Side Story Chapter 206

Side Story Chapter 206

“Huh...?” Kireua’s eyes popped wide open.

Iruca had been telling him the truth; indeed, a pleasant surprise was waiting for him at the gates.

“Hey.”

“Anna!” Kireua shouted.

It was Anna Grace, the Witch of the North. Her exquisite wind elemental magic had proven a valuable asset in battle. Although she used to be Kireua’s enemy, she was now his most reliable ally.

“Where in the world have you been?”

“I had some business to take care of,” Anna answered.

Anna had vanished after she had fully recovered from her injuries, which had left Kireua feeling disappointed. She hadn't shown up until now and hadn’t even told him. She had her reasons, of course.

‘It was inevitable,’ Anna thought. She was in the center of Avalon’s Palace, where the all-important Imperial Family lived. That meant that there were people everywhere. She had been wanted for high treason until recently and was called a witch for a good reason. She was the emperor’s enemy and one of the people who had attacked the Agnus family. Anna had turned over a new leaf since then, but...

‘It isn’t easy to change my reputation. I can’t let you get caught in the crossfire after we even made a pledge.’

At some point, Anna had started to see Kiruea in a special way, though it wasn’t like the timeless love that could be often seen in romance novels. It was closer to a love-hate relationship. Kireua’s father was Anna’s enemy, but it was offset by the camaraderie Kireua and Anna had built after overcoming multiple crises together.

‘...Maybe I just don’t want to admit it.’

After staring at her for a long time, Kireua approached her and grabbed her hands. “Don’t ever disappear like that again. I’ve been worried about you.”

“...You were worried about me?” Anna's eyes widened.

“Of course I was. You just vanished. What if you died or were taken hostage?”

Kireua had also been preoccupied by the chaotic battle, but he had still been worried about Anna and had constantly been on the lookout for signs of her.

“...Hmmm.” Anna let out a pleased little hum. She was smiling from ear to ear. “Do you have feelings for me?”

“...What kind of sudden nonsense is this?” Kireua was baffled. That was the last question he had expected to hear.

“You aren’t saying no right away, so I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Why do you keep spouting nonsense!? Where did you lose your marbles?”

“It’s said that the stronger you deny something, the more true it is.”

“I can feel my initial joy fading away,” Kireua said in a serious voice.

“If only your father could have seen this,” Anna continued to joke.

“I was a fool to worry about you.” Kireua let go of Anna’s hands and strode away, but Anna quietly tugged the hem of his clothes, bringing him to a halt.

“Let me come with you.”

Kireua stiffened. “...You wouldn’t say that if you knew where I’m going.”

“I know. I heard.”

“Huh? You heard? From who...?” Kireua frowned.

Someone immediately came to mind—the very same person who had told Kireua to come here.

“I visited her myself. I wanted to ask the Second Queen Consort for advice since she’s the empire’s greatest genius and all, but even I was a little scared to meet my enemy’s wife alone,” Anna explained, only half joking.

“In that case...”

“Sir Cain will be with Kireua, so deliver a message to him in secret: in an emergency, prioritize Kireua’s safety.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“As for all of you... you know what to do, yes?” Iruca asked, her voice monotonous.

“We’ll secure His Highness’s escape route with our lives.”

“You’d better. Help Kireua escape even if you have to feed your lives to it. If something bad happens to my brother but you people come back alive... I’m going to kill your entire family,” Iruca said. Her bone-chilling statements were delivered without even blinking.

Nevertheless, the agent wasn’t fazed; instead, they bowed deeply as if it were a fitting punishment.

“You can do what you wish with Anna bel Grace. It’s up to you to kill her or not. In fact, it would be perfect if you kill her...” After pondering for a moment, Iruca flicked her finger. “...No, if something happens, tell her that the way to atone for her sins is to save Kireua.”

“Yes, Your Highness! Upon our lives, it will be done!”

* * *

Using Iceline’s teleportation magic, Kireua and Cain arrived at the Black Monster Forest a week later and waited for the others.

They were deeply disappointed.

“I never expected no one to show up,” Anna bitterly remarked.

They were at the meeting point that Iruca had set for their mission, but no nobles could be seen even though the meeting time approached. At the very least, the nearby lords should have shown their faces...

“...Something must have gone wrong with the delivery of the Imperial Order. I’ll go and check,” Cain offered.

“No need.” Anna shook her head. “I already did that.”

Cain quickly turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“Have you forgotten that the wind is everywhere? I heard what they were saying through my elemental spirits.”

“S-So? What did they say?”

“I don’t think you want to hear it,” Anna flatly stated. Her usual mischievousness was replaced by a grim countenance.

Most of what she had heard was about how the Second Prince was going off to die, the Imperial Family was unfair to him, and that no one would go to the Black Monster Forest. The people were also saying that it was better to die an honorable death by fighting the enemy than to be slaughtered by monsters in the darkness.

While collecting information, Anna also frequently heard that the First Prince was indeed better than the Second Prince. She knew better than anyone else that relaying what she had heard to Kireua would only dampen his spirits.

“But you’re still going to go, aren’t you.”

“...Of course.” Kireua nodded. “I’ll wait half a day more and if no one comes, I’ll go.”

They still had half a day left until the designated time. If no one came, they had to cross the Black Monster Forest on their own.

Anna suddenly jolted. Her eyes widened as her head swiveled toward the Black Monster Forest’s dark entrance.

“What the hell...”

“What is it?”

“That thing is in there? No wonder they didn’t show!” Anna screeched.

Cain and Kireua gave her a baffled look. “What in the world are you talking about...?”