Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The Girl in the Cart
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Mille Village.
It was a remote village, barely clinging to the edge of the Seraphium Empire.
Though remote, it had the semblance of a proper town.
Buildings with worn-out roofs, unpaved, winding roads, and earth that was frozen solid before sunrise, only to crackle and split as the day warmed.
At its center was a small square.
Today, the square had a different air from its usual bleak atmosphere.
Twenty children stood on the frozen ground, waiting to be chosen by the Elite Corps.
Their tattered, hole-ridden clothes and hollow gazes seemed to tell the story of their lives.
“Your Highness, the child you just saw was the last one.”
“…”
At his aide Riat’s words, one of Elbadin’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly.
It was neither disappointment nor anger.
Merely a reaction of awareness that something he had been repeating for eight years had once again come to an end.
“We’re leaving.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Elbadin rose from his chair, the village chief cried out urgently.
“Y-Your Highness! Please, please check just one more time! There’s no way not a single one—!”
Hk! The village chief sucked in a sharp breath.
His mouth froze, silenced by Elbadin’s gaze looking down at him from the platform in the square.
It was a look that said he would not entertain another word.
As the village chief staggered back, Elbadin finally turned away.
Riat followed behind Elbadin, glancing back at the village chief and the people gathered in the square.
Adults and children alike were frozen, their heads bowed low.
It was because of the noble yet overwhelming aura emanating from Elbadin.
No matter how many good deeds the Grand Ducal family performed, no matter how positive the resulting rumors spreading through the empire were.
It was difficult for ordinary people to withstand the presence of a man called a butcher on the battlefield.
‘Even trained knights find it difficult to endure His Highness’s presence.’
Hoping against hope, Riat scanned the village children one more time.
There were twenty children in total, all gathered to be chosen by the Elite Corps.
But still, there was no one. Not a single child with a special ability.
Their long journey had been for naught; the children were all perfectly ordinary.
Following Elbadin into the carriage, Riat sat down opposite him and spoke.
“It seems to have gotten much harder to find children with latent powers lately.”
“…”
“It’s not as if someone is snatching them up before we can.”
“…”
The carriage set off. Elbadin turned his head to the window without a word.
Riat picked up a thick stack of documents to deal with his backed-up work, flipping through them in chunks as he spoke.
“It seems we’ll have to wrap up this expedition here. Your schedule related to the Imperial Family is quite backed up.”
“…”
“As you know, Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday is approaching…”
Riat shot a furtive glance at Elbadin before continuing.
“You absolutely must attend this time, understand? If you brush it off like last year, who knows what kind of rumors they’ll spread.”
“Who’s afraid of such rumors?”
At that, Riat crumpled the stack of papers in his hands and exclaimed.
“I am! I’m afraid! I’m afraid of those rumors circulating about the Grand Ducal House of Descartes! Do you have any idea how much manpower and time it takes to quell just one of them?!”
Hmph, as if he cared. Elbadin scoffed lightly and stared out the window.
Hoo. Riat took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke again.
“In any case, you absolutely cannot miss the birthday celebration this time. Understood?”
“…”
“And regarding the southern region—”
Riat continued to rattle off various other schedules like a nagging parent.
Having finally flipped to the last page, Riat set the stack of documents on the seat beside him and spoke to Elbadin.
“Are you not tired?”
“Not particularly.”
“Still, you should get some rest until we arrive. It will take about half a day to reach the 7th Southern Gate.”
“I’m fine.”
Elbadin replied, his gaze still fixed outside the window.
Seeing him like this, the corners of Riat’s eyes drooped faintly.
‘He may seem composed on the outside, but I’m sure he’s a wreck inside.’
Others say.
That thanks to the Elite Corps, the military strength of the Grand Ducal House of Descartes has been fortified. That the Grand Duke’s plan to utilize the organization known as the Elite Corps was a resounding success.
‘On the surface, they’re not wrong.’
The Grand Ducal House of Descartes used the Elite Corps to uncover hidden talents throughout the empire.
In turn, those talents pledged their loyalty to the Grand Ducal family.
As a result, the Grand Ducal family’s power was hailed as the strongest in its history.
‘Yes, the Elite Corps system was certainly a success…’
However.
Elbadin himself had never once succeeded.
‘Because he never found the child.’
In truth, the Elite Corps had a different, ultimate purpose.
It was to find the Grand Ducal bloodline that had vanished eight years ago.
-“...Radia would have hidden the child somewhere safe. Even if it meant putting her own life in danger.”
-“...Radia would have hidden the child somewhere safe. Even if it meant putting her own life in danger.”
-“...Radia would have hidden the child somewhere safe. Even if it meant putting her own life in danger.”
Elbadin believed.
That the Grand Duchess had kept the child alive, one way or another.
And that finding that child was the only way to ensure his wife’s death was not in vain. He had endured for eight years on that belief alone.
But on days like today, when their search came up empty, a shadow would invariably fall over Elbadin’s face.
That was why Riat couldn’t bring himself to joke around and speak casually as he usually did.
Riat picked up the stack of documents he had just set aside and began flipping through them again.
For now, his silence would be a comfort to Elbadin.
And so, the carriage continued its long journey toward the 7th Southern Gate, which connected to the north.
***
The Grand Duke’s carriage came to a brief stop before the gate.
It was to regroup before passing through.
The sun, beginning to dip behind the mountain peaks, cast a deep sunset glow across the sky.
“Please rest in the carriage, Your Highness. I will let you know when we are ready.”
“I’ve rested enough.”
Though Riat urged him to rest, Elbadin insisted on stepping out of the carriage.
It seemed the long journey had left him feeling a bit stifled.
Elbadin took a slow breath in and out, watching the knights of the Elite Corps as they serviced the carriages and organized the men.
He did so for a moment.
Riat came to stand by Elbadin’s side.
“It should take about an hour. The wind is cold, Your Highness. Perhaps it would be best to wait inside the carriage—”
“Wait.”
Elbadin raised a hand, cutting Riat off.
His gaze was fixed on a particular carriage—a supply wagon with a rounded canvas cover.
“Your Highness. What is it?”
“…”
Without a word, Elbadin began walking toward the supply wagon.
What’s gotten into him? Riat followed after Elbadin.
The wagon looked ordinary. After staring at it for a moment, Elbadin reached out and pulled aside the canvas flap at its entrance.
The inside of the wagon was revealed.
It was dark and quiet within.
Bundles of clothing were piled haphazardly on top of crates, with half-folded blankets tangled on top of them, filling the wagon to nearly half its height.
“Your Highness, what on earth are you looking for— Kegh!”
Riat, who had followed Elbadin to peer inside, gagged and stumbled back. The stench coming from the wagon was overpowering.
It was the wagon used to collect the knights’ dirty laundry, so the foul smell was unavoidable.
Staring silently into the darkness, Elbadin spoke in a low voice.
“Come out.”
“…”
“Pardon? Is someone in there, Your Highness?”
Pinching his nose, Riat approached and scanned the wagon’s interior again. But there was still nothing to see but the piles of laundry.
Just then, Elbadin placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Come out, or I will cut you down.”
Riat tensed as well, swallowing dryly.
Shing—, just as the silver blade was drawn halfway from its sheath.
The heavy pile of laundry stirred.
“Ah!”
Startled, Riat immediately drew his own sword.
“Who’s—!”
Before he could finish asking who was there, a small, brown-haired head popped out from the laundry pile.
Huh…? As his eyes met a pair in the darkness, Riat muttered in disbelief.
“A… child?”
“…”
It was a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes—a common appearance that could be found anywhere in the empire.
Something was strange.
Though she was facing large men with drawn swords, there was no fear in the child’s eyes.
If anything, she seemed relieved.
A brief silence passed before the child struggled to pull herself out from the laundry and opened her mouth.
“...Um.”
Meanwhile, knights from the Elite Corps had begun to gather around the wagon.
The child glanced furtively at the knights gathering outside, then carefully continued speaking.
Heh…
“Hello… Your Highness?”