Chapter 48

“Leonhard!”

A hoarse voice erupted from Celine’s throat. At the same time, she realized that she was no longer falling. Still, even though she tried to glance around, her vision was blurry and she couldn’t see anything.

“Cel, Celine…”

Leonhard’s hand, gently touching her head, trembled as softly as his voice.

She tried to get up, but she felt as heavy as a stone, unable to move. Celine tried for a while before she could barely focus her eyes.

His pale blue eyes, swaying aimlessly, were gazing down at her.

“Leonhard, are you okay?”

“Who to say…!”

Leonhard let out a mournful word.

It took three days to discover the land where Celine was hidden by the warlock. In addition, it took him another half day to figure out how to break the barrier. At the moment when the barrier was finally broken, Celine, who was lying white on the snowy field, caught his eye.

During his brief run to her, his heart plummeted to the ground two or three times.

“Do you even know what you’re like now…”

“I feel dizzy.”

He raised Celine’s body, who was unable to lift a single finger, and put a cloak on her shoulder.

It was then that Celine realized that she was lying on the white snow. The castle bustling with people was nowhere to be seen. Only the snow-covered plains that would have been a wasteland in spring stretched all the way to the horizon.

…The soldiers, the castle, and the alleys were all barriers.

Leonhard asked carefully.

“Can you ride a horse?”

“I don’t know.”

At that, he lifted her carefully over Black. Although she stumbled anxiously for a very brief moment, Celine managed to balance.

“…Be patient. Baron Elmer’s residence is nearby.”

“Baron?”

Leonhard let out a sigh at her reaction, who couldn’t quite understand it.

“This is near the capital. If the warlock isn’t an idiot, then there’s no way they’ll hide people by setting up a barrier in the north.”

“Capital…?”

Celine blinked her eyes.

“Well, it must have been quite some time.”

“Three days.”

“Three days…”

Leonhard didn’t say how crazy he had been. For the past three days, the fact that he didn’t have nightmares had been his only support.

“What happened in there?”

“Did the Grand Duchy not get a contact?”

“Just… you were gone. That’s it.”

“I see.”

Celine let out a sigh. As expected, she was neither a hostage nor anything.

It would have been better for her to be taken hostage in order to get something from the Grand Duchy. Goosebumps rose, and her heart tightened at the thought that future warlocks would continue to strive to make her truly their ‘kinfolk.’

“The warlock who imprisoned me…”

“Their life was such a waste that they ran away, leaving only a barrier. Whatever you see inside is just an illusion they have created.”

“…Is that so?”

Celine let out a bitter sigh.

She thought that the warlock, who kidnapped and intimidated her, would soon be able to retaliate against her, just as she, of course, had carried out her duties with Leonhard until now.

However, no one in the world was omnipotent.

“What the hell happened within the barrier?”

“When I woke up, I was in a room I had never seen before. My hands were chained.”

Celine began to speak in detail from the very beginning. Even the fact that she felt trivial to herself may be a clue to him.

“…That way, I kept holding on, and Leonhard came.”

“….”

The only sound of horses running through the snow was filling the scene, and Leonhard didn’t say a word.

“Leonhard…?”

Celine became a little uneasy, and as soon as she called him, she regretted it.

Perhaps, Leonhard did not even have the strength to answer because he had been searching for her for three days and three nights without rest. However, from his mouth, a completely unexpected answer came out.

“Sorry.”

Her blue-gray eyes fluttered in surprise.

“Why are you sorry, Leonhard? The bad guy is that person.”

“I was distracted. I should have expected them to go after you…”

“It’s the same with me as well. We can be more careful together in the future.”

Instead of answering, he pulled Celine very slightly towards him. They said nothing more. Now was not the time to talk about reflection on the past and countermeasures for the future.

Celine gently closed her eyes.

Relying on Leonhard and riding Black now, she felt safer than ever.

After a long while.

An old-fashioned mansion entered Celine’s sight.

“That’s Baron Elmer’s residence. A sudden visit can be surprising, but he won’t kick us out.”

Hearing that, Celine wondered if there would ever be anyone within this empire to kick Leonhard Bernoulli, although she said nothing.

The gate of the mansion was guarded by a dozing gatekeeper. As soon as the gatekeeper saw Leonhard, he politely asked, guessing he was a high-ranking nobleman.

“Who are you?”

“Leonhard Bernoulli.”

“Yes…?”

The doorkeeper’s eyes widened like it was about to pop out, and then the door opened wide.

“Please, please come in…! What, what brings you here?”

“I want you to rest for one night.”

“Yes…?”

Even though the gatekeeper seemed bewildered, he couldn’t dare to disobey Leonhard’s orders. He started running into the mansion. After a while, an elderly butler came out and greeted them.

“Can I stay overnight?”

“Yes, please come in.”

The stable keeper ran and took Black to the stable. Meanwhile, Leonhard and her walked slowly through the garden.

‘What…?’

Celine noticed a few strange things even as she was tired as if she was about to collapse. The trees in the garden, which should have been neatly pruned, were either split in half or had their backs bent to expose their roots.

The scene would have been even more horrific if the snow had not covered them.

Leonhard seemed to think the same as her.

“Why are all the trees like this?”

“Ah… that is…”

The butler was greatly flustered and stuttered.

“Well, it seems that the Baron gave a gag order.”

“No. This old man…has a humble mouth.”

“Where is Baron Elmer? I owe him a favor, I would like to greet him first?”

The butler stood in front of the front door.

“Lord, I will report to you in a moment, so can you please wait.”

Leonhard frowned.

There were only two people in the entire Empire who could keep him waiting — the Emperor and the crown prince.

“Guide me, right now.”

The butler seemed to realize that the more he refused, the more suspicious he would appear and he guided them with a dying expression.

Celine walked closely to Leonhard’s side. Unlike the garden, there was nothing strange about the inside of the mansion. Nonetheless, the situation changed as they went up to the higher floors where the baron’s office was located.

“Leonhardt, that’s…”

“Shh.”

As she pointed to the wallpaper and stairs that looked like they had been torn off by the claws of a giant beast, Leonhard gave a soft warning.

Celine’s heart pounded hard. It seemed that the mansion of the baron appeared to have been severely damaged by a beast, and they were trying to hide that fact though she had no idea what the reason was.

Finally, they arrived at the door of the office.

“Master, Lord Bernoulli has arrived.”

The door swung open in just a few seconds.

Celine took a breath.

Baron Elmer was a tall, stout young man, but his cheeks were sunken and his eyes were red and bloodshot, as if seriously ill.

Leonhard greeted him first.

“Baron Elmer, I didn’t know you were ill. Forgive me.”

“No, it is an honor for the Lord to visit. What made you come to this place?”

While Baron Elmer’s reply was plain, his hands and lips trembled like a terrified man.

“I have to stay one night here.”

“Yes…? That, uh, what…”

“The Baron should already know.”

“I-I-I don’t know about that.”

“I am not blind. I saw the trees in the garden.”

Leonhard’s voice was cold as he pointed to the large scratched claw marks on the office door, “There is no need to go outside, and I think this mark will be the answer right now.”

Silence passed.

Baron Elmer muttered word by word.

“…If I do not answer, what will the Lord do?”

“We have no choice but to search this house by force.”

“Is that so?”

Baron Elmer stared blankly at the ceiling. At that, Celine and Leonhard’s eyes naturally followed his gaze and reached the ceiling.

“….!”

She couldn’t hide her surprise.

The entire ceiling looked like it had been mangled by a sharp blade.

“Follow me.”

Baron Elmer moved his feet slowly.

Upon closer inspection, they saw a slight limp on his left leg.

‘…No.’

Celine realized as she was walking that Baron Elmer was trying to hide his left leg, which had been badly injured. Leonhard would have noticed, too, but he quietly followed Baron Elmer without saying a word.

Baron Elmer started limping down the stairs.

‘Where are we going?’

Her doubts were resolved when Baron Elmer reached the first floor and opened the door to the dark basement.

Baron Elmer was going down to the dungeon. Feeling a chill, she shook her body and prepared herself for what was about to happen… What would Baron Elmer show them, whatever it was, it would be quite a shocking sight.

At last, Baron Elmer’s legs stopped.

The only thing Celine and Leonhard could see was the thick iron grate that stood between the darkness. In the next moment, the words that made Celine’s ears suspicious flowed out of Baron Elmer’s mouth.

“This is my son, Anton.”

“…As expected, it’s your son.”

Leonhard was not in the slightest bit startled. The next moment, Baron Elmer let out a bitter answer.

“Yes.”

“Did it suddenly appear? I have never heard of a child with magical powers.”

“Anton had already manifested himself as an infant.”

“Then, why…”

“Her aunt died as a warlock.”

“….!”

Leonhard’s face contorted.

“I couldn’t put Anton at that risk. That’s why I didn’t teach him magic at all… I should have taught him.”

“You seem to have succumbed to the temptation of black magic while studying alone.”

“I do not know.”

Baron Elmer shook her head.

“Now, I really don’t know… Is that really my son? Maybe, I still love him.”

Celine muttered to herself an answer she couldn’t get out of her mouth.

‘…It is true that the Baron loves Anton. He hasn’t given up yet.’

Leonhard put his hand to the scabbard and narrowed his eyes, glancing beyond the darkness. After a while, he commanded softly but firmly.

“Baron, you better go out.”

Baron Elmer stared straight at him instead of obeying his orders and opened his mouth.

“It is my child. Please let him stay by my side until the end.”

They waged a silent war of nerves with their eyes. Surprisingly, it was Leonhard who retreated first.

“Baron Elmer, your son still has the potential to be rescued. So please go out.”