The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 103

“Please take care”

“….”

By the time we left the building, the sun had almost set. After boarding the waiting carriage, I unclenched my fist. My palm was soaked with sweat.

“Sei, why did you stop me…”

Camille began to grumble but then noticed my condition and widened his eyes.

“Sei, are you okay? What happened to you?”

My body, finally free of tension, started to tremble. Unable to hold myself together, I curled up tightly, prompting a concerned Camille to support me.

“Breathe slowly. Yes, just like that. It’s alright. You did well.”

A kind voice came from somewhere. Following the calm instructions, I took deep breaths and began to regain my vision. Semeion, who had somehow gotten out of my pocket, was looking at me with a serious face.

“What’s going on? Do you know why Sei is like this, apothecary?”

“…It’s because he made eye contact with that man earlier. He’ll recover soon.”

“What do you mean…”

Camille’s face twisted in confusion before a look of slow dawning horror crossed his features.

“No way…”

“It was dangerous, but he managed to endure it.”

“….”

In the meanwhile, I managed to calm my queasy stomach. Fortunately, there was water ready in the carriage. I accepted the glass from Semeion and drank it in one gulp, starting to feel more like myself again.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, thank you.”

As I weakly lifted my head, I saw Camille’s face had turned pale. His hands, clenched on his knees, were bone-white at the knuckles.

“Was that guy earlier a member of the Demonic Beasts? Did he use his powers on you when your eyes met?”

There was too much that had already been seen to deny it. I nodded, and Camille’s already pale face turned even paler. I wasn’t exactly unaffected either.

‘There really was a member of the Demonic Beasts.’

Moreover, he attempted to control my mind to extract a confession. I had experienced the mind control of a Demonic Beast before, but this was an entirely different feeling. It felt like something was crawling inside my head, probing and twisting.

“He’s at least a bishop in rank.”

As expected, Camille froze, swallowing hard. Semeion’s expression grew darker, though there was a hint of satisfaction in his face.

“Honestly, I only realized he was using his powers at the moment he did. I was astonished by how calmly Sir Sei responded. Did you prepare in advance?”

“His insistence on making eye contact felt off, so I prepared myself mentally.”

“Even so, the power of a bishop is something that even an adult Clonne can’t easily withstand. It must have been excruciating, yet you endured without showing any sign. That’s truly commendable.”

“Fortunately, I’m good at maintaining a calm expression. It’s a useful skill when dealing with difficult people.”

I said it as a way to deflect the embarrassing praise, hoping for a laugh, but instead, Semeion’s face hardened quickly.

“Who put you through such training, Sir Sei?”

“…”

I couldn’t quite bring myself to ask what he intended to do if he found out. He wasn’t the type to take such things lightly.

“Wait a minute! What are you all talking about? So, Sei, you sensed something suspicious but still looked into his eyes?”

Camille, in his own way, was in an uproar. I shrugged, confused about why he felt the need to ask when he already seemed to understand, and he burst out.

“You should have avoided looking if you suspected something! You know looking into the eyes of the Demonic Beast is dangerous!”

“Was I supposed to advertise my suspicion openly?”

“But still…!”

“I made certain calculations too. If I seemed ordinary, they would stop trying after a while. I thought I could endure for a short time. Thankfully, my prediction was correct.”

“That’s simply leaving it to luck! Are you saying it’s all fine because the outcome was good?”

“Then offer a better solution.”

For a moment, Camille’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly before it snapped shut. Even he couldn’t think of a more effective approach.

“Damn it.”

Eventually, Camille, uncharacteristically uttering a harsh word, ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“I don’t understand how the world works anymore. Why is this happening?”

“I feel the same. Still, there were results from our visit. Although it’s unfortunate that your hope has been dashed, Lord Camille.”

“…What?”

“It’s clear that Elpine is involved, so the Magic Tower can’t be ruled out as a suspect either.”

“….”

In other words, it increased the likelihood that the First Prince and the Magic Tower were collaborating. Finally comprehending the gravity of the situation, Camille’s face slowly turned ashen. I watched his dazed expression before leaning back against the seat.

‘Come to think of it, they said the bodies of the Demonic Beasts had been enhanced.’

Was it said that they had processed the blood of the Clonne King for that? If they were mages, it was certainly something they’d do. They were generally obsessed with bizarre experiments.

As I pondered this, I closed my weary eyes. Perhaps it would have been better if all our efforts ended in vain. Although we had found a clue, it brought no comfort.

* * *

The carriage carrying the two Security Department agents quickly exited the commercial district. Their departure was as sudden as their arrival. Watching the carriage disappear from the balcony window, Arthas lightly stroked his chin.

“An unexpected visit from the Security Department, and not just any branch, but the Crown Prince’s National Defense Department…”

“Moreover, Camille Rouster himself came.”

The Chief Manager, looking uneasy, clasped his hands tightly.

“And who is that?”

“A direct descendant of Duke Kales Rouster.”

“Duke Rouster? Ah, yes, I know who that is. Our esteemed hostage’s maternal grandfather, isn’t it?”

“Please don’t refer to him as a hostage so openly…”

“Why not? That’s what he is.”

The Chief Manager sighed deeply, rendered speechless by Arthas’s nonchalant reply. His timid plea to be cautious around others might fall on deaf ears, no one could be sure.

“Duke Rouster supports the Crown Prince, right?”

“Not just supports; he’s a key figure in the Crown Prince’s faction. As the Supreme Commander of the Three Imperial Forces, he is particularly feared by the First Prince.”

“Hmm, and that young man earlier is his direct descendant? Is he also a supporter of the Crown Prince?”

“Of course. He is so deeply beloved by the Duke that he’s called his replica.”

Arthas smiled, finding it amusing, and stroked his chin again.

“The same grandson, yet so different in many ways. Our hostage seemed rather timid, but that one seemed very determined and strong. And he does appear to be quite capable.”

“Indeed. He graduated at the top of the swordsmanship department at the Royal Academy. He’s already entered the ranks of a high-level swordsman, and it’s highly likely he’ll become a Sword Master within a few years.”

“Oh, really? So, he’s a swordsman? That’s surprising. He looks so delicate; I wouldn’t have thought he had ever held a weapon.”

“Excuse me? Camille Rouster, delicate…?”

The Chief Manager, who had been answering readily, looked bewildered. While Camille had indeed been known as a beautiful boy in his youth, his post-pubescent self was undeniably handsome in a robust and athletic way. His height and build made this even more apparent.

‘Is their standard different?’

Knowing Arthas’s true identity, the Chief Manager naturally thought so. However, it wouldn’t take long for the truth of this misunderstanding to come to light.

“Why? Isn’t that quite a pretty face? He’s tall, but he has a slender frame, and overall, he gives off the impression of an elegant beauty. Maybe it’s just because I prefer black hair.”

“Excuse me? Did you say black hair?”

“Yes, black hair.”

The Chief Manager sighed, now fully grasping the situation.

“Camille Rouster has silver hair.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’m telling you, the black-haired one in front wasn’t Camille Rouster. The silver-haired one behind him was Camille Rouster.”

It was clear now that Arthas had mistaken someone else. When the misunderstanding was corrected, Arthas’s expression shifted to one of deeper confusion, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“Then who was the black-haired one?”

“Well, I didn’t recognize his face either. But from his uniform, it appeared he held a higher rank than Camille Rouster.”

“Really? Then he must be more than just someone with a high rank. I found him much more unsettling. The silver-haired one didn’t even register with me.”

This implied that the black-haired individual surpassed a high-level swordsman. For such a prominent figure to remain unknown suggested he was a highly classified agent. It was unlikely he was sent without a significant reason.

‘So, they’ve caught a whiff of something.’

The Chief Manager, wary of the Crown Prince since their last failure, stiffened his face. While the Crown Prince’s previous success seemed more like a stroke of luck, luck can’t be ignored in human affairs.

Who could have predicted that the humble expedition would succeed? It was a mission with the bare minimum personnel, seeking a legendary elixir whose existence was dubious at best. The odds were slim from any perspective.

‘We just needed to prevent them from meeting a Clonne. Even if they did obtain the blood, we could have obstructed them.’

And up to that point, everything had gone smoothly. But who would have thought that the Clonne would be among the expedition members! Years of meticulous planning unraveled in an instant. The Chief Manager still ground his teeth in fury when he recalled that day, unable to suppress his rage even now.

—–
(T/N): I think for now I need to change the way Semeion calls Sei’s name to Sir Sei instead of Prince Sei when there’s someone who doesn’t know he is the Clonne King’s son.