I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 33
What’s with this intervention from unauthorized individuals?
I couldn’t hide my uneasiness as I frowned, but something that couldn’t be ignored was happening right before my eyes.
Usually, it’s the instigators who start trouble.
‘Huh?’
Someone from the two groups, glaring at each other, shouted.
“You vile magician bastards!”
What the magicians used clearly wasn’t an attack spell.
It seemed like they were trying to push back the opposing side that had gotten too close or trying to block off space.
Even as an amateur Grand Magician, I could feel that much.
But with that sharp shout, the already tense atmosphere swelled like a bomb in an instant.
“You think we’re just sitting here like idiots?”
“If it weren’t for His Majesty’s orders, we wouldn’t have tolerated arrogant trash like you!”
“Why do you always act like someone stole from you? We risk our lives fighting monsters every day. Does this look good to you? Huh? You narrow-minded fools!”
This wasn’t right.
No matter how I thought about it, this wasn’t right.
I tried to step forward.
I would have done so if the frightened Luias hadn’t run to me and clung tightly to my side.
The status window just warned me. Something about an intervention from unknown individuals.
‘Could that be referring to the shadowy figures?’
Then it could be one of those who played the instigator role earlier.
‘They might be mixed in among the magicians or the Awakened Ones.’
I narrowed my eyes and observed the situation.
After this damned incident ended and we returned, I thought I should suggest to the Emperor that we investigate the magicians and Awakened Ones.
“We know you’ve been using underhanded methods since last time, Duke!”
Then, someone mentioned Luias. And the sparks flew to me as well.
“Do you think we don’t know your scheme of deliberately parading around with His Highness the Prince to pressure us?”
I brought Luias to the Imperial Palace solely because of my promise with their lord, the Emperor.
Because I felt sorry for this little one being lonely, surrounded by magicians from the magic tower.
Anyway, even that cold and annoying esper, Kaisis, would soften somewhat in front of his younger brother!
But before I could say anything, the magicians flared up.
“Shut your mouth! You think we wanted to take care of the Prince you all cherish so much?”
“If you’re so great, then take the precious Prince from our hands right now!”
Crackle— Energy sparked.
And I was furious.
These people, really.
The child is listening to all this!
“Everyone, shut—”
I was going to shout for them to be quiet.
If not, I’d endure the pain and use an attack spell.
Because I saw the small child with tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the situation unfold and finally found himself on the chopping block.
What are you grown adults doing, behaving so disgracefully in front of a baby!
But in the end, an accident occurred.
“Aaagh!”
The two intensely heated and expanded forces collided, producing unexpected results.
The energy of several Awakened Ones and the mana of magicians became entangled and began bouncing around like bombs.
Bang, boom!
“Aah, aah! It’s on fire!”
“Damn it, this won’t even go out, aaah!”
“My leg, my leg!”
It turned into chaos in an instant.
Not only the magicians, but also the Awakened Ones were suffering because of the mixed mana.
‘Should I have used a defensive spell instead of an attack spell?’
I quickly grabbed Luias’s hand. I planned to hold him in my arms and somehow shield him with my body.
I knew well that it wasn’t something the Duke would do, that it was strange to take the hit with my body instead of using magic, but I had no time to think about that.
Because I met the child’s large, wavering eyes.
Just as I was about to call out the child’s name loudly.
There must have been a fairly strong one among the Awakened Ones, as that power shot up.
“This is like a rampage, no, this can’t be happening!”
Following the panicked cry, the light that exploded with mirror-like reflection appeared momentarily black.
It transformed into a large fireball and flew toward us.
More precisely, not at me, but at the small body of Luias, who was one step away from me.
I tried to block it. I tried to pull him into my arms and protect him from harm.
But…
‘Ah.’
It looked like a Gate. That pillar of fire flying with its mouth wide open looked just like a Gate rampage.
The scene when I died.
The terrible pressure.
‘I’m going to die.’
The screams filling the space, and the terrible energy of the espers springing up everywhere.
‘I’m going to be crushed to death like this.’
My spine stiffened and my feet froze.
It felt as if the monster from the Gate that killed me was approaching right behind me.
My heart tightened and I wanted to scream.
Ah, no.
The tear that had formed in Luias’s eyes rolled down heavily.
“No.”
I stupidly watched the child walk toward the threat of death with my hand slightly extended toward Luias.
The thrown energy approached, and my cheek felt hot.
Someone who saw me like that would have thought:
The Duke didn’t save the Prince.
He pushed him to his death.
He did nothing, they would say.
“Really.”
Crack!
With a cruel sound, a huge pillar of ice shot up.
“What a spectacle.”
A cold voice echoed through the space, and water and ice cruelly struck the humans.
Aah, aah!
Screams different from before, and a terrible smell of blood.
A man looking down coldly at the fallen Awakened Ones and magicians.
That man who appeared, scattering a terrible power incomparable to the mixed energies, felt like a Gate monster to me.
My tongue stiffened and my heart tightened.
Those icy eyes shot at me like arrows.
The accusing gaze was evident.
After looking once at his poor brother, who was frozen blue and trembling beside him, he glared at me again as if he wanted to tear me to death.
‘It must have looked like I did nothing.’
There was no time to explain that it was a misunderstanding.
Crack!
An ice pillar rose at my feet. It mercilessly grazed the back of my hand.
With the stinging pain of torn skin, blood dripped heavily.
I could see the collapsed magicians making sounds of shock, and even the Awakened Ones, who were starting to heal with amazing recovery abilities, were terrified.
The Emperor had attacked me.
I maintained my expression, trying not to let it distort, and quietly raised my bleeding hand.
But my heart was beating as if it would burst.
That man had attacked me.
The man who had tenderly kissed me and begged for kisses with feather-light movements was indeed a nighttime illusion.
Self-mockery rose within me.
However, he misunderstood it, Kaisis approached me, breaking the ice he had created.
The imposing height, large build, and spreading energy.
All of those things reminded me of the trauma of death.
Ah, indeed. Today was truly an unlucky day.
“Duke.”
It was a colder voice than ever before, even colder than when I opened my eyes in this world and grabbed the Emperor by the collar.
“Luias.”
His teeth were clenched.
“Did you intend to kill my brother and your disciple?”
His eyes, shining darkly like those of a reptile, gleamed with killing intent.
If I said something wrong here, it felt like that ice would pierce straight into my heart.
No, since he wouldn’t kill the Duke right here, I might end up with a hole somewhere.
I hated pain.
I really hated it…
‘Still, I should apologize for this.’
This was certainly something to be angry about.
The trembling figure of Luias, who seemed hurt, also saddened me.
Even if the magicians were disappointed by the Duke’s weakness.
Even if those watching would be suspicious of behavior unlike my usual self, that was right.
“Your Majesty.”
Challenging me to offer any excuse, I opened my mouth to the man who was fiercely sneering.
More precisely, I opened my mouth to apologize and explain.
But just at this moment.
[Warning!]
Ah, no.
[Character identity is wavering!]
Not now.
[Confusion has exceeded the limit. For the safe protection of the user’s mind, selecting dialogue and actions appropriate for ‘Hillaria Daen La Ariel, Duke’.]
No!
