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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Vow of Revenge
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At last, the day of the heroes' return dawned.
The city outside was alive with celebration.
Lellia pulled her robe down low, watching the triumphal procession from a distance.
Waaaah!
The roar of the crowd was deafening. Lellia peeked her head over the shoulders of the people in front of her.
'It's Uncle!'
Uncle Carius, standing near the front of the procession, looked the same as ever. Seeing him look so healthy brought her a sense of relief.
Behind him, she could see the twin princes, and Lute made an appearance as well.
They smiled brightly, waving to the cheering crowds that welcomed them.
The heroes' procession quickly passed through the main gate of the Imperial Castle.
Even after the procession had ended, the afterglow of excitement lingered on people's faces. The true heat of the festival was only just beginning.
Lellia watched the flushed faces of the crowd for a moment before turning away.
'The imperial banquet and festival start tomorrow, which means there are seven days left until D-Day, the final day of the banquet.'
Time passed, and an early dawn arrived, three days before D-Day—the final, fast-approaching day of the banquet.
A desolate morning breeze blew through the quiet streets.
With the wind came a large, looming shadow that fell before the inn where Lellia was staying.
Six years ago.
It was a time when Lellia was deep in sorrow, having just seen off her Uncle Carius, with whom she had grown close, as he left with the Mad Dragon subjugation squad.
Oscar, Calix, Griffith, and Romeo.
The four friends, all but Lellia, were reunited in the holy neutral zone for the first time in three years.
Unlike when they had parted, the sixteen-year-old boys had shot up in height, changing so much they were almost unrecognizable.
But the expressions on the four similarly tall boys' faces were anything but bright.
It was because of 'Leo's' death.
After hearing the news in their respective countries, they had been unable to escape the grip of sorrow and anguish for some time.
To them, Leo had been nothing less than a savior.
Fortunately, their grief did not last long.
The four friends began exchanging letters and, rallying around a single goal, found their spirits again.
'Vengeance for Leo.'
The emotion of sadness had soon transformed into rage, becoming their driving force.
And so, they had finally gathered once more.
“Any new information?”
After a moment of thought at Calix's question, Griffith replied.
“I heard a story. There's talk that he was poisoned even before Emperor Perseus's rebellion.”
“Poisoned….”
“For now, Emperor Perseus is the most suspicious. Or perhaps the nobles who follow him.”
As Romeo spoke, imagining the face of the Emperor Perseus he had never seen, Oscar, who had been silent, posed a question to his three friends.
“Do you all remember the last letter Leo sent?”
At his words, they all recalled a single name.
'Lellia Auraria.'
“I remember. But no one seems to know anything about that name, do they?”
At Romeo's words, the others' expressions grew even more serious.
“…That kid… when I asked how he knew the wolves would appear, he said he had a prophetic dream. Things like that make me think he might have known the future.”
Calix muttered under his breath.
Hearing this, Griffith spoke up.
“He also said something else once. I don't know if you all remember….”
“I told you back then! I might not be able to join the subjugation squad. I might… I might die before then.”
“…Is there a faction targeting you?”
“Yeah, there are people after the imperial throne I'm supposed to inherit… and I'm not very strong. That's why my dad is so overprotective.”
Recalling that conversation, Calix ran his hands through his hair in anguish.
He was filled with regret for not having paid more attention back then.
“Was there another royal who could threaten Leo's position? It's clearly a royal name, yet no one knows it.”
Calix, still frustrated, said.
“At the time, Emperor Perseus and the princes were believed to be dead… Leo probably didn't know about them either.”
“I'll find the culprit, no matter what it takes, and I'll kill them.”
Calix gritted his teeth at Romeo's response.
The eyes of the others glinted with the same intensity.
And so, the four boys began to gather information on Leo's killer, all while growing stronger in the Mad Dragon subjugation squad.
