For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 71

The Emperor’s Guard, led by Karl, was in the monster region.

The sound of monsters being torn and cut apart. The sound of their bodies hitting the ground. The sound of horse hooves trampling on their bodies. In the midst of all this chaos, they slowly pushed forward.

“How much further is it to Sutra Castle?” Karl asked Josh.

“We’re almost there!”

“Advance! We’ll deal with the monsters that follow us from the rear.”

“Yes, sir!” Karl pulled on his reins. He quickly rode through the monsters.

He could just about see Sutra Castle in the distance. But a swarm of soldiers, like ants, was blocking the way.

“…Who are they?!” Josh exclaimed in surprise. “Your Majesty, I think it’s Sutra’s army. Should we try to talk to them?”

“Wait.” The Emperor’s Guard was holding the Imperial banner, but the other soldiers didn’t dismount their horses or show any respect.

“Something’s not right,” Josh said, and Karl nodded in agreement.

“Tell the knights to be careful. Arrows might be coming.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If they shoot, counterattack immediately after blocking them. Don’t give them time to reload.”

“Yes, understood.” Josh busily went around, relaying the orders. Karl glared at the Sutra army as if he wanted to kill them.

They know who I am. The fact that they’re just standing there means… Ryan is ready to fight.

Karl gripped his sword tightly. Just then, Swoosh! arrows came down like rain. The knights quickly covered their heads with their shields. A few horses fell to the ground.

Karl shouted loudly, “Attack!”

The knights charged at them fiercely. Karl, at the head of the charge, plunged into the middle of the Sutra army.

He was now cutting and stabbing human bodies, not monsters. His sword was without mercy or hesitation, as if he were back in Debela.

The Emperor’s Guard was overwhelmingly superior in skill. But the problem was their numbers. The Emperor’s Guard was not a large army. They were an elite unit that carried out orders for the Emperor. The Sutra army, in comparison, was too numerous.

Being outnumbered will lead to a problem with stamina.

Karl looked at his troops. The knights were still strong, but they looked exhausted. The fact that they had ridden here without a single break was a big reason for that.

Then there’s only one answer. Take out their leader.

This time, he looked at the enemy soldiers. There was a man, just like Karl, who was watching the battlefield from a distance. The moment he met Karl’s eyes, he drew his sword with a determined look.

Karl gripped his sword again and rode his horse. The man also charged toward Karl.

Clang!

Sword met sword. Karl said, as if he were happy, “You’re the leader.”

“It’s an honor, Your Majesty the Emperor.” He was a man with a lot of nerve. If the only goal was to fight, Karl would have been quite amused. But not now.

“You’re a traitor for pointing your sword at me, knowing who I am.”

Clang! The two of them’s swords clashed again. Now, victory depended on strength. The veins on Karl’s arm bulged. The sword slowly pushed toward his opponent.

“And so is your master, Ryan.” Karl pushed his sword with all his might. The opponent’s sword slipped, and he cut his own neck. He fell from his horse and died.

The army, having lost their leader, was in disarray. The Emperor’s Guard, without missing a beat, pushed them back even harder.

Karl looked up. Sutra Castle was closer.

…Aura. Aura must be there. Otherwise, Ryan wouldn’t go this far to stop Karl. He rode toward the castle gates.

Ruan was observing the situation outside from a crack in the door. He could see the guards’ alertness slowly breaking down. They looked bored from just standing there.

He could easily take down the three guards outside. But he didn’t want to cause any trouble in the castle if he could help it. He was, after all, Aura’s person now.

But he couldn’t wait any longer. Aura hasn’t come back yet. The guards will be replaced soon. It’s better to deal with them now.

Ruan took out his sword, still in its sheath. He hid it behind his back and slowly opened the door.

Creak…

A guard came to the door when he heard it open.

“…Sir Knight?”

Just then, the sword, still in its sheath, shot out from behind the door and hit him hard in the solar plexus.

“Ugh…!” He collapsed. The other two guards, who had been a little slow to react, rushed over. But they were no match for Ruan. Ruan took them down in an instant and ran down the dark hallway.

I have to get to the stables.

A moment later, Ruan arrived at the stables and quickly looked for his horse. Luckily, the horse was tied up not far from him.

Ruan took the documents out of Aura’s saddle. Inside were half-burned letters. Ruan quickly read the contents.

‘My dear Crown Prince. I have read the letter you sent me. I sincerely thank you for trusting me and for respecting the magic of Silcia. Are Archduke Ryan and Duke Whale Tein of the Tein Dukedom trustworthy people to share Finn with? I will send separate letters to them as well. However, since we never know what might happen, you must always be on guard.’

‘By the way, you are brilliant! The sacrifice of True Blood. With that condition, the Zenia people will never be able to break the seal. A lot of blood is needed to break Finn’s seal. A child’s blood will not be enough, so you don’t have to worry about your daughter, Princess Riel.’

“…What did I just read…” Ruan stammered.

No matter how many times he read it, the contents were the same.

Aura has to die to break the seal?

Ruan suddenly remembered the resigned smile Aura had given him when she read the letter.

“…My God.”

He leaned against the horse’s back, feeling dizzy.

I was helping Aura die.

If he had known this, he would have never come to the palace. He would have lived on, even without his magical powers.

And Ruan thought of the Emperor. The Emperor, who was not happy with Aura looking for Finn. The look of desire and anxiety in his eyes. Everything made sense now.

He knew, too.

Ruan couldn’t just stand there. He was determined to find Aura and leave this place. He would do whatever it took to convince her to give up on Finn.

If he couldn’t convince her, he would have to take Finn from her.

She’ll hate me to death, but it’s better than her dying.

Just as Ruan was about to leave the stables, a unit of soldiers blocked his path.

“!”

“Sir Knight, I believe we told you that outsiders are not allowed to roam around alone.”

It was one of the guards who had been standing outside his room last night. He seemed to have a high rank, seeing that he was leading a unit.

Ruan took out his sword from its sheath. “Where is the Empress?”

“Ah. Her Majesty the Empress has gone to her room.”

“I’m going to the Empress’s room. If you stop me, I will cut you down.”

“Hmm… that would be a problem.” He gave a crooked smile. “His Grace the Archduke has business with Her Majesty. He must have already left by now.”

The soldiers took one step after another into the stables. Ruan, on guard, slowly backed away.

“His Grace gave us a special order. He told us to keep you company until his conversation with Her Majesty is over.”

Ruan gritted his teeth. No matter what the Archduke’s tricks were, he had to get to Aura.

There are a lot of them, but the path is narrow, so they can’t all attack at once. I’ll take them down one by one.

There was no reason, or time, to wait for them to attack first. Ruan gripped his sword and charged.

A fight broke out. Ruan relentlessly cut down the soldiers. But no matter how many he cut down, new soldiers kept coming.

Damn it. Just how many soldiers does he have?!

He didn’t know how long he had been fighting. Ruan’s sword and arm were now covered in blood. The blood of the enemy made the sword’s hilt slippery.

Damn it… if only I could use magic! Just as Ruan was gasping for air, the leader of the soldiers, who had been hiding among them, came out with a smirk. It seemed he had been waiting for Ruan to get exhausted.

Clang!

“Haa…” Ruan took a deep breath. He gripped his sword again and got into position.

“Dieeeeee!” The opponent roared and charged at him. Ruan used all his strength to block the attack.

Clang!

Oh, no! Ruan’s sword broke, as if it were a lie. A despicable smile spread across the opponent’s face. He raised his sword high.

Just then, the opponent flinched and then his eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

Ruan stared at the person standing in front of him and muttered without realizing it, “Your Majesty the Emperor…”

Karl asked Ruan, “Where is Aura?”

Aura was in her room, wearing her riding clothes and packing her bag. Her bag contained only Finn, some money, and the crossbow.

She recalled the conversation she had with Lillian.

“There’s a small side path in the forest northwest of Sutra Castle. It’s what we use to bring food into the castle. The gate closes when the sun sets completely, so you must hurry.”

Lillian didn’t ask about Isen’s death again. She seemed to have figured out that he was used and killed by the Archduke.

Aura asked Lillian, “Would you like to come with me?”

Lillian calmly shook her head. “It’s true that I am ill. I am barely alive with Silecia’s magic. Whether I stay here or go, I am a dead woman. I don’t want to be a burden.”

She quickly added, “The Archduke has a mage named Syndion with him. He is a dangerous man, so please be careful, Your Majesty.”

Syndion… Aura remembered the friendly smile of the man who had healed her ankle. A shiver went down her spine.

I have to go find Ruan and leave this place in secret. There’s no time.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded. Aura had a premonition and grabbed her crossbow.

Creak…

The door opened. Aura gave a faint smile, as if she had expected it.

“Your Majesty the Empress, where are you going?”

“…Your Grace.”

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