Chapter 208: Rohakhan’s Words (3) (2/2)
“I have the right to kill him.”
Sylvia’s voice was deep and low.
“…Yes.”
Julie softly nodded. She felt ridiculous. What she had suffered from Deculein wasn’t even close to what this young wizard had gone through.
“You have the right.”
Answering that, Julie’s heart froze. Of the many sins that Deculein has committed—
“Ugh!”
At that moment, the bondage of their vines was released. Julie fell to the ground, and Sylvia flew away with an eagle that arrived from somewhere.
Bang-!
However, all knights mastered their bodies. Her agility and coordination were above a cat’s, so when she fell, Julie put her legs down and stood on the path.
“…Huh.”
And then, she noticed a man standing on the other side, a professor in an immaculate suit. With a wooden box in his hands, he looked at her.
“What were you doing up there?”
“…Knight Julie?”
Another voice came from behind him. Julie looked back.
“Oh, vice-captain?”
Vice-Captain Isaac. Beside him was Lawaine, a knight that was her junior at the university. Lawaine smiled as he looked at Julie but soon stiffened in place when his eyes met Deculein.
“What’s going on?”
In response to Julie’s question, the knights of the Imperial Palace, including Isaac and Lawaine, felt quite ashamed. They wore their humiliation plainly on their faces.
“…We were defeated by Rohakan and rescued by Professor Deculein.”
“…”
Julie looked at Deculein and asked quietly.
“Is that so?”
“…”
Then, without a word, Deculein slowly scanned the knights’ faces, including Julie, Isaac, and Lawaine, with contempt.
“There are so many ignorant people who can’t even listen to orders.”
Eventually, he spoke his sharp criticism with a furrowed brow.
“The Emperor’s order was entrusted to me, but you were blinded by ambition and acted like fools….”
Despite that, the knights bowed their heads without saying a word. Julie, who could not understand the situation, suddenly looked to the wooden box Deculein held.
“That is…”
Deculein passed by Julie without answering, and the knights followed a short distance away. Julie approached behind them.
“May I ask you to explain the situation?”
“…It’s been a while, Julie. It’s not very pleasant to meet you in this situation.”
“Yes.”
Isaac was reluctant, but he replied simply in a whisper.
“…Rohakan is dead. Deculein killed him.”
“!”
Julie’s eyes neared the size of soccer balls as Isaac muttered.
“In the end, the answer was for a wizard to deal with a wizard….”
The sighs of the knights filled the air. Between them, Julie silently watched Deculein’s back.
* * *
“-Your Majesty!”
Meanwhile, back in the Imperial Palace.
Sophien, who was unraveling thoughts of Deculein’s life and death problem, frowned.
“What…?”
She was on the verge of finding the answer. Sophien stared at the sound’s source, ready to mete out severe punishment.
“What’s going on?”
“This is terrible, no, this is a happy occasion, Your Majesty—!”
“…”
Was there anything that could be called a happy occasion in the Empire? Sophien thought for a moment, but there wasn’t anything. Of course, she heard the news that Rohakan had been found, along with the blasphemy that the Imperial Knights had misacted.
“So what occasion-“
“Professor Deculein says he will return with Rohakan’s head!”
“…”
Sophien’s mouth closed for a moment. She looked at her servant’s face and again reviewed the problem presented by Deculein that she had been considering before speaking.
“…Rohakan’s head.”
“Yes! He will be arriving soon!”
“…”
“It’s a happy occasion! A happy occasion for the entire Empire! That Black Beast’s head-“
“I got it.”
Sophien interrupted him. The servant, who was trembling, quickly quieted.
“I got it, so go.”
“…Yes.”
The servant turned his body and left, and Sophien looked at the life and death problem again. This was the Go problem written by Deculein for herself. As she solved the problems, she thought again.
“…Rohakan. You bastard.”
She muttered.
“Did you die that easily?”
Strangely, she felt bizarrely empty.
“…”
When she gave Deculein this mission, she did not expect that he would catch him. She didn’t even dare to think he would be returning with his head.
“…Deculein.”
She called his name softly. Did he take the head of the one who was his teacher for her?
“I wonder.”
What kind of conversation did he have with Rohakan before returning?
“…Your Majesty.”
The court lady who was by her side spoke. Sophien glanced at her head held down.
“Isn’t it time to accept the Professor’s visit… now?”
“…”
The cheeky court lady raised her head after offering advice, not knowing her place. Sophien shook her head and sat down.
“When the Professor returns, tell him to come to the teaching room.”