The Protagonists Of The Novel Escaped – Chapter 68

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The Luinongs, who had been no different from refugees entering the country without permission, were granted citizenship by the Valtarian Imperial Family in recognition of their achievements.

It was a joyous result.

From now on, the Luinongs would receive the protection of the empire.

The fact that the mysterious race known as the mascot of the Saintess Party was clustered together in the Hohenberc Marquis Territory became widely known.

This sparked interest and curiosity among the imperial citizens about the Luinong race.

“We could generate enormous revenue by allowing people to touch and pet the cute fairies. Should we build a Luinong experience center in the Hohenberc Marquis Territory…”

If we took advantage of the vanity of nobles who spare no expense for new stimulation and curiosity, we could surely strike it rich.

And if we heavily promoted the Hohenberc Marquis Territory using the Luinongs as mascots, we could quickly gain fame.

My head lit up.

It seemed like an opportunity to make a fortune was flashing before my eyes.

“No! Using the Luinongs for money-making… I’m absolutely against it!”

The princess with flowing golden hair shouted while hugging the Luinongs who were sucking on candy with both hands.

She showed a very strong stance, like a mother desperately trying to protect her children from evil temptations.

At that, I scratched the back of my head with an embarrassed expression.

“O-Of course, I’m joking.”

“Lies. It wasn’t a joke at all.”

How perceptive of you.

Indeed, she’s the villainous lady who is the opposite of the female protagonist…

I raised both hands in surrender, declaring a withdrawal under Elizaveta’s sharp gaze.

“I want the Luinongs to experience the outside world and learn happiness and joy. Until now, the Luinongs have lived for a long time isolated in the stuffy underground world.”

Elizaveta stroked the Luinongs’ heads while letting out a bitter smile.

Then the Luinongs smiled languidly and placed a flower crown they had made with devotion on the princess’s head.

The villainous lady and the Luinongs.

It was a truly unfamiliar yet fitting relationship.

Looking at the beautiful sight, I decided to put the Luinong experience center plan on hold.

“But is it okay to pluck the flowers in the backyard as you please?”

“So what? Who would dare to question the princess?”

I expressed my condolences to the gardeners who were looking at the ruined flower bed with shocked eyes.

They must have put a lot of effort into beautifully creating the emperor’s backyard.

I felt embarrassed by the sight of the messily disheveled garden.

“Young Master Edanant.”

As I was staring blankly at Elizaveta and the Luinongs having a cozy picnic,

A priest in vestments approached.

He was a deacon of the Holy Kingdom who attended to Zebeline.

“The saintess is calling for you.”

“Me?”

The appointed time should be far off…

Did something happen?

I nodded at Zebeline’s message and got up.

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Shocking news arrived that the Pug Kingdom, which had miraculously recovered from the onslaught of dark magicians, had fallen overnight.

The king and nobles were massacred.

Surprisingly, the perpetrator of the brutal slaughter was Sword Saint Regnas.

The kingdom of the Sword Saint, located on the outskirts of the north, was destroyed by the Sword Saint’s hand.

As the news from a distant land spread quickly, it shocked numerous rulers, including the emperor of the empire.

“The Sword Saint… really killed the king?”

“It’s the news sent by the crown prince who barely survived. It must be true.”

Sword Saint.

The greatest sword who embodied sacred justice and chivalry.

The saint of the sword who had saved the world by subjugating the great demons of the Demon Realm had broken his oath of allegiance and assassinated the king.

It’s unbelievable.

How can we accept this?

Upon receiving the news, Barbarossa let out a heavy sigh and pressed his temple.

It was because the catastrophe the Sword Saint had committed in a rural village on the outskirts would act as an aftershock that would shock the continent.

“We must immediately verify the facts!”

“I simply can’t believe it! How could the Sword Saint commit such an atrocious act…!”

The ministers who assisted the emperor also showed confusion.

Sword Saint Regnas was a figure who had recorded numerous heroic deeds along with Hero Maximilian.

The fact that such a hero had committed the heinous act of assassinating his own king was hard to accept.

“Your Majesty…! I’ve just been informed that Crown Prince Erik has arrived in the imperial capital.”

“Bring him to me at once!”

The crown prince of the fallen nation, who had narrowly survived the catastrophe, arrived in the imperial capital of the Valtarian Empire through a warp gate.

Upon hearing the news, Barbarossa immediately gave a stern order.

“Your Majesty. The crown prince of the Pug Kingdom requests an audience.”

“Let him in.”

After some time had passed,

Knights clad in splendid armor entered, accompanied by a man wearing a hood.

The emperor gave a nod.

Then the knights unhesitatingly lifted the hood concealing the man’s face.

“Oh, my goodness…!”

“A hideous wound. Could it be that he was struck by the Sword Saint?”

His once graceful appearance was nowhere to be seen.

The state of the crown prince, who had covered his face with bandages like a mask, was truly miserable.

A deep scar must have been carved on his face.

The distinct blood stains showing through the bandages spoke to this.

“I shall ask, Crown Prince. Is it true that the Sword Saint killed the king of the Pug Kingdom?”

“Y-Yes, it is! The treacherous rebel raided the royal castle and murdered my father and the nobles!”

The number of people massacred in the royal castle reached hundreds.

The culprit was undoubtedly Regnas von Pug.

The sole survivor of the catastrophe reported the situation at the time, which had been shaking with the smell of blood.

At that, the emperor and ministers nodded while swallowing heavily.

“Why did the Sword Saint, who had disappeared along with the saintess, suddenly appear now? And why did he suddenly appear and commit the grave sin of assassinating the king? Crown Prince, is there nothing suspicious about the Sword Saint’s actions?”

Barbarossa asked in a solemn voice.

Then Erik swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth.

“How could I know the inner thoughts of a rebel…! My infinitely merciful father took in Regnas, who had been wandering the streets with his widowed mother, and treated them like family. But ungratefully, Regnas committed the atrocity of assassinating the father who had shown him mercy!”

Erik emphasized that he was an unjustly swept-up victim while omitting the evil deeds he had committed against Regnas and his mother.

He had to elicit sympathy.

Somehow, he had to obtain the emperor’s leniency.

With the king and nobles massacred, the Pug Kingdom had collapsed.

Erik, who had fled the kingdom as if running away from the citizens liberated from tyranny, was practically penniless.

If he returned to the kingdom, he would be beaten to death by the enraged citizens.

So the crown prince of the fallen nation repeatedly stated his miserable situation while observing the emperor’s reaction.

“It’s undoubtedly true that the Sword Saint killed the king and nobles of the kingdom. For now, the crown prince’s wounds are deep, so receive treatment first. Until the detailed circumstances are revealed, I shall treat you as an honored guest of the imperial family.”

“I-I am eternally grateful… Your Majesty!”

He had brutally killed the king who was his sworn lord and adoptive father.

That was an undeniable fact.

Swallowing heavily, Barbarossa signaled with his hand and sent the crown prince of the fallen nation away.

“How did the Sword Saint, who was called the symbol of noble chivalry… become a king’s assassin?”

King’s assassin.

A disparaging name given to a traitor who betrays their loyalty and kills the king.

The Sword Saint had fallen to become a king’s assassin.

Numerous rulers of the continent would both fear and despise him.

Claims to proclaim the heinous criminal as a public enemy of the empire would soon pour in.

After all, there was a possibility that the blade of the king’s assassin might turn towards other kingdoms.

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The Sword Saint massacred the king and nobles.

I felt my mind reel at the news Zebeline delivered.

What kind of mischievous joke is this,

I thought for a moment, but Zebeline’s expression was infinitely serious.

“That can’t be possible! Maximilian with his damned personality might do it, but… Regnas is absolutely not the type of person to commit mass slaughter!”

Regnas was a swordsman who had subjugated numerous great demons, but he had never once turned his blade against humans.

He wielded his sword to protect humans.

That’s why he vowed never to cut down humans for any reason.

Sword Saint.

Regnas, who possessed a noble character, was worthy of the name of the Saint of the Sword.

He overcame his dark past.

He cast aside his boiling desire for revenge and took on noble justice.

He led the horrific war to victory in order to protect the beloved saintess and countless humans.

It can’t be.

Regnas is absolutely not the kind of person to carry out such a catastrophe.

I could vouch for Regnas’ noble character with strong conviction.

“Then, would you like to meet the crown prince of the Pug Kingdom first? He should have just arrived in the imperial capital.”

“…Yes, of course.”

Erik von Pug.

He was a scoundrel who had abused Regnas in his childhood.

And he was also a human scum who had poisoned Regnas’ mother using vicious schemes.

Last time, when Ludmilla set out to aid the Pug Kingdom, I kept silent.

Because even if it was a den filled with vicious human scum, the kingdom had to be protected.

But now, there was nothing to hold back.

The guy was nothing more than a crown prince of a fallen nation who had lost the power he had been so overconfident in.

He would keep wagging his wicked tongue, emphasizing the catastrophe Regnas had caused.

In order to find out the detailed truth of what had unfolded in the Pug Kingdom, I had to make contact with the damned bastard.

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