22 - Chapter 22
Ashil wasn't scared at all. Ashil was a Black Dragon who could do anything!
She steeled her pounding heart and glared.
It was then that someone jumped down from a tree.
"Ack!"
One of the assassins fell to the sword he wielded. Then another, and then another.
It happened so fast that there was no time to be surprised.
Ashil stared blankly at the back of the human who had defeated all the assassins.
He had brilliant golden hair and a back as large and broad as a mountain. He was a young male human who smelled similar to her husband.
He glanced back at Ashil. He had the same purple eyes as her husband.
"Don't tell anyone you saw me."
His voice was low like a breeze, but it had power.
His authoritarian tone was familiar, as if he had given many orders to someone.
He invisibly disposed of the assassins' bodies and then disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.
In an instant, only Ashil, the rabbit, and the Family Deity's wife were left in the thicket.
Ashil stared blankly at the place where he had disappeared.
He had a similar appearance and smell to her husband. And he looked younger than her grandfather.
There was only one person who met all these conditions.
'……The maid humans said he was trapped in that tower, so how did he get out?'
Ashil tilted her head and blinked.
But soon, she was busy dragging the Family Deity's wife, whimpering, and completely forgot about her father.
Some time later.
Biante, who had gone on a large-scale hunt with the Family Deities, returned.
His expression was very bright as he had loaded his horse with prey as if to show off.
It was because he did not know that Elkai had woken up thanks to the aide's elopement, or that the culprit who had poisoned the alcohol had been caught.
"Today's hunt was the best, Biante-nim. Ah, I should call you Duke now!"
One of the Family Deities who had gone with him fawned.
It was said with the thought that Edenber would not be able to hold out any longer if even Elkai died.
Then, as if waiting for it, words of flattery burst out from here and there.
"The family's discipline, which had been shaken, seems to be straightened out now."
"I was so frustrated under the young Duke. Hmph, I can finally breathe a little."
"Hahaha, you've all suffered a lot."
Biante, who was in a very good mood, burst into a hearty laugh.
It was a moment when he felt pathetic for having worried so much when he should have taken care of his father like this earlier.
"How about it? The weather is nice, so how about we all have a drink?"
"That's great. I'm always happy to receive alcohol from the Duke."
"It's an honor, Duke!"
"I have no regrets even if I die now……."
"Hahaha! These people, their flattery is top-notch. Okay, I'll treat you all!"
Biante laughed heartily and drove his horse to the Munrepe Duke's castle.
Then, the knight order, exuding a threatening aura, came into his eyes in front of the castle gate.
Edenber was at the very front of the knight order.
Judging by his unpleasant expression, it seemed that his father had passed away. Biante, who mistakenly thought so, said sarcastically.
"Oh, nephew. What brings you here to wait for me?"
"Biante Munrepe."
Edenber, who drew his sword, spoke in a voice dripping with coldness.
"I will confiscate the Munrepe name and severely punish you for trying to poison Elkai-nim."
Clang! The knights behind him drew their swords.
Poisoning? The faces of the Family Deities, who did not know the situation, turned pale.
Biante's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about, poisoning! Me, my father? Ha, is there even a son in the world who would try to kill his father?"
"I know, right? I never imagined that someone who commits such a heinous act would bear the Munrepe name."
There were no more honorifics. Edenber used a completely condescending tone.
Biante, whose eyes were flashing with anger, gritted his teeth.
"You have to say something that makes sense to even respond. You seem to be out of your mind since your father passed away, but there's a limit to my patience."
"Elkai-nim is alive."
Biante flinched at the unexpected words.
Edenber, who pointed his sword at him, spat out each word as if chewing on it.
"By some stroke of luck, he was able to detoxify the poison."
"……."
"I have also secured the person who poisoned the alcohol at your command, so it's best not to have any foolish thoughts."
Biante's expression disappeared from his face as he finally realized that the situation had completely gone wrong.
"If you surrender, I will spare your life."
Edenber, who gave his last warning, slowly approached.
While the Family Deities were looking at each other with confused expressions in the sudden situation, Biante, who had a blank look on his face, grabbed the horse's reins.
Then, he suddenly shouted.
"What are you all doing!"
All the Family Deities flinched.
Biante, whose eyes were bloodshot and wide open, attempted a final struggle.
"Edenber has declared that he will kill me by putting my father, whose body is not well due to poison, in front of him!"
"……What? What is that!"
"It is unfortunate that my father has collapsed, but there are things that can and cannot be done in this world. How can he be called the head of a family if he tries to threaten his uncle in order to stabilize his power!"
Clang!
Biante, who drew his sword, glared at the Family Deities behind him. It was meant to fight together.
However, the Family Deities only looked at each other, hesitant to take up arms.
Biante, who was even more furious at that, screamed.
"Do you think you will be safe if I am dragged away like this?!"
The Family Deities, who were trying to sneak away by watching the situation, flinched.
That was right.
Since they had been attached to Biante until now, they could not survive if he became a traitor.
Biante shouted.
"If you don't want to die like this, take up your swords! Let's bring down that crazy nephew together! A guy who causes internal division by using his father as an excuse is not qualified to be the head of the family!"
"Biante!"
"I am your uncle! Don't call my name carelessly!"
Biante, who screamed at the top of his lungs, looked back at the Family Deities.
"Everyone, draw your swords! And join the glorious birth path of the new Munrepe Duke!"
In the end, the Family Deities, who had been driven into a corner together after going on a wrong hunt, began to take up their swords one by one.
Even though the opponents were the elite knights, they were superior in number because they had gone on a large-scale hunt.
Besides, there were well-trained Saint Creatures on this side. They also had Drug to draw out the Sacred Beast's aggressiveness for smooth hunting.
The Family Deities thought that this was a fight worth trying.
Biante shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Kill them!"
"From this moment on, we define those people as traitors and kill them all!"
Edenber, who hardened his expression, gave the order to attack as well.
Dududududu-
Under the rough sound of horses' hooves, the two groups who had drawn their swords finally collided greatly.
In the early stages of the fight, Edenber's side was dominant.
No matter how small the number, this side was the knights. It was natural that ordinary nobles and soldiers could not handle it.
However, that situation was reversed in an instant when Biante released the Saint Creatures that had been trapped in the cage.
"Aaaaaaack!"
"Save me!"
The Saint Creatures, who had ingested the drug that made them more ferocious, rushed in fiercely. Most of them were beasts, such as eagles, lions, and leopards.
Biante's Family Deities were wearing yellow cloths from the hunting ground to identify friend from foe, so the Saint Creatures only attacked Edenber's knights.
"To bring in the Saint Creature."
Edenber's knights, who were furious, hissed.
It was because Saint Creatures were not used often unless they were fighting monsters or in a war with another country.
Dylan, who barely blocked the sharp claws of the lion Saint Creature with his companion, gritted his teeth.
'At this rate, we'll lose.'
Even if they won, they would suffer a great blow.
The family was already in a precarious state, so it would not be good if the knight order weakened.
At the moment of desperation, the only being that came to his mind was one.
'Ashil-nim.'
If it was that little fist, this damn lion would fly away like a sandbag.
He missed the bald baby lizard who always did unexpected things so much.
He never thought that the day would come when he would miss reptiles this much.
Dylan, who barely blocked the lion's attack with all his might, gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Ashil-nim!"
"Bbi-ya!"
