Chapter 89: A Fool’s Love (8)

[89] 13. A Fool’s Love (8)

Adolf Auguste von Titanisch.

The self-proclaimed bastard son of the Emperor, the First Prince of the Empire, and currently, the man closest to the throne, arrived at the camp in a golden palanquin.

His red hair, signifying his imperial bloodline, reached his waist, and his robe, hand-stitched with gold thread by a master artisan, gleamed extravagantly under the summer sun. The jewels that decorated his arms and legs jingled merrily with each step he took.

Though it wasn’t clear if he had the demeanor of an emperor, he certainly enjoyed luxury.

Glancing around the camp, he made a brief comment.

“It looks like a pigsty.”

Sheila’s shoulders, who was driving the carriage beside him, trembled slightly. Her face turned pale as she hurriedly added an excuse.

“It’s still under construction, so there are still some flaws. Please be lenient…”

“It’s fine. I didn’t expect much anyway.”

Adolf took a sip of his wine, his face impassive.

“To think that the knights, who couldn’t even capture a single woman for two months, nothing but a drain on the budget. Well, they’re closer to pigs than humans, so I guess it would be strange if they lived like humans.”

His escort knights burst out laughing, and the faces of the Central Knights turned red. The knights who had come to greet the prince were also embarrassed.

Only Sheila barely managed to speak.

“I’m ashamed to have shown you such an incompetent side, Your Highness. However, if you would just give us one more chance…”

“Shut up.”

A flat voice, but for that very reason, chilling. Adolf placed his chin on his hand and said casually,

“It’s been a month since I sent you that letter. Was that one month not enough of an opportunity for you? I knew you were incompetent, but I didn’t realize you were also this shameless.”

Sheila, her head bowed, turned pale. Adolf, not even looking at her, stepped out of the palanquin.

“From now on, I, Adolf Auguste von Titanisch, will take command. Everyone, prepare to rebuild the camp.”

At those words, the smiles vanished from the escort knights’ faces. They moved as if they were a single entity, unloading the luggage they had brought with them swiftly and efficiently.

The Central Knights under Sheila’s command, on the other hand, were confused and hesitant. They just stared blankly, even as the escort knights started dismantling the tents that had already been set up.

The stark difference between the two groups, whose armor were black and white, made the contrast even more stark.

Adolf glared at the Central Knights with a look of disdain.

“Help them. Or have you become so stupid that you can’t even carry luggage?”

Only then did the Central Knights start moving, flustered. Adolf clicked his tongue and glanced at Sheila.

“Captain of the First Division, bring me the reports on the operations you’ve conducted and the data you’ve gathered on that woman. Even a bunch of trash like you must have found *something* in those two months…”

Something caught Adolf’s eye, and his words trailed off. He looked at a certain man and asked with a suspicious look in his eye,

“What a peculiar appearance.”

A man with hair as white as an old man, wearing a bronze shackle around his neck. His hands were metal, not flesh, and his eyes were a strange shape, like the insides of a clock.

He looked like a human and a machine, forcefully combined.
But ironically, his appearance seemed more fragile than strong.
The bandages that covered his entire body and his limping left leg added to that impression.

“Who is that? He doesn’t look like a knight.”

“He’s a mage who used to travel with the criminal, Rem. We’ve taken him prisoner after he lost his memory from an accident.”

Sheila, who had been glaring at Rem, bowed her head respectfully as she answered. Adolf, stroking his chin as if intrigued, murmured.

“With Rosalia, you say? How interesting.”

“…If his appearance offends you, I’ll have him removed.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

The corners of Adolf’s lips curled upwards.

“I just had an interesting thought.”

“An interesting thought…?”

Adolf raised a hand to touch his earring, which had a grotesque woman carved on it.

“Sometimes, happy dreams become far more horrifying than nightmares.”

Sheila’s face turned pale.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to use that dark magic…”

“Well, he *is* a prisoner, isn’t he?”

Adolf chuckled, as if making a lighthearted joke. Then, the hand that had been touching his earring reached out towards Rem.

“Well then, sweet dreams.”

As if something were shot out from his hand, Rem swayed.
His eyelids drooped, and his body swayed back and forth, as if he were about to collapse.

“…?”

But he didn’t fall.

After a moment of dizziness, he simply shook his head and continued walking.

A bewildered look appeared on Adolf’s face. It was the same with Sheila.

Adolf quickly reached for Rem once more.

“…?”

But Rem simply swayed again.
There wasn’t even a hint of a shadow on his face as he walked on.

Adolf’s face finally crumbled. His hand trembled, and then, rubbing his face, he said,

“…Bring that bastard to me right now.”

“What?”

“I said, bring that bastard to me this instant!”

One of his escort knights, although confused, hurriedly approached Rem. After exchanging a few words, he pulled Rem over.

“Um, what is it that…”

“Show some respect, you’re in the presence of His Royal Highness! Where are you looking!”

The escort knight pushed Rem’s head down forcefully. Adolf, forcing a kind smile, shook his head.

“That’s enough. I just have a question for him.”

“Y-Yes, sir…!”

The escort knight stepped back, and Rem slowly raised his head. His frightened face was illuminated by the summer sun.

“D-Did I do something wrong…?”

“Didn’t I just say that I have a question for you?”

“Ah, then, what is it that you want to ask…?”

A sharp glint flashed through Adolf’s eyes.

“You were dreaming just now, weren’t you?”

“D-Dreaming…?”

“Yes, a dream.”

Rem’s face went blank at this seemingly disconnected question. Then he frowned as if trying to recall something, and then, glancing at Adolf, he said,

“I-I did have an imagination for a moment.”

“Imagination? What was it about?”

“W-Well…”

His answer was slow, and an escort knight immediately barked an order.

“His Highness asked you a question! Answer him!!”

“Eek! I-I had a happy imagination! Being with the person I-I love…!”

Adolf’s face went blank at the unexpectedly innocent answer, but only for a moment.

Then, putting on a gentle expression, he asked,

“And how did you escape from it?”

“What do you mean…?”

“How did you know it was an imagination?”

“B-Because…”

Rem stammered, then barely managed to answer,

“H-How could something that’s only filled with happiness be real?”

Adolf’s face froze coldly. His voice turned cold.

“Did you have any other imaginations?”

“W-Well…”

Rem, frightened by his suddenly cold demeanor, tried to recall his dream. After a long pause, he finally answered.

“Th-Then, I had a terrible imagination.”

“What was it about?”

“B-Being alone.”

“How did you escape from it?”

Rem looked back and forth between the ground and the Prince, hesitating to answer. Adolf’s face now completely hardened demanded an answer.

“Answer me.”

“W-Well… I thought to myself that it was pointless to just stay curled up. I thought I should get up and walk and then…”

Adolf’s face turned ashen.
Rem asked cautiously, lowering his head.

“W-Was there a problem with my answer…”

“Do you even know?”

Adolf smiled, an unnatural, forced smile, as if someone were pulling at the corners of his lips.

“That words are the easiest thing to say, but the hardest thing to put into action?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Countless people have spoken of what’s right, but no one ever follows through. So I came to believe that everyone was like that.”

“I-I, I don’t understand what you mean.”

Adolf took a sword from one of his knight’s waist and examined it. Then, as if to himself, he muttered.

“But you have proven me wrong.”

“D-Did I do something wrong…”

“And that displeases me.”

*Thwack-*

In the shocked eyes of Sheila and the escort knights, Rem was struck with the scabbard.

With his eyes rolled back, Rem collapsed to the ground like a crumbling wall.

“Good thing you’re weak.”

Adolf said casually as he returned the sword to his escort knight.
Then, dusting his hands off, he looked at Sheila and said,

“Imprison him. I’ll have his head chopped off tomorrow.”

“…What?”

Disdain filled Adolf’s eyes.

“Have you gone deaf too? I said I’ll have his head chopped off tomorrow.”

“B-But, this man is bait to draw out the traitor. It would be better to keep him as a hostage…”

“Now that I’m here, we don’t need hostages. Just follow my orders, Knight.”

Sheila tried to argue, but Adolf had already turned away. With a dark look on her face, Sheila obediently nodded.

“…As you wish.”

And then, she slung Rem over her shoulder and headed towards her own tent.

Adolf watched her go, and then looked down at his own hand.

His hand was trembling, as if he were scared.
It was the first time since he’d met *that* woman.

[My child, no one will ever dare to defy you if you hold my hand…]

Adolf gritted his teeth and muttered,

“That damned woman… How dare you lie to me…!”

***

On days when sticky thoughts clung to her, refusing to disappear, Feya would swing her axe.

It wasn’t that she was a training maniac. She simply knew that if her body got tired, then her mind would get tired too.

Once her body was exhausted, her mind would naturally shut down. All that remained in her empty head were her aching muscles and ragged breaths.

Her worries, her pain, her anguish, her longing would all melted into thin air.

But today was different.

“Haa… Haah…”

Feya collapsed onto the ground, sprawled out eagle-style. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, but the name stuck in her head wouldn’t disappear.

“…Rem.”

That name brought both sweetness and bitterness to her tongue.
But what lingered was a bitter aftertaste, enough to make her retch.

This, this relationship, it’s wrong.
It wasn’t normal.

What Rem felt toward her wasn’t love. It was a twisted form of dependence.

An emotion he’d clung to because he had no one else.
An affection that would melt away like snow once his memories returned.

That’s why Feya had to sever this relationship somehow.

It wasn’t a proper relationship to begin with…

“I feel like I’m going to be mistaken…”

Feya sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands.

“You’re quite diligent.”

Feya immediately raised her upper body. She gripped her axe and turned towards the direction of the voice.

“Ms. Knight…”

“… It’s been a while, but seeing your face doesn’t exactly fill me with joy.”

Sheila, looking at Feya, smiled. An unnatural smile, her muscles tense.

Feya, standing up, asked,

“What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Why? I can’t come see you?”

“Well, I guess you can…”

Feya’s wary eyes turned to look beyond Sheila’s shoulder.

“But it’s not exactly common to have your men hide in the bushes while visiting someone, is it?”

The bushes rustled slightly, and Sheila’s face hardened. Letting out a sigh, she snapped her fingers.

“Having such keen senses is also disrespectful, barbarian.”

Knights in white armor emerged from the bushes. Each one of them was holding a sharp blade.

They instantly surrounded Feya, their weapons pointed at her.

Feya frowned and glared at Sheila.

“Just what the hell is going on?”

Sheila sighed deeply. Then, drawing her sword, she said in a softer tone,

“I heard from Gillian that you tried to help that mage escape.”

“So you’re planning on punishing me? With those pathetic weaklings?.”

“No, the opposite.”

A bitter smile appears on Sheila’s face. A look of puzzlement crosses Feya’s face. Sheila hesitated for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.

“Barbarian, I might hate you, but I acknowledge your abilities. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have been able to capture that mage.”

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point, will you?”

Sheila hesitates again. After fumbling with her words, she finally managed to get the sentence out.

“His Highness the Prince, he’s planning on having that mage executed.”

Feya couldn’t understand what she was saying at first, and then, by the time she understood, the veins on her forearms were already bulging.

“What the hell are you talking about…?”

“It’s been decided.”

Sheila’s eyes sink coldly.

“To eliminate anyone who knows about this. Those are the Prince’s orders.”

“You never said a single word about such an order…”

“Of course, because you were also one of the targets.”

Sheila’s words pierced through her like a cold dagger. Feya felt heat rising from the back of her neck.

“You dirty bastards…!”

“Of course, I’ve changed my mind. I told you, I acknowledge your abilities.”

Sheila looked at Feya with a serious expression.

“I’ve already gotten permission from the Prince. He’s quite interested in you.”

“…So, what do you want from me?”

“Stay out of this.”

Sheila’s hand rested on her sword hilt. Her muscles tensed as if she were about to draw the blade at any moment.

“Just stay here quietly until that mage’s head fall. If you do that, I’ll guarantee your safety.”

“…”

“Feya, you’re the most reasonable barbarian I’ve ever met. I don’t need to tell you how merciful this offer is.”

A merciful offer.
Those words were stuck in Feya’s mind. No matter how she thought about it, they didn’t fit.

To stay still while she’s threatening me with her sword.

That wasn’t an offer.
It was a threat. And a particularly nasty one at that.

Just like when Feya had held Rem hostage that day.

A not-too-distant memory flashes before her eyes.

Yes, that was the start of it all.

Feya, exhausted from the long chase, had taken Rem hostage.

And because of that, he’d become a fugitive, an enemy of the empire, someone who’d lost his memories, a man crushed under the weight of hatred.

And now, he was on death row, waiting for the axe to fall on the execution block.

The start of all that misfortune,
The hand that lit that fuse was none other than Feya’s.

*Heh*, A hollow laugh escapes from Feya’s mouth.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“No, I just realized what a real bitch I’ve been.”

Feya raised her axe.

“To be honest, I don’t really know what I want to do. Or what I should do.”

“Barbarian, I suggest you make a wise…”

*Thwip-*

A throwing knife that grazed Sheila’s cheek and stuck into a tree silenced her. Sheila’s trembling eyes, glared at Feya, who now had a ferocious smile.

“But I at least need him to be alive so I can apologize or do anything, right?”

It was more than enough of an answer.
Sheila’s face contorted, and she said coldly,

“All units, attack.”

The red light of the setting sun illuminated the clashing barbarian and the knights.