Chapter 64: Darius And The Trio


    <b> Darius And The Trio </b>


    <i>Yawn</i>.


    Deia yawned and slumped down, naturally leaning against shoulder.


    Feeling her warm weight, I pretended to be bothered by her careless action.


    Youre too close.


    Hm?


    Then, Deia turned her head, which was still resting on my shoulder, and replied,


    Its because youre the mostfortable thing to lean against in prison.


    .


    Also, its normal for siblings to have this kind of physical contact.


    She responded shamelessly.


    The only sibling rtionship I had seen up close was between King Orpheus and Princess Eleanor.


    The two seemed quite close to each other, so it somewhat made sense. Yet, I couldnt shake off the feeling that I was being deceived by Deia.


    Deia quickly turned away again.


    Ah, it feels morefortable if I dont see your face.


    Well, if that was the case


    Since I had decided to let it slide, Deia chuckled and brought up the Archmages proposal from earlier.


    What do you n to do about that?


    .


    He said that he could help us escape. Its not impossible to escape from this ce as long as we ept his offer, right?


    Archmage Ropelican had secretly approached Deia and me, offering to help us break out of prison.


    Unexpectedly, he proposed to take our side.


    He apologized for the extremely unreasonable treatment, despite my sess in oveing three nearly impossible trials.


    As I was unable to give an immediate answer, the Archmage left, promising to returnter.


    Normally, I would have epted his offer and thanked him with gratitude.


    However, I was somewhat skeptical about Ropelicans proposal.


    Is that really the true intention of his proposal?


    Huh? What are you talking about?


    Unable toprehend the meaning behind my words, Deia pressed her head more firmly against my shoulder. She seemed to urge me to get straight to the point rather than beat around the bush.


    Feeling her weight, I expressed my thoughts clearly.


    Archmage Ropelican is an incredibly loyal person. Even among those who are close to the King, he can be considered as the closest aide since thete Kings time.


    The rtionship between Ropelican and King Orpheus was beyond that of a King and his vassal.


    Archmage Ropelican was in charge of the young Orpheus education, and Orpheus thought of him as a life mentor.


    They were practically family, so Orpheus never kept any secrets from Ropelican.


    Hmm?


    While Deia was impressed with the detailed information I grasped from the situation in a short span of time, in reality, I was just recounting what I had witnessed in the game.


    All of Ropelicans actions are with the Royal family in mind. In other words, he offered this proposal for the sake of King Orpheus.


    If the Mage Tribunal Judge, Tyren Ol Velocus, strictly served the Kingdom, Ropelican was loyal to the Griffin Royal Family, or to be precise, to King Orpheus.


    There was a significant difference.


    <b><i>If it were Tyren, he wouldnt just overlook such matters.</i></b>


    He wouldnt have simply overlooked the fact that theRoyal Family had supported the dark mage who massacred people throughout the Kingdom in the past, and, on top of that, that very mage was of Royal Family blood.


    However, Ropelican was different.


    For the sake of King Orpheus, he would tolerate and silently ignore such matters.


    <b><i>Would someone like Ropelican really go against the Kings order and attempt to free me?</i></b>


    I could guarantee there was no way he would do that.


    Hence, I needed to consider the opposite.


    He wasnt trying to release me because he believed I was unjustly used.


    He simply intended to eliminate someone like me before I could be an obstacle to the King.


    <b><i>It seems like the King is genuinely troubled with what to do with me.</i></b>


    He couldnt decide whether he had to fulfill the promise and take responsibility, or silently draw the sword for the sake of the Royal Family and the Kingdom.


    Suddenly, a part of Hamlets soliloquy by Shakespeare came to my mind.


    If I slightly altered the phrase to fit this situation


    To kill or not to kill.


    That was the question.


    King Orpheus was tormented by indecision in the face of this problem.


    If that were the case, Ropelican would rather get rid of me, who was the problem, so that the King wouldnt have to make a choice at all.


    <b><i>Things are going better than I thought.</i></b>


    Unlike when I took the wrong route in the game, the King didnt fall into shock or go crazy due to the guilt of being unable to ovee it.


    Clearly, he acknowledged his situation and was in distress.


    Therefore, I didnt know the oue. However, it was better to wait for now.


    * * *


    <i>Huff, huff</i>!


    Late at night.


    Darius, who was unconsciously breathing heavily, quietly inspected the sword at his waist.


    Even though the sword was almost an extension of his body and had apanied him throughout his life, he kept checking it from time to time, perhaps out of anxiety.


    Wow, I never thought I would infiltrate the Griffin Royal Pce.


    It would have been nice if the Chief was here as well.


    What should we take back as a souvenir?


    On the other hand, the trio of Scrapyard Nomads who came along were acting as if they were on a field trip,ughing and enjoying themselves, leaving Darius dumbfounded and bewildered.


    This was a stealth operation to infiltrate the Griffin Royal Pce, and it was quite astonishing that they could remain so rxed.


    <b><i>It turns out they didnt follow that crazy woman around for no reason.</i></b>


    They might not have been like that when they still led ordinary lives. But once they broke out of their shell, they were no different from Findenai.


    Was this how people changed in order to survive in the rk Republic, infamous for being full of horrible rumors?


    <b><i>I cant really tell whether theyve adapted, or they were justpletely broken.</i></b>


    Regardless, thanks to these people, Darius felt somewhat relieved. Thus, he took a deep breath and looked up at the high wall.


    Although their bodies were already concealed in the darkness, to break-in, they had to conquer the towering walls fencing the Royal Pce.


    Due to the risk of being exposed when using mana, Darius decided to crawl up. So, he loosened up his grip and approached the wall cautiously.


    One of the trio asked Darius.


    Are you really okay with it?


    What do you mean?


    Darius wondered what he meant, as they were just cheerfully talking a while ago. However, thetter unexpectedly brought up some sensible points.


    I understand your siblings are precious, but if things go wrong, all of you could really lose your heads, you know? And the Verdi Household itself could face extinction.


    Darius paused for a moment upon hearing this. The statement was not wrong.


    After all, their aim was to free Darius two siblings who were confined.


    Furthermore, one of them happened to be a dark mage, and dark mages were vehemently hated in the kingdom.


    Even if they were family, attempting to protect a dark mage could lead to more than just Darius losing his life. It could spell the end of the Verdi Household .


    Yes, family is important.


    If asked to name the most important thing to him, he would undoubtedly answer that it was the Households glory.


    The name of Verdithe giant who guarded the Northern Mountain Rangewas a source of pride for Darius.


    Yet, two months ago, after exposing their Households umted dirty deeds, they decided to start anew.


    With a tightly clenched fist, Darius firmly dered.


    However, I am not the only Verdi.


    .


    Those two also carry the name of Verdi with pride.


    Hearing those words, the trio grinned and chimed in,


    Just admit that your siblings are precious to you.


    Yeah, no need to use the family as an excuse.


    Still, youve changed a lot since we first met.


    Ahem.


    Feeling awkward, Darius cleared his throat, and one of the trio handed him a rope draped over his shoulder.


    I brought this since it seemed like we might need it. Well help you get inside, so just hang this from the castle wall.


    Huh? You guys will help me get inside?


    Wondering what they meant, the trio confidently took their positions right in front of the wall, creating a makeshift jumping tform for Darius with their hands.


    Darius was dumbfounded.


    <i>Sigh</i>.


    Since this was preferable to crawling up the wall, Darius seized the opportunity and leaped.


    Heave ho!


    Perhaps due to the trios impressively synchronized movements, Darius jumped so high that he was surprised by the oue.


    His body truly zoomed through the sky.


    He then managed to easily cross the bars on the wall fence andnded smoothly on the other side.


    Huh.


    Obviously, the trio had done this kind of thing several times during their resistance movements.


    They were not just skillful but also experienced.


    Just as Darius was about to secure the rope on the wall to help the trio to cross.


    Hmm, youre quite audacious, huh?


    The chilling voice of an elderly man echoed from behind. Darius threw the rope down, his neck creaking as he turned.


    Simultaneously, he drew the sword from his waist.


    Certainly, it was a beastly strike.


    Darius demonstrated a sharp sword strike, proudly showcasing that he wasnt called the giant guarding the Northern Mountain Range for nothing.


    He had grown significantly through rigorous training, especially following the crushing defeat against Findenai.


    Just like Findenai, the attack was so fierce that one could say that he was overpowering when facing him.


    <i>Thud</i>!


    Before he couldnd a proper attack, the pressure from the mana pouring out of the elderly man pushed Darius backwards, causing him to collide with the wall.


    Stuck to the wall like a painting, he could only open and close his mouth repeatedly while confirming the presence that had subdued him with a single move.


    How reckless of you. Your personality ispletely different from that of your solemn and reliable younger brother. Perhaps youre agitated because your siblings have been arrested?


    It was an impressive elderly figure with a staff resembling an ancient tree, wearing a robe so magnificent it exuded an air of mystery, and adorned with a striking white beard.


    Its quite amusing that you thought there wouldnt be any magic on the Royal Pces walls. If I hadnt discovered you in advance, you would have been roasted by now.


    Archmage Ropelican Linus clicked his tongue while staring at Darius.


    Did youe to rescue your siblings, Margrave /genesisforsaken