* * *

More than a hundred years have passed since the peace on the continent lasted. Those who had memories of life and death with blood winds have already disappeared into history. The people of the Crombell Empire found heroes and romance in a blood-filled history and consumed them as a fairy tale. As such, the people of the Crombell Empire were accustomed to peace. Recently, however, they vaguely realized that the peace may not last. Never in the history of the Crombell Empire have the mouths of the Imperial people been so busy.

“Hamks, did you see it?”

“Of course I did! The peddlers say that all the estates on the way here have opened the gates for Duke Ambrosia!”

“It is the first time in my 42 years of life that the gates of the capital are opened at dawn. Heh heh……”

“No one else, but Duke Ambrosia. If he is him, he can even open the gates of the Imperial Palace.”

Unusual tension lingered on the faces of the people of the Empire who talked to each other as if they were joking. In order to defeat the black magicians, two princes of the Empire, including the Duke of Ambrosia, directly led the nobles and went out. But before the news of Alton Estate could be heard, the Imperial people had to stare blankly at the procession of the Duke of Ambrosia, who ran madly toward the capital.

“He never rested from the Alton Estate to the capital.”

“Heaven! Is that possible?”

“I’m telling you! There’s a rumor that he broke through the gate of the estate that didn’t open the gate at dawn!”

“……It deserved to be broken. If Duke Ambrosia wants to open it, I’ll open it.”

The Duke of Ambrosia and his Knights, who passed through the capital’s gates very late at night, brought in a flurry of rumors. The people of the Empire made up a lot of stories about this. It was said that the Knights of Ambrosia, who dealt with the black magicians, were so frivolous that they released their unsatisfied power here. It was said that the Second Prince and the Third Prince killed all the black magicians, so the Knights of Ambrosia had nothing to do and returned first. It was said that he returned in a hurry to rescue the First Prince who was held hostage by the black magicians. There were so many rumors constantly passed from mouth to mouth, but the only one thing that was unheard of was those who headed for Alton Estate would have been defeated.

“Maybe…… maybe someone’s dead?”

“Oho! Don’t say anything bad! How brave the soldiers of the Crombell Empire are!”

“That’s right, do you think our Empire, which leads the continent’s peace, will be defeated by a mere black magician?”

Those who had uttered an ominous sound closed their mouths due to strong opposition from around them. Unconsciously, Crombell’s Imperial people were trying to reject something that felt instinctive. However, the appearance of the Knights of Ambrosia, who frantically headed to the capital with bloodshot eyes, stimulated the anxiety that the people of the Empire wanted to ignore.

“As soon as Duke Ambrosia’s procession entered the mansion, they heard someone wailing! It’s been full of crying for a while.”

“None of Ambrosia’s servants have come out of the mansion since that day. Only merchants come and go regularly, and everyone keeps their mouths shut.”

“There’s a rumor that Duke Ambrosia declared that he would close the family door, is that true?”

Sensing insecurity, the people of the Empire gathered one by one around the Ambrosia mansion in the capital. Looking endlessly at the mansion seen from afar, they listened and paid close attention to what news might be heard. However, the terrible silence that surrounded the entire mansion further aggravated the anxiety of the people of the Empire. Around that time, the testimonies of those who witnessed something began pouring out one by one.

“The younger colleague of the acquaintance of the boyfriend of my friend’s sister has a younger brother whose name is Dewey. It is said that the child had once been helped by Young Lord Ambrosia.”

Even in the cradle of the capital’s largest bar, the Veda, a man began to make a loud noise about what he heard with a sweet drunk face.

“What do you mean?”

“Dewey, he’s been sneaking in and out of the mansion and talking to Young Lord Ambrosia!”

“What!?”

The people who had listened to the story sullenly opened their eyes and straightened their posture when they heard the story of someone who had entered and exited the mansion. Ambrosia had locked the door of the mansion so tightly that it was said that even the Emperor of the Crombell Empire would not know the situation of Ambrosia’s mansion. The interest in Ambrosia was bound to flare up as the prince’s party, which headed for Alton Estate, did not return to the capital.

“Oh, really?! So he went into Ambrosia’s mansion this time?”

“Ah, that’s right! He said that he was honored to share a bed with the Young Lord when he went to sleep while talking to the Young Lord.”

“It is said that Duke Ambrosia treats commoners and nobles without distinction, and his son, the Young Lord, seems to have the same personality.”

A noble, and even an heir of the great nobility at that, and a commoner boy shared the same bed. It was hard to believe, but the people of the Empire living in the Crombell capital could nod their heads because they knew Duke Ethan Ambrosia well. There was a story that the Duke of Ambrosia’s attendant almost hit a passing pedestrian child, and the Duke threw himself to save him. In front of Ambrosia’s mansion, he held the hand of an old woman who came from afar to see the Duke’s face. The story of how he directly asked the Emperor to raise money for charity for the slum dwellers during the royal palace event, etc., came and went at this place.

“Duke Ambrosia is the most respectable Noblesse Oblige……, no! I wasn’t talking about that right now!”

The man who tried to tell Dewey’s story unconsciously tried to continue his praise of the Duke of Ambrosia but soon came to his senses. He had something to say.

“Dewey just witnessed the Duke’s arrival!”

“Oh oh! Is that true?”

“Yeah! The day everyone knew! The same night Duke Ambrosia ran madly day and night into the mansion from Alton Estate! Dewey was there!”

“Oho, come on, talk! What the hell happened that day?”

The man looked over the table as if he was thirsty, and soon picked up a large beer and gulped it down. It was a story that could not be told without alcohol.

“The Duke came and told him to go now because the atmosphere was unusual, so he couldn’t see the details, but by the time he was about to leave the mansion, Young Lord Ambrosia’s cries rang through the mansion?”

“The Young Lord……? Could it be that Duke Ambrosia was seriously injured?!”

“Don’t cut me off. Listen! Dewey was wondering if the Duke was hurt, so he secretly hid and watched……”

“What did he see?”

“The Duke was holding someone covered in blood in his arms, and Young Lord Ambrosia called that person ‘Nanny’ and cried out, and then passed out!”

“Nanny? If it’s Young Lord Ambrosia’s nanny, isn’t she that Small Countess?”

“That’s right! From Count Millen’s family……”

A big question mark was drawn on the heads of people who were listening to the story. The bloodied nanny of Young Lord Ambrosia was in the arms of the Duke who returned from the Alton Estate after dealing with black magic? The credibility of the man who was telling the news about the appearance of someone who should not have had anything to do with this incident had declined endlessly.

“Tsk, where else have you heard such a rumor…… If you want attention, go to your house and get it!”

“Oh, it’s real! In addition, two people in magician robes just ran from the mansion, calling the bloody person ‘Master’ and pouring out a bright light from their hands, but to no avail! Healing magic!”

“What is that? Does that mean there’s a magician in Ambrosia’s mansion? The magician must be at the Alton Estate. Why is she coming out of there?”

“I told you this much, but you still don’t know? Didn’t the magician call Claude Ambrosia’s nanny, Countess Sarah Millen, ‘Master’! Don’t you get the answer?”

“……What answer.”

“Countess Sarah Millen is the magician who headed for the Alton Estate this time!”

The man puffed out his chest as if he had found out a huge fact with confidence. He looked at the crowd, thinking they would all be stunned.

“……”

“……”

But the gaze that returned to him was cold.

“Then, the magician called the Great Magician of the magic tower, who was now attacked by black magicians in Alton, was brought into the arms of Duke Ambrosia, who was the Young Lord’s nanny and Countess Sarah Millen…… Are you saying that?”

“That’s right!”

“……Go home and wash your feet before you go to bed.”

The people who had gathered in the bar got up from their seats with faces that had lost the taste of alcohol. Then they all started to go home, leaving only the embarrassed man.

“Hey, where are you going? I told you I was right!”

“Patooey, I’m afraid I’ll be out of luck. Keep your mouth shut when the princes return from the Alton Estate soon! Unless you want to be taken away by the Imperial Guard for spreading false rumors.”

The enormous truths that came out of the man’s mouth were completely denied by the Imperial people. His words were passed from those who heard the story to others, but as expected, no one in Crombell believed him. However, when the Imperial people realized that the man’s words were indeed true, it was after the princes who headed to the Alton Estate returned.

[The First Prince, Kazer de Crombell, was the evil black magician!]

[The Death Barrier of Alton Estate was built by the First Prince!]

[The Great Elder of the magic tower, the Master of the tower, defeated the First Prince, who was completely assimilated with black magic, but was seriously injured and eventually died.]

[In the Alton Estate, the blood shed by the people who died at the hands of the First Prince became a river.]

In a newsletter that combines the words reported to the palace and handed down below, the tragedy of Alton Estate was written every day. And it was passed from the nobles to their servants and to the commoners.

“The First Prince is a black magician. You have to make sense!”

“Is the reason why Duke Ambrosia returned to his mansion in a hurry is because of the Master of the tower’s death?”

“This is ridiculous. You said that the First Prince was being held hostage by black magicians.”

The people of the Empire struggled to deny the unbelievable news. But the news that followed was enough to terrify all the people of Crombell Empire.

[The Blight Empire demands the safety of Kazer de Crombell, the First Prince of the Crombell Empire who used black magic in the name of God. Even his corpse must be purged before the name of God to wash away his sins, and the Crombell Empire can be saved.]

The official declaration of the holy country, the Blight Empire, was delivered to the Imperial family of the Crombell Empire. The Emperor was very angry and said that the First Prince never touched black magic, but he changed his attitude soon after seeing the evidence sent by the Blight Empire.

[I can never give up my son. I will protect him even by cutting down God.]

It was the beginning of the war. The Emperor of Cromebell asked for help from the magic tower, but they only expressed their deep ‘regret’ that they lost their Great Elder due to this incident. They then drew the line, saying they had no power to add to the Crombell Empire, which advocated black magic. As a result, the Crombell Empire was now the enemy of the entire continent when the death of the Master of the tower was certain and even the help of the magic tower could not be expected. And when Emperor Crombell found the Duke of Ambrosia, whom he had left as his last bastion.

“Eve……, everyone in Ambrosia’s mansion suddenly disappeared!”

In the Crombell Empire, Ambrosia disappeared.