The Protagonists Of The Novel Escaped – Chapter 1

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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If you asked aristocrats who liked to boast about their absolute power about the most extraordinary noble family in the empire, chances were that the Hohenberc family would be among the top candidates.

They were a family of national founders.

They were the lord representing the East.

They were symbols of loyal subjects trusted by the imperial family for generations.

And-

The Hohenberc family became famous for producing the hero Maximilian.

As Maximilian accomplished numerous accomplishments and defeated the Demon King, the Hohenberc family gained popularity, surpassing even the imperial family of the Valtarian Empire.

The family’s reputation was so widely known that even the barbarians of the north and the desert tribes of the south had heard of them, garnering respect and envy from all.

“No, how can a 25-year-old nobleman run away from home? Is he going through a late puberty?”

An empty office.

Neatly arranged suit.

And a single note was left on the table.

Upon reading the letter, my expression rapidly turned sour.

I found out that the eldest son of the Hohenberc family had run away from home without a word.

He had eloped with Saintess Beatrice, his longtime lover and colleague.

No. If someone heard this, they might think the Hohenberc family had opposed it…

Well, they probably would have opposed it later.

My talented elder brother was in a political relationship and promised to marry the Third Imperial Princess Elizaveta.

When the news spread that the young master, known for his precocious personality like an old man, had gone missing, the family was turned upside down.

As it was a deviation from the model student who had always valued duty and responsibility, the repercussions swirled like a whirlpool.

“Young Master Max ran away from home…?”

“I naturally thought it was Young Master Edan who ran away.”

The excellent model student, the eldest son.

The problematic second son with a troubled past.

But surprisingly, it was the eldest son who caused the commotion.

As they say, the quiet cat climbs the chimney first?

Upon hearing the shocking news, the servants bustled around, staring at me. It felt unpleasant, but I kept my mouth shut as I was well aware of it.

“Edan! What is the meaning of this!”

“The eldest son of the Hohenberc family went crazy over a woman and ran away from home.”

He fell head over heels for the saintess, whom we call the female protagonist.

Now that I think about it, she is actually a woman who strings men along to have them elope with her. That’s the only plausible explanation.

The female protagonist of a romance fantasy.

She indeed had that fatal charm befitting her reverse harem.

To make such a cold and calculating person so blindly devoted.

I sighed as I looked at my father, who had rushed over in a state of panic.

He must have forgotten to put on his wig in haste, as his barren head was visible like a chopped radish.

“Father, now is not the time to worry about the disappearance of a blunt and indifferent person. If the imperial family finds out that my damned brother ran away with the saintess, it will be the end of us all.”

“You’re right…!”

It might have been a foreseen storm.

The hero and the saintess are deeply in love.

But the hero had an Imperial Princess he was promised to marry, and the saintess was bound by the shackles of faith.

Perhaps we should have been concerned that the couple, repeating conflicts and wavering, might eventually take extreme actions.

The feeling of love was like a paralyzing poison that devoured reason.

‘The imperial family will surely send a messenger to confirm the truth….’

From the perspective of the imperial family, who had declared that they would hold the wedding ceremony as soon as the hero Maximilian returned from his journey, our actions were no less than treason.

They would naturally want to crush our Hohenberc family.

Because an unforgivable insult had been inflicted on their youngest daughter, whom they had raised like a golden child.

“I will try to handle it somehow. For now, Father, please leave the territory with the knights under the pretext of tracking down the immature runaway. We need to show the Valtarian Imperial Family that the Hohenberc family has nothing to do with this incident.”

“Your words make a lot of sense, but… how can we face the imperial family?”

“Surely the imperial family won’t cast aside a prestigious family that produced a hero overnight. Don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry.”

My father bowed his head with a solemn expression.

Swoosh-

As if showing his complicated feelings, the thin strands of hair that had stretched upward drooped down.

He must have felt a sense of betrayal as great as his expectations for his eldest son, who had become a hero.

I was only worried that his hair loss might accelerate due to this incident, causing him to lose his only remaining hair.

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And now-

I lifted my head, cutting off the thoughts tangled in my mind.

Ludmilla Dreg Valtaria.

I faced the female knight who had inherited the blessing of the Red Dragon across the table.

‘Oh my God… Sending the Red Dragon without any notice.’

It was natural to be stunned looking at the strongest person in the world suddenly appearing as if declaring war on a hostile nation.

Meeting her cold, red eyes, my entire body froze.

What was her purpose? Did she intend to completely erase the Hohenberc family?

No….

The probability of it reaching the worst-case scenario was low.

But even knowing that I couldn’t feel reassured.

Because the power of life and death was given to the Red Dragon, a woman wearing the mask of beauty.

“There’s no need to be so tense. I have no intention of holding you responsible, as you are not the party involved.”

“…Yes.”

The Red Dragon with golden hair flowing down spoke, lowering her hand.

The hatred that had been burning fiercely like a sulfur fire had subsided.

She must have composed her emotions after seeing my stunned appearance.

However, the situation remained precarious.

The fate of the family was at stake.

No matter how strong-hearted one was, it was inevitable to feel nervous.

What would the Valtarian Imperial Family demand from the family?

It was clear that they would hold the Hohenberc family accountable and seek compensation for the hero Maximilian’s unilateral declaration of the annulment of the engagement.

The imperial family had raised their youngest daughter like a precious jewel, so an unforgivable insult had been inflicted upon her.

“The Count is not present.”

“That’s right. He is currently leading his subordinates to search the surrounding area.”

Perhaps she had no intention of openly reprimanding the Count who represented the East.

Ludmilla nodded in agreement with the answer.

“T-This is black tea… Your Imperial Highness.”

“Thank you.”

The door to the reception room opened, and a maid entered.

And she set down the black tea, which must have been brewed with the highest quality tea leaves.

When the Second Imperial Princess had visited the castle, all personnel, including the butler and maids, would have entered a state of emergency.

The Hohenberc family, which had been turned upside down when the eldest son, who had returned in triumph after defeating the Demon King, ran away from home, was once again thrown into chaos by the visit of the Imperial Princess.

It was a very rare commotion for a family that valued serene peace.

“The news that the hero and the princess, who had been engaged for a long time, broke off their engagement will spread throughout the empire. When that happens, our Valtarian Imperial Family will not be able to avoid humiliating ridicule.”

“……”

Was this the feeling of a low-ranking employee facing their boss?

As Ludmilla’s words continued, cold sweat poured down.

Disoriented eyes.

A face stiffened like leather.

And on top of that, a stomach that ached every time I exhaled.

I was trying to act calm, but I felt like I could collapse at any moment.

“You.”

“Yes, please speak.”

Was the judgment finally being handed down?

I swallowed my saliva and waited for the Red Dragon’s decision.

But contrary to expectations, Ludmilla held out an envelope that she had placed beside her.

“While I was away from the capital, urgent news arrived from the intelligence department. It seems that not only the hero Maximilian and Saintess Beatrice but also all the members of the Hero’s Party have disappeared. Do you know anything about this?”

“…What?”

The missing persons were not limited to the main characters.

Even the sub-male protagonists who were in love with the female protagonist Beatrice had disappeared.

The Sword Saint of the Pug Kingdom.

The Mercenary King of the Laterano Confederacy.

The Sage of the Gisterd Kingdom.

The urgent news that the forces that had led the revival of humanity while defeating the Demon King’s army had vanished like a mirage in an instant was enough to shake the foundation of the continent.

The powers involved in the incident seemed to be in a hurry to cover it up if the information leaked, but it would soon become widely known.

“The hero and the saintess…. and even the Sword Saint, the Mercenary King, and the Sage.”

While examining the documents handed over by Ludmilla, I noticed something.

I flinched.

Seeing that, Ludmilla nodded and spoke.

“Hero Maximilian disappeared last.”

“Yes, it seems so….”

My damn brother disappeared ten days ago.

Ten days.

A long yet short period.

I felt something strange when I saw the information that the Mercenary King of the Laterano Confederacy had gone missing a month ago.

Because the time when the members of the Hero’s Party went missing was different.

Was there a reason for that?

It seemed like it would be a good clue in tracking their whereabouts.

“Did the hero leave any words for you?”

“No, he didn’t.”

From the moment Maximilian took on the fate of a hero, he did not form close relationships with anyone.

There was an exception when he met the saintess, but his blunt personality did not change.

What he was thinking. What emotions he was feeling.

Like a patient with extreme germophobia, he was always cautious.

So, like everyone else, even I, his brother, did not know.

“I have a request for you.”

“I will follow your orders. Please command me.”

With what face could the Hohenberc family, who had committed a grave crime, express the right to refuse?

I would follow even if it was a precarious mission.

Because everyone’s life and death depended on the woman before me.

“Come with me to find the Hero’s Party.”

“…?”

The princess with golden hair flowing down reached out her hand.

I widened my eyes and expressed my bewilderment.

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