Chapter 78
The hunt was over, but there was still work to be done. Namely, Caron had to deal with the bodies. He could just leave them for the beasts to devour, but there was no guarantee the remains wouldn't be found. The evidence had to be completely erased.
For some time, he pondered how to dispose of the corpses, but the solution turned out to be closer than he expected.
"Gnome, can you handle this?" Neria asked. With a gesture from her, the ground shifted and swallowed the knights' bodies whole.
Caron watched the earth spirit's magic at work and let out a small sound of admiration. He remarked, "Spirits are convenient."
Without casting a spell or exerting any effort, a simple request would get the job done. How useful.
After handling the bodies with the help of the spirits, Neria turned to Caron and bowed her head in gratitude. She said, "I don't know how I'll ever repay this kindness. You went to such lengths because of me..."
Hearing this, Guillotine said with a mocking tone, " It seems the elf has the wrong idea. You didn't kill them for her sake; you killed them because you wanted to. Why is she thanking you? I'll never understand."
Caron ignored Guillotine's words and waved his hand dismissively at Neria, then said, "Like I said back in the carriage, I didn't do this for you. I just hate slave hunters."
The memories of his past life were still nightmares, mostly filled with the horrors of living as a slave. The agonizing days of being treated as less than human still haunted his dreams, leaving him restless.
He gave her a faint smile and said, "I was even thinking about killing Cobler, you know? All slave traders should be wiped off the face of the earth."
"Is it... for justice?" Neria asked quietly.
"I don't believe in justice." Caron sheathed Guillotine, then continued in a low voice, "Justice doesn't put food on the table, does it? And as for chivalry... Those knights you just buried, did they really care about chivalry?"
Chivalry was supposed to be about protecting the weak and standing firm in the face of danger. It was noble, something that was supposed to align with justice. But not a lot of these so-called knights actually upheld those ideals.
Caron didn't believe in justice, and it certainly wasn't the reason for his actions.
"Just as you happened to cross paths with them, they just happened to cross paths with me. The only difference is that you got your freedom, and they lost their lives. This isn't about justice... It's more like revenge, if anything," Caron explained.
It was just that the anger he'd held in for so long had finally started to seep out. When he was first given this second life, the one promise he'd made to himself was simple: in this lifetime, he would live exactly how he wanted. This was just another extension of that vow. He had decided to turn the city where slaves were openly traded upside down, and he was simply following through on that decision.
Caron stretched, then glanced back at Neria before saying, "Well, now that everyone is buried, let's head back to the carriage and rest. We've got guests coming soon. Oh, and Neria, what did you do with the commander's body? The one near the carriage?"
"I didn't hear any special instructions, so I buried him just like the others," Neria replied.
"Good work. I'm sure Foina will like you," Caron said.
Neria's expression seemed brighter than before, though Caron wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. The hatred that had briefly surfaced on her face was gone. Caron wondered if it was because her revenge had been fulfilled. Either way, she looked far better now than she had earlier.
We need to move quickly, Caron thought.
Since they had buried all the knights, it would take some time before anyone realized what had happened. But the longer they waited, the more likely it was that someone would notice something was wrong. From now on, it was a race against time.
Caligo's side seemed to have already figured out what I'm trying to do, Caron mused.
With only Caligo's resources, moving the Zion Kingdom would have been a tall order. The key was whether Fayle had agreed to help or not. Caron wondered if his father had agreed to his request. Even for a family as powerful as the Leston household, influencing another kingdom bordered on treason. The backlash could easily give the opposition grounds to act.
If Fayle refused, however, Caron could switch to another plan.
It would just be easier if Father helped, he thought.
As he walked, lost in his thoughts about all the possible outcomes, a faint hum buzzed from the crystal orb in his pocket. It was Foina.
"Ah, Young Master Caron, can you hear me?" Foina's voice crackled through.
"Yes, I can," Caron replied.
"We'll have reinforcements arriving soon. Did something happen on your end?" Foina asked.
"I've already eliminated the escort troops in the forest," Caron answered.
Foina fell silent for a moment, then sighed. She said, "...You've caused trouble again, haven't you? Why didn't you just leave them be? If they had come to Thebe, I would have dealt with them myself. Believe me, I have plenty of grievances with those bastards."
To Foina, Leandro, the Marquis of the Border, and his subordinates were demons for trafficking her kin. Her hatred for them wasn't surprising.
"I'm aware of what you're planning," Foina continued. "You're going to turn that rotten city upside down, aren't you?"
"Are you planning on stopping me?" Caron asked.
"Of course not! I feel like you're scratching an itch I couldn't reach. That's why I sent you some very special reinforcements, just for you. Think of it as a gift! I'm sure they're exactly who you need for this situation," Foina answered.
Her tone made Caron uneasy. He couldn't think of anyone he needed right now, especially in Caligo, who fit that description.
But before he could ask anything, Foina continued, rattling off her thoughts quickly, "Well, I wish you luck in finishing things successfully. I'll be watching the fireworks from Thebe, so make them spectacular, alright?"
With that, the connection ended, leaving Caron staring down at the quiet crystal ball with a frown.
"...This feels unsettling," he muttered.
The word "gift" only made him more suspicious. Either way, the only thing left to do was hurry back to the carriage and wait. Once he got there, he'd find out soon enough whether Foina had sent him a gift or a disaster.
Tucking the crystal orb back into his pocket, Caron quickened his pace.
***
By the time Caron and Neria arrived where the carriage had stopped, Foina's so-called "gift" had already been delivered. Sitting near the still brightly burning campfire was a man with dark hair, crouched down and warming himself by the flames. Behind him stood a knight in full armor, looking down at the man with an expression that could only be described as exasperation.
"...This is the 'gift'?" Caron muttered.
The man by the fire looked up and grinned, then said, "The name is Revelio. A man who's as good as a gift."
"Shut up," Caron snapped.
"It's been a while, but you're still as harsh as ever, little brother," Revelio teased.
Caron let out a heavy sigh as he stared at the man sitting by the fire, then sarcastically asked, "Why is someone as important as you, who should be at the Imperial Palace, all the way out here?"
"I ran away again the day before yesterday!" Revelio declared proudly.
"That's not something to brag about," Caron said.
"Hey, it's not as if I'm having a good time either. Do you know how crazy things are at the palace lately? I just wanted to get some rest in Thebe, but then sis told me to come help you! I'm a victim here too," Revelio groaned as he poked at the campfire with his wand.
Caron shook his head as he watched Revelio use a wand like a fire poker. Then, turning away from Revelio, he greeted the knight standing behind the prince. "Still working hard, I see, Sir Mason."
Sir Mason gave a small nod in response and said, "I'm used to it now. If you'd been with the Sixth Prince for over ten years, you'd get used to him too."
"Wow...I'd probably bite my own tongue and die before making it that long," Caron said.
"...He has a kind heart. Truly. And you, it seems, have achieved something great," Sir Mason remarked, appraising Caron from head to toe with his gaze.
Caron, who had been just a boy four years earlier, now stood tall as a young man. He had once been shorter than Revelio, but he was now clearly the taller of the two. And his growth wasn't limited to his height either.
"You've already reached the threshold of 6-Star. It is an impressive accomplishment," Sir Mason observed.
"It's nothing special," Caron replied.
"Too much humility can be a flaw... Not that you ever intended to be humble, did you?" Sir Mason said with a chuckle.
After exchanging pleasantries with Sir Mason, Caron gestured toward Neria, who had been observing the scene from a distance. He reassured her, "No need to be on guard. They're here to help us."
"Oh! I've never seen an elf before," Revelio said excitedly.
"Then what's Foina?" Caron asked.
Revelio waved his hand dismissively and said, "Come on, you know my sis can't possibly be an elf."
The absurdity of his words made Caron sigh again. He said to Neria, "This is Revelio."
"Greetings, wise one of the forest. I am Revelio. As for myself, I am—" Revelio began dramatically.
"He's the Sixth Prince of the empire," Caron cut him off.
"Hey! You can't just introduce me like that! It ruins the impact!" Revelio proteste.
As soon as the word "prince" left Caron's mouth, Neria instinctively took a step back and said, "...A prince? Why is royalty here?"
Revelio, ever the showman, gave a deep bow and replied, "Upon hearing the appalling news that the noble people of the forest were being enslaved on lands ruled by my father, the emperor, I rushed here at once to—"
"Foina sent him. This guy is her so-called younger brother," Caron explained.
"Oh, with Lady Foina... It's nice to meet you. My name is Neria," the elf introduced herself cautiously.
Revelio, seemingly defeated by Caron's constant interruptions, shook his head in resignation before bowing once again to Neria. He said solemnly, "On behalf of the empire, I sincerely apologize. The fact that we've failed to stop the trade of slaves in our cities is entirely the fault of the imperial family."
It was a sincere apology, but Caron, watching from the side, couldn't resist a comment. "Didn't you call the emperor a puppet before?"
"You insolent brat! How dare you insult Father?! Sir Mason!" Revelio barked.
However, Sir Mason, unfazed, merely walked over to the carriage. He grabbed some firewood and tossed it into the campfire, completely ignoring the outburst.
Revelio, staring blankly at Mason's back, eventually nodded in acknowledgment. He said, "He's right though. My father is a puppet. But, Caron, as a member of the Imperial family representing the empire, it's my duty to offer this apology."
"...Do as you wish," Caron replied with a nod.
A lot had changed within the empire over the four years Caron spent at Azureocean Castle. One of the biggest changes was the status of the Sixth Prince, Revelio, standing before him. Four years earlier, Revelio had been a disgrace, mocked and insulted by his siblings. But now, with the Leston household officially backing him, Revelio's position had transformed overnight. No one in the Imperial Palace dared to disregard him anymore.
Though he had broken the treaty established by the Leston household, which forbade members of the royal family from learning magic after the death of the Malevolent Emperor, the Leston household still supported him. Thanks to that, Revelio had free access to the empire's magic tower, where he'd continued to study.
He's starting to look more like real royalty, Caron thought as he watched Revelio sincerely apologize to Neria.
Revelio straightened up and spoke again seriously. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that Lady Neria reaches the southern Great Forest safely. This is a promise from the Sixth Prince of the empire. And, more importantly..."
Revelio locked his gaze with Caron's for a moment before continuing with a firm expression, "I will personally punish all those involved in this incident and bring them to justice."
His words carried none of the usual mischief, and Neria nodded quietly in response.
"I will believe in you," Neria said softly as she glanced at Caron.
Caron was the man who had sought revenge for her without asking for anything in return. She hadn't wanted to trust humans, because after all, it was humans who had brought her so much pain and humiliation. But Caron Leston was different. There was something about him she could trust. Perhaps it was the pure mana she sensed within him, or the faint but comforting presence of the World Tree's energy, reminding her of her mother.
"My sis has also prepared a teleport scroll for Lady Neria's use," Revelio added, pulling a sheet of fine parchment from his cloak and handing it to her. The parchment was intricately inscribed with complex diagrams. It was a teleportation scroll, the kind only a grand mage could craft.
"If you use this scroll, you'll be able to teleport directly to my sis. Please stay in Thebe until we've fully dealt with the situation," Revelio said as he handed the teleport scroll to Neria.
Neria took the scroll in her hands, then slowly turned toward Caron and said softly, "I'll go ahead and wait for you there."
Caron smiled and nodded, then said, "We'll meet again if we can."
"...You have to come. You have to," Neria whispered before gently tearing the scroll.
With a flash of light, the teleportation magic within the scroll activated, and Neria's figure vanished without a trace. After confirming the successful spell, Revelio sat down next to the campfire and asked, "So, what happened to the knights? Weren't there a few that left with you from Reben?"
Caron glanced at the chair Revelio had just settled into and answered, "The guy leading them was sitting right where you are now."
"So, where'd they go?" Revelio asked again.
"Where do you think they're at? I sent them all to hell," Caron replied.
"...You killed them all?" Revelio asked.
"Neria told me that she buried the corpse nearby. Who knows, maybe it's right under your feet," Caron said casually.
Revelio glanced down, a tremor of unease crossing his face. He quickly waved his wand, casting a faint light that seeped into the ground around him. Only after that did he sigh in relief and say, "Phew, nothing here."
"You're a coward," Caron said.
"I'm perfectly normal. You're the crazy one," Revelio retorted, throwing a glare at Caron.
Though it had been four years since they last met, Caron still seemed a bit... unhinged. Perhaps that was part of his charm.
"I'd like to catch up on the past four years, but we'll save that for later," Revelio said, taking a swig from his canteen with a grin. "The real reason why I rushed over here is because I heard you're staging a rebellion. Why would you start something so fun without me? Come on, let's do fun things together. I've even got a name for the operation."
Caron raised an eyebrow as Revelio continued with a wide smile, "How about this? 'The Uplifting Rebellion of the Duke's Grandson and the Sixth Prince.'"
"Ha..." Caron responded.
"No, but, here's the twist. It's an actual rebellion," Revelio said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Do you want me to stage a rebellion right in your mouth with my fist?" Caron threatened.
Revelio cleared his throat, backing off slightly, and said, "Alright, alright, but here's my plan..."
A moment later, after listening to Revelio's plan, Caron rubbed his chin thoughtfully and replied, "...It's actually not bad."
Perhaps Foina had sent exactly the right reinforcements after all.