Chapter 133

Currently, the imperial family was viewed as little more than a nominal entity.

However, they had once been the founding members of ‘Eda,’ the world’s greatest nation.

Naturally, the members of this lineage were all remarkable, renowned for being born with talents that rivaled even those of the Ragnar.

– Future Vision.

An extraordinary ability to catch glimpses of the future was engraved within their genetic lineage.

But as generations passed, the bloodline thinned, and the glimpses into the future grew shorter or began to deviate.

These days, most of them couldn’t even catch a glimpse.

Yet,

‘A royal family member who could foresee the future accurately was born for the first time in decades.’

A girl around nine years old.

However, there was one fatal issue surrounding her.

‘She was an illegitimate child, born in a brothel to the Emperor’s distant fourteenth cousin.’

The imperial family scarcely recognized her as one of their own, viewing her as the most distant of distant kin.

Moreover, her lowly bloodline meant that most people didn’t even know of her existence.

Even her own father was unaware of her.

‘They say she only became aware of her status when Troyban, having suddenly visited, revealed it to her—a girl who’d been living as a destitute in the brothel day by day.’

Her mother had kept her silence out of fear that the imperial family would retaliate for producing “tainted blood.”

However, Troyban was the first to discover her and placed her under their protection, using her abilities solely for their benefit.

‘Later, as Troyban fell, she wandered from place to place, eventually being forced onto the imperial throne after the empire’s collapse…’

A woman born to a tragic fate.

Regardless of her abilities or potential, she spent her life as nothing more than a puppet for power-hungry schemers before passing away.

‘And yet, Ragnar already had an idea of Cassandra’s whereabouts?’

Perhaps it was because the war with Troyban had happened several years earlier than in recorded history.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The most crucial point, however, was that Ragnar’s intelligence network had detected her.

Since Theo also intended to commission Black Snow to locate Cassandra upon his return, he felt it was a fortunate turn of events.

“Where is she located?”

Theo asked, and Selperd replied simply.

“Priamos.”

For a moment, Theo’s eyes gleamed.

It was a city within Troyban’s territory.

* * *

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. Thank you for everything.”

“It’s us who should be grateful. You helped us protect our homeland.”

Vittorio and the Kriemhild Knights came to the port to bid farewell to Theo and his party.

“We’ll be in touch about the joint company whenever something important comes up.”

“I’m counting on you.”

After exchanging brief farewells, Theo’s group boarded the ship, and upon reaching the continent, they boarded a Magic Train.

As they traveled toward Troyban’s territory, they took extra precautions to conceal their identities.

“Today’s outfit—isn’t that the one your mother gave you?”

Selperd, noticing Theo’s attire, gave him a double thumbs-up.

Theo scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.

“Does… does it suit me?”

“Of course. You look fantastic. Though it’s white, it doesn’t resemble the White Armored Dragon Cavalry uniform at all. You look like a well-dressed young master from a wealthy family. Ah, I’m jealous. Wish I had a mother like that.”

Theo’s nose reddened.

“Is this the first time you’ve worn it?”

“It’s a gift from Lady Cecilia and the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace. They said it’s the latest piece from High Theodor.”

“Oh! With those two’s sense of style, it makes sense.”

Arin looked Theo up and down multiple times, grinning mischievously.

“Junior, can you pull some strings for me? Maybe a discount for a friend?”

“I’ll ask them next time.”

“Yes!” Arin pumped her fist triumphantly, while Theo, feeling a tug on his sleeve, turned to see Ray looking up at him with wide, intent eyes.

“….”

Without a single word, she made it perfectly clear what she wanted.

He chuckled, unable to hold back a smile.

“Alright, I’ll ask for you too.”

But,

She shook her head.

“Huh? Then?”

“….”

“…?”

“….”

“Oh! Of course, I’ll ask the Mistress of Water Lily Palace for you, too. Matching outfits for mother and daughter would look adorable, wouldn’t they?”

Only then did Ray release his sleeve, a broad smile spreading across her face.

Screeee! Scree!

As if it wanted to join the cheerful atmosphere, even the shadow beside them began to wiggle eagerly.

‘You too?’

Scree!

‘No, not you.’

Screeee! Scree! Screee?!

It jumped up, clearly upset about being excluded.

‘Do you have any idea how big you’ve gotten?’

Keeeek!

‘But isn’t that the kind of thing friends should do for each other?’

Keek! Keeek!

‘Fine. I’ll consider it if you behave for a while.’

Keeeeeeeek!

Theo laughed at Umbra’s grumbling protests.

Keeek!

The more he laughed, the sulkier Umbra became.

Just as Theo was about to relent and say he understood, a loud voice rang out.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get down immediately!”

“Please! Please, let us on! We can’t survive here any longer!”

“Hurry up and get lost! Do you know where you’re trying to climb?”

Outside the window of their first-class carriage,

a struggle had broken out between the impoverished people trying to board the Magic Train and the conductors who were pushing them back.

Thwack! Thwack!

The conductors swung their clubs forcefully, trying to drive the poor away from the doors.

But there were so many of them, faces filled with desperation, that they clung to the doors without any intention of letting go.

“Ugh! This won’t do! Tell the engineer to start the train immediately!”

“But if we do that, the people hanging on will—”

“Do you think those beggars matter? If we keep this up, the train will be overrun!”

“Oh, understood!”

After a few moments of commotion, the Magic Train began to move again, letting out a loud hiss as it rolled forward.

Poooooo!

“No, nooo!”

“Please! Take me with you too!”

“Aaaah!”

Despite the desperate cries and people clinging on, the Magic Train kept rolling, pulling away from the station with complete indifference.

Most of the poor clinging to the train eventually fell onto the tracks in a dangerous tumble, but a few managed to get aboard, only to be detained by the conductors—or, in some cases, clung precariously to the outer wall.

“…What on earth is happening?”

Arin’s eyes widened as she took in the entire scene.

Selperd swallowed hard, while Ray looked up at Theo silently.

Theo let out a small sigh.

“They said last year’s crop failures and famine were the worst in history. Looks like it’s worse than we thought.”

“I’d heard about it but had no idea it was this bad.”

Over the past few years, severe droughts had led to a sharp rise in the number of poor people across the empire.

Industrial cities welcomed the influx of cheap labor, but in rural areas, whole regions had been devastated.

This was one of the main causes that had intensified the Great War.

Creeeak—

“Sorry to disturb your rest. The commotion has been contained, and we will ensure that such incidents won’t happen again.”

It seemed there had been quite a few complaints, as a weary-looking conductor approached them, bowing in apology.

Arin asked, “They looked like impoverished folks. What will happen to them?”

“They’ve all been detained and will be handed over to the guards at the next station.”

“I understand. Thank you for your efforts.”

The conductor bowed once more in apology before moving to the next carriage.

“I heard the crop failures are worse the farther inland we go… We might see this more often,” Selperd sighed, his tone heavy.

The mood grew somber.

“…”

Theo idly touched his clothes.

His spotless white outfit.

In contrast, the impoverished people wore filthy clothes that hadn’t been washed, reeking with an unmistakable stench.

The two images kept contrasting in his mind.

“Don’t get any unnecessary ideas.”

But Theo’s thoughts didn’t linger long.

Selperd was watching him intently.

His gaze was serious, unlike usual.

“You’re you, and they’re them. Unless you plan to take in every one of those poor people, don’t get any ideas about intervening. Right now, the mission comes first.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Theo nodded heavily.

The Great War was an unchangeable course of history.

No matter how much he involved himself, nothing would truly change.

He knew that stepping in would be of no help at all.

In fact, he preferred not to interfere with the great tide of history if possible.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t quite let go of the hem of his clothes, his grip remaining tight.

* * *

“This is Priamos Station. Please be mindful of the gap between the train and the platform when disembarking…”

Theo and his group slowly disembarked from the Magic Train.

A chilling wind slapped against their faces, greeting them with a barren landscape.

“It’s no different here, either.”

The scene surrounding Priamos Station looked much like the desolate views they’d seen throughout the entire train journey.

Bare, dry branches.

Empty fields.

Abandoned homes.

And many impoverished people gathered near the station.

“Please, spare a coin, kind sirs!”

“I have children starving at home. I beg for your mercy…!”

“We’ll be trapped here if we stay any longer. Let’s move quickly.”

Following Selperd’s lead, they pressed forward.

The city felt even more deserted up close than it had from the outside.

Not a single sign of smoke or life.

“…The target is in a small village on the outskirts of the city. Let’s head there.”

By now, even Selperd, who had been trying to maintain his composure, sounded somber.

But when they arrived at the village…

“….”

“….”

“…What now?”

…it had been reduced to ashes.

The village, already barren, had been swept by fire, leaving it a ghost town devoid of any inhabitants.

Selperd pressed a hand to his forehead.

In this condition, they would need to ask around for information about their target’s whereabouts… But he was worried about attracting attention in Troyban’s territory, where enemies could appear at any moment.

Their mission was to escort the target to Winterer as discreetly as possible.

This was, after all, deep within Troyban’s territory.

Revealing their identities could put them in significant danger…

“It seems something happened here.”

Theo, while examining the village, narrowed his eyes slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“They tried to cover their tracks as much as possible, but it appears this fire was intentionally set. There are signs of looting here and there.”

“What?”

Theo sifted through the blackened sand, uncovering faint signs: bloodstained ground, indicating substantial blood loss, and dozens of hasty footprints leading away from the scene.

“It looks like there was a kidnapping. Judging by the state of things… it happened about one to three hours ago.”

Selperd’s eyes widened.

“Troyban! They can’t have gotten far. Let’s go after them.”

At that moment—

Ding!

[A quest has arrived.]

—

[Scenario Quest #5]

The being who glimpses time is incompatible with you, who have defied it. Secure her to prepare for any potential threat.

– Difficulty: A+

– Reward: Clue to the Secrets of Time

– Failure Consequence: Death

—

“‘Any potential threat?’”