The Protagonists Of The Novel Escaped – Chapter 18

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Emperor Barbarossa, befitting a strongman boasting robust muscles, enjoyed eating meat to the point of appearing fanatical.

Thick steaks seasoned only with salt and pepper.

Flanders County’s red wine stimulated the flavor of the meat.

Barbarossa’s appearance of heartily cutting the meat and gulping down the wine seemed to showcase his aspect as a magnanimous hero.

As a meat lover and a big eater, the attendants went back and forth several times, presenting new steaks.

“Indeed, veal is the best for steak. Especially veal less than 4 months old has tender muscles, so the texture is soft and nice. That’s why I always serve veal steak when welcoming guests.”

“It’s truly delicious.”

The veal steak served as the main dish by the chefs of the Valtarian Imperial Family, who boasted supreme skills, was a delicacy I had never tasted before.

I had always been curious about what kind of food the Emperor ate, and now my curiosity was satisfied.

I peeked at Barbarossa, who was stuffing a large piece of meat into his mouth.

And I looked at Ludmilla, who was elegantly cutting the meat beside the gruff Emperor. Even how she ate the steak exuded grace befitting a beautiful princess.

Ludmilla and Elizaveta must have taken after the Empress.

If they had taken after that magnanimous Emperor even 10%, their marriage prospects would have been completely blocked.

Ah.

Their marriage prospects were indeed blocked.

The second daughter became an old bachelorette, and the third daughter experienced an annulment at a marriageable age.

“Here.”

“Ahh-.”

I picked up a small piece of meat with a fork and held it to Rue.

Then Rue opened her mouth wide and ate the meat.

“Edanant.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, who had grown a magnificent mustache, put down the fork and knife he had been using as an extension.

Then he spoke.

“Undoubtedly, the foolish masses who love to chatter like sparrows will start doubting the prestige of the Hero’s Party because of this incident. They have always relied on the Hero’s Party until now. Naturally, if they continue to remain unaccounted for, the doubts will snowball, won’t they?”

“For the public, their expectations and reliance will come as despair and betrayal.”

The forces planning the ascension of evil would frequently commit cruel and ruthless acts in the future.

Death would cover the sky.

Pain and screams would fill the earth.

And yet, the Hero’s Party would never show up. If they genuinely cared about the helpless and weak masses, they wouldn’t have pulled the stunt of disappearing without a word.

Before long, the masses would think like this:

-The Hero’s Party has turned its back on the world!

-The heroes who defeated the Demon King have betrayed humanity!

-The noble holiness of the goddess has fallen to the ground… In the end, the evil cults will dominate the world.

I frowned as I anticipated the worst outcome that would unfold in the future.

Then the Emperor nodded.

“It will lead to a damn catastrophe. It won’t be long.”

“……”

The ruler of the mighty nation representing humanity made a prophecy.

No, it wouldn’t even be called a prophecy. It was simply foresight based on factual evidence.

The period of chaos due to the absence of the Hero’s Party was virtually inevitable.

Along with the ascension of evil, numerous disasters would sweep the entire continent.

“Your Majesty, it is not polite to have a lengthy conversation during a meal with a guest, but…”

“Ahem!”

The Hohenberc family, which produced the hero, Maximilian, bears a great responsibility.

Maximilian’s disappearance ultimately provided the signal for the catastrophe.

I tried to convey an apology to the Emperor on behalf of the family,

But at that moment-

Ludmilla deliberately interrupted the atmosphere with a deep sigh.

At the sharp remark from his beloved second daughter, Barbarossa coughed and nodded.

As expected of the Emperor, who doted on his daughter, he showed a submissive attitude when she gave him a sharp side-eye.

And Ludmilla looked at me and sent a silent apology.

“I am aware of the gravity of the situation. Although I am inexperienced, I will assist in any way I can for the sake of the empire. Please allow me to prove the Hohenberc family’s loyalty to the imperial family.”

“What an admirable attitude.”

Why did the Emperor foresee the near future during the banquet?

The answer was simple.

‘I will appoint you, so fight for the imperial family.’

That was originally Maximilian’s role.

It was why Barbarossa had tried to establish a marital relationship with the hero’s family, even putting his youngest daughter, whom he adored, into a political marriage.

‘He’s not trying to make me Elizaveta’s new fiancé, is he?’

The possibility of that was slim.

It had been less than a month since the annulment.

Hadn’t the relationship between the Valtarian Imperial Family and the Hohenberc family ended in a breakup?

Moreover, if they brought in the second son as Elizaveta’s new fiancé to replace the eldest son, who had declared the annulment, the Valtarian Imperial Family would be known as a “bean powder” for a long time.

Also, this was a matter of Elizaveta’s honor, so the doting father would never allow it.

‘It’s not like there’s another princess to put forward as a new fiancée. There’s Princess Carolina, the eldest daughter of the imperial family, but… She’s already a married woman who had her wedding bells rung long ago.’

Surely they’re not asking me to serve without pay?

Ah.

Then a revolution might be tempting….

At least reduce the compensation imposed on the Hohenberc family.

My most hated phrase was “charity service.”

“Ahem…!”

“……”

Ludmilla suddenly started coughing.

Did she choke on the wine?

Judging by her reddened face, it seemed so.

“The Hohenberc family is in a position of having dared to commit disloyalty. So how can I, as the second son of the family, have the audacity to expect a reward? Your Majesty has graciously responded with a reward, but… I will only accept your merciful words.”

“If you say that much, I can’t force it any further.”

This must be the reason why Ludmilla signaled with a cough.

The Hohenberc family is not in a position to expect a reward.

She must constantly glancing sideways to subtly let me know that.

I almost incurred the wrath of the mustachioed Emperor again.

Inwardly sighing with relief, I showed a faint smile to Ludmilla. But for some reason, when I smiled, Ludmilla’s face stiffened.

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The envoy of the First Saintess, who had departed from the Gael Holy Kingdom, arrived in the territory of the Valtarian Empire.

When entering the border city,

Saintess Zebeline heard about the catastrophe that had occurred in the capital of the empire.

400 casualties had resulted from the bombing.

Surprisingly, the mastermind behind the catastrophe was Gale Doher and the Bomber Squad, whom the Holy Kingdom had been pursuing.

Was it because of a grudge against the empire?

Or perhaps it was the arrow of hatred towards the Hero’s Party.

The Bomber Squad, which had stirred up the continent with repeated bombings, had finally attacked even the Valtarian Empire.

If they had succeeded in escaping, they would have also targeted the Holy Kingdom.

The Bomber Gale was a blasphemous madman who had killed numerous priests until now.

Upon hearing the report that the Bomber had been killed at the scene, Zebeline let out a sigh of relief.

“Who killed the Bomber?”

“It was a person named Edanant von Hohenberc.”

“Hohenberc…? I’ve heard that name a lot.”

“They say he’s the younger brother of the hero Maximilian.”

It was a name she had never heard before.

It was strange.

If he could take down the Bomber, she should have at least heard his name….

Who is he?

Edanant von Hohenberc.

Hearing the unfamiliar name, Zebeline tilted her head and expressed her doubts.

“Surprisingly… he used the Yellow Star Aldebaran! The young master of the Hohenberc family wielded a holy sword!”

“Really? No, that can’t be.”

The only person compatible with the holy swords was Maximilian.

According to what had been revealed to the public, that is.

Maximilian’s younger brother used a holy sword.

Upon learning the truth, Zebeline kept muttering, “That can’t be.”

‘And of all things, it had to be the Yellow Star Aldebaran. Should I call this a coincidence…?’

The saintess with beautiful silver hair flowing like a bluebell swallowed and lowered her head.

Did she have a premonition of something?

Her dazzling blue eyes trembled.

Zebeline dismissed the holy knights guarding her and continued pondering. She paced back and forth, speculating about the new person who wielded Aldebaran.

But in the end, unable to come up with a plausible guess, she clicked her tongue while furrowing her pretty brows.

“This is truly extraordinary! Isn’t Maximilian the only user of the Four Star Swords of Demon Extermination in this era?”

“…Who knows?”

There is.

Just one person.

An unidentified individual whose identity has not been revealed to the public,

Known only to me.

A person wielded a holy sword despite not having received the baptism of the Holy Kingdom.

Moreover, he was peculiarly rejected by other holy swords but was uniquely chosen by the Yellow Star Aldebaran alone.

Is it really a coincidence?

Or….

Could there be a secret that has not been revealed until now? It needed to be checked, even if it was a wild goose chase.

“Ivan.”

“Yes, Saintess.”

Zebeline, who had been pondering while biting her nails, opened her mouth.

“Go down to the Hohenberc County right away and gather information.”

“It’s the hometown of the hero. Understood!”

“No, the target of the information gathering is Edanant von Hohenberc. Find out his whereabouts for the past 3 years as concisely as possible… and without missing a single detail.”

“Pardon? You mean Young Master Edanant…?”

The First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom had a warm and benevolent personality. Still, at the same time, she had a prickly side that was no different from a neurosis.

Especially-

She hated repeating the same thing twice.

The deputy priest who served the saintess under her command couldn’t possibly not know that.

He turned pale when he met her brightly shining blue eyes and immediately whimpered away.

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