Hume tightened his voice.
"In my dream, I was told where the black orb is."
"Where is the black orb?"
Lucion asked, his expression turning serious.
"In the East."
"If only they could tell me where in the East.......
Lucion felt a twinge of regret.
If it was simply a coincidence that he had met Brachion Myronst, the first prince of the Myronst Kingdom, the other day, how was he going to find the next black orb?
"'Where you go,' he said, 'there will be what you want.'"
Hume hastened to add.
Lucion's eyes widened and he repeated.
"He really said that?"
"Yes."
"Good work, Hume."
Lucion smiled at Hume, and Hume's expression brightened.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more."
"No. You figured out where the Black Orb is, and you said it would be where we're going, so that's good enough for me."
For Lucion's sake, why be impatient when he could get the Black Orb as soon as possible?
Hume was touched by Lucion's soothing words.
"Then, I'll go get some food."
-Lata will go too. Don't get sick, Lucion.
Latta wagged her tail and front paws and smiled bashfully.
Hume turned away and looked at Lucion with a brief thought.
"...The shape that informs me."
"What?"
"...No, I have to go."
Hume shook his head at Lucion's words.
'He seem to resemble the Master.......'
Hume's eyes darted from side to side as he walked forward.
* * *
The next day.
It was supposed to be a day away from the central to the eastern part of the country, but due to Heint's extreme dryness, they were forced to stay in the central part of the country.
<...Are you there?>
Lucion froze at Miella's urgent call.
What the hell had she heard?
"I heard you, so......."
<Okay. I'll say it again, I got in touch with Mr. Zamad and he said it was easy enough, so I got the samples the next day.>
Hard to make a sword, easy to make something to protect a gemstone when it traps light.
Lucion couldn't understand the artisan world.
<I was so excited that I spent another few nights working on the development that I had stopped. That ore that Mr. Zamad made for me is to die for, and I have Hamel to thank for the wonderful ore!>
Miella paused in mid-sentence.
She wasn't surprised to hear that the mine was up and running, as she'd been told by Krahn.
But whatever, Lucion was happy, and she couldn't wait to hear what he had to say next.
<Ah. Anyway, I broke a bunch of magic stones, I broke a bunch of samples, but at the end... really at the end, I succeeded in leaving only regenerative power behind!>
Miella suddenly cried as she spoke.
<I can't say with confidence that it's finished yet, but it's taken me so..., so long to get here, and I've been thinking about it for so long, but with my family hounding me, I couldn't afford it.>
I knew.
Miella even lost everything when she was swindled by a business associate.
She was so desperate to finish this thing that I had to take the hand of evil.
Though in Heint's hands, neither Miella nor her masterpiece was lost.
[I know how much you want to go check it out right now, but no, Lucion, you come first].
Russell pressed his forehead against Lucion's as he tried to pull himself up.
-I'll help Latta, too.
Beep!
Biting down on the ball, Latta scrambled over and grabbed Lucion's arm.
<...I know...>
Miella's voice trembled.
<I met Mr. Hamel, and he helped me. You changed everything for me. I'm so grateful. Thank you, Mr. Hamel.>
Miella barely managed to stifle a sob.
<...Ha. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this, but all of a sudden, all of a sudden, I'm just crying.>
But she couldn't hold back the tears, and she sobbed.
"It's okay to cry."
Lucion listened, then spoke up.
"You did well. You did very well."
Lucion spoke softly, and all that could be heard was the sound of Miella's sobs.
Bethel's head was tilted slightly away with a grimace, as if she had experienced the same thing.
After what seemed like an eternity, Miella made a snorting sound.
<...I'm sorry.>
"No, there's no need to be sorry. If you have tears, you should let them flow, not hold them back."
<I'm still embarrassed... so I'll call you when things are a little more settled!>
Miella disconnected without another word.
Lucion silently put down the contact item.
"...Crazy!"
The corners of Lucion's mouth twitched as he removed his mask.
"It's almost done!"
Lucion clenched his fists in trepidation.
In the midst of the constant threats to his life, Miella's news was like a light rain that dampened the ground.
"I can't stay still."
Lucion immediately raised his upper body.
[Lucion].
"A walk around the neighborhood wouldn't hurt, would it?"
Lucion took the mask back into his hands.
[...Why do you need a mask to go for a walk?]
Russell's eyebrows knitted together.
* * *
"...Ha."
Heint, who had been writing a report, opened the window and looked down.
He frowned at the sight of Hamel's middle fingers rising high above his hands.
"Why again?"
Lucion smirked and gestured for him to follow.
[Lord Lucion. What's with the swearing?]
Bethel wondered if he was still holding his tongue.
It wasn't the first time, it was the second.
After watching Heint move, Lucion lazily walked forward, his mouth twitching.
"As a Lucion, you're a good brother, but as a Hamel, you're an annoyance. See how much I gave you, and you're still stuck?"
[Yes. That's condescending].
Russell nodded in agreement.
Honestly, the information Lucion had given Heint was worth a mountain in terms of money.
It would be trash to just take it.
-Is it bad to be indecisive? Latta was indecisive about whether to eat the strawberry or chocolate cookie first.
Latta, in the shadows, suddenly stomped her foot.
-Was Latta a bad Latta too?
The corners of Latta's eyes drooped as if she were about to cry.
Latta was so serious that Russell desperately held back a laugh.
"It's not like that."
Lucion cut in.
-Really? Isn't Latta a bad Latta?
"Of course not. Latta's a good girl."
Hume replied, smiling lightly.
I wanted to pet her right now.
"You can take all the time you need to decide whether you want the strawberry or chocolate cookie first."
Lucion stopped and stared at Latta in the shadows.
-Yes, Latta, will keep thinking about it!
Latta wagged her tail, and Lucion resumed his pace.
[Lord Lucion. Heint is coming].
Bethel, who had been giggling along with them, called out to Lucion when she noticed Heint coming in the distance.
[Hmph.]
Bethel called out.
[Hmph, Heint, what if the Empire just uses the lord and throws it away...].
"Why do you think I wanted to take the branch?"
Lucion's mask turned yellow.
There was no way that the very center of the anthill did not have information on the traitorous Fourth Prince, Owen Tesla.
The Kingdom of Neubra would want to capitalize on the Empire's weakness.
"If you betray me, I'm going to expose you for what you are."
The Imperial family, a prince and enemy of Neubra and the Warlock.
I wonder if the Empire really wants to make this public.
Lucion stopped walking, and after a moment, Heint spoke up.
"What's going on?"
"I'm here because I need to run some errands, and I don't know why you look so bad."
"Why do you keep raising your middle finger? It makes me feel dirty."
"It's my greeting to you. If you don't like it, do it."
Heint bit his lip tightly as Lucion remained silent.
"Give this to the High Priestess, the head of the Great temple."
Lucion held out a letter to Heint.
"...A letter?"
"And a meeting with the Emperor."
"......."
Heint stared at Lucion wordlessly.
He didn't know if it was too much to ask, or if he had expected this, but he was surprisingly calm.
"It's not like I can't ask for more, is it?"
Lucion mocked, whether he meant to or not.
"Did you send those letters to me?"
"Why don't you answer my question first?"
Heint asked, but Lucion didn't even have the will to answer.
If his opponent was so brazen, he had to be even more brazen.
"His Majesty has asked to see you."
"...Is this what His Majesty was talking about yesterday?"
Lucion had been ghosting Heint all along, keeping an eye on him.
He didn't know what he'd say to the imperial family.
He'd heard Heint praise him after meeting Jael, but it hadn't made him feel good.
It wasn't Hein's praise he needed, it was the Emperor's promise.
"What does he mean?"
Lucion was wary.
He wanted a meeting with the Emperor, but it was too strange to give it so easily.
"Do not be wary. His Majesty wishes to see you with good intentions. He doesn't mean you any harm."
Heint stiffened, but softened his expression as much as he could.
"You want me to take your word for it, when you don't even trust me?"
But Lucion remained wary.
"I knew it, and His Majesty gave me a certificate in advance, check it out."
"It must have slipped in between the reports."
Lucion hadn't realized that the imperial family had sent a certificate.
[When did they send it?]
Even Russell questioned.
Lucion reluctantly accepted the certificate from Heint.
Not only did it vouch for his identity and specifically promise not to harm him, but it actually bore the imperial crest.
How could an imperial knight forge an imperial coat of arms?
"His Majesty is very concerned about this."
Heint spoke softly as Lucion examined the certificate.
Alone, he was glad Hamel had found him so quickly.
"Of course you are. It's weird that you don't care, because it's not like I've been handing over trivial information."
But Lucion scoffed.
It was funny how he said the obvious as if it were a big deal.
For a moment, Heint's eyebrows wiggled.
"Don't be sarcastic. It means the king thinks highly of you."
"But he won't introduce me publicly. I'm a warlock."
"No."
Heint denied Lucion's words.
"His Majesty has said that he would be willing to right a wrong if this situation were resolved."
"He's putting his foot in his mouth. Who can't?"
"Yes, but His Majesty is never one to speak out of turn."
"I know that."
Two years later, the current Emperor was hailed as the brightest sun of the Tesla Empire.
"I swear on my chivalry that no harm will come to you. And if it should happen, I will stand by your side."
Lucion shivered slightly at the goosebumps that crawled up his arms as Heint's demeanor grew more serious.
"You, what is it?"
"Because I have a brother, a very good brother, and something he said made me realize something."
'That's me.'
Lucion could barely contain his itching mouth.
Heint placed his fisted hands on his chest and bowed his head.
"As an imperial knight, Hamel, I am greatly indebted to you."
If it weren't for Hamel, he wouldn't have known that the Kingdom of Neubra was preparing to strike back at the Empire so thoroughly.
Nor would he have known that so many nobles had been recruited by the Neubra.
At the very least, he may not have known the true nature of the Nevast, whom he believed to be an ally, not an enemy.
Hamel was a benefactor to the Empire.
He should have been the first to admit that he was not a warlock, but someone who had helped the Empire.
"Inde... pted?
Lucion was stunned.
Heint was a very strong-willed man, just like his fictional counterpart.
"Ah. It's a prerequisite to be on your side, don't get me wrong."
Heint looked up and couldn't hide his trepidation, wondering if this was the same man who had been so polite earlier.
"No misunderstanding. You look like you're ready to punch me right now."
Lucion snorted and held out the letter again.
"But there's a traitor to Nevast before you, and this letter tells you who it is."
"What... Nevast has reached out to the Great temple now?"
Heint was stunned.
"...And you're really going to be on my side if the conditions are right?"
Lucion asked again.
Just in case.
"I don't feel very good about it, but yes. I put my chivalry on the line, and I'll honor it."
"Well, then, I'll send you a message when the time is right."
With those words, Lucion scurried off.
It was almost ridiculous that he would dare to ask the Emperor for an appointment first, but Hamel's flustered demeanor reminded Heint of only one thing.
Hamel was a man.
Even a warlock was a person.
Just a little different.
As he looked at Lucion, regret filled his eyes.