Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 360

Before the sun had even set, Cantares called the knight captains together again.As soon as the three people took their seats, the Crown Prince brought up the main topic.

“I received word from Prince Llewellyn. He said that all three of them have safely entered the palace.”

“That’s faster than I thought. It hasn’t even been a few hours since they left.”

Diana answered with a surprised expression. Then Cantares’ expression became subtle.

“It seems the prince had quite a rough time with Arendt. His voice sounded pretty bad.”

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Laius sighed briefly, rubbing his face.

Cantares continued speaking, looking at Laius with sympathetic eyes.

“Well, it seems like the decision to send an advance party was right. Things are going a little strangely.”

“So the obituary was false news?”

Cantares answered Kendrick’s question.

“We’re not at a stage where we can say anything for certain yet, but it seems there’s no sign at all of preparations for a state funeral… so we’ll need to proceed cautiously. The downtown area is as busy as usual, and even the palace itself is said to be quiet.”

Having just set foot in the royal palace, they hadn’t yet grasped the full situation, but even that much was enough to momentarily halt the departure of the delegations from the Everan and Nephele Kingdoms.

“And as soon as they entered the palace, Crown Prince Victor requested an interview with Prince Llewellyn. It seems like the Crown Prince is in a hurry.”

It seemed certain that something had happened inside the Lucain Palace.

Cantares continued speaking.

“We are sharing the situation with the Everan and Nephele Kingdoms, so for now, it would be best to prepare for departure but hold off until they manage to find out something.”

“You are right. Shouldn’t the Knights also prepare to move?”

Cantares nodded at Diana’s question.

“Yes. Have everyone begin preparations for deployment. We can’t rule out the possibility, no matter how slim.”

The captains’ faces hardened. Kendrick answered on their behalf.

“Yes. I will obey your command.”

One way or another, they were going to leave the Empire sooner or later.

Whether it would be a procession to mourn the former head of a nation, or an expedition to punish those who threaten the peace of the world… it would be determined by the findings of Llewellyn, Arendt, and Lexion.

A heavy air began to flow through the conference room.

But even that didn’t last long. Cantares, who was frowning slightly, suddenly spoke.

“…By the way, is Sir Arthur okay?”

“…Yes.”

Laius, who had paused for a moment, gave an ambiguous answer without even realizing it.

“It seems like the other members of the Knights are suffering more than Arthur himself, but it seems like everything is okay.”

“That makes sense.”

Kendrick nodded as if he understood.

Although they often hung out together, Arthur and Arendt were always fighting like cats and dogs.

The two people had such different personalities, but seeing Arthur in the form of Arendt would make the onlookers feel a great sense of incongruity.

“Not only Prince Llewellyn, but Sir Arthur and the Third Knights are also having a hard time.”

When Diana spoke with sympathy, Laius replied with a troubled expression.

“But since it was unavoidable, I advised him to refrain from going out as much as possible. It would also be difficult to lift the spell, so I prohibited him from training until Arendt returned.”

“Whether he’s here or not, that damn apprentice knight’s presence is no joke.”

All the captains quietly agreed with Cantares’ bitter smile.

However, the person who was suffering the most right now would be Llewellyn, so they decided to pray for his well-being in their hearts.

“Thank you for your hospitality despite my sudden visit, Your Highness.”

Llewellyn bowed to Victor with a bright smile. Victor, sitting across from him, waved his hand with a pale face.

“It’s nothing. I never expected the prince to be in the Lucain Kingdom. I thought he was still staying in the Caerleon Empire… if I had known earlier, I would have prepared to give you proper hospitality.”

“Haha, as you know, I enjoy wandering alone. Staying in one place for too long made me a bit restless, so not long ago, I took just two companions and set off on a sudden journey.”

As he smoothly spouted off the lies he had prepared in advance, Llewellyn quickly examined Victor’s complexion.

“Then, all of a sudden, the little boy’s condition worsened. With nowhere to urgently find a healer, we ended up coming straight to the palace without notice. I shudder to think what might have happened if Your Highness hadn’t let us in.”

Victor tried to look calm, but he looked quite anxious.

While pretending to focus on the conversation with Llewellyn, the Crown Prince kept rolling his eyes and looking around.

‘…Are you being watched or something?’

Llewellyn glanced around subtly, but he felt no other presence besides the servants.

‘If there had been a suspicious person hiding in the first place, Lord Lexion would have noticed it first.’

Lexion, disguised as Llewellyn’s attendant, stood by the door so as not to interrupt their conversation.

Lexion, who had met Llewellyn’s eyes, shook his head slightly. This meant that there was nothing unusual about the room at the moment.

Victor continued.

“I heard from the healer as well, actually. Apparently, there’s nothing seriously wrong. It seems to be just a buildup of fatigue.”

“Thank you for your concern. It’s probably because this is his first time traveling. I should’ve been more careful, I’ve ended up putting a burden on a child, and I feel sorry for that.”

Of course, the child was a member of the Imperial Knights, who were second to none in terms of strength, and he was so vicious that he didn’t even blink at minor injuries.

His conscience ached as he continued to tell lies in front of the innocent Crown Prince Victor.

But the real probing was only just beginning. If he failed to obtain proper information, he might be cursed by Arendt, so Llewellyn decided to put aside his conscience and do his duty.

“How are you doing these days, Your Highness? You look a little tired, is everything okay?”

He asked that, pretending not to know anything. Then the Crown Prince closed his mouth for a moment. He seemed to be contemplating how to answer.

After a while, Victor opened his mouth with a somewhat stiff face.

“…Prince Llewellyn, if it’s alright with you, would you like to stay for a while?”

This was yet another unexpected reaction. Llewellyn quickly signaled to Lexion with a glance, then responded as if he knew nothing at all.

“I couldn’t possibly trouble you that much. Since the child isn’t seriously ill, we’ll rest just a little and then be on our way.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Then Victor’s voice became more urgent.

“Since you’ve come this far, why don’t you stay a little longer before you go? The errand boy seems quite tired, so it would be better not to overdo it.”

“If you say so, of course I won’t decline, but…”

Llewellyn tilted his head, raising his eyebrows slightly on purpose.

“I heard there is a guest at the palace right now. I think it is Duke Middleton, Your Highness’ uncle. Wouldn’t our presence be an inconvenience for both His Majesty and the Duke?”

Victor’s face turned even paler as the topic of Duke Middleton and the King came up. But the Crown Prince forced a smile and shook his head.

“It will be okay. I will speak to them separately.”

“Then, as befitting a royal, I should go and pay my respects in person.”

Llewellyn pretended not to notice Victor’s discomfort and decided to press a little harder.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I request an audience? I believe I once saw His Majesty from afar, but I’ve never had the chance to properly greet him. I’d like to take this opportunity to pay my respects, even just once.”

“That is…”

As expected, Victor immediately wore a troubled expression. Llewellyn couldn’t help but think that it was a good thing he was the one here for this encounter.

If it had been Arendt, Victor would have definitely had a rough time.

‘This should be enough probing for now.’

First of all, it didn’t seem like the situation would allow for an immediate meeting with Duke Middleton. Llewellyn decided to change the subject at this point.

“If it’s too difficult, please don’t push yourself. In that case, let’s share a drink together later this evening.”

Thanks to Llewellyn’s bright smile and gentle words, Victor finally seemed relieved, his pale face softening into a smile once more.

“Yes, yes. Let’s do that. I’ll arrange a gathering tonight. I’ve been wanting to have a conversation with the prince at least once.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, Your Highness. If it’s not too forward of me, may I call you ‘older brother1’? I understand that Your Highness is about the same age as my second older brother.”

Llewellyn’s playful remark brought a brighter expression to Victor’s face.

“Of course it’s okay. Please feel free to speak comfortably.”

“Thank you, brother2.”

Llewellyn smiled broadly and secretly signaled to Lexion. With a sullen face, Lexion gave a slight nod and then deactivated the communication magic he had been maintaining until now.

The recipient was, of course, Arendt, who was now lying in bed in the infirmary.

As the sun began to set, the healer approached the bed where the child from the Everan Kingdom was sleeping.

As soon as the curtain covering the bed was pulled aside, the healer locked eyes with the boy, who was looking around anxiously.

The healer smiled gently and asked.

“It looks like you’re awake now. How are you feeling?”

“…”

As if trying to understand the situation, the boy blinked his gentle eyes a few more times before looking directly at the healer.

“Th…where is this?”

After a while, the boy asked in a very nervous voice.

The sight of him clutching the blanket tightly with his hands looked quite pitiful. The young healer spoke as gently as possible, so as not to frighten him further.

“This is the Lucain Palace. Prince Llewelyn brought you here.”

“Ah…”

At that, the boy’s expression immediately darkened. Somehow, he could roughly guess what the little one was thinking.

‘It seems you are feeling discouraged because you have become a burden to the esteemed prince.’

The healer quickly changed the subject for him.

“I’m glad you’re recovering quickly. We were very worried since we didn’t know the cause, but it’s probably just accumulated fatigue, so don’t worry too much. You’ll be able to set out on the journey with the prince again soon.”

“Y-yeah… I guess so? Thank you, healer.”

Only then did a faint smile bloom on the boy’s face. The pure, innocent smile suited his youthful features so well that the healer couldn’t help but smile along with him.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even asked for your name yet. What should I call you?”

“My name is Lenin, but my friends just call me Len.”

The boy answered shyly, as if his tension had eased. The Everan Kingdom-style speech was particularly prominent.

“Okay, Len. It’s almost mealtime. Would you like something to eat?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you for your concern. I… I’ve been a burden to you, healer.”

The little attendant, who had been quick to respond, lowered his gaze again and hesitated.

“If you’re a healer of the royal palace, you must be someone really important. Didn’t I just waste your time for no good reason?”

The boy’s withdrawn posture was enough to stir the kind healer’s sympathy. The healer quickly shook his head.

“No, that can’t be. It’s my job to treat the palace’s patients.”

“Still…ah!”

Len, who had been mumbling timidly, suddenly clapped his hands as if he had remembered something. Then he looked up at the healer again with slightly more lively eyes than before.

“It’s nothing special, but I have some nice cookies. I bought them when we stopped by another region. Would you like to have them after your meal?”

It seemed like the little boy wanted to repay the favor somehow. The healer decided not to turn down his kind gesture.

“That sounds good. Then let’s have some together after your meal.”

A bright smile spread across Len’s face, as if he was very happy with that answer.

“Yes! Thank you, healer.”

The boy’s innocent smile warmed his heart. For the first time in a while, he even felt a sense of fulfillment working as a healer.

After eating the cookies filled with sleeping herbs, the healer ended up burying his nose right into the table where they were having their meal.