The strategy of Stilikov, aimed at reducing personnel for safe movement, succeeded.
Upon reaching the secretum, Franz closely observed whether there were any factions stationed there or signs of someone tracking him but fortunately found nothing.
Just as he began to relax, Stilikov left to check on the safety of his hidden storage. Franz, unable to think of following him, continued to rest.
Moving through space using magical power was more physically exhausting than he expected.
For Franz, who only enjoyed light exercise for leisure or maintaining his appearance, months of fleeing had become a grueling ordeal.
Yet, he could not show any signs of hardship in front of the knights who bore dangers on his behalf to save his life. Pretending to be fine, he felt he could not afford to comfort his subordinates.
“Are you alright, Your Highness? Would you like something to drink…?”
“Enough.”
The many people who once followed and bowed before him were now gone. Franz suddenly scanned the stone path he was sitting on, lost in thought.
He began to yearn for his time in Rahart, where he was looked down upon as a half-breed royal but lived comfortably.
Noticing his troubled expression, Knight Chetara continuously observed him.
“I found myself wondering how you ended up sitting on this stone floor eating something…”
“Ah…”
A weak response slipped out inadvertently. Franz quickly closed his mouth, but Chetara’s face was already tinged with pity.
Pity. Among the emotions others had for him, Franz despised pity and sympathy the most. It would be more apt to call it hatred.
Disdainful looks were equally hateful, but sympathy felt even more disgusting.
This is because sympathy inherently carries a condescending gaze towards the other.
Isn’t feeling pity for someone in a worse situation than oneself simply sympathy? Franz could not forgive the pity he read in Chetara’s face.
“If you dare to feel pity for me, you had better stop.”
“Excuse me?”
“No matter how wretched I may appear now, I am of royal blood and fundamentally different from you. I mean to say, withdraw your presumptuous gaze.”
Chetara’s eyes wavered. It was unclear if he was frightened by Franz’s words, hurt, or feeling defiant.
Every individual’s help is desperately needed now.
Still, Franz committed the foolish mistake of pushing away a valuable ally who followed me at the cost of his life, all for the sake of his pride.
“How dare I give such a look to His Majesty? I’m sorry, Your Highness. But it’s a misunderstanding.”
“So you’re saying my words are wrong and yours are right?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Suddenly, a fist filled with rage flew mercilessly at Chetara’s face. This was clearly an act of venting anger. Chetara had done nothing wrong.
He had only come this far, abandoning his family and himself, swearing to serve the master he had vowed to protect with his life.
For showing him a look of sympathy, he was struck.
Franz, who valued immediate feelings over others’ emotions or situations, continued to swing his fists at Chetara, not realizing what he was doing.
“Your Majesty, why are you doing this!”
Stilikov, who had returned to the scene late, rushed in to pull Franz away, but it was not easy to calm the enraged Franz on his own.
After a prolonged struggle to pacify Franz, Stilikov looked at Chetara, who lay helplessly on the floor, and a shadow fell over his face.
“Lord Franz… why?”
“He’s a cocky brat, so he deserves to be punished.”
A sigh escaped. Half-blooded prince. Dirty bloodline. Offspring of a vulgar mother. Perhaps because he grew up facing ridicule from people, Franz sometimes succumbed to incomprehensible anger and lost himself.
The origins of that anger mainly stemmed from twisted inferiority complexes.
He often found absurd reasons to criticize servants for merely glancing or for perceived arrogance in their gestures.
Stilikov was someone who understood his temperament better than anyone, but today, it was hard to understand Franz’s outburst.
A knight who had followed him this far had a loyalty unmatched by anyone else. They abandoned their lives and families, driven only by dedication.
Stilikov felt devastated by Franz’s actions as he trampled a knight, simply because he seemed arrogant.
Loyalty is not built on one-sided devotion and affection. The same applies to military relationships. When a vassal swears loyalty to a lord, the lord must reciprocate with due generosity and responsibility.
Stilikov has tirelessly tried to embrace Franz, who understands the former but not the latter.
“However, even in a moment where one doesn’t know the future just one step ahead, it’s hard to believe that someone who can’t even control their own emotions would beat up a loyal subordinate like a petty person. Stilikov bit his lip.”
***
Knights wounded by betrayal from their leader. Karl chuckled softly.
He promised that if they provided direct help to capture the criminal Franz, he would spare them from execution, and the imperial investigation team gained a crucial lead.
Franz and his closest knight were heading to the southern part of the empire.
Upon obtaining this information, the imperial investigation team promptly got in touch with their southern base.
Though they couldn’t pinpoint Franz’s exact location, there were a few suspicious areas in the southeast, not far from the west and near a mine.
“No matter how loyal the knights are, there are things they can’t tolerate.”
Scanning the list of suspicious areas, Karl set the paper down without hesitation.
“Betrayal.”
He understood that Franz lacked the ability to receive unconditional loyalty from the knights. Karl also somewhat anticipated that a traitor would emerge among the knights fleeing with Franz sooner or later.
Even though events unfolded as expected, Karl couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease rather than joy or relief.
“It seems Franz didn’t realize that when cracks begin to form in relationships that have clung to life until the very end, it’s truly over.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. Those individuals will be taken to the imperial investigation team shortly.”
The end for Franz unfolded in Karl’s mind. His escape wouldn’t last long.
“What of the search for the underground passage, Duke?”
“We’re hastily determining where the passage leads and how far it extends, but it’s tangled like a spider web, so we haven’t fully figured it out yet. I’ve blocked the areas directly connected to you, and I’ve also sealed the path leading to the center. However…”
“However?”
“There were unexpectedly two caves that connect among the underground passages.”
“Two? Where do they lead?”
Clovis hesitated, and from his pause, Karl could vaguely guess the location Clovis was alluding to.
“Is it heading towards Louisette?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It appears to have been designed to collapse in case of an uncertain intrusion, which is why the middle part is blocked, and we haven’t tracked it all the way. However, based on the direction, it seems to lead to the Count’s territory.”
The sea, which was expected to be like that. However, even if anticipated, it is not without shock when confirmed firsthand.
Wasn’t the relationship between the Louisette family and Franz, starting from Marina, already well known? A furrow appeared on Karl’s brow.
“Isn’t there a way to search from the opposite side if it’s blocked?”
“Are you referring to finding the entrance in the Count’s territory? Of course, I have thought of that as well….”
“It seems you couldn’t hastily start.”
The Louisette Count family is now the Empress’s maternal family. No matter how much the Imperial Investigation Unit is involved, it is impossible to search the Empress’s maternal family without authorization. Unless the Emperor grants permission.
Clovis began to gauge Karl’s reaction. It wouldn’t be difficult to issue a search permit to the Imperial Investigation Unit.
However, the reason Karl couldn’t easily agree was that giving an order to search the Empress’s family at this point, shortly after his enthronement, wouldn’t look good.
It wasn’t just a matter of appearances. It could also seem like the Emperor was attacking the Empress.
“Wouldn’t it be possible to operate unofficially?”
In that case, actions could be taken without people knowing. Clovis’s eyes sparkled as he read Karl’s gaze.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will contact the Count immediately.”
“Let it be known that it is not the Imperial Investigation Unit visiting, but the Empress’s heartfelt intention to send gifts to her family.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Clovis bowed and hurriedly left the office.
