TYND 58

TL: motokare

Ken Bane had likely assumed Theon was only planning to defend since he could’ve picked a fight by using the assassins from The Mandate’s as an excuse, but Theon hadn’t initiated any contact at all. Or maybe he even looked down on Theon, thinking he’d become a coward after getting his hands on the world’s most valuable treasure. 

But in truth, Theon had been working hard behind the scenes, wiping out every threat in the name of Rothy’s peace. 

“It’s time to send Yilaine Reina Bane the signal.”

Duchess Yilaine Reina Bane was currently the only surviving heir to the Givarche throne. After the war ended in the First month, she’d immediately fled to her fiancé’s family in Gamia to avoid the bloodbath for succession. 

Not long ago, Theon had sent someone to contact her in secret, and was furious after learning that Ken Bane had murdered her siblings. Their deaths managed to ignite her determination to fight for the throne. 

“Yes. I’ll contact her tomorrow.”

“Also, get in touch with the Gamian royal family as well. Let them know they’ve nothing to worry about. We won’t cause any trouble on their land.”

“Understood.”

To protect Rothy, The Mandate had to be brought down since it was Ken Bane’s wings. Once Theon crushed the assassin guild, Yilaine would handle the rest. She’d been busy making her own moves by secretly meeting and building connections with various Givarche noble houses, and constantly reminding Theon that her side was ready to act as soon as they received the signal from him.

“Let’s finish this before summer’s over. We should have enough time, Your Grace.”

Theon’s subordinates were just as eager to get things going because there was no way they could stand idly by while their adorable and lovable archduchess’s peace was under threat. Everyone was ready to tear Givarche apart even without Theon’s orders. As the adults were exchanging meaningful glances with each other, Rothy tugged at Theon’s collar.

“Put me down.”

When Theon did so, Rothy walked over and pressed himself against the transparent wall facing the young assassin’s room.

“See something suspicious over there?”

“Hmm… no.”

“Is that an affirmation or?”

“He keeps trying to use telepathy magic on me. Just him, the older man isn’t attempting to do anything.”

Theon frowned and pulled Rothy back into his arms. He tried to lift him up again, but Rothy shook his head, so Theon just kept his arms around him. 

“If that fellow says anything strange to you, tell me right away.”

“Mhm.”

“Warden, what’s the chance of that brat breaking through the sealing barrier?”

“None, Your Grace. It’s made of tremuhle, so even a sixth-grade mage would find it difficult to penetrate.”

Even so, Theon felt uneasy and fussed over Rothy’s fur coat, tucking it more securely around him. Rothy let him, but his attention was fixed to the child in the cell. Eventually, Rothy decided to speak to him.

“Hi, what’s your name?”

“……”

“Theon, I don’t think he can hear me.”

“That one tried to kill Chungnip. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“I didn’t… It isn’t about that. When magic scatters after hitting the barrier, it causes mental pain, but he keeps trying despite it. I think he must’ve something important to say.”

“He’s doing it deliberately to make you think that way. The other assassin keeps swearing and throwing tantrums, while the young assassin in the right room remains quiet and well-behaved. It’s a setup. They’re acting in contrast so we’d feel sympathy for the younger one.”

Theon pulled Rothy back several steps. 

“Warden, bring them their meals.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The warden placed a bowl of thin soup, bread, and boiled potatoes onto a tray and slid them into their cells. 

“You poisoned this, didn’t you?! You think I’m crazy enough to eat this?! Huh?!”

BANG!

The man kicked the tray away, sending the food splattering against the wall.

“……”

Meanwhile, the young assassin in the right room watched cautiously before approaching slowly. Then he began eating desperately, like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

“Oh dear… he must be really hungry.”

“……”

Theon stared intently at Rothy, who blinked at him in return, then let out a quiet ‘Oh’ before clamping a hand over his mouth. 

“I get it now. You’re saying he’s acting pitiful on purpose to make us feel sympathy for him…”

“Exactly.”

Theon stroked Rothy’s hair as a compliment. Normally, Rothy would’ve smiled brightly at such praise, but this time, his smile was weak.

“The world’s such a terrifying place… if you’re not careful, you’d be caught like a sitting duck.”

Seeing Rothy’s disappointed expression, Theon picked up the weasel that’d been scurrying around, and placed it in Rothy’s arms.

Scree.

The weasel wriggled at first, trying to escape, but when it noticed Rothy’s lack of strength, it went limp, letting him knead its soft body.

“Rothy, let me know when you’re ready to dispel the curse.”

“I’m ready now…”

“Already?”

“Yeah, I memorised it earlier.”

In the first place, there was a reason why Theon had brought Rothy to the underground prison. The assassins had curse magic placed on them, so without dispelling it, they’d die within a day or two like the previous assassins. Since Rothy knew dispelling magic, the plan was to dispel the curse, keep them alive, and extract information. They might be resistant to truth serum, but there were many ways to get information once they were kept alive. Magic such as interrogation spells, brainwashing spells, or even physical methods, if necessary… There’d be screams of pain and the terrible sight of bright red blood flowing, but… This was something Rothy didn’t need to know. 

“How close do you need to be?”

“I don’t need to be close. I can dispel it from here.”

Theon simply accepted this, but Chungnip was newly filled with awe. Honestly, since Rothy was a mage who could create non-contact magical crystals, ignoring the standard casting range of spells wasn’t that surprising. 

Rothy stood still and closed his eyes. A formless wind rippled around him, stirred by pure colourless magical energy shifting in the air. He needed neither a wand nor hand gestures to enhance concentration.

And a moment later, his eyes opened. 

“It’s done.”

Rothy had executed a difficult spell without breaking a sweat. The two assassins reacted immediately. The man on the left stared at his hands, cursing repeatedly, demanding to know what’d been done to him. The young assassin’s pupils shook, but he quickly composed himself and settled back to his usual downcast, gloomy look. 

“There were two curses placed on them, I’ve dispelled both.”

“Two?”

“Yeah, there was also a silencing spell…”

Rothy suddenly trailed off and was surprised by some sort of realisation. 

“Should I not have dispelled it?”

“No, you did very well. Excellent job.”

Theon quickly reached out, ruffling Rothy’s soft hair in reassurance. If a silencing spell had been in place, torture wouldn’t have worked either. What Rothy had done was invaluable. 

Tap, tap

It was the young assassin making noise by knocking on the wall with the back of his hand. Though it appeared to be an ordinary brick wall from the inside, he seemed to know it was actually glass as he stared directly at it.

“It seems… the curse’s gone.”

“……”

“I’ve a grudge against The Mandate. Let’s make a deal. I’ll give you all the information about them if you release me.”

Theon didn’t accept the young assassin’s proposal. More accurately, he postponed it. He only restrained the assassins in a way that prevented them from taking their own lives, then left them alone. Not because he wanted them to think he’d grow careless, believing themselves forgotten. Theon wasn’t counting on carelessness. He wanted them to be nervous. 

Being jittery and filled with uncertainty while waiting for the hammer to fall would’ve made mind magic work better. 

After about three days, the curse defence barrier was completed. Harrié Geelin didn’t come this time; instead, his chief disciples arrived, all with cold attitudes.

“If you’ve just sent Lord Rothy to our side, your estate would be safe.”

“Please make sure Lord Rothy’s well protected until he eventually comes to us. You lot aren’t exactly the most reliable.”

Regardless of anyone’s personal opinion about PLEIN, no one could deny the fact that they were more reliable in magic than any other mage in the Empire, so the knights, who usually argued with them, stayed quiet this time.

After PLEIN left, Theon checked the barrier personally with Rothy. PLEIN’s barrier covered not only the surrounding forest but also the entire estate’s town. Rothy carefully examined every boundary before declaring it perfect. Just as usual, despite their grumbling, they’d done their job perfectly before leaving.

Satisfied, Theon sent them four hundred magic stones instead of the agreed three hundred.

That night, though Rothy must’ve been tired from moving around all day, he couldn’t fall asleep easily.

“Your Grace… is it possible for us to head outside and have some fun?”

Theon wondered what Rothy wanted this time when he suddenly switched to speaking formally. 

“Yes.”

“Then, can we go to Elsea Falls tomorrow?”

Lying on the pillow custom-made for his head, Rothy looked up with his large sparkling eyes, and Theon simply couldn’t say no.

Elsea Falls was a northern tourist attraction located near the estate, and they’d long planned to visit after Rothy’s academy schedule finished. Fortunately, it fell within the curse defence barrier boundary so they could go, but Theon preferred not to venture far until The Mandate was dismantled.

“…We can’t go?”

Rothy, who’d been looking up at him expectantly, lowered his eyes and muttered to himself.

“Right… We were just attacked by an assassin, so how could we go out to play… We definitely shouldn’t go. Tomorrow I’ll play hide-and-seek with Hee-hee. That’ll be really fun. Theon, you should come play too, yeah?”