"You're often to the tower, someone said there's a merchant guild there?"

"...yes."

Connin and the villagers lived by selling herbs.

The leader of the merchant guild did not discriminate against them and offered them a generous price.

"Do you know that the group was a close associate with Richard's merchant guild?"

"What...?"

"The leader testified that he told Richard Cassil the story of you and Karan."

"Then..."

"He wanted your abilities, and he killed your family."

"......"

Yes, he thought it was weird then too.

When he lost everything and was in despair, Richard appeared in front of them as if he had waited.

It was such perfect timing.

In addition, he perfectly managed the situation as if he knew everything and supported them with everything we needed.

But he was so grateful to Richard who reached out to them. He also wanted to create a world for the Roum, so he tried to erase his doubts.

Blake looked down at the confused Connin with cold eyes and pulled out the sword stuck in his foot.

"Aghhh...!"

As the sharp blade escaped, Connin groaned.

Blake dumped the bloody blade back on Connin.

"If I let you know that you gave your allegiance to the enemy who murdered your family, it will be meaningless now. I'll count to three from now. Tell me where the Crown Princess is. One."

Blake started counting straight away. Connin's mind was tangled up.

"Two."

He didn't think the crown prince's words were false. But, it was also difficult to fully believe it. He thought what Blake said was true, but he couldn't accept it.

If Richard's the one who killed his parents, what have he done so far? Why did he do that?

Richard Cassil created an orphanage for the Roums. So he believed in him more. But what else did he do for the Roums?

Rather, it was the Crown Princess who stepped up for the Roums. She did not discriminate between the Roums and treated them just like everyone else, and eventually succeeded in developing a cure.

Because of tancinol, the Roams have been the object of hatred for a thousand years. But now they can finally get out of the loop.

The children of Camellia Orphanage were completely cured and were returning to the orphanage one by one. The royal family is said to have increased the number of guards for the safety of the orphanage.

Richard had frowned at the news.

Who's really on the Roums side?

"Three."

As he counted, Blake took the sword on his hand.

At that moment, Connin opened his mouth.

"I'll tell you where Her Highness is."

***

Blake headed with the imperial knights to the place Connin told him.

It was a mansion where the old man lived alone, a short distance from the square.

Richard's merchant guild killed an old man who helped him and took over his mansion.

Even if a neighbor came sometimes, Richard seemed to have used magic to hide the old man as if he were alive.

Connin testified that he felt a great sense of guilt when he actually killed the old man.

Starting with revealing their hiding places, he began to pour out the words in his heart.

The more he talked, the more he realized that he had been used, he also shed many tears of regret. But Blake didn't care about that.

"Here's the body of the old man!"

The knights shouted. However, the most important one, Ancia was not seen. Richard and Karan could not be found either.

'Did he already run?'

Blake looked at the mansion hurriedly, holding back his nervousness. The old man's house, which ran a merchant guild when he was young, was quite large.

He entered the study room while searching the mansion. But the books suddenly bent and cracks appeared in the space.

It was the same magic as when Richard raided the training centre.

Blake looked at it when a woman suddenly appeared.

She was a black mage who disguised herself as a maid in the Marquis of Westin's mansion.

"You...!"

"As expected, Richard was right. Connin, you're a traitor."

Karan gritted her teeth. Richard told her that Connin would have betrayed him, but she didn't think it was true.

As expected, the master's words were never wrong. You ungrateful bastard.

Richard loved them so much. Karan was venting her anger, when a cold blade touched her neck.

Karan was surprised. Blake attacked her at once through a crack in space.

"You'd better get rid of the knife. If you kill me, you'll never find the Crown Princess."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Blake said. She looked completely different from what he saw in Marquis Westin's mansion.

A cold sweat ran down Karan's body. But she pretended to be as calm as possible.

"There was an order from Richard to bring in His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Richard sent you?"

"Yes, but you have to come alone, or the Crown Princess won't be safe."

"Are you threatening me?"

A blade touched Karan's neck. She managed to spit out her words because of fear.

"I'm telling you the truth."

Blake glared at Karan. It was clear that this was a trap set up by Richard.

But he was willing to step on the trap to save her.

***

Where is this place? How long has it been?

My head felt dizzy and nauseous.

I looked around while frowning.

The mana seems to be stronger than before. In addition, the mana stones filled the ceiling. Where did he get so many manas?

Anyway, I have to get out of here right now. I don't know what Richard will do. I could never stay like this.

However, it was hard to maintain consciousness because of the strong mana and the barrier from the mana stone.

I tried to untie the handcuffs somehow, but as soon as I tried to use magic, I felt nauseous.

Then the door opened and a boy came in.

"You are..."

He's Kaluo, who is said to have left with Karan.

"I have a question."

Kaluo stared at me with hostile eyes and asked me a question, just as he did at the orphanage.

"You've found a cure for tancinol. Is it true?"

"Yes, that's right. But how did you know that?"

"I saw it in the newspaper. Because no one told me."

"Did you leave your sister?"

"......"

He shut his mouth tight. It was a positive silence. He must have had a fight with Karan over tancinol.

"How's Shulia doing? Is she all better?"

"She's not yet cured. She was in a serious

condition."

Kaluo gritted his teeth. He was worried about the girl's condition.

"But don't worry—she'll get better soon. The other kids are already healed and they're back in the orphanage."

Kaluo suddenly stared at me when he clenched his fist without saying a word.

"Why did you save the Roums?"

"They're patients, and it's natural to treat them."

"That's right. Saving is a given. But no one has saved us so far."

"It's gonna be different now. The asmodian trial and tancinol are gone. The deep-rooted discrimination of this land will gradually disappear."

"Don't you hate the roums?"

"There's no reason to hate them. They are also human like us."

Kaluo's eyes opened wide. He stared at me and slowly opened his mouth.

"...I'll save you,"

He tried to uncuff me. However, as soon as his hand touched the handcuffs on both sides of the chair's handle, the mana prevented him, and the shock caused Kaluo's body to fall.

"Kaluo!"

I called out his name, but Kaluo fell to the floor and did not budge.

Richard came inside with the sound of his stomping feet.

"Stay still, you're being annoying."

When Richard grabbed Kaluo by the neck, the boy groaned. Fortunately, he was alive. But it wasn't a time to be relieved.

"Let go! Let go you bastard!"

"Kaluo, it seems like you have been spoiled too much."

"This is all because of you! You're the reason why Shulia got tancinol!"

"You're evil! It's all because of you! Let go! Let go!"

Kaluo, who came to his senses, screamed and hit Richard on the chest.

Then Richard relentlessly threw Kaluo to the floor.

"Richard! What are you doing!"

I shouted in alarm. But Richard didn't budge.

"He tried to steal mine without knowing the grace I had given him so far. What's wrong with scolding a thief?"

"Why am I yours? And he's suffering because of his sister's condition! You've been through the same grief, and how could you do that knowing the pain of the Roums! How can you make this happen?"

Richard suffered greatly because they mistreated his mom and him. He knew the tragedy tancinol would cause better than anyone else.However, rather than trying to prevent the same tragedy from happening, he used it to make Karan and Cornins his subordinates, and even now, he was still pushing the Roum into pain.

"Shut up! I'm not a lowly Roum! I am the emperor who founded this empire!"

"The emperor? Yes, you're right. A thousand years ago, you were the Emperor. He buried his sins and climbed on the throne. But that's Phillip. Richard Cassil, you're just a fugitive."

"Shut up!"

"The empire is mine! And now I'll take everything back!"

Richard's mouth corners went up strangely. My heart sank. It was clear that he had planned something.

"What are you trying to do?"

I asked urgently, but he didn't answer, he only gave me a meaningful smile.

"Richard, tell me! What are you trying to do?"

At that time, I heard a heavy sound of the door opening outside.

"The Crown Prince is here."

Richard's smile deepened.