Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Hydra
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[-♬]
“You seem to be in a good mood?”
Rarely, the Hero was humming a little tune.
⋯⋯It was terrifying just seeing this person of all people like this, but anyway, she kept at it.
She’d been in this state ever since meeting Liza yesterday and turning her down.
“Were you that anxious? Like I might abandon you or something, Hero?”
[Actually, I wasn’t anxious.]
“Huh?”
[I’m not the type to forgive betrayers.]
“⋯⋯You don’t even treat me well, and now it’s betrayal?”
[Even between exploiters and the exploited, there’s a certain code of trust.]
“⋯⋯.”
When someone’s face was this thick, words failed you.
“By the way, Hero.”
[What?]
“With Devil Worshippers near the imperial palace, it means something’s bound to blow up soon, right?”
[⋯⋯Hmm.]
The Hero let out a sigh laced with affirmation.
Even though they’d been caught by Liza and wiped out in one fell swoop, thinking that would resolve everything was way too naive.
Carlyle, who’d tangled with those bastards countless times, could say this with full confidence.
Like cockroaches.
If they were visible to the naked eye, it meant the underbelly was crawling with endless hordes that wouldn’t die no matter how many you killed.
‘⋯⋯They’ve issued purge orders, so the palace knows to some extent.’
The puzzling part was why they were pushing ahead with the event anyway.
People could die, so what’s so important about some military parade?
[⋯⋯If the empire’s grandest event gets canceled due to external pressure, it’d be a huge loss of face.]
Higher-ups always obsessed over that stuff.
As Gray said this, Carlyle sighed deeply.
The unfortunate truth was that the enemy would definitely exploit that weakness.
“Wanna bet? On when the incident hits during the parade?”
[Who knows. Three days?]
“I’ll say within two.”
Carlyle and the Holy Sword snickered, trading idle banter.
To anyone else, it’d look like madmen talking, but they’d seen the end of the world together.
This level of crisis barely fazed them anymore⋯⋯
[They’ve got the first move. Any guess on the attack point?]
‘I’m not sure, but one thing’s certain.’
[What?]
‘It’ll happen where I am.’
Every “anomalous situation” so far had stemmed from Carlyle’s movements.
High chance this one would too.
‘Best to strike preemptively and seal it, but something’ll probably erupt first.’
Something was coming soon. Right where he was.
So the best he could do was stay sharply on guard.
As he mulled this over, he spotted Ilia approaching from afar with Shea.
“Princess! Hope you’ve been well!”
“⋯⋯Yes, Carlyle. Long time no see.”
And.
Right after greetings, it was obvious Ilia wasn’t doing well.
The usually brisk and diligent princess looked utterly wilted.
“The imperial palace only holds bad memories for me.”
When he asked if she was unwell, that was her reply.
“Truth be told, I’ve never felt good coming here⋯⋯”
Ilia’s face was deathly pale as she spoke.
What was it?
⋯⋯Like old trauma resurfacing.
“Hmm.”
Shea stroked his chin, glancing between Carlyle and Ilia.
“Well, let’s head to the banquet first.”
Shea shrugged and suggested it.
“Eating something should help.”
“⋯⋯Isn’t that too simplistic?”
The kid was this scared, and he wanted to stuff her with food?
He hadn’t heard the details yet, but from being chased out of the palace and seeking refuge at the academy, good things clearly hadn’t happened here.
“No matter how complex the issue, you solve it by starting with the simplest action. She hasn’t eaten all day—how’s she supposed to have energy? Force some food into her.”
“⋯⋯.”
Fair point.
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The banquet was in the annex, not the main palace where the imperial family resided.
Most powerful nobles vying for attention at the parade started their power plays from here, apparently.
Whatever.
‘It’s disgustingly huge.’
That was Carlyle’s sole impression scanning the surroundings.
He’d never seen architecture this “majestic” before.
The only imperial palace he’d known was a scorched, twisted ruin from hellish energy, like something out of a nightmare beyond nightmares.
[The nexus of all continental power. Gotta be this grand.]
The empire spanned nearly half the continent—an irreplaceable superpower.
The scale and splendor made sense for its leaders.
“Think you can find the banquet hall? I’ll assign a guide if you’re worried about getting lost.”
No surprise Shea said this.
“What about you, Dean?”
“I’m the star of this event. Showing up now would draw too much attention. Better to split up from here.”
“⋯⋯Oh, right—you’re a big deal, Dean.”
“⋯⋯.”
Anyway.
Carlyle set off, tasked with filling the all-day-fasting Ilia’s stomach.
“Whoa.”
Halfway, Ilia—who looked worse by the minute—stumbled.
He sat her down properly and tried talking.
“⋯⋯This isn’t a stomach issue—you need rest. Medical office?”
“No, it’s not that—I mean—”
Ilia panted.
“It’s not that I feel bad⋯⋯ it’s like something ‘making me feel bad’ is nearby.”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“Hard to explain, but every time I was at the palace before, it felt like this⋯⋯”
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle eyed Ilia silently.
⋯⋯Hmm.
He’d thought her poor condition since arriving was just fatigue or trauma.
But hearing her out, it seemed different.
Something in this space was fundamentally “antithetical” to her.
In that case.
“Can you sense what it is nearby?”
“Yes, kind of⋯⋯ to some extent⋯⋯”
“Then guide me?”
“⋯⋯Huh?”
“If it’s bad, we drive it off. Not like we’re staying long.”
He’d check what kind of trickery it was.
Ilia protested she didn’t want to trouble him this much, but he soothed her and they moved.
“H-Here⋯⋯ feels like something’s present⋯⋯”
Carlyle scanned the spot Ilia led him to.
⋯⋯Nothing special.
Just a dense, secluded corner of some walkway.
A quiet, unremarkable “space” with little foot traffic.
But.
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle halted as he approached.
Frozen mid-motion, he glared at it.
“⋯⋯.”
Hah.
Hah, these bastards.
“Damn, they’re bold. Totally insane.”
Carlyle muttered under his breath.
Gray had predicted three days, Carlyle tomorrow—turns out those were conservative.
⋯⋯The vibe here screamed an incident “today.”
“Princess Ilia, really around here?”
“Y-Yes⋯⋯ not entirely sure, but⋯⋯”
“No. You nailed it.”
“Pardon⋯⋯?”
Now that they were here, he felt it clearly.
Faint traces lingering in the air.
⋯⋯Demonic energy.
Tracing the source, kicking aside bushes revealed the “array.”
“W-What’s this?”
“Probably what’s making you feel so awful, Princess.”
A summoning array from hell.
⋯⋯One already “completed.”
[How⋯⋯?]
The Holy Sword murmured blankly.
[How is this right in the palace⋯⋯? Demon summoning rituals don’t prep in days.]
Unanswered questions piled up.
These rituals weren’t subtle—they needed sacrifices, bloody rites.
In a bustling palace?
So.
This array existing openly, completed without a stir.
Impossible.
One solid inference.
‘They’ve infiltrated the palace deeply.’
Already.
This place was tainted.
The emperor tried cleaning for the parade, but rot had set in from within.
[And how’d this kid find it?]
The Holy Sword’s question was natural.
Even Carlyle, using the Hero’s Super Sense, hadn’t detected it until close.
⋯⋯Yet Princess Ilia pinpointed it accurately.
Relying purely on instinct.
Some innate ability, for sure.
To Carlyle’s senses, something quite “significant.”
But.
‘We’ll ask about that later.’
Urgent matters first.
‘I know what demon was summoned.’
Carlyle eyed the array’s outer markings.
[What?]
‘⋯⋯Poison user. Called Hydra.’
[-]
For a moment, the Holy Sword’s presence stilled.
⋯⋯At least, that’s how it felt to Carlyle.
He knew exactly why.
Carlyle gave a wry smile.
‘Familiar name, right?’
[⋯⋯Never forgotten it, not for a second.]
Of course.
⋯⋯The demon that killed Gray’s father in the previous regression.
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-Quest Info
▶ ‘Quest: Escort Grand Duke Chasefield’ begins.
▶ This is a top-priority quest. The outcome will affect the status of the key figure, the ‘Hero’.
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