Chapter 131

Leon Rothe Dale.

The Emperor stared at me silently for a while after I volunteered to personally pursue the continent’s youngest-ever master in history.

The Emperor, though only in his forties, looked closer to fifty at first glance. And it wasn’t just any fifty—his face bore the marks of a middle-aged man who’d weathered many storms in life.

By now, he must be suspecting my motives for volunteering.

Certainly, he would be. Yet, his approval came quicker than expected.

“Very well, then. Come to think of it, all this…”

“Your Majesty!”

Victoria interrupted sharply, alarmed. However, I remained calm as I replied.

“I understand, Your Majesty. It’s all because of me.”

“So you admit it easily.”

“Which is why I’m the one to apprehend him, Your Majesty. I consider it my duty for the great favor bestowed upon me by the Imperial Court.”

The Emperor, who watched me talk about my duty, might have expected that I’d spend a few months wandering the Empire to capture Leon or perhaps end up injured by his blade after exchanging some idle chatter.

Still, maybe he couldn’t send a potential prince consort to peril.

“Form an arrest squad.”

Chasing a defector was naturally the job of the military police.

But catching a crazed sword master would be difficult for them.

So the Emperor suggested assigning me a select group led by the Empire’s strongest knight, Baron Grant.

If it wasn’t because I fancied him, it was a kind offer.

Still, my response was a refusal.

“It’s fine, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“Having Baron Grant along will allow us to suppress Leon in the event of an encounter. …But Your Majesty, mobilizing the Empire’s finest knight for just one defector could harm the Empire’s dignity.”

“The man is no ordinary deserter.”

“I don’t have the skill to withstand Leon Rothe Dale’s sword. However, I have ways to capture him efficiently. I’ll handle it quietly so as not to burden you; please entrust this to me.”

“…”

The Emperor’s expression remained uneasy.

As long as the princesses were with me, I might be assigned the captain or deputy captain of the royal guard, or even the head of the court mage corps, but I didn’t need them. If I had planned to subdue Leon purely by force, I wouldn’t have volunteered in the first place.

‘There’s no point in wasting manpower.’

Most importantly, I didn’t want to owe the Emperor any favors.

Because that would become a debt to repay later and could interfere when I eventually take my revenge on his youngest daughter, so declining any support was the correct course of action.

“Fine. Do it at your discretion.”

“I am honored, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor gave his approval.

Now, it was my responsibility to capture Leon.

…

Another person voiced their objection to my deployment.

Right after my audience.

“Sir Alan. Can we talk for a moment?”

It was Victoria who had met with the Emperor alongside me. She stopped me with a frosty glare, her deep cobalt eyes reminiscent of those from the night she burned the Wolphall family estate. To the nobles, she was a fearful figure, but she had always been kind to me—until now.

“Sir Alan. You don’t realize how vital your safety is?”

“…Victoria.”

“Just listen.”

I closed my mouth as instructed. Her voice carried a hint of anger.

“…You’re the one destined to become the crown prince. Considering formalities, preparing for a royal marriage usually takes over a year. But I’m not willing to wait that long.”

“…”

“You volunteered for a dangerous mission without consulting me. I know you’re a responsible person, but this is excessive, isn’t it?”

Victoria even clenched her fists as she reprimanded me.

If I explained in detail how I planned to lure and capture Leon, Victoria would probably understand—but it wouldn’t fully ease her concerns.

So I decided to try a different approach.

“I know it’s dangerous.”

I straightforwardly acknowledged the risk.

And before Victoria could exclaim with wide eyes, I added:

“It’s dangerous, which is why I’m doing it personally.”

“…?”

“An insane superhuman is roaming the Empire. I’m the only one who can resolve this crisis quickly. Knowing this and still assigning the task to other knights or officers would be irresponsible.”

“But your safety is paramount.”

Victoria’s assertiveness lessened slightly.

I nodded as if understanding her sentiments before grinning.

“Yes. It’s dangerous. But there are advantages, too.”

“Advantages?”

“Many people are anxious due to Leon’s defection. The nobles, in particular, are aware of Leon’s condition and would be even more unsettled. If I manage to capture him practically alone, what kind of reputation do you think I’ll earn?”

“Everyone will fear you. As they already do, somewhat.”

At this, Victoria’s expression brightened slightly.

“That’s the point, Victoria. If I capture or eliminate Leon, it’ll help minimize any controversy once our engagement is announced. Later, when I participate in state affairs as your fiancé, no one will dare oppose me.”

“You’re always right.”

“Please view this challenge as an opportunity.”

After pondering for a moment, Victoria nodded.

In fact, without me asking, she even added, “Then Anaïs will just watch until you finish your mission.” Originally, she’d planned to target her even if the Emperor protected her. I merely nodded.

As far as Anaïs was concerned, I agreed with Victoria’s assessment.

…

Immediately after receiving the assignment, my destination was the production room.

To lure Leon Rothe Dale, preparation was essential.

The amount of narcotics Leon had been consuming daily couldn’t simply be described as severe.

75mg of morphine, 75mg of ephedrine, and 400mg of caffeine. On particularly victorious days, it increased even further.

Ultimately, his desertion was due to the drugs.

Whether it was securing a drug ten times stronger than the usual Monglongyi or Bulongyi, or confronting Anaïs who blocked his access to these stronger substances, one thing was clear: Leon craved something heavier.

‘So, I need to bait him with drugs.’

What could lure a drug addict better than narcotics?

While it would be sufficient to fabricate a fake concoction if the goal was merely to lure and kill him, I had an additional purpose, hence I chose to create the real thing.

This task wouldn’t take too long.

I was already producing something stronger than morphine or ephedrine. There were even steady customers (Elves) who bought heroin from me in large quantities. I only refrained from providing Leon access due to his placement in the punishment unit.

First, I manufactured more heroin.

This should meet the “Monglongyi” standard Leon desired.

However, as Leon insisted Bulongyi should always accompany Monglongyi, this alone wasn’t enough.

So, I decided to also manufacture a potent stimulant.

Something far stronger than ephedrine.

Siena assisted me for a swift production process. In truth, even if I hadn’t asked, she would’ve been eager to pitch in.

“Start by dissolving it in glacial acetic acid, Siena.”

“Got it.”

“Raise the lamp’s flame afterward.”

Siena appeared with her gloves, mask, and cap tightly secured. Her petite face was completely covered, with only her violet eyes sparkling.

She wasn’t just doing what I told her; Siena had a basic understanding of the principles behind this work.

“Leon used to be content with syrup, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then he started mocking syrup after you introduced ephedrine and morphine, didn’t he? He also flaunted superiority over those who frequented opium dens, I heard. It seems taking proper narcotics was a source of pride for him.”

“…”

“I didn’t understand then, but now I think I do. Leon must’ve viewed the drugs you provided as rewards. He thought he was outstanding, deserving of better drugs, while others were incapable and lazy, satisfied with just opium.”

“So?”

“That’s why I think his recent behavior spiraled out of control.”

I agreed with Siena’s insight.

Even after being assigned to the punishment unit, he worked hard and obeyed, but when his access to better drugs was blocked, he couldn’t hold back and erupted. After all, Leon had forsaken everything for drugs.

Drugs were more than just a habit for Leon.

And Anaïs exploited this, using information from the letters Siena had sent as mockery.

“Honestly, it all boils down to me, in the end.”

Siena suddenly lowered her voice.

She didn’t appear to feel guilt. Unable to feel guilt, that was Siena’s nature—also one of our common traits.

Still, she seemed concerned about losing my affection because of this incident. If it hadn’t been for Siena, this situation wouldn’t have arisen.

Yet, what good would blaming her do now?

I touched her side gently while observing the chemical reaction. She slowly turned her head.

“Siena, obsessing about responsibility like this has no end.”

“That’s true. If only last year, Mom had taken opium instead of psilocybin…”

“Then you’d be the only one treated as a filial traitor. I would be peddling opium to academy students under you, living a fairly peaceful life. In a way, we’ve deprived them of their happiness.”

Siena remained silent for a moment.

“Oh.”

She soon gasped.

She realized my point—that “now was better.” It wasn’t a lie. This life was preferable to selling opium and then getting wiped out by Leon. On the other hand, the protagonist group had fallen into ruin because of our actions.

“Thanks.”

Siena slowly moved her head toward me as she said this.

And we shared a light kiss, without removing her mask.

Ten minutes later, the synthesized narcotics were ready.

Methamphetamine, more famously known as Phenylacetone in Korea. It was destined for Leon, paired with heroin.

Whether it would be used solely as bait or as his poison depended on future developments.

Perhaps this would be the last drug Leon would ever receive.

---