I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 58

Short red hair with dark green eyes.

The eldest son of Count Sonner, whose family had historically possessed the awakening ability of fire, currently called the Emperor’s right hand knight.

That was Dicardo.

‘Why do I have plant abilities?’

But contrary to everyone’s expectations, what manifested in him was the ability to control plants.

Of course, his potential was extremely high, making it incredibly useful for both survival and combat in Gates where one never knew what environment might unfold.

However, he had an inferiority complex.

About why he, of all people, wasn’t a fire ability user.

‘If I had been, I could have been much more helpful to His Majesty.’

The most upright knight and the Emperor’s faithful sword.

That was the pride of the Sonner Count family.

Especially since the current Emperor possessed ice and water abilities, his inferiority complex grew even larger.

Although the difference in rank was significant, had he possessed opposing abilities, it would have been easier to support his lord as the Emperor’s knight.

Perhaps that was why?

Dicardo, who once had quite a bright personality, somehow grew into someone with a slightly twisted, pessimistic character.

Then the Duke appeared before him.

The Grand Magician of fire, with even more vivid red hair and red eyes, clearly mocking him.

Of course, while it was irritating, Dicardo honestly looked down on the Duke.

‘Just a mere magician.’

He arrogantly thought that magicians’ abilities were merely supplementary compared to those of Awakened Ones.

But then, on a day when a Gate went berserk and monsters rampaged everywhere, nearly causing great damage.

For some reason, he witnessed Duke Ariel, in his late teens, sweeping through the area outside.

A massive pillar of fire passes before him, monsters perishing.

And he realized.

That a magician’s fire had protected his back when he momentarily let his guard down.

‘No. That can’t be!’

He couldn’t believe it.

Even if they were monsters that had escaped outside, how could a mere magician kill them in one blow!

Unfortunately, he was the only one who witnessed that scene.

It was obvious that Duke Ariel would brag and show off about the magician’s prowess.

Yet for some reason, Duke Ariel acted as if nothing had happened, maintaining her cold and arrogant expression, merely mocking him as always in front of the Emperor.

That hurt his pride even more.

After that came an explosion of inferiority.

‘That’s impossible! A mere magician!’

As one of the nobles from a family steeped in Awakened One supremacy, he stubbornly insisted and ignored it.

Gritting his teeth. Trying his hardest.

Several years have passed since the present.

‘After struggling like that, I almost hurt His Highness the Prince. How pathetic can I be?’

Because of him, another conflict arose, causing the Emperor concern and making Duke Ariel bleed.

‘It was my fault.’

When Duke Ariel’s eyes, colder than the Emperor’s ice despite their fiery appearance, pierced through him.

He felt shame.

He began to reflect on his childish and base past behavior, which was completely unbecoming of the Emperor’s right hand.

From then on, Duke Ariel kept catching his eye.

It would be more accurate to say he became conscious of her.

‘This is guilt.’

However, it wasn’t easy to apologize to the leader of a hostile faction who wouldn’t even engage with him.

Then one day.

An opportunity came.

‘Well, who’s willing to volunteer?’

A duel between a magician and an Awakened One.

Someone had to step up and face Duke Ariel.

But it was a duel that would cause problems whether one won or lost.

So when the Emperor gathered the Awakened Ones and asked that question, Dicardo stepped forward without hesitation.

‘I will do it, Your Majesty.’

There were no other candidates.

He expected the Emperor to immediately command him to do so, but the Emperor remained silent for a moment.

He looked at his lord with a puzzled expression, but somehow felt as if he was being shot with eyes colder and more frigid than usual.

‘Why?’

But as if it had been his imagination, His Majesty nodded, and so he kept watching and now setting up tents.

He now stood before the Duke.

‘Ugh, you traitor!’

‘Why are you suddenly trying to suck up to the magicians?’

‘What’s wrong with you lately? Are you crazy?’

In contrast to him, the Awakened One called the Emperor’s left hand.

He ignored his friend Kael, a knight who mainly used wind, looking quite displeased.

Dicardo was the type of person who had to push through once he made a decision.

However.

‘I didn’t expect such a look of disgust.’

He had approached with great determination, but Duke Ariel’s demeanor turned knife-like at the mere attempt to speak with her.

Moreover, before he could properly begin speaking, a magician rushed over, baring his teeth.

But why?

Listening to a delicate magician speaking familiarly about the Duke, he strangely felt disgusted.

The magician’s sparkling appearance was so beautiful it seemed androgynous, which irritated him even more.

Dicardo looked only at the Duke with a gruff attitude and spoke.

Regardless of the red eyes that despised him, they were still focused on him.

It felt not bad, which gave him goosebumps for some reason.

“I have been selected as Your Grace’s opponent for the duel. I came to inform you of this news.”

The Duke raised an eyebrow.

“You could have just submitted a report.”

“I wanted to tell you in person.”

As he continued speaking, the Duke’s expression grew fiercer.

Dicardo became dejected, feeling like a stupid bear.

Was it so unpleasant for an Awakened One to merely speak to her? That fluttering magician, despite being a grown man, used such an annoying tone while sucking up, yet the Duke didn’t say anything and left him be, which made him feel even more disappointed.

Unconsciously grumbling, he suddenly became startled.

Disappointed? Feeling disappointed?

He simply couldn’t believe it.

‘Of course, the Duke would find it unpleasant, considering our past friction. But why am I…’

Why am I having these thoughts?

Now, why was he smirking at the sight of the magician, who was about to link arms with the Duke, getting his hand sharply pushed away?

And why did his shoulders shrink at the Duke’s icy voice that wouldn’t even call him by name, asking, “Is that all you have to say?”

‘I must have really gone mad.’

Forcing strength into his eyes that were about to droop dejectedly, he nodded.

Clearly wanting to end this unpleasant encounter, the red-haired woman turned her head away without hesitation, and he swallowed his disappointment.

‘At least I’ve repaid my debt once.’

Dicardo was surprised once again.

Having come out of the carriage at some point, his most respected lord was glaring at him…

‘My, my lord?’

Could it be because he showed a submissive attitude before a magician despite being an Awakened One?

It seemed like his lord had rarely made such an expression, even when facing monsters.

Dicardo became depressed in many ways.

Still, thinking about the opportunities he would have to face Duke Ariel using the duel as an excuse, he felt not so bad.

This was definitely guilt.

After apologizing a few more times, the burden on his heart would surely lighten.

Trying hard to think that way, he trudged along.

***

Crazy!

I can barely remember what the bear-like Emperor’s knight with the solid build was muttering.

I roughly understand that he’s decided to be my duel opponent, and since he seemed so disgruntled, he probably volunteered, thinking this was his chance.

I also pushed away the youngest magician, who was annoyingly sticking to me.

That wasn’t what was important.

‘Why is this appearing again?’

My heart was racing wildly.

The status window in front of me was the problem.

When the plant Awakened One, the man called Dicardo, spoke again.

[Prerequisite condition for the Multi-Imprint Quest.

Interested Awakened One (2) found!]

That damn window appeared.

[Candidate Awakened One discovered, but conditions for the Multi-Imprint Quest not met.

Quest generation failed.

Please try again next time.]

Fortunately, another window appeared a few seconds later in front of me which had frozen like ice…

‘If I fulfill those prerequisite conditions or whatever in the future.’

It means that an ominous mission called the Multi-Imprint Quest might appear.

This crazy system.

Me.

You’re not planning to turn me into the original female protagonist, are you…?