Secrets and the Protagonist, Part 2
Fortunately, Agoni Fidus—or 'Zing,' as he called himself—had survived with all four limbs perfectly intact.
"Could you... at least untie my feet?"
He was, after all, currently marching along with those perfectly healthy limbs bound tight. A rope, loosened just enough to allow him to shuffle forward, shackled his ankles, while his arms were pinned behind his back. Still, his captor wasn't entirely heartless; he had at least strapped a makeshift splint to Agoni's right leg. Whether out of consideration or simply because of the pitch-black darkness, the young man kept a slow, measured pace. What a remarkably tenderhearted youth. If he wanted to truly showcase his virtue, he might as well untie the ropes and set him free altogether. It wasn't that Agoni couldn't walk, but it was far from comfortable. Yet when he spoke up, the one who had bound him kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if the older man's words weren't even worth acknowledging. In one hand, he held the thick rope dragging Agoni behind him, like a leash on a dog.
"You might not know this, young man, but at my age, a fall isn't something you just brush off. If I break my hip, that's it. It could very well kill me."
He tried his best to play the part of a pitiful old man, but it was useless; the gold-eyed youth didn't even spare him a glance.
In any case, had such a place always existed beneath the forest cliff? Since those who fell over the edge usually died and never returned, the Duke had initially assumed a cave like this was within the realm of possibility. But as they walked deeper and deeper with no end in sight, he began to wonder where exactly he had drifted.
Judging by how the youth's very first question upon his waking had been about his connection to the Imperial Family, he was likely part of a faction opposing the royals and nobles. In the worst-case scenario, they might be heretics, but Agoni had heard that those who opposed the Temple had been completely wiped out long ago. He pondered whether there was some other organization he was unaware of as he shuffled forward.
Having lived his life as the sword of the Imperial Family, hunting down and handing over such people had been his duty. Out of habit, the Duke kept a sharp, watchful eye on the youth's back. If I keep following him, will I find their entire base? If so, it will be too much to handle alone. I should escape first, then return with reinforcements... But will I be able to pinpoint our exact location? Such thoughts flooded his mind.
Then, suddenly remembering his current plight, he let out a hollow laugh. What on earth am I doing? He was a man who had been sentenced to death for rebelling against the very people he had served with absolute devotion. What did any of this matter now? Had he not discarded his loyalty to the Emperor the very moment he plunged off that cliff?
His past life hadn't vanished entirely, but he now had far more important things to worry about. Above all, he needed to see his son, the Young Duke of Fides, whom he had left behind, return to the Fides Duchy, and find Tollin, who was bearing the weight of everything. He couldn't just let himself be dragged along like a docile lamb.
"Where exactly are we? And why are you taking me there in chains?"
"..."
"I truly have nothing to do with the Imperial Family. I'm just an old man with a slightly injured leg. I think I have a rough idea of why you're taking me... but whatever it is, it's a complete misunderstanding. I hope you'll release me. Taking me along will only waste your space and food."
Of course, it was all a lie. Though he had long since retired from the front lines, was officially registered as dead, and would likely have to live the rest of his life in hiding, he was still the former Duke of Fides. The valuable information they could extract from him was endless. If they discovered his true identity, this 'kind' youth would do whatever it took to keep him. And it certainly wouldn't be through such gentle means. He might even break his sprained leg just to keep him from running.
But from the looks of it, the young man seemed entirely ignorant of his identity, despite the Fides family's renown. Had he known, Agoni wouldn't be traveling this comfortably. He didn't know why the youth suspected a connection to the Imperial Family, but as long as his captor remained uncertain, it was worth continuing the deception.
As his feet grew accustomed to the damp, slippery ground, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing Agoni to gather more details. For instance, this place might not be a simple, naturally formed cave. When he caught faint glimpses of intricate carvings etched into what he had assumed were ordinary stalactites, Agoni knew he had to slow his pace. He had a sinking feeling that if he went any further, escape would become impossible. This was definitely not the area near the cliff where he had fallen.
"I don't believe this is the first time I've asked."
Agoni dug his left heel into the ground, resisting until the rope pulling him tautened.
"Where is this, and where are you taking me?"
At the sound of his voice, entirely stripped of any playfulness or feigned weakness, the young man finally turned his head to look at Agoni. After a brief standoff, the gold-eyed youth spoke.
"No one who enters this place asks such questions."
Agoni remained silent, unable to grasp his meaning, and the youth's voice continued in a flat, level tone.
"Because this is a place one cannot enter by mere will alone. Those who serve the Imperial Family, in particular, are desperate to find this place, so they would have no reason to ask where it is. It is because I suspect you that I am bringing you here bound."
The youth stared at Agoni as if asking if that answered his question, and Agoni gave a slow nod. Dropping the rope, the young man drew the sword he had pointed at Agoni's throat when they first met.
"So, if your ignorance of this place is genuine, then you are one of two things. Either you are mad..."
Agoni thought he saw a sudden flash in the youth's golden eyes as he slowly chose his next words. Staring deep into Agoni's eyes with a piercing gaze, the youth spoke.
"...or you have come at the calling of the God Amica."
Agoni stood frozen, silently absorbing the weight of that gaze. Perhaps not expecting an answer, the youth turned back around and walked toward one of the stone pillars. He thrust his silver sword into the ground before it.
The moment the youth gripped the hilt, seemingly channeling something into it, the blade began to glow. The light, starting from the hilt, flowed down to the floor and spread to the surrounding stalactite-like pillars. Soon, the strange runes engraved on every stone column drank in the light and flared to life. With a rumbling, majestic roar, the cave began to shift.
Agoni's jaw dropped at the unbelievable sight. The solid ground he had trusted twisted away, revealing a hidden space beneath. An entire world was unfolding right under his feet.
Through the swirling mist, a beautiful castle came into view. As Agoni stared blankly at the dazzling sight, a voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Whatever the case, I cannot untie you, so just follow me."
Only now, in the newly illuminated cavern, could Agoni clearly see the face of the youth who had treated him somewhere between a dog and a prisoner of war. He had golden eyes, dark eyebrows, and a slender face. But it wasn't his handsome features that caught Agoni's eye. It was his pitch-black hair, fluttering in the wind blowing up from below.
Agoni felt his lips go dry. This was the culmination of many things: a lamentation of a fate that had thrown him not into the lesser of two evils, but the absolute worst; disbelief at finding himself in the stronghold of a people supposedly wiped out over fifty years ago; and a bitter resentment, wondering if his miraculous survival had merely been part of a grand design by the First Emperor, Sierra Abaran, to have him killed in an even more agonizing fashion.
I wonder if the Duke of Fides arrived safely. I sat on the sofa in the middle of the First Prince's bedroom, lost in thought.
I felt a bit guilty for throwing him into a sudden encounter with the protagonist without any warning, but well, he wouldn't die. Since the start of the original story had been moved up, bringing master and disciple together as quickly as possible wasn't a bad choice. If things went well, I might even find out if the flow of events had accelerated on the protagonist's side too, not just in the Imperial Palace. The place where the protagonist lived was difficult to monitor from here, after all. My conscience only pricked me slightly because the elderly Duke of Fides had to suffer the most.
"Hey! Why did you only bring this much this time?! You should have brought way more so I can heal faster!"
At the voice shattering my thoughts, I turned my head toward him with a blank expression.
"Are you shouting at me right now?"
"Who's shouting? I'm just frustrated, that's all."
Rasiah lowered his voice, looking thoroughly annoyed. Much better. Sinking back into the sofa, I gestured for him to continue channeling his energy into the stone. Though he was seething, he complied, having already experienced firsthand how much this treatment improved his condition. I leaned my head back against the sofa cushions and spoke to him.
"Not only are those hard to come by, but if you do too much at once, you will die, Your Highness."
To be precise, he would be killed by someone who noticed his sudden, conspicuous recovery.
"What?! Why are you only telling me this now! Is this as dangerous as the hookah?"
"What are you talking about? What's wrong with the hookah?"
When I asked, the First Prince stared at me as if I were absurd.
"Didn't you say so yourself the first day you broke in here? You told me to quit if I valued my life! I stopped everything the moment you said that."
"Ah. I just meant you should quit because it's bad for your health."
The First Prince's face instantly flushed red with rage, but I didn't care. No matter how much he fumed, he was probably just fantasizing about flaying me alive once this treatment was over.
The First Prince poured himself a glass of water from the side table to cool his rising temper. I watched him gulp it down with a bitter taste in my mouth. In truth, the hookah really was ruining his body. And that water he was drinking, the food he had eaten for dinner, everything he consumed—it was all making him sick. He was literally pouring poison down his own throat.
This wasn't a problem that could be solved by executing the head maid or the chef. Unless the Seed of Disaster planted inside his body was dealt with, he would have to rely on this treatment for the rest of his life. Shaking off the useless thoughts, I handed him the last stone I had brought today.
"This is the last one. It won't kill you on its own, so don't be scared."
"Right. Thank you so very much."
Snatching the stone with a grind of his teeth, he focused his mind on the final treatment of the day. Just as things were wrapping up, a polite knock sounded at the bedroom door.
"Your Highness, the Second Prince has arrived."
"Tell him I will be out shortly. Have him wait in the drawing room."
His mood suddenly lifting, the First Prince tossed the stone back to me and spoke to the waiting maid.
"I'm leaving, so you can vanish using whatever bizarre method you used to get in here."
I simply shrugged in response to his blunt remark. He looked displeased by my attitude but left without saying another word. I watched his retreating figure—a brother happily walking off to meet the beloved sibling who had planted the Seed of Disaster in his very flesh.