“That wicked one is giving false testimony, Your Majesty! She must be dragged out immediately!”
Chase’s neck was bulging with veins.
“Your Majesty, it’s not true. His Highness Chase has constantly told me that His Highness David was his obstacle. Please believe my words!”
At this shocking revelation, the nobles let out a gasp, and Lange closed his eyes tightly.
Amid the heavy silence that settled, Chase glared at Iris as if he wanted to kill her.
Iris ignored the sharp gaze piercing her cheek, though she was aware of it.
“Iris, can you prove your words?”
“Prove…”
She had only spoken. And Chase had never given any specific instructions.
Moreover, it was something that would harm both of them. Why would they leave evidence?
Iris looked back at Elise and Karan. Elise and Karan had expressionless faces, but a clear determination could be read.
If they fail to bring Chase down, there would be no salvation for Iris either.
Iris immediately knelt at Lange’s feet.
“Your Majesty, I-I have no evidence, but everything I said is true.”
“Look at this, Father! It’s just a made-up story to slander me.”
Chase saw this as his chance.
“She’s a witch. A criminal who fled after setting out for gate subjugation for the country.”
Lange’s heavy eyelids twitched. Everyone in the room held their breath and watched Lange’s reaction.
“What do you all think?”
Everyone just moved their lips without speaking.
With only claims without evidence, it was truly impossible to discern truth from lies, making it awkward to give an opinion.
It was like a roulette of terror where the outcome couldn’t be guaranteed. A game where if the ball I rolled falls into the wrong place, I lose my life.
It was literally a situation where one had to entrust their life to luck.
“How frustrating.”
This was both an expression of his inner thoughts and a criticism of the nobles.
Lange was angry that no one stepped forward to condemn Chase.
If he made a unilateral judgment, there would surely be talk.
If that happens, David would have to take responsibility in the future. He didn’t want to burden his precious son, whose fate was still unknown, with that burden as well.
“Is there really no good idea?”
“I have one, Your Majesty.”
Elise stepped forward. When Lange granted permission to speak, Elise also bowed to the nobles of Bedrokka.
“Isn’t that the person who went to Tetris because she disliked Bedrokka?”
“She also met with His Highness Chase. Can we expect a fair opinion?”
The gazes towards Elise were hostile. Elise didn’t flinch.
Gazes that couldn’t harm her were just amusing
“In the past, King Solomon, who was called the King of Wisdom, when faced with continuous one-sided claims without evidence, locked the parties involved in one room. And he made the two people come to a conclusion.”
The nobles murmured, recalling the anecdote of King Solomon.
“Does anyone know about this?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. But that… it’s close to a duel.”
“However, a conclusion was reached, Your Majesty. Because only one person remained to make claims.”
After the nobles finished explaining, Lange stroked his chin.
“There’s a saying in Bedrokka: The truth never dies. The one who speaks the truth will receive the goddess’s blessing.”
Elise, as if having said all she needed to, gave a graceful bow and returned to Karan’s side.
As Lange pondered, Iris raised her head from her bowed position.
“Your Majesty, please do so. I will prove it!”
“Father! You can’t. Think about it. Iris is a magician. Locking her in a room with me is no different from sentencing me to death!”
Chase’s face turned pale.
“There’s no need to worry about that, His Highness Chase.”
Karan lifted the edge of the sackcloth covering Iris’s ankle with his fingertip. Shackles were revealed.
Some people frowned and turned away.
“Her magic is sealed.”
Karan smiled at Chase, curling his lip. It was a smile that grated on Chase’s pride.
Lange thought for a moment and then made his judgment.
“Let’s trust the goddess’s judgment.”
Iris let out a breath she had been holding, and Chase clenched his fist tightly.
Shortly after, knights seized both of them.
“To the underground prison.”
Iris and Chase were locked in the underground prison. It was the same underground prison where Elise had been confined.
****
“Elise, go in and rest first.”
“What about you, Your Highness? Where are you going?”
“I have somewhere to stop by briefly.”
Elise guessed that Karan was going to meet the warriors he had planted in Bedrokka and returned to the bedroom.
She planned to review the strategy for subjugating Ragnaros until the results came out tomorrow, now that Chase and Iris were locked in the underground prison.
“Your Highness, where are you going?”
Haltbin, who had been waiting in the corridor the entire time after Elise left, approached.
“To the underground prison. You’ve found out where they’re kept, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
As Haltbin handed over a note, Karan’s brow furrowed.
The number of the underground prison was too familiar.
[She’s in the underground prison!]
The urgent expression and voice of Haltbin from that time flashed across his now neat face.
Elise, how wronged she must have felt.
Karan’s fist clenched. The note crumpled mercilessly.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
The atmosphere surrounding him was unsettling. It wasn’t just Haltbin who felt it, passing knights of Bedrokka quietly gripped their sword hilts.
Karan glanced around. Then he spoke very brightly.
“I’m very well.”
Haltbin sighed. Karan’s eyes were still sharp.
“Are you going to see them?”
“Of course. Don’t you think it’ll be fun to watch those two fight?”
Something had suppressed Karan’s madness. Haltbin took a step back, waving his hand.
“I’m not interested.”
“I’m not taking you. Instead, Haltbin, I have a favor to ask.”
Haltbin wanted to cover his ears and run away, but his feet moved towards Karan on their own.
The instinct to survive overcame reason.
“Steal that passing knight’s dagger.”
“What? You want me to steal a Bedrokka knight’s dagger in the middle of Bedrokka?”
Karan calmly nodded.
“If you can’t do it, I’ll do it myself.”
Haltbin bowed his head deeply.
“I can’t let Your Highness dirty your hands. It’s better if I get caught instead. But if I do get caught, please rescue me.”
When Karan indifferently replied “Sure,” Haltbin moved.
In an instant, Haltbin erased his presence, seeming to disappear.
Only Karan, focusing solely on him, clearly saw Haltbin’s movements.
The way he moved like a breeze and pulled out the dagger from the Bedrokka knight’s waist.
“Here it is.”
Haltbin returned and handed over the dagger with his back to the knight.
“Your skills haven’t deteriorated.”
Karan tucked the dagger away and patted Haltbin’s shoulder. Then he headed towards the underground prison with a brisk step.
****
Iris and Chase sat leaning against opposite walls of the underground prison, glaring at each other.
“Confess now that it was all false testimony. Then I’ll at least spare your life.”
Chase said.
“Can’t you read the situation, Your Highness? Shouldn’t you be begging me for your life right now?”
Iris snorted.
“What can you do without your magic? The only reason you’re even breathing and talking now is because I’m letting you.”
Chase stood up. He moved his body as if to show Iris.
He was tied to a ring on the floor by one leg. Even so, the rope was long enough for him to move near Iris.
Though his hands were tied, unlike Iris, it was with rope, so he was much freer.
“Go ahead and try to kill me.”
Iris raised her neck, free from shackles.
Chase’s neck and jaw tensed. Then, as if to loosen his tense muscles, he stretched his head from side to side.
“You know, Iris. There was a time when I thought we would be forever.”
There was a chilling feeling in his slow speech. Iris also slowly stood up, pushing against the floor with her feet.
The two glared at each other. A tense atmosphere flowed between them.
“Are you two on a blind date? Still just staring at each other? Don’t disappoint the people expecting something.”
That tension was cut short by Karan’s appearance.
“You bastard!”
Chase changed direction and lunged at Karan. He pressed his face against the iron bars and flailed his hands, but couldn’t even graze Karan’s collar.
“You son of a bitch! Why are you doing this to me? What wrong have I done to you!”
In Chase’s mind, both Elise and Karan were being too harsh on him. They seemed desperate to bring him down as if he were their mortal enemy.
Shouldn’t it be the opposite?
It was Elise who abandoned him, and thanks to her, Karan had been thriving.
“You did wrong, enormously so.”
Karan pulled in his chin and lowered his gaze. His eyes were fixed on the floor of the underground prison.
On the mossy floor with no visible traces, a vision of Elise collapsed flickered.
“You’ve done something that tearing you apart wouldn’t be enough for. And.”
Karan tilted his head slightly. As his gaze, gleaming with madness, fell on her, Iris’s pupils dilated.
“You.”
“Were you a delusional patient?”
Chase stepped back hesitantly.
“Does Elise know you’re a madman? Is she still by your side knowing this?”
Karan was quite pleased with Chase’s assessment of him as a madman.
I am a bit crazy, for Elise.
“She doesn’t know. And I’ll make sure she never does. In that sense, you’ll have to die. But I’m a very proper person, you see. I intend to respect the King of Bedrokka’s judgment. So one of you can survive.”
Of course, it was a lie.
Whoever survived, Karan intended to chase them to the ends of hell and erase them from this world.
But there’s no need to make that effort twice.
Karan threw a dagger between Iris and Chase.
Chase and Iris simultaneously looked at the dagger. Their eyes sparkled for a moment.
“I’m curious to see who will come out.”
As Karan snapped his fingers, as if it were a signal, Iris and Chase lunged for the dagger.
