Chapter 32: 32

*Luwellin’s POV

"-Who is it!!"

Luwellin's voice rose sharply as he was interrupted while he was having fun. After his voice that was filled with annoyance reverberated, an answer came from beyond the door to reply.

"Excuse me, Your Highness. Sir Buffelos has visited."

"----!! Come in!"

The door opened with a click and a man entered. He was a handsome man with a gray beard, who appeared to be in his late fifties and early sixties.

As if he announced, "I am a wizard”, the man was wearing a fancy robe and a wide-brimmed hat. He was smiling hollowly while stroking his beard downward.

"I greet the next emperor of the Wolfric Empire."

"...are you making fun of me now, Sir Buffelos? Can't you see the injury on my arm?"

Luwellin responded with a sharp voice, apparently offended by the word ‘the next emperor’, but Buffelos just smiled a little and shook his head lightly.

"How can I argue a lie with the next emperor?"

"Look, Sir Buffelos...!! This injury is the one that the bastard half-blood Karmeut had inflicted! How dare he bit my arm?!  He had been hiding the fact that he had awakened!!”

Anger rose to the top of his head, but Luwellin did not forget to address Buffelos with honorifics. Buffelos, one of the elders of the Magic Tower, was a man worthy of the respect of the prince, both in terms of age and in influence.

...and above all else, Luwellin desperately needed his help.

"Your Highness, don't be pessimistic about that. Nothing has been decided yet. Bozcourt hasn't started yet, and we don't have some time left?"

They were subtle words that seemed to be saying that "there’s a way”. Luwellin's eyes narrowed.

"Sir Buffelos. Bozcourt is a ritual in which no one else intervenes. It is a one-on-one sacred duel between the members of the Imperial Family who can transform into wolves."

"Of course, I am well aware of it as it’s explained in literature and because the current Emperor had also practiced Bozcourt."

"Then you don't know much better---!!"

Luwellin stopped his words because he saw Buffelos looking at him with a strange, mysterious smile. Luwellin took a deep breath for a moment to calm his boiling heart after seeing that smile, then he opened his mouth with a calm voice.

"...do you think there’s a chance for me to win?"

"Of course."

The prince's face stiffened at the old wizard's answer, which was said without hesitation. Then, a sound that was unknown whether it was laughter or wailing leaked out.

“Ha ha ha ha!! There is a chance, there is a chance!!”

"Your Highness. Although mages are essentially people who are from power, they are not foolish enough to not show respect for the next emperor. The greatest deceit that can be done to Your Majesty the emperor is to tell a lie. Do I look foolish enough to engage in such a deception?"

It was an arrogant question, but Luwellin did not show displeasure. No, rather, he chuckled and shook his head calmly.

"No, you're not. Haha! Well then, please, can you tell me about that 'victory'? I’m so curious.”

Buffelos smiled at those words, then he gently shook his head while murmuring regretfully,

"But Your Highness, there are many risks involved in having such an important discussion in a place where there is no security."

"-That's true. I'll leave it up to you when it comes to security."

Hearing those words, Buffelos generated magic instead of answering. Magical power moved according to the will of the old wizard, and he began to formulate a magic circle from his thought.

Looking at it with a smile, The Third Prince watched with a smile on his face while crossing his arms and leaning his body forward.

‘There is a chance’. That one sentence alone is worth listening to. If the person who said such a thing is an Elder of the Magic Tower, there is nothing worth worrying about.

With his eyes twinkling in anticipation, Luwellin began to listen to the old wizard's words. Hearing the words of Buffelos, who continued to talk with a relaxed tone but full of persuasiveness, the prince's lips gradually began to spread into a confident smile.

***

*Galenos’ POV

"Your Highness."

"Galenos. What is it?"

Galenos greeted Karmeut with respect as he knelt on one of his knees and bowed his head. Meanwhile, the prince was holding a crow in his arms and stroked the feathers with his fingers. The crow let out a small cry and narrowed her eyes enjoying the touch.

...For that crow, Karmeut had made his move, revealing the fact that he had awakened which was even hidden from Galenos.

Although he was convinced by that fact in his head, the heavy feeling in a corner of Galenos’ chest did not disappear. Holding that back, Galenos opened his mouth again,

"I'd like to ask you a question about Bozcourt, but..."

Blink. The crow's purple eyes flickered. The crow turned her head and looked at him with clear eyes, so Galenos involuntarily avoided her gaze.

The prince’s eyes were calm as usual, but upon realizing that there was a feeling of regret in those eyes, Galenos’ own eyes were slightly widened.

"It's not that I don’t know your loyalty to me. ...but I had no choice but to be careful because I was almost killed before. I’m sorry that you have to know that I have awakened in this way,”

Emotions that were not normally revealed were pouring out. Hearing the sincere voice, Galenos bowed his head as he felt his heavy heart become lighter like never before.

“No, my lord, it was my negligence that I’m not able to protect you.”

Hearing that, Karmeut smiled helplessly. The prince then kept his mouth shut while stroking the soft black feathers. The knight also remained silent.

As if to break the silence, the crow let out a small caw and bit Karmeut's finger lightly. Karmeut smiled softly at the action. He opened his mouth again as he gently stroked the crow's head with her index finger.

"...but Galenos, I think it's right for you to question the reason why I revealed my awakening, a fact that I’ve hidden even from you, for the sake of a crow, even when she’s dear to me."

"..."

The knight was silent. He chose silence because he did not know how to respond to the prince's remark, which pinpointed accurately the question that he could not bring out of his mouth. Karmeut nodded his head slightly as if he understood Galenos’ feelings, then he continued,

"Because Rainelle is more special to me than you think. Not only did she save my life, but she also helped me to awaken..."

The prince, who had spoken up to that point, bit his lip. It caused the end of his words to be unclear. Then he added with his usual calm smile,

"Originally, I was going to reveal this when everything is over and things have settled down... but it would be better to disclose it in advance to you. Rainelle, can I ask you a favor?"

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Karmeut lifted the crow's head that was in his arms. The black bird spread her wings and flew away in response to the prince, who gently stroked her chin, muttered something to her, and gave her a gentle smile. Galenos' eyes grew bigger and bigger as his gaze followed the crow.

The crow's body swelled up. As if watching the growth process of a tree in a short time, the crow gradually increased in size and changed into a different form.

Black wings became white and thin arms, and black feathers became a dress and wrapped around her slender body. The long, pointed beak gradually decreased until there was no trace of it, and the feathers on her head grew longer and longer, turning into long, shiny hair.

The crow, no, the lady, with her purple eyes blinking slowly and her hands clasping, looked at Karmeut and Galenos alternately,

"...is this okay?"

Hearing her question that was said in a slightly trembling voice, which showed her anxiety, Karmeut nodded his head and offered his hand. She hesitatingly placed her hand on the prince's hand, and Karmeut held it carefully but firmly.

"What is this... is that crow from the hybrid clan...?"

"You think she’s from the hybrid clan?"

Hearing Karmeut questioned him with a sense of playfulness, Galenos looked at the crow, or the human who had changed from a crow.

Maybe she found his gaze burdensome, she lowered her eyes slightly and moved to the prince’s back. The knight shook his head as she let out a sigh.

"...I heard that when they transform into a human, they would have feet like that of a bird and have wings on their back. ...That woman's legs weren’t that visible due to the dress, but she doesn’t have wings on her back..."

Karmeut gave a small cough at Galenos, who could not take his eyes off Rainelle. When the knight came to his senses and looked at the prince, Karmeut opened his mouth,

"Well, anyway, I think you understand why I did such a reckless thing..."

The prince's gaze turned to Rainelle. The young lady who received that gaze breathed a brief sigh of relief and then changed back into the form of a crow.

The crow, who had returned to the form of a bird in an instant which made it as if she had never turned into a human, hovered over Karmeut's head several times before landing on his shoulder.

"I think you would understand what it means to reveal Rainelle's identity."

The knight nodded his head. If it was simply a bird, there might not have been any need for Karmeut to make a move until he revealed the fact that he had awakened.

But that crow can also change into a human. That alone made Rainelle very valuable. She was also able to fly freely, conveying what she saw and heard in human language, furthermore...

Galen remembered the figure of the young lady he had seen a while ago. She was a lady who looked really good in black. Even while he was surprised at the fact that the crow had changed into a human, the word ‘beautiful’ had come to his mind. The human that the crow had transformed into was beautiful. He can confidently say that it was the first time that he had ever seen such a beautiful person.

“Oh,” the knight exclaimed briefly.

...If that crow has the power to defend herself, she would not have been dragged so helplessly. Moreover, her appearance when she turned into a human is that of a beautiful human woman. Of course, being beautiful wasn’t to blame.

…but it’s undeniable that a beautiful woman who didn’t have the power to protect herself has a high possibility to suffer. The saying that being beautiful to commoner women is like a curse is not just floating around for no reason.

"Windster del Galenos. Can you swear to protect Rainelle?"

Hearing the prince's voice, Galenos looked at his golden eyes. The serious eyes were saying something.

As Karmeut petted the crow sitting on his shoulder with care, the knight thought,

Maybe this is my own imagination, but...

"On the name of God, I, Windster del Galenos will uphold the will of Your Highness."

Galenos hesitate no more.

I’m a knight. My lord who swore I my allegiance to is making a request rather than an order, how can I defy his wish? My own opinion, in the present situation, is of no use.

"-I am so grateful that you are on my side. Then I will trust you and entrust her to you. Until Bozcourt is completely over, you will have to take care of her."

"I'll keep that in mind, Your Highness."

When Karmeut said, "You can go now," Galenos bowed his head and left the room.

*Karmeut’s POV

The crow, who looked at Galenos’ back until he disappeared, flew up and changed into a human form again.

"...is it okay to tell him?"

"It's okay, Rainelle. He’s reliable."

Hearing that, Rainelle shut her mouth. The prince can see anxiousness in her purple eyes, so he reached out and took her small, white hand. As he enjoyed the warm yet soft texture of her hand, Karmeut made a commitment inside.

To prevent that from happening again, I had to deal with Luwellin. ...even if it's a family member, if there's even a slight possibility of harming Rainelle...

He lowered his eyes to hide his sharp, gleaming golden eyes, then Karmeut whispered,

"It's alright, Rainelle. I'll make sure you don't go through something like that in the future."

He muttered that, not knowing whether he was saying it to himself or to Rainelle. The prince gently stroked the back of her white hand.

Don't worry, I will protect you.

*Rainelle’s POV

I agreed to show Galenos my human form because I knew the future.

Galenos was a character who was loyal to Karmeut in the original game, and that doesn't seem much different now.

That dog Luwellin... no, I feel sorry for dogs when I put it like that. How should I say it...

Yeah, I was scared of getting beaten up by that fucking bastard who wastes air, but I’m able to face my fear and transform into a human form now. Furthermore, there’s a character who will be loyal even in the future.

...Now I'm going to die of anxiety because I don't know how the 'Bozcourt' that Karmeut will participate in soon will work out. Before entering the original story of the game, Karmeut had already become the emperor.

So, I don't know what 'Bozcourt' is!

There is no idle saying that I could relax since he’ll be the emperor in the future, because I’m the one who twisted the original storyline!! A big twist!

Originally, Karmeut was supposed to awaken by eating the Crobanlock that Namuel give him, but I gave it to him in advance! OMG!

I wanted to tear my hair out while screaming, but how can I do that in front of Karmeut, who smiled while gently stroking the back of my hand as if to comfort me?! This is driving me crazy!

"...what’s wrong, Rainelle?"

"Oh, nothing!!"

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