Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 343

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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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Episode 113.
Ninety-Eight Souls (26)
“Is that so?”
Yien’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling.
“I… I’m not entirely certain.”
“According to what Moro explained, the Young Duke would be slowly poisoned. But Kanka told us something entirely different.”
Langie lowered his eyes and paused for a moment before speaking.
“A puppet, he said.”
“A puppet?”
Yien’s expression grew tense as the memory surfaced.
“Yes, that’s right. He said making someone into a puppet wouldn’t be difficult. Now I remember. That’s completely different from poisoning, isn’t it?”
“Precisely. Moro must be hiding something.”
Hailjer spoke.
“But what? Could it be magic? Is there magic that can make someone behave like a puppet?”
“We’d need to consult someone else about the magic aspect…”
Langie’s expression showed him carefully assembling his thoughts.
“Considering the mage friend who came with us, magic is certainly a plausible explanation. But more importantly—why would he lie? If such magic existed, why hide it from us? It would be far more advantageous to reveal such capability and be recognized as a worthwhile partner. Being able to manipulate the Young Duke’s actions would be far more useful than simply killing him.”
Yien nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. So why would Moro want to hide the existence of such magic from us? Perhaps it’s such powerful magic that he didn’t want to reveal it? So he substituted a simpler method like poisoning instead?”
Langie shook his head.
“I don’t see why he’d conceal something simply because it’s powerful magic. True, mages face sanctions if they use magic for crime, but time has passed and there’s no way to prove it now. Besides, we’re not mages ourselves. Rather, I suspect it might be… forbidden magic.”
“Forbidden magic.”
None of them possessed deep knowledge of magic, so they couldn’t speak with certainty, yet the notion seemed plausible. While there were no laws explicitly forbidding dangerous magic, all mages understood which magics were forbidden and naturally avoided them. If pursuit of forbidden magic became known, it could result in anything from severed relations with other mages depending on the danger level, to direct intervention by respected senior mages in severe cases. Thus maintaining secrecy became essential.
Langie spoke again.
“Of course, as you say, it’s possible he doesn’t want to reveal it because it’s something like the lost magic of Ganapoli and he wishes to monopolize it. Or perhaps both. But there’s another consideration we must account for.”
“What’s that?”
“Based on Moro’s circumstances and what he said today, he must harbor tremendous hatred for the Young Duke. After all, he was robbed of the successor’s position he’d been promised through marriage by a Young Duke born later. This is an important truth, and it directly influences his methods of action. Though he didn’t show it openly, he left hints we can infer.”
Langie slowly traced his index finger across the surface of his wine glass. His gaze remained fixed on the droplets trickling down. Yien knew that Langie rarely drank; he’d ordered wine simply to appear unremarkable in a tavern setting. Yet Yien also knew that Langie sometimes did this—gazing at wine without drinking it.
“As I pointed out to Moro, the most critical element in this plan to seize House of Arnim is the Duke, who will remain robust for decades to come. No matter how much the Young Duke is the heir, if one doesn’t intend to wait those decades, common sense dictates plotting against the Duke first. Yet Moro moved against the Young Duke first. As a result, he’s found himself needing troublesome means like magic. Because as I said, if the Young Duke dies unnaturally, it will inevitably provoke the Duke’s wrath.”
Yien nodded.
“Right. If the Young Duke dies unnaturally, anyone would suspect Moro first. His wife is already dead, so he has no shield to protect him.”
“Exactly. Moro seems to understand that point. So he should be able to wait patiently and target the Duke instead—yet for some reason, Moro cannot wait that long. He cannot kill the Young Duke, so he makes him into an unnatural magical puppet instead. What exactly does he intend to do with this puppet? Does such a thing truly exist?”
Yien responded, his expression thoughtful.
“Perhaps there’s value to be gained that simply killing him wouldn’t provide.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. What could it be? Based on the information I’ve gathered thus far, my answer is: ‘no such thing exists.’ The Young Duke is simply someone to be killed now or later—he’s not an independent variable. If that’s the case, there’s only one reason: Moro’s personal feelings toward the Young Duke.”
“Hatred?”
Langie didn’t answer immediately, instead studying both their faces in turn before speaking.
“As we all witnessed today, isn’t it difficult to imagine that someone like Moro genuinely desires the Republic?”
Yien and Hailjer exchanged glances. Neither could answer readily. It was a statement that could have encapsulated the very result of today’s meeting.
Langie was not one to rush to conclusions. Though his intuition was well-developed, he never trusted it without logical foundation to support it. Yet despite this, after meeting today, he had determined that Theostid da Moro was not someone who would become a republican.
“Moro is a nobleman through and through. He’s simply a nobleman who’s been stripped of what was his. What governs the actions of such a man is the desire to reclaim his stolen position—in other words, the instinct to return to what he once was. If we wanted to make him a republican, we’d need to observe him further and make greater efforts, but I believe trusting him at this stage would be premature. Therefore, to form this unstable alliance with him, we need to understand precisely what drives Moro as a person. Of course, he desires to seize the House of Arnim. But after today, I began to wonder if his psychology might not be as straightforward as I initially thought.”
“If it’s not straightforward, then what?”
“I suspect his desire to destroy the Young Duke might actually be greater than his desire to seize the House of Arnim.”
As he spoke, Langie picked up his glass and, in a rare gesture, brought it to his lips. Yien’s eyes widened in surprise as she watched the violet liquid diminish slightly, though only by a small amount. She could not fathom what Langie was feeling.
“If that’s the case… what effect would that have on this alliance?”
“Earlier, I proposed that we move against the Duke first, and he accepted. Since he expressed confidence that he could resolve it easily, the matter of the Young Duke is naturally not a consideration in our negotiations, and its execution falls entirely under his purview. But if we examine Moro’s gambit from his perspective, the timing of the Young Duke’s elimination becomes a matter of paramount importance. He’s already set it in motion even before meeting with us, and now he waits for something—presumably the perfect moment. But if we consider that there is no particularly opportune time to eliminate the Young Duke, then only one need remains: an audience.”
“An audience?”
“He needs someone to witness what he’s done, someone to applaud him—someone gripped by fear and despair. It would be all the better if that person were the one who stole from him, and ideal if they were the exceptional being who once inspired his jealousy. Perhaps he believes that without an audience to witness it, the performance loses all meaning. Like mad artists do.”
Yien spoke suddenly.
“That’s quite an unexpected assessment from you.”
Langie replied without smiling.
“Isn’t it?”
Yien tilted her head and spoke.
“Then you’re saying that’s the Young Duke? But the Young Duke is the victim, isn’t he? How can he be both victim and audience simultaneously?”
Langie did not answer immediately, but after a moment, he spoke.
“Yes. I find that strange too. Being both victim and audience—it’s not impossible, but if he already has the victim in his grasp, he could execute his plan tomorrow if he wished. Why wait? What is he waiting for? Perhaps because I’m not a mad artist, I cannot fathom that far. So my thoughts end there.”
At that moment, a man weaved through the crowded tables of drinkers and came to their table, sitting down abruptly without preamble. Yien looked at him in surprise—a man of about forty with a flushed face as though intoxicated, grinning at her with a leer.
“Listen, we’re….”
Then Langie opened his mouth.
“It’s been a long time, Hen. I’ve been watching you since earlier.”
The man quickly bowed his head toward Langie, as if mindful of others’ eyes.
“I offer my respects to you, Rosenkrantz. You appeared to be in conversation, so I waited a moment.”
Despite his askew posture and flushed face suggesting intoxication, his voice was composed and clear of any drunken slur. Yien quickly caught on and spoke.
“Is this the person?”
The reason they had remained here after sending Theo’s group ahead was to meet with a Nightwalker. However, neither Yien nor Hailjer knew who was coming. Only Langie possessed the first-tier contact clearance that allowed unrestricted use of Nightwalk.
The man, having known Langie for a long time, showed respectful conduct regardless of age. Langie spoke.
“Let me state the purpose. Please investigate the recent whereabouts of Joshua von Arnim, the Young Duke of House Arnim. The longer the target period, the better, but above all, you must analyze every change that has occurred in his daily life since January of this year.”
Despite the rather extensive scope of the request, the man answered without hesitation.
“Understood. I will provide two reports by June.”
A Nightwalker’s investigation report was typically divided into three parts. The first and second prioritized timeliness, delivering information as quickly as possible, while the third consolidated all findings and was reported with the Nightwalker’s personal honor on the line, so the timing was generally not specified.
“June is acceptable. Then I entrust this to you.”
The man named Hen, just before rising, allowed a slight expression to cross his face as he spoke.
“Please take care of yourselves. Birds have been following you.”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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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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