I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 35
Unfortunately, I couldn’t return immediately.
Blood dripped profusely from my wound when I turned my body.
Ugh, I inwardly swallowed my tears.
‘Such a cruel person.’
For an Awakened One of that level, using power is as natural as moving one’s hands and feet.
‘He deliberately made me bleed.’
While managing my inexplicably bitter feelings, I turned my gaze and noticed the Awakened One who had made eye contact earlier was still standing there.
‘What’s with him?’
Somehow his eyes seemed fixed on my wound, or was that my imagination?
But the magicians who had rushed over blocked my view like a barrier.
The magicians chirped like baby chicks.
“My goodness, Master. You look in so much pain…”
“The blood! We know, Master. That you can heal this level of wound quickly. B-but still.”
“Would you allow us to treat you?”
The magicians seemed to think I was deliberately leaving my wound untreated as some kind of protest to prick their conscience.
That’s not it. I’m magically impotent.
And originally, Hillaria, born with fire mana, was terrible at healing magic anyway.
“Th-then we’ll…”
The magicians who approached hesitantly poured healing magic on me competitively.
Lights spread so brightly that it made my eyes sting, and the pain gradually subsided.
I tensed my eyes to avoid my expression softening like a catnip-drunk cat, and I noticed a magician approaching with Luias in his arms, looking preemptively guilty.
They all watched my reaction and bowed their heads.
“We were wrong.”
“We weren’t rational.”
“And this child… He did nothing wrong but had to hear such harsh words.”
I looked down at the magicians who were competing to confess how wrong they were, what mistakes they had made, and their determination not to repeat them.
Why? Where did those stubborn ones from earlier go?
They all looked so dejected and gloomy; it was ridiculous.
‘Am I a kindergarten teacher? Why is everyone preparing to be scolded by me?’
That must be why.
“This is rather mild compared to facing an angry Emperor.”
While pretending to be the noble Duke Ariel, what I really wanted to convey was that they shouldn’t worry too much about what happened.
The magicians, who understood my meaning despite my poor expression, all lifted their heads with eyes full of emotion.
“M-Master.”
“We, sniff, hiccup, fought with those dog-like humans, which was wrong!”
“We were wrong, waaah!”
What funny people.
Pfft, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was an involuntary laugh, and I thought “oops,” but the status window remained quiet.
Perhaps because I didn’t burst into loud laughter, there were no other warnings.
But the magicians froze.
Everyone of them stopped with their mouths open.
Even those who had been sobbing loudly.
‘What’s wrong with everyone?’
After looking somewhat disdainfully at the magicians who seemed dumbfounded, I turned to leave, saying it was really time to go.
“Uh, uh, did Master just laugh…”
“Shut up, you tactless fool!”
There seemed to be some commotion behind me.
I did notice again the Awakened One standing alone, glaring at me with a distorted expression.
‘What, does he feel wronged?’
But it wasn’t my concern.
I was too tired.
Let’s go home first.
I moved my feet, ignoring the ache in my chest as the Emperor’s cold gaze kept flashing in my mind.
***
Those who had been watching the entire situation while hiding exchanged glances and smiled with satisfaction.
Stupid fools.
How entertaining this was!
It was laughable that these groups were supposed to be protecting the Empire.
‘To fall for such a simple trap.’
How ridiculous they looked, slandering and attacking each other disgustingly.
Moreover, the confrontation between the Emperor, the head of the Empire, and the master of the Magic Tower gave them ecstasy.
How annoying it had been that those who checked and hated each other still cooperated solidly in the face of Gates, their common enemy.
‘Yes. Collapse like this.’
The great deity’s advent wasn’t far off anyway.
Their loyal followers were simply working hard for the moment of the great advent.
Offering blood, offering lives!
‘That Kaisis is certainly not to be underestimated.’
The Emperor’s power, unleashed in anger today, was so eerie and grotesque it made them want to curse, but after all, he was alone and an ordinary human, helpless before death.
‘Just a terrible monster.’
That monster wouldn’t know his arrogance would devour his own heart.
Nor that they had prepared a gift solely for the Emperor today.
They had failed six years ago, but they had seen the Emperor greatly shaken by the confrontation with the Duke.
So today would be different.
Those with meaningful smiles began to disappear, cleverly erasing their traces as if they had never been there.
***
“I wonder what he’s dreaming about.”
I said in a troubled voice, tracing the corner of Luias’s eye with my fingertip as he slept deeply.
How sorrowful he must have been.
Tears like glass beads were clearly visible at the corners of his eyes.
After returning, Luias refused to eat, cried silently until he collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep.
Indeed, this child had received all the wounds.
“Meow meow.”
That’s why I couldn’t look kindly at the fat cat who had just approached me after leisurely napping.
“Hey, fat cat.”
“I am the great guide Lucy! I won’t forgive such an insulting name!”
“Fine, whatever.”
“What meow?”
“What exactly does the great guide do? What have you done besides eating yesterday and today?”
“I don’t know why you’re picking a fight meow. You’re foolish and stupid not to know that my mere existence helps you meow.”
“Hey.”
Cat Lucy jumped onto the bed and circled around the sleeping Luias.
She placed her plump bottom near the child’s hand, then curled up her body and rubbed her head against Luias’s hair.
I sighed and tidied Luias’s hair, which was disheveled and covered with cat fur.
“Hey, did you make him cry meow?”
I was about to deny it, but my mouth shut tight.
“Maybe. The magicians and Awakened Ones fought as a group. He had to witness it all up close.”
“Wasn’t it you and the Emperor who fought meow?”
This is it.
That’s not something someone who knows nothing about the situation could say.
“…You knew something. Earlier, a strange window definitely appeared.”
I carefully checked if Luias was deeply asleep.
He seemed completely out, so I could continue the conversation.
Reassured, I continued speaking to the fat cat who was licking her front paws beside Luias.
“Explain. What exactly is this ‘intervention of unauthorized persons’? Shouldn’t you earn your keep?”
Angered by her complete lack of focus and evasiveness, I grabbed the cat’s tail firmly.
“Kyaak!”
Of course, this was behavior no cat lover should engage in, but I rationalized that she wasn’t really a cat.
What cat eats dessert?
“Let go meow!”
“Answer. Don’t slide away smoothly this time; give me a proper answer. I absolutely won’t tolerate another incident like this.”
“…Hmph.”
When I spoke firmly, cat Lucy narrowed her eyes.
Then, as if she had never been dramatic, she quietly gazed at me.
What’s this? Why is she setting such a mood?
“Don’t you know the flow of this world meow? That’s it meow. Stories always have protagonists and villains, don’t they meow?”
“So, those are the shadowy figures I’m thinking of?”
But I didn’t think the original story mentioned them entering the Imperial Palace.
“It’s different from what I know.”
It had been different from the beginning.
