Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Lion's Citadel
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“...Um, Mr. Student Council President.”
“What is it.”
“Please relax your expression a bit.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Yeah.
I could tell he had zero intention of considering it.
Eliya cradled her head with both hands against the throbbing pain creeping into her temples like a tightening vise.
“...Anyone else, maybe it wouldn’t matter, but if you glare at His Imperial Majesty like that, you never know what pretext he’ll find.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“...”
Right.
If “keeping it in mind” meant staring daggers at the emperor and the prime minister like he wanted to kill them, could he maybe tone it down a notch?
Up close, his eyes were even bloodshot.
“...”
Scary. For real.
“...It’s just a play, you know? A play. Please don’t get too immersed.”
Eliya said it like a gentle scolding.
She’d already heard that Dawood planned to enter the banquet hall flanked by the prime minister and the emperor on purpose—to draw all eyes to him.
She hadn’t planned on coming to the hall; it wasn’t a sight she cared to see. But she couldn’t just leave him alone, not when it felt like he’d stir up trouble again.
‘...Talk about a role reversal.’
Ever since training under Kwon Sung, she’d gained some real leverage over him. That was pretty encouraging.
Back when they’d first met, she’d frozen up and couldn’t even draw her sword properly.
‘...Of course. Even so.’
As those thoughts crossed her mind, Elnor’s words dropped bluntly.
“...Does it look like a play to you?”
“...”
Honestly, it did seem weirdly sincere. Intensely so.
Even now, with Dawood and the Bogart Marquis gone, the emperor and prime minister were still bickering back and forth.
“...We can worry about that later, right?”
Eliya tried to steer the topic elsewhere.
“Right now, it seems more important to stay low-key so we don’t get caught later.”
Eliya fiddled awkwardly with the dress she was wearing as she spoke.
Truth be told, she knew even this fidgeting wasn’t ideal.
Of course, someone of hero candidate or Tristan Duchess caliber would know the proper etiquette for an imperial palace social even.
Showing any unsightly behavior here could lead to who-knows-what backlash later. Still, the outfit felt so foreign that the gesture had slipped out unconsciously.
“...Weren’t you a commoner?”
“There are plenty who think so, but I’m not exactly a plain commoner.”
“...? Were you nobility?”
“No, not that.”
Elnor blinked at her in confusion.
His face said he had no clue what she meant.
“If your family and relatives are knights in the Imperial Guard, you’re typically elevated to quasi-noble status! No fief ownership, but by imperial law, you enjoy all noble privileges!”
“...”
Eliya’s head snapped around.
A man grinning ear to ear, eyes narrowed in what almost looked like a squint, stood there.
“Pleased to meet you, Eliya Chrisanax! First time seeing you in person!”
“...Who are you?”
Her voice was sharp in a way that didn’t match her usual round-the-clock friendliness.
Elnor’s eyes even widened in surprise as he looked at her.
“Call me Bogart Marquis, if you please!”
“...”
Eliya glared at him wordlessly.
She was clearly probing for information on him.
In the meantime, the Bogart Marquis continued smoothly.
“That look says you’re wondering how I know about your brother!”
“...”
Of course, his words left her face blank for a split second.
“But of course, I won’t tell you!”
“...”
He didn’t even give her a chance to respond.
Eliya hardened her expression as she stared at him.
An uncanny discomfort settled in.
From his sudden intrusion and rambling on however he pleased.
But more than that.
‘...Familiar vibe.’
Almost like.
‘Similar to Teacher?’
The way he seemed to pierce right through her heart with his words.
The sense of manipulating others to fit his own “plans,” bending them to his whims.
Controlling the situation with whatever he “already knew.”
First time she’d felt this from anyone since Dawood.
“Hm, I could tell you something useful about your brother’s whereabouts, though.”
The Bogart Marquis said it with that same beaming smile.
“Interested?”
“...”
Eliya glared at him silently.
Everything about the guy was abrupt.
From his entrance to casually prodding at her deepest sore spot.
Talking to him felt profoundly unsettling.
But.
“...Pleased to meet you, Lord Bogart Marquis. I haven’t greeted you properly yet.”
Honestly.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
She didn’t seem to have much choice.
●
The imperial palace was an ancient structure rivaling Elpante in age.
“Ugh... col...”
He climbed the outer wall with great effort.
Normally, barriers would block access entirely, but he’d handled that with the key from Bogart.
The guard’s face had gone pale the moment he flashed it. Quite the sight.
[So. Where are we?]
“As I said, a place only you can enter.”
The perimeter was like a modern yellow police line.
A clear “Keep Out!” declaration.
Inside meant “Currently Unused.”
He landed lightly in the inner courtyard beyond it.
[So why go to a place like that? You said we were looking for something useful.]
“You’ll see.”
He scanned the surroundings as he spoke.
An abandoned building wrapped in a dreary, oppressive aura came into view.
[...Here.]
“Familiar, right?”
He’d visited once before, peering into Kalliban’s memories.
The guardians’ headquarters. Known as the “Lion’s Citadel.”
[...]
Silence transmitted from within the Soul Linker.
Beyond the quiet, Kalliban’s suppressed tension seeped through.
The telltale mood of someone crushed by memories.
“...”
I didn’t say anything either.
Just looking around made it obvious he had deep grudges here.
The crumbling structure. Weeds sprouting everywhere. Cobwebs blanketing it all.
People who’d sacrificed everything to protect the empire and its citizens for their beliefs.
No way this fit as an honorable memorial for fallen warriors.
Forgotten. Abandoned. Everyone had turned away.
Just like that.
[...Why’d we come here?]
“...I told you. There’s something only you can do.”
With that, he summoned a window in front of him.
[ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ]
[ Enchant: Epic ]
[ Equipment housing a great soul. Raise synchronization to awaken the soul’s consciousness. ]
[ Always infused with mana due to the great soul’s influence. ]
[ Current Mana Charge: 100% ]
[ Current Synchronization: 40% ]
He read down the window, checking the skill at the bottom.
■ [ Guardian’s Soul ] [ Skill Rank: S ]
[ Guardians have long been recognized as protectors of justice and morality. Gain special stacks each time you subdue someone with malicious intent. Fill the stacks to summon the soul to the mortal plane for a limited time. ]
[ Duration: 5 minutes ]
The skill he’d unlocked alongside raising his synchronization last time.
Originally unusable, but beating down those assassins in the second trial had charged some usage time.
[System Message]
[ Would you like to use the ‘Guardian’s Soul’ skill? ] [ Y/N ]
He tapped Y without hesitation.
At the same instant, someone’s form burst out from the Soul Linker.
More genie-from-a-lamp than flesh-and-blood, but unmistakably spirit-like.
“Wh-what? What’s this?”
The startled Kalliban looked down at his body.
Orange hair just like Eliya’s. A massive scar slashing across his face.
And above all.
“...”
Why’s he so damn handsome, annoyingly.
Eliya was a beauty who’d turn heads anywhere, but this guy was like her male counterpart.
Infuriatingly so.
“...Hey, Kalliban.”
My greeting probably sounded grumpy for those reasons.
“What is this? How’d you do it?”
“It’s like temporary necromancy. You can interfere with the material world to some extent.”
Think spirit beast from the soul realm.
He could touch or move things directly.
Even limited possession.
“You should be able to ‘enter’ my body and control it to some degree.”
And as far as I knew.
The Lion’s Citadel held obstacles that required exactly such an ability.
“...There’s something you need to do with that power—”
As he started walking, a sharp intake of breath sounded from somewhere.
“...”
He froze and scanned around, but nothing.
Hearing things?
“...What? What’s wrong?”
Kalliban’s materialized voice made him tilt his head.
“...No, nothing.”
Right. Who’d follow us here logically.
With that thought, he kept walking.
●
“...”
Eliya clamped her mouth shut, breathing raggedly.
‘Brother.’
She’d held her breath without thinking from the shock.
Bogart Marquis had told her to “search this way,” so she’d hurried over, but she never expected to see this.
Kalliban Chrisanax.
Her only blood kin had been right there moments ago.
‘...Necromancy?’
A spell to summon the dead’s souls.
Dawood had just said he’d used something “similar” to bring Kalliban forth.
Which meant.
Her brother.
‘...No. No way.’
Eliya squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
She knew nothing right now.
It could just be summoning someone far away in that form.
Best to drop the ominous thoughts.
‘...No, but.’
What exactly was Dawood’s connection to her brother?
Why was he so chummy with the man she’d been desperately searching for?
And above all.
“...”
Why hadn’t he told her?
Eliya bit her lip hard.
As those thoughts swirled.
Kalliban’s voice suddenly reached her.
“But in this state, doesn’t that mean people besides you can see me?”
“Pro...bably? Why the sudden question?”
“No, just—then I can smack Eliya if I see her?”
“...”
Dawood fell silent.
Eliya, watching breath held, did the same.
“...What kinda random nonsense is that? Something you say about family?”
“No, I wanna smack her, what can I do.”
Dawood’s exasperated voice prompted Kalliban to scratch his head and continue.
“Don’t you get mad seeing your little sister lie about engagements and fiancés to seduce some other guy?”
The words hit, and a flush rapidly colored Eliya’s face.
“...Uh.”
She let out an involuntary, flustered sound.
Her mind flooded with everything she’d done to “conquer” Dawood lately.
And the crown jewel, no doubt, was exactly what Kalliban mentioned.
—Teacher and I are actually engaged.
She remembered lying like that when Dawood had amnesia.
She’d relaxed since he never mentioned that period after regaining his memories.
But.
He’d seen it.
Her brother had seen it.
Which meant Dawood probably knew too, high chance.
“...”
Eliya swallowed dryly.
Probably.
That meant.
Her brother had witnessed every single tail-chasing move she’d pulled on Dawood.
Fiancé fibs included.
“...”
Eliya seriously stroked her chin.
Hmm.
So that’s how it was.
“...Should I just die?”
The thought came out more sincerely than expected.
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