Ch.131The Declining Imperial Family (2)

“Wh-what are you talking about…?”

Justin wore a bewildered expression.

“Lu-Luide?”

Hersy approached, looking flustered.

Luide calmly looked at Justin.

‘I don’t sense anything.’

When infusing mana, he could usually detect most fakes.

But he couldn’t sense anything at all.

Either it was a simple misunderstanding, or it wasn’t magic.

‘…I have no evidence. But the latter is more likely.’

If that assumption was correct, there was only one answer.

The sin of lust, Lilith.

Her power was over “souls.”

She could remove someone’s soul and then take over their body.

Her direct combat ability wasn’t particularly high, but she possessed various troublesome powers that made her difficult to deal with.

Even Justin in the original story had struggled against “Lilith” more than anyone else.

Luide released his grip on Justin’s collar.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

“It’s nothing.”

He said with a bright smile and turned to walk away.

To think that the black mages’ schemes had infiltrated so deeply without his knowledge.

It didn’t make him feel particularly good.

But this was an opportunity.

The more the black mages’ influence spread, the faster Dellin’s revival would be.

All he needed to do was resurrect the First Emperor accordingly.

Once those two were revived…

‘I won’t forgive you for stepping foot in the North without permission.’

**

Count Queensberry was a middle-aged man who, unlike most magician families, boasted a massive physique.

With a body better than most knights, he actually enjoyed fighting in close combat.

He typically fought by casting physical enhancement magic on himself. He had a fiery temper and, above all, was devoted to his daughter.

“Count! We’re approaching the Windsor’s 4th defense line!”

“So that’s the 4th defense line.”

“Yes!”

Count Queensberry whispered in a low voice to the knight beside him.

The knight shouted “Halt!” loudly while raising his right hand and making a fist.

He dismounted and gazed at the massive Windsor Castle visible to the naked eye.

‘So that’s Windsor Castle.’

His eyes settled calmly. But he couldn’t hide the blazing look in them.

“How dare they fail to protect Sophia.”

House Queensberry.

They were the most combat-capable noble house in the empire after the Imperial Family and House Minerva.

A family of war heroes, their expertise was recognized even by the Imperial Family.

That’s why they had received reinforcements of 4,000 magic knights and 1,000 imperial knights, leading a total force of 5,000 troops into the northern lands.

Count Queensberry was confident. With this force, he could slaughter any family in the empire in one go.

Even if it was House Windsor.

“A message from the scout!”

“What does he say?”

A knight jumped off his horse holding a crystal ball. Inside the crystal, a man in ordinary clothes bowed.

He was a member of the “Garter Knights” who had been sent ahead to investigate House Windsor’s situation.

The knight order that inherited the imperial elite Teuton Knights. Their skills were unquestionable, and they were undoubtedly the best knight order in the empire.

With their exceptional abilities, they had infiltrated the 1st defense line without any issues and assessed the situation.

“…First, it seems Miss Sophia’s death is confirmed.”

“Damn it!”

Resentful curses could be heard among the knights.

However, Count Queensberry’s expression remained calm.

He was already fully aware that she was dead.

As the head of a family, he couldn’t throw everything away over his daughter’s death. He was exercising some restraint.

But—

Crunch.

The inside of his knight’s gauntlet was soaked with blood.

“What’s the situation?”

“It seems rather chaotic. From what I hear, they’re busy dealing with large waves coming from the 1st and 9th defense lines.”

“I see. So the 4th defense line is empty.”

The mysterious Windsor Duchy.

However, a noble of his standing knew quite a bit.

A large wave came once a month, and during that time, House Windsor had no spare capacity.

And the 4th defense line where he now stood was the core of House Windsor.

Because the thousand-year-old Windsor Castle was located here.

“Everything is working in our favor.”

“Congratulations. This is practically a bloodless entry.”

“You fool!”

Count Queensberry spoke savagely.

“Don’t let your guard down for a moment. We don’t know what Windsor might be hiding. But…”

He subtly raised the corner of his mouth.

“It’s less impressive than I thought. Even this Windsor.”

“Hahaha!”

The knights all laughed together.

But it was a somewhat awkward laugh.

Rationally, they knew Windsor’s main forces weren’t at the 4th defense line, but…

The huge castle visible even from a distance.

The snow-covered, developed city.

This subtly unfamiliar space seemed to be saying one thing:

‘Do not disturb.’

It felt like they were barbarians encroaching on sacred, inviolable territory.

Count Queensberry felt something similar. For a moment, he considered turning back, but he couldn’t.

He needed to teach this arrogant duchy, which had driven his daughter to death without showing any remorse, what the Empire and House Queensberry were all about.

It was almost a sense of duty.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes. Move out!”

Five thousand knights moved as one.

Seeing this tremendous force that could bring down an entire kingdom, Count Queensberry filled himself with confidence.

‘Yes. Windsor, whatever you’re hiding will be powerless before this overwhelming force. Accept your punishment for killing my daughter.’

He intended to completely devastate the 4th defense line at minimum.

Though he had received the Emperor’s decree not to go to extremes, he thought that much would be acceptable.

Count Queensberry moved his horse slowly. With snow everywhere, galloping would increase the risk of falling.

Just then, a strong snowstorm hit.

“Secure yourselves with lances and swords! A strong snowstorm is coming!”

“Yes!”

The knights quickly dismounted, planting their swords and lances in the snow. They held their horses’ reins and covered their eyes to prepare for the approaching blizzard.

Whooosh!

“Ugh.”

A chill wrapped around their skin.

After enduring the snowstorm for about 30 seconds, Count Queensberry was the first to open his eyes.

“…What’s this.”

In Count Queensberry’s view appeared a sight that wasn’t there just moments ago.

A large rock.

A blonde boy lying face down, sleeping on top of it.

His white skin and overall dignified atmosphere proved he was a noble to anyone who saw him.

Count Queensberry knew who this boy was.

“…Ruide Christopher Windsor.”

A genius magician who might even surpass Dellin.

He had single-handedly subdued black mages who infiltrated the academy and created an unprecedentedly strong barrier alone.

His theories and every word brought new paradigms to academia, and he was only 12 years old.

In just 12 years, he had earned too many titles to list. He had gained the almost deified title of “Time Magician,” the highest honor for a mage.

But among them, the most famous was:

“Lazy Luide.”

Count Queensberry’s aide said, as if entranced.

Did he hear that?

The boy woke up.

Very leisurely and slowly, he raised himself and rubbed his eyes.

Despite seeing many people gathered, his pupils didn’t waver at all.

He merely spat out, as if annoyed:

“It’s true. Uninvited guests have arrived. So many of them.”

“Y-you are.”

Gulp.

Despite the cold weather, sweat ran down the aide’s neck.

But Count Queensberry’s eyes blazed even more fiercely.

“It’s been a while, Young Master Luide.”

“…”

“Did you see my letter asking you to take good care of my daughter?”

“Don’t know about that.”

Luide yawned deeply. Looking up at Count Queensberry, he said:

“My assistant disposes of all letters.”

“…!”

The Count bit down hard on his molars.

“You’re saying you burned a letter from a family head without even reading it?”

“Yeah. There are too many.”

“Do you have no respect whatsoever for the imperial nobility?”

“None.”

The Count’s face turned red with anger.

How far was this much younger boy trying to test his patience?

“Why did you come? Leading all these small fry.”

Luide asked indifferently.

Something snapped in the Count’s mind.

But outwardly, he showed no sign of it.

That was what it meant to be an imperial noble.

“I understand your meaning well.”

He spoke in a cold voice, sizing up the small boy. He put his hand in his inner pocket.

‘No matter how much of a genius he is, it’s all theory. There’s a limit to the mana a 12-year-old human can possess.’

Before taking out his staff, the Count asked one final question.

“Young Master Luide. May I ask you one thing?”

“Sure.”

“…Is Sophia alive?”

If he admitted all his guilt and apologized here, Count Queensberry was willing to forgive him to some extent.

By executing a few key knights from the 1st defense line who were responsible for Sophia’s safety.

But if he lied to escape the current situation and continued to insult him to the end—

He was prepared for all-out war, even if half of his forces were lost.

“Sophia is…”

Count Queensberry focused all his senses on Luide.

Luide spoke in a clear voice.

“Sophia is not dead.”

“You damn brat!”

The Count shouted in rage and pulled out his staff, swinging it at Luide.

A blade of purple mana, symbolizing Queensberry, shot toward Luide.

Boom, BOOM!

The Count continued swinging his staff. With thunderous sounds, snow scattered like powder. Still, he didn’t stop casting spells.

A magic battle.

People unfamiliar with magic think you can’t win if there’s a difference in rank.

They believe the higher rank always wins. However, that’s wrong.

The most important things in a magic battle are experience and mana quantity.

Even a 1st-rank spell is enough to kill someone.

Count Queensberry knew Luide was no pushover.

However, he believed he could win. He had survived countless battlefields.

As a margrave guarding the empire’s corner, he had fought and defeated countless barbarians.

He hadn’t neglected his training enough to lose to such a brat.

This fight was his victory.

“Huff, hah.”

Count Queensberry exhaled heavily. He had used about half his mana. This was a light performance.

He pretended to have used all his mana to lure his opponent into letting their guard down.

The ‘real’ battle was close combat.

‘I’ve used this much magic. No matter how much of a genius he is, he must have been surprised by the sudden magic and consumed quite a bit of mana. Plus, I have thousands of knights.’

The Count put away his staff and walked toward the misty snow.

“Young Master. Your mistakes are two.”

“One, daring to appear before us alone.”

“Two, failing to prepare thoroughly due to your own arrogance.”

“Three… not taking any responsibility after killing a friend.”

Count Queensberry waved his hand.

As the snow cleared, the results of his magic were revealed.

“…!”

He was gone.

The rock where Luide had been sitting was shattered to pieces, but there was no one there.

“How…”

At that moment, the Count felt a chill run down his spine.

“Well, I told you Sophia is alive.”

A voice came from above. He looked up hurriedly. Luide was looking down at him with a bored expression.

From mid-air.

Without a single wrinkle in his clothes.

No barrier had been activated.

That meant one thing.

‘He wasn’t hit in the first place.’

“This is what you brought upon yourselves. I would have preferred peace.”

Luide extended his fist into the air.

He raised one index finger, then lightly lowered it.

“Fall Down.”

**

“This spot looks good.”

Luide crawled into the straw.

Using magic always made him sleepy.

Since he’d done what he needed to do, he might as well get some good sleep.

Creak—

As he was about to fall asleep, the door opened.

He peeked out to see who it was.

It was Irene.

“Sister.”

“Luide.”

Irene approached Luide with a strange smile.

“Did you finish your work?”

“It was too late.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…Yeah. The work is done.”

Irene walked up and sat down in front of Luide.

“Did you kill them?”

Luide shook his head.

“No.”

Irene glanced at Luide with a slightly disappointed expression.

“It’s your choice. But how did you handle it?”

“I used the Fall Down spell.”

“Fall Down?”

Fall Down.

A spell created by Luide.

He borrowed the naming from some movie.

‘I don’t want to kill people. Not yet.’

“What… kind of spell is that?”

“It’s a spell that makes people fight each other.”

“Huh?”

Luide said nonchalantly.

“Until they kill each other.”

Hearing those words, Irene blinked once, and then her smile gradually deepened.