A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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12.
“That’s hardly something to boast about.”
“In our Blake Empire, it’s a skill worth celebrating.”
“What a wonderful country indeed. To possess a body within such an imperial family and ascend to a position where you’re embroiled in succession disputes—you must have been absolutely delighted~~.”
“….”
My sarcastic remark met with silence.
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that thirty people die per day within the Blake Imperial Family—perhaps I went too far?
Fear seized me, and I glanced at him cautiously.
Leonard, who had maintained his silence for a moment, let out a soft chuckle as our eyes met.
“Well, in a manner of speaking?”
What on earth did that smile mean?
While I was earnestly trying to decipher the meaning behind his smile, he spoke again.
“Regardless, now that I’ve released you, shall we strike a deal?”
“A deal?”
I questioned his sudden proposal, and he shrugged his shoulders.
“I just said it. I need a Saint. But you want me to stop kidnapping the Saint, don’t you?”
“That’s right. Aurora is my friend before she’s the Saint who protects Sincester.”
“Then help me instead of the Saint.”
“What did you say?”
Help me—not even a polite request, but a command. His audacity knew no bounds.
“Why should I help you?”
“Because Sincester will soon face a crisis of annihilation.”
“Listen, I know the original story completely, and I’ve already eliminated the villain. Don’t speak such nonsense about destruction.”
“There’s still something you don’t know.”
Unlike my voice, which was gradually rising in pitch, he remained utterly composed. No—indifferent.
“You, who’ve possessed an extra character, understand our country far less than I do. Why is a Blake person stirring chaos in our Sincester in the first place?”
Anger flared within me, but I was in captivity. I had to suppress my fury.
There would be time enough to unleash a Fireball spell on him after I returned safely.
Unaware of my intentions, he leaned against the wall at an angle, crossing his arms.
“I don’t act without reason. Anything without profit is a waste of time. But a crisis will certainly befall your country, and I must prevent it. Because.”
That was when it happened.
With a sound like Crunch—!!, bricks beyond the iron bars began shifting out of order, one by one.
The wall then formed an opening large enough for two people to enter, and a man rushed through urgently.
With a broad chest and a face sculpted like a masterpiece, it was Eric—who had earned the thirteenth spot in my handsome man encyclopedia.
“Your Highness, the White Owls are searching for the Princess. If we’re not careful, they’ll discover this location.”
The problem was the long, massive spear he held in his hand.
The White Owls, and a weapon.
As my complexion paled, Leonard looked at me.
“Don’t be too alarmed. I have no intention of harming your subordinates.”
“Of course not. They’re all handsome men—I can’t allow even a single scar on their faces!”
Leonard’s eye narrowed to a slit.
“You’re not suggesting I recruited the White Owls based on their faces, are you?”
“Absolutely not. I selected them for their abilities—it’s hardly my fault they all happened to be handsome. Perhaps it’s the work of fate?”
To be precise, for Aurora’s welfare.
In the original story, the White Owls served as shadow knights to the royal family, but ultimately they worked for Aurora.
Suddenly, I found myself questioning the excessive handsomeness of the man before me.
‘Could this man have possessed the body of a supporting character from a side story? Is that why he’s so devastatingly beautiful?’
While I was lost in thought, laughter echoed through the air.
“Ah, you really are something else.”
Despite the urgent circumstances, Leonard was chuckling with ease. Then he suddenly extended his hand toward me.
“Take my hand. I’ll escort you back to the Princess Palace.”
“But our conversation isn’t finished yet. And why should I trust you enough to follow you?”
“Then don’t trust me.”
Before I could even ask what he meant, my body was suddenly scooped up.
“Kyaaah!?”
“Why are you suddenly shrieking as if you’re frail?”
“Listen, I *am* frail!?”
I’d always imagined being carried like a princess would be romantic, but reality was far grimmer than that.
Rather than my heart racing, his next words stirred violent emotions within me.
“If you’re frail, exercise. You’ll need to survive in this harsh fantasy world going forward.”
“What did you just say?”
“Then hold on tight.”
Why should I hold on tight? What for?
As sudden anxiety washed over me, I instinctively burrowed deeper into his embrace and squeezed my eyes shut.
I felt Leonard’s body stiffen for a moment, but he soon pushed open the iron-barred door and began walking somewhere.
His pace gradually shifted into a run, and when I cracked my eyes open, I realized I was being carried through some dimly lit corridor.
At least we weren’t heading outside.
Come to think of it, this man seemed to have a terrible sense of direction.
“Wait! Do you even know where you’re going?”
“…!”
At my words, he skidded to a halt with a screech. As I nearly tumbled from his arms, he pulled me closer.
But there was no room for my heart to flutter—we were clearly standing at the top of a staircase descending into some basement.
This bastard really was directionally challenged. A divinely ordained sense-of-direction disaster!
“Put me down!”
As I squirmed in his arms, Leonard gently set me on the ground.
But his grip on my wrist remained firm. I glared down at his hand.
“I’m not going to run away, you know?”
“It’s not that. You could be eaten down here.”
“Eaten? By whom?”
“The monsters that roam these passages.”
“…What?”
“There’s no helping it.”
After that ominous remark, Leonard sighed. Soon after, he glanced back at me.
“Charlotte. I’m about to cast magic now, so you absolutely cannot let go of me.”
Suddenly, sparks erupted from thin air, and a massive magical circle materialized.
He neither swung a staff nor snapped his fingers. It seemed to be silent magic.
The magical circle born from the bursting flames flickered brilliantly, creating a passage that led somewhere.
“This is teleportation magic, isn’t it?”
My lazy Mage, Sara, had abused teleportation so much that I had some familiarity with the appearance of teleportation magic circles.
But I had never seen a passage created this swiftly and on such a grand scale.
‘Whoever possessed him showed such unfair favoritism!’
As a fellow possessed individual, why did he possess such extraordinary magical abilities while I had none of these fantasy powers?
Within the world of 【The Saint’s Whisper】, fictional abilities are divided into three categories.
Pure sword ability. Aura.
Holy power, borrowed from the gods.
Mana, drawn from the demonic realm.
Mana isn’t entirely evil.
When mana is refined and used properly, it becomes the magic that people typically employ.
But if it cannot be refined and controlled, it manifests as black magic, and one may even lose their sense of self and become a demon.
That’s why Mages learn the fundamental principles of mana manipulation before studying magic itself.
Naturally, since 【The Saint’s Whisper】 was set in the Holy Kingdom of Sincester, it primarily dealt with ‘holy power,’ while explanations of aura and mana were excluded.
But if the setting were Blake, the story would likely be different.
Having inherited the blood of dragons, a type of demon, they were born with ‘mana’ flowing through their veins.
Therefore, it was perfectly natural that Leonard before me could use magic.
But I had no holy power while he possessed mana—wasn’t that too unfair?
On top of that, this man was skilled with a sword too, and I think he even had some grandiose Blake title or something equally cringeworthy.
‘At this point, does he want to become emperor because he’s ungrateful for the abilities he received?’
Just as anger was about to surge, my wrist was suddenly seized.
“Yes, it’s teleportation magic. But if you let go of me, you might fall somewhere, so it’s best if you hold on tight.”
“Fall somewhere? Why?”
Overwhelmed by renewed anxiety, I had no choice but to press closer to Leonard.
But there was still considerable distance between us, and he drew near to me, wrapping an arm around my waist as he spoke.
“I’m still not very good at controlling my magic.”
What happened next was that I found myself being lifted like baggage once more, and together we plunged into the passage.
“Kyaaaah! Someone save me!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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