Chapter 31: The Mayn Ruler

The princess was especially protective of the unconscious swordswoman. She did not let more than two knights touch her, and even these two were the ones that the red mage trusted.

When they stood before the monarch, the crowned man sitting atop the golden throne decorated with red-black crystals covered in white sparks, they could feel the same pressure that they felt each time they stood in his presence.

The air inside the throne room was heavier than anything the knights stepping here for the first time had experienced.

In general, they would be classified as (S-rank) superhumans, people who could run many miles an hour or break boulders with a flick of their fingers.

But they were nowhere strong enough to face the Red mage and now, they were nowhere powerful enough to look up at their king, the master of their nation.

He was intimidating. Truthfully, he was more than just dangerous looking.

As one stayed in his presence, as they were exposed to his passive Aura for longer, they would feel a unique reverence towards him.

They would want to devote themselves to him. Momentary at least, they would want to be a sword that guards him.

It was a unique power of the Mayn throne. And it wasn’t limited to this room alone.

"Speak, Sir mage."

"Yes, your Grace."

The mage stopped forward while glancing at the swordswoman that had yet to open her eyes.

They had sat her in a wheelchair as they brought her here, but the princess was worried about her right now.

There was no reason for her to be so attached to someone she didn’t even know about. In fact, there was something the king had realised just now.

"It seems like the Elision lot had ulterior motives. We found many underground tunnels. Additionally, we were able to extract some information from them."

The red mage explained how, in fractions, they extracted information about her unique sword style, how it had something to do with their leader, how they needed to get her at all cost, and how this whole matter ultimately related to their organisation’s future.

The truth wasn’t known to everyone but they knew that they needed follow this mission better than they engaged with their previous one.

A prince might get found but they would lose everything if they don’t finish this matter, and so, they did what they did and they failed as they did.

Now the woman lay before them, unconscious. And while she doesn’t seem heavily wounded aside from the physical scars that are visible on her, it seems like she will recover soon.

She must have fainted due to the shock, but forcibly waking her wouldn’t be a good thing.

For the time being, the red mage walked up to the throne as the king whispered something in his ears.

Then, he nodded to him and walked back to the princess and the knights.

"It seems like we are free to go then, father?" It was disrespectful to call the king so informally, especially with the knights around. But, right now, the princess wasn’t thinking straight.

She had been through quite a bit these past few days and she did not want to experience all that once again.

She wanted the woman to be her knight and just go about with her daily life. But sadly, that was not going to be possible this time.

"Ah, princess." The red mage extended his hands towards her slowly. It was a delicate motion that did not seem threatening in the slightest.

However, as the hand reached near her face, a wave of sleepiness blasted in her face, overtaking all of her senses instantly.

"W..." she did not realise it in time.

Her eyes closed even before that wordless sound left her mouth.

She would have fallen to the ground, but the red mage caught her. And while it was surprising, he lifted her in his arms.

"You may excuse yourself."

"Yes, your grace."

The knights were stunned but this was a royal order. They simply bowed to the king, to the throne, and turned around in a military manner.

At least, one of them did.

"Hey."

"Go on, Sir mage."

The knight who didn’t seem any different from the others was left behind. And along with him, the maid that had accompanied the knights and the princess all this time stayed behind as well.

"..."

When he was at the door, he saw the unconscious swordswoman wake up from her slumber. And at the same time, he saw his king’s eyes shake in a manner that was simply too foreign to him.

-Clang.

When the gate closed behind him, in the last few moments when he could still feel the inside of the throne room with his high senses, he perceived not the four people who should have remained behind. There were five of them including the king. Five... means someone was in there, and he had failed to perceive them.

"How..."

For the first time in a decade, a chill ran down his spine.

Who could that be? Also, who was the maid that accompanied the princess. And why did he not think of her until the moment they were about to leave.

"Wait."

Now that he thought about it, he could not recognise how she looked. In fact, he knew only about her presence in that place, her existence that was faintly revealed to him.

But, that was it.

"Who... are they?"

His master asked him to go out with the others without questioning anything. He knew there was some reason behind it.

His eyes were strange when he looked at the unconscious woman who was at the centre of the earlier commotion. But, what was it?

What was going on inside the throne room right now?

"I greet the Primus."

If someone told him the king was sitting before the throne on the steps, kissing the feet of the woman who was supposed to be unconscious just a minute ago, he’d think them mad.

But, it was a fact.

At this very moment, that same unfathomable scene was unfolding before each eye present inside that room.

Each eye that did not find this event even a little extraordinary.