Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 47

Was the journey to the royal capital truly uneventful…?

As always, when we set up camp, Shifa and Claire tried to sneak into my tent, while Michelle remained completely indifferent, sleeping soundly.

Of course, Claire was tied up outside and assigned as the lookout, while Shifa and I… well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.

She seemed quite dejected, so I shared what I knew about Disemna from my family’s ancestral records to put her at ease.

Disemna was a creature that gradually infiltrated a place by diverting people’s attention, all while feeding on the magic in its surroundings.

Because of that, it didn’t resort to outright murder too often.

If it did, people would quickly notice something was wrong.

At most, its influence would manifest as minor oddities—complaints at a tavern, small disagreements.

Just like what was happening now.

Even with primogeniture as the standard, Eranda’s crimes couldn’t simply be erased. At most, if Shifa and I were to marry and have a son, the question of succession could be reconsidered at that point.

Adoption might be an option, but if Shifa chose to prioritize her own child at that time, the matter would end there.

And yet, they challenged us with such an unreasonable argument, leading both the viscount and Shifa to believe it was valid.

It was clear evidence of Disemna’s unnatural influence.

That strange magical presence I sensed deep within the mansion—no doubt, that was it.

Given all this, it was unlikely that the viscount would be harmed at this stage.

If Disemna were to act too aggressively, it would create too much suspicion. Someone would start noticing.

Right now, the best scenario for Disemna would be for Shifa and me to go to the royal capital, for me to obtain a title, and for us to settle elsewhere.

That way, no one would interfere with Riofendarl or Horneld, which had already fallen under its control.

It could continue growing stronger in peace.

And then, there was the royal family’s response—it was suspicious. They backed off far too easily.

Three possibilities came to mind.

First, Disemna’s influence had already reached the royal family.

Second, the royal family was aware of the danger Disemna posed and had temporarily withdrawn.

Third, they were simply showing deference to Duke Horneld or genuinely refusing to intervene in noble inheritance disputes.

The third possibility was unlikely.

If anything, they would want to weaken Duke Horneld’s power and would be searching for any excuse to do so. Something substantial enough to bring him down as a noble.

If it was the first case, however, things could get difficult.

When Duke Horneld barged in, the royal family had already been listening to our conversation.

We even submitted evidence of his past crimes.

And yet, all they did was force the former duke into retirement? That didn’t sit right.

I had to consider the possibility that Disemna’s influence had already spread—not just to the royal family, but throughout the entire kingdom.

If that were true, escaping abroad would be the safest option…

No. That wouldn’t work.

Disemna would only continue to grow, expanding its reach no matter where I fled.

If I was going to get caught up in this no matter what, I might as well put an end to it as soon as possible.

After all, I had already encountered it here.

And there were too many people in this region that I didn’t want to see die.

“Lax… no, should I call you Lord Lax?”

Upon arriving at the royal capital, I presented the letter bearing the neighboring kingdom’s crest—a letter I had received upon leaving their lands.

My request for an audience was immediately granted.

Shifa, Michelle, and I were brought to the royal palace.

The one who greeted us was none other than His Majesty, the King.

Alone.

Which, under normal circumstances, would be unheard of.

Was he aware of what was happening…?

“It doesn’t matter. I only need to hear your decision.”

Since the king was addressing me as a member of the neighboring duchy, I considered speaking to him as an equal.

But as someone who had left my family behind, I chose my words carefully.

“Regarding Duke Horneld’s intervention?”

“No…”

The king sat heavily upon his throne, his expression unreadable.

His response left me uncertain of how to react.

“The Abyss—”

“Shh…”

But my words were cut off.

What was this…?

“They already know about you.”

“…”

<Do not speak of it. If you do, they will become aware.>

The king’s lips moved one way, yet the words that reached my ears were different.

“You came straight here from the viscounty, didn’t you? And in quite a hurry. You must be exhausted—stay the night.”

<Stay tonight. And when night falls, look up from the balcony.>

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Furthermore, as a reward for clearing the dungeon in Riofendarl, you will be granted the title of Viscount in twenty days.”

<Crouch on the balcony and look up. Once you’ve seen it, return. Then investigate. You have twenty days.>

“Thank you…”

The King spoke to me with a serious expression, yet the movement of his lips did not match the words I was hearing.

And with that, the strange audience came to an end.

What was waiting for me on the balcony?

I didn’t know, but I had no choice but to follow his instructions.

We returned to the room that had been prepared for us and rested for a while, waiting for nightfall. It was an elegantly furnished chamber, steeped in history, making it an easy place to relax.

And before anyone gets the wrong idea—nothing happened, alright?

When night came, I stepped onto the balcony as instructed. A single table stood there.

Following the King’s cryptic words, I crouched and looked up…

…Only to see nothing.

What was the meaning of this…?

“There’s nothing here…”

“He didn’t specify to look directly above. From this position, what can we see…?”

Shifa reacted similarly to me, puzzled, but Claire was looking around, scanning the area for something.

Michelle remained inside, watching the situation unfold from a distance.

Now that I thought about it, I had intended to leave Claire in the city since there was no way I could bring her into the royal audience.

So why was she here…?

“Ah…!”

While I was distracted by that thought, Shifa suddenly let out a small exclamation.

She had found something.

She pointed at the underside of the table, where something was written.

“The demon lurks within human perception… Be mindful of the gap between sight and sensation. It will hide at the slightest notice. If anything happens, seek out the sorcerer of Muramok. ‘Go.’ ”

Muramok referred to the canyon located between the royal capital and Riofendarl.

We had passed through it on our way here, but I hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Was it hiding there as well?

The more I learned, the less I could trust my own perception.

Should I start using magic to sharpen my senses and expand my field of vision?

I needed to stay vigilant.

From this point on, things could turn into a battle.

“Let’s go… to Riofendarl.”

“Yes.”

And so, the next morning, we set out for the Viscounty of Riofendarl.