Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 62

In the Royal Capital (Lax’s Perspective)

Today was the day of the grand ceremony.

The kingdom had only just managed to quell the chaos caused by Duke Horneld, and in truth, this wasn’t the ideal time for extravagant celebrations.

However, considering the fact that the Crown Prince of the neighboring Magic Kingdom—a close ally—was visiting, it was only natural that they wouldn’t just let the occasion pass without formalities.

More importantly, the King himself had extended the invitation.

The royal family of the neighboring kingdom had once been key allies in this nation’s battle against the Abyssal Demon.

Even after the demon had been sealed away, they continued their research on how to defeat it completely.

His Majesty had emphasized the importance of showing gratitude for their efforts.

To me, though, it seemed like their motivation stemmed more from their obsession with magic rather than any noble cause—but since their research benefited both nations, I had no complaints.

And so, with the Crown Prince’s arrival, I found myself summoned to the royal capital once again.

Since my ability to teleport had already been exposed, I came without hesitation—bringing Shifa along with me.

The moment I saw “Teleportation” in my Skill List, I immediately acquired it.

It had already proven to be absurdly useful, and I had used it countless times since.

The only limitation was that I could only teleport to places I had already visited before.

Now, Shifa and I stood watching the ceremony unfold.

Knights stood in perfect formation, forming a majestic line in the grand plaza.

At the center of it all, the King awaited the procession.

Down the grand avenue, decorated in vibrant colors, the delegation from the Magic Kingdom made their entrance.

Everyone present, whether standing in the plaza or marching down the avenue, wore either elegant ceremonial attire or ornate, polished armor, creating an atmosphere of grandeur and solemnity.

The expressions of both the hosts and the guests were filled with pride.

The strong alliance between these two nations was evident, though its foundation lay in their shared enemy—the demons.

“Hm?”

“Is something wrong?”

I had only muttered absentmindedly, but Shifa immediately picked up on it.

She turned to me, her eyes filled with quiet concern, but even with such a serious expression, she looked adorable.

She had been growing even more beautiful lately.

“It’s nothing. Must’ve been my imagination.”

I didn’t sense any strange fluctuations in magical energy, so it was probably nothing.

This plaza was the same place where Elanda had been executed.

Surrounding it were key buildings like the Royal Castle, the Arena, and the Knight Order Headquarters.

Depending on the rank of the person being executed and the extent to which the public was involved, executions were either held here in the plaza or inside the arena.

Elanda had been stripped of his noble status and made an example to both punish Duke Horneld and showcase the terror of demons, so a large-scale execution had been held right here.

The arrival procession concluded, and the diplomatic envoys knelt before the King.

From among them, the Crown Prince stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, King Fanato of Meldor Kingdom. We are deeply grateful for your warm reception. I am Lienfeld, Crown Prince of the Elver Magic Kingdom. Please accept my humble greetings.”

“Welcome, Prince Lienfeld, and honored envoys. May the friendship between our nations remain unbreakable. Please think of this kingdom as your second home and enjoy your stay.”

“We are truly honored, Your Majesty.”

The exchange was formal yet cordial.

While their expressions were dignified, there was no sense of hostility—only the tension that came with an official diplomatic engagement.

I wasn’t surprised.

Coming from the Ducal House of the Magic Kingdom, I was well aware of the long-standing friendship between the two nations.

If anything, I was more surprised to see how much Lienfeld had grown since I last saw him.

I still remembered the conversation I had with the current King of the Magic Kingdom when I had saved his life using forbidden magic.

Back then, Lienfeld had been just a young boy—a child who had thanked me with sincerity, knowing that his father’s life had been saved.

It was nostalgic.

“We are bound by a common enemy—the demons. Until we rid the world of this evil, our battle will continue. But I sincerely hope that even after their defeat, our nations will remain steadfast allies.”

“We share the same belief, Your Majesty. After all, to us, the demons pose no real threat. They only hide in fear because they know they cannot stand against our might.”

…Hm?

Something about that response felt off.

Was he choosing his words carefully?

I had heard that the royal family deliberately avoided speaking too directly about the Abyssal Demon, as its exact whereabouts were unknown.

Was this also the case in the Magic Kingdom?

For a brief moment, I thought I saw the King’s expression waver ever so slightly.

But as an outsider, I wasn’t in a position to pry.

If I had the chance to speak with Lienfeld privately, I’d bring it up.

With that in mind, I attended both the ceremony and the evening banquet, as well as the royal gathering the following day.

Yet, despite being in the same place, I never once got the opportunity to speak directly with Lienfeld.

After completing his two-day schedule, he left without seeking me out.

“I honestly expected Prince Lienfeld to approach you himself, but that didn’t happen.”

This time, our visit to the royal capital was more relaxed.

Prince Lienfeld had left after only two days, though we had originally expected his stay to last longer. Since we suddenly found ourselves with free time, we decided to explore the capital.

Together with Shifa and Michelle.

That was when Michelle, walking beside us, suddenly tilted her head in thought.

To be honest, even I found Lienfeld’s quick departure a little underwhelming, considering what I remembered of him from the past.

Michelle’s comments on the matter were a bit disrespectful, but neither of us were nobles of Elver Magic Kingdom anymore, so it wasn’t like anyone could punish us for it.

On the surface, this ceremony was meant to celebrate the friendship between our nations, but in truth, it had been arranged at the King’s request.

It was all connected—Elanda’s execution, Duke Horneld’s punishment, and the continuous efforts to defeat the demons.

Given that Elver Magic Kingdom was supposed to be a key ally in this endeavor, their cold attitude toward the event was undeniably strange.

Could there have been a problem on their side?

As I was lost in thought, Michelle suddenly pointed ahead.

“Lax, over there…”

I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a young girl crouching in the corridor.

Her face was familiar.

If I remembered correctly, she was a noble daughter from the Magic Kingdom—one of Michelle’s distant relatives.