Subliminal Wayfarer

Cough.

Each hacking cough jolting through my body made it feel as if my lungs were being rent asunder.

‘Still, it hurts like hell…’

My heart raced frantically, then slowed.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Urien’s sweat-soaked face.

His face looked as if he might cry at any moment, pouring all his divine power into saving me.

‘Right, it takes all his strength.’

Ordinary power wouldn’t do.

The poison I had taken was lethal enough to snatch life away in a short time.

Blanca and Logan had concocted it—a deadly poison with no known antidote.

In truth, it was a gamble.

One wrong step, and I could truly lose her life.

Live or die.

Well, whatever the outcome, I had succeeded in getting out of the cage.

The first goal had been achieved.

If I were to die now…

‘At least, my body wouldn’t fall into Urien’s hands.’

Urien, now insane, might attack my family or Cassion, but it wouldn’t be easy.

‘Urien is exhausting all his power to save me.’

Divine power was rechargeable.

There was a set capacity, and once depleted, it needed time to recharge.

Surely, Urien was now using all his strength to save me.

The nosebleed streaking down to his chin was evidence of that.

It would take him considerable time to regain his strength.

After that, just…

‘I have to trust.’

I was gone, and with the investigator slain, the imperial knights would soon start to act.

If Urien were to lose his mind by then, evidence of Daniel’s wrongdoings would quickly surface.

I could only pray for a better future in a world without me.

And if I survive…

Then…

“Keugh.”

Urien coughed out blood and staggered.

Suddenly, a tingling current ran over my slowly beating heart.

My limbs twitched.

Blinking my blurry eyes, my vision gradually cleared.

Warm blood flowed through my body, once unresponsive as if it wasn’t mine.

Fresh air coursed through my nostrils, filling and leaving my lungs.

Then, I knew.

Ah, I survived.

So.

You’re dead, bastard.

I reached out and grabbed the staggering man’s throat.

Caught by the throat, Urien coughed, but his eyes gleamed as he chuckled.

“Haha, you’re alive, Rosetta?”

“Yeah. And you’re dead, Urien.”

 

* * *

 

Urien laughed.

At the same time, he sensed imminent danger.

Rosetta had come back to life, but saving her had left him completely powerless.

He had already expended much of his strength unleashing monsters at the Valentine manor.

To bind the empire’s sole swordmaster, Duke Valentine, he had to unleash all his monsters.

And while pouring divine power into Rosetta, he had run out of strength and recalled most of it from the orb.

Yet, he had no regrets.

Better a Rita threatening to kill him than a Rosetta leaving nothing behind.

But, truly, dying was not in his plans.

“If you kill me now, you might never see your dear little sister ever again.”

Rosetta’s face contorted at the words he uttered like a hiss.

“…What?”

“Did you think that I’d have only Cassion as a hostage? Just one? Haha. I had unleashed monsters to the Valentine residence. By now, the place must be in total chaos.”

“…No wonder.”

No wonder there were no monsters besides those in black cloaks.

Goddamn son of a bitch.

As Rosetta cursed inwardly, Urien continued speaking.

“I took advantage of the chaos at the Valentine residence to abduct Alicia. I hid her well so you can’t find her. I was planning to give her to Leo as a gift… But oh, how convenient it is that she’s of help to me now?”

“Where did you hide her?”

“It’s a secret. Haha. Rosetta, if you kill me now… you’ll never see your sister again.”

“Urien!”

“My beloved Rita. You shouldn’t have started a fight you can’t win. If you had just quietly accepted your fate, none of this would have happened.”

“Fate? Bullshit.”

Rosetta glared at Urien with piercing eyes.

Damn snake.

The fight was indeed disadvantageous from the start.

He had nothing to lose but her, while she had so much at stake.

“What now?”

There was still a possibility that he was merely lying through his teeth.

But considering how there were no monsters around them now was suspiciously concerning.

It seemed like the truth.

She was at a loss for what to do.

She couldn’t give up on Alicia, especially since her whole purpose in this life was to make her happy.

Rosetta pondered silently for a while, then suddenly raised her head, looking far into the distance.

Beyond the forest that she guessed her carriage had passed.

Sounds of movement began to approach.

Not just one, but many.

Rosetta flung Urien aside and stood up.

Her frown gradually turned into a relieved smile.

Urien, gasping for breath, followed Rosetta’s gaze.

He then laughed coldly.

“Ahh… Damn.”

In the distance, the flags of the Valentine Dukedom and imperial family were visible.

And their target was…

“There he is! Arrest Daniel Freesia immediately!”

Clearly, it was him.

 

* * *

 

Rewind to a few minutes earlier, when the duke had left the residence alone.

He headed towards the forest where the screams had come from.

The forest was dense and moist with shadows and thick undergrowth.

The muddy ground still bore clear wheel tracks.

The duke followed these tracks until they suddenly stopped.

‘The direction is unnaturally diverted.’

The tracks seemed to have ended abruptly, turning off the carriage path and into the thick forest.

‘The smell of blood.’

A strong scent of blood wafted from nearby.

There were also too many footsteps around.

The duke heightened his senses and followed the strongest scent.

‘Hopefully, it’s not…’

The heaviest smell of blood led to a large tree entangled with bushes and vines.

The duke, swallowing hard, peeked behind the tree.

There lay bodies, scattered around.

Fourteen in total.

The presence of the imperial investigator among them suggested these were the knights of the imperial guard who had taken Rosetta earlier.

Fortunately, Rosetta was not among them.

“…Ha.”

After exhaling a stifled breath, the duke briefly examined the wounds on the bodies.

‘Killed. There are traces of magic.’

It seemed that Rosetta had indeed been taken away by the assailants in the carriage.

The duke pondered over who might have targeted Rosetta with such magic, and after a moment’s thought, he had one suspect in mind.

“…Leo Carter.”

It was clear that Cassion Carter and Rosetta shared a close bond. Though the duke wasn’t completely for it, Rosetta seemed to have taken a liking to him.

After all, that’s why she had disguised him and made him her escort knight.

Leo, no doubt, would have quickly grasped this fact.

Despite his youth, he was a man brimming with ambition.

To him, the sudden appearance of Cassion must have been a significant obstacle.

‘Is that why he targeted Rosetta?’

He must have come to the conclusion that Rosetta was his older brother’s weakness.

The duke’s teeth clenched in anger.

He wanted to obliterate the entire Carter family for getting Rosetta involved in their foolish fraternal dispute.

But more importantly, Rosetta’s safety was paramount.

The duke was about to leave when he paused, hearing noises coming from the direction of his residence.

‘Monsters?’

No, that didn’t seem right. He could hear the sound of hooves.

Then suddenly,

“Father!”

Damian’s urgent voice reached him.

 

* * *

 

The knights of House Valentine advanced silently. They refrained from any idle chatter or distractions.

The situation was dire. And, above all…

‘It’s tense.’

The atmosphere created by the two leaders at the forefront was particularly grave.

Damian and the duke had shared information about their respective situations.

 

“It seems someone targeted Rosetta. The royal knights are all dead, and she was taken away in a carriage.”

“…Ha. Monsters suddenly started disappearing from the residence. We’ve managed to contact the Imperial Family, and reinforcements are on their way. But…”

“But?”

“Alicia… she’s gone.”

“What did you say?!”

 

The duke suppressed the rising anger within him. There was no one here deserving of his wrath.

The monsters hadn’t even approached inside the residence.

Naturally, the knights had to focus more on the exterior, requiring every available hand.

Moreover, Damian was essentially in charge of the entire defense.

He couldn’t reproach his son for failing to protect his younger sister amidst his battle at the frontlines.

 

“Have you informed the Imperial Family of this as well?”

“Yes, I’ve requested their assistance in the investigation. We’ve left half our knights back to form a search team for Alicia. I’m sorry, Father.”

“Apologies are unnecessary. Then… haa. For now, we continue with the plan to find Rosetta.”

 

His mind was in turmoil.

Both his daughters disappeared simultaneously—an unthinkable calamity.

But in such times, he needed to think clearly.

Two incidents occurring simultaneously could mean a single perpetrator.

‘If, as I suspect, Leo Carter is behind this…’

He swore to bring down the Carter family, even if it cost him his life.

The duke gritted his teeth once more, fueling his resolve.