Chapter 243

RMSBS – Episode 243 . A Subsurface War (20)

Romantica stood still in front of Desir, her face screwed up in concentration for a long time . Eventually, she opened her mouth, gripping her trembling hands together tightly .

“… I’ve been summoned to help Prillecha . ”

One of the Shadow Worlds that appeared in Prillecha was a Level One Shadow World . A Shadow World strong enough to swallow up an entire kingdom . In fact, the last Level One Shadow World did exactly that . It swallowed up the kingdom known as the strongest of that era . No matter how advanced a country’s technology was, this Shadow World had a difficulty that demanded special care .

“Yes . I heard the news . ”

Although the Avalon Army had been mobilized, Prillecha still suffered from insufficient man-power . They had no choice but to call on everyone they could . Prillecha was still a small country after all, and the power they could mobilize was limited .

“Really, I don’t know why so many incidents seem to happen in our country . Once again, my country is in danger of being wiped off the map . ”

Romantica sighed .

“It makes people really tired . I’d like to emigrate if I could . ”

“Are you going to leave for Prillecha?”

As Romantica pouted in annoyance, obviously attempting to lighten the mood, Desir pitched a straight ball . Romantica turned around to look Desir in the eye .

“You already knew what I was going to do . ”

“Your face gives everything away . ”

“How can you always read me so easily!? I look the same as I normally do . ”

“You’re worried . I can tell because you have a habit of biting your lips whenever you’re worried about something . ”

Desir really knew a lot about her . This was a habit even she had not recognized .

“Adjest and Pram will stay, won’t they?”

“Maybe they will . They’re from here after all . ”

“I really envy them . I wish I could stay too . ”

“When will we see each other again if I leave now?”

Romantica stopped talking and looked at Desir . The silence they held seemed to last forever .

Her lips were chapped .

She couldn’t find the words to say anything else .

“I understand, Romantica . You care about your hometown . ”

Desir spoke up, thinking she was simply lost for words and drowning in her own sorrow .

The dazed Romantic stood still as a statue for another moment, before nodding and regaining some semblance of rationality .

“Well, that’s obvious . It’s where my family’s business is . Wouldn’t I have to protect it if I want to inherit it?”

Romantica smiled wistfully . She realized that Desir was simply respecting what he assumed she held dear to her .

After all, it was she who had to make the decision .

However, there was a feeling of squeezing out all other thoughts and sprouting in the mind .

Romantica laughed in an attempt to hide it .

For onlookers, things looked normal . They were laughing and chattering . For Romantica, this was anything but normal .

“I hope things work out well . Come back safely . ”

“Thank you, Desir . ”

This was the natural point in the conversation where they would part ways .

When she looked out the window, she saw the sun beginning its trajectory down through the sky . It had peaked and now all that remained was the inevitable nighttime .

It was noon .

Romantica leaped and embraced Desir in a bear hug .

“Romantica?”

Desir looked embarrassed but soon smiled slightly . As always, he was one that could be depended on . The rock of the Starling Party . He stroked her hair, eventually managing to calm his frightened party member down .

Romantica permitted him touching her hair . It didn’t matter if the hairstyle she worked so hard to maintain was ruined .

“Just because you’re leaving, don’t quit training . ”

“Don’t beat around the bush, Desir . ”

He had spoiled the moment . Romantica backed away in a huff .

“I’ll be back stronger than ever . ”

‘I promised you I’d always be there to support you . ’

Even if you don’t see me as a woman now, I hope you will look back on me fondly someday .

* * *

Shortly after Romantica left, Desir contacted the Side Guard .

[-That’s a very helpful piece of information, Mr . Desir . ]

These were the first words Alfred uttered after hearing Desir out . He was the head of the Side Guard, a group formed to support the Royal Guard, and an important figure close to the Emperor .

Through Alfred, Desir told the Emperor that the outbreak of Shadow Worlds was linked to Skull Mask and what he felt the best move would be to resolve the situation .

“This is the greatest threat to the Empire . We should focus on finding more detailed information by deepening our understanding of the tower . We’d better prepare the relevant measures . ”

“We also need to find out about Divide’s troop formation and strength . We could even up in an all-out war with them . Especially, I want you to find out what you can about the current leader of the Janissaries . ”

“I will convey Mr . Desir’s opinion . Oh, by the way, would you please hold for a moment?”

Alfred stopped Desir before he had a chance to cut off communication .

“Desir Arman . I’m sorry to say this now, but I have orders from the Emperor . ”

“What’s that?”

“… I have a few things to tell you before that . The Imperial Family had a request for one of the Starling Party members . If necessary, unlimited aid will be given to the rest of the party members remaining, including those who have left . ”

This was unusual . The large compensation meant that the request was also difficult .

“… I have a lot of work to do . I hope the request doesn’t take long . ”

“Well, it won’t… take long . ”

He tapped his desk nervously .

“Mr . Desir, one of your party members, Adjest Kingscrown, is the legitimate heir to the House of Rogfelas . ”

He had already heard this from the Adjest and knew it was a fact .

“And when the decision was made to temporarily close the Hebrion Academy, the Alpha Class that the Princess was required to take was in effect, canceled . ”

“I mean, again, the Imperial Family will make up for the loss of man-power, and she’s just going back where she belongs . So please don’t be offended… ”

“What’s the point of doing this?”

Alfred sighed before opening his mouth again .

“The princess will be summoned to the Palace . However, the Emperor seems to have decided that if she has any lingering attachment to the Starling Party, it will only serve as a distraction . Mr . Desir, will you persuade her directly to return to the Palace so that she will no longer have any regrets about the party?”

* * *

The carriage, without stopping, clattered along the uneven cobblestones on the street .

It was not difficult to guess the destination . On the doors and ceiling of the carriage was a picture of the golden lion symbolizing the Imperial Family .

Through the half-open curtains, she could see the Imperial Palace gradually getting closer . The fact that it would happen like this was something she had expected from the start . As for the reason, however, Adjest had no idea how this came to pass .

Was it because she revealed her identity to Desir? Maybe it was because her father thought the situation had become dangerous? These Shadow Worlds were unexpected after all .

Adjest looked up at the ceiling blankly . Either way, the ending she was going to face was simple .

Parting .

It was a very unfamiliar word . Adjest didn’t want to experience such a thing .

So, when she first arrived at the Hebrion Academy, ending up in the Alpha Class for nobles, she did not open up her heart to anyone .

She was surrounded by people, but utterly alone .

She had lived a life without color, utterly dedicated to being strong . She thought such a life would be the best for her .

However, Desir was the turning point for her . Many things changed right after she met him .

‘Many things?’

No, it was everything .

Even Swan managed to pick up on how much she had changed .

Adjest lowered her gaze . Desir was looking out the window with his chin resting in his hand . The desolate appearance of the capital with no one present on what used to be bustling streets passed unceasingly by her glazed over eyes .

Coincidentally, Desir was the one to lead her to the Palace .

It was her father’s decision .

Cruel but reasonable .

Perhaps her father wanted her to express her intention to leave the party in his audience . He might want to see her properly break off all connection to her academy life .

‘When was the last time I talked to Desir? It feels like ages ago, but it has been less than a day . ’

A visit to the hospital to see Swan was the beginning of the end .

Adjest was put on the spot . She never had the intention of making up a story . This was something she wanted Desir to know .

Ever since Adjest informed him that she was a Princess, they had not talked since . Their relationship was now awkward . They couldn’t find a single thing to talk about .

She could understand that . The title of Princess was by no means light . She deliberately didn’t say anything about it earlier knowing this .

“Desir . ”

The first to open their mouth was Adjest . She had spent the entire carriage ride gathering her courage .

Desir, who had been staring outside the entire time, turned his head and stared at Adjest .

Their eyes met for the first time .

But that was all . He simply looked at her .

The strange silence made Adjest feel a tingling sensation in her heart .

“… Are you angry?”

Adjest opened her mouth with difficulty . Desir did not reply .

‘Doesn’t he understand? The end of the Alpha Class meant that she was no longer a student, but a successor, heir to the throne of the Hebrion Empire . ’

It was not something she could abandon for the sake of clearing Shadow Worlds . This was the last time they would sit together as party leader and party member .

Even though she could meet Desir, a member of the Royal Guard, whenever she wanted, when that time came, it would not be as Adjest Kingscrown, but Adjest Zedgar F Rogfelas .

“… I don’t want this . ”

She did not want things to happen this way . She didn't want to go back to the desolate past where she had no ties and had never met Desir . She couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her days like this to the end .

“Please say something… ”

“There is no particular reason for me to be angry with you, Royal Princess . ”

Royal Princess .

As soon as she heard it, Adjest felt something that had kept her sane this long suddenly snap .

She felt her heart ache .

“Desir . ”

It shouldn't end like this . It was a relationship that couldn’t end like this .

“Your Majesty has made a great decision . It’s just a wise move to ensure that the successor is no longer in danger . ”

[-There’s audio surveillance magic in the carriage . ]

On the ceiling .

Blue mana seemed to gather and form letters, soon disappearing without a trace .

Desir nodded so that only Adjest could feel it .

For a moment, the sad feeling had lifted slightly . Her mind cleared up .

Her tone slightly uneven, she replied .

“You think so… ?”

She tried to imitate the method Desir had used .

She tried to gather and concentrate her mana, calculating how to move it to form the letters she so desperately desired to share .

It wasn’t easy, but her will to talk was much stronger .

[-How come?]

Barely after forming, her letters fell apart .

In quick fashion, blue mana converged into letters once again .

[-I’ve been ordered to make sure you don’t have any lingering attachment for the Starling Party . They want to know if this request is going well . ]

Adjest’s prediction was right . But that wasn’t what mattered .

[-Desir, I never meant to deceive you . I just… ]

“Well, it’s over anyway . ”

Desir spoke, but his words were false . Letters appeared on the ceiling .

[-I know . ]

“The only thing that matters is the fact that you’re a Princess . ”

Desir continued to peddle mistruths while the letters of his true thoughts continued to appear on the ceiling .

[-It doesn’t matter that you’re a Princess . You’re just you . Rogfelas or not, you’ve always been Adjest . That doesn’t change . That’s the conclusion I’ve reached . ]

[-Why? How?]

On the contrary, it had now become a situation where Adjest could not help but question him .

[-Because I’m just like you . ]

Their eyes crossed .

[-I think everyone has something they want to hide . I have something I must hide from you too . I haven’t revealed it yet, but you shared your secret . You trust me, so I also trust you . ]

This would be the secret of Desir’s identity .

Desir had never shared a single bit of his past with her, or anyone else for that matter .

[-But you… showed no reaction . ]

[-I didn’t care . ]

This was not just an excuse .

[-I’ve always been like this . I recognized you as a colleague, as a powerful comrade, and I was focused entirely on our future . ]

He was always thinking about the future .

Like a carriage moving forward, looking only at its destination .

Without rest, without end .

Moving with a singular purpose .

It probably had something to do with his past . Adjest could only make such a dim guess .

[-I rather respect you . ]

‘He didn’t feel bad . ’

It was by no means easy to bring up a secret that had been hidden for so long . She was afraid that the truth would change the relationship .

This was the thing that Adjest feared the most .

‘I was such a fool . ’

There was no way Desir would act like that .

She felt happy .

Her eyes shook and turned red .

[-When we meet again, I’ll tell you my story then, Adjest . ]

The years she spent with him passed before her eyes . Mana concentrated on the ceiling several more times, dispersing and reforming .

The carriage came to a stop .

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the Palace .

“… … … ”

Mana rained down inside the carriage like snow .

Adjest put her hand to her hair .

The sharp ice that formed cut off a lock of the silvery hair .

[-I’ll be back as Adjest Kingscrown . ]

As a token of her declaration, Adjest handed it to Desir .

—-

Chapter brought to you by The Patrons .

???: …

ED: N/A

TLC: N/A

QC: Dr Lock