episode_0043

Recovery happened in an instant.

Elaine’s sacred power was truly exceptional.

Whether she had fully awakened her strength, or was no longer tired, it seemed.

“Thank you.” With those words, I held her in my arms, and the fierce wind surrounded us, carrying us high into the sky.

In the wind that brushed past my ears, I could only hear Elaine’s response up to “Yes, Your Highness-“.

For some reason, I fainted, and the collapsed Matapju was carried away by the wind of Wint, following right behind.

“E-Elaine! You’re alive?!”

“….”

Aquilla, seeing Elaine, widened his eyes as if he had found a treasure, but Elaine did not even respond with a blank face.

“Is this the Matapju?”

Aquilla, who had been anxious, firmly grasped the Matapju floating beneath him with both feet, and soon the knights and wizards rushed up to the rooftop.

However, the distance was considerable, and only faint shouts mixed with curses could be heard from the people who looked like red dots.

Hwaaah-

Aquilla flapped his wings towards Rivengard at a much faster speed than when he came.

The destination was the center of the vast forest where the World Tree stood.

***

The strongest owner of the Tower of Flames.

The ruler of unextinguished flames.

And the guardian of the Inferno.

All of them.

They were all names for Aldor, one of the archmages at the pinnacle of magic.

The highly esteemed archmage Aldor was now.

Sitting on a vine-made chair atop a tall tree, his arms and legs securely bound.

This treatment was unprecedented, and it felt like his blood was boiling inside.

How dare they, how could they tie him up in the middle of Rivengard’s forest wearing nothing but undergarments?

“To someone like me!”

Yet, fearing exposure, he couldn’t shout loudly.

Only muttering quieter than a breath was the only thing allowed to him.

And perhaps.

At this moment, feeling more miserable than ever, it was probably because of those great epithets attached to his name.

Due to the impressive titles filled with extraordinary achievements, the current dire situation was being emphasized even more.

“Do whatever you want. But the moment you engage in nonsense, your invisibility will be lifted. Then what will happen? If you’re curious, go ahead and try casting any spell right now.”

The man wearing a pitch-black hood had clearly said that.

He even pretended to slit his throat with his palm and exclaimed “Cock!” It seemed as if he was genuinely surprised someone might overhear.

Until now, who would dare to behave so rudely in front of him?

No matter how audacious the man who kidnapped him was, such shabby treatment was truly an intense humiliation.

Perhaps that’s why.

Seeing the man kneeling not far away in his robe, there was a constant temptation to do something.

“Should I turn this place into a sea of flames right now…?”

The man who had kidnapped him had only restrained his arms and legs, taking no further measures.

It felt like he was free to use magic if he wanted.

“….”

And seeing the situation unfolding before him now.

It felt as though he was being threatened to carefully observe what was about to happen and consider the right course of action.

At first, he really thought there were all sorts of crazy people here.

But now, upon reflection.

This was none other than the open space right in front of the World Tree.

It was a place akin to the heart of the vast forest, much larger than the Bayorn Square in the Imperial Capital.

Moreover, here.

There was King Gartagon of the Elves, along with numerous princes and princesses endowed with exceptional abilities.

As the day went on, undoubtedly warriors and commanders from across the forest would gather here.

So, regardless of the intended magic, it would be immediately suppressed before it could be cast, and if his identity were revealed, he would inevitably lose his life.

Therefore, relying on the invisibility spell cast by the mysterious man, he could do nothing but sit quietly like a soulless statue.

Still, one fortunate fact was that he didn’t seem to have the intention to kill himself.

“……”

By the way.

His head still ached.

He hadn’t expected anyone to be following him…

Just before the knights broke down the door at the tower, when the hooded man knelt, exhausted, Ardor had cast a spell.

He had intended to show the spicy and pungent taste of Hellfire, which could never be extinguished without overwhelming mana, to the person who dared to hide in the tower and bring unbearable shame upon himself.

But just before the spell was cast, he suddenly saw stars in front of his eyes.

It was because something incredibly hard had struck the back of his head.

The shock was so great that he lost consciousness instantly.

When he came to, feigning unconsciousness, he saw the hooded man and a blonde woman sitting on a giant eagle.

There was no mistaking it.

The woman with the bright shield that had pulverized the meteorite last night, rendering him unable to open his eyes, was undoubtedly that enigmatic sorceress.

Recalling the meteorite that had been pulverized like dust upon touching the shield, he suddenly felt sick again.

It seemed like an excessive amount of stomach acid due to extreme stress.

Just feeling that alone was unbearable, but now he had been violated by the tower and kidnapped by those bastards.

He felt like he was going crazy.

If all these facts were to spread as rumors…

It would be so embarrassing that he wouldn’t be able to lift his head.

By the way, what on earth was that man’s intention?

He had been convinced that the elf’s prophecy foretold his death…

But while he had horrifically destroyed the tower, he was now creating a fake human resembling himself, saving his life instead of executing him.

“……”

So, after the execution, how much more remarkable demand would he make?

This constant unease kept creeping up on him.

Then, the Elven King Gartagon appeared in front of the World Tree.

Surrounding him, 12 princes and princesses proudly displayed extraordinary beauty, standing on either side.

Many elves living in Rivengard, including the courtiers of the Elven Kingdom, were watching the royal family from the densely grown giant trees or in between them.

And before them.

The man who had captured the lord of the tower finally took off his hood and bowed to the king.

The man’s revealed face was a silver-haired one that closely resembled the Elven king.

However, his ears were human.

“A human with silver hair using elven power…!”

Ardor could easily recall the first prince of the Mersenne Empire.

“How could this be…!”

He had heard that he had lost all his abilities and become a beggar…

It had also been clearly conveyed that after the death of the former empress, he had lost control of his emotions and indulged in wickedness.

But the appearance of the crown prince in front of him today was completely different from the notorious reputation that had reached his ears.

He seemed endlessly strong and appeared incredibly cautious, as if there was no end in sight.

“No way…!”

Ardor had been managing the tower for quite some time and had encountered various despicable aspects of humans.

Therefore, he couldn’t help but possess a considerable ability to infer the hidden from the revealed.

“Did he deliberately behave like this and conceal his identity to protect himself from the duke and empress who seized power…?”

If he had continued to sit on the throne as the crown prince without any backing.

“…He would have undoubtedly been eliminated.”

Thinking about it, it seemed somewhat plausible.

And if that were indeed the truth.

His relentless maneuvering could be considered so ruthless that even he, worn down as he was, could not imitate it.

There is nothing more difficult than acting foolishly despite knowing everything.

Once the speculation gained some credibility, Ardor, who excelled in cost-benefit analysis, began to think vigorously, like a waterwheel under a waterfall.

“If he really conducted himself in such a manner at such a young age, wouldn’t he be an unparalleled king…?”

Moreover.

The overwhelming ability that caused vines to spring out from all directions faster than arrows and destroyed the tower like rotten wood seemed to reach a truly transcendent level.

“……”

Ultimately, Prince Eos was not only endowed with exceptional strategy and his own formidable power but also had the terrifying backing of the Elven Kingdom.

‘…In that case, it might not be entirely impossible for him to become crown prince again.’

Moreover, it was the Emperor himself who had sent the prince to resolve the conflict with the elves.

Surely, there were complex intentions hidden within such actions.

And as the Lord of the Tower, who knew all too well how the world worked, it wasn’t difficult to guess those intentions.

‘They are trying to reinstate the prince as the crown prince…!’

With this conclusion, naturally, his heart began to lean towards the first prince.

“After all, Duke Shurain is someone who, once deemed useless or untrustworthy, will be discarded without hesitation. He’s someone who can never go all the way.”

The best example of this was none other than Duke Gerund.

‘To cruelly cast aside someone who has been raised like a dog for so long….’

It seemed like it was time to change the course, just like the scent of freshly bloomed flowers wafting gently through the air.

As he was lost in these thoughts, Ardor quickly turned his head at the solemn voice of Gartagon.

“Have you all seen? My grandson Eos has incinerated the blazing Tower of Ravengard and captured its lord. Who else could dare to achieve such a great feat if not the son of Wiblair?”

Each word uttered by Gartagon reverberated through the entire forest like thunder.

“My grandson, Eos. Execute justice in the name of the elves on that vermin who dared to scheme the destruction of Rivengard.”

As the words fell, the prince brandished his sword.

Swish-

Thud, thud-

Ardor couldn’t help but feel a shiver for a moment.

Perhaps it was because he had directly witnessed a gruesome death that could have been his own.

The face looked completely different, but the strange being, still wearing its robe, met death very realistically, just like a real human.

Even the head that flew and crashed, spraying blood, and the body that fell weakly, really seemed real.

And the elves who watched the scene cheered.

A dizzying terror still struck the heart.

As time passed, the past, present, and future became even more closely connected.

If the Crown Prince had decided to kill himself, surrounded by the elves, it would undoubtedly have been himself tragically getting his throat cut.

Aldor felt grateful to the prince for bestowing grace upon him so as not to experience such a thing.

The prince was undoubtedly a benefactor of life.

To someone who had tried to slaughter innocent people, including the elves and the innocent people of Tenafel Barony, he had nevertheless shown great mercy.

The feeling of gratitude in Aldor’s heart was more than enough to elevate the prince’s evaluation to an even higher place.

‘Is he even possessing the boldness to embrace enemies…?’

Then there was no need to hesitate.

Especially now that the thread with Duke Shulane was at its breaking point.

He was convinced that switching to the first prince at this point would definitely not be a loss.

‘So, I should at least try asking him to accept it.’

Of course, there was no doubt that there was no turning back from this decision.

There must have been a reason why he was kept alive.

– I want you.

The prince had definitely said that.

At first, when she heard those words, she thought it was a mocking remark, but that was before she knew his true identity.

‘It’s clear, the prince is also aiming for the restoration of the crown prince…!’

So.

If she says she will help at the cost of her life, she will definitely not refuse.

And to prove her conversion,

It would be sufficient to simply convey the fact that Crown Prince Service is staying near Tenafel Barony and trying to kill the prince.