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The man who set out to track the leader of the Carvita Tribe, under the command of his master, arrived at none other than Hespania.

In a city, it’s only natural for the face of the ruler to be revealed, and Hespania was no different.

“Indeed.”

His impression of the city was that it had a grandeur akin to the dense forest of towering trees rather than the decorated streets filled with lights.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was so entranced by the cityscape that he would lose his senses. The man, as evidenced by the mark on the back of his neck, had been stripped of both emotions and will by his master.

Even if the most beautiful woman danced seductively before him or if he were to witness the splendid imperial palace for the first time, his heart wouldn’t flutter. He merely performed his master’s orders. He moved solely for that purpose.

“Why that guy is here is secondary, but this direction is strange.”

Having successfully traced the curse that his master implanted on the leader of the Carvita Tribe to this location, questions still lingered. Why were the traces of that man presumed to be here in Hespania, especially near Robeheim Castle?

Historically, the foreign tribe and the Robeheim Family had been bitter enemies. It was hard to believe that the leader of such a tribe would be hiding out here.

Believing he might have rolled in as a corpse might be more believable, but if he were truly dead, the curse should have vanished entirely.

“He hasn’t died, but his traces are here in Hespania. There’s only one possibility I can think of.”

For some unknown reason, the Carvita Tribe temporarily allied with the Robeheim Family. Other than that, the chances of something else happening were slim.

“Guess there’s no choice but to see for myself.”

Infiltrating Robeheim Castle to find his traces wouldn’t be an easy task, but the man possessed power granted by his master, and he also had an escape route just in case.

So there was only one thing left to do.

Thud. Whoosh!

The man scaled the wall and carefully surveyed the towering Robeheim Castle beyond.

Originally, his objective was nothing more than reconnaissance and tracking, but if the leader of the Carvita Tribe indeed teamed up with the Robeheim Family, things could get quite complicated. He would have to kill him without leaving any evidence.

As he gazed at the castle, his body melted into the shadows, disappearing as he had before. Only a cat passing by later tilted its head, signaling someone had been there.

—

Kelrag was taken aback by Sonia’s incredible energy. How could such slender legs carry her around the main building all day?

Trailing closely behind her, he soon found himself almost at the edge of the backyard.

“Hey, uncle! That tree is huge!”

“Yeah, it really is. Looks like it’s been around for at least ten years.”

Sonia pointed to a single tree that towered at the end of the wall, her arms stretched wide. The tree was so gigantic that it made her jaw drop, and even Kelrag couldn’t help but nod in awe.

It must have lived at least thirty or forty years.

“Do you know the name of that tree, uncle?”

“I don’t know. I’m not really into that sort of thing.”

Though he belonged to a tribe that lived in harmony with nature, it didn’t mean he could name every living thing. Especially for Kelrag, who could distinguish between edible plants and poisonous ones, but not so much when it came to ornamental trees or flowers.

“Then can you climb that tree?”

Not that it was a necessity unless hiding during a battle, but if asked whether he could or not, of course, he could. He figured he could reach a decent height just by jumping from one position.

However, it didn’t take long for Kelrag to realize that Sonia wasn’t genuinely asking about his climbing skills. Her gaze, looking at him with a peculiar yearning, revealed more.

Children often have an instinctual desire to climb to higher places. A simple change in eye level can dramatically alter their view of the world. Of course, it requires a bit of fearlessness, but children typically have less fear of the unknown at a young age.

“Why? Do you want to climb and see?”

Understanding Sonia’s intentions, Kelrag asked casually, trying to test her, and she smiled, as if caught, and nodded eagerly.

“Hehe, yes!”

“My, such a clever little lady you are.”

He intended to grant her wish, so it was all good, but he thought to himself how bold she was. Kids often are like that, though.

“Uh-oh…”

“Wow, I’m so high!”

At first, he could merely lift Sonia high into the air, but this time he had to place her on a tree branch, so he supported her legs, holding her securely.

To her, it was still a high place, and her lips almost reached his ear.

Kelrag watched anxiously, worried she might fall.

“If you wiggle too much, you’ll fall. Hold on tight to me.”

“Hehe, okay!”

Hearing his words, Sonia held onto Kelrag’s arms and shoulders, stabilizing herself.

Satisfied with her caution, Kelrag walked over to the tree and set her down on a thick branch.

“Hey, if you hurt yourself falling…”

Meanwhile, a guard who had been observing this scene felt a knot of anxiety. Who was she, after all? None other than Edgar’s little sister.

If she were to fall and break a branch, then his own head might roll, too.

“Kids grow up getting hurt, you know? Besides, does that guy strike you as the type who would fuss over little things?”

“….”

He wanted to protest, but the guard had no choice but to keep quiet. Just as he said, given Edgar’s personality, even if Sonia got hurt, as long as it wasn’t too severe, he would likely just let it slide.

“Though I’m not sure if His Majesty would feel the same way.”

The real problem was Ariel. Recently, word had spread throughout the castle of how much she cherished and cared for Sonia.

If Sonia were to return injured while having fun, it could very well open the gates of hell.

But even so, the guard couldn’t summon the courage to stop Sonia, who looked so joyful. His duty was simply to ensure that Kelrag didn’t harm her.

“How’s it going, young lady? Are you having fun?”

“Yeah! This way, you look smaller than me!”

“Such a cheeky remark.”

How did the strongest warrior of the Carvita Tribe end up bested by a little girl like this? Still, watching her chatter away was quite enjoyable, so Kelrag leaned against the tree without saying much.

“Man, I am getting kinda tired.”

Maybe it was the curse affecting him, but he felt fatigued quickly, and this was just that moment.

However, he couldn’t very well say they should head back now, so he decided to close his eyes and wait for his body to recover.

“Uncle… Are you sleepy? Are you still hurt?”

Sonia, who had been watching him, cautiously asked while peering down from the tree like a squirrel.

She remembered that Kelrag had mentioned he was sick before, and she wondered if he was still unwell.

“The wind feels nice, that’s all.”

Kelrag cracked one eye open and replied nonchalantly.

How could this little girl be so perceptive?

He thought maybe she inherited her keen insight from her brother. Is that what people mean when they say bloodline is terrifying?

Meanwhile, Sonia looked puzzled by Kelrag’s response.

There wasn’t even a breeze rustling the leaves of the tree she was clinging to.

“The wind isn’t blowing…”

“If an adult says it’s blowing, then it is.”

As he reached out to ruffle Sonia’s hair roughly, as if about to mess it up, Kelrag ultimately decided it was better to join in the fun than to cause concern for her.

So just as he approached Sonia, ready to suggest she come down soon…

Thud.

“…!”

Suddenly, a chilling presence and sound startled him, making him turn around.

Before him lay the guard who had been watching him, collapsed in the grass.

“…What the hell is going on?”

And then, slowly approaching from the direction of the fallen guard, another man stepped forth, casually stepping on the guard’s body.

Kelrag glared at him, but the man’s eyes seemed completely calm.

“Who is that man, uncle…?”

“…Stay quiet. I’ll be back shortly, so don’t move.”

“Okay…”

Even Sonia, who was merely a child, could sense something was terribly off about the man.

It felt eerily similar to when Edgar first laid eyes on Albrecht.

Sonia was hidden momentarily behind the tree, and Kelrag stepped forward, balling his fists tightly.

Though he was being treated quite well, he was, at best, in captivity, not armed, not in the slightest.

If he could just grab the sword that had been strapped to the fallen guard’s waist, it might help, but then Sonia would be left vulnerable behind him.

“Damn it.”

He could tell this was no ordinary person.

The mere fact that he had infiltrated the castle indicated that he had the skill to eliminate the guards without a sound or was capable of easily outsmarting them.

Moreover, Kelrag felt that he couldn’t gauge this man’s strength.

Usually, anyone with exceptional skills would exude a particular aura, whether a magician or a swordsman.

Yet, it was precisely that which kept him on high alert.

“You’re Kelrag of the Carvita Tribe.”

“…You know me? Are you one of his minions?”

Only a few in the Carvita Tribe knew he was here, and only a handful among the key figures of the Robeheim Family knew of his existence.

For others, recognizing his face was nearly impossible.

Yet this man saw him and figured it out immediately.

There were several possibilities for that, but the one that seemed most probable to Kelrag was that he was a lackey of the magician.

How he managed to find him here was a mystery, but if he had some sort of device tied to this curse, it made sense.

“You’re rather sharp.”

“I thought you’d try to flee.”

“Not that it matters. I was sent to kill you.”

Kelrag gritted his teeth at the unexpectedly hostile demeanor.

He wanted to drag this out somehow and call for reinforcements, but it seemed this man wasn’t going to make that easy.

‘This is too far from the castle.’

Given that they were at the far edge of the castle grounds, it was unrealistic to hope that someone would notice the commotion.

Unless he had a way to communicate, which he didn’t, since he couldn’t use magic.

“And who is that little girl behind you?”

“If she’s unrelated, do you plan to spare her?”

“Are you asking knowing, or are you that genuinely clueless?”

Kelrag hoped this guy wasn’t the type to want to cause unnecessary trouble, but it seemed that idea was wishful thinking.

The man’s gaze, blatantly directed at the tree where Sonia hid, made it clear that he could not delay any longer.

Taking another step forward, Kelrag knew he had to act.

“Die quietly. Then I’ll at least let you go peacefully.”

“If it was just my life, I might consider it, but unfortunately, I have a request to fulfill.”

Glimpsing back toward Sonia, Kelrag clenched his fists and readied himself.

‘At the very least, I must buy some time.’

Whether he could win or not was uncertain, but if chaos broke out here, attention would surely be drawn.

With the thought of saving at least the sister this man entrusted to him, Kelrag charged forward at the enemy before him.

 

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