<Chapter 124>
“My lady, would you come this way?”
Khalid’s subordinate called to me from a corner of the storage room.
“Did you find anything?”
I straightened from where I had been kneeling, dusting off my robe before asking.
“…It appears highly likely to be the remnants of the relics. The symbol of Arkane is engraved on the surface of this bronze box.”
‘What?’
I hurried to his side.
“A serpent…”
The flickering candlelight barely illuminated it, but it was unmistakable.
It was a massive serpent curled into a circle, biting its own tail.
As the dim light wavered over the bronze surface, the serpent’s eyes seemed to glimmer green, and I found my jaw tightening involuntarily.
“It doesn’t seem to have a lock. I will open it.”
With careful hands, Khalid’s aide unlatched the ancient bronze box, which had likely been sealed for centuries.
As the box, about the size of an armful, was opened, a crisp freshness, as if trapped inside for ages, wafted into the air.
“Ah…”
What lay before me was the remnants of the destroyed relics, stripped of all their brilliance, a husk of faded glory from the past.
“This is… the relic of wind.”
The Roar of the Sky.
I traced the relic with reverence, murmuring in awe.
The handle, still smooth with a faint sheen, was made of solid wood, inlaid with intricate silver engravings.
Though dulled now, the whip had once shimmered in the clear blue of the sky—its strands rumored to be woven from the very hair of the Spirit King of Wind.
“And this… the relic of earth.”
The Thunder of the Roots.
‘It is said to be a massive scythe adorned with golden engravings of unparalleled craftsmanship.’
Just as Count Jupes had described, the golden patterns swirled like flowing waves around the scythe’s handle, yet the middle section was broken.
It had likely been damaged by Arkane.
Clenching my lips, I turned to examine the next relic.
“The relic of lightning.”
The Spear of Explosion.
‘It is said to take the form of a brilliant golden trident. The Duchy of Kandel may have collapsed relatively recently compared to other fallen kingdoms, but the relic was lost centuries before that, and its whereabouts remained unknown.’
Now, stripped of its golden radiance, the relic lay before me, with one of its three prongs completely shattered.
A question formed in my mind, and I turned to the man beside me.
“The Duchy of Kandel is a prestigious noble house of the Roshan Empire, still flourishing. How did the relic of lightning end up in the Nisha palace?”
‘Had someone infiltrated the empire and stolen it?’
Suspicious, I narrowed my eyes at him.
Avoiding my gaze, Khalid’s aide hesitated before answering.
“Well… About a hundred years ago, a noblewoman from the Kandel family sought asylum in Nisha. In exchange for her acceptance, she offered the relic of lightning.”
“…What?! A noblewoman of Kandel… You mean a duchess handed over the relic herself?”
I was utterly shocked at the unexpected revelation.
“I have heard that their family has long suffered from internal strife. Perhaps she was so fed up with them that she stole the relic and fled.”
“…I see.”
‘Internal strife…’
As I thought about it, an image surfaced in my mind, the lifeless body of a woman, illuminated by the golden light she had turned her back on.
‘Considering that… it does make sense.’
That rotten family had apparently been driving its own bloodline into madness for generations, consumed by hatred.
“These are all the remnants of the relics we possess.”
The relics of the forest and water resided within Alcype and Marie’s bodies.
The remnant of the relic of light was with Ignis.
The relic of fire was safeguarded by the Roshan Empire.
That meant I had now confirmed the location of all the relic remnants I had been searching for.
“Then… now…”
What should I do with them?
I stared down at the faded relics, lost in thought.
‘…Very well. I will accept your proposal.’
A few days ago, after much internal conflict, Khalid had agreed to my proposition.
He would ascend the throne without executing the current king or the Einar royal bloodline. Instead, they would be exiled.
‘If the rebellion succeeds, you will no longer have to live on the run. …I will make sure of it.’
Though I could not be certain, in the future I had lived in, Riat Ilkai Khalid was the King of Nisha.
That meant he had likely succeeded in taking the throne and lived out his reign.
And knowing him, he was not one to break his word. He would likely keep his vow to end all sins in his generation.
‘Then, what should be done with these relic remnants?’
‘If Khalid ascended as the King of Nisha, wouldn’t it be safer to leave them in this abandoned warehouse, where no one would seek them?’
But once I returned, who knew what unforeseen variables might arise…
“Wait a moment.”
Lost in thought, a sudden memory flashed through my mind, and I stared blankly at the remnants of the relics.
‘Roshan and Nisha may be enemies, but what does that matter? As long as you agree, there won’t be any diplomatic issues. There are also those relics that, for various reasons, couldn’t be taken out of the country—ones you might find interesting…’
“Could it be… those relics?”
Why had I forgotten about this?
I raised a hand to cover my mouth as I pondered.
Of course, the relics Riat spoke of might not be the same relics I was thinking of. But the moment I recalled his words, a perfectly clear solution formed in my mind.
“…What is His Highness the Prince doing right now?”
The man who had been waiting for me, leaning against the warehouse wall, glanced up at the ceiling before answering.
“He is likely reporting to His Majesty the King.”
“Then, the King of Nisha will, of course, be furious and reprimand him… or worse.”
At my quiet murmur, his expression darkened.
“But this is merely the beginning of my lord’s plan. We can only hope he remains unharmed.”
He would be fine.
Resolving myself, I closed the bronze box containing the dimmed relics.
“Let’s head back to the surface.”
“Are you not taking the relics with you?”
Khalid’s aide asked, puzzled, but I shook my head.
“I’ll decide what to do with them after His Highness succeeds in his coup.”
It wasn’t time to move them just yet.
“It shouldn’t take too long…”
Staring at the pitch-black ceiling, I murmured quietly.
* * *
“You dare…!”
In the audience chamber, filled with all the gathered officials, the King of Nisha flushed with rage, throwing whatever was within reach.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
Crash!
A porcelain vase shattered mercilessly, its sharp fragments scattering in all directions.
One of the shards left a faint cut on the kneeling prince’s face.
“Please, calm yourself, Your Majesty! His Highness the Prince is already repenting for his failure!”
The officials, restless and anxious, tried to soothe the monarch’s wrath, but the King continued to rage.
“Failure in everything?! You couldn’t retrieve the princess, nor even find a clue about the relic of water, and yet you dare return here?!”
“…I apologize.”
“Silence! I have been far too generous with you. To think I granted such undeserved honor to a weak and utterly incompetent fool like you!”
A storm of verbal abuse rained down upon him.
And yet, the kneeling prince’s expression remained utterly unshaken, without a trace of fear.
Some of the officials, feeling even greater pity, cast uneasy glances at the furious King.
“If we fail to offer the relic, our prosperity is doomed! Arkane will grant us no further mercy! No, it won’t stop there. Every time we try to wield Sak’s power, our very flesh will rot away! Khalid Ilkai, do you even understand this?!”
“…I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths to speak. However, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, the prince, who had remained silent for a long time, spoke in a calm, measured tone.
His unwavering gaze met the King’s, and the monarch, who had been shouting in fury, unconsciously fell silent, staring back at him.
“I no longer wish to harm human lives or accumulate sins that can never be atoned for.”
Before all those present, the Prince of Ilkai declared his resolve.
