Disappointing Teleportation Magic ~ Even Though The Movement Distance Is Only 1 Millimeter, I Will Rise Through Ingenuity ~ - Chapter 32.2

The bell in the tower at the royal castle rings five times a day—morning, forenoon, noon, afternoon, and evening—informing the people living in the castle town of the time.

With the sound of the bell ringing out, people live their lives, and unlike Japan, where time is chased by the minute and second, a leisurely flow of time usually prevails.

Garaan… Garaan… Boom, clatter, crash, thud…

Just as the bell that signaled noon rang out, an unfamiliar sound followed by a loud crash reverberated.

“Lord Yuto, it’s here! To the passage!”

“Got it, finally…”

Following Araseli’s instructions, we began evacuating through the passage from the lodging to the underground. Though I hadn’t confirmed it, the sound of the bell was likely to signal the approach of the wyverns, and the bell tower must have been destroyed by the wyverns, who disliked the sound.

I had heard that the bell tower served the same purpose and was destroyed in the same way during the last wyvern migration.

To be honest, I wanted to see a wyvern with my own eyes, but only if it was safe. I had no intention of rushing out into a situation where I might become its prey.

The emergency evacuation passage, while narrower and shorter than a regular hallway, was otherwise just a normal staircase and hallway. Considering it was meant for the royal family and foreign dignitaries, this was only natural. However, I thought it could have had more of a secret passage vibe… my complacency was soon shattered.

“Father, we must take immediate countermeasures!”

“Fool! Challenging the wyverns just after they arrive is tantamount to offering ourselves as their meal!”

“So you suggest we watch in silence as the people in the town below are devoured? Coward!”

“What did you say? You give orders but do not fight yourself. You have no right to call me a coward, fool!”

The ones arguing were the first prince Alberic and a plump man of the same age. From the embroidered clothes he wore and the fact that he was arguing directly with Alberic, this greenish-blonde man must be the second prince, Belnort.

“Stop it! This is not the time to argue. Alberic, it’s foolish to challenge the enemy without assessing the situation. Belnort, abandoning the people means the end of the royal family. Both of you, cool your heads!”

Beyond the passage was a space as large as a school gymnasium, with several doors on both sides. The space had a raised section against the far wall, where a middle-aged man sitting in a central chair shouted at Alberic and Belnort to silence them.

This slender, blonde man who looked to be in his mid-forties must be the current king, Augusta Yurefelt.

Had I thought it through, I could have anticipated that the underground evacuation space wouldn’t be a vast facility like above ground.

Upon asking Araseli, she explained that the entire underground facility consisted of about ten rooms on either side of the main hall, a kitchen, and a storage room.

In other words, both the first prince’s faction and the second prince’s faction were crammed into this small space.

While no fool seemed intent on eliminating the other prince by force, knights from each faction were glaring at each other across the hall.

Following King Augusta’s instructions, they first observed the wyverns that had landed within the castle grounds. They would devise a solid strategy before attempting to subdue them.

Of course, they wouldn’t wait for the wyverns to leave under the pretense of planning… I hoped.

“Hey, Araseli. There’s no way the knights here represent all the country’s forces, right?”

“Of course not. The national army soldiers are on standby at the base of the mountain and will proceed to the castle grounds through the underground passage when ordered.”

“So, should I try not to stand out as much as possible?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”