Chapter 27

※ This episode is a side story. You may skip it if you wish.

“Did you hear? They say there’s a ghost living in Einon Palace!”

Why is it that among the blonde-haired folks, there are no normal ones? Hiasen scolded himself internally.

Unlike the girl who excitedly relayed the rumor she heard, Hiasen responded nonchalantly, not even sparing a glance.

“I don’t want to go. Are you trying to drag me along again?”

“Aw, Hiasen, don’t be like that! Let’s go together!”

“Take Niobe instead of me.”

“But Niobe is supposed to be taking a nice nap right now!”

Josephine had already confirmed that Niobe was in her bedroom.

“Mother is going to be very angry if she finds out.”

“Why does it matter that I’m here? They can be petty with their own issues.”

“That’s not the point, Josephine.”

“So you will go with me? To Einon Palace?”

“Ugh.”

In the end, Hiasen sighed and closed the spellbook he had been reading.

From the very beginning, Prince Hiasen had no choice in the matter.

There were only a few people in the Imperial Palace who could defy Josephine Flora Caissen, the sister of the Jade Crown Prince.

No matter how young Hiasen was, he had felt the gravity of the strict hierarchy since birth.

“They say you can hear baby cries, especially at night?”

“That’s nonsense.”

“You’re scared, aren’t you? Honestly, admit it, it’s scary, right? Feeling chills running down your arms?”

“I-I never said that!”

Still, Hiasen was relieved that it was broad daylight. If Josephine had tried to drag him along in the dead of night, he would have furiously resisted regardless of status.

Yet, despite everything, Hiasen couldn’t let go of Josephine’s hand. Being scared was a separate issue.

“I’ve never been to Einon Palace before. Is it really haunted here?”

“I don’t know. If there’s nobody here, let’s just go back.”

The gardener and the busy maids were nowhere to be seen.

The absence of the people who should have been moving about at this busy time made the scenery even more eerie.

As they reached the main gate of Einon Palace, a guard greeted them.

“I greet Her Highness, Second Princess Josephine Flora Caissen. And next to her is…?”

“Long time no see, Lupion! Are you working here now? This is Hiasen; he doesn’t come out much, so you wouldn’t know his face.”

“I beg your pardon! I greet His Highness, Third Prince Hiasen Luminus Caissen.”

“Enough, enough. I’m just here for a quick visit; can I go in?”

Josephine attempted to pass through the gate naturally, but the guard blocked her way with his body.

“I’m sorry, but there are orders not to let anyone inside; I ask for your understanding!”

“Orders? From whom? Does it allow you to block my way like this?”

In an instant, Josephine’s voice turned cold.

Hiasen thought that this side of Josephine was truly frightening.

While she usually acted like a playful young lady, when her eyes turned wild like that, she displayed her undeniable Kuijzen spirit without reservation.

“I-I’m so sorry. It was the message from Bargos Steward…”

“Bargos Steward…”

Josephine bit her lips tightly.

Although he was her inferior in rank, he was someone who stayed close to Grandmother.

In practice, his orders were as good as imperial commands as he performed his role as a representative faithfully.

Formally, it wouldn’t be a problem to disobey an order, but it would definitely cause a huge stir if found out later.

Yet still, her internal conflict did not last beyond a few seconds.

“Alright, just let us in. We’ll be in and out quickly.”

“…Please come out as soon as possible. If the steward finds out, he will be very angry.”

“In exchange, you mustn’t tell anyone that we are here! Come on, Hiasen, let’s go in.”

Einon Palace was located on the northwestern outskirts of the Imperial Palace.

It was understandable why Einon Palace was referred to as a summer palace rather than an official palace when one observed its size and shape.

“It’s really small. Plus, it feels like it’s been around for a long time?”

The gray exterior was built in a Romanesque style from centuries ago.

Josephine couldn’t fathom why such a shabby building hadn’t been torn down yet.

It seemed that the building only had three floors, with only the creaky sounds of the floorboards echoing through the halls.

Even after Josephine and Hiasen wandered around the palace a few times, they couldn’t find any sign of people.

“Ugh, this is boring!”

They had gone through the trouble of coming here, ignoring Jade, who was keeping watch. Josephine puffed out her lips in frustration.

“Don’t you know your brother Jade well? You’re siblings, after all.”

“Didn’t you get in a fight with Niobe not too long ago?”

“W-Who said that?”

“Count Arria said so.”

“My uncle… Niobe is three years old. I’m not a kid; why would I fight with her?”

“Honestly, to me, you both look the same.”

Ignoring Hiasen’s denial, Josephine thoroughly continued her search.

“It was Niobe who ruined my book first!”

“As your older brother, you should be generous and forgive her. You’re becoming more and more like Jade.”

“It was my only spellbook!”

“Hey, there’s a staircase here! It looks like it leads to the fourth floor!”

Although the height of the building appeared to be uniformly three stories from the outside, they had found a staircase leading to another level.

Only a few rays of sunlight coming through the window gaps illuminated the fourth-floor corridor that lacked any lighting.

The floor was thick with dust, and the ceiling was filled with cobwebs.

But, perhaps due to the absence of any bugs, the bodies of deceased spiders lay scattered on the ground.

“Stop fooling around, Josephine. Even if you make that noise, it’s not scary at all.”

“Huh? What noise? I didn’t say anything!”

“You made some weird noise!”

“Of course not! Why would I make a sound like that?”

“I’m sure…!”

[Huuuuh]

“…!”

“Did you hear…?”

“Yeah. What was that?”

“I don’t want to go.”

“I think it’s coming from the end of the corridor.”

“I said no!”

“Let’s go! We’re going to meet the ghost of Einon Palace!”

“Ahhhhh!”

Josephine forcibly tugged Hiasen’s arm.

With every step they took, the indistinct sound grew louder.

“What if it’s really a ghost…? It might eat us.”

“You said yourself that there are no such things as ghosts. Be quiet; I think there’s something beyond the door.”

At first, Hiasen thought it was merely the sound of the wind, but as they drew closer to the source, Josephine became convinced that it was the sound of a girl crying.

“The door is locked!”

“Are you going to break it down?”

“There’s a baby crying inside. Hiasen, stay back!”

Josephine immediately took her stance.

She lowered her center of gravity and sensed the magic around her.

The golden eyes exclusive to Kuijzen royalty shone particularly brightly and pulsated.

The colorless mana had begun to coalesce into a swirling golden hue in her right hand.

“Now, Gandaaar!”

With a fist that was absurdly powerful.

But if the aura enveloped even the weak arm of a young girl.

It was no comparison to a vicious siege weapon.

Kwahhh!!!

The door exploded, scattering sharp metal fragments in every direction.

Hiasen coughed but continued to stumble forward, determined not to lose sight of Josephine.

The cries that had flowed through the door were now clearly audible to the young boy and girl.

As the vision cleared, the first thing they could see was a neatly organized bedroom.

However, when they recognized the odd object next to the bed, their expressions turned to horror.

“It hurts…”

A cross the size of an adult man.

“It hurts… save me…”

Large nails were driven into the wrists and heels of a person, attaching them to the giant wooden cross.

“It hurts… hurts… it hurts… save me… it hurts… save me…”

Josephine’s legs gave out, and she sat down on the spot, unable to bear the weight of the sight.

“Uuugh…!”

Hiasen too fell to the ground, unable to suppress the wave of nausea surging through him.

“It hurts… it hurts… it hurts… save me…”

The flesh had already rotted and burst open, the pus and blood mixing to fill the room with a terrible stench.

Yet, the prisoner hanging there was,

No matter how they looked at it, was far too small for the size of the cross.

“Please… kill me…”

It is said that the cries of a three-year-old baby can sometimes be heard in Einon Palace.

* * *

“The Savior of the East (Asha), what an ominous name you have given.”

“The East likely refers to… the area of the magic barrier, right?”

“Somewhere beyond the Lineous Ice Valley and the Ciella Mountain Range.”

“Do you have no regrets?”

“Regrets? The lack of affection for children is the same for me as it is for her. I have no intention of breaking my principles in life. Not now, not ever.”

“Understood.”

As the steward’s contact receiver chimed in, he asked his superior for a moment’s patience and answered the call.

[This is the commander of the Demon Subjugation Unit 101.]

“What’s the mission?”

[Reporting that Tenevrayia has been killed on-site.]

“Good job. I’d like the rest to be reported in writing.”

[There seems to be a problem on another side. I think it’s something you need to come see in person.]

“Problem? Handle it yourself; I’m busy right now.”

Does he even know who he’s currently with?

Yet in the voice from the receiver, urgency was palpable.

[The bloodline of Kuijzen is currently at Einon Palace.]