MTLNOVEL 56
It was truly a rat trapped in a jar.
There were quite a few soldiers disguised as servants. Some rushed to guard the doors and windows of the banquet hall, while others grabbed their weapons and charged at the nobles.
“When the hell is the Royal Guard coming?!”
Someone shouted in a voice filled with fear.
The Royal Guard wouldn’t come. Or rather, if they did, it would be after everything was already over. These people were thoroughly trained and had meticulously prepared for this day.
‘The targets are, of course, Belial and Sen…’
I avoided the chaos and hid behind a pillar while searching for Kyle. He had just snatched a dagger from the officiant and knocked him unconscious with a strike to the head.
Subduing an opponent without killing them, especially when they were coming at you with murderous intent, wasn’t an easy task. For Kyle, who was more accustomed to aiming for vital points to kill, holding back and only knocking them out was likely even more troublesome.
The only relief was that Kyle seemed quite experienced not just in fighting beasts but also in handling human opponents—especially in subduing them rather than killing them outright.
“Come closer!”
Kyle shouted at me. Without hesitation, I ran toward him.
Thunk.
A dagger flew like a flash of light, passing by me and embedding itself precisely into the shoulder of the man who had been aiming at my back. Overwhelmed by the force, the man staggered backward and collapsed.
“There are trained assassins among them. It’s safer to stay together.”
Kyle grabbed my arm, contradicting my earlier decision to keep some distance so I wouldn’t be a burden. I quickly nodded and positioned myself behind his back.
There, Sen was pressing her palm against her wounded thigh to stem the bleeding. The blood staining her pristine white dress was evidence of the chaos that had unfolded in such a short time.
“Belial and I will break through the western door. There are too many unrelated nobles here, so they’ll eventually retreat. But don’t let your guard down—there are bound to be more of them waiting outside.”
“…What do you want me to do?”
“Take Sen and escape to the secluded palace. Inform the Blake Knights of the situation and request protection. I’ll follow soon.”
“That’s a solid plan.”
Belial, who had approached unnoticed, flicked the blood off her decorative sword and smiled coldly. Unlike Kyle, she could act more boldly since she would face less punishment for harming others.
“Do you see it?”
Belial asked Kyle and me.
Kyle replied bluntly.
“I see it.”
A system window popped up to help me grasp the situation.
[The current attack targets nobles who are friendly toward Belial Serena Meinhardt and Sen Langde.]
“They revealed their true colors earlier than expected. My dear brother must be quite desperate.”
Lorenz wasn’t the one who orchestrated this directly. But peeling back just one layer of this plot made it obvious that Lorenz stood to gain from it, and that this was all his will at work.
Yes, it was plain as day.
This was Lorenz Serena Meinhardt’s warning.
A warning that if anyone supported Belial, they would be met with bloodshed. A declaration that he would stop at nothing to eliminate the other imperial princes.
It was vile and insidious. And now, he wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. The blatant nature of this attack was proof enough.
Honestly, I was getting sick of it.
But there was no time to be impressed by someone’s malice. No matter how much Kyle and Belial protected me, in such a confined space, it was impossible to avoid getting hurt in the chaos.
“Let’s go. I’ll help you walk. Can you manage?”
Sen hesitated for a moment before discarding the tattered embellishments on her dress and her dangling earrings onto the floor. She even ripped off her veil and threw it aside before nodding resolutely.
“Of course! Let’s move!”
“It’s an ambush! Be cautious of the mercenaries outside!”
“The Royal Guard has arrived, but… many have already been taken hostage due to the attack!”
Belial snapped in exasperation.
“What kind of lunatics dare to pull this off in the Imperial Palace?! Kill all the rebel scum and make them pay for their crimes!”
Belial took a sword from a knight who had just arrived as her escort. Then, after a brief moment of consideration, she irritably snatched another sword from the knight’s waist and tossed it to Kyle.
“It’s time to stop showing ridiculous mercy. If you have something to protect, then you need to be ruthless.”
At the mention of mercy, Kyle smirked cynically, as if he had just heard an amusingly bad joke.
“If I kill just the right amount…”
“I’ll clean up after you in Belial’s name. Flawlessly.”
Kyle’s eyes changed at those words.
“I wasn’t exactly hoping for this, but… at this moment, the Grand Duke of Blood is far more useful than some soft-hearted fool.”
After that, the four of us moved toward the western door at the same time. It was an entrance rarely used, but crossing the small garden from there would lead us straight to the secluded palace.
Belial cut down those who blocked our way with unhesitating movements. The moment someone truly died, piercing screams erupted from all directions, sharp enough to sting the ears. But, of course, there was no time to look back.
‘I mean, I can just deactivate Reload and be done with it, but…’
I wouldn’t let Sen die. That was out of the question.
Belial planned to stay behind to take control of the situation, drag off the unconscious attackers, and interrogate them. Meanwhile, Kyle was to protect the two of us.
Unfortunately, the situation outside the banquet hall was even worse than inside. Unidentified mercenaries had been stationed to capture us.
“They’re swarming in like goddamn rats.”
For the first time, Kyle, who wasn’t one to curse often, let out a vulgar remark.
Though, of all things…
Come on, don’t say that. The hamsters might take offense.
Still, I understood how he felt. A full-blown massacre unfolding in the heart of the Imperial Palace? Even if you threw a fortune at it, you wouldn’t see a spectacle like this anywhere else.
‘If the servants and even the Royal Guard are involved, that means nowhere in the palace is safe.’
Even facing more than a dozen armed men, Kyle showed not a shred of fear. Instead, he strode forward, gripping his sword in both hands before raising it high above his head.
Then, he struck down with full force.
Boom!
The moment his sword, cloaked in red mana, slammed into the ground, the impact was so immense that it could have easily been mistaken for a boulder splitting apart. The force wasn’t just for show—his mana shot forward in a straight line, carving a deep, crimson path into the floor.
“You wouldn’t dare stand in my way unless you had no fear of death.”
Kyle’s voice was low, almost a growl.
It was a sight that perfectly illustrated how he had survived the brutal North and risen to become its ruler.
“In that case, let me personally remind you why death is something to fear.”
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
No reinforcements seemed to be arriving, meaning this was all they had. Even if they were trying to keep things under wraps, there was a limit to how many people they could sneak in.
While Kyle fended off the attackers, I supported Sen and guided her across the garden. She must have been in immense pain from her injury, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
Kyle followed behind us, covering our escape.
However.
“The Lord of the White Tower awaits the right moment. If you yield to fate, you may yet keep your life.”
“…Oh?”
Kyle’s crimson eyes glinted dangerously at the words of a fallen man, gasping for breath.
“You. You’re a mage, aren’t you?”
I had heard similar words from him before—when I disappeared before his eyes, and when I survived falling off a cliff.
But this time, his tone was entirely different.
Unlike before, his voice now carried raw fury and undisguised bloodlust. Even though his words weren’t directed at me, they were chilling.
“Or perhaps just another one of their pawns, huh?”
Kyle grabbed the man’s hair and yanked him up with an unforgiving grip.
“The little ‘gifts’ you bastards kept sending wiped out dozens—no, hundreds—of my people in gruesome ways. Did you really think that just because I didn’t retaliate, I had forgiven you?”
“Guh…!”
“The Blake family does not forget its grudges. I’m delighted to have the chance to prove that today.”
Even as he held his grip, Kyle gave me a quiet command.
“Shu.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Cross the garden and get to the secluded palace as fast as possible. Stay somewhere safe and wait—I’ll come for you soon.”
“Understood.”
“I need to have a little chat with this one.”
He probably didn’t want us to see what he was about to do. And with enemies still around, staying here wasn’t a wise choice anyway.
I nodded firmly.
This wasn’t just Lorenz’s scheme—it was connected to the Tower of Frost, the lawless mage faction in the North.
“Let’s go, Sen. I’ll help treat you.”
“Yeah.”
Supporting Sen as best as I could, I whispered to the system.
‘Nut shop! Open the damn nut shop! No, wait, that won’t help right now. Just add some useful items on the way—healing-related ones!’
[o(><；)o]
Hurry! I don’t care if it costs a lot of miracle points!
[o(><；)o =3=3]
It wasn’t just for Sen—I might need them for Kyle, even for Belial. Regular healing wouldn’t be enough. A guaranteed method would be better. Of course, it wouldn’t come free. It would cost my life force.
There were physicians in the palace, but after an attack like this at the engagement ceremony, who knew what else might happen? Being prepared could only help.
“…He’ll be fine, right?”
I didn’t realize I had spoken out loud.
And that’s when it hit me.
I was anxious. More than I had thought.
I was worried about him.
I knew Kyle Blake was strong. His name carried weight, built upon relentless effort and sheer talent. He wouldn’t die so easily—not from something like this.
But even knowing that… I still worried.
Because I knew just how cruel people like them could be when they set their mind to it.
Because I didn’t want their malice to reach him.
Because I wanted him—the one bound to my fate—to live.
To be happy.
Because…
‘I…’
…I like you.