Chương 32: I Want You to Die

Dark, polished wood paneled the walls of Duke Carvan's office, gleaming faintly beneath filtered daylight that streamed in through tall arched windows. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, stacked with meticulously arranged documents and bound ledgers. At the center stood a heavy mahogany desk and a comfortable wooden chair lined with plush cushioning, where he currently sat.

"You've helped a lot, knights of Caldris. I will write a letter to your lord regarding your contributions," Carvan said as he looked at the three figures. Three knights stood before him, their armor bearing the crest of Caldris—a silver-green emblem shaped like intertwined leaves. They had come to assist in subjugating the monsters attacking from the southern forest, and though they carried themselves with discipline, there was a subtle stiffness in their posture that Carvan did not miss.

"No need, Duke Therion. Our lord is likely busy due to the upcoming events," the middle knight replied, raising a polite hand to decline. Carvan's brows furrowed slightly.

"Upcoming events?"

"Yes. The war with Aure—""Shh!" Before the young knight on the right could finish, the one in the middle instantly cut him off with a hiss. Silence fell over the room. Carvan's mind raced as the pieces began to align. The war with Aurelyth? Was that it? His thoughts moved swiftly. It makes sense. Aurelyth was merely waiting because of Eryndor. But how does Gemsh know about this?

The middle knight looked at Carvan again, but this time the politeness was gone, replaced by a coldness that hardened his gaze even in front of a duke.

"If you've heard anything, please refrain from speaking of it. This information was given directly by Her Majesty to only our lord," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"If anyone else learns about it, they will be executed for sure." The word 'executed' hung in the air like a blade suspended above a neck. Carvan felt the sunlight strike his eyes as he processed the weight of that statement. So much information had been dropped before him in mere seconds that even his seasoned composure trembled. From Her Majesty personally?! Why only Gemsh? he thought while forcing himself to maintain an exterior of calm. Is she favoring him? Is she pushing us to yield to Caldris? If so…

then me knowing this may indeed cost my head to prevent an information leak.

"I haven't heard anything. Rest assured," Carvan replied, shaking his head slowly while forcing a reassuring smile. The knight smiled back, though the warmth did not reach his eyes.

"Appreciate it. We will be leaving now. Please excuse us." They bowed and exited, their armored steps fading down the corridor like echoes of something ominous. Before the knight closed the door to the office, a sly smirk flickered across his face—one that Carvan did not notice.

Carvan still stood near the doorway, his own knights stationed around him. Across from him, Vionette sat casually in her chair, while Rose stood beside her, pouring her tea. Noa sat backward in the chair opposite Vionette—straddling it with his legs draped over the sides of the backrest.

"He gave you all the information he needed you to know, and even made sure you won't talk about it with anyone—including me—so you would get executed today without any explanation," Vionette murmured as the reflection in the tea caught the crimson glow of her eyes.

"Ara, I'm almost impressed. Well… almost." He cooked for real, Noa thought, before looking at Vionette over his shoulder. Though… he might've chosen the wrong opponent. Noa knew that if he had been in Carvan's position, he might have taken the bait just the same. The trap had been well-laid, like honey left out in plain sight.

"Highfen and Caldris were the first ones cleared of suspicion simply because it was too obvious, so they tried to use that against us?" Noa asked, finally rotating his body to sit properly as Rose approached to pour him tea as well. He gave her a cheerful thumbs-up, which Rose accepted with a tight smile that clearly meant,'Do not test me.' Yeaaaa… my Vionette is waaay better, he thought privately, glancing at the princess as if she were the standard by which all comparisons were made.

"Now, you all might be wondering why I called your knights here as well, right?" Vionette asked, her gaze sweeping across the armored men and women. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. They remained silent, standing like statues, leaving Carvan the right to speak.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Carvan said, nodding.

"Now that I've stopped you, he should believe that I suspected you as the traitor and executed you. So," she set her teacup down and looked directly into Carvan's eyes, "you all have to die right now."

"?!" Carvan's head jerked back, his eyes widening in disbelief, and the knights twitched subtly. For a moment, Carvan and his guards felt as though their lives were chess pieces casually lifted between two pale fingers.

"Don't get me wrong," Vionette added, waving her hand with a soft laugh.

"You're only dying to the outside world. Internally, you have a special mission, as I mentioned before." The breath Carvan had unconsciously been holding escaped in a heavy sigh.

"Noa said to bring only 100 knights and 30 mages. But if Gemsh intends to betray us, he will hide additional forces nearby and—" Her lips curved slightly.

"Backstab us, killing our soldiers from behind, right?" Noa finished confidently, as if solving the hardest puzzle in the world.

"Precisely," she nodded.

"So when Duke Carvan and his knights are 'dead'… what if the deceased suddenly ambush the traitors instead?" Carvan hesitated, stepping forward slightly.

"B-but Your Majesty, they might have equipment provided by Aurelyth. When we have equal numbers but inferior gear, how can we win against that?" It was a reasonable fear. Even equal skill could be overturned by superior equipment.

"Don't worry, I have my own ways." Vionette closed her eyes briefly, a serene smile softening her features.

"They can forge higher-level equipment and fortify themselves behind iron walls all they want, but when everything settles," her crimson eyes opened slowly, landing on every knight present, "I alone will be the winner. Just trust me, and I won't let a single person on my side die." It was not a request, nor an order. It was a declaration—a promise carved in stone. Within the knights' hearts, something stirred. It wasn't loud or overwhelming; it was a small seed pushing through soil—a seed called 'faith'.

"That's all I wanted to say. You will be assigned rooms in the royal castle to hide in." Looking at Carvan, she added, "Summon all the remaining knights left in Therion here secretly as well."

"By your will," Carvan knelt.

"You're dismissed," Noa added casually.

"Rose, assign them rooms."

"Yes, my lord." … Once they were gone, only Noa and Vionette remained, seated across from each other in the vast council chamber.

"And now…"

"Yes," Noa completed her sentence with a mischievous grin.

"It's dragon hunting time." They looked at each other, thin, villainous smiles stretching across their faces.

"Heheheh~""Hahahah!"

"HAHAHAH!"

"HAHAHAHAHAH!" Outside the chamber, hearing the chaotic laughter echoing through the heavy doors, Rose paused mid-step. Have they actually gone mad?

In the royal teleportation chamber, glowing sigils lined the circular stone floor. Noa stood at the center of the formation, scanning the room as servants adjusted magic crystals along the perimeter. The door creaked open, and Vionette entered, now wearing a small white crossbody purse draped from her left shoulder to her right hip.

"You're late, princess," Noa teased with a smirk. She lowered her brows and opened her mouth in exaggerated exasperation.

"Somehow got my sis to agree."

"…Somehow?"

Twenty minutes prior,"Please please please please please! I wanna go too!" Vionette clung dramatically to Seliora's waist, getting dragged across the floor as Seliora walked down the hall.

"Siiiis… I wanna go too~""Get off," Seliora sighed, trying to push her away.

"Why do you even want to go?"

"He'll be going, so why not me too?" Vionette looked up with the most shameless puppy eyes imaginable.

"He'll only be gone for a month at most—""A month is long," Vionette's expression turned dead serious.

"And I mean hella loooong."

"Oho? You're going to miss him for a month?" Seliora teased.

"So what if I do?!" Vionette's cheeks flushed pink as she snapped back defensively. Seliora's smile softened.

"Okay then. Just don't die, okay?" Vionette was already halfway out the door before she looked back over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on dying for at least another thousand years."

Present,"Whatever," Noa muttered.

"So, you got your stuff?"

"Yes, right here." She pointed to her purse before turning toward the servants.

"Yo guys, is it ready for us now?"

"Yes, my lady." A maid bowed.

"We are ready to activate the circle that leads to Count Fain's territory—Cerma—in the Cyradis Kingdom at any moment."

"Alright then, activate it." At Vionette's word, the servants around the perimeter triggered the array. Blue light erupted beneath their feet, casting a faint azure glow over Vionette's white hair.

"Cyradis, huh," Noa murmured.

"Haven't been there in a while."

"We won't go to the castle or the capital city," Vionette said, observing his expression—which held neither anger nor sadness, only excitement.

"Let's finish our business quickly and return in time for the war."

"Yeah." Swoosh~ Space folded around them, and a second later, they arrived in Cerma. The city was lively—far more so than Blackmoor dukedom had been. Yet beneath each citizen's eyes lingered a faint trace of fear. Though some remained, almost everyone walking the streets carried heavy luggage, heading toward a single destination: the outer gates.

"Does the dragon attack here too?" Noa asked, looking around the crowded streets.

"Who knows?" Vionette shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to us anyway."

"Yeah," Noa's purple eyes gleamed with amusement, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Who cares if the city gets destroyed?" Vionette bumped her shoulder playfully against Noa's and walked forward.

"C'mon, let's get a place to sleep first." The two began strolling down the road together, side by side, as the sun dipped lower and the shadow of the distant forest stretched toward the city like the reaching claw of an ancient monster. … The further they walked, the thinner the crowds became, until the murmur of fleeing civilians softened into scattered footsteps and the distant creak of wagon wheels.

The sun had begun its descent, staining the sky in hues of amber and bruised violet, casting Cerma's long shadows across the stone road like dark fingers reaching for retreating light. A wooden inn stood at the bend of the street, its sign swaying gently in the evening breeze. Even from the outside, it looked noticeably better maintained than the neighboring establishments.

"Finally… something to my liking," Vionette said, massaging her sore legs from the long walk.

"You like this one?" Noa looked at the building.

"Alright, let's head inside then."