Chapter 50

The large, black carriage was not flashy, but it was antique, elegantly decorated, and had familiar and ominous patterns engraved on it. Around that time, I started to tease Aaron with my small steps, without telling him to go with me.

As I hurried toward Alice, the horse pulling the carriage stopped completely and the door opened.

“Alice!”

As if it were a sign of misfortune, I ran a little while calling her name.

The man who got off the carriage was Nocton Edgar.

With a somewhat commanding expression, I pulled Alice’s stiff arm and put myself in front of her to block the sight.

We’re in a hunting ground with many high-ranking nobles, a sacred place where rituals were held after the accession. Nocton Edgar wouldn’t do his trick in a place like this.

Knowing him, I had no choice but to block Alice’s path. How can I not do that? It’s already been confirmed that he tried to kill Aaron.

I found out he was brainwashing me.

“Ro-Roa.”

The bewildered Alice tugged at my sleeve, as if to dissuade me and remind me not to provoke Duke Edgar. However, I didn’t even look at her.

Nocton’s eyes rolled slowly from the ground and made eye contact with me. He wasn’t surprised, but he didn’t seem happy with the situation. His once beautiful-looking, soft-purple eyes moved toward Alice with pure coldness.

My frame wasn’t that big, but I still managed to push Alice one step away and blocked her sight more tightly.

Nocton’s mouth twisted.

“You don’t have to block her like that, I don’t do anything.”

“Well, I’m just here to say hello because I’m glad to see Alice.”

“I don’t think there’s much to see yet.”

“Even so, I should be fair. Come to think of it, I’ve been talking rashly. An esteemed noble daughter who doesn’t have a position cannot speak to Your Grace at an official ceremony.”

As Nocton grimaced and his mouth opened, a loud noise interrupted his words.

The sound of horses’ hooves and loud trumpets.

When I turned my head, I saw that the commanders of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Order of Knights were all on their horses and leading a golden carriage.

Someone stepped down from the Imperial family’s carriage inscribed with the symbol of the bright sun.

The new Emperor, who only showed his face several times as the crown prince and once at the coronation ceremony as the Emperor. He was the new master of the Empire.

This time I had to say that the timing was good. Because Nocton Edgar cut off his words before he got even a single word.

All the nobles who gathered in the forest bowed their heads to show respect to the master of the Empire, but one of them, Nocton Edgar, did not.

I also couldn’t see his expression because I lowered my head, but I could tell with my head down that neither his waist nor his neck was bent at all.

I couldn’t confirm it, but it seemed like a heavy gaze poured over my head.

I wondered how long was he doing that before his steps slowly moved.

After the musician’s song was over, the aristocrats’ heads returned to their original seats.

As soon as Aaron came closer and asked how I was doing, I nodded.

“Alice, are you okay?”

“Yes, I haven’t said a word. And you ended up using honorifics to him.”

“It’s the surest way to keep a distance. And it was technically the rules in an official event like this.”

“Roa, are you okay? I mean … you were so scared.”

At the lowered words, I felt a ripple in my heart. However, it was not strong enough to be a fear.

I slowly rewinded the feeling I felt a while ago, but I was certainly very different from before.

It was just full of embarrassment and vigilance.

Though I had realized it several weeks ago, I could no longer feel fear, anger or sadness.

Perhaps what happened at the Imperial ball has changed something inside me.

I looked at Alice who was concerned about me, chose a word, and just said it calmly.

“I know. I don’t think much.”

There was nothing else I could say.

While we were whispering, the Emperor arrived at the upper seat, taking a dignified posture, giving greetings and marking the beginning of the ceremony.

Right next to the Emperor, Nocton sat with an open smile. He didn’t look happy even though he was smiling.

Not only Nocton, but the aristocrats who had titles listened to the Emperor’s words with interest. Only those who do not sit in the prepared seats have the conditions to enter the competition. The young men under the age of thirty without title.

There were a lot of people who weren’t physically trained, so not everyone will attend. I was also powerless and not interested in hunting beasts, so at first I thought I was just going to stand there.

However, due to Nocton Edgar’s gaze on me, which had been pouring since the Emperor’s greeting, I changed my mind.

If I stayed here, I felt like I’d eventually talk to him.

Even if I had overcome my fear, it didn’t mean that talking with him wasn’t burdensome. Rather, my desire to stay away from him grew stronger.

Even if we don’t see each other for the rest of our lives, I won’t miss him a bit.

“Aaron, will it be a nuisance if I go with you?”

“You mean you’re going to enter the competition?”

“I know it’s also difficult. I just thought if I stay here, I’ll talk to him in some way.”

“That’s … I suppose so.”

“Anyway, I said it without much expectation, so don’t mind. It won’t be a big deal if I stay in a crowded place.”

“No, I haven’t said it’s difficult yet. It’s a hunting competition, but it doesn’t mean that they released a dangerous beast. However, the reason is….”

Aaron dragged the words a little hesitantly, then turned his eyes.

His gaze fell on Alice.

“Would you like to go with the estemeed daughter of Limorand?”

***

The competition started quickly, and more people participated than I expected. As far as I know, those without any abilities came into the woods by sticking to the knight’s side.

Based on the talks, I think they’re going to show us the rare beasts, but this ceremony was a much safer form than I imagined. You need to do it first to truly know something.

Well, even though the size of the sacrifice determines the reign, there will be only pure beasts in the forest. A pure beast without a mana is not a threat to a man who handles mana.

Even if it’s accompanied by an object to protect, it won’t matter.

“Is that a bat? The wings look like birds.”

“That’s a unicorn. The horn is slightly tilted to the left.”

“It must have mutated the bones of the orbit.”

“Wow, it is a peacock. I’ve only seen a peacock in the book. They really brought all the top animals.”

“That one is red. The ones I know are in black, blue, and gold.”

“You’re talking about the animal, right, Roa? Not about Edgar, Bluepam, or Limorand?”

This place was near the capital and far from the habitat of the beast, I had been to this forest before, but all kinds of strange animals pushed out the natives and took their place now. I felt like I was in a trip rather than a competition, so I’ve been expressing my impressions one by one.

Even though I asked to be brought here, I was nervous without realizing it, but now I quietly relaxed my shoulders.

“Aaron, can you just not catch anything like this?”

“That’s fine. At the end of the day, I’ll pick up a suitable beast. It’s already decided who will catch the biggest beast anyway.”

“There’s a candidate?”

Oh, is there such a thing even in a competition like this?

I looked back at Alice to share my curiousty, but she had a knowing look on her face.

“In the ceremony of the throne, it is important to know which beast is captured, but who caught the offering is also important for the Emperor’s image.”

“There’s such a thing. Do you know who they are?”

“That’s—”

“It’s Kantana.”

Kantana Limorand?

I was a little surprised at what Alice replied after intercepting Aaron’s words.

Kantana Limorand was one of the successors of Limorand. Kantana and Arhan were born twins and had similar levels of talent, so I heard that Limoland is still in trouble over its successor.

But if Kantana Limorand are going to present the sacrificial beast, wouldn’t it be the end of the successor competition?

As if she had noticed my thoughts, Alice nodded her head.

“Arhan was not present today. For the time being, only Kantana will show her face at the Imperial event.”

“Huh, it must be because she wasn’t an inferior successor. Then it is necessary for the sacrifice to be caught by a Duke’s heir.”

“Yes, the Duke of Bluefam is already over 30, and His Grace Edgar has already succeeded to the title, so unintentionally, the decision to choose the successor has been rushed. That’s why … I’m a little embarrassed to say this is a competition.”

It was a matter that could be said that the winner has already been decided.

It’s no other than the Emperor’s accession to the throne, so it couldn’t be helped.

I didn’t know because I wasn’t interested in winning the championship, but the influential figures must have been told in their own words as everyone who could step into the forest is a high-ranking noble. Whether it’s a reason not to be offended, or not to try hard hunting a great prey because the winner has already been decided.

Nevertheless, Alice looked at Aaron as if she was worried. She opened her mouth to say something, but Aaron was faster.

“Don’t bother, Princess Limorand. In any case, I don’t think it’s an honor.”

“It’s nice to be honest, but Aaron, please remember that the winner is Alice’s sister.”

“Oh, that’s not what I mean. I just….!”

“Don’t make fun of Sir Claymore, Roa. The same is true for Kantana who didn’t feel comfortable with this.”

It was quite pleasant to see Aaron panicked, but Alice’s calm words quickly ended my bluff.

I didn’t mean to make fun of him. In any case, the prestige of the Imperial family is meaningless.

I just shrugged my shoulder towards Aaron, who alternated between Alice and me.

“Ah, it’s raining….”

At that time, Alice touched her nose and looked up. All of a sudden, there were black clouds all over the sky.

I thought it was sunny a while ago, but perhaps I was mistaken.

As I looked at the dark forest, I suddenly smelled something strange. The smell itself was faint, but it smelled unpleasant, like something rotten.

“We need to shelter ourselves from the rain for now. I know there’s an unused temple in the middle of the forest.”

“It’s going to be a little difficult to get there. It would be better if we seek shelter in the nearest place.”

Aaron’s firm face gave me a slight embarrassment so I just nodded.

Beyond simply being panicked by the rain, his expression was too heavy.

I don’t know, will something happen?