Ch.106Blood and Iron Rejects You (2)

The atmosphere in the Imperial Capital was bleak with winter approaching. Now that Roman’s leader Biltain had been revealed as one of the Annihilation Elders, memories of the Annihilation incident from decades ago had resurfaced in the minds of imperial citizens.

Though not as splendid as before, it was still more magnificent than any other city. Evan was reminded once again that everything wasn’t over yet as he observed the city.

“The atmosphere is… worse than I expected.”

Airine quietly nodded at his words. Though many people passed by, every face lacked vitality. Evangelium was still magnificent.

However, the faces of the people around it all seemed like emotionless dolls. Airine frowned slightly and looked at the imperial palace before speaking.

“I think I know why His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you. Given the situation, he might have decided to step in personally.”

“The Crown Prince seemed to be struggling on his own. Dealing with Roman alone must be quite challenging.”

Most of Roman’s military forces had been brainwashed by Annihilation. One of the three powers that divided the empire had completely vanished. Naturally, the empire was struggling with the sudden power vacuum, and dealing with the remaining unbrainwashed forces also required significant time and resources.

Above all, the balance of power was gradually breaking as the five great families had become four.

‘It could become three great families.’

Hatan, whom the Crown Prince had mentioned. It was slightly unexpected for Evan, who had anticipated Medib or Kilrog, but the direct mention suggested there must be a reason worth pointing out. Evan set aside thoughts about the family for a moment and recalled Fried, who needed to be dealt with alongside Hatan.

After dealing with Fried… what should he do? Using the name Evan Fried would be problematic, as the association with Annihilation was perceived incredibly negatively in this country.

While briefly thinking about names, Evan suddenly smiled and took Airine’s hand. When Airine turned her head, feeling his hand covering her small one, Evan naturally interlaced their fingers and spoke.

“Hmm, if we were to get married.”

“M-married?”

“It’s just hypothetical. I just had a sudden thought.”

Airine’s eyes widened. Marriage? Was Evan already considering marriage? Various thoughts began to bloom in Airine’s mind like flowers. As she smiled to herself, imagining a fairy-tale life married to Evan, he gently tugged at her hand, having guessed what she was thinking.

“If I married you, wouldn’t I have to change my surname?”

“Is that… how it works?”

Changing his surname? Airine tilted her head, thinking about Evan’s surname. If they married, would she live with her family…

“Oh.”

Airine’s mouth opened slightly as she understood what Evan meant. Changing his surname meant that Evan was suggesting he would become her family’s son-in-law. With her heart pounding loudly, Airine stroked her chest and looked at Evan with a fond expression.

“Then you’d become Evan Yuris.”

“It would feel a bit strange. Well, if I were to marry you, that is.”

“Marriage, yes. Marriage…”

Airine’s eyes momentarily lost their light, but Evan didn’t notice and simply smiled lightly while gazing at the imperial palace.

Perhaps because news of their official relationship had spread, some passersby glanced in their direction. In the past, they would have hidden their identities, but now there was no need. Though blushing at being watched by others, Airine didn’t let go of Evan’s hand.

In fact, she was more eager to show off her ringed hand to others. Evan’s lips twitched when he saw Airine deliberately trying to move her hand outward.

“Everyone will know eventually anyway, so why the rush?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Pretending not to understand, Evan shrugged and continued walking. Though he wanted to visit various places in the Imperial Capital, finding the Emperor was the priority. When they reached the palace entrance, knights who recognized Evan saluted him.

The gesture—placing a fist over the heart—was reserved for heroes, which made Evan feel slightly embarrassed. But when he returned the gesture, the knights smiled brightly and began opening the gates that blocked the entrance.

As the gates opened, a man waved at them as if he had been waiting, arms spread wide. With his characteristically smooth smile and flamboyant uniform, it was the Crown Prince, second only to the Emperor in authority. Evan and Airine knelt before him.

“Oh, there’s no need to kneel. Stand up. Why make things awkward when we’re meeting after so long?”

Kaisel smiled slightly at Evan. As he alternated his gaze between Airine and Evan, Evan nodded slightly before taking Kaisel’s extended hand for a handshake.

“We’re the ones dating, yet somehow Your Highness seems more pleased about it.”

“Am I that obvious? You have no idea how torturous it was watching from the sidelines.”

“I hope Your Highness finds someone like we did someday.”

Hearing those words, Kaisel laughed loudly and patted Evan’s shoulder. Truthfully, he had been growing tired of his usual lifestyle lately. While he was accustomed to having many women, the story of Evan and Airine had already become famous in social circles.

Having witnessed their love firsthand, Kaisel scratched his cheek awkwardly as he recalled the tingling feeling in his heart.

The fateful meeting between a noble lady and her knight—it was the kind of romance novel that noble ladies loved discussing. The story of how a woman once known for her icy personality had changed after meeting her knight.

It was a story good enough to nod approvingly at, even to his own ears, and it had unfolded in reality. Who wouldn’t be interested in such a tale?

Moreover, Airine Yuris was the young head of one of the five great families, and Evan Fried was a knight who had single-handedly defeated Malorik and Biltain. Rumors suggested that fairy tale-like books about them were already being published. Seeing Evan and Airine smiling at each other, Kaisel awkwardly pulled up the corners of his mouth as he recalled his own behavior.

…He had been called promiscuous quite often.

But he hadn’t had time to care much about it. Hearing Evan’s words, however, made him think that experiencing such love might not be bad. But he couldn’t let them stand there while lost in thought, so Kaisel casually made way for the two.

After all, they had much to discuss.

#

“By the way, who confessed first?”

Kaisel quietly asked, nudging Evan’s side. The two had developed enough friendship to be considered close friends, so after the Roman subjugation, Evan could answer comfortably.

“I did. I couldn’t let Airine confess first.”

“…I’ve never confessed first. Hmm, good. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kaisel smiled awkwardly. Rumors circulating suggested that Airine had confessed, or that Evan had confessed, or even that they had confessed simultaneously. He thought it better to ask directly, but hearing that Evan had confessed first reminded him of his past self.

Perhaps it was a kind of fan sentiment, wanting to support the two. Though Kaisel himself wasn’t aware of it, wasn’t he secretly cheering for them? While he wanted to hear more, he noticed Airine’s expression wasn’t pleased with him being so close to Evan, so he spoke up.

“Well then. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you. You know about that, right?”

“I do. It’s probably about becoming a Master… and about Annihilation.”

Deliberately avoiding mentioning Ascalon, Evan looked at Kaisel, who nodded in affirmation. While formal recognition as a Master was one thing, the remaining forces of Annihilation were still a problem. Though they had broken one pillar of their power by dealing with Roman, that was all they had accomplished.

Dealing with Malorik and Biltain had certainly dealt them a significant blow. But Annihilation was larger than imagined. The organization had nearly conquered the empire’s Evangelium and had been growing its forces in the shadows for decades after being repelled.

For those who dealt with the dead, decades was more than enough time to multiply their forces. Kaisel’s brow furrowed.

“Certainly, the situation has improved from before.”

“Is that so?”

“If we had left Biltain alone, the capital would have fallen in the blink of an eye. You know better than anyone, having fought him… a Master isn’t someone to be taken lightly. You were only an Expert then, so if they had moved a bit more urgently, we might not have had any way to stop them.”

Evan quietly nodded and took Airine’s hand. She tended to darken visibly whenever Biltain was mentioned, so he smiled gently to reassure her, which finally put her at ease.

“Our available forces have decreased, and Theorad can’t move right now either. We’re facing quite a few difficulties in operating the Imperial Knights. And we can’t just ignore Hatan.”

“Are you certain about Hatan?”

“Eighty percent.”

Looking down with a bitter expression, Kaisel spoke again.

“That’s the probability I’m thinking of. Various circumstantial evidence is accumulating. And this will be decided not by me… but by my father.”

“So that’s why he summoned me.”

“Because you’re the only force we can deploy right now. I truly apologize to both you and Yuris. I’d like to give you more time… but there are too many unstable factors.”

Airine frowned at Kaisel’s words. She had known, but hearing it directly didn’t make her feel any better. Evan fighting dark mages again.

Though she was anxious, trusting the now-different Evan was also her role. Looking at him, Airine quietly pulled up the corners of her mouth. Evan’s eyes reflected only concern for her. Reassured by this, Airine stroked his cheek.

“Airine, I—”

“It’s okay. You’ll come back, won’t you?”

“…Of course.”

Because he had promised. Evan looked at the Crown Prince with a somewhat serious expression. Seeing Evan’s wavering gaze change, Kaisel sat in his chair and handed Evan a piece of paper. Thinking it might be a letter from the Emperor, Evan opened it and looked at Kaisel after seeing its contents.

“Dragon language.”

“I know. But this…”

“My father asked me to give it to you. Since it’s widely known that you were born with dragon blood, he’s been looking for something like this.”

Hearing the name “dragon language,” Evan nodded. Having used dragon language in his previous battle, he was well aware of its power. It might even be more efficient than using light spirits.

The problem was Scarlet Terazein, who would soon appear.

‘Will she be involved with the Crown Prince this time too?’

Evan looked at Kaisel. Though he still enjoyed a promiscuous lifestyle, rumors suggested he had been gradually reducing such behavior lately. While his change in attitude might seem positive on the surface… if it became the catalyst for his involvement with Scarlet.

‘I’ll need to keep an eye on this.’

Since Scarlet’s first appearance would be next spring, Evan thought he could observe a bit more slowly. If they became involved, he would need to be cautious. Airine was no longer a villainess, and there was no possibility of her being involved with Annihilation.

Nevertheless, the fact that Scarlet was the female protagonist of this novel’s world was a significant variable.

Moreover, the developments had already diverged significantly from the original story. The original story didn’t even cover up to this point, and Roman had remained intact even after Scarlet’s appearance. Ironically, in the novel, it was Roman who actively helped the Crown Prince and Scarlet…

‘It’s changed… too much.’

To the point where the change felt awkward, as if there was something behind it. While briefly thinking about Scarlet, Evan noticed Airine’s gaze had turned cold and smiled faintly. Of course, Airine merely glared at him and crossed her arms.

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“What were you thinking about?”

Airine frowned when she saw Evan’s shoulders flinch. When Evan reacted like that, it usually meant he had done something wrong, and the woman’s intuition she had been feeling lately stirred. When Airine gripped Evan’s hand, he looked at her with an awkward smile.

“If you keep doing that.”

“If I keep doing that…?”

When Evan cautiously asked, Airine thought for a moment before naturally licking her lips. If he was thinking of something else, it was best to make him unable to think of anything else. Recalling the content of a book she had briefly read before, Airine gazed intently at Evan.

A gaze slightly different from before, reminiscent of the look she had given him a few nights ago. Evan swallowed.

“…I’ll be punished, I suppose.”

Though there was no mention of how he would be punished, Evan somehow seemed to understand the meaning and blushed. Smirking at Evan’s reaction, Airine eventually drank the Darjeeling in her teacup.

As she brought the fragrant tea close to her nose to enjoy its aroma, Airine’s brow suddenly furrowed.

She had requested her usual tea leaves, expecting the same flavor, but strangely, today the taste felt unusually stale. Somewhat fishy and slightly peculiar.

Even after drinking it again, the flavor remained unchanged. Airine put down her teacup and called a nearby maid to pour her tea again.

“Shall I bring different Darjeeling leaves?”

“No…”

Airine looked at the still-rippling Darjeeling she hadn’t finished, then finally moved her lips again.

“I’d like lemon tea instead.”

“Understood.”

Somehow, she felt a craving for something sour.