Chapter . 109
“Your Highness's eyes have turned red.”
It was a phenomenon that occurred when vision sharing with Harald began.
“Wait a moment.”
Soon, the scene where I sent Harald appeared before my eyes.
Just like then, the Knights of Saint Romola had come through the teleportation magic circle at the temple directly under the Traneha religion and were riding their horses all the way here.
They would soon reach Montova territory.
“The Knights of Saint Romola are coming. Why is everyone in such a hurry?”
I grumbled as I delivered the news. Originally, dispatching knights was no easy task, even with magic circles. It naturally takes a long time, but everyone came insanely fast. Even skipping basic supplies just to tear apart my territory.
At least the Knights of Saint Romola weren't coming from the Imperial Palace after flirting with noblewomen like my brothers' knights, but coming after being deployed elsewhere, so they were comparatively late.
“It's natural, Your Highness. Everyone is frantic to discover Your Highness first, and they know they are not the only ones.”
When Nanette answered smartly, Yolande and Vincent looked very proud.
“Our smart girl. Since Yolande and Vincent are really coming with me this time, go stay with the old lady.”
“Yes, Your Highness. The lady thinks I am taking a nap. I will return quietly to my room. Please come back safely, everyone.”
Stroking Nanette's hair, I looked around at everyone.
“Let's go then.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Ready, Your Highness.”
“So we can't do a siege this time either…….”
I intended to leave behind Michelon, who was sad about not doing a siege even after fighting like that, but he said he hated that too and would go with me.
“While we are gone, let's have Harald scout the besieging army. We need to grasp the enemy's strength in detail. Count how many catapults they brought too.”
But since he was looking forward to the siege so much, I refused fearing he would complain if he saw a group without catapults. Actually, with this momentum, they might drag catapults here by tomorrow. If I don't resolve this quickly.
“I'll send Harald to Mount Petrafis.”
Since Harald must be tired too, I sent him via teleportation magic.
Like that, I moved again this time taking Yolande and Vincent as well. To the middle point between Montova Castle and the Knights of Saint Romola's current location.
It was a main road winding around a village. Normally it would have been crowded, but all the villagers had evacuated to the castle, and the looters were focused on surrounding the castle and causing a ruckus rather than looting the surrounding areas yet, so no one was there.
“Oh, it is truly amazing that Your Highness moves without a magic circle!”
Vincent was dying of joy looking at me.
“Not necessarily. Basically, I set the Throne Magic Circle as the center, and if I input the coordinates within my territory into Tess, the Throne Magic Circle acts as my teleportation magic circle too.”
Although I can teleport otherwise, that way is easier when moving several people in my territory. I wish the day would come quickly when the Throne Magic Circle becomes my exclusive magic circle. So I wouldn't have to erase my command input records with Tess like now.
Yolande also praised me with a bright face.
“It is truly amazing. The power of that magic circle is incredibly strong, to move freely just by inputting coordinates from afar without needing to draw another teleportation magic circle.”
“I've done even more amazing things, I'll tell you later.”
“Ah, I want to hear it right now!”
“Ah, stop chatting about fun stories just between you two, looks like the bastards are coming now? I hear hoofbeats.”
Michelon, who has keen ears, said. Although the Throne Magic Circle handling my territory's administration warned of the intrusion of armed forces through Tess, Harald and Michelon noticed faster at close range.
“Now, let's start slowly.”
“Since the two of you just came from battle, you are fine as is, and only the three of us need to do it.”
Yolande said so and changed Vincent, Jerome, and herself into the same appearance as when they wandered for a week looking for me. Me and Michelon, having fought three factions simultaneously, didn't need to, and we just had to change the crest on Michelon's shield to Lauderdale's. As soon as we did, Michelon shouted.
“They're coming!”
A ray of pure white light stretched from beyond the horizon and approached straight towards us. But Yolande bounced it off with a defensive shield.
“It is the Traneha religion's search magic. As Your Highness warned, I only deflected it weakly and did not block the search. At such weak resistance, they will likely come running in excitement thinking to trample us in one go.”
Yolande said casting a contemptuous look at the horizon. Soon, the flag of the Knights of Saint Romola fluttered above it.
“Finally the pure white virgins are coming! Why don't they go suck on their mommy's tit! Kyahaha!”
“Pfft, Michelon really, kikikik!”
“No well, it isn't wrong, kukukuk!”
Michelon, Yolande, and Jerome laughed together making strange noises, and Vincent sighed. Yet everyone hurriedly walked towards Montova Castle pretending not to have seen the flag.
But we had to stop soon. Because a praying illusion of Saint Romola appeared before our eyes. Michelon whistled.
“Is it a Saint, or a giant?”
The giant illusion looked down on us and spoke politely.
“Prince Leontes.”
“It's that bastard's voice. The guy who went around blabbering about your Portrait Ring.”
Michelon, who suspected Giuliano, now suspected Immanuel.
“Come to think of it, Cardinal Orlanto also kissed my ring once.”
“I hate that guy too, and I hate that guy over there. Let's just say both did it.”
Regardless of our chatter, Immanuel's voice continued.
“Prince Leontes, we, the Knights of Saint Romola, have come to save Your Highness. Please wait for us for a moment. We will protect you.”
“Hmph, protect my foot! Talking like that, but if we try to pass, they'll block us! Wish he would just shut up.”
Yolande got angry and raised her staff.
“I will poke a bit. Gently.”
Michelon clapped from the side.
“Yeah, Yolande. That bastard, why is he borrowing a woman's face to speak when he's a man? Give him a blow.”
“If you do that, you'll be marked by the Knights of Purity.”
Vincent tried to stop her, but I wanted to let my Master do whatever she wanted. Since it was something she couldn't even dream of before the regression.
“Go ahead, Yolande.”
The moment the words fell, Yolande's staff spewed fire, and a mustache was drawn on the Saint's face.
“Hahahaha! Looks exactly like Immanuel! Indeed like mother like son!”
Even though Immanuel didn't have a mustache, Michelon laughed saying so. Jerome liked it too.
“It's truly art, Yolande!”
“Erase it a bit before they come.”
Vincent alone was anxious, but Yolande stayed still and only shouted with a worried face when the Knights of Purity arrived.
“Your Highness, this illusion won't disappear. No matter how hard I try, only the mustache gets drawn! What should I do!”
The Knights of Purity who were rushing towards me seemed shocked by the Saint's new appearance. Some knights almost lost balance and fell off their horses. However, as expected of mages and knights, they prevented the fall with magic, and when Immanuel at the lead raised his sword, the illusion's mustache disappeared. Followed by the illusion itself.
“Your Highness! You were here! How much you must have suffered!”
Perhaps shocked by my shabby appearance, Immanuel didn't make an issue of the Saint's mustache. But Yolande quickly stepped in front of me and said.
“Indeed amazing, Knight! I was struggling because it wouldn't disappear!”
Without explicitly mentioning whether she meant the mustache or the illusion.
“Who is this, Sir Immanuel! It's me, Jerome! You remember me, right? Nice to meet you!”
Following Yolande, Jerome blocked my front and practically pounced on Immanuel, who had just dismounted to come to me, hugging him tightly.
Immanuel didn't push Jerome away and hugged him for now, but immediately pulled away.
“Of course I remember, Jerome. I am glad too but right now, first Prince Leontes—”
“Do you remember me too, Sir Immanuel? Glad to meet you again!”
As soon as Jerome and Immanuel separated, Michelon hugged him. Jerome was already pouncing on the knight right next to Immanuel.
“I am Yolande. It was already a difficult situation, so I am truly glad the knights have come like this.”
“I-I am Yolande's husband, Vincent. Th-Thank you for c-coming.”
Even the shy Vincent stepped up to greet the knights, blocking their approach to me. I hadn't planned such details when devising the strategy, but with everyone following suit in the atmosphere led by Yolande and supported by Jerome, things certainly became easier.
When Immanuel's face grew impatient, I spoke coldly.
“Everyone get away from them. They might also be in cahoots with my kidnappers.”
Immanuel looked at me in shock.
Seeing his face not just surprised but hurt, I was beyond dumbfounded and disappointed. Even during the Petrita Wolf incident at first, did he think I would never know he came under orders from Orlanto who colluded with Rhiannon? Although I guessed so back then, after confirming it through the secret meeting between the Empress and the Cardinal, just seeing this hypocritical face made anger surge.
“Pardon? Your Highness, what do you mean?”
Here, Michelon, who drew the most attention after me, spoke. He was natural too, but in terms of acting, he was no match for Jerome.
“With all due respect, are you not mistaken about something? These are the knights who saved me.”
Then he blocked between Immanuel and me again, held his hand tightly, and asked mournfully.
“It isn't true, absolutely, the knights did not betray our Prince, right?”
Immanuel was at a loss for words for a moment with a flustered face.
“When I was captured, the ones who captured me mentioned the name of the Knights of Saint Romola!”
I said. If my enemy claimed to be holding me, there was no reason I couldn't play along.
The Empress, who told this to the Cardinal, that to my brothers, and yet another thing to her brother, made things easier.
“My goodness, how could that be!”
“Is it not something for God Traneha to be angry about!”
“Is it true? Why can't you speak?”
Vincent, Yolande, and Michelon jumped. But Jerome was indeed the best. He now let go of Immanuel's hand and grabbed his collar, no, his lapel. While trembling both hands holding that lapel. With a face saying he was too shocked to say anything.
Immanuel sighed and first pried those two hands off. However, before he could open his mouth, Jerome flopped down pitifully on the spot and buried his face in his hands. Vincent, lacking acting skills, quickly sat down with him and hugged Jerome to piggyback on the act. We looked at the two, then glared at the knights in unison. The knights flinched.
“…Your Highness, I will explain regarding that matter later. However, right now we must escort Your Highness to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.”
“Imperial Palace? Is even the Imperial Palace safe? It is the place where the conspiracy targeting me arose; unless my enemies are clearly identified, am I not walking into the lion's den on my own feet!”
I shouted.
“That is right, Your Highness. If we go to the Imperial Palace now, something like this might happen again. Then Your Highness might truly suffer a great mishap this time!”
“That is right. We must inform His Majesty but the mastermind behind the conspiracy must be clearly identified.”
At Michelon and Yolande's words, Immanuel spoke hurriedly.
“Your Highness, I apologize but there are circumstances that cannot be revealed for now. But please do not doubt my heart for Your Highness. I will escort you safely to the Imperial Palace. If there is a conspiracy targeting Your Highness in the Imperial Palace, I will execute it.”