Chapter 104: Everything Was Already at Stake

Philius blocked Captain Rassett’s mouth instead of me, fixing his gaze on me.

“You said you were seriously injured.”

I asked him, regretting the light that disappeared quickly.

“Correct.”

At the immediate answer without hesitation, I squeezed his hand tighter.

“That you went to inspect the front lines.”

“Yes.”

“When the Rut came.”

“Just as you remember.”

“You didn’t tell me the most important part.”

I don’t think he deceived me. Nor am I blaming him for not telling me first.

“Your adjutant, Captain Rassett, gave your location information to the Petan army.”

Although my voice wasn’t loud, it seemed enough to surprise Captain Rassett. With his mouth blocked, he moved noisily as much as he couldn’t scream. His reaction showed he had no idea I, Philius, would find out.

“It is a clear act of treason. Deserving to be shot.”

Sounds of struggling were heard again. He seemed to want to shout that everything was the King’s order.

“Captain Rassett must have been aware of the danger too. He doesn’t look like a bold person who could risk everything out of loyalty to the King. Does the order… still remain?”

“Just as you thought.”

When Philius affirmed in a low voice, I closed my eyes.

Probably, no, definitely, Philius himself created the situation where such an order would come down.

The words he said to Duchess Mare that he didn’t bet anything were a lie. He had bet everything from the beginning.

“Why did you do that?”

When I opened my eyes again, I already knew the answer. Still, I wanted to hear it in his voice.

“Because I wanted to obtain a future with you.”

He returned the answer exactly as I wished.

****

The news that the victory ceremony would be held soon spread throughout Noberten quickly. Starting with Duchess Mare, nobles who received the invitation began to appear.

What was interesting was the reaction of nobles waiting for the invitation. The King’s invitations were sent sequentially, and the order was the ranking spoken of in the world. Those who received it first criticized the King’s handling as improper but inwardly raised their noses high.

The Prime Minister received the invitation almost last. And he seemed quite furious about that fact. He published the victory ceremony invitation in the newspaper as is. That invitation, which looked like a prank without any formality, just like the one Duchess Mare showed.

That was this morning.

And the invitation for Philius had not yet arrived.

He laughed off the article criticizing the King in a consistently harsh tone, likely written by the Prime Minister himself.

He became expressionless when he saw the one-page newspaper mentioned earlier.

I approached his side. He moved the newspaper aside so I could see.

It was a picture of the Capital Guard standing densely on the Tranche Bridge where officers and mercenaries saluted each other a while ago.

It seemed the news of the victory ceremony spreading so noisily stimulated the King’s mood quite a bit. The day after the victory ceremony news was contained in Nathan’s letter, the Capital Guard began to surround the Tranche Bridge.

“It’s interesting. That violence against mercenaries disappeared because the Capital Guard blocked the bridge.”

Incidents of nobles boating exercising violence against mercenaries happened several times a day. If not for John’s control, a riot would have occurred long ago. The Capital Guard’s blockade rather kept the mercenaries safe.

“I didn’t know there would be so many people trying to deliver food.”

Unexpected facts weren’t just that. People appeared trying to deliver food to mercenaries who couldn’t go to the port to get food ingredients because the bridge was blocked. Even trying hard to avoid the eyes of the Capital Guard.

Actually, a few loaves of bread and a few potatoes they delivered couldn’t fill all the mercenaries gathered on the bank of the Gratia River. Practically, delivering food to them was Philius’s job. But what those who spared their own food to deliver gave wasn’t just food. What they really conveyed to the mercenaries was a sense of kinship. Mercenaries who were ostracized even in Beta society began to be understood.

“Thanks to that, it’s costing more than expected, though.”

“Is it wasteful?”

“No way.”

No matter how familiar Betas were with the geography of the Gratia River estuary and even used darkness, they couldn’t avoid all the eyes of the Capital Guard. They could safely deliver food to the mercenaries on the riverbank because the Capital Guard members turned a blind eye.

“If the Capital Guard consisted entirely of Alphas, it would have been impossible no matter how much money was spent.”

Although the knight class, equivalent to officers in the expeditionary force, were Alphas, it was impossible to compose all members with only Alphas. Regular members below knights had to be filled with Betas.

No matter how strong the power nobles inherently possessed, they were a minority. The absolute majority of the population was occupied by Betas.

“It’s changing, definitely.”

Nevertheless, the reason Betas are discriminated against like this wasn’t because Betas are selfish beings who don’t know how to unite as nobles claim. Nor was it because they are foolish beings who can only live with the guidance of nobles.

Even Petan, which became a complete enemy with Henia, treats Betas much better. At least they could entrust money to banks and use checks instead of digging the floor and burying gold coins. A Petan merchant who came to buy watches before the war broke out in the New Continent even grumbled while handing over a heavy bundle of gold coins.

The difference between Petan where the flag of revolution fluttered and Henia where the royal family was maintained intact lay in the ‘key.’

The huge 170-carat ruby embedded in the crown. The key operating the barrier of the royal palace. Because its owner was the King.

On the day of the victory ceremony, the King will definitely appear wearing that crown on his head.

Just as I was about to tap the table unconsciously, a knock was heard first.

“His Majesty the King has sent an invitation, Duke.”

Philip’s voice followed. I curled my finger that had stopped in mid-air.

“His Majesty the King has sent an invitation to Your Highness the King’s Brother.”

It must be because he put the King’s name directly on the line. Instead of the King’s spy who pretended to be Count Umbra’s servant, an unfamiliar figure entered the bedroom. Even before receiving Philip’s guidance.

Philius dismissed Philip with his eyes. The man grinned as Philip left and closed the door.

“Since Your Highness must have heard the news of the invitations others have already received, you must know the remaining time is tight. Please forgive my rudeness for not being able to wait in the reception room until Your Highness called.”

The man’s way of speaking, emphasizing that we received that invitation last, was strange. I reflexively touched my neck. It was a moment when I felt the heavy presence of the blue diamond, unmistakably existing even though invisible to the eye.

“Jay!”

Strange energy popped out from the King’s messenger. Almost simultaneously with recognizing it, I activated the barrier engraved on the necklace.

And, Philius also wrapped around me. While neglecting himself.

“Phil…!”

But the opponent that energy, twisted enough to be unpleasant, tried to find wasn’t me. It was Philius who became defenseless for a moment while protecting me.

“Kuh…!”

That energy seeped into Philius in an instant. Simultaneously, he let go of me as if shaking me off.

At the sight of him staggering and retreating, I reflexively took a step towards him.

“No…”

But he stopped me. The scent of the forest rose from him gasping for breath.

“No, Jay. Don’t come near me, now.”

He rejected me shaking his head.

“Oh my, this is unexpected.”

The voice speaking leisurely as if finding my flustered appearance amusing caught my ear. Turning my gaze, the messenger grinned once again.

His voice, his laughter seemed to gnaw at my nerves. The sound of my heart beating loudly rang like tinnitus.

“Ah, don’t blame yourself. Even if you put up a barrier, that contaminated mana would have seeped into the Duke.”

He spoke as if soothing an ignorant child. Saying that no matter what response I, we made, the current situation couldn’t have been prevented.

“Because that is mana contaminated with the Duke’s Rut pheromones.”

As if affirming his words, Philius’s pheromones thickened further.

“You, were a royal mage.”

At the words spat out as if squeezing his throat, he put on a bright smiling face.

“They said you exchanged engagement vows, and indeed you knew the fact that the Duke was a precious experiment subject in his childhood. I heard he was truly amazing. It’s just a pity I couldn’t participate in that experiment.”

He examined Philius as if licking him.

“If it were true that his pheromones weakened, the effect wouldn’t have appeared immediately like this. He would have assimilated little by little, slowly becoming that great monster. At the victory ceremony, that is.”

Heuk. Philius’s breathing became rough. Just like his Rut when I served him for the first time.

“Ah, I understand. The Duke was deceiving His Majesty the King. How dare he.”

It was when the mage declared in a theatrical tone. A forest scent thick enough to have never been smelled before filled the room instantly.

“Gah…!”

And the mage gasped for breath as if strangled at once.

“H-how…!”

His eye color flickered. As if resisting Philius’s pheromones trying to dominate his consciousness.

“It seems you haven’t heard that the limbs of those who participated in that experiment, were all torn apart.”

Philius’s voice was rough. The halting tone informed that he was enduring pain. Yet he was still refusing me to approach.