Gravis punched a wall in anger. It made a horrid noise, leaving a dent. He seemed ready to break his own bones.
“Sir! Control yourself, please!”
“Stop!”
Dirk and Lucas rushed to hold the man from behind. Dirk, however, was flung backward as Gravis forcefully shook him off.
The men all paled at the ferocious anger of the usually calm man. Johan and Gauff in particular felt their knees tremble at the sight of the king’s brother’s wrath.
Lucas remembered the events of eighteen years ago.
He had more restraint than anyone, but when the cords of Gravis’s reason came loose, no one could stop him. It had been the same during that battle.
Lucas frantically held Gravis back from the precipice of his fury.
“Calm down! Anger won’t solve this!”
“Let go of me, Lucas! …I know! I’m angry at my own inadequacies… How could I have missed it?! How could I let this come to pass… How could I let them take Leorino so easily?!”
How many times had this soul more important than life itself slipped through his hands?
How many times will I make the same mistake?
Gravis roared like a beast as Lucas held his arms behind his back.
“…Leorino! Call my name! Just one more time… Call me now!”
But Leorino’s voice never reached Gravis’s mind.
Leorino woke up shivering from the cold. He could smell the familiar northern air.
“I see you’re awake, Lord Leorino.”
Leorino slowly sat up. The room was shockingly cold. He instantly felt around his body. His legs were fine. No other signs of mischief. He was fully conscious.
Leorino pretended to cough and slowly brought his hand to his chest to avoid suspicion. He could feel the thin, hard object he always carried there. Leorino breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Thank God. No one had patted him down.
The dagger hidden at his chest was his ray of hope.
The man who kidnapped Leorino was a merchant who called himself Smirnov, though Leorino suspected that was only a front.
Observing the man, Leorino guessed he was about the same age as Ebbo. He looked young because of his slender build, but he might have been nearing fifty.
“You look so fragile, but you don’t scream, you don’t tremble—looks like you’ve got some guts after all. A true son of the Cassieux family.”
“…What do you intend to do with me?”
“Oh, I suppose my Power didn’t come as a surprise. Then again, I guess it wouldn’t. I have the same Power as your fiancé, His Royal Highness the King’s brother.”
“…”
He truly hated the man’s smile.
This man is working under the Marquis of Lagarea. He kidnapped our people and likely brought that boulder before the gates eighteen years ago…
Leorino had already noticed. The rugged walls; the northern air, noticeably colder than in the royal capital.
This was Zweilink.
But he had no way of knowing if this was the inner or outer fortress.
Leorino looked around the room with trepidation.
“Where am I?”
“Zweilink. The border fortress near your family home,” the man answered simply.
Why was Leorino brought to Zweilink? This was the front line of the war, the hostilities still ongoing. If the Zwelfs wanted to kidnap Leorino, they should have taken him somewhere in Zwelf.
“Why did you bring me to Zweilink…?”
“Well, you see, my master hasn’t exactly sworn his allegiance to Zwelf.”
“Your master… Why does he want me here?”
The man scoffed at the upbringing that compelled Leorino to be so polite toward his own kidnapper.
“The allied Zwelf-Gdaniraque forces are currently clashing with the Fanoren Royal Army on this very border. My master wants to see that hero suffer when he sees what becomes of you, and how he will be powerless to stop it. As long as the general perishes, your country won’t stand a chance against Gdaniraque’s army.”
Leorino’s face paled further.
So it truly was a grudge against the royal family. Eighteen years ago, and now, the Marquis of Lagarea was always motivated by the single-minded desire to destroy this kingdom.
Leorino’s body shuddered as he hung his head. The man smirked, enjoying the sight of the fragile, flower-like young man’s fear.
But Leorino was not trembling in fear. If anything, he was angry.
The man who had sent his friends to their deaths with Edgar’s help eighteen years ago now stood before him.
Leorino wanted to kill him. He wanted to slit the man’s throat with his own hands.
But the fact the man had brought him here… It got Leorino thinking.
Fighting to regain his composure, he looked up at the man and spoke.
“If this is Zweilink, that means…the fortress has been compromised.”
He looked at Leorino, his brows raised. “…So you figured it out. I’m impressed.”
“…The outer fort has already fallen into enemy hands.”
“Aren’t you clever? Yes, this is the outer fortress of Zweilink. It was taken over by Zwelf-Gdaniraque forces before I brought you here tonight.”
“But how…”
“With my help, it took no time at all. When I was done, I leaped to the capital and kidnapped you… I worked very hard, I must admit. Although I’d rather not use any more of my power today… Still, everything’s turning out delightfully well.”
“Eighteen years ago, during the battle of Zweilink…we lost the outer fortress because of you, didn’t we?”
The man burst out laughing.
“Yes, of course. Once I set foot in a place, I can leap there anytime I wish. A man took me on a tour of the fortress, giving me a chance to observe it at length. That day, and today, I took out the guards of the outer fortress one by one. After thinning them sufficiently, we sent Zwelf platoons throughout, and in no time at all, we were in control. Even the ‘impregnable’ fortress quickly kneels in the face of my Power.”
“…I see. That explains much.”
It must have been Edgar Yorke who helped the man learn the structure of the outer fortress.
Leorino glared at the man, seething with anger. If eyes could kill, his would strangle the man to death on the spot.
“You’ve got such a pretty face. Don’t waste it on scowling.”
The man raised his hands to placate Leorino, but then his lips twisted into a wicked smirk.
“No, your pretty little face doesn’t scare me. If anything, that glare only accentuates your beauty… Such a waste to hand you over to Gdaniraque without getting an eyeful… You really are out of this world.”
He leered at Leorino’s body. His gaze gave Leorino chills of disgust.
“The lieutenant general of Gdaniraque appreciates good men and women alike. When I told him how famous you are for being the most beautiful person on the continent, he said he would love to see your face in person. You are one of the rewards my master promised Gdaniraque.”
Leorino was shaken to hear he was included in the rewards for Gdaniraque.
In other words, the Marquis of Lagarea had sold Leorino to the enemy.
Was that why the marquis wanted Leorino to marry Julian?
“It won’t even be your first time, will it? He also seemed interested in how someone as dainty as you could be with someone as large as the king’s brother… Gdaniraque men are rather large, you see. He was very much looking forward to seeing what he could do to you.”
The man looked at Leorino, saw him pale at the threat, and nodded in satisfaction.
“I’m afraid we can’t dress you up in silks, given the circumstances, but your angelic beauty should be reward enough. Please make yourself at home, then, until I come back for you tonight or tomorrow morning.”
With that, the man vanished from the scene.