Chapter 51

Alex hurriedly jumped out of bed. Collapsing onto the sofa, Charlotte jerked her chin as if telling him to speak to Seban instead. Seban presented the viewing orb and calmly explained the situation.

 

“We received a message from a man named Ben — the head of the information guild the young lady often visited. Through the communication orb we’ve been exchanging messages with, he informed us that they were betrayed by the mercenary group and that she was abducted.”

 

“A kidnapping for Lep’s ransom?”

 

“I do not believe so. If that were the case, we would have been contacted first. He insisted there is clearly another purpose behind this and requested immediate assistance. The location is here.”

 

Seban unfolded a map and pointed to where Lepina had headed. Not long after, Piote—who had just heard the news—arrived and kicked the door open.

 

“Father! Mother! Is it true that Lep has been kidnapped?!”

 

Seeing the hollow faces of those seated as if in a grave council meeting, Piote’s eyes turned icy.

 

“…It’s true.”

 

The Clies household went into a state of emergency.

 

Their precious young lady had been kidnapped!

 

Count Clies shouted for all knights to be assembled at once and head for the Zeiran Empire.

 

The news of Lepina’s abduction spread quickly, even making the front of the papers. And even before the articles came out, there was someone else who had already heard Lepina’s story through Ben.

 

Perio was struggling to keep Evan lying on the bed.

 

“Hey—! Calm down!!”

 

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”

 

A cold flame of fury and guilt burned wildly in Evan’s eyes. But the surge of emotion made his face flush red, his breath grow ragged, and blood suddenly burst from his lips.

 

The heat rising in his body caused the poison within him to activate. Perio found it unbelievable that he was still intent on going in this state.

 

“I am going—! Kh—!”

 

His rage surged again, blood gushing up. He tried to hold it in, but it trickled through his fingers.

 

Yet Evan still pushed himself up, grasping his sword with one hand. Perio panicked and clung to his legs, refusing to let go.

 

“Tsk tsk, I knew this would happen. You may act as if nothing is wrong with your body, but your organs can’t handle this, you brat!”

 

“I’m fine. And I was fine during the graduation exam as well.”

 

“This is different! And you collapsed after the exam last time, remember?! This time the journey has no foreseeable end! You may not feel it, but the poison is circulating constantly! Lie down!!”

 

Perio tried to push him back down, while Evan insisted he would go. The two engaged in a battle of wills.

 

The pain of blood reflux must have been severe, yet he looked unfazed. Honestly, it was impossible to know whether he truly didn’t feel it or was simply pretending not to. Since he insisted he wasn’t a patient, they had no choice but to believe him.

 

Lepina didn’t know this, but even in that body he’d completed the graduation exam and had never lost the top position in the swordsmanship department. He was a beast among beasts. Without checking his pulse, one would never even guess he was someone suffering from poison.

 

Perio gave up trying to understand and shook his head.

 

“Maintain your composure. Anger heats the body. The heat circulating inside you is what’s making the bleeding worse…”

 

Normally, Evan stayed level-headed, rarely losing his temper or letting his emotions spike. But today he could not control anything, and blood kept spilling from his lips.

 

“Annoying.”

 

Evan calmly wiped the blood with a handkerchief. Perio continued desperately persuading him.

 

“We’ve received word that the Crown Prince is patrolling near that area. If it’s a kidnapping, pirates are the most likely culprits. Leave this to His Highness. The Duke has written a separate letter. The Clies Knights and the Weiss Knights will jointly search for the young lady.”

 

“I can’t rest easy unless I go myself.”

 

Evan dragged a hand down his face again. From the side, Elena—tears in her eyes—spoke in a trembling voice.

 

“…The young lord was right. We should not have let her go alone…”

 

“It was merely an unfortunate accident.”

 

Perio sighed. Trying to restrain Evan while comforting Elena was wearing him down as well. Maintaining calm in the face of such misfortune felt abnormal.

 

Then the door suddenly burst open.

 

“Who—…”

 

Perio stopped asking. The person’s appearance alone made his identity obvious. His pink hair was identical to Lepina’s. Elena also recognized him instantly.

 

“P–Piote? W-wait!”

 

Elena grabbed Piote’s arm before he could storm inside and smash the glass bottle he was holding over Evan’s head. She knew too well how precious Lepina was to him. His calm face only made him look more murderous.

 

“Piote…”

 

Piote looked down at Evan’s gaunt appearance and spoke.

 

“I’m going to find Lepina.”

 

Evan glared at him. Piote was already dressed in knight’s attire, sword at his side.

 

“Are you mocking me for not being able to move?”

 

“No, of course not.”

 

Piote shrugged.

 

“It was your choice.”

 

“My choice…?”

 

“L-Lord Clies! Please, do not provoke the young master any further—!”

 

Piote silently watched Evan’s face twist with a blend of anger and helplessness. Then he threw the glass bottle at him.

 

“Take it. It’s a gift from Lepina.”

 

Evan stared blankly at the bottle. Inside was a single flower. He looked up at Piote in confusion.

 

“Lep went looking for ingredients for your medicine, even if it meant putting herself in danger. That flower is apparently crucial for making the antidote to Alosi venom. A moon-blooming lily, I think? Something like that.”

 

“…”

 

“T-this is…!”

 

Perio and Elena’s eyes widened. The golden-glowing flower matched the description Lepina had given. It was the herb they had searched desperately for.

 

Perio released Evan’s leg and reached out toward the bottle with trembling hands. The room grew solemn. Elena finally broke into tears.

 

“Will the young lady… be all right…?”

 

“She’ll be fine.”

 

“She will.”

 

Piote and Evan answered at the same time.

 

‘All this… over something like this…’

 

Evan’s thumb pressed against the glass, trembling as if it would shatter.

 

“D-don’t break it!”

 

Perio snatched the bottle away. A severe unease gripped Evan. If he didn’t move now, he felt Lepina would slip away just like that bottle—beyond his reach, never to be found again.

 

“You’ve always been protected by Lepina. How does it feel? Seems she was thinking of you to the very end.”

 

“So you are mocking me.”

 

“Mocking? I’m stating facts. Anyway, I’ve delivered the message. I’m off.”

 

Piote waved lazily and left. Elena quickly followed him. Evan clenched his fist. Nothing Piote said was wrong. It had been his choice.

 

“Perio… even now, you think I should just stay put? Is that the right thing to do? This is not about being provoked by Piote. I simply cannot accept being powerless. I cannot accept that I myself put her in danger.”

 

“…”

 

Perio let out a faint sigh.

 

“Go. I doubt staying here will do your recovery any good anyway.”

 

“Good decision.”

 

Before Perio even finished speaking, Evan sprang from the bed. He flung the door open. Outside stood Elena, crying, with Piote patting her back.

 

Piote glared sharply at Evan.

 

“What, why are you out?”

 

“I’m coming. With me there, finding Lep will be much easier.”

 

Since it was true, Piote’s expression soured.

 

“…Annoying bastard. Don’t cough up blood on me. I’m not going to fuss over you like Lep does.”

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

In Evan’s hand gleamed a sword with a bright green aura.

 

 

***

 

 

Still locked inside a storage room, I had no idea where we were being taken as the ship sailed. With my freed hands, I poked at the bread.

 

“At least they’re feeding us regularly, so we won’t die…”

 

Thinking there was no escape for us, they had only shackled our ankles and freed our wrists. Of course, Fran was still bound hand and foot with iron chains. I couldn’t free him without a key.

 

“I’m sorry, my lady… All because I’m so weak…”

 

“Stop crying. You’re ruining my appetite.”

 

“H-how can I stop?! I’ll be killed even if I survive this!”

 

“You were worrying about yourself, not me?”

 

Fran wept loudly, insisting that he would die no matter what. I had no idea why he thought that, but he sobbed that his fate was sealed. Pat patted his shoulder and stuffed bread in his mouth.

 

I ate my share of bread and looked upward at the loud noise above us. Yelling could be heard through the wooden planks.

 

Even though it was called a storage room, you only had to go down a few steps to reach it. Meaning sound from outside carried clearly.

 

It seemed what I said earlier had gotten to them. Or perhaps their deal with the pirates had gone wrong. They kept arguing over what to do.

 

“Maybe… maybe they’ll let us go?”

 

Pat grasped at straws, but I was skeptical. Chaotic or confused they might be, the ship had already sailed. It couldn’t be stopped now.

 

“Still, with their comrades held hostage by pirates, they’ll hand us over sooner or later. They’re only stalling because they’ve lost their leverage since Ben escaped with the flower.”

 

The mercenary group had raised hell over the missing herb—but what could I do? It was gone.