I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 23

We headed toward the eastern gate, where the messenger was reportedly waiting.

As we walked through the fortress, I couldn’t shake off a sense of unease. Despite the bizarre situation of the knights collapsing one after another, the soldiers in the fortress seemed strangely calm. Their expressions betrayed no sign of panic. If anything, they appeared to be going about their duties as usual.

“…The soldiers here seem unnaturally composed,” I whispered to Prince Leon. He gave a slight nod.

“Indeed. It’s as if they were already aware of the situation.”

The closer we got to the eastern gate, the heavier the knot of anxiety in my chest grew. If someone within the fortress had leaked information to the neighboring country, then this messenger’s arrival, at this precise moment, was no coincidence.

When we reached the eastern gate, a man stood waiting just outside.

“Is that… the messenger?”

I frowned at the sight.

The man, dressed in the official attire of an envoy from the neighboring Solderia Empire, stood alone. Normally, an envoy would have at least a few guards. But this one had none.

More unsettling was his expression. Though he wore an exaggerated smile, his eyes remained cold and calculating, watching us closely.

“It is an honor to meet you, Prince Leonhart Elkrest. I am Rudolf Baiman, envoy of the Solderia Empire.”

The man bowed deeply, his movements theatrical and overly grand.

“What is your business here?” Prince Leon asked, his tone calm, though I could sense the tension in him.

“I have a proposal for you,” Rudolf said, his unnatural smile unbroken.

“Why don’t you hand over this fortress to the Solderia Empire?”

“What?”

Leon’s voice dropped, the faintest edge of anger creeping in.

“Don’t be absurd. This fortress is part of our kingdom’s territory. There is no reason to surrender it.”

“I see… However, given that your knights are succumbing to illness one after another, defending this fortress might prove difficult, wouldn’t you agree?”

A chill ran down my spine. How does he know about the knights’ condition?

“Moreover,” Rudolf continued, “the soldiers stationed here have not undergone training suited for actual combat. Would they stand a chance against our empire’s elite forces?”

He knew everything about the fortress—its weaknesses, its internal struggles. It confirmed what I feared: there was a traitor among us. I clenched my teeth in frustration.

“And one more thing.”

Rudolf raised his left hand. As if on cue, figures appeared on the distant hill—a mass of soldiers.

“Our troops are already assembled. If you refuse our proposal, we will take this fortress by force.”

I squinted at the hill. There were hundreds of them, at least. The fortress, on the other hand, had no capable knights left. The remaining soldiers were either untrained or loyal to the second prince—a group unlikely to fight for us.

Rudolf’s smile twisted into a smirk.

“However, if you choose to surrender unconditionally, we promise not to harm you during your withdrawal. I give you the emperor’s word on that.”

Prince Leon’s expression remained neutral, but his silence was telling.

“…We need time to consider.” His voice was calm, controlled.

“Very well. We would prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. You have until sunset to give us your answer.”

Rudolf gave another deep bow, turned to leave, then stopped after a few steps.

“Oh, one last thing,” he said, turning back with a sharp gaze.

“The substance that incapacitated your knights is called ‘Rune Bane.’ It is a toxin developed by our empire. Without our expertise, creating an antidote will be impossible.”

With that, Rudolf walked away, leaving us standing at the gate.

“Rune Bane…?”

Adrian’s face darkened at the name. It was clear he knew something.

“…Let’s head back to the fortress,” Prince Leon said, his tone terse. Without another word, he started toward the fortress.

“What exactly is Rune Bane?” I asked Adrian. We were back in the private room, though my mind was still reeling from the images of my fellow knights writhing in pain. Prince Leon had left to discuss the situation with the fortress soldiers.

The sunlight streaming through the window did nothing to lift the heavy atmosphere in the room.

“Rune Bane…” Adrian muttered, his expression grim.

“It’s a magical toxin developed by the Solderia Empire. Unlike ordinary poisons, it disrupts the flow of magic within a person’s body, causing their internal magic to go haywire. Eventually, this leads to catastrophic internal damage.”

He hesitated before continuing.

“When I was a student at Eldain Academy, I saw someone researching it. Back then, it was being studied as a potential treatment for magical disorders. But it seems the Solderia Empire turned it into a weapon.”

“What does it do exactly?”

“The effects start within hours—first, fever and fatigue. Then come hallucinations and uncontrolled magic surges. Finally, it leads to severe internal bleeding… and death.”

“Is there an antidote?”

“There is, but it’s not readily available. Worse, it has to be administered within 24 hours of exposure. Otherwise, the chances of survival plummet.”

“Twenty-four hours…”

I glanced out the window at the barracks where the knights lay. The clock was ticking, and the time we had to save them was slipping away.

“Wait!” I suddenly remembered something. “The hidden storeroom! It had a lot of strange-looking vials. Couldn’t there be some of this antidote down there?”

Adrian’s eyebrows shot up, but his face remained serious.

“It’s possible. If the poison was introduced into the food, it’s likely that Rune Bane was stored here in the fortress. And if they kept the toxin, they might have the antidote too…”

“Then let’s search for it now!” I said, standing abruptly, but Adrian stopped me.

“Wait. Even if we find something, we can’t use it unless we’re sure it’s the right antidote. Giving them the wrong substance could make things worse.”

“But if we do nothing, they’ll—”

Before I could finish, the door swung open. Prince Leon stepped inside.

“Your Highness!”

I froze at the sight of his face. His usual calm and composed expression was gone, replaced by anger and something I never thought I’d see—despair.

“How did it go? What did the soldiers say?”

“…They’re all calling for surrender,” he said, his voice low and heavy.

“Every single one of them says we should give up. It’s as if they’re all in on this together.”

“Then…”

“Our choices are simple,” Leon said, his tone steady despite the weight of his words.

“We either fight and face annihilation—or surrender and lose the fortress.”

His words hung in the air like a death sentence.

“What will you do?”

The room fell into a deep silence.

Leon sighed deeply and looked up, his gaze unwavering.

“…We have no choice. We’ll surrender the fortress to the Solderia Empire.”