Ch.290290. Why is she so pretty again····?

“Lord Kabla, what on earth is going on?”

It was absolute chaos.

Magic shells were raining down on the imperial mansion, and Emperor Kalian Lumiere was evacuating with the escort of the Imperial Knights.

Clara, Kabla, and I had been completely forgotten in the commotion.

“It seems that Second Prince Leonis has started a rebellion.”

“R-rebellion?”

“Yes, we need to evacuate immediately.”

But with magic shells flying from all directions, where exactly were we supposed to escape to?

I poked my head out of the imperial window and saw what appeared to be rebel mages launching spells in the distance.

First, I tensed my entire body to break free from my restraints so I could block the magic shells heading toward the imperial palace.

Then I stretched my palm out the window.

“Flame Explosion!”

KUUUUNG! KWAAANG-!

With the tremendous explosion behind us, I hurriedly untied Clara and Kabla’s restraints.

Kabla stared at me with wide eyes and raised his voice.

“L-Lord Selden Alphonse, you’re a mage?”

“I just know how to handle magic to some extent.”

“…You’re being excessively modest.”

“Anyway, they seem confused by the incoming magic. Let’s take this opportunity to escape.”

Kabla regained his composure and quickly led us out of the imperial palace.

However, outside, Emperor Kalian Lumiere, whom we thought had evacuated, was confronting the rebels.

We were trapped—the palace behind us and rebels blocking the path ahead.

“We’re surrounded by rebels. What should we do?”

In response to Clara’s tense question, I calmly surveyed the battlefield.

At the front of the rebel forces stood a man with a billowing black cape, raising his sword.

He was clearly Prince Leonis, just as Kabla had described.

“Open the gates! The true heir to the throne has arrived!!”

Prince Leonis’s booming voice was met with cheers from the rebels. Not to be outdone, Emperor Kalian Lumiere raised his sword and shouted back.

“Leonis… I spared you out of mercy, yet you still couldn’t abandon your greed for the throne!”

“Kalian, you’re nothing but a coward! How can someone who fears war sit on the imperial throne?!”

“Don’t you understand that a war without just cause only bleeds the innocent people dry?! Even if you overthrow me, you’ll eventually feel the bitter consequences of your ambition!”

Now then.

Between Kalian’s faction and Leonis’s faction, which side should I clear to escape?

While I was deep in thought, Kabla drew the dagger from his waist.

“Lord Selden Alphonse, I will protect Emperor Kalian. There’s an exit through the back of the imperial basement. Please escape first!”

As an imperial researcher, he must know the internal structure of the palace to some extent?

I tilted my head, looking at Kabla.

“What about you, Lord Kabla?”

“I made a promise to the late emperor. No matter what happens, I will protect Emperor Kalian.”

It was one chaotic situation after another.

Though I could easily help, judging by the number of rebels, even I couldn’t guarantee victory.

Besides.

Thinking rationally, I’m from the Eastern Continent.

Getting involved in Western Continent succession disputes would only lead to trouble.

But I couldn’t abandon Kabla either.

He was the only person who knew about dragons.

“Forgive me, Lord Kabla.”

“…Pardon? Gack!”

I struck Kabla’s neck with the side of my hand, knocking him out lightly, then carried him on my back as Clara and I headed for the imperial basement.

Unfamiliar with the place, we had to hurry our steps while getting lost, driven by the booming sounds from outside.

“Huff… Young Master, please slow down a bit…”

“Hurry up! I’m running while carrying Lord Kabla, and you’re falling behind?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

After backtracking through several dead ends in the chaotic situation, we finally saw a small light leaking from the end of a wall.

To save time opening the door, I drew my Raiden Sword while still carrying Kabla and swung it with all my might.

CRASH-!

“Haa… shit.”

I couldn’t help but curse.

When the door shattered, contrary to my expectations, even the back exit of the imperial basement was surrounded by rebels.

And.

People who appeared to be servants and butlers, seemingly caught while trying to escape through the back door, were tied up.

After a moment of surprise, one of the rebels, carrying a large greatsword on his shoulder, let out an eerie chuckle.

“Looks like there are still some rats left?”

I calmly counted the number of rebels.

They probably hadn’t expected many people to escape through the back door—about fifteen in total.

I set Kabla down and gripped my Raiden Sword, while Clara also lowered her stance.

“I-I’ll help too.”

“No need. Just protect Lord Kabla.”

“…Understood.”

As I stepped forward to face the rebels, the one with the greatsword laughed incredulously.

“Ha, a coward who tries to escape through the back door dares to face m—”

Slash.

There was absolutely no reason to hesitate.

Should I have acted more calmly since the butlers and servants were being held hostage?

Well… I’m from the Eastern Continent, so do I really need to care about Western imperial people?

Slash. Slash.

I cut down the rebels before they could even react.

Moving without even taking a breath, I worked as quickly as possible.

The faster I dealt with them, the less chance of encountering any reinforcements.

Slash. Slash.

After cleanly slicing the neck of the last rebel, I habitually flicked the blood off my sword with a twist of my wrist.

Then I untied the butlers and servants and spoke.

“Now, let’s all go our separate ways.”

“Thank you… I am Darian, an imperial butler. But you don’t seem to be from the imperial palace…”

“I’m Selden Alphonse, from the Eastern Continent. I happened to be at the palace when this incident occurred. Anyway, I’ll be going now.”

As I was about to turn away, Butler Darian grabbed my thigh.

“P-please help us! I beg you to help us escape safely from here!!”

I looked down at Darian, who was clutching my thigh, with contempt.

“Why should I show mercy to people who abandoned their emperor and fled?”

“…We have our reasons.”

“I have my reasons too, and even those rebels whose necks I just cut had their own reasons, didn’t they?”

“T-this is by order of the Emperor.”

“Emperor Kalian?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Butler Darian gripped my thigh even tighter and raised his voice.

“Please, I beg you. I cannot explain the circumstances, but this truly is by the Emperor’s command. I am merely following orders!!”

I slowly raised my head.

Besides Darian, who wouldn’t let go of my thigh, there was a young male butler in a neat suit and three female servants.

Five in total.

Among them, the male butler who was standing blankly held a cloth-wrapped bundle.

“Is that some imperial treasure in the bundle?”

At that, Butler Darian, still gripping my thigh, nodded vigorously.

“Y-yes! This is truly by Emperor Kalian’s order. I swear! If my words are false, you may behead me at any time!”

Using my Eye of Truth, I confirmed he wasn’t lying.

Still, I had little desire to travel with them.

Why should I burden myself unnecessarily?

At that moment, Clara, who had been silently observing our conversation, approached and whispered in my ear.

“Young Master, let’s take them with us.”

“We’re already struggling with just the three of us, and you want to add them too?”

“When Lord Kabla wakes up, we’ll need an excuse, won’t we? He’ll surely resent you for knocking him out, but if we say we escaped to protect the imperial treasure, that might be acceptable…”

She had a point.

From Kabla’s perspective, his determination to protect the Emperor at the cost of his life had been thwarted by someone else.

Moreover, if the rebellion succeeded and Emperor Kalian died, Kabla’s resentment toward me would be inevitable, as Clara suggested.

I needed a plan.

“So you’re saying we should take them along to have an excuse for Kabla?”

“Yes, isn’t that why you knocked him out in the first place? Because you need him?”

As I showed a contemplative expression after hearing Clara’s words, Butler Darian, still clutching my thigh, seemed to have overheard our conversation and raised his voice.

“I-I’ve been an imperial butler since the late emperor’s time, so I’m also acquainted with Lord Kabla!”

“Are you saying you’ll explain on my behalf?”

“Yes! So please…”

With a short sigh, I looked at the horses the rebels had ridden.

One carriage and several horses.

I detached Darian from my thigh and quickly checked inside the carriage.

It could fit about five people at most, even if cramped.

“Does anyone here know how to ride a horse?”

At my question, Butler Darian urgently raised his hand.

“I-I learned to be a coachman when I was younger.”

If Darian drove the carriage, the other five could ride inside.

Then I would only need to carry one more person on horseback.

I straightened my back and looked at Clara.

“Clara.”

“Yes, Young Master?”

“Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“N-not once.”

“Then you take Lord Kabla and get in the carriage. I’ll take one of the butlers or servants on horseback.”

“Yes, understood!”

At that, Darian, who had claimed to know coachman work, grabbed the arm of one of the female servants and brought her to me.

“Please take this person.”

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for a woman to ride in the carriage? Rather, that butler in the suit—”

“N-no! The young man must guard the treasure, so it’s appropriate for the servant to ride with you!!”

Butler Darian raised his voice urgently.

With a short sigh, I looked at the female servant.

But.

Why is she so pretty…?