Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16. A Blade at the Throat (1)

There was no warmth left in the room.

He surveyed in turn the clean bed with no signs of disturbance, the teacup barely touched, and the single sofa where Edelaine would have sat with her knees drawn up.

The boy’s blood had gotten on his boots, staining the carpet crimson.

Had Edelaine cried again?

She must have. She cherished that boy like part of herself.

Shane repeatedly clenched and unclenched his cold hands. His heart was boiling while his head remained cold.

Lucian approached and spoke.

“We’ve been had. All the surveillance personnel are unconscious from dark magic.”

“…”

“We got properly backstabbed.”

No one could have imagined that the Saint’s husband would be the informant.

Being preoccupied with facing a mage, they had failed to calculate the possibility of a planted informant from the beginning.

Knight Harrison had been excluded from suspicion from the start. He had been the Prince’s closest aide for years, and upon becoming the Saint’s husband, he had passed the Church’s thorough verification without issue. Except for his skills, he was ordinary in both background and personality.

Jeff entered and said.

“I left Lloyd with the priest. Whether he lives or dies depends on his will, they said.”

“He won’t die.”

“That’s right. If he’s lucky, he’ll wake up soon.”

“I don’t see any blood traces other than Lloyd’s. Edelaine and the Saint were probably just kidnapped without injury.”

“Smart bastard.”

“So that’s fortunate.”

“…It’s unsettling how strangely calm you’re being.”

Even if there were no blood traces, couldn’t he be certain they weren’t injured?

Moreover, Shane remained composed and quiet even after seeing the scene where Edelaine and Genevieve had disappeared. He called Lucian to check the personnel stationed around the area, informed Edwin, and had horses prepared simultaneously.

Shane glanced at Lucian and said.

“I suppose everything requires experience. This isn’t the first time Edelaine has been kidnapped.”

“Most of those times were your doing.”

Shane calmly acknowledged it.

“Well, that’s true.”

“You had people on them, right?”

“I attached something more reliable than people.”

Lucian frowned. Just because Shane Blancarde had entrusted him with a request didn’t mean he would trust him completely, but hearing from his own mouth that he had prepared contingencies assuming the task entrusted to him would fail was quite unpleasant.

“There isn’t just one mage in the world.”

The earring-shaped magical device that reported condition and location had been attached to Edelaine through Lloyd.

“I’m rather uncomfortable with this…”

“It’s not something that would cause harm.”

“Remove it once this matter is settled.”

Shane didn’t answer. He clearly liked having a tool that could tell him Edelaine’s condition even from afar. The reason he hadn’t touched magical devices until now was because he had still been somewhat selective about his means and methods. Now there was nothing left to be selective about.

Jeff clicked his tongue.

Shane was indeed the most unhinged, but now they were benefiting from that fact, so there was nothing to say.

Lucian tilted his head, finding Shane’s composure unexpected.

“I thought you’d lose your mind and rampage.”

Shane glanced at Lucian and chuckled.

“It’s fortunate if I seemed sane.”

“…”

“If someone like you could see right through me, I’d be finished too.”

Had he hoped Shane would throw a tantrum and smash things? Simply getting angry was an easy and wasteful act.

Thinking about how to get Edelaine back as quickly as possible, there was no room to lose his reason.

No, was there any reason left? He could no longer tell when he had ever been sane.

When he lost Edelaine, when he got her back, and even when he faced her crying—he hadn’t been sane then either.

Please, Shane. Don’t do that. Please spare me, please.

Please.

How could he listen to those words with a sane mind?

I want you to smile.

Shane’s judgment criterion was only one.

When he was young, he acted by gauging whether Edelaine would like or dislike ‘this thing.’

Now he first judged whether ‘this thing’ was safe or dangerous for Edelaine. He killed without hesitation anything that posed a threat. He eliminated it. While hiding it so Edelaine wouldn’t be frightened.

If that was called being insane, then he had never been sane once since falling in love with Edelaine.

‘Come to think of it, wouldn’t I be the most unsafe?’

Clever Edelaine might not trust him in the end because she knew that.

‘Of course I wouldn’t be sane.’

There would be no negotiations.

Because everyone would die.

*

“They’re all going crazy in various ways.”

Lucian grumbled with disgust.

His nickname ‘Mad Lucian’ was becoming meaningless.

He couldn’t understand why he should be called crazy when dealing with such people. No matter how he looked at it, he was the most reasonable. He seemed to be the only normal one.

He had known that man who summarily executed a foreign noble and cut off his head was already insane, but it wasn’t just him.

‘Are there only madmen around Edelaine Bertrand?’

Edwin, who imprisoned the Brubewinn princess without evidence; Saint Genevieve, who cooperated with him to silence the Church; the Bertrand family, who pressured the Council of Elders together with Blancarde; and even Lloyd, who confined his master because he was sulking about not being told.

The Bertrand family’s second son had been pressuring the Kingdom of Brubewinn’s finances through the trading company he operated since a month ago. And that wasn’t all. Judging by the Prince’s momentum, the Kingdom of Brubewinn would likely disappear from the map soon. Shane Blancarde would probably be at the forefront of that.

How many days would that weak, small kingdom last?

Even a fight between a child and an adult wouldn’t be this one-sided.

This wasn’t all because they kidnapped the Saint, but because Edelaine got caught up in it.

‘Is it time to wash my hands of this and leave?’

It had been a feeling of wanting to watch the end out of simple interest and slight curiosity, and though he hated to admit it, a thread-like affection.

There had been pride too. The sense of defeat at never being able to figure out what was hidden in that small head, and the pride born from the betrayal of standing alone in an empty hideout five years ago.

But the environment was too unfavorable to endure on pride alone. The work he did couldn’t come to light. Being under Edwin and Shane’s surveillance was burdensome in itself.

He had already finished preparing to relocate his base. He had even been willing to take Edelaine with him if she wanted to escape, but seeing how things were turning out, if he tried such a thing, it clearly wouldn’t end with just a peaceful death.

Even Lucian couldn’t help but be disgusted when there were so many people who had completely lost their minds.

Life was lived only once, and while he could risk his life for entertainment, he wasn’t an idiot who couldn’t make obvious calculations.

Lucian looked at Lloyd, who lay unconscious on the bed.

The knight had drawn his sword in a surprise attack and lunged. Even if Lloyd had been wary of him, there would have been a significant difference in skill. Lucian had never taught Lloyd how to fight people head-on.

The sword aimed at his heart barely deflected and pierced through his shoulder.

The priest said he had lost a tremendous amount of blood. The external wound was healed, but the blood loss couldn’t be immediately addressed, and first he needed to wake up to speak of survival.

Usually his arrogant expression made it unnoticeable, but seeing him with his eyes closed and pale complexion, it really hit home that the boy was still only seventeen years old.

A few days ago, the boy who had nearly lost his master for the first time in his life had burst out in frustration with a pale face.

He said it was frustrating that he had delivered the antidote himself but couldn’t even guess what it would be used for. He had also pressed Lucian about whether he knew more, but if he had known that, he would have left Delmez long ago.

But at the same time, he had also said thank you, that Edelaine could live thanks to the antidote he had provided.

It seemed Edelaine had taught him that he must always say sorry and thank you.

“I don’t know how we became the most normal ones.”

If Lloyd had been awake, he would have retorted, “Don’t lump us together, it’s creepy.”

But Lloyd still had his eyes closed.

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