Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Translator: Yonnee

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“Huh?”

“After I sent the message to Mercy, we got caught along the passageway. We barely escaped, but… It was impossible for the mages who were less agile.”

The sudden news came to me as a shock, but I could understand how this happened.

The mages were people who wielded magic, and they’re not like Liam and Schubert, who had trained their bodies. It was an adequate reason.

And they would have needed a mage to send another report to Mercy, but since they got separated, they couldn’t send word to her.

It would have been better if we could call Mercy right now and ask her how we should proceed, but I didn’t know the right spell or magic circle for sending messages.

I need to judge the situation here.

Soon enough, I moved on to the next question.

“Will the mages be executed right away?”

“No, they might want to reverse the mages’ powers and use them for themselves. Those two mages are both very powerful.”

“So then we’ll have to get them out as soon as possible.”

I stood still in the same spot, lost in my own thoughts. How should we go about this problem?

Then, with an innocent expression, Schubert raised one hand. He looked like he wanted to say something to me.

“Do you have a good suggestion?”

I asked him enthusiastically to try and hype him up. However, Schubert shook his head and mumbled.

“Ah, just FYI. We got intercepted by the knight order here in the passageways earlier. They’re coming after us right now.”

Hey, wait, what did you just say? The moment my mind registered what he just said, I felt a chill down my spine.

“Then are you saying that they’re right on our heels this very second…?”

“Yep. C’mon then, we gotta move.”

While stretching, Schubert started moving. No, but, I mean, you can’t just say that now!

Though surprised, I followed them because just as he said, we really had to move.

The path before us was so long, and it was like a maze.

There were so many forked roads, but despite it all, the passageways’ interior looked entirely uniform, so I couldn’t even tell whether we passed that place already or not.

The knights were following us, but I couldn’t imagine how they could find us.

“Where are we headed to?”

“The palace gardens. There’s another passageway at the fountain in the middle of the garden, and that one leads straight to the dungeon. That’s where we’re headed,” Schubert replied.

Liam took the lead while looking at the map in his hands. It was all thanks to magic that I could keep up the pace with them when they were going so fast.

Fortunately enough, when I was reading the book of magic circles, I memorized a simple one that could aid with running.

If it wasn’t for magic, I would have been left in the dust by now, unable to keep up with them.

Despite the narrow passageways, the soldiers on our side all followed Liam and Schubert without a word.

Judging by the fierce look in their eyes, they were clearly different from the soldiers I saw earlier at the tower.

I could conjure a small fire for a bit more light, but I decided to save my magic reserves.

We didn’t know when exactly the other knights would find us and attack. If that would happen, then I’d need to use all my strength then.

It didn’t occur to me that something could go wrong. Liam and Schubert moved calmly, and they were very thorough men.

…But then, I felt a throbbing pang in my heart. It was Blanc’s emotions. While I was running, Blanc got off the top of my head.

“Blanc, what’s wrong?”

“Did I do something wrong…? Why didn’t Shubert say hiii…”

Blanc’s voice was sullen when he asked. Then I remembered how Blanc and Schubert had a lot of fun hanging out together at Liam’s place.

I ran harder for a long time so that I could reach Schubert’s side, then when I was there, I spoke.

“Baron. Sorry, but… Just a minute, please hug Blanc.”

“No, I dislike reptiles so— uuaaAACK!”

He made a strange sound when I thrusted Blanc into his arms. Still though, he didn’t drop Blanc.

“I know that he doesn’t look like a dragon to you, Lord Schubert. Blanc is feeling upset because you’re suddenly treating him differently. Please look at him closely. Blanc hasn’t changed.”

He had a good relationship with Blanc, that’s why it’s a waste to just leave it like this as they were.

After me, I think he’s the next person who Blanc opened up to.

This, too, was an experience that made Blanc start feeling little by little that it was worth living in this world.

“Please consider Blanc’s feelings. Didn’t you guys have fun hanging out together before?”

Don’t people say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover?

If Blanc, who was now in Schubert’s arms, really seemed like a reptile to him, the two of them wouldn’t have been able to bond this much.

In Schubert’s eyes, Blanc was just a cute cat.

Schubert was shocked by my words. Blanc raised his head and glanced up eagerly at the man.

Sighing, Shubert covered his face for a moment, but he soon placed Blanc on his head.

“…Let’s go like this.”

Feeling satisfied, I watched them make up. Alright, this side has been settled.

After whispering to Blanc a bit, I passed by Schubert and went to Liam’s side.

As he was running while looking at the map occasionally, he asked.

“What is it?”

“I have a question about His Highness.”

While I was talking to Blanc earlier, I recalled what I wanted to ask the moment I met Liam. We’ve yet to exit the passageways, so I think this is the right time to ask.

I thought about it, and thought about it again.

I know what Albert thinks of me, but I can’t figure out why he’s being so passive about teaching me magic. While we were still at the tower, I made a great effort in studying magic.

However, Albert showed very minimal effort in teaching me. It was so unlike his usual self.

So, I came to the only possible conclusion why he would act like that.

“Does His Highness know a way to change the contractor of a dragon?”

Liam stayed silent. Gradually looking my way, he glanced down at me. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

And his ambiguous reaction was enough to convince me.

Instead of me, Albert was trying to become Blanc’s contractor.