Chapter 128
A Dangerous Man
Garnet, the leader of the Black Bandana, had lived her life by one unshakable principle.
As long as someone walked this earth...
Even saints could not keep their hands completely clean.
From childhood, she had witnessed humanity at its ugliest.
As the successor to the Black Bandana, she had been exposed to truths far too cruel for a child, so that she would grow accustomed to them.
In fact...
When she was young, she had hated and distrusted humanity altogether.
But because she had overcome that darkness...
She had gained something else.
Unshakable judgment.
She learned to observe everything objectively, predict what lay ahead, and prove her worth.
That was how she became the greatest information broker on the continent.
And after observing Ferda...
She reached only one conclusion.
He was dangerous.
Valdrova's fiancé.
The lord of Hestia.
A ruler noble enough to embrace even the infamous Evil Dragon.
People praised him with titles like those.
But Garnet knew better.
She had seen too much.
She knew exactly what kind of man he was.
"That man..."
"...will use you until you're no longer useful."
"And then..."
"...he'll throw you away."
Like a hunting dog discarded after the rabbit had already been caught.
"I'll bet he lured you in by promising to help you find your sister."
The instant she mentioned his sister...
The smile vanished from Zed's face.
"That's almost certainly a lie."
"He's using the knowledge only you possess to turn you into his obedient collar."
"..."
"Think about it."
"How do you suppose he knew the name Emilia?"
"No one uninvolved could connect that name to you in their entire lifetime."
Emilia.
Zed had spent years searching for his missing younger sister.
Everything he had done...
Chasing women.
Earning money.
Dreaming of becoming a noble...
It had all been for one purpose.
To uncover Emilia's whereabouts.
...Come to think of it.
It really is strange.
Ferda had known her name.
How?
That single question ignited another.
Did he really know there was a clue about Emilia hidden inside the Imperial Archives?
Or was it simply bait to lure me in?
More importantly...
How did he even know Emilia had anything to do with me?
Could it be...
Was he involved in the massacre of the Red-Eyed Tribe?
Is that why Garnet calls him dangerous?
Has he been manipulating me all along behind that mask?
Then—
Valdrova's laughter drifted through the communication crystal.
The sound instantly pulled Zed out of that swamp of suspicion.
"...He's not that kind of man."
"That's exactly what every scam victim says."
"I know."
"And every one of them ends up ruined."
Garnet led the Black Bandana.
Their intelligence network was so accurate people joked it could predict the future.
But...
Zed had watched Ferda from up close.
Whatever kind of man Garnet believed him to be...
He was nothing like the Ferda Zed knew.
"The moon is beautiful."
"I've heard tonight's moon is the largest of the year."
The moment Zed heard those words...
He clicked his tongue.
"Oh, for heaven's sake..."
"What am I supposed to do with that kid?"
"Hm?"
"Hold on."
"I'm going somewhere."
"Wait here."
Without another word, Zed sprinted away.
Meanwhile...
The conversation continued.
Garnet realized Ferda and Valdrova both wanted to dance...
Yet neither could bring themselves to ask.
A short while later...
Zed returned carrying something in each hand.
"...A violin?"
"I asked the orchestra."
"They had a spare."
He handed the other instrument to Garnet.
It was a flute.
"...What's this?"
"A flute."
"You know how to play."
"We've performed together before."
"So?"
"Let's head to the garden."
"And play."
"...You're dragging me into this too?"
"Moonlight doesn't sound right with only a violin."
"It has to be a duet."
"..."
For the first time that evening...
Garnet was genuinely surprised.
Zed hadn't been present when Valdrova mentioned the Moonlight Step.
Yet from nothing more than—
"The moon is beautiful."
—he had understood everything.
"Let's do it like we used to in Swallows."
"We'll see if our harmony is still there."
"...What do you say?"
"...Sigh."
He really chose now to use that line.
She shot him a resentful glare.
Zed only flashed his usual carefree grin.
Unable to refuse him...
Garnet accepted the flute.
Together they made their way into the garden.
The duet of Moonlight filled the night air.
Ferda looked toward them.
Their eyes met.
As though making up his mind...
He turned to Valdrova and asked her to dance.
And so they danced.
Under the moonlight...
The pair shone with quiet beauty.
Even Garnet—
A woman who viewed the world through cold logic and information—
Could see nothing but beauty before her.
...Is this it?
Watching them dance...
She finally understood, at least a little, what Zed had seen.
Ferda was cold.
A man who never hesitated to kill.
Yet the person before her now...
Was nothing more than a young boy desperately wanting to impress the girl he loved.
The music ended.
Ferda and Valdrova went their separate ways.
Watching them with quiet satisfaction...
Zed muttered,
"If I don't give that kid a push..."
"...who else will?"
He sighed as though it couldn't be helped.
Still watching the departing pair...
Garnet spoke quietly.
"Zed."
"Hm?"
"You really do understand women."
"Well..."
"When your head might get chopped off if you make a mistake..."
"...you learn pretty quickly."
"And yet..."
"There are still things you don't understand."
"...Like what?"
Still grinning...
Zed turned toward her—
And froze.
Under the moonlight...
Garnet was looking directly at him.
Her golden eyes rested on him quietly.
It almost seemed as though they wanted to say something.
Then...
She abruptly looked away.
Zed never understood what those eyes had meant.
***
Still basking in the lingering warmth of the evening...
Ferda finally decided to return to the ballroom.
Even if he intended to retire to his room afterward...
He thought he should at least show his face for a while longer.
As he walked down the corridor...
He unexpectedly ran into someone he knew.
"Oh!"
"Sir!"
"Where have you been?"
It was Malcolm.
"I took a walk through the garden."
"And you?"
"I went to the restroom."
"...It looked like you were with a lady."
"How did things turn out?"
"She went home."
"...What?"
"It's already so late."
"Isn't it dangerous for her to be traveling alone?"
Seeing Malcolm's genuine concern...
Ferda blinked.
"You didn't realize?"
"She was Prince Valdrova."
"The very person you've sworn loyalty to."
"...What?"
"Y-You mean..."
"That was the Red Dragon..."
"Lady Valdrova?!"
"Now that I think about it..."
"...she did have horns..."
Everyone else had figured it out immediately.
Only Malcolm had failed to notice.
Ferda let out a long sigh.
Never again.
I'm never assigning this idiot to anything important.
"Did you complete your mission?"
"I devoted myself to it with everything I had..."
"But I couldn't finish it."
"Why not?"
"Because..."
"I had to dance with Princess Olivia of Arken..."
Ferda looked at him with genuine concern.
"...Did you eat something bad?"
"N-No."
"Everything I ate was delicious..."
Malcolm scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
There was no reason for him to lie.
Even so...
It was difficult to believe such a story outright.
Ferda looked at him with something close to pity.
He must have been under a tremendous amount of stress.
Overwork sometimes caused people to hear voices...
Or see things that weren't there.
Even Malcolm seemed to realize how absurd his own story sounded, and awkwardly tried to brush it aside.
"A-Anyway..."
"Is there anything else you need me to do, Your Excellency?"
"Hmm..."
Ferda hadn't expected much from Malcolm to begin with.
If everything could simply end peacefully here, he would ask for nothing more.
"There is."
Still...
Malcolm wanted to feel useful.
So Ferda gave him another task.
Though visibly intimidated, Malcolm answered immediately.
"Yes, sir."
"Actually..."
"While carrying out the assignment you gave me, I kept an eye on everyone."
"When I happened to pass by someone..."
"I heard them mutter something."
"They laughed as though it were ridiculous..."
"...asking why a murderer was even here."
"..."
"They were speaking to themselves."
"I only assumed they were someone important."
"I had no idea they were talking about Prince Valdrova..."
The moment he heard that...
Ferda felt his thoughts go blank.
Valdrova had said she heard voices whenever she was surrounded by people.
He had believed it was nothing more than psychological pressure.
She herself had tried to overcome it under that assumption.
Then...
It wasn't hallucination at all.
Someone had actually been trying to poison the already blurred boundary between her fears and reality.
"If someone ever really says those things to me..."
"Malcolm."
Ferda spoke only two syllables.
Even Malcolm, dense as he was, immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"I know you're not the brightest man."
"But your loyalty..."
"...I value it above anyone else's."
"Just give the order!"
"It seems someone insulted Prince Valdrova during the dance."
Remembering what Valdrova had told him, Ferda asked,
"I don't know whether it's true or not..."
"But do you have any idea who that person might have been?"
"...Someone like that?"
It was practically impossible to answer.
Even Valdrova herself had believed it might only have been hallucination.
Ferda had expected to spend the night chasing ghosts.
He was already preparing to dismiss the matter as a joke before Malcolm wandered around accusing innocent people.
"I know who it was."
"...You do?"
Ferda's eyes sharpened.
Did this fool just say... he knows?
"Say that again."
"U-Um..."
"I said..."
"...I know who insulted Prince Valdrova."
"...Someone really said those words?"
Ferda's expression twisted into something terrifying.
"...Th-Thank you?"
"So let me ask you."
"Can you swear..."
"...that there isn't even a shred of falsehood in what you're telling me?"
"How could I ever lie to you, Your Excellency?"
"I don't think you're lying."
"But if what you've just told me is true..."
"...then I can no longer remain idle."
Ferda's self-control was hanging by the thinnest thread.
He still wanted to preserve the warmth of the dance he had shared with Valdrova.
He didn't want tonight to be stained with blood.
"I want..."
"...to ask for that blasphemer's name this very moment..."
"...and tear off his head."
"In other words..."
"That man's life now depends on your answer."
"So I'll ask one last time."
His voice sank even lower.
"Did you truly hear those words..."
"...with your own ears?"
It was the sort of chilling voice that could make a person deny even the truth.
But Malcolm did not.
Foolish though he might be...
He was still a knight.
A knight fulfilled the duty entrusted to him.
And Malcolm always gave everything he had.
"I-I heard it clearly!"
"I swear it!"
"...Then tell me."
"Who was it?"
Malcolm slowly spoke the name.
Exactly.
Without the slightest hesitation.
***
The Spring Festival officially ended before midnight.
Yet the music and laughter continued well into the night.
Young nobles, intoxicated by youth and celebration, burned away the remaining hours beneath the chandeliers.
Those who drank beyond their limits naturally collapsed throughout the castle.
Whenever that happened, the servants who had been waiting nearby swiftly carried them outside and handed them over to their attendants.
Not everyone, however, intended to remain until morning.
Even while the banquet was still in full swing, a procession of carriages quietly departed through the surrounding forest.
Some heirs had rigid schedules as part of their education to become future lords.
Others came from conservative families that refused to allow them to spend the night in another noble's castle.
Night belonged to monsters.
But that wasn't considered a problem.
Each carriage was escorted by the finest warriors their houses could provide.
Protecting those on the ground was their duty.
BOOM!
Yet...
Not everything could be stopped.
Something descended from the sky toward one of the carriages.
"Cough...!"
"An ambush!"
"Young Master!"
Despite the tremendous impact...
The carriage was only half-destroyed.
At that speed, both the carriage and everyone inside should have been reduced to pulp.
Instead...
The wheels remained intact.
Only the roof had been torn away.
It was such exquisite precision that there wasn't even time to admire it.
There was only one thing they understood.
Whatever had attacked...
Had deliberately targeted the carriage carrying the young noble.
And what had fallen from the sky...
Wasn't a projectile.
It was a living creature.
"Crossbowmen!"
"Fire!"
The elite crossbowmen, already prepared, unleashed a coordinated volley.
Fwoosh!
The bolts exploded from bowstrings so heavy a single man needed both arms just to draw them.
They flew faster than sound...
Though slower than light.
A blue flash illuminated the moonlit forest.
Every bolt was cleanly severed in half before falling harmlessly to the ground.
Just as expected.
Their opponent was no ordinary foe.
The captain of the guard drew his sword, aura erupting around him.
"You filthy monster!"
"I'll stain my blade with your blood—"
"...Gh!"
He drew his sword.
And stopped.
Unable to move another inch.
Even he couldn't understand it.
He was a knight of a ducal house.
The top graduate of the Knight Academy, surpassing more than a hundred prodigies.
A veteran of countless battlefields.
A man so swift that he had earned the title Lightning Tiger.
His courage was unquestionable.
His swordsmanship unrivaled.
And yet...
He finally understood.
Before a being like this...
None of it mattered.
No matter how exceptional a human became...
They remained confined within the limits of humanity.
There existed beings...
That courage alone could never overcome.
The creature before him was one of them.
The forest lay shrouded in darkness.
Beneath the trees stretched an abyss of black.
Within that darkness...
He saw the silhouette of a young girl.
Behind her...
An enormous pair of wings several times larger than her own body.
Silver-gray eyes.
Pupils slit vertically like a predator's.
"Ah..."
Though the night dulled the senses...
Everyone present recognized exactly what they were seeing.
"...A dragon!"
The knights who had only moments ago formed a disciplined battle line lost every trace of fighting spirit.
Several collapsed where they stood.
Even the captain could barely remain upright.
If I swing my sword...
No...
If I show even the slightest killing intent...
She'll tear my head off without hesitation.
The girl said nothing.
Without ceremony...
She reached into the shattered carriage.
She lifted something out as casually as picking up a sack of grain.
It was the young noble they had been sworn to protect.
Whoosh!
Just as quickly as she had arrived...
She vanished into the night sky.
The entire incident had lasted less than a minute.
The escort had failed.
The heir...
Had been kidnapped.