I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 30
Is that woman really Duke Ariel?
Kaisis was momentarily seized by this thought.
He had come here because of one small question.
‘There is someone untrustworthy.’
This was something that wounded the Emperor’s pride.
His knights, outstanding Awakened Ones and Indojas, were elites carefully selected and assembled.
Although when fighting with the magicians led by Duke Ariel in the conference room, they sometimes became so childish that one might wonder if they were truly those capable personnel.
Still, it was incomprehensible that uncontrollable rumors would spread within the group he had personally and painstakingly created.
‘Judging by the magicians’ reactions, they must also feel wronged.’
So he decided to move personally.
After informing those around him that he would be in the Gate for three days, he moved without anyone knowing his whereabouts except for two of his trusted knights.
The path of his investigation followed the persistent reports of the magicians.
They had been so persistent in their questioning and clinging to details that following their reports, which documented who said what and when, revealed strange points.
Thus, he came to this quiet back alley.
It was a place traced back to villages where Awakened Ones had suddenly gone berserk for unknown reasons.
‘Drug.’
There was the drug that had dared to try to make him, the Emperor, go berserk.
Seeing the person who was holding onto it despite being beaten black and blue, Kaisis moved without hesitation.
‘I’ve secured a witness and evidence.’
It wasn’t difficult to catch the three who were fleeing.
But why?
‘Why.’
His body moved on its own.
Just like when the Awakened Ones tried to attack someone in the imperial palace.
When he came to his senses, he was already standing in front of someone who had been hiding behind him like a mouse.
Until then, he truly didn’t know.
That the slender figure he thought was a dangerous person was Duke Ariel, that woman.
Wide-open eyes, trembling expression, fluttering red hair.
All of it was unlike that woman.
Then what caught his eye was what the Duke was holding in her hand.
‘Why on earth?’
Why was she holding that?
No matter how he looked at it, it appeared to be a common roadside stone.
A solid stone large enough that if struck from behind, it would cause serious injury to the target.
“Why are you holding that?”
“……”
“Speak, Duke.”
Suspicion surged.
Is that woman really Duke Ariel?
But there weren’t many who could maintain such a cold expression and contemptuous gaze in front of him.
‘Come to think of it, that was strange.’
When was the last time he saw the Duke use magic?
But he couldn’t continue this train of thought because he realized he had made a stupid mistake unlike himself, distracted by the woman.
“They escaped.”
Belatedly spreading his sensory field, Kaisis realized that the escapees had completely disappeared from this place.
At that moment, he didn’t notice that Duke Ariel had an expression of immense relief.
‘They dared to slip through my grasp.’
Curses rose within him.
Still, if he had that evidence, the drug, he could at least calm down the magicians and Awakened Ones who were making such a racket.
After that.
‘There exists some kind of force.’
A force other than magicians and Awakened Ones.
It was clearly not a good phenomenon.
The Duke would also have something to say about it.
Certainly, that woman, Hillaria, was an excellent subordinate.
Wasn’t she the only one besides him who had noticed something strange?
Even if her character, personality, and behavior were not to his liking and he couldn’t bring himself to like her.
“Duke. Nothing to say?”
Nevertheless, he believed that all of this was ruined because of that woman who suddenly appeared.
‘Why is it that whenever you’re involved, I act strangely?’
He could not tolerate situations he couldn’t control.
Displeasure surged.
The doubts he had dismissed began to raise their heads again.
“Duke.”
Why on earth was she here, and why was she behaving strangely by holding a stone without using magic?
“Explain. How you came to be here, and why you didn’t use magic until now.”
As he narrowed his eyes and stared at her accusingly, the Duke, as always, rolled her cold eyes in a way that made him shudder and sneered at him.
“Because magic leaves traces.”
Is that supposed to be an excuse?
As he stared in disbelief, the Duke brazenly retorted.
“I am a natural fire magician, so I don’t know how to quietly knock someone unconscious.”
“So.”
“I might have been able to turn every human here into a roast.”
“……”
“Did you perhaps want all evidence to fly away? Oh my, I failed to grasp Your Majesty’s intentions.”
“Stop mocking me. It’s irritating.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Natural magicians, especially those born with mana of specific elements, specialized in attack magic and had difficulty controlling it.
‘Since she rose to the position of Archmage with fire mana, she’s not wrong, but.’
It left a bad taste.
“Besides, Your Imperial Majesty has graced such a shabby place with your presence, so I don’t see why a humble duke like me should step forward.”
“Are you, really, saying that?”
He simply couldn’t shake the suspicion that his rival was hiding something.
Above all.
‘Duke, there is clearly a connection between you and my mate.’
Faced with the opponent who was playing dumb, hatred surged within him.
Magicians were always like this.
With arrogant and cold eyes, they trivialized the suffering of them, the Awakened Ones.
Just as his mother had always done.
‘This woman is no different.’
Gritting his teeth, he turned around.
“I will take charge of the disposition of this person and this drug.”
“If you insist on taking the trouble, I have no reason to stop you. This should be able to quell the magicians’ outbursts and the Awakened Ones’ complaints.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Do you truly have nothing to explain about today’s events?”
“When Your Majesty says nothing, what would a dull person like me know?”
Always coming out with that kind of attitude.
She must have had a reason for coming here, yet Duke Ariel maintained that expressionless face that always provoked displeasure, as usual.
Slowly blinking eyelids.
Hair that for a moment he had thought resembled his tender mate’s.
‘How dare you?’
He gritted his teeth.
His gaze turned to the stone that the Duke had deliberately thrown down to display before him.
Was it really because she was a fire magician that she didn’t attack?
Then why did she stiffen her face alone when all the other magicians were delighted when permission for a magic demonstration was granted?
Was that a misunderstanding?
“Well then, Your Majesty. I am busy, so I will take my leave first.”
But Duke Ariel smiled coldly as if mocking his suspicions.
As the Duke moved, a powerful energy that even he, a non-magician, could clearly feel moved around her.
Magic.
The Grand Magee’s magic, which he had doubted.
‘Right. That arrogant magician wouldn’t possibly lose her magic.’
Space twisted, and energy fragmented.
Even though he was an Awakened One who carried the power of nature within his body and tore apart and killed monsters, Duke Ariel’s magic, which transcended human limits, had an intimidating presence that made even Kaisis feel sick.
Thus, using movement magic in a blatant taunt, the Duke disappeared like evaporating smoke.
Just like.
Every night.
“Duke. That oath had better be true.”
Just like his mate disappearing like sand slipping away.
“You had better not be the shadow hiding my mate.”
If so, an unimaginable bloodbath would sweep through the empire.
***
“Cough, hack, gasp!”
“Tsk tsk, why is your condition like this, meow.”
I didn’t even have the energy to look at the flashing status window.
When the Emperor asked what that was, I thought my heart was going to drop.
So I hurriedly used movement magic spectacularly to show that I could use magic properly, but.
Why is the second time still so painful!
“You, cough, side effects, why didn’t you tell me, hack!”
The cat smiled annoyingly as usual.
“Tsk tsk, you’re not originally an Archmage’s soul, meow. It will get better if you try hard, meow!”
“You, swindling, cat!”
My fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
I barely managed to get up.
I stared at the glaringly flashing status window.
Since the Emperor discovered the drug and some kind of force, he should be able to stop the fight between magicians and Awakened Ones for now.
Then the quest would be successful, and I could get one more designated magic like this.
‘Life extension successful…?’
Then this time, I must.
“Unlock attack magic.”
I opened the status window.
And pressed.
Receive reward.
