076. Salt crystal (7)
After walking for a while, guided by something that could be a ghost or a spirit, Seongjin came across Sir Calmen, who was surrounded by capital guards and being beaten up.
‘… ‘He wouldn’t be the kind of guy who would get beat up like that, right?’
Seongjin, who had always thought that Sir Calmen was worthy of attention among the resident knights, became curious. But I soon found out that he was desperately protecting someone.
Even though this is the work of the capital guards, it is by no means a normal situation.
Seongjin decided to intervene.
“Hey, stop there for a second.”
Strangely enough, as soon as it met Lord Calmen, the ghost disappeared on the spot. Maybe the purpose was to get me to meet him.
Anyway, now was no longer the time to worry about ghosts.
“The capital guards are taking all patients with rashes in the imperial capital to the heresy court. In the name of the devil’s curse!”
Seongjin frowned at Calmen’s words.
It has already been revealed that the Gray Plague is caused by monster eggs.
In addition, the Heresy Tribunal’s position was that it was concluded early on that it was not a curse but a plague.
The [Monster Task Force] will soon be launched, and all they have to do is extract the eggs that are looking for patients.
Who is doing this and for what purpose?
Does that gentleman know about this?
Above all, the condition of the patient under Sir Calmen’s care was unusual.
It seems like a long time has passed since Loperum eggs were parasitized, and the rash is decreasing and the entire body is turning gray.
[The egg is still alive.]
The demon king who examined the patient gave me a tip.
[But is there something strange? I can see a ton of flame crystals in that guy’s head. what? Is this your first time seeing something like this?]
Hearing the Demon King’s words, Seongjin’s premonition suddenly whispered to him.
We need to take that person in and investigate.
It may be related to the cause of the gray plague.
“We are going to take this patient. “Don’t disturb me, get out of the way.”
Seongjin urged the capital guards to quietly retreat, and eventually they laid down calmly on the floor and cleared the way.
Well, I will not deny that in the pursuit of efficiency, some violence was used in the process.
And Kalmen looked at Seongjin as if he were a criminal of some century.
I saved someone from getting beaten up, but you’re such an ungrateful bastard!
Seongjin, carrying the patient on his back in place of Sir Calmen, who was completely injured, walked at a fast pace towards the imperial palace.
The medical center attached to the imperial palace, which Kalmen first tried to go to, was also judged to be somewhat uneasy.
After protecting the patient at Jinju Palace, I thought I should look for the whereabouts of other patients who were said to have been taken away.
If you think about what happened to the academy students who were imprisoned by the Heresy Tribunal, it’s fortunate that they didn’t have to beat the patients to death right away instead of treating them.
‘First of all, let your father know about this… … .’
To do that, I must first confess the fact that I secretly escaped from the imperial palace.
The imperial palace security will be further strengthened in the future.
I think I’ll hear something from Dasha too.
At least it will definitely reach the ears of Masain, the head of security.
‘… Sir Masaine, he will be very angry.’
Seongjin sighed softly.
I didn’t want to waste time, so I walked around the streets in circles to avoid encountering the capital guards as much as possible. Fortunately, Sir Calmen, who was wondering if he could walk properly, managed to follow despite stumbling.
Meanwhile, the demon lord continued to talk about what he had discovered.
It’s about the burning decisions that fill the patient’s head.
[At this level, channeling should be considered completely impossible.]
In order for a salt crystal to function as a proper organ like Bartosh, it must first have the right shape and appropriate size.
However, this patient’s case was different.
The Demon King explained that it had a strange appearance, as if glass powder had been sprinkled all over the head. Each and every one of them is so insignificant that it is embarrassing to even call it a decision.
‘Then does this person also have auditory hallucinations or something like that?’
When asked while recalling the case of Sir Sharon, the Demon King denied the very possibility.
[That is impossible. The crazy knight I saw during the day’s decision to burn himself may be imperfect, but it had its own shape. But this isn’t even close to detecting anything. It’s just like a grain of sand.]
In other words, it is nothing more than a lot of impurities in your head.
‘Then what happens?’
[It’s just that the brain is damaged. The greater the number, the better. I wonder if I will be able to maintain consciousness if my mind becomes this messy?]
If so, then it is highly likely that the gray plague is the cause, right?
It is said that in the past, he was a decent knight commander, so he must not have been in this state originally.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the heads of those suffering from the Gray Plague become increasingly strange.
Lord Haven was discovered early and woke up without any aftereffects, but it might be a good idea to check what happens to other patients whose disease has progressed to a certain degree.
I was thinking of asking Lord Calmen about the patient’s previous condition, but when I turned around, I saw him walking with a very serious expression on his face, as if he was thinking deeply about something.
-This person was the former knight commander of the Royal Guard. Please don’t get dragged into the Heresy Tribunal… … !
The fact that he used his strength to protect himself even when he was being beaten, and the fact that he desperately clung to the person who had always shown a disrespectful attitude to save him.
What on earth is this patient related to Lord Calmen?
It also bothers me that the former commander of the Imperial Palace Knights looks like a vagabond.
Feeling that he might touch a very sensitive part, Seongjin gave up on asking anything more and kept his mouth shut.
When he finally reached the second east gate of the imperial palace, Seongjin felt a little discouraged.
The East Gate, which had been a deserted hole, was now bright as daylight with torches.
Armed knights of the Royal Guard are lined up surrounding the eastern gate, and occasionally, paladins wearing the uniform of the Knights of St. Aurelion can be seen.
And at the head of them stood Sir Masain.
‘In the end, the person in charge of security was called in this early morning… … .’
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I didn’t expect to be able to sneak in like I did when I came out, but it was so loud that I couldn’t help but think that I had made a big mistake.
After all, you must have been caught escaping, right?
But at what point was it discovered?
How did you accurately identify the second alumni?
Think about this and that for a moment. The imperial palace knights who discovered Seongjin and his party were astonished and rushed towards them all at once.
They were one after another surprised by the fact that the young prince was carrying someone on his back, the fact that the person carrying him looked like a complete beggar, and the fact that the imperial knight who was supposed to assist the prince was so traumatized that he could barely stand on his own.
Seongjin, who happened to spot Sir Kurt’s face while handing over the patient to the knights, gave him instructions.
“This person is a guest of Jinju Palace. Since you are suffering from the Gray Plague, do not go anywhere else, but go straight to Councilor Ninias at the Pearl Palace. First, tell the congressman to hurry up and remove the eggs.”
Sir Kurt stood with his mouth open in a daze, as if he had been extremely shocked by something. Then, he soon came to his senses and instructed the other knights to make a stretcher woven with the knight’s cloak.
Meanwhile, I caught sight of Sir Calmen, who was staring helplessly at the stretcher carrying the patient.
That guy is completely out of his mind.
“… “Let Lord Calmen lie down next to him too.”
As Seongjin waved his hand and spoke, two imperial knights came and supported him.
Sir Kurt, who was in charge of the series of processes, looked at Seongjin with a strange look for a moment, and then politely bowed.
Then, he took the patient on the stretcher and Lord Calmen with him and disappeared in the direction of the Pearl Palace.
Only then did Seongjin manage to turn towards Lord Masain.
In fact, I thought he would run to me and yell at me as soon as he saw him, but surprisingly, he just stood at a distance and stared at Seongjin with a stern expression.
Because the atmosphere was unusual, Seongjin hesitantly approached him and opened his mouth.
“Uh, um… … .”
“… … .”
“… “I’m sorry for going out alone, Lord Martha.”
Masain looked down at Seongjin in silence for a moment, then took off his cloak and placed it over Seongjin’s shoulders.
And I carefully adjusted my clothes so that my torn old cloak and pajamas were not visible.
“Um, Lord Masaine… … .”
“It is not for you to apologize.”
When I looked up at Masain’s decisive answer, I saw that Masain had a gloomy look on his face, as if he was carrying all the pain and suffering of this world.
“I am the head of security at Jinju Palace. “This incident is all my fault.”
“huh? I was the one who left, but why… … .”
“Recent events have made me reflect a lot.”
regret? What are you reflecting on?
“I forced my standards on you and failed to give you enough trust. That’s why you eventually decided that you had to move without me. What pushed me to go out alone in the middle of the night at risk. “Isn’t this all just my negligence?”
This man is serious now.
Seongjin was shocked.
uh? No, no! You stubborn idiot!
Don’t dig into the ground like that with something that has just been released for a moment!
“I am truly embarrassed that I have dared to interfere with you in such a presumptuous manner when you are unable to properly fulfill your responsibilities.”
“Uh, so… … .”
“I should have followed you with faith, but even though I abandoned my duty as a subject, I only hoped for your trust. After realizing that, I was at a loss as to what shame I should have towards him… … .”
“… Hey, Sir Martha?”
“It hasn’t been long since I proudly claimed to be the guard of Jinju Palace, so how should I look at your Majesty now? If only I could make up for it with death, I would die again and again… … .”
“stop! “I was wrong, Lord Masaine!”
From now on, I will never sneak out without Sir Masaine again!
So please stop at the mantle level! Don’t dig down to the inner core!
The devil asked a hesitant question to Seongjin, who was struggling.
[…] It seems like you’re trying to stop that guy, am I mistaken?]
* * *
As soon as Seongjin arrived at Jinju Palace, he received a call from the emperor.
I was planning on going there anyway. If someone was arbitrarily arresting people, this was a matter that must be reported to the Emperor.
After briefly changing clothes, Seongjin headed straight to the main palace.
Perhaps because it was deep dawn, the main palace was still immersed in darkness. Only the Emperor’s office was brightly lit.
“Originally, the entire Royal Guard should have gone into emergency mode, but fortunately, His Majesty sent a messenger to Jinju Palace before the situation escalated.”
Masain explained with a look of gloom on his face.
This is an incident where the prince suddenly disappeared. It would not have been enough to turn the entire imperial palace upside down, but it is said that the emperor reassured the people of Jinju Palace and told them to come to the second east gate to meet him.
“Wait, second classmate?”
“You said exactly that.”
The culprit who identified the second alumni was Seonghwang.
That guy, since when did you know?
“… “How did you know I was gone?”
Since I was confident that I had completely killed everything, I was very curious about the reason why I was discovered.
However, Masain’s answer when he returned was unexpected.
“It is said that your dedicated maid came to your room saying something was strange.”
Edith?
“yes. I couldn’t hear your voice. “He said he always talks in his sleep at around the same time.”
“… … ?”
It was the first time.
Do you think I have sleeping habits like that?
Hey, devil? Do you know anything?
[…] … .]
The demon lord was silent.
Usually, when he came to the main palace, he kept his mouth shut because he was worried about Seonghwang’s attention, but Seongjin was clearly receiving a feeling of discomfort from the demon king.
Does this guy look suspicious?
Since I arrived at the office just then, my thoughts could not continue.
“Your Majesty is waiting for you, sir.”
Guided by Lewis, Seongjin entered the office.
I was prepared to be scolded for making a big mistake, but when I met Seonghwang, his face was calmer than I expected.
“Are you here?”
“… yes.”
He looked at Seongjin with a blank expression on his face and gestured with his hand without saying a word.
“… … ?”
As he approached closer without knowing why, Seonghwang’s hand slowly rose towards Seongjin’s forehead.
I was nervous about getting hit again, but suddenly a bright beam of light burst from his hand that touched my forehead and rained down on my head.
And only then did Seongjin realize that he was feeling minor pains all over his body.
“The flow of Aurors is dizzy. “It seems like an unreasonable operation all at once.”
Now that I think about it, I feel like I used the Aurors a bit recklessly while fighting the capital guards.
The idea that this kind of thing can be seen in the eyes of this gentleman is not that new anymore.
As I was turning my shoulders around, feeling much refreshed, Seonghwang gestured with his chin.
“Sit down.”
For some reason, there doesn’t seem to be any intention to take issue with going out without permission.
After deciding that, Seongjin obediently took a seat across from him and got straight to the point.
“Someone is taking all the Gray Plague sufferers to the Inquisition. It is said that even healthy skin disease patients were swept away on suspicion of being in the early stages of a curse. “Do you know this?”
“… … .”
Seonghwang did not answer, but Seongjin knew the answer.
“Then why…” … .”
I feel like the questions are piling up and getting stuck in my throat.
In fact, Seongjin had been wanting to ask Seonghwang something for some time now.
-Didn’t your father know the identity of the Gray Plague from the beginning?
That was the question I had been having ever since I received the report about the monster task force from Dasha.
In fact, the connection between the Gray Plague and the New Plague is a bit weak.
The early stage when a rash appears and the later stage when the entire body turns gray and hardens.
Eggs extracted from early patients and stone fragments found from dead bodies.
In order to clearly reveal the connection between the two, the process of directly observing and proving the transition from the former to the latter must be preceded.
As soon as Seonghwang heard Seongjin’s message about the parasitic egg, didn’t he, as if he had been waiting for it, confirm that the two had the same disease and immediately order the launch of a new department?
And they did not bother to stop Seongjin from interfering in the name of advice.
It was clear that he had some idea of how well he knew about demons and how easily he could detect parasitic eggs using demon lords.
Anyway, Seongjin was thinking that at least Seonghwang had the will to solve the gray plague.
“I thought the launch of the [Monster Task Force] was primarily aimed at resolving the Gray Plague situation. But isn’t it going against that goal for someone to do something like this on their own? Why do you just leave me alone?”
“… … .”
A moment of silence passed.
“… “The monster task force.”
And finally, Seonghwang opened his mouth and gave an unexpected answer.
“It’s a small clockwork device that will support one of the axles of Delcross in the future, Mores.”
For a moment, Seongjin did not understand right away and just blinked.
Then, a conversation I had with Seonghwang a long time ago vaguely appeared in my mind.
-Affairs are like a gigantic clockwork mechanism that rotates in lockstep without any deviation.
No, when is that an enemy story?
While I was perplexed, Seonghwang continued.
“And the person who is currently manipulating the capital guards on his own is no different.”
“… “Is it one of those clockwork machines that run smoothly?”
When Seongjin asked with half-confidence, Seonghwang nodded with an indifferent expression.
“Yes, it’s a sophisticated device that will break if you touch it too soon.”
“… … .”
“Do you think this situation is absurd?”
When Seongjin looked at Seonghwang with sunken eyes, the corners of his mouth seemed to rise slightly.
“Do whatever you want to do. If you wish to correct the absurdity, it will be done.”
fantasy,
