah!”
“You’re using sword aura just to kill a low-grade monster?”
Tatante severed the ground-spider’s head and grabbed his attendant by the nape. At this rate, half the delegation’s quarters would be destroyed over a single spider.
“Insects are troublesome, but—”
Before he could step forward, the Imperial Knights swept through the area. The knight commander burned away the monsters with sword aura and approached.
“There was a disturbance inside the palace. Are you injured?”
“I’m fine.”
“There was a minor conflict within the delegation. His Majesty said he will reinforce internal security.”
They offered to prepare alternate quarters and departed. The delegation’s residence fell silent.
“For something this big to happen, the palace is strangely quiet.”
Tatante clasped his hands behind his back and gazed beyond the northern palace.
“The ground is overturned everywhere—how is that quiet?”
“Not that kind of quiet. A different sort.”
.
.
Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
“You’re saying it was their doing?”
The intelligence officer reported.
“It was one of the delegation’s attendants.”
From the southern continent.
The southern continent had endured years of internal strife. Though it had ended, remnants sought to stir chaos.
“So that’s why it was a southern monster.”
“They’ve sent an apology.”
“Was it confirmed?”
“Yes. It appears to be factional conflict. The monsters originated from the southern quarters.”
Benjamin pressed his brow.
“What did they use to summon them?”
“Low-grade miasma. Identical to items sold in the night market.”
Benjamin crushed the confiscated item in his hand.
“They keep scratching at things.”
“What should we tell the delegation?”
“Nothing for now. Just make sure they keep quiet.”
Someone keeps dragging forbidden things up from below.
“They skirt the taboo and poke at it—are they begging to die?”
“Your Majesty, handling miasma with bare hands—”
“This is truly low-grade. Barely enough to sting the skin. At best, it summons insects.”
He could read their thoughts.
“With the New Year Festival coming up, this could easily become gossip.”
“The miasma purified itself. All monsters were low-grade, and the rain washed everything away.”
“Bury this incident. Tell the knights to reinforce security.”
Even rumors of monsters in the palace would cause scandal.
Before the New Year Festival, unnecessary attention was the last thing they needed.
“And the Empress…?”
“Enough.”
The intelligence officers withdrew.
Afterward—
Charlophe still hadn’t regained consciousness.
Click.
The bedroom door opened.
A faint herbal scent filled the room.
“She won’t wake easily.”
Charlophe lay asleep, breathing softly.
Her complexion was pale.
“She’s caught a chill. She was soaked and badly frightened. A few days’ rest will do.”
She had a mild fever.
Her breathing was steady, her pulse calm.
Benjamin wiped her hand with a damp cloth.
“Charlophe.”
He straightened from the bedside.
“Why do you keep sleeping?”
“….”
“You’ve slept enough.”
He interlaced his fingers with hers. Warmth gathered in his grip.
“You—get down.”
The wolf cub crawled out from the blanket.
It shook its white fur and lay down at the side of the bed.
“So it’s a familiar spirit… I didn’t know the imprinting was complete.”
“….”
“Not under the blanket.”
Familiar imprints are usually sealed with the owner’s blood.
Even as a cub, it was a familiar.
Charlophe—what have you taken in?
“Kiiwng.”
The wolf curled up, hiding its head between its paws.
Her body felt heavy.
“Ah….”
Her blurred vision gradually brightened. Charlophe rolled onto her side.
Something wriggled beneath the blanket.
She closed her eyes again.
It kept wriggling.
She stretched out a thin arm.
“Why are you there again?”
Something poked its head out.
Fluffy white fur.
The wolf cub shook its head and hopped off the bed, disappearing beyond the canopy.
“Ugh….”
Charlophe lay on her side, eyes closed.
“You should stop sleeping.”
“Just a little longer.”
“No. You’ve slept enough.”
Someone drew the canopy aside.
“Awake?”
“…It’s bright.”
“Your fever?”
“Mm. I’m fine.”
Charlophe touched her forehead.
“It’s lukewarm. Did I have a fever?”
“Just a mild one.”
“I’m okay now.”
“You always say you’re okay.”
Dark crimson hair spilled down.
“Your grandfather from the Windsor family will visit this afternoon.”
“You told him?”
“If you’re unconscious for days, it’s only right.”
“I woke up too late.”
She rubbed her hair and lowered her head.
“And this child…?”
“It’s imprinted on you. That’s why its eyes are dark crimson too.”
“What do I do?”
“Keep it with you. It cries if you’re even a little far.”
A familiar that’s been imprinted can’t be separated from its master.
“If it came to you by fate, then that fate must have meaning.”
The cub now belonged to Charlophe. It burrowed into her like a baby.
“What about the monsters?”
“Handled.”
“The New Year Festival?”
“Proceeding as planned.”
“The delegation?”
“Quiet.”
Charlophe rubbed her eyes. She was still tired.
Then his voice lowered.
“Are you done with questions?”
“Ah—yes.”
Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
“You’re indifferent to yourself.
Your own safety always comes last, Charlophe.”
