Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Translation: godsn
The day of the friendly hunting competition dawned.
The royal hunting grounds where the event was to take place were about half a day's carriage ride from the royal palace.
Though it was a place of dense, lush forests, the dangerous beasts had long since disappeared due to the gamekeepers' careful management over the years.
Moreover, with public access strictly prohibited, it remained an almost pristine, unpolluted area.
Before long, the royal family of Valdina and the diplomatic mission from Kazen arrived at the hunting grounds. Medeia stepped out of the carriage following the Queen Dowager.
A clear blue sky and the crisp, tickling scent of the forest greeted her.
At the center of the open field stood a large tent for the royals, flanked on both sides by rows of smaller tents where non-participants could rest.
"I had considered canceling this event given their circumstances, but since they insisted on proceeding, we've come all this way."
Yet the Queen Dowager's displeasure was palpable in every fiber of her being, as if even the sight of the Kazen delegation was distasteful to her.
"We greet Her Majesty the Queen Dowager and Her Highness the Princess."
Those who had arrived earlier bowed in greeting.
The Queen Dowager nodded in acknowledgment, then immediately frowned upon spotting the Kazen delegation standing opposite them.
Both the Fourth Imperial Princess and Iason were dressed in finely tailored hunting attire, carrying themselves with the easy confidence of seasoned hunters.
The rules of the hunting competition were simple.
Participants would pair up to hunt animals in the forest. The ranking of winners would be determined by the rarity of the species or color of their prey.
"Your Highness the Princess, please draw a lot."
The feather Medeia drew was blue. Her emerald-green eyes flickered sideways to observe the others.
The Fourth Imperial Princess held a pink feather matching one of the envoys, while Virna had drawn the same yellow feather as Iason.
"Oh my, Your Grace the Grand Duke! We have the same color!"
Good heavens, could her luck truly be this good? Virna couldn't contain her delight, looking ready to bounce up and down at any moment.
Completely oblivious to the flash of disappointment in Iason's eyes, she batted her eyelashes and subtly gauged his reaction.
"What should I do? I'm worried—I'm really not very skilled at hunting. I fear I might only be a burden to Your Grace."
"Not at all. This is merely a friendly competition where participation is what matters, so please don't trouble yourself over it, Lady Claudio."
Though Iason gave the exact response Virna had hoped for, his eyes kept darting about as if searching for something else.
"......"
As everyone bustled about finding their partners,
"Medeia."
She lifted her head. Samon was walking toward her, holding a feather of the same color.
"It seems you and I are paired together."
Only then did Medeia smile.
"What a relief. I can just rely on you, Samon."
"That's my line. I saw with my own eyes how you defeated Her Highness the Fourth Imperial Princess with your swordsmanship last time."
"You know that was just luck."
At Medeia's words, Samon laughed.
"Don't worry, just trust me. I'll make sure to keep you safe."
But Medeia didn't miss the cold glint that flickered in his eyes even as he smiled.
At that moment, Siseo—who had been watching Medeia and Samon being paired together with suspicion—made a suggestion.
"Your Majesty the Queen Dowager. The hunting grounds are not small. If they go alone, they might lose their way. Would it not be better to have each pair accompanied by a knight?"
"Having knights accompany us would ruin our plans."
The faces of the Fourth Imperial Princess and Samon stiffened. The Fourth Princess stepped forward first.
"Since this is a friendly event, let's keep it light. Surely there aren't any dangerous beasts in the hunting grounds that would require escort knights? Or perhaps... someone intends to target me?"
Her tone remained provocatively challenging.
The Queen Dowager glanced indifferently at the Fourth Princess before smiling magnanimously.
"Don't be absurd. The Fourth Princess is a precious guest who has brought Valdina twice the usual aid. We could never allow you to be harmed by mere beasts."
That cunning old fox! The Fourth Princess trembled with suppressed fury.
In any case, the participation of knights was ultimately prohibited for fairness.
"You may conclude your hunt by midday and return here!"
Boom—!
With the crisp sound of a signal flare piercing the clear sky, the hunting competition began.
Present at the event were members of the royal family, the diplomatic mission, and even high-ranking nobles of Valdina as spectators.
Beneath a large canopy shielding them from the sun, tiered seating had been prepared.
The seats faced a flat clearing where hunted game would be displayed—the perfect vantage point to observe the competition.
"Duke Claudio, I trust you've been well?"
Siseo offered a polite greeting.
"Yes, and you seem to be in good spirits as well."
The Regent's eyes meticulously scrutinized Siseo's complexion.
'Why is he still unaffected?'
By now, the Halus should have begun altering his mind...
Whether the drug's effects were too weak or Siseo had developed resistance, the man before him appeared not only free from madness but even more sharp-witted and clear-headed than usual.
"Indeed, Your Grace is quite perceptive. Truthfully, not long ago, my head felt unbearably heavy—clouded with pain and dizziness to the point of madness."
Siseo, having noticed the Regent's suspicion, wore a deep smile.
"But now that the palace vermin spreading filth have vanished and Kazen's aid has alleviated the famine, all my worries have disappeared. My mind has never been clearer."
"......"
The Regent glared at Siseo intently.
"Well, that is truly fortunate. It would be disastrous if Valdina's Prime Minister were to collapse."
"Indeed. That's why I've even been procuring holy water lately. After all, I've realized that serving His Majesty for as long as possible is what's best for this nation."
Siseo delivered the jab with perfect composure.
"Ah. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager is summoning me. Then, Regent, I hope you enjoy today's hunting competition in comfort."
"......"
The Regent trembled violently, swallowing his rage.
"That insolent brat... When I become king, I won't let him live. I'll tear out his tongue and hang it on the castle walls!"
"Your Grace, please compose yourself."
The back of his neck throbbed painfully.
"...I'm fine."
The Regent forced himself to appear calm before his subordinate, suppressing the humiliation swelling within him.
His eyes burned with malice and killing intent.
"Let's see if he remains so confident later."
Will that glib tongue still be wagging before Medeia's corpse, torn apart by wolves?
In the distance, he spotted his son preparing for the hunt. The Regent snapped open his black fan.
Samon nodded as if understanding his father's silent command.
Samon subtly led Medeia deeper into the forest.
"I think I spotted a silver fox. It's a cunning creature, so it must have hidden itself well to avoid people."
At Samon's words as he trotted ahead, Medeia hurriedly adjusted her horse's pace to match his.
"Samon, aren't we going too deep? What if a wild beast appears?"
Her voice trembled with fear.
"This is a hunting ground that's been managed by gamekeepers for decades. You know there are no wild beasts here. Besides, Dea, you can wield a sword. Just swing it if needed."
"I've never hunted beasts with a sword before,"
Medeia whined.
It was a rare, affectionate demeanor she had only shown to her family and Claudio until now.
"But Dea, why did you hide the fact that you could use a sword? Our family was utterly shocked."
Samon glanced sideways at Medeia, probing subtly.
"Well, you must have been more surprised than I was, since I didn't even know my brother was injured. Is your leg alright now? If it hurt that much, you should have told me sooner."
Medeia replied gently.
"......"
Samon, who had outright refused her request for help during the duel with Jared, found himself at a loss for words.
He forced a smile.
"And Samon, that wasn't even a real fight. I just remembered the basic forms Pelleus taught me. He drilled them into me so rigidly—you have no idea how grueling it was."
Medeia's tone turned sharp, as if the memory still irritated her.
'Just with basic forms, she performed that well...?'
But then Samon recalled Pelleus.
If it was Pelleus—who had picked up his first sword at five, awakened his Aura shortly after, and even personally subdued Agema of the King's Royal Guard—then it was possible.
Medeia was his only beloved sister, so of course he would have taught her techniques to subdue enemies even with just the basics.
And like a fledgling bird swallowing everything fed to it, Medeia had crushed the Fourth Imperial Princess.
"Haha, you two are truly... exceptionally talented."
The veins on the back of Samon's hands, gripping the reins, bulged.
He remembered how, despite picking up the sword in the same year and at the same age as Pelleus, he could never hope to match his dazzling speed.
The long-buried inferiority of mediocrity reared its head.
'Yes, but your siblings' arrogance ends here.'
Samon smirked inwardly, unknowingly spurring his horse faster.
"Samon, you're going too fast. I can't keep up. The memory of my fall is so horrifying I can barely hold the reins as it is."
"My apologies. I must have been too absorbed in the hunt. As an apology, I'll make sure to gift you the victory somehow."
Samon soothed her with affectionate words, his dry eyes scanning her.
The horse Medeia rode was a docile brown pony, gentle enough to obey her clumsy commands without protest.
'Even a horse obeys others so well.'
Before the competition began, the Imperial Princess had secretly released twelve wolves into the hunting grounds.
Samon had fastened a small sachet beneath the saddle of that horse.
The faint musk scent, perceptible only to beasts, would lure the wolves.
In contrast, he wore a sachet containing a scent wolves despised.
'Even if Medeia tries to act at the last moment, it'll be far too late. She'll be torn apart and become beast fodder.'
Then he could return, pretending to be a survivor who barely escaped the wolf pack.
Samon silently offered a mournful apology.
'I'm sorry, Dea. But you've grown too much. You keep threatening our family. I had no choice but to act first.'
Medeia was undoubtedly a necessary piece for Claudio.
'But the situation has changed now.'
With news of Pelleus's victories arriving and considering their already disadvantageous position, keeping Medeia alive was far too risky.
Thus, he advanced swiftly enough that Medeia couldn't stop him, yet not so fast that she would lose sight of him entirely.
How long had they traveled like that?
They reached a depth so remote that nothing but endless grass stretched before them.
The trees grew so densely that even the sky's light was thoroughly blocked, casting a gloomy, desolate shadow.
"I think I saw a fox tail around here..."
Dismounting from his horse, Samon hunched over and circled near the tree trunks, pretending to search for a fox den.
Inside, he was counting time. They'd come to this remote place where no one would see—when would those wolves arrive?
Just then, Medeia's voice reached him.
"Samon, I think I saw something."
"What?"
A fox? Or a wolf?
Samon was just about to turn his head when—
Thunk. A sharp pain pierced his neck as if something had stabbed him, and in an instant, his vision went black.
Medeia closed the brooch once more.
The cat-shaped brooch on her right shoulder gleamed.
It was the brooch Acares had gifted her some time ago.
'Just as promised, it works wonderfully.'
She looked down at Samon, who had collapsed after being hit with a sleep-inducing dart, her gaze icy.
Leaping lightly from her horse, Medeia drew the sword from Samon's scabbard.
It was a famous sword, far too fine for an owner of his skill.
Should I just kill him here?
But Medeia suppressed the fleeting impulse and decided to stick to the plan.
'You'll have to search for me desperately.'
Because I intend to disappear from here—leaving behind clear evidence that you, Samon, attempted to harm the princess.
Just as she was about to abandon the unconscious Samon and leave—
Whoosh!
Sensing movement behind her, Medeia instinctively turned and dodged, swinging her sword.
The blade cleaved through thick flesh, the sensation reverberating up the steel.
"Kyaaak—!"
A beast's agonized shriek echoed through the woods.
At the same time, Medeia's cape was torn cleanly—snagged by the wolf's claws.
In the spot where she had dodged, the unconscious Samon was drenched in blood spurting from the wounded wolf.
The metallic stench assaulted her nostrils, but he still didn't stir.
'There are no wolves in this forest... So you prepared this.'
She had expected them to resort to dirty tricks during the hunting competition, but wolves?
This was likely a joint effort between the Fourth Imperial Princess and Samon.
The princess must have arranged for the wolves, while Claudio's faction, familiar with the hunting grounds, would have released them.
"Neigh—!"
Just then, a mare's shrill cry pierced the air.
Medeia looked up.
She saw multiple wolves pouncing on her horse at once.
The gentle mare was torn apart before it could even scream. The wolves' blue-tinged eyes turned toward Medeia.
Despite the sudden appearance of the predators, her expression remained impassive as she let out a sharp whistle.
An unexpected variable. But it didn't matter.
No matter how the situation unfolded, she intended to use it as material to complete her plan—to ensnare her uncle's faction.
Samon's horse, panicked by the wolves' arrival, instinctively bolted toward her.
"Hyah!"
Medeia seized the reins and swung herself onto its back.
Shedding her earlier pretense of being a novice rider struggling on a pony, she spurred the horse forward.
But the wolves pursued relentlessly.
She twisted in the saddle and fired her crossbow, but they dodged deftly and kept coming.
'They're trained.'
How long had they been running? Crashing through branches that clawed at her arms, leaping over dense thickets—
Then, abruptly, the horse refused to go further.
Medeia yanked the reins hard as she scanned ahead. A sheer cliff blocked their path.
Instinctively sensing their prey was trapped, the wolves fanned out, lowering their bodies as they closed in.
"Grrrrrr..."
The beasts bared their fangs, their savage eyes fixed on her.
One lunged forward as if to set an example.
Medeia fired her crossbow at it, then swiftly pulled the reins to turn the horse.
"Kyaang—!"
As the bolt struck the wolf down, another approaching from below was kicked back by the horse's hind legs.
At the same time, Medeia's blade flashed upward, slicing open the belly of a wolf aiming for her right flank.
And the last one—
Kyaaaa—!
—tumbled over the cliff with Medeia.