The Protagonists Of The Novel Escaped – Chapter 71

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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I really couldn’t understand a woman’s heart.

I suddenly thought that while looking at Ludmilla’s flushed appearance as she hummed a tune.

“Did something good happen?”

“Of course.”

Even when she dragged me out of the infirmary, she must have been in a state of great anger.

Did her mood change?

Or is it really a manic-depressive disorder stemming from some old bachelorette hysteria?

I don’t know.

Anyway, it’s fortunate that her mood seems to have lifted quickly.

“Don’t worry about Crown Prince Erik! I have no interest whatsoever in that vile man who only seeks personal safety and advancement!”

“…?”

I put a question mark at Ludmilla’s response as she shrugged her shoulders and raised her chin.

It was because the princess suddenly started saying something absurd that was hard to understand.

Is she really bipolar?

It’s understandable to develop bipolar disorder since she hasn’t even had a dating experience, let alone marriage, despite being twenty-seven.

“I think we should start searching for the Sword Saint now.”

“Do you have any places in mind?”

“For now, I have one or two places in mind, but it’s difficult to confirm.”

“Hmm…”

I recalled the fleeting memories of traveling around the continent with the Saintess Party when Maximilian and Beatrice had pushed me.

There might be clues to find Regnas’ whereabouts in those memories.

I smiled faintly as I recalled the rowdy moments.

The journey I had taken with them was full of hardships, but now it remained a precious memory.

“To think you were the Warmonger of the Saintess Party… I still can’t believe it. I had been searching for the Warmonger while having you by my side all this time.”

“I apologize for not telling you sooner.”

“It’s alright. You must have had your reasons.”

It was natural for her to feel averse to me for deceiving her and the Valtarian Imperial Family.

Even after seeing me desperately searching for the Saintess Party, I had remained silent until the end.

However, Ludmilla showed a benevolent demeanor instead.

I felt momentarily embarrassed by Ludmilla’s smile, showing her white teeth.

And like when we danced the waltz on the terrace, I felt my heart rate gradually increasing at her beautiful appearance.

“I’m just filled with joy now. To think you were the hero who led the Racial War to victory! If His Majesty finds out later, he will be greatly delighted!”

“That would be nice.”

Will the moment ever come when the identity of the Warmonger is revealed?

Probably not.

I will somehow prevent the dramatic situation where my identity is exposed.

The Warmonger must remain unidentified until the end.

I still thought that way.

However, I didn’t want to crush Ludmilla’s expectation as she sincerely rejoiced like a child with a flushed face, so I shrugged my shoulders and responded to her.

“Edan!”

While I was momentarily intoxicated by the princess’ unexpected charm,

The saintess dressed in pure white vestments approached with hasty steps.

Ludmilla, who had been looking at him, let out a heavy sigh.

She seemed to think that she was trying to interfere between them as usual.

But Zebeline looked more urgent than ever.

Normally, she would have just looked at Ludmilla with a displeased expression.

Could it be that new bad news had arrived?

My intuition, stemming from a bad feeling, told me so.

“Edan, the Holy Kingdom has received a report that the Sword Saint has appeared.”

“It seems he’s on the move again. Where was he spotted?”

“In the Boemon Kingdom.”

“Huh? The Boemon Kingdom…”

The Boemon Kingdom was a nation founded by the Boemon Knights, who were established with the support of the Valtarian Empire and the Gael Holy Kingdom and granted the territory of the Demon King’s Realm.

Upon hearing the news that Regnas, who had raided the Pug Kingdom, had reappeared in the Boemon Kingdom, I clicked my tongue and swallowed heavily.

It was because I seemed to understand Regnas’ intention in choosing the Boemon Kingdom as the stage.

“The kingdom of knights guarding the Immortal Fortress.”

“That’s right.”

The Boemon Kingdom, which was once the territory of the Demon King’s army, was just a remote area surrounded by rugged mountain ridges.

However, the fame of the Boemon Kingdom rivaled that of the empire and the Holy Kingdom.

The Immortal Fortress.

It was the stronghold where the fiercest battle took place during the Third Racial War.

And it was also the frontline where the Warmonger, who had joined the Saintess Party, first participated.

The Immortal Fortress, referred to as the symbol of impregnability, was the capital of the Boemon Kingdom.

That’s why I immediately showed perplexity as soon as I heard Zebeline’s words.

“The Sword Saint has summoned Edan. More precisely… the Warmonger.”

“…Yes.”

The Warmonger.

I will wait for you at the place where your heroic tales began.

I could vividly hear the voice of Regnas, who had entered the Boemon Kingdom.

-There will be no next time.

Regnas had entered the Immortal Fortress to reveal the true meaning of the message he had sent earlier.

I have to go.

That’s the only way to get answers.

Why did they disappear without a word?

Where is the Saintess Party now, who had suddenly vanished?

The answers I had been desperately trying to find were raising their heads.

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I can’t go as Edanant von Hohenberc.

Because the person Sword Saint Regnas wants is none other than the ‘Warmonger.’

I have to hide my face.

I had to thoroughly become an unidentified person while concealing my appearance.

Just like back then, 3 years ago.

“Heh heh heh…!”

“What are you so happy about?”

Edanant, who had hurriedly returned to the Hohenberc Marquis Territory to hide his whereabouts, let out a heavy sigh.

He seemed to feel conflicted about having to set foot in the world again as a member of the Saintess Party.

Damn it.

I had no intention of playing the fool again…

He swallowed his saliva and pressed his temples.

On the other hand, Zebeline was looking at Edanant with an expression full of anticipation.

She seemed to feel elated that the Warmonger, who had only been known as an unidentified entity like a ghost until now, would reappear in the world.

Her eyes, with flowing silver hair, were overflowing with a wistful nostalgia for the past.

“Don’t worry. I’ll accompany you.”

“I can handle it alone. Saintess, please stay behind like Her Highness Ludmilla.”

Ludmilla remained in the imperial capital.

It was because the devastation wreaked by the apostles of the Disaster God was still vivid.

Moreover, the Boemon Kingdom, which was once the territory of the Demon King’s army, was a distant region like a faraway land.

That’s why Ludmilla had no choice but to accept the momentary separation while painfully swallowing her lingering attachment.

“Where did you put the mask? What about the armor you always wore?”

“……”

Is she happy about parting with her rival?

Or is she that excited about the return of the Warmonger?

Zebeline clung to Edanant’s side like a talkative bird and chattered incessantly.

“You know quite a lot. I had been proud of thoroughly hiding my traces until now…”

“Well, there are always exceptions. Just as there are no eternal secrets.”

Mask.

Armor.

She knew them so thoroughly that even the person involved felt perplexed.

Just how much does she know?

Edanant broke out in a cold sweat at Zebeline’s behavior as she spoke fluently about the Warmonger’s characteristics, which only a few knew.

Are Beatrice and Zebeline actually aliens who share each other’s knowledge?

Glancing sideways at the saintess, Edanant had such an absurd delusion as he moved his steps.

“I can finally scold that arrogant junior! As a senior, I’ll give him a good scolding! But when is the Warmonger coming?”

“……”

The little one with light green hair followed Edanant, fuming like a gang leader.

It was like watching a senior who wanted to scold the youngest member who had joined last.

Edanant let out a deep sigh.

On the other hand, Zebeline burst into laughter.

Rue tilted her head at their contrasting reactions.

“Don’t worry. I’ll move with the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom under the pretext of a pilgrimage to the Boemon Kingdom. Let’s meet up in the Boemon Kingdom later.”

“…I’ll leave Rue in your care for now.”

Perhaps Rue’s help might be needed to persuade Regnas.

Until just before the Saintess Party suddenly disappeared, Rue had played a significant role as a mascot.

If I were to take Rue with me from the start, it might arouse suspicion.

Currently, Rue Luinong’s guardian was Edanant von Hohenberc.

That’s why he decided to entrust Rue to Zebeline for a while.

“Here it is.”

He arrived at a dense forest located in the north, accompanied by the saintess and the Luinong.

It was a place the Hohenberc family had frequently used as a hunting ground.

However, it had been neglected for a long time due to the current head of the family’s aversion to hunting.

Cutting through the overgrown branches like a jungle, he reached the center of the forest.

It was because he had sealed the resonance of the past in the old cabin located in the center.

“It must be quite dusty.”

“Cough, cough!”

The door opened with a creaking sound.

Then, the dust that had accumulated thickly swirled, telling of the long time that had passed.

“Phew.”

Edanant discovered an old chest placed on the table in the cabin and let out a sigh.

He exhaled a sigh immersed in the nostalgia of the past and slowly approached the chest.

Creak…

He opened the chest with both hands.

Along with the creaking metallic sound, the miscellaneous items inside the chest were revealed.

“Huh?”

Rue made a question mark while shaking her hair.

An iron mask with distinct bloodstains.

An armor so worn out that it couldn’t even be considered scrap metal.

It was an item so shabby that the energy consumed to reach the cabin felt wasted.

“…It’s been a long time.”

On the other hand, Zebeline’s reaction was different.

The saintess showed a solemn longing as she looked at the worn-out antiques.

And as if trying to hold back her tears, she bit her plump lips tightly.

The Warmonger.

Even after 3 years had passed, his appearance was vivid in her mind.

Finally, she could see him as he was back then.

She silently watched Edanant put on the iron mask, which was no different from rusty scrap metal, on his face.

It was the moment when the Warmonger, who had completely vanished without a trace, finally returned.

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