137.
As Jinhyeon gently stroked Yu Jin’s back, the murmuring soon stopped.
“Your stamina is lacking.”
While Jinhyeon’s stamina was improving through training, Yu Jin remained unchanged. As a result, he quickly tired and withdrew during their intimate moments. Thinking about the future, Yu Jin needed to be more active. This was especially true in this world, where one could extend their lifespan through effort. Jinhyeon didn’t want to lose his loved one prematurely.
‘Well, if it’s too difficult, I’ll have to catch a dragon.’
Rumors said that eating a dragon’s heart greatly extended one’s lifespan. Although it was said that barely one person in an era could successfully catch a dragon, Jinhyeon felt he could do it for Yu Jin’s sake.
“Ugh.”
Jinhyeon gently laid Yu Jin, who was groaning and tossing, on the floor. He then went out to fetch water and poured it into the pot attached to the stove. The cabin deep in the forest had no plumbing, so this was the only way to get hot water. Once the water boiled, Jinhyeon poured it into a basin and mixed it with cold water to adjust the temperature. He then cleaned Yu Jin thoroughly with a warm towel.
Throughout this, Yu Jin showed no signs of waking. It seemed their long-awaited lovemaking had exhausted him. Jinhyeon lay down next to Yu Jin on the rug and held him tightly. Even without using soap, the soft scent of skin soothed Jinhyeon’s tense nerves.
In the warm air, Jinhyeon also felt sleepy.
‘Let’s rest for a bit.’
With that thought, Jinhyeon slowly closed his eyes.
San squinted and reopened his eyes after seeing the information Jinhyeon had sent. So, the leader of Leviathan was currently at the Lucid mansion? And at least two of the Imperial Zodiac were there to protect him? He didn’t know how this information was obtained, but it was extremely important.
‘The problem is that I have to deliver this information to the royal family!’
San wondered if Jinhyeon couldn’t have come to deliver it directly. He struggled to swallow a sigh that threatened to escape. As he frowned, Gee, who was beside him, gently scratched San’s head.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Well, I received some crucial information.”
“Yes?”
“I think I need to report it to Lord Allen.”
“What kind of information?”
Seeing no reason to hide it from Gee, San shared the information he had received.
“Wow.”
Gee exclaimed after hearing everything.
“Is it okay for a leader to move around like that?”
Most organizations would fall into chaos if their leader died without a clear successor. This would likely be no different for Leviathan.
“They must have their reasons.”
It could be confidence in their own abilities or trust in their subordinates. In any case, Jinhyeon had probably advised waiting for others since his current strength wasn’t enough to face Leviathan alone.
“Lady Freena, huh.”
“I’ve heard the name, but do you know her?”
“I do. Most aspiring knights probably know of her.”
The majority of imperial knights were men. Although the number of female knights had increased over time, most of them came from families where the father was a knight. Families without such backgrounds often didn’t want their daughters to become knights.
“There’s nothing more certain than marriage for forming alliances between houses. Lady Freena’s family also wanted her to marry.”
But Lady Freena didn’t comply with her family’s wishes. She cut her long silver hair and left her family to become an apprentice to a famous swordsman knight. Of course, it wasn’t an easy process. Freena’s family desperately tried to interfere, but she overcame all obstacles.
“In the end, Lady Freena became one of the top five knights in the empire.”
And she devoted herself to Lucid, who had supported her since her apprentice days.
“If someone like her returns, it’s reassuring.”
“Indeed. Now the question is how much support the imperial family can provide.”
Given that Leviathan’s Imperial Zodiac members were said to be formidable, it seemed the imperial family should send someone of Lady Freena’s caliber.
“We’ll know once we talk to them.”
“Alright. Let’s go and speak to them then.”
San gathered his courage and headed towards Allen. Currently, he was staying in temporary lodgings provided by a back-alley information group. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but it was the cleanest place here. Allen had just finished his meal and was having tea when San arrived. Upon hearing San’s story, Allen furrowed his brow. He seemed to be thinking along similar lines as San.
‘Why is the leader of Leviathan there?’
Allen put down his teacup and rubbed his forehead. They had promised full support to Lucid, and now Lady Freena was involved. It seemed appropriate to match their level of support. However, overwhelming strong individuals with numbers was no easy task. It made more sense to send someone of comparable skill.
“I’ll send word to the imperial family. If possible, we might be able to bring in Lord Iven.”
Currently, there were three top knights in the imperial family. One was at the border, and another had retired a month ago. The imperial family had tried to keep him, but he had shouted not to exploit an old man and left. So, Lord Iven was the only one left. He was a powerful individual who had reached the level of Master in his 30s and currently served as the vice-captain of the imperial knights.
“But you don’t look pleased?”
“Ah, well.”
Allen paused and stared into space with vacant eyes.
“You’ll understand when you meet Lord Iven.”
Seeing San’s puzzled expression, Allen’s assistant added an explanation.
“He’s not a bad person, but his personality is a bit… free-spirited.”
Originally, the imperial family had offered him the position of captain, but he only accepted the nominal role of vice-captain, saying he didn’t want to work too hard. For this reason, Iven and Allen, who always worked by the rules, didn’t get along well. But what could they do when the leader of Leviathan had appeared?
Villains have always existed in every era, so the imperial family left them alone as long as they didn’t cross the line. If all villains were exterminated, things might be easier for a while, but there would be no progress. The imperial family believed that people grow through crises and trials.
‘But Leviathan has crossed the line.’
They captured and brainwashed vulnerable nobles for their use, and as their numbers increased, it became troublesome for the imperial family as well.
“But will two be enough?”
“To be safe, it would be better to have one more. I’ll work on that.”
Allen was thinking of calling back the retired Salamander. If a bit more time had passed and he had gone down to his territory, they would have missed the timing, but fortunately, he was still in the capital. It was because his only daughter had recently given birth.
“Is it okay to call a retired person?”
“Why, worried because of his age? Don’t worry. Knights of that caliber are in their prime even in their 70s. He just intensely dislikes working.”
It seemed harsh to call him back after he had worked for the imperial family for over 40 years. However, this was urgent for them, so San kept quiet. For now, three skilled individuals had been recruited. In addition to them, knights and mages who were known to be strong, even if they hadn’t reached that level, would be mobilized. With this, they should be able to capture the leader of Leviathan.
‘Somehow, I still feel uneasy.’
Perhaps it was better to worry. After all, it’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared. That’s what San thought.
Greyardin was standing by the window, looking down at the garden. Despite the recent major incident, the mansion was quiet, but he knew that wasn’t the whole story. With the number of people he had planted in the mansion, how could he not know?
“So you’re saying the head of the family has disappeared from the mansion.”
“Yes, I hear his mistress kidnapped him.”
Farsen bowed politely as he answered.
“By mistress, you mean that fellow Jinhyeon?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmm, but even if it’s a mistress, wouldn’t the knights move if such an incident occurred? If it’s a story they don’t want to get out, they’d mobilize the shadows.”
“I have a speculation about that part.”
“Speculation, you say. Let’s hear it.”
“I hear that Yu Jin was extremely fond of this Jinhyeon even before becoming the head of the family. He would grant him anything he wanted. He even hired expensive tutors to educate him. Given that, it’s highly likely that he instructed the shadows not to touch Jinhyeon before the brainwashing. The shadows can sometimes be overly loyal, after all.”
“That’s a plausible story. But I don’t think that’s the end of it.”
Greyardin pulled up one corner of his mouth. On the surface, that might be all, but they needed to consider other possibilities as well.
“What if the head of Lucid wasn’t brainwashed?”
If Keith had staged everything to protect the person he loved, the story would be different.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
