# Chapter 105
After killing an enemy general on the battlefield, Claudia fed him her blood to turn him into an “immortal.” The one who died and then awakened swore unconditional obedience to Claudia, who had given him new life.
Using him, she pretended to be a captive as the Delos Empire had misunderstood, and willingly let herself be taken to the Caron Empire. At this time, despite being called a saint, she wasn’t using her abilities at all, using her physical condition as an excuse. Knowing that the end result for humans who received her ability was the terrible Numinel disease and annihilation without reincarnation, she had no intention of using her recovery ability anymore.
The obedient enemy general who pretended that the other waiting soldiers were his own troops, as Claudia had intended, personally led the vanguard and threw the Delos Empire army into confusion. As a result, the Delos Empire troops were forced to retreat after suffering a major defeat at a strategic location they absolutely needed to capture, and the Caron Empire dramatically overcame a crisis.
The Caron Empire, maintaining their confrontational stance and given time to catch their breath, escorted prisoners Claudia and Eiden to the imperial palace. Normally, given the urgent wartime situation, they would have been temporarily imprisoned in a nearby jail rather than escorted to the palace, but the Emperor of the Caron Empire, who was well aware of Claudia’s reputation, wanted to meet her as soon as possible.
Claudia negotiated directly with the Emperor of the Caron Empire, promising to bring Levi’s black fragment.
The content of the note ended just before Claudia entered the imperial palace. After that, even the obedient dog-like enemy general couldn’t stay with her constantly to relay information.
Levi was more worried about Claudia and Eiden’s safety than the black fragment.
“Ah~ woo-woo~”
Levi, who had read the note several times, looked at the portable cradle beside him. Inside was one-year-old Hest, who had grown considerably over the year, looking up at Levi with an innocent smile.
❖ ❖ ❖
Claudia and Eiden, who had seemed like they would return soon, had still not returned even now, more than three years after being taken as prisoners to the Caron Empire.
Though worried about the two, Levi could do nothing but wait quietly in this vast and quiet mansion.
Levi recalled the contents of the notes that came once every few months while waiting for them.
[I found the fragment. I found it, but… it might take some time. I can’t tell you the details right now, even for your sake.]
[Can you wait a little longer? I think my lack of decisiveness is the problem. I’ll pull myself together and try harder.]
[I don’t know what to choose anymore. Whether it’s right for me to abandon that person and take the fragment to return.]
[I’m sorry, Levi. I’m really sorry. This is all I can say.]
With no detailed information, it was impossible to guess what had happened. Moreover, since they couldn’t send a reply to ask, Levi had nothing to do but worry silently.
One day, while waiting for Claudia’s contact that might come at any time.
Suddenly, the imperial knights raided the mansion.
“We received a report of suspicious activity inside Marquis Wesslon’s residence. We will now conduct a search, so everyone in the mansion should not move and cooperate.”
The threatening voice of the imperial knight commander echoed from the main gate of the mansion beyond the garden. Along with it, the imperial knights walked through the garden, heading toward the mansion.
Levi, who had been watching the group at the main gate through the window, turned to look at the familiar aide who burst into the reception room where he was.
“You must leave this place with Young Master Hest right now.”
Eiden’s aide was holding Hest, who had just turned five years old. Judging by how he was rubbing his eyes sleepily, Hest seemed to have been suddenly awakened from a nap.
“Because of those people?”
When Levi asked with a nod toward the window, the aide nodded and handed over Hest.
“The imperial knights will use the search as an excuse to take Young Master Hest as a hostage.”
“Why? Hest is the heir to the marquis family.”
“That’s exactly why. The imperial palace thinks that Princess Claudia has joined hands with the Caron Empire. They believe that the marquis, who is her close associate and was captured together as a prisoner, has taken the same path, so they intend to hold the marquis family’s only bloodline as a hostage at the imperial palace.”
Levi didn’t understand it well. It was complicated, but the conclusion was that the imperial palace wanted to directly hold Eiden’s only heir, Hest, as a hostage to stage a hostage situation.
To confirm Eiden’s reaction while he was lingering in an enemy country and to threaten him.
“Outwardly, there is no legitimate reason to take Young Master Hest as a hostage. That’s why they’re making the excuse of a search. In other words, we just need to avoid losing Young Master Hest this time. We are on their search list and cannot move, so you, Lord Levi, are the only one who can escort Young Master Hest out.”
“I understand.”
Levi nodded readily while holding Hest in his arms.
Levi escaped just before the imperial knights surrounded the mansion and ran stealthily with Hest in his arms. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the imperial knights were pursuing them.
Just as he was feeling relieved and fleeing to a small forest a little distance from the mansion.
From somewhere, along with a sharp sound, dozens of daggers poured down. He successfully avoided them all by heightening his senses, but as if someone had anticipated this, a trap for catching wild beasts was placed there.
“Ugh—!”
The heavy, sharp iron trap seemed like it would completely sever one of Levi’s legs. Even as he fell to the ground, Levi tightly embraced Hest and put his own body beneath him to keep him safe.
As Hest whimpered in surprise, black shadows that had been hiding in the forest gradually revealed themselves.
Levi instinctively knew that they had definitely not come to “kidnap” Hest.
“Close your eyes, Hest.”
“Levi…”
Levi stroked the whimpering Hest’s head and gave him a small smile.
“It’s okay, so keep your eyes closed. Don’t open them until I tell you to.”
Hest, who had always stayed by Levi’s side since he was young, swallowed and nodded.
Hest’s round, large eyes were tightly shut, and the assassins with blades gradually tightened their encirclement from around them.
Levi looked down at the fierce trap that he could never escape alone, and drew out the dagger he kept as a reserve.
How much time had passed?
“Levi, should I still keep my eyes closed?”
The ruffians’ dying screams had been rampant, and Levi’s groans were occasionally heard as well. But Hest remained with his hands pressing tightly against his eyelids because Levi hadn’t told him he could open his eyes.
Now, there was no sound at all.
Neither the ruffians, nor Levi, nor anyone else made a sound.
Instead, there was a strong smell of the forest’s dampness and the pungent scent of iron.
Hest’s small lips were tightly bitten as he trembled with overwhelming anxiety.
“Levi, I want to open my eyes… Can I not yet? Hmm?”
Even though he whimpered and whined, Levi gave no response. Normally, Levi would have embraced him when he whined and gently patted his back to warm him.
A chill rose from the ground where he sat. Though he didn’t know how much time had passed, judging by how it was getting colder, it seemed a considerable amount of time had elapsed, and it might be evening.
That made it even more frightening.
Because Levi would usually comfort him warmly before he could even feel such a chill.
“I, I’m going to open my eyes? I’ll open them. I’m really going to open my eyes.”
Young Hest spoke again, hoping Levi would grant permission with his own mouth. All that returned was still just the cold air of the forest.
“Sob… Why don’t you answer…”
Hest, who had never gone against Levi’s words, couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes and just cried profusely. Even during this, there was no warmth of someone reaching out to stroke his head or embrace him, which made him feel incredibly sad.
At that moment, the sound of people’s footsteps was heard from somewhere in the distance.
“Lord Levi! Young Master Hest!”
It was a familiar voice. It was his father’s aide, whose face he couldn’t remember, the person who had handed him to Levi earlier.
“Levi, it looks like people have come! Let’s go home now!”
The moment he spoke cheerfully and unconsciously opened his eyes.
“Huh…?”
Hest was dumbfounded by the scene around him.
All he could see was that many people in black clothes were all lying on the ground. Not breathing.
But something was strange.
No matter how much he looked around, Levi wasn’t among them.
Rustle—
When he placed his hand on the ground to get up, he felt a strange sensation. It was like placing his hand on a soft pile of sand.
What Hest saw when he lowered his gaze was black powder being scattered by the faint wind, and in the middle of it, a fallen black bead.
“…Levi?”
As if answering Hest’s call, the crack in the black bead split once more with a crack—.
