Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: 16 Years Old (3)
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These days, the Imperial Family was dismissed as a mere figurehead with no real power.
But they had once been the group that founded Edda, the world's greatest nation.
Naturally, their members were all extraordinary, famously born with talents blessed on par with the Ragnars.
Future sight.
The unbelievable ability to glimpse fragments of the future to come was etched into their bloodline.
But as generations passed, their blood thinned, and the futures they could see grew shorter or veered off course.
Nowadays, most couldn't glimpse even a hint.
Yet,
'A true imperial with accurate future sight after decades has been born.'
A girl around nine years old.
But she had one fatal flaw.
'The illegitimate child born in a brothel to a fourteenth cousin of the previous emperor.'
A distant branch so remote the Imperial Family wouldn't even acknowledge her as one of their own.
And with her lowly blood to boot, hardly anyone even knew she existed.
Not even her own father.
'Even she herself was just a destitute scraping by day-to-day in the brothel slums until Troyvan came knocking and awakened her to her heritage for the first time?'
Her birth mother had kept her mouth shut all those years, terrified the Imperial Family would slaughter her for bearing tainted blood.
But Troyvan found her first and took her under their protection.
They exploited that ability solely for their own gain.
'After Troyvan's downfall, she wandered from place to place, only to be forcibly thrust onto the throne amid the Imperial Family's collapse...'
A woman cursed with a tragic fate.
Regardless of her talents or potential, she spent her entire life as a puppet in the power games of ambitious schemers.
'And yet Ragnar already had a bead on Cassandra's whereabouts?'
Perhaps the war with Troyvan had been hastened by several years compared to actual history.
But the key point was that Ragnar's intelligence network had picked her up.
Theo had planned to commission Heukseol to locate Cassandra once he returned anyway, so this was all for the better.
"Where is she?"
Theo's question drew a simple reply from Selferd.
"Priamos."
Theo's eyes lit up in an instant.
A city in Troyvan territory.
* * *
"You're leaving now?"
"Yes. Thank you for everything."
"We should be the ones thanking you. You helped us protect our homeland."
Vittorio and the Krimhilt Knights had come to the harbor to see Theo's group off.
"I'll contact you separately whenever there are important updates on the joint venture."
"Looking forward to it."
With brief farewells, Theo's group boarded the ship, then transferred to a magic train upon reaching the continent.
It was a choice to hide their identities as much as possible on the way into Troyvan lands.
"That's the outfit Mother gave you, isn't it?"
Selferd flashed double thumbs-up at Theo's attire.
Theo scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Does it... suit me?"
"Absolutely. You look sharp as hell. Same white color, but it doesn't scream White Dragon Knights uniform. Perfect for a clean-cut young master from a wealthy house. Man, I'm jealous. Wish I had a mom like that."
Theo's nose bridge flushed red.
"First time seeing it?"
"It's from Lady Cecilia and the Plum Palace Lord together. The latest top item from High Theodore."
"Ooh! With those two's sense of style."
Arin scanned Theo up and down repeatedly, then grinned slyly.
"Underclassman, hook me up too? Like a friends-and-family discount?"
"I'll mention it later."
"Yes!"
As Arin pumped her fist, Theo felt a tug on his sleeve and turned.
Rei was gazing up at him with sparkling eyes.
"......"
Even without words, her stare said it all.
Theo couldn't help but chuckle.
"Got it. I'll ask about you too."
But,
She shook her head.
"Huh? Then?"
"......"
"......?"
"......"
"Ah! Of course, I'll ask about the Tailor Palace Lord's too. A mother-daughter couple's set would look adorable, right?"
Only then did Rei release his sleeve.
A bright smile bloomed on her face.
Kkyuu! Kkyu!
Eager to join the vibe, the shadow thrashed wildly too.
'You too?'
Kkyuu!
'No way for you.'
Kkyuukkyu! Kkyuu! Kkyuuu?
It bounced in protest at why not.
'You know how big you've gotten?'
Keeek!
'But aren't friends supposed to help out with that much?'
Keek! Keeek!
'Alright. I'll see how you behave for a bit.'
Keeeeek!
Theo laughed at Umbra's indignant protests.
Keek!
Umbra's sulk only grew.
It was just as Theo was about to concede.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Get down now!"
"Please! Please let us on too! We can't survive here anymore!"
"Get lost already! Do you know where you are?!"
Beyond the window of their first-class car.
At the station where the magic train had stopped, destitute folk were trying to board while crew members blocked them in a tense standoff.
Thwack! Thwack!
The crew swung batons hard to drive them off,
But with the poor outnumbering them several times over and desperation etched on their faces, they clung to the doors without budging.
"Ugh! This won't work! Tell the engineer to depart now!"
"But if we do, these people hanging on!"
"Who cares about those beggars right now? The train's about to get hijacked!"
"A-alright!"
After the commotion, the magic train finally belched steam and lurched forward again.
Whoooosh—
"Nooo!"
"Please! Take me with you, please!"
"Aaah!"
Ignoring those clinging or falling, the train rolled onward, away from the station.
Most tumbled perilously onto the tracks, but a few managed to board—only to be nabbed by crew, or dangle precariously off the sides.
"......What the hell was that?"
Arin gaped at the whole scene.
Selferd swallowed hard, and Rei quietly looked up at Theo.
Theo let out a light sigh.
"They said last year's poor harvest and famine were the worst ever, but it's worse than I thought."
"I'd only heard about it, didn't realize it was this bad."
The Empire had suffered such severe droughts in recent years that destitute flooded from everywhere.
Industrial cities welcomed the cheap labor, but rural areas and countryside were already in ruins in many places.
One major cause of the Great War.
Clack—
"Sorry to disturb your rest. The disturbance has been quelled, and we'll ensure it never happens again."
Protests must have poured in.
A weary crew member bowed deeply in apology.
Arin asked,
"They looked like destitute. What's the plan for them?"
"All captured, to be handed to the station guards at the next stop."
"Got it. Thanks for your work."
The crew apologized once more before heading to the next car.
"They say the crop failures get worse inland... We might see more of this ahead."
Selferd sighed.
The mood grew heavy.
"......"
Theo fiddled absently with his clothes.
Spotless new white garments.
While the poor wore filthy, reeking rags they couldn't even wash.
The contrast lingered.
"Don't even think about doing something stupid."
But Theo's thoughts didn't stretch far.
Selferd stared him down.
His gaze was unusually serious.
"You're you, and they're them. Unless you're adopting all those destitute, don't stick your neck out. Mission comes first."
"Yes. I know."
Theo nodded gravely.
The Great War was an unstoppable thread of history.
Stepping in wouldn't change a thing.
He knew getting involved would help no one.
No, ideally, he preferred not touching history's major flows.
Yet his hand smoothing his sleeve wouldn't relax.
* * *
-This station is Priamos Station. Mind the gap between the train and platform when alighting...
Theo's group disembarked the magic train slowly.
A cold gust whipped their faces, an empty landscape greeting them.
"No different here."
The area around Priamos Station looked much like the desolation they'd seen from the train the whole way.
Withered, skeletal branches.
Barren fields.
Abandoned houses.
And crowds of destitute swarming the station.
"A coin, milord!"
"I've a starving child at home. Mercy, please...!"
"We'll just get stuck here. Let's move."
The group hurried after Selferd.
The city felt even emptier up close.
No smoke rose anywhere.
"......Target's in a small village on the city outskirts, so head there."
Even Selferd, trying to stay detached, sounded weighed down.
But the village they reached was.
"......"
"......"
"......What do we do?"
A smoldering ruin.
Ravaged by a massive blaze, the already desolate hamlet was now a ghost town, devoid of life.
Selferd rubbed his forehead.
No leads on the target now... In enemy territory where Troyvan could show any moment, asking around might draw eyes.
The mission was to 'secretly' escort her to Winterer.
This was deep in Troyvan lands.
Enemy heartland.
One slip revealing identities could be fatal...
"Looks like something happened."
But Theo paused his scan of the village, eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean?"
"They tried hard to cover tracks, but this fire was arson. Plunder marks everywhere too."
"What?"
Theo stirred the charred sand.
Dozens of frantic footprints stamped over blood-soaked earth from heavy bleeding.
"Abductions. Timing... roughly one to three hours ago."
Selferd's eyes widened.
"Troyvan! They can't have gone far. Pursue."
That instant.
Ding!
[A quest has arrived.]
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[Scenario Quest #5]
The prophet who peeks into time clashes with you, who defied time. Secure her to brace for any potential dangers.
· Difficulty: A+
· Reward: Clue to [Secret of Time]
· Failure: Death
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