Chapter 47

Although it was an impossible task for Anges, the merchant, the items he had packed for his son to seduce the emperor all ended up in Latil's hands on the spot. Latil, dressed as a man and wearing a hat pulled down low, was firmly believed by the merchant to be a courtier, so he entrusted all the luggage to Latil.

"Would you not give it to me if I asked?"

When the time seemed right, Tashir, who had come out, asked Latil weakly, and Latil, saying it was natural, tightly hugged all the luggage entrusted by the merchant.

"Yeah. You gave it to me, didn't you?"

"You didn't give it, but entrusted it... But it's fine. I can always buy new things."

"Really?"

"Yes. Besides, I find the emperor's greedy appearance quite adorable."

"..."

When Latil weakly put down the luggage, Tashir smiled as if he had known it would happen, picked up the luggage again, and went back into the merchant's place. When he came out again, his hands were empty.

"Luggage?"

"I told them it was heavy and to send it later through Heiran."

Actually, Latil had only pretended that all the luggage was his. Latil had no intention of carrying those heavy bags while tracking Paul. With his hands free, he needed to be ready to draw his weapon at any moment, and carrying those heavy bags would have been impossible. After a brief rest, Latil and Tashir started tracking Paul again. Thanks to the other tracker from the Black Forest who had been placed in advance, they quickly found Paul's location. Moreover, it seemed that Paul's attempt to waste time by entering a large building had been effective, as he no longer kept looking back.

Soon, they saw results. Paul, who had been pretending to be ordinary by visiting restaurants and buying things, quietly entered a dark alley that a normal person would avoid. Following him, they saw Paul greeting someone. They all seemed large and muscular, not like ordinary people.

"Soon, I'll know who defaced my father's grave."

But Latil, instead of being afraid, smiled and muttered to himself. There was no trace of fear in his expression, and he was genuinely unafraid. Tashir was the same, and even as Paul approached the menacing-looking people, he asked Latil without hesitation.

"Can I draw the Black Forest symbol in reverse on the criminal's face when we catch them? I want to retaliate according to the rules they followed by impersonating us."

"Do as you please."

While they were whispering, at the moment Paul was pondering where to go with those menacing people.

'Someone is watching?'

Latil felt a strange gaze and suddenly looked up.

"!"

The person who sent the gaze was standing on the roof. As soon as Latil saw the person on the roof, his eyes widened. It was because of the fox mask the person was wearing.

'Fox mask.'

Didn't the people who tried to attack the High Priest mention the fox mask? One of them called the person 'Lord Fox' and put a strange bead in their head... Is this the same fox? A coincidence? Does this person know something?

"Tashir."

When the fox mask turned and went in another direction, Latil quietly called Tashir, who was beside him.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Tashir, who had also sensed the gaze, was alternating between watching Paul and the roof. Latil pointed to the roof where the fox mask had disappeared with a nod.

"I'll go that way. You follow Paul."

"Is it okay to split up?"

"We don't know which side has the information."

"That's true."

"So you follow Paul. Your stealth skills are better than mine, so you're better suited to deal with multiple people. I'll chase the mask."

Tashir, still hesitant, nodded when he realized there were no flaws in Latil's reasoning. Latil patted Tashir's back and quickly climbed up to the roof to chase the fox mask. He moved steadily without slipping and almost caught up with the fox mask. The fox mask ran very fast, seemingly unaware that Latil was following. After running for a while, the fox mask glanced back and seemed surprised to see Latil in hot pursuit, stumbling slightly.

'Got you!'

Latil tried to get closer, but the fox mask darted forward just in time. As the fox mask's speed increased, Latil whistled.

'Not bad.'

The speed was incredibly fast, even faster than before. The fox mask, thinking Latil was just a hobbyist in swordsmanship, was secretly impressed, but Latil didn't hear this. After a long chase, Latil finally caught the fox mask. As soon as he felt something in his fingertips, he pulled it closer and quickly threw the person to the ground.

"Ugh."

The fox mask groaned briefly and fell, but quickly got up. Latil looked at him coldly.

'If I can hear your thoughts, I'll know everything about the background.'

To hear thoughts, he needed to weaken the person's mental strength. Latil sat on the fox mask and grabbed the mask with one hand. Just as he was about to remove the mask, people with vicious weapons approached and surrounded Latil.

'What's this?'

Latil, still sitting on the fox mask, looked around. At a glance, there were over ten people, all armed with large weapons like swords, maces, and spears.

'This is troublesome.'

Latil sighed inwardly.

'If I get hurt and show up, it will be hard to sneak out of the palace next time.'

Normally, he would worry about dying, but Latil was confident he would be fine, so he didn't think that far.

'Ouch.'

At that moment, the person with a sword in front lunged at Latil. There was no questioning, no threats, no asking why he followed.

'Were they ordered to kill anyone who followed?'

Latil ducked to avoid the sword and punched the person's side. The attackers were skilled in coordinated attacks, and another person swung a large mace, but Latil moved to the side to avoid it. Taking advantage of the attacker's weakened defense from swinging the heavy mace, Latil quickly moved inside and hit the person's jaw with his elbow. He focused on attacking vital points, a method that would be considered unfair in a knight's duel but was necessary in a one-against-many situation. Latil, thinking any method was fair in this situation, tried to capture the attackers without hesitation.

'They must be the fox mask's subordinates. They probably came out after observing the situation.'

Latil saw an opportunity and pulled out his weapon, slashing the back of the person with the sword. Not too deep, not too shallow. The attacker, who had appeared with great momentum, crumpled to the ground. Just as the attacked person staggered and fell,

"!"

Latil's eyes widened in surprise. When the first attacker fell, he saw the fox mask, who had been hidden, knocking out the second attacker.

'Why is he...?'

The fox mask, who had run away after almost being unmasked, attacking the second attacker, who he was supposed to be on the same side with, was so absurd that Latil forgot the urgency of the situation.

'Weren't they on the same side? Weren't they the fox's subordinates?'

Although he couldn't understand what was happening, it seemed the fox mask's subordinates were not on the same side. This was evident from how the fox mask quickly subdued the attackers.

'What? Do I have to team up with this guy?'

Latil, hit by the fox mask's foot, changed direction and knocked out the person swinging the sword by hitting his forehead with the scabbard, muttering.

'It's clear. He must have thought the fox mask was unconscious and didn't attack.'

When the attackers also attacked the fox mask, Latil quickly understood the situation. With the fox mask suddenly becoming the attackers' enemy, the situation became more chaotic for a moment, but Latil and the fox mask eventually succeeded in knocking out almost all the attackers.

'An enemy of my enemy is a temporary ally, but not a complete ally just because they are an enemy of my enemy.'

When the attackers were knocked out, Latil, still wary of the fox mask, quickly spun his weapon in his hand. However, contrary to expectations, the fox mask did not charge at Latil.

'What is he doing...?'

Instead, the fox mask took a ribbon from his pocket and carefully tied up the knocked-out attackers, almost like packaging them.

'Is this a different fox from the one mentioned by the attackers? Is he related to Tella?'

Seeing this, Latil, confused, called out to the fox mask.

"Hey. Who are you? Why are you tying them up?"

The fox mask did not answer. Latil, not expecting an answer, instead turned his weapon around to prepare to weaken the fox mask's mental strength and hear his thoughts. He had no intention of letting the fox mask off even if they had briefly been on the same side. However, before Latil could swing his sword, the fox mask, in the blink of an eye, approached Latil, leaving the knocked-out attackers behind.

"!"

The fox mask, now close to Latil, did not draw his weapon. Latil reflexively swung his sword, but the mask simply took the hit with his body.

'What is this?'

The fox mask, in a bold move, whispered to Latil in a low voice.

"Protect yourself."

"!"

'Advice? In the middle of this? Suddenly?'

"Value yourself the most. It's not yet time for you to take on dangerous tasks."

"You..."

"Lord."

"!"

Latil, about to ask why the fox mask was giving him advice, saw the fox mask, as quickly as before, retreat into the shadows between the walls.

'What is this? Is this a different fox from Tella's fox?'

While Latil was bewildered, Tashir, who had gone to follow Paul, appeared with a person slung over each shoulder. One was Paul, who was foaming at the mouth and unconscious, and the other was an unfamiliar face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What about you? Who is this?"

"Your Majesty will have to find out. This is the person Paul was trying to meet. I don't know if he's the final mastermind, but I brought him here."

"!"

Tashir, who had easily captured the two people, put them down and, seeing the well-packaged attackers, gave Latil a thumbs up.

"You caught more than I did. Truly, you are clever."

"It doesn't seem to be about being clever. And what is this, a fishing trip...?"

"Still, it's good to catch more. Besides, Your Majesty even packaged them. That's impressive. I couldn't do the packaging."

"I didn't do the packaging."

Tashir, with a look of 'then who did it?', looked at Latil. Latil hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to mention the strange person in the fox mask who had been very friendly to him.

"Your Majesty?"

Deciding to first interrogate the attackers, Latil changed the subject.

"Put these people in prison. I can interrogate them so they can't lie."

* * *

'Although I hold the position of empress, it is in name only.'

Aisne, the empress of Carisen and the great daughter of the Daga family, the most favored child of the Daga Duke, the daughter of a meritorious official, and the empress loved by the people. Late at night, Aisne, sitting in a dark chair in the garden, recalled the titles that followed her and laughed bitterly. What good were so many compliments? Her husband, unable to forget his first love, suffers from thirst every day and does not even touch her. It would be better if that were all. Many couples in political marriages live like strangers. But it was painful to watch Hysinth prepare to cast her aside. This position was so precarious.

'Hewm.'

Aisne, thinking of her deceased lover, reddened her eyes. If he were still alive, if he had won, this would not have happened. Every time she thought of him, Aisne hated Hysinth and even her father, the Daga Duke. If her father had not betrayed Hewm...

Then, a low, soft voice came from the darkness. Aisne, wiping her eyes, was startled and opened her eyes wide.

'This voice...?'

"Aisne."

The voice, now closer, made Aisne slowly lower her hand. Hewm. Hewm's voice. The voice she always longed for. But hearing it after a long time, Aisne felt more fear than joy, knowing the person who could produce this voice, who used to call her name affectionately, was already dead. But why? Why is this voice here?

"Aisne."

Aisne, placing her hand on her knee, swallowed hard. A chill ran down her spine, and goosebumps covered her body. The third voice came from right behind the chair, hidden by the backrest.