# Chapter 94
The search party led by Wimu was failing to produce any significant results. The area requiring search was excessively vast, but too many troops couldn’t be withdrawn from the royal palace at once. Kadilen wanted to deploy all the troops guarding himself to search for Ludin, but Wimu barely managed to dissuade him from this decision. The reasoning was that if the palace were breached, finding Ludin would be pointless.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Devan was in the middle of examining a village connected to the edge of the forest. Wimu saw his eyes shining as he left those brief words and disappeared. Since he had heard that Devan was periodically monitoring the castle, he guessed he might have found some clue. However, Devan who had left didn’t return even long after the expected time. Wimu was starting to get worried.
Another day with no results was about to pass. As if taunting them, the sun that had been precariously hanging at the edge of the mountain completely disappeared. As the surroundings darkened, Wimu reluctantly moved to the inhabited area. Since they had to move while posting sentries at night, the search speed would inevitably become even slower. Giving instructions with a frustrated heart, Wimu decided to visit Arzel’s castle.
However, not long after entering the castle, his unhesitating footsteps came to an abrupt halt. At the place where he had intended to take Devan and leave after a quick look around, Wimu encountered an unexpected scene. It was at the bottom of the tower where Luan had been staying.
“Devan?”
The faintly visible figure looked similar to Devan’s. Wimu narrowed his eyes and approached gradually. Something was off. Devan was excessively silent and slumped down in an exhausted state.
As Wimu got close enough to see his face, he carefully placed his hand on Devan’s shoulder. But the next moment, something caught his eye. Before he could even utter words of comfort. Something in human form, specifically resembling Luan, was lying on the ice-cold floor like a corpse. Or was it actually a corpse?
“You… what have you done?”
“…”
“Did you kill him?”
A chilly night wind blew. With a dizzy head, Wimu urged for an answer. Devan’s powerless response was too concise for the situation.
“Yeah.”
Wimu pressed his aching head.
“The antidote.”
“…”
“You should have gotten it and then killed him…!”
His raised voice suddenly fell silent. It was because he was shocked enough to forget what he was about to say. Something even more terrible than Luan’s corpse entered his field of vision. It had been absorbed into the heavy color of night, not immediately catching his eye.
Scattered pieces of glass. Dried liquid beneath it.
“Don’t tell me this is…”
Wimu, who had hesitated, looked at Devan. He needed an explanation right now. What all these things were, why he had left things in this state. If it really was the antidote, why had he caused this… knowing what the result would be…
But soon Wimu could find the answer. Not from Devan’s words, but from his fear-filled eyes.
He remained frozen, with a pale face, unable even to look at the broken glass.
“It was that bastard’s doing.”
Wimu’s voice lowered. His finger pointed at the silently lying corpse.
Ignoring the still quiet Devan, he approached Luan. When he kicked him, the stiff body moved smoothly. His face was a mess with crushed skin and smeared blood, but a faint smile still remained. Wimu felt a quiet anger rising to the top of his head. He wanted to scream and cut his throat right away, but the opponent was already dead. That situation was maddening.
“There must be more.”
“…”
“Wait. I’ll go look for it.”
It was closer to bravado than hope. Wimu walked straight toward the tower on trembling legs. His body staggered several times while climbing the stairs. But he gritted his teeth and maintained his balance. Nothing was visible to his eyes now. Even the shattered reality looked like a hazy smoke. He knew his consciousness was trying to ignore that fact. Nevertheless, Wimu climbed the stairs as if screaming. When he reached the top, the world felt even more dizzying.
He flung open the door without hesitation. Without knowing which place to look at first, he was determined to search everything. Anywhere there might be a sliver of hope. He couldn’t bear to do nothing right now. Wimu painfully recalled Ludin’s face.
But he wasn’t alone in the room. As he opened the door in a daze, Wimu encountered an unexpected figure. The man who had been assisting Luan was standing in the room, staring at Wimu who had suddenly barged in. He too seemed surprised and hesitated for a moment. After a brief moment of silence, the man soon turned and ran.
Wimu drew his sword without a moment to think.
A commotion ensued. Wimu grabbed the fleeing man by the nape and mercilessly slashed his leg. With a sharp scream, he caught the collapsing man’s body and threw him to the floor. Wimu’s sword, which had instantly subdued the situation, coldly pointed at the man’s neck.
“Did you come looking for Luan?”
“…”
Wimu glanced at the direction the man had been running. It seemed there was another passage elsewhere. If he had come up through there, it made sense that he hadn’t discovered Luan’s corpse lying with Devan. Sure enough, his mouth opened quietly.
“Where is the lord?”
Wimu hesitated briefly before answering.
“He is with us.”
“Is he safe?”
“That depends on you.”
His sword dug sharply into the man’s nape. Despite the blade threatening his life, the man smiled slightly. That smile resembled Luan’s, making Wimu’s fist tremble.
“I’ve seen your face before. I saw you with Lord Luan several times when he was young. Back then I thought you were his man… but you grabbed a rotten rope instead of a solid one.”
“It would be better to cut the unnecessary talk.”
“Is that so? Then, do you know where Ludin is?”
What? Wimu’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. How does he know about that…
The man’s mouth widened further, noticing Wimu’s agitation. Wimu lost his composure and his posture faltered.
“Tell me now!”
As his arm position changed, the sword went in deeper. Faint blood was already seeping from the man’s neck. Even in a moment where the slightest move could sever his neck, the man calmly demanded.
“Guide me to where he is. I won’t open my mouth until then.”
Their sharp gazes met in the air. The man glared as if he would never back down. But it wasn’t Wimu who answered that demand.
“Sorry, but your master is very far from here.”
Luan’s blood-stained clothes were thrown onto the floor. Devan stared at the man while dusting his hands as if disgusted. The man’s eyes began to waver as he recognized the clothes’ owner. Devan smiled cruelly as he confirmed the once firm expression had crumbled.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re in a position to threaten anyone…”
“…”
“If you speak, I’ll send you to where your master is.”
His gaze pierced directly into the man’s eyes.
“I solemnly promise.”
* * *
After Arzel proclaimed the beginning of the rebellion at Mekina, the nobles fell into deep contemplation. Among them were those who came to Kadilen and reported Arzel’s scheme in detail. Hearing their stories, Kadilen felt more anxiety than relief at the situation unfolding exactly as expected without the slightest deviation.
Regarding Pamel Island, he could immediately present evidence that it wasn’t true. He had something prepared in advance for precisely this scenario. However, the evidence he thought would be sufficient to defeat Arzel was essentially ineffective. Kadilen closed his eyes and tried to calm his troubled heart. Despite his best efforts, his turbulent heart wasn’t easily pacified. The more he tried, the bigger the waves seemed to grow.
He was in a position where he couldn’t easily decide anything now. As long as Arzel held Ludin’s life, he couldn’t move despite knowing all of the opponent’s tactics. And that was exactly what Arzel desired.
“Your Majesty!”
However, the chamberlain who entered the office with an excited face fulfilled Kadilen’s desperate wish. He approached the desk hurriedly, waving a small piece of paper.
“We found him!”
Kadilen opened his eyes. He hastily grabbed the paper handed by the chamberlain. The paper held in trembling hands contained unbelievable news. His pounding heart stopped instantly. Light finally entered his darkened, lifeless eyes. Just imagining the sight of Ludin alive opened his airways. For the first time, he could see ahead, after having lost all his time and joy in longing and more longing. A new goal replaced the pain that had mercilessly assailed him. The hope of recovering Ludin was stronger than anything else.
Kadilen stood up abruptly from his seat. The chamberlain supported his body as it wobbled from the suddenly changed center of gravity. Kadilen lightly brushed off that hand and hurriedly left the office. His footsteps, almost running, were filled with a desire for revenge and anger.
“Gather all the nobles staying at the palace.”
The chamberlain quickly bowed his head at the low command.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
On his face too, a light that had been thought forgotten appeared clearly.
