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147th Chapter

“On the day following the Hunting Tournament, I encountered the Basilisk alongside Grand Duke Einhar and His Highness the Second Prince, as well as Count Leo Bluebell from the Atara delegation.”

I skipped over the events of the first day of the tournament and continued calmly. Just a moment ago, I had been tense, but as I began to speak, my mind surprisingly cooled down.

‘There’s no need to mention Harabana.’

Simply by surviving against the Basilisk, I had created a new wonder for the Empire. If it were known that I had faced Harabana, I would likely be regarded as an indestructible being, so I decided to keep Harabana a secret, known only to Rainar, my family, and me.

“I thought it was dangerous for the four of us to be crowded together in that situation, so I sent the Grand Duke and the Prince to alert the others, while Count Bluebell and I engaged the Basilisk.”

Leo Bluebell. It was the false identity Alexandros had used upon arriving in the Empire. Here, at the Grand Nobility Conference, everyone likely knew that ‘Leo Bluebell’ was King ‘Alexandros Atara,’ but officially it had to remain a secret, so I had to refer to him by his alias.

“The Basilisk showed no interest in me and only targeted Count Bluebell. Even when I attacked, it didn’t even glance my way. I found that strange.”

As a witness, I had to stick to just stating the facts, but since I needed to relay information about the Northern final weapon, I injected my thoughts into the conversation.

I sparked with intrigue.

“The monster lacks discernment, so why did it leave me alone and pursue Count Bluebell? How did the monster even get here in the first place?”

Noah wore a serious expression. El’s eyebrows twitched, and Helios narrowed his eyes. Caesar, who hadn’t heard the full account of the tournament incident from me, was just as focused on my words as everyone else.

Monsters see everything before them as prey. Unlike humans who are picky about what they eat, monsters will devour anything that has flesh, whether dead or alive, large or small.

For such a monster to move as if it had received orders, solely targeting one person, was peculiar.

The appearance of a gigantic monster in the forest was absurd. The location of the hunting tournament had been thoroughly vetted, a forest where no monsters were supposed to appear. For a Basilisk, which exists in extremely limited numbers and only in the Far East, to show up in such a forest could hardly be dismissed as mere coincidence.

‘Someone was manipulating the giant monster to disrupt the hunting tournament and assassinate the King of Atara.’

While a reasonable conclusion could be drawn, how it was done remained the issue.

It was unlikely that the Basilisk had been subdued and transported here. The question was how the Basilisk had come on its own to the forest where the tournament was being held.

Everyone likely suspected that this incident was instigated by the North, but they must have questioned how it was accomplished. I wanted to clarify that part.

While everyone awaited my next words,

I quickly glanced toward Cyprus and inwardly snickered.

The anxious, flustered expression of the Cyprus nobleman brought me a sense of satisfaction.

Monster taming was a secret weapon of the North. They had plotted to catch the Empire off-guard with monsters, so the fact that taming had been revealed here should not happen.

Of course, I had no intention of letting things unfold according to the plans of the North and Cyprus.

“It seemed quite suspicious, and I hope this will assist in any future investigations…”

I leisurely trailed off as I rummaged through my pockets. This was an action unfit for a witness, yet no one stated otherwise, waiting for my next move.

‘They have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.’

I grinned as I pulled out something I had kept for a long time.

“I have secured the heart of the Basilisk.”

A glass case capable of preserving a creature in its most intact state.

Inside was a bizarre and hideous dark purple lump, that is, the heart of the Basilisk.

“What…?”

“Is that really true!”

Noah abruptly leaped to his feet, while Helios, wide-eyed, raised his voice in disbelief.

The Basilisk’s corpse would later oxidize without a trace, and the barrier, too, would simply vanish, leaving essentially nothing to investigate about the tournament incident. There had been nothing left.

Thus, the heart of the Basilisk in my possession was practically the only clue to that incident. Its value was undoubtedly significant.

“Wait! How can you prove that is the true heart of the Basilisk? You could have brought any animal’s heart to make a name for yourself!”

At that moment, an uncomfortably shrill voice interrupted urgently.

I stiffened as I looked at the pale, agitated Harvis Cyprus, unable to hide his agitation. He seemed so flustered that he was spewing out desperate words to stop me.

“I swore that I would not lie before beginning. Whether it is the heart of the Basilisk, the investigators will confirm.”

“Oh, what does a heart from a long-dead monster matter! It’s merely the byproduct of a corpse…!”

“No, this is the only remnant of an incident that lacked clues, isn’t it? You never know.”

Trying to control my emotions, I smiled slyly at the visibly shaken count’s face.

“From this heart, perhaps something akin to a drug capable of controlling monsters can be detected.”

The Count’s expression hardened instantly. Harvis glared at me as if I were some sudden calamity that had intruded upon him.

“…Indeed, it’s difficult to confirm at this time if this is the heart of that Basilisk. Whether this serves as evidence that ‘the North was the culprit behind the hunting tournament incident’ cannot be asserted either.”

Helios, recovering from his earlier excitement, interrupted the verbal tussle between me and Harvis, clearing away all assumptions and hypotheses. His eyes sparkled dangerous, contrasting starkly with his skeptical tone.

“But it’s certainly worth investigating.”

A tone I knew all too well, calm and smooth like waves lapping against a tranquil sea.

Diego suddenly chimed in, looking firmly into my eyes. The pride glinting in his gaze seemed to say he admired me.

‘Truly, you are the one I acknowledged.’

The trust received from a reliable person is always welcomed. I subtly lowered the heat rising to my neck as I slowly scanned the room filled with commotion.

My gaze landed squarely on one person.

“Your Holiness the Pope.”

Once again, all eyes focused on me. El, who still held a gaze just for me, smiled more beautifully than a fully bloomed lily. Helios, who had been sipping water, coughed loudly as if taken by surprise at El’s appearance.

“Yes, Kashmir.”

A voice as sweet as honey on the lips, one that seemed ready to hand over the key to the Sun Temple without hesitation if I asked him to.

I presented my glass case toward him.

“I’m sorry, but could you please take a look at this for me?”

“Of course.”

The sudden request stirred a commotion once more. El accepted without any trace of hesitation or reluctance, responding even before I finished speaking.

“Are you going to hand this over to His Holiness?”

I passed the glass case to the servant waiting beside me. The servant carefully stepped toward El with the case.

“Why are you giving that to His Holiness?”

Noah Einhart, watching the situation with fiery eyes, inquired. I smiled confidently.

“Perhaps His Holiness will provide an answer.”

The glass case was placed into El’s hands. The moment he held it, his eyes widened in surprise, his face contorting as though about to reject something foul.

“Your Holiness. What do you feel? Can you tell us?”

Having briefly touched the box, El quickly dropped it on the table beside him as if it was some filthy refuse. He slowly opened his mouth, his face smiling but his silver eyes gleaming coldly.

“This was indeed a magic bomb created using black magic for the recent National Foundation Day terror incident.”

Black magic was a cursed art that went against nature. Divine power was the most blessed force bestowed by the gods.

Those who utilize divine power feel a natural repulsion against black magic. For someone like El, whose divine power was extraordinarily developed, that feeling would surely be stronger.

“I can sense the same sinister magic energy here that I felt from the magic bomb.”

Just as the Basilisk absorbed the life of the plants in its path, the traces of black magic lingered where the North’s hand had touched.

“I believe the North has learned how to control monsters using black magic.”

I spoke boldly, standing as a witness, with not a hint of hesitation.

Like a bitter wind sweeping over a nation that had grown complacent in the face of war.

“Ah!”

Once I finished my testimony and stepped out of the serious atmosphere, the first to charge out the door was Caesar.

Startled by his thunderous voice calling my nickname, I hastily wiped the white powder from my mouth.

“If you knew such a significant fact, why didn’t you tell me?”

Caesar spoke, straining to suppress his ominous tone, each word laden with tension. I blinked wide-eyed and lowered my head like a guilty sinner.

Well, one could understand why Caesar would be angry—he had to hear such vital information in front of everyone instead of being told by his own daughter.

“…I’m sorry. From now on, I will be sure to share important facts.”

Feeling like a disobedient child, Caesar ran a hand roughly through his hair and sighed.

“…I’m not upset that I didn’t receive the information; I’m more troubled by the fact that you had such serious matters but didn’t think to consult me or ask for help.”

His voice softening more than before, Caesar ruffled my hair. This time, his touch felt more skillful than when he had pressed down upon my head previously, making me slightly close my eyes in pleasure.

“Please share with me next time. I do not want you to carry such a heavy truth alone.”

Caesar whispered softly, pulling me into his embrace. His previously quiet demeanor shifted, as he openly expressed his feelings; this was a significant change.

‘I must change as well…’

I had changed a lot compared to the beginning, but I still clung to the habit of handling everything alone. It wasn’t something that could be altered in just a day or two of developing habits.

‘Just a little longer, just a little longer, and then I’ll share with you.’

As I mentally apologized to Caesar for the tasks I still had left to accomplish alone, I slowly nodded my head in his embrace.

Had he sensed my thoughts? Caesar gazed at me with a somewhat dissatisfied expression, but he said nothing more. I could read his consideration not to burden me in that moment.

Finding that endearing, I smiled brightly, causing Caesar to chuckle helplessly as he draped an arm over my shoulder. This familiar physical affection warmed my heart pleasantly.

“You did well today.”

Suddenly, Caesar’s words halted abruptly. His expression turned grave beyond comprehension.

I turned my head toward the familiar presence I felt behind me, a mix of welcome and guilt.

“Kashmir. May I have a moment of your time?”

A voice strangely heavy, in contrast to its normal lightness. Golden hair shining dazzlingly and eyes tinged with weariness.

“…Your Highness.”

It was Diego Solaritine.

 

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