After the news of the thugs’ attack reached the Ferbache imperial mansion, the knights hurriedly finished their preparations and set out for support.
The number was ten.
At first glance, it seemed like a small number, but the knights ranged from rank one to rank four, so their strength was undeniable.
They were knights known for their one-man army capabilities.
And with a rank one knight who could use Mana Blades among them, their power was considerable.
However, Francia could not join them.
As Yohan said, her safety was the top priority.
Clop, clop
The ten knights rode their horses, scanning the surroundings.
By the time they arrived at Yohan’s location…
“My goodness.” “What the…?”
They discovered a complete wreck of a path.
Though the Ferbache imperial mansion had “imperial” in its name, it was quite a distance away.
Because of the mansion’s size, it required a large area of land.
As a result, the knights had to pass through unpaved roads and undeveloped areas like forests.
Now, it was utterly destroyed.
There were massive crater-like marks everywhere, with broken trees and shattered rocks strewn across the path.
“Is this the aftermath of a battle? With this level of destruction, did Harssen handle it all by himself? That could be the case. It’s completely shattered.…He’s not called a high-ranking mage for nothing. The power is ridiculous.”
The knights slowed their pace and surveyed the area.
Upon arriving at an open space filled with black ash ignited by magical energy, they found Yohan.
“Harssen!”
The knights dismounted and quickly drew their swords, rushing to his side.
Yohan swept his hair back.
“You’re late.” “I apologize.” “It’s fine. I handled everything anyway.”
As ash whirled around, making his eyes sting, Yohan waved his hand in front of his face, frowning.
“I dealt with the leader and let the underlings go as a warning.” “Did you identify their identities?” “Yes. They’re hyenas operating in the underworld.” “If they’re hyenas…”
They were the rotten elements of imperial society, doing all the dirty work for the noble families.
“Let’s discuss the details back at the mansion. What about the lady? She has safely arrived at the mansion.”
“Good.”
Yohan nodded as he mounted the horse they had brought.
“Let’s head back.”
Meanwhile, Francia was in the mansion’s lobby, overwhelmed by anxiety, biting her nails.
‘Why are they already moving?’
She was worried about two things: Yohan’s safety and the fact that Cassis Renokhonan’s hyenas had begun to stir.
Although she believed Yohan would return safely, having dealt with even an elite magical beast, her anxiety wasn’t entirely unfounded.
The fact that Cassis Renokhonan’s hyenas had started moving was a different story.
‘Is it because I became Yohan’s lover that a massive butterfly effect has occurred?’
Cassis Renokhonan typically began to act when Crown Prince Fedelian’s schemes deepened, and they started to engage in a war of nerves.
But this time, there was no war of nerves, nor any significant contact, yet the hyenas had begun to move. Boldly, at that.
…They’re not targeting me; they’re targeting Yohan.
Comparing the lost past and present quickly led her to the answer.
Unless they eliminate Yohan Harssen, who is her lover, they cannot achieve their goal.
That must be their conclusion.
…If that’s the case, then I must move faster.
Francia possessed information about an unpredictable future.
She knew the locations of various hidden opportunities in this world.
Although it was still premature and nothing had happened to shake society, she had kept quiet.
‘This cannot continue.’
Wasn’t it the same during the reconnaissance mission in Magul? Everything unfolded completely differently.
Originally, Francia should have been assigned to a different unit with Fedelian, and the magical beasts should have converged on her.
Then, Fedelian would appear, rescue her, and it would be over.
But this time, she was not only assigned to the same unit as Fedelian, but the magical beasts’ movements also converged entirely on Yohan.
She had already felt a sense of urgency from that point.
‘If they move simultaneously, Yohan will struggle to handle it.’
She had to support him both physically and mentally.
Yohan was desperately striving for her, and for them to be together.
‘I need to bring it out.’
She made her way to the safe in the Ferbache imperial mansion.
Since giving Yohan the book of disasters hidden in the Ferbache ducal residence, Francia had not been able to provide him with any benefits.
Even though she had various pieces of information that she couldn’t share with anyone.
But now, it was different.
‘If the flow has started, my goal is not to just shift it a little, but to break it.’
She had been far too complacent from the start.
A momentary peace and happiness had made her lax.
Francia took out a pendant she had secretly kept in the safe.
Seven stars sparkled brilliantly within the red jewel.
An artifact.
Its name was ‘Rubyon,’ a mythical artifact that could help one escape death seven times in dire situations.
This artifact had saved her several times before, so it would surely be a great help to Yohan.
But that wasn’t all.
She had to elevate Yohan’s title and status to an incomparable level compared to now, using the events that would occur in the future.
‘Yohan, I’m sorry. I will do my best.’
Yohan arrived at the Ferbache imperial mansion in a disheveled state.
Francia was anxiously waiting for him at the front door.
“Yohan!”
As soon as she spotted him, she rushed over and hugged him.
“Francia.”
Yohan smiled gently, lightly patting her head.
“What did I say? You’re stronger than I thought.”
“Strength and putting yourself in danger are two different things…”
Francia gazed at Yohan with her shimmering red eyes.
“We promised not to do this again.” “Still, it was the best I could do.”
“…I can’t let Francia be in danger.”
Francia, puffing up her cheeks, couldn’t find the words and simply buried her face in Yohan’s embrace.
“It’s not fair. I’m worried about Yohan, and if you say that, I can’t say anything more,” Francia said.
Yohan smiled faintly, gently detaching himself from the insistently clinging Francia.
“Anyway, I’ll go wash up. I’m too dirty right now to hug Francia for long.”
“Oh, okay. I’m sorry. I’ll tell them to prepare right away.”
Francia glanced at the butler beside her, and he quickly led the servants back into the mansion.
“Rest. We can talk later.”
“Yes.”
Yohan entered the mansion.
After a short wait, the butler finished preparing the bath, allowing Yohan to wash himself.
Sssss.
Lying in the bathtub, Yohan stared at the ceiling, recalling the battle he had just experienced.
‘It was more challenging than I imagined to fight against humans.’
If it had been a high-grade hyena, he would have had a tough time if it hadn’t been for the combination of Manryujigak and Yeongnyujin.
Yohan realized he was still not accustomed to using magic and was at a level where he couldn’t handle combat effectively.
What good is it to have overwhelming adaptability and operational skills? What good is it to master extraordinary high-level magic if he can’t fight when it matters?
‘I need to focus more on training.’
Since childhood, he had practiced martial arts as a hobby, but he had only recently started using magic properly.
‘Still, I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve confirmed the performance of the rupture point.’
If he had swept them away with a distortion sphere all at once, it would have ended much quicker, but how often do such opportunities arise? He needed to test it while he could.
‘In any case, I’ve clearly recognized my level now.’
In monster battles that don’t involve human conflict, he was strong enough to defeat high-grade monsters alone, but he was lacking in human combat.
It was only natural, given his lack of experience.
‘Right now, rather than learning other high-level magic, I should hone the magic I’ve learned.’
And it would be good to eliminate shadows and hyenas so that Crown Prince Fedelian and Cassis can’t make any moves.
He needed to develop his sense of real combat.
After finishing his thoughts, Yohan got up from the bathtub.
He dried himself with the towel prepared by the servants and stepped out of the bathroom wearing a robe, where Francia was waiting.
“Oh, you’re out.”
Francia smiled warmly and patted the spot next to her on the bed.
“Sit down.”
“Yes.”
Yohan shook his wet hair slightly and sat beside her.
“Take this.”
“What’s this?”
Francia handed him a jewel resembling a red ruby.
It was infused with refined magical energy, making it quite unusual.
“It’s a talisman passed down in the Ferbache family.”
“… Am I allowed to accept this?”
“Why not? Yohan will be a part of the Ferbache family, after all.”
Francia said this with a smile and kissed Yohan on the cheek.
“Always carry this with you. The Ferbache family will protect you.”
“Thank you.”
Yohan lightly smiled as he held the heart-like red jewel in his hand.
Francia leaned her face on his shoulder, her expression filled with worry.
“Don’t you wonder why these things keep happening?”
She said, throwing it out there casually.
“I know. There are many nobles who dislike the fact that I’m Francia’s lover.”
Even without the active moves of Fedelian and Cassis, there were many figures unhappy about Yohan’s relationship with Francia.
Not just the high-ranking nobles of the empire, but even the elders of the royal family felt the same way.
Moreover, there were loyalists who believed Francia should become empress, adding to the tension…
“The ducal also mentioned that there are many nobles targeting Francia, and he asked me to protect her. I naturally agreed.”
Francia hesitated for a moment, her lips moving as if to speak, but then she fell silent.
She seemed to have something to say but found it difficult to express.
“You don’t have to apologize. I want to be with Francia just as much.”
Yohan, who had immediately grasped her feelings, gently patted Francia’s head.
“I’m a lucky man, aren’t I? I’m in a relationship with the most beautiful Francia in the empire, after all?”
Then he smiled mischievously.
“… I’m sorry. Thank you. And I like you.”
Francia once again hugged Yohan, burying her face in his chest.
“I’ll work harder.”
“Just as you are is fine.”
“No, I need to try harder.”
“Why’s that?”
“That’s…”
Francia rolled her eyes, then eventually avoided his gaze.
“Because I’m Yohan’s lover?”
“… I see.”
Yohan chuckled and lay back on the bed.
“I guess I’m quite tired from using so much magic. Shall we rest now?”
“Today, I’ll stay by your side so you can sleep comfortably.”
“Sure.”
“Haha. Haven’t I always been by your side?”
“… That’s true.”
They exchanged glances and began to giggle.
It was a night when the moonlight was particularly beautiful.
“… I’m sorry.”
The hyena, who returned in tatters, knelt and bowed his head.
“Hmmm.”
Cassis seemed to ponder for a moment before staring at him with his sunken violet eyes and drawing his sword.
“Really… I can’t stand it.”
Slash!
As the dark horizon was drawn, blood splattered in the air.
“Claiming that one day he would kill me… I can’t stand it.”
Thud.
The hyena’s head fell off, and his body collapsed like a scarecrow.
“Clean this up.”
“Yes!”
At Cassis’s command, the knights quickly moved to clear away the corpses.
They were the Black Knights under his command from the Renokhonan Grand Ducal family.
‘I don’t know how he figured out that I orchestrated this.’
He had left no evidence.
The only hint was that the hyenas were moving from a great family.
Could one deduce from just that that he was behind it all?
His answer was uncertain.
‘Perhaps there is an intelligence organization.’
Cassis muttered as he slowly wiped his sword clean.
“By the way, the first-class knights of the civil servant level were mixed in, and there were quite a few of them, yet he managed to overcome it alone.”
It seemed that Yohan Harssen was far from being a typical high-level magician.
‘It’s a flaw that I can’t act immediately since I’ve been discovered as the one pulling the strings…’
Cassis murmured as he sheathed his sword.
“I’ll leave the future for later, Yohan Harssen.”
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