SWY 153

After a brief silence, Sharhan let out a dry laugh. His shoulders shook as he pointed his sword at Parel.

“Did you come here to make jokes? Join forces with you? Have you forgotten what you did to us? If you’re here to propose I cut off your head, then I’m all ears.”

“I’ve never feared death. But I can’t die before I kill the emperor. I chased him all the way from Luhas to the capital, and now to this place. I know why you hate me. But if I help you bring down Ailun and kill the emperor with my own hands, I’ll gladly give you my life afterward. What do you say? Will you work with me?”

“You tried to kill the emperor and then fled like a dog with its tail between its legs when Ailun’s knights got in your way, didn’t you?”

At Lestel’s mocking remark, the corner of Parel’s eye twitched. He’d struck a nerve. Breaking through the gates and invading the inner walls had gone smoothly, but in the end, Parel failed to kill the emperor.

Blocked by Ailun’s knights, he’d been forced to retreat even though the man he hated most had been within reach. He could’ve set off a mana explosive and possibly succeeded, but that would’ve cost him his own life. Death itself didn’t scare him, but a meaningless death did.

There were knights by the emperor’s side willing to die to protect him. If the emperor survived thanks to their sacrifice while Parel died, that would’ve been a pointless death.

The lord, the lady, his brothers, they were all gone. Parel was the only one left to avenge them. He couldn’t rest in peace until he had seen the emperor die with his own eyes. Only then would he have something to say when he met them again in death.

His only goal was the emperor’s death. That hadn’t changed. He would use anyone and join forces with anyone to achieve it. Even if his allies wanted his life in return, he would offer it gladly, so long as he could get revenge.

“Think whatever you want, just give me an answer. Will you join forces with me?”

“Why should we help you get revenge? If you came here thinking we’d go along with your proposal, you’re delusional. We’re holding back from killing you this very moment, and you want to team up?”

Lestel scoffed.

“You’ve got a grudge against House Ailun, don’t you?”

“…”

“You didn’t sneak into the castle through a secret tunnel for sentimental reasons.”

“…”

“Even if you don’t, you don’t have time to be picky right now.”

“What do you mean?”

Sharhan asked the question.

“Before I escaped the castle… some of Ailun’s knights were trying to destroy the entrance to the tunnel.”

Parel had seen it when he’d gone to the stables to return the way he came. That’s how he also learned Sharhan’s group had escaped through the tunnel.

“…”

“They were yelling that they had to capture you no matter what. If not you, then someone else will definitely come through that passage. The castle’s crawling with corpses. Not just the soldiers, but the survivors, the knights. Especially the young and weak, were being torn apart.”

Parel clicked his tongue and continued, his brow furrowing at the mention of the children.

“Even I barely escaped the emperor’s knights and the corpses hounding me. I had to use several mana explosives to get out alive. This one’s the only one I’ve got left. Anyway, the explosions are drawing more of the dead to the castle, so no one’s getting out the front gates. The emperor, the marquis, and the knights must be planning to escape through the tunnel. So what do you say, we wait here and welcome them together? You take the Ailun knights. I’ll take the emperor.”

“You really think we’ll believe you?”

“If you don’t, fine. You’ll just have to face the marquis.”

In other words, if they didn’t join him, he’d tell the marquis where they were. His curled smirk was full of malice. When Lestel moved to strike him, Parel waved the mana explosive.

“You filthy bastard.”

“Only just realizing that? I figured you knew, ever since I used you to search for the relics.”

“Let me ask you something.”

“…?”

Parel shrugged at Sharhan’s words.

“Why didn’t you use the mana explosive to blow open the castle gates sooner?”

“….”

“And why did you help Ardelle and the children?”

For the first time, Parel’s smug expression wavered. He sprang to his feet and glared at them with suspicion.

“How do you know that?”

“Does it matter?”

“I asked how you know! Don’t tell me… you hurt them?”

He looked furious enough to lunge at them if they said yes. Sharhan locked eyes with him, realizing something.

The assassins of Luhas were orphans raised by the lord. To them, the lord and his daughter were absolute. Parel must have seen Ardelle caring for the children and been reminded of the lord’s daughter and his fellow assassins.

It was almost laughable that a man who’d sacrificed so many innocent lives for revenge still had such emotions. But Sharhan finally understood.

“You saw Ardelle and the kids and thought of the lord’s daughter and your comrades, didn’t you?”

“Hey, pretty boy. What are you going to do if I get pissed and throw this because you’re acting all smug and presumptuous about my feelings? Just tell me what happened to Lady Ardelle and the children.”

The way he said “Lady Ardelle” made it clear he held genuine respect for her. Sharhan smirked. Just as he suspected, Parel had projected the image of the lord’s daughter onto Ardelle, and it disgusted him.

“They’re unharmed. All except a few of the children.”

Parel’s twitching eyebrows slowly relaxed.

“In a world like this, expecting all the weak to survive is a fantasy.”

“You’re the one who helped turn it into a world like this. You don’t get to say that.”

“Blame the emperor. He betrayed the lady first–”

“I don’t want to hear any more of your pathetic excuses.”

Sharhan cut him off with a look of utter contempt.

“After we realized you were in Serman, I wondered why you didn’t blow open the gates with your explosives. You probably hesitated when you saw the kids dying outside. But once the chance came, you didn’t hold back. You detonated it right away. You knew it would bring in the corpses and cause chaos, killing the soldiers and knights inside the castle. You used it all for your revenge. Am I wrong?”

Parel said nothing, only stared back at Sharhan. He neither denied nor confirmed it, but Sharhan was convinced. Even if it wasn’t the whole truth, he knew he was close.

The sympathy Parel had felt upon seeing Ardelle and the children must have vanished the moment revenge came calling.

He really was a revolting madman consumed by vengeance. He pretended to care for Ardelle and the children, but if they could be used to kill the emperor, he would’ve used them without hesitation.

“Yeah, seeing starving kids did tug at my conscience. If I’d blown it up outside, they would’ve died in the blast. So I waited for a safer way. But a bit of sympathy isn’t enough to stop revenge. The chance came, so I took it.”

“Insane bastard.”

“Damn right I’m insane. So just answer me. Will you join–”

Boom, boom!

Loud banging cut him off. Sharhan and Lestel turned sharply. The noise was coming from the well.

“See? I told you the marquis and emperor would come through that way.”

Sharhan glared at Parel, who looked smug.

“What’s going on?!”

Rael, who’d been waiting inside, couldn’t stand it any longer and came rushing out. Sharhan nodded to Lestel to keep watch on Parel, then approached Rael.

“Looks like they used the secret passage to follow us from Ailun Castle.”

“Who is that man?”

“An enemy.”

“Ah…”

“Lestel is holding him back. He won’t attack us. But we need to move. Can you walk?”

“Yes. I’ve recovered a bit after resting.”

Rael was still pale, but he moved better than before. Even if he hadn’t, this wasn’t the time to hesitate.

Sharhan led him back inside. The group was huddled together, tense and silent. Fear was etched on Iris and the nanny’s faces, but there was no time to comfort them.

“Adam, Sir Rael. Take Kuph, the nanny, and Iris and go to the hideout Adam mentioned. Nanny, can you walk?”

“Yes, I-I can walk.”

“B-brother… aren’t you coming too?”

Sharhan stroked Iris’s hair. Parel wouldn’t just let them escape, but the marquis and his knights would catch up soon. It was better to stay and hold them off.

“I’ll follow soon. Just go on ahead. Sir Rael, I’m entrusting Iris and the nanny to you. Lestel and I will buy you as much time as we can.”

“Yes.”

Rael nodded solemnly.

“Adam, where exactly is the hideout?”

Adam quickly gave a detailed explanation of the secret base he had built as a child. It was clear and precise, they’d have no trouble finding it later. Meanwhile, the pounding on the well’s lid only grew louder.

Sharhan committed the directions to memory and rushed back outside.

“Move recklessly and you’ll die.”

Lestel warned, and Parel gave a short laugh.

“My only concern is the emperor’s life. I need your help for that. Do you really think I’d sabotage that chance? More importantly, you’ve got a lot of people. Shouldn’t you hurry and get them out of here? That lid’s about to give.”

And sure enough, the stone-covered well lid was beginning to shake violently, as if it could burst open any second.