C25 Part1

Translated by XyeHeart Edited by XyeHeart

“All right, I won’t think of anything strange, so stick by my side.” Meriel said this after grabbing his hand.

“Don’t say anything strange when you’re nervous,” she added.

“I was just trying to loosen up.”

“I know that’s a lie.”

“Did you get caught? I’m sorry.” Klaus sighed and sat down again.

Despite his irritation, he stayed by her side, holding her hand as Meriel had requested. Meriel blinked several times as he pondered.

She dozed off, thinking she was safe. What a difficult night it had been. Reddish sunlight began to filter through the hut’s door.

“Would you please stop stroking and petting my leg?” Klaus was displeased.

“I’m sleepy, so I don’t know,” was the response.

He sighed, his injured right arm making it difficult to even touch her head, so he sighed and exhaled several times. Klaus couldn’t sleep until dawn. She remained by his side throughout the early morning, unbothered by him, supporting Meriel’s head, which rested on his shoulder.

Klaus’s face twisted painfully as he watched her fall asleep and breathe. She was a treasure of a woman. It’s not enough to fail to protect such a woman and force her to go through this ordeal, she also has to meet Craig.

‘Craig’

He clenched his fists.

That person spent his childhood with him, Bran, Eirin, and was already damaged. Until he became the leader of the Palletas, the cult that threatened him the most.

What went wrong?

* * *

The first thing Emperor Draven did when he returned to the Imperial Palace was look for a force that could threaten the Dustin estate. It was after he had kept Princess Diana in her palace because he couldn’t stand by what she had done to the Grand Duke.

He didn’t want to bring charges against his lovely daughter, but he didn’t know what the grand duke would do if he didn’t. Draven clenched his fists as he remembered their last conversation.

“Cheeky bastard.”

He used to be like that when he was younger. Even after losing his parents, he halted the monsters’ attack and re-established the East Coast, which appeared to be collapsing.

Draven wondered if he had anything to do with the fact that the previous emperor and his wife died, leaving only Meriel alive.

There was no such thing as a perfect plan. He would not have had to live in a fire like this if he had died with Meriel.

Even so, if he had intervened, there would have been no such tense situation.

“Don’t they have them in Dustin, Father?”

“Them?”

“Palletas.”

“Palletas? Aren’t they the insane people who claim that the world of monsters is on its way?”

“It’s not the same as before. According to information, they have grown to the point where they pose a significant threat to the East.”

“Hmm…”

“If the deal goes well, we will be able to use them to harm the Grand Duke.”

It was a believable story. As he brushed his beard, Draven shook his head, thinking.

“There is no one who can stand up to Klaus right now. I’ll be happy if he vanishes, but…If there are any attacks, the Empire will be in jeopardy.”

“Is he that powerful?”

“He is the one who defeated monsters when he was young. It’s not something you can easily overlook.”

Draven recalled the former Grand Duke Dustin frequently flying to and from the capital, bragging about his son.

He shrugged, saying that there are many children in this generation who are excited about the future. Brando was also one.

Bran grew up with Klaus and eventually became the commander of the Dustin estate.

‘How about the other one?’

Draven struggled to recall a name he couldn’t recall. He had at least one more childhood friend with whom he grew up.

He was a child who could not be compared to Klaus, and he was superior to Bran. He’s one of Dustin’s supporters, and Draven has seen him before.

“But wouldn’t it be nice if we could talk to them?”

“It’s a horde of insane people. Is there anyone I can speak with?”

“The leader, according to the spy planted in Dustin, is quite talkative.”

“…Hmm.”

He didn’t want to do it, but Dale, the son and crown prince, had asked him to. He reasoned that it would be fine to leave some to him because he would succeed him someday.

In contrast to Diana, he was quite reasonable.

“Who is their leader?”

“His name is Craig. I recommend that you contact him.”

A light flashed in Draven’s head for a split second.

‘Yes, that’s the name.’

Craig.

Draven clenched his fist in response to the unfamiliar name.

He discovered an alternative to Klaus.

Craig Colt, son of the Colt family, was in charge of the vast intelligence of the Dustin family. Then he was strong enough to take on Klaus.

He wondered why he hadn’t realized until now, and the more he thought about it, the more information about him flashed before his eyes.

“If you contact him, make an appointment to meet with him. I believe it would be worthwhile to put his abilities to the test.”

Draven expected him to live up to his standards. It was a childhood friend of Klaus’s who was raised together with him as a child. Even if he didn’t pose a threat to Klaus, it was worth a shot. He might be able to cause some psychological harm to Klaus.

“He was a young man who knew how to use a bow.”

As a family in charge of information, it was an ideal family to raise assassins. However, it also vanished without a trace after the death of the former Dustin Lord and his wife.

The most difficult thing for Klaus after he became Grand Duke was the loss of vast amounts of information.

‘Hmm… not bad.’

He advanced along smoothly, as if God were assisting him.

It was simple for Meriel to deal with Klaus. It was easier for him to deal with Meriel, who had nothing, than to spit on the side of the road.

If Craig had come into his hands, he would have also taken the vast amount of information about the Colt family that he might have possessed.

“By the way, where is Juliana, and why can’t I see her? She didn’t even accompany us to the east.”

“She returned to the academy, stating she was tired of the imperial palace. She had heard nothing about Meriel.”

“Yeah, because that kid has been strangely interested in Meriel since before.”

Of course, it wasn’t the enmity Draven desired. Julia, another daughter who adores books and spends her days in the library, adored Meriel. It would have been quite disturbing if access had not been restricted to prevent friendship.

“Is Juliana too old to marry?”

Draven recalled her, who was a year older than her Meriel, and wondered if there were any good people to marry her. Once again, a light flashed in my head, as if God was truly assisting me.

Draven didn’t take his time thinking about it.

“If Craig gets things right, he’ll have to marry Juliana,” he hopes.

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