RGS Volume 5 Part 24

“I know he’s not a monster.”

“……”

Ashler paused for a moment and looked at Abel, suppressing his anger.

“But those who do not know His Majesty might call him a monster. If he burns a living person to death in front of their eyes, anyone will call him a monster. And if you insist on meeting His Majesty unconditionally, His Majesty’s killing will only worsen. Do you want everyone to call His Majesty a monster because of you?”

This time, Abel fell silent, lowering his eyes. However, it seemed more like he was thinking again rather than being discouraged. Watching the two of them, Melmond cautiously spoke to Abel.

“Yes, like Sir Ashler had said, if you meet His Majesty now, the situation might worsen, so…”

“Then it’s okay as long as it’s not a reckless plan, right?”

When Abel suddenly asked as if he had organized his thoughts, Melmond nodded while glancing at Ashler.

“Well, do you have any plans?”

Instead of answering, Abel looked at Ashler as if asking for permission. Like Melmond, Ashler nodded and asked.

“What plan?”

How on earth do you intend to bring back the emperor to normal in that state?

However, Abel first let out a small sigh. Then, as if reluctant, he looked up at the sky and spoke with difficulty.

“It’s a bit of a cheap method.”

Cheap?

Ashler frowned instantly. Abel then muttered as if to make an excuse.

“But it worked before, so it will work this time too.”

So what cheap method is it?

Before he could ask, another plan came out of Abel’s mouth.

“And there are safe hiding places in the palace, so the palace is better.”

“Where?”

When Melmond asked, puzzled, Abel smiled as if wondering why he didn’t know.

“The Dragon’s Forest.”

“…….”

“As a Regas, I can come and go as I please.”

When he looked around at the others, they all had stiff expressions except for the butler. Only then did Abel stop smiling and ask in confusion.

“What’s wrong? Oh, am I not allowed to enter if I’ve been reincarnated?”

“No. You can enter.”

Melmond stepped in to answer and added heavily.

“But now anyone else can enter, not just you.”

Abel still didn’t know what happened when he died. He thought the previous king came to find his son himself, but how shocked would he be if he knew the truth?

Especially since his body is already weak. The Dragon’s Forest he loved so much was burned down. Melmond briefly explained the situation at that time and then spoke with difficulty as he watched Abel’s trembling eyes.

“But strangely, even though 12 years have passed since the fire, trees and grass haven’t grown back in that ruined place. Perhaps because of that, the fog has also disappeared.”

“The fog, the forest disappeared?”

“Yes.”

Abel seemed shocked as expected, perhaps because he spent most of his time with the prince in the forest. However, no one could comfort him as he turned pale. The magic of the forest had also vanished, but strangely, no one attempted to enter it.

Since it was evidence that humans had broken the power of the legend, the place had become even more feared than ever before. The barren, blackened ground where nothing grew. It truly felt like a curse. Melmond and the butler worried that Abel might faint again, but he managed to collect himself and looked up.

“Uh, I see. Um, alright then.”

Abel struggled to steady himself and looked back at Ashler.

“Is there a place in the palace where I can stay without being noticed by the King’s Heart? And also, a position where it would be natural to meet His Majesty.”

Ashler couldn’t respond immediately to the sudden question, but Melmond was different.

“Of course! Definitely!”

Melmond shouted eagerly and hurriedly asked Ashler.

“Do you remember? I was once the librarian in the palace.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“At that time, although I was expelled after Abel died, I stayed in the library because there can only be one Regas sect that could be by His Majesty’s side. However, apart from the King’s Heart, ours was the only Regas sect that officially remained. So now that His Majesty has returned, I can go back and reopen the library, can’t I?”

If it’s the library, it is a place where there are no visitors, and even if the emperor visits, it wouldn’t be strange. Especially for Karas, it could be seen as reminiscing about old times. Also, being in a low-ranking position in a corner of the palace, no one would pay attention to Melmond returning as the librarian. Excited by the method he had come up with, Melmond quickly added.

“Of course, permission won’t be granted right away, but if it’s Sir Ashler, you should be able to get me in soon, right? Moreover, if I take Abel as my assistant, I can look after him if any issues arise. I can provide His Majesty with the antidote immediately. Or even continue researching the real antidote there, which is really good.”

How about it?

Melmond looked expectantly at Ashler, but that wasn’t what Ashler was concerned about.

“Yes, it’s a decent idea, but right now, I’m more curious about what plan Lord Abel has…”

“If it’s for research, I’ll come with you!”

The butler pushed past Ashler and stepped forward.

“I’ve been studying with you ever since we came here, so I’ll help you all the way.”

Anyone could see that the butler intended to stay close and take care of his young master. Ashler frowned at the sudden turn of events and tried to say that ordinary people couldn’t enter the palace.

“Wait a minute, the butler is an ordinary person, so…”

“Wow—Butler! Thank you for helping Mr. Melmond with the antidote research. Let’s definitely enter the palace together!”

Abel granted permission. Ashler’s expression grew more distorted, but now Nani even stepped forward and joined in their enthusiastic conversation.

“Then I will take charge of guarding the library. Haha— this reminds me of the old days, doesn’t it, Sir Melmond?”

“Yeah, right? Hehe, back then, you used to hang around the library all the time, slacking off.”

“Ha ha ha—It was because the sunlight was so warm there that I fell asleep easily. Sir Ashler, do you remember? You caught me sleeping there and drew your sword…”

Swoosh.

The present-day Ashler also drew his sword. Silencing Nani’s words like that and then using that momentum to quiet the others, he asked Abel.

“What exactly are you thinking?”

“Um, I’m planning to enter the library with Mr. Melmond.”

“Not that, I mean your plan.”

However, this time, Abel momentarily stared into space before speaking.

“If it takes a few days to enter the library, the time in between is the problem. I want His Majesty to stop drinking the black potion immediately, so that’s the only way.”

“What do you mean?”

Ashler couldn’t understand Abel’s simple response. If there was a method, he wouldn’t feel so powerless now. No one could stop Karas.

“If His Majesty doesn’t stop, then we must make the King’s Heart stop.”

It felt slightly bewildering. Abel’s casually spoken words were absurd and completely unexpected.

But saying it is one thing, how could he actually stop the King’s Heart in their bet?

This time, his question didn’t come with a sigh.

For some reason, he had a sense of anticipation that Abel might provide a reasonable solution. Even if it was absurd once again.

“If the King’s Heart doesn’t have a weapon to use against His Majesty, they’ll stop the game or delay it.”

“By weapon, you mean the black potion?

“Yes. I heard it from Mr. Melmond. They can’t produce it in large quantities, right? Thus, if they run out with their current supply, they will naturally try to buy time to make the potion.”

“But how do we make that potion disappear? Who will do it?”

Surely the King’s Heart wouldn’t do it with their own hands. However, the exact answer came directly from Abel’s mouth.

“The King’s Heart.”

Seeing Ashler’s surprise, Abel added a simple explanation.

“We’ll have the next victim do it. They will be the ones who want to stop the game more than anyone else right now.”

The next victim… Norhox?!

Ashler recalled his face, which had turned ashen and looked as if he had lost his mind. If it were Norhox, who had been continuously receiving the black potion from Truyde, it might be possible to steal a certain amount of the black potion. Even if it’s just a few days’ worth.

“But the problem is, who will convey this message to Norhox without arousing suspicion?”

Ashler quickly looked up at Abel’s worried voice.

“Don’t worry about that. I will handle it.”

The war profiteer also wanted to stop the game. As long as Kin hasn’t been found yet, he would agree to using Norhox. Anyway, since they are already in shambles due to internal conflicts, if they provoke them a little, they will head further towards ruin on their own. Ashler, feeling ashamed for not having thought of such a simple idea, expressed his gratitude to Abel.

“Thank you for suggesting such a good method.”

Abel quickly waved his hands as if it was nothing.

“No, it’s not even a great idea. Besides, it’s all thanks to His Majesty that we are able to move them so easily.”

They were once a formidable enemy, but now, one by one, their pillars had collapsed, leaving only a grotesque skeleton. The enemies, who had once been terrifying under the grand name of the King’s Heart, were now crumbling on their own, making the previous fear seem unfounded. Ashler knew that, as Abel had said, this was all thanks to Karas’ work. And he would likely bring down even that skeleton. It all seemed to be going according to his plan.

“Then, uh, the only thing left is for me to enter the palace and meet His Majesty.”

Abel’s awkward voice revealed hesitation as if he were pondering whether to carry out the plan that he thought was cheap. However, as everyone’s gaze turned to him, he scratched his head and looked around.

“So, this plan requires everyone’s help. Especially…”

Abel emphasized while looking at the tense Ashler.

“Sir Ashler, you will have a lot of lines.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Having stayed up all night, Ashler arrived at the palace with a haggard face and headed straight to the Minister’s Palace first. Although Ashler had not yet been assigned a special position besides guarding the emperor, he could request help from a few of the emperor’s people in the palace. They were all individuals who had gained wealth through the war.

Ashler asked them to open the doors of the library, which had been closed for 12 years so that Melmond could enter. On the surface, it seemed like a trivial matter, but because it was something related to Regas, it required the approval of many people. Ashler thought this might take some time because of this. After all, most of the people who could attend the council meetings were on the side of the King’s Heart.

However, unexpectedly, things went smoothly. Just after sending a message to the war profiteer to meet at the palace, someone came to his quarters. It was a person from the King’s Heart with whom Ashler had never exchanged words before. He looked around cautiously, as if afraid of being caught by anyone, and then smiled at Ashler.

“I’ve always wanted to talk to Sir Ashler and now I finally have the chance.”

Ashler remained expressionless as he stared at the person who greeted him warmly. This was one of those people who had looked at him with contempt when he arrived at the palace in his miserable state after dispersing the army. Now, he claimed he always wanted to talk to him. Ashler’s lack of response seemed to have embarrassed the other person, so he cleared his throat and brought up the main topic he had come here for.

“Ahem, when I heard that Sir Ashler wanted to open the closed library, the other nobles and I immediately decided to grant permission. Of course, we still need separate approval from the King’s Heart, which will be quite difficult, but if we step in, they won’t be able to refuse. Ahem, so please remember that we are considering Sir Ashler’s position and trying to help.”

Even though it wasn’t a legal issue to begin with, he emphasized his willingness to help and watched Ashler’s expression closely.

“If you ever need our help in the future, don’t hesitate to come to me. Understood?”

He continued to smile at Ashler, who didn’t respond, and hurriedly left, still looking around cautiously. With two members of the King’s Heart dead, it seemed there were also internal conflicts among them. Those who were quick-witted seemed to be trying to get on the emperor’s side in advance in case the King’s Heart collapsed.

Ashler was well aware of the current turmoil within the palace. Those who were aware of their bet were all trembling in fear yet curious.

Could the emperor survive until the end?

They wondered. Ashler wanted to rush in and eliminate those who were weighing the emperor’s life immediately.

However, that could wait until after the emperor won. Right now, the important task was to entice Norhox. After receiving Ashler’s letter, the war profiteer who arrived at the palace a bit early, approached with his eyes darting around more warily than usual.

“Where’s Kin?”

He lowered his voice, asking about Kin as soon as they met.

“If it’s not about Kin, I’m leaving before anyone sees me.”

“It’s not about Sir Kin, but it concerns your survival.”

It was a remark he made, assuming the war profiteer would naturally want to live longer, but he unexpectedly responded with a sneer.

“Survive longer? Look, don’t waste my remaining life with such nonsense.”

When he tried to turn away, Ashler grabbed his arm.

“If you could just buy us a few days, I’ll make sure to bring Sir Kin to you within that time.”

The mention of Sir Kin’s name seemed to have an effect, as he hesitated and turned his head.

“Buy time?”

“We plan to stop the game for a few days.”

“That… that’s not possible! His Majesty will never, never allow it.”

The war profiteer suddenly trembled in fear and shook his head frantically. Ashler tightened his grip on his arm and lowered his voice as if to soothe him.

“The one stopping it won’t be His Majesty. We need to make the King’s Heart stop first.”

“The King’s Heart? H-How?”

Seeing the war profiteer’s interest, Ashler shared the brief plan he had in mind.

“We’ll use Norhox. Tell him this.”