I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

“It seems like someone is trying to figure out what’s going on inside the temple.”

 Matheus, who entered the bottom floor of the temple, inside the blue barrier, whispered quietly.

 At that, Cedric, who was sitting next to Julia, got up.

 “Julia is here…  Did someone notice?"

 Cedric's eyes began to shake.

 Until now, Julia had never been moved from one place to another in this room.  Besides, there were only two people in the temple who knew she was here.

 Cedric bit his lip with an anxious expression, and Matheus gave a calm answer.

 “It won’t be that.  Perhaps someone happened to see the Grand Duke come here.”

 Matheus, who lowered his gaze slightly, spoke slowly.

 “A few months ago, a woman asked a priest  if the Grand Duke was here with a woman.”

 Fortunately, the question was blocked by the priest under Matheus.

 When he replied that there was no such thing, the woman who tried to figure out something went back without fussing.

 “But we also need to pay close attention.  If something happens while the Grand Duke is away, it will be difficult.”

 “…  Yes.”

 Cedric looked down at Julia again and asked.

 “Did the Grand Duke communicate?”

 It had been a long time since the Grand Duke left the Empire. Matheus was immediately sending a letter to him whenever major clues about the High Priests were found.

 “After sending the records of Carnosia three weeks ago, there has been no communication.”

 Carnosia was a small territory in the Western Continent.

 As a result of interacting with various temples, Matheus discovered records of a priest with strange abilities appearing in Carnosia several decades ago.

 “He will be busy with just the search, so he won’t have time to report the situation.”

 After calmly speaking, Matheus looked down at Julia, who was lying there without any change from three months ago.

 There was no change in her.  All of her functions had stopped, except for her faintly beating heart.

 Of course, she was the same as her appearance.  Without having to wash her body, get nutrients, or take care of the basics.

 It just seemed like she was sleeping for a very long time.

 “It's been quite a while, but fortunately her heart hasn't stopped. It’s fortunate, but I am afraid when this heart will stop.”

 Cedric looked at her pale face and muttered anxiously.

 He was thankful that Julia endured well for three months, but at the same time, he was also worried about her.

 “Cedric, you said once. Julia is loved by God."

 Matheus’ still voice fell, and Cedric raised his head and looked at him.

 "That's right. I'm finally convinced."

 “…  ”

 "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine."

 Matheus a kind person, but he wasn't the kind of person who offered vague, unfounded consolation.  So now those words have created complete trust in Cedric.

 ***

 At that time, Fernan had just entered the outskirts of Carnosia.

 He was in the process of figuring out the topography of Carnosia based on the information he had received from Matheus a few weeks ago.

 At that time, Lloyd, who had just returned from reconnaissance, ran into Fernan’s place.  He hurriedly reported to Fernan, who was examining the map.

 “Your Highness, it’s exactly as you suspected. Someone is following us."

 Fernan then raised his head and looked at Lloyd.

 "It's not knights under the emperor. They weren’t even wearing the seal of a noble family."

 Fernan, who thought briefly with his gaze down slightly, responded with a calm voice.

 "They must have sent them on purpose. It must be the Emperor's work."

 The process of leaving the Grand Duchy was more lax than usual, so the information must have leaked to the emperor who was following his every move.

 Until now, he did not have time to worry about the emperor, so he ignored it, but he could not leave it as it was.

 "How many?"

 "It seems that there are currently about a dozen or so found."

  Fernan raised his dim gaze and immediately gave the order.

 “If you find them, kill them immediately.”

 "Yes, Your Highness."

 For two months, Julia was holding up well, but he still couldn't relax. So he had to find the high priest as soon as possible.

It was more difficult than usual to find composure because the emperor was hanging around in such a sensitive situation.

  Each time, Fernan remembered Julia's face.

 It was very faint, but the face of her who once looked at him and smiled.

 Relying on all his spirits with that little smile, Fernan regained his composure.  After that, Fernan, who folded the map, got on the horse without delay.

 Having checked all the terrain, it was his turn to scour the entire globe of Carnosia.

 *

 After dividing the sections and sending his knights, Fernan entered a small town.

 It was a foggy town.

 A dark and gloomy atmosphere greeted him as if a border had been drawn with another village.

 "Your Highness, I feel the presence of armed soldiers."

 Lloyd, who was silent, opened his mouth.  Fernan was already feeling the presence, so he just nodded his head without changing his expression.

 The number was more than ten, contrary to Lloyd’s expectations.  

 “It would be better to change places for now.”

 "Yes."

 This was a foreign country and a village inhabited by civilians.

 Having a conflict in a place like this was nothing short of a preemptive attack on this country.

 Fernan turned his horse with a still face.  Since it was still the start of the village, it was not difficult to move.

 As the fog cleared, the presence of the soldiers was felt closer.

 He led his knights and turned all the way to the mountain.

 The mountain they arrived at was difficult to move due to the complex terrain.  However, Fernan and his knights had already finished figuring out the terrain of this place.

 This was the best place to drive out the enemy.

 “It would be better to kill everyone here and start the search again.”

 "Yes!"

 At his command, the knights scattered all at once.

 As their movements stopped, the hidden emperor's soldiers began to appear one by one.

 Fernan looked around with alert eyes. Judging by the shapes, it seemed that they were shadow knights. (Undercover knights)

 They kept their identities hidden and fought only for the imperial family.

 In other words, it meant that even if Fernan captured all of them, it was difficult to confirm their identity, so the emperor could not be held responsible.

 In the end, the emperor used these shadow knights to deal with Fernan.

 Perhaps he thought that the time Fernan had been away for a long time was an opportunity, but even so, it was foolish.

 Fernan stared at the fog that filled the surroundings with a sharp gaze. Then, someone threw a sword from the side.

 Fernan, who turned his head to avoid the blade at once, got off his horse.

 Swoosh, his face was cold when he pulled out his sword.

 He didn't have time to waste, so he couldn’t let them follow him like this.

  The battle continued for a long time, kill or be killed, the soldiers came in endlessly.

 Meanwhile, a thick fog began to cover the view.

 Fernan clicked his tongue as he confronted the five soldiers who rushed at him. Strangely, he felt far beyond the fog that filled his eyes. 

 “Your Highness, are you okay?”

 A knight’s voice was heard from afar, asking for his well-being.  Fernan struck down the shadow soldier who rushed behind him without time to answer.

 Looking at the sky, which was becoming more and more cloudy, Fernan fixed his sword.  At the same time, he lightly dodged the blade that flew from somewhere again and slashed the soldier on the flank straight away.

 As soon as he stepped back in that state, Fernan noticed that half of the land he stepped on was empty.

 Fernan quickly looked back.  Behind him was a complete cliff.

 He obviously moved according to the terrain. The cliff of this mountain should not be in this direction.

 He narrowed his brow, stabbed another soldier who was running towards him, and drew his sword.  Something was strange.  It was as if something intangible had led him to this cliff.

 Fernan, who turned his body as it was, escaped from the edge of the cliff.  But at that moment, the place was flashed.

  Fernan felt something like smoke grabbing him and pulling him down.  His body was tilted as it was.