Chapter 32 Rescue


    Amidst the ongoing battle between Pelei and Kraush.


    Seated in the best viewing spot in the stadium, Prince Siphon Ephania pped his hands in enjoyment.


    Hahaha, truly well done! Thats what we expect from the Night Crow!


    Believing Kraush to fully be a member of the Night Crow, Siphon was smiling brightly, apparently taking great pleasure in the event.


    Beside him was Ebsque, whom he had forcibly brought along.


    Dragged out by the Second Prince, Ebsque was biting her lip and showing a look of difort, not wishing to be among so many people.


    After all the praise Ivevished on you, you dont even respond? What poor manners.


    At that moment, Siphon red at Ebsque with his jiggling belly in disapproval.


    Ah, that, your Highness, I was concentrating on controlling the corpses! I am delighted to have pleased you!


    Haha, as you should be. A dog of the Royal Family should know its ce.


    ording to Sigrids n, Ebsques heart was in the possession of the Second Prince.


    So when she stammered her response, the Second Prince was pleased.


    Huh, I shouldve brought champagne. A joyful asion like this and no drink makes it iplete.


    Siphon chuckled with a greasy smile.


    If he could leverage the power shown by the Night Crow to win over the nobility, then bing Emperor seemed within his grasp.


    Just as Siphon was enjoying the moment, suddenly the sound of footsteps echoed near the private room connected to the corridor.


    Whats this? Who dares to intrude here?


    Its the ck Dragon Knights. Stand aside. Theres been an incident.


    ck, ck Dragon?


    Panic-stricken voices of maids and servants resonated from outside.


    What is this racket?


    Drowsily, Siphon turned his head around.


    Then, with a bang, the door swung open, revealing knights d in ck uniforms.


    The Imperial ck Dragon Knights.


    Unlike the empires main three knight divisionsthe White Dragon, Heaven Dragon, and Imperial Dragonthe ck Dragon Knights mainly managed incidents and idents that urred within the empire.


    One reason for their notorious reputation was their policy of never leaving criminals alive.


    Their appearance here meant there was a criminal present.


    Whats the meaning of this intrusion? Are you not aware of who is present here?


    The Second Prince stood up from his chair, visibly enraged.


    The audacity of them to barge into a room where royalty was residing was intolerable.


    Second Prince Siphon Ephania.


    At that moment, the person addressing him slowly stepped forward.


    The only one dressed in something other than the ck uniform, her sensual figure drew the eye.


    Even Siphons expression softened for a brief moment because of her appearance.


    She was none other than Mary Diana.


    For a moment, Siphon was mesmerized by the sight of her, but he quickly regained hisposure and spread his irritation.


    How dare you call the name of the Second Prince so casually, without any honorifics! Are you out of your mind?


    You are under arrest for suspicion of conspiring to murder the Fourth Princess, Sizelry Ephania.


    What? Sizelry?


    Siphon was bbergasted by Marys announcement.


    Why would he murder Sizelry?


    Why would he kill that fool, only capable of tomfoolery?


    But the ck Dragon Knights were approaching to apprehend him following Marysmand.


    Seeing their stern expressions, Siphon frowned.


    What nonsense is this? I havent killed Sizelry!


    A direct order to murder the Fourth Princess by the Night Crow has been discovered.


    Madness! Thats absurd! Ive never written such order!


    However, the ck Dragon Knights remained silent.


    Ebsque! Kill these rascals at once! How dare they attempt to arrest royalty over such baseless usations?!


    Ah, but, that


    Ebsque looked around in confusion, the realization that it was too early for this dawning upon her.


    Who has been murdered?


    A scoffing voice interrupted.


    In the momentary pause of the ck Dragon Knights and Mary.


    Click-ck-click-ck-


    The sound of footsteps resonated, and someone emerged from the door through which the knights had entered.


    The woman, with her flowing blue hair and seductive smile, was none other than Sizelry Ephania, who appeared alongside her attendant Sera Bete.


    Facing the stern Mary and the ck Dragon Knights, Sizelry showed an astonishing reaction.


    Am I to understand that I have been murdered?


    Sizelry felt her arms and body.


    Then she tilted her head seeing the ck Dragon Knights.


    How strange. Sera, have I been murdered?


    No, Your Highness. Youre perfectly fine. There wasnt even an assassin in sight.


    Hmm, Sera says so. Yet somehow Ive been killed without either of us knowing. Somethings amiss here.


    She mused so, slowly smiling, then abruptly, her smile ceased.


    ck Dragon Knights Deputy Commander Zencal.


    As she pinpointed one from the ck Dragon Knights, in an instant, Sera vanished from her side.


    Bring him here.


    Thud!


    Cough!?


    A rugged punch resounded, and the Deputy Commander copsed to the ground.


    Sera was originally affiliated with the Imperial Dragon Knights, holding the rank of Deputy Commander.


    Sera naturally held the upper hand inbat, and given the shock of seeing the supposedly dead Sizelry, he had no chance to react.


    And he was actually a mole imnted by Mary and Sigrid within the ck Dragon Knights.


    How can this be!?


    Mary maintained her poker face while inwardly showing astonishment.


    She couldntprehend the current situation at all.


    Certainly, she had killed Sera with her own hands.


    And Ebsque should have slit Sizelrys throat as a corpse.


    Both Sizelry and Sera were very much alive and unharmed.


    The unfathomable circumstances continued.


    In that moment, the eyes of Sizelry and Mary met.


    With a slight smirk, Sizelry snorted a contemptuousugh.


    Mary realized what it implied.


    The Fourth Princess knew it all.


    She, known for her genius intellect, more so than others.


    Thats why Sigrid had wanted to eliminate Sizelry in advance.


    If indeed she had anticipated this n and acted ordingly, shed be a major stumbling block in the future.


    Moreover, there was the issue of failing to carry out Sigrids orders.


    As a knight serving Sigrid, she was bound to fulfill her liegesmands.


    I must kill her.


    Marys eyes sparked with determination.


    But she couldnt do it herself.


    In that case.


    The traitor.


    No matter how Sera returned to life, it was clear Ebsque was behind it.


    Using Ebsque, who dared betray Sigrid.


    Immediately, she tightly gripped Ebsques heart from her pocket.


    Ugh, what?!


    Ebsque sped her chest where her heart was, her eyes widening.


    It was because Mary was imnting amand into her heart.


    Oh no.


    Ebsques face went deathly pale.


    With the tightening pain came cold sweat cascading down her face, and she began to lose control over her body.


    At the time, Kraush had only prepared the activation for ck Hood but had not used it.


    If her heart were gone, Mary or Sizelry would have certainly noticed something was amiss.


    So her heart was still firmly with Mary.


    Surely, Mary intended to use her to kill Sizelry here and then to eliminate her as well.


    Hack, hak! Kr, Kra!


    She struggled to break free from themand.


    But she couldnt undo the heart-etched orders.


    Aaaahhhhhhhh!


    Rumble rumble!


    With her scream as a start, the ground shook as if an earthquake hit.


    As the ck Dragon Knights drew their swords toote and Siphon panicked, bodies began to rise from beneath Ebsques feet.


    Marys eyes shed with realization.


    This was the end.


    What is this? Ebsque! What are you doing?!


    Monster! Kill her! Protect the Prince and the Princess!


    The Knights of the ck Dragon shouted as they prepared to sh with the corpses at that instant.


    Abruptly!


    Suddenly the surging corpses stopped moving, as though frozen in ce.


    The ck Dragon Knights, who had just been about to swing their swords, froze as well.


    What?


    A tone of confusion escaped from Marys mouth.


    As she raised her head, she saw Ebsque sitting there with tears streaming down her face, her expression relieved at the absence of pain.


    She had clearly etched themand to kill Sizelry into that heart.


    But why did it stop?


    Right when Mary was about to squeeze the heart anew, she realized with shock that her pocket was empty.


    My heart is gone?!


    The heart she had been holding had vanished without a trace.


    Unforeseen circumstances had Marys eyes widen in disbelief.


    Her thoughts hastened.


    Failure to kill Sizelry.


    Failure to depose Siphon.


    Loss of Ebsques heart.


    Those three intersecting failures rattled her mind for an instant.


    And that led to her bad habit.


    When the situation turned sour, her habit was to act first.


    That impulse led her to her first priority: to kill Sizelry.


    At this instant, Sera had just taken down the deputymander, leaving Sizelry all alone.


    Sera could not even block Mary, who was intent on taking advantage of Sizelrys vulnerability.


    Thud!


    With a stride, her figure blurred.


    Explosive energy surged out of her, known to be one of the mightiest spears, shattering the ground, darting forward in the blink of an eye.


    Excel.


    Her body elerated once more.


    With godly speed added to her momentum, the world seemed to slow down around her.


    Even as Sizelry btedly noticed and tried to dodge, her reaction looked slower than a worm to Mary.


    Divine Spear


    True to the title she once bore.


    Die, Sizelry Ephania.


    The spear, gathering a sh of light, surged towards Sizelrys neck.


    Crack!


    With the following noise, a dust storm erupted like an explosion.


    In between the swirls of dust, shock registered in Marys eyes beneath her flying ck hair because what she felt was not the sensation of slicing flesh.


    The sound that resounded was of metal shing against metal.


    Marys eyes quivered once.


    After all, this was her spear, which even killed her master in the past.


    Someone had blocked her spear right in front of her.


    A boy belching ck mes from his sword.


    The narrow-eyed boy was none other than the corpse being controlled by Ebsque.


    At that moment, the boys lips slowly parted.


    Whether in the past or present,


    He looked at Mary, filling his mouth with a sneer.


    that simple mind of yours shows no improvement.


    Despite the boysposed appearance, his body trembled violently  evidence of the strain from forcefully blocking her spear.


    Right as a momentarily petrified Mary was about to retract her spear andunch another attack,


    What are you doing! Seize this woman at once!


    Sizelrys heatedmand continued to echo.


    Sera, who had already unleashed her fury, charged in swiftly, followed by the Knights of the ck Dragon.


    In an instant, Mary, pressed into a defensive stance, bit her lip in frustration.


    A mistake.


    Even if her ns had been exposed, she should have backed off here.


    In her panic, she had narrowed her thinking.


    Considering annihting them all, she realized there was no madness greater than that.


    Even if she killed them, the swords of the empire woulde hunting her.


    If she could face themter, perhaps, but with her current abilities, she would die at their hands.


    Running away is


    Not an option either.


    Doing so would prevent her from even entering the academy.


    She could find a way out of this situation if she tried, but running would likely prevent her from ever setting foot in the empire or the academy.


    In the end, she gave up the fight and casually dropped her spear.


    The ck Dragon Knights quickly restrained her.


    Mistress Sigrid, Master Arthur.


    With her head slumped, Mary was taken away by the ck Dragon Knights.


    Along with her grinding her teeth as if enraged.


    Ebsque, Sizelry Ephania.


    She left with a resolute thought to inevitably kill those two women who had disrupted her n.


    Stupid woman.


    Kraush scoffed as he watched Mary being taken away.


    Surely that woman hadnt noticed his identity and only harbored resentment towards Ebsque.


    Of course.


    She wouldnt have suspected that Kraush had returned in ce of Arthur.


    She had probably erased his existence from her mind from early on.


    In her memory, he was nothing more than a tool for stealing or a curse.


    Are you alright!


    Just then, Sizelry called out to Kraush.


    At her expression, Kraush heaved a light sigh.


    Damn, that hurts.


    His arms were a total mess right now.


    That foolish woman used all the power of the Extreme Poison Needle yet still managed to wreck his arms just by blocking it.


    And his favorite sword was now bent.


    Truly a Divine Spear.


    An apt nickname indeed.


    If she had targeted him from the beginning, he would have certainly been killed.


    He still had a long way to go before he could match her.


    Why on earth would you do such a foolish thing!


    Sizelry scolded Kraush, attempting to calm herself from the shock.


    I was wearing a protective amulet from the royal family this entire time!


    Kraush btedly noticed the ne adorning Sizelrys neck.


    She must have been looking for it while undercover.


    Always so prepared, isnt she?


    Even as he thought he shouldnt have bothered interfering, Kraush lowered his arms.


    Its enough that you survived.


    Sizelrys eyes widened briefly.


    Ebsque!


    At that moment, the floor beneath Kraush called out to Ebsque.


    As ck liquid began to rise beneath his feet, Sizelry, realizing he was about to leave, hurriedly shouted.


    Wait, you should at least get some treatment!


    She knew.


    Lingering here would not only put Ebsque but also Kraush at risk of being detained for questioning.


    Yet her mouth moved on its own.


    Dont worry. Pain is something Im used to.


    But suddenly, along with the crow on his shoulder, Kraush disappeared into the ck liquid before her eyes.


    Watching Ebsque vanish in a blink, Sizelrys face briefly contorted with confusion.


    What kind of nonsense is that


    He had left her with words her brilliant mind couldntprehend.


    The least he could have done was say something fitting for a farewell.


    Sizelry drew a long breath and lifted her head.


    Beside her stood Sera, a sorry expression on her face.


    It was a reaction stemming from her failure to protect Sizelry from Marys spear as her attendant.


    Sera.


    Sizelry said, looking out the window.


    It seems necessary to attend Rahelrn Academy.


    I will make the arrangements.


    Even without Kraush mentioning it, she realized that he was heading for Rahelrn Academy, and for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself a genuine smile.


    Well now, I should at least have provided some treatment for his pain.


    She murmured, turning away and looking forward to the day she would meet Kraush again.


    Ebsque? What, what just happened?


    Only Siphons cry of confusion rang alone, entirely unaware of the situation.