Regas Vol 5. Chapter 21

“I’m sorry. But I asked Sir Kin to contact you, so I thought Mr. lmond knew.”

The Commander of the Royal Guards, who had been out of it, flinched at the ntion of Kin’s na and looked up. To help him co to his senses, lmond repeated the na loudly.

“Sir Kin?! What are you talking about? I haven’t heard anything from Sir Kin!”

“What? But Sir Kin said he would inform you about and then head to the palace.”

Abel was taken aback, and lmond shook his head firmly.

“Absolutely not. He didn’t go to the palace. Sir Ashler is already furious about that matter. Well, all we got was a single letter from Sir Kin, and it was an absurd ssage instructing him to contact soone nad Tom.”

“T-Tom?”

Abel asked in a trembling voice, and lmond frowned.

“Yes, Tom. Sir Ashler sent a letter, but it was returned! Marquis Yan’s household claid there was no knight nad Tom. Sir Ashler, who rarely gets angry, was livid and swore he wouldn’t let Sir Kin off easily.”

Thud.

The weak-bodied Commander of the Royal Guards finally fainted. Abel, startled, tried to approach him, but lmond grabbed him again this ti.

“Hurry up and explain. Where have you been and what have you been doing all this ti?”

“That...”

Abel looked with concern at the Commander of the Royal Guards, who was lying sprawled out on his back, and the butler, who was still unconscious in the corner. However, at lmond’s urging, explaining what had happened took priority.

The incident — how he had nearly died after eting Erei and then escaped, how he had survived in the forest and coincidentally t Norhox and learned that he was trying to retrieve an object from Marquis Yan, and how he had been searching for that item at the Marquis’ estate all this ti.

lmond was furious that Abel had tried to handle everything alone.

“What were you thinking, recklessly stepping forward with such a weak body? What if you collapsed?”

“Oh, my body is fine. But more importantly, I saw the Marquis’ object.”

“What?”

lmond’s anger was forgotten as his eyes widened.

“S-Saw, you saw it? Where is that object now?”

“It burned up with the Marquis when he died.”

Disappointnt imdiately filled lmond’s face.

What’s the point then?

Does that an there’s no hope now?

However, Abel calmly reassured him.

“It’s okay. There is another item just like it. One that I know of. And you know it too, lmond.”

“What?! What, what is it?”

lmond’s breathing beca ragged as the excitent that had died down rose again.

What could it be?

Sothing I’m familiar with?

Is it widely known to the public?

Nurous thoughts flashed through his mind in those few seconds, but he could never have anticipated Abel’s next answer.

“It’s the wooden pendant that my master passed down to .”

A wooden... pendant?

It was as if he had been hit hard on the back of the head, leaving his mind suddenly blank. Abel, worried that lmond might not rember, added more detail.

“It’s the wooden pendant that has been passed down from generation to generation to the master. The one with the dragon engraved on it.”

“Ah, I see.”

lmond, barely able to respond, staggered as if standing was too difficult.

Of course, he knew, he knew all too well!

But how could it be the sa as the Marquis’ object?

Huh?!

Then, at that mont, as if sothing had dawned on lmond, he exclaid in shock.

“What! Then it was real?!”

“Pardon? What do you an?”

“That wooden pendant... My master said it was only passed down to the masters and wouldn’t even let see it. When I complained about him being stingy over just a wooden pendant, he told that a dragon had given it to a legendary knight a long ti ago, and the knight had passed it down to our sect. Naturally, I thought it was nonsense, but...”

Trailing off, lmond muttered in shock, “Oh my goodness, it wasn’t my master’s delusion.”

But soon, coming back to reality, he grabbed Abel’s arm tightly.

“Wait! Could it be that the wooden pendant is with Norhox? When you died, I tried to retrieve your remains, but Norhox’s people didn’t allow it. I secretly searched your room, but the wooden pendant was gone. Haah, my master and Wiedel cherished it so much that I wanted to make sure it was safe.”

The more ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) lmond expressed his affection for the wooden pendant, the more its significance grew in Abel’s mind, filling him with a sense of ominousness.

“But is it really with Norhox?”

“...No.”

“Then where is it? Where did you hide it? Ah, I see! You hid it because it’s a precious item of our sect! Well, I rember once begging Wiedel to show it to , and when I finally touched it, I dropped it on the floor, leaving a tiny scratch like an ant. He was so furious that he wouldn’t let co near him for months. It was petty, but since it’s the one and only treasure of our sect, I guess he had no choice. I’m still reflecting on that incident.”

Abel couldn’t bring himself to reveal to lmond, who had spent decades reflecting on a scratch as small as an ant. And now, the wooden pendant had letters carved into it.

“So, where did you hide our precious treasure?”

The more lmond emphasized “precious,” the darker Abel’s expression grew. Not noticing this, lmond pressed him further, forcing Abel, who had no choice, to finally speak with difficulty.

“I-I didn’t hide it.”

“You didn’t?”

“W-Well, I gave it to the prince.”

“To the prince?”

“...As a gift.”

“Ah, as a gift...”

Thud.

lmond also joined in fainting.

****

In lmond’s small cabin, which served as a laboratory, a joyful reunion was taking place, but a gloomy atmosphere also filled the air.

“Young master! Oh, our young master has reincarnated again!”

The butler, who had woken up, grabbed Abel and began to weep. Abel tried to explain to him that he hadn’t reincarnated, but the butler, overwheld with emotion, didn’t hear him. It would have been nice if soone had helped Abel, but the two others who were sprawled out on the floor seed to have a hard ti coming to their senses to do so.

While Abel had given away the treasure he couldn’t even touch, lmond consoled himself with the fact that at least the wooden pendant hadn’t fallen into Norhox’s hands. However, the future seed bleak for the Commander of the Royal Guards, who sat with a hollow expression. Of course, no one paid attention to him.

lmond approached Abel, who was busy calming the butler, and spoke to him.

“We must contact Sir Ashler imdiately and ask him to co here.”

A gasp was heard, and when they turned their heads, they saw the Commander of the Royal Guards sinking further into despair. Abel nodded but then asked worriedly.

“But was there really no contact from Sir Kin? I’m worried sothing might have happened to him.”

Nothing had happened. He had simply forgotten. The only one despairing as if he were on the verge of death, worried about Kin’s middle-aged forgetfulness, was the Commander of the Royal Guards.

“Well, Sir Ashler is looking for Sir Kin right now, so we’ll find out soon enough. More importantly, don’t think about anything else. When Sir Ashler arrives, go straight to the palace and only focus on eting His Majesty.”

“Yes. But there’s one thing that bothers .”

Abel lowered his gaze, as if in thought, and then repeated the words the Marquis had left him. The rare herb said to be in Truyde’s forest.

“When the Marquis asked if it was an ingredient for the black potion, it bothered a bit that he didn’t give a clear answer, but it seems important regardless. I think we need to find it.”

lmond nodded in agreent but then added firmly.

“But you absolutely cannot go. I can’t send you on such a dangerous mission to Truyde’s mansion. A place where you might lose your life... soone else must go.”

“I’ll go!”

A volunteer stepped forward. The three of them turned their heads in surprise to see the Commander of the Royal Guards, eyes wide and fists clenched, shouting.

“I will go to that dangerous place!”

“Commander of the Royal Guards, but that place is Duke Truyde’s estate, where you could lose your life.”

“Exactly! ...so.”

He quickly added honorifics under lmond’s sharp gaze and pleaded with desperate eyes.

“I’m going because it’s dangerous. So please, let go. However, in return.”

The Commander of the Royal Guards lowered his voice, demanding sothing from lmond.

“You must tell Sir Ashler and Sir Kin that I took a great risk by going there. Do you understand? Since it was a brave act to volunteer for a dangerous task that no one else dared to take on, any minor mistakes should be overlooked.”

It wasn’t that no one else wanted to go. He was just the first to volunteer. Abel was worried about him going alone and tried to stop him, but lmond quickly nodded. He needed to send that man before Abel could volunteer to go himself.

“Fine. If you bring back the rare herb from Truyde’s estate, I’ll say whatever you want.”

With lmond’s assurance, a glimr of hope appeared in the Commander of the Royal Guards’ eyes.

“I’ll uproot every single herb in Truyde’s forest.”

Clenching his fist, he rushed out, determined to beco a legendary herbalist. With the matter of the herbs settled, lmond finally turned to Abel to discuss sothing important.

“You don’t know the state His Majesty is in, do you?”

Fearing the worst, Abel looked at lmond with darkened eyes and asked calmly,

“Is he fighting against the King’s Heart?”

“Yes. And in the worst possible way.”

Abel’s eyes wavered, but lmond continued without pause.

“He sits with them every day at the sa table, eating food containing the black potion right in front of their eyes.”

“Why is he doing that?”

“He promised that as long as he stays alive, he will kill one mber of the King’s Heart each week. Hah, he’s staking his own life in this fight.”

Abel’s eyes widened in shock, but he quickly regained his composure. lmond had seen this side of him before, back when Abel’s own life was threatened. In such dire situations, Abel beca remarkably calm. Thus, lmond hesitated to speak further, not wanting to disturb him. Just then, his son’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

“Father!”

The child who opened the door and rushed in shouted in a breathless voice.

“Father, scary people are here looking for you.”

Scary people? Who could that be?

lmond’s question was soon answered.

“They said they’re from Duke Truyde’s household.”

****

As lmond stepped into the palace where Truyde awaited, he found the situation odd. After twelve years, he entered the palace once again because he was summoned by Truyde. What was strange was how vividly he rembered the long hallway leading to Truyde, despite not having visited it often.

While the small library where he worked every day had beco a blur in his mory, this place, which he had only visited a few tis, felt familiar as if he had been there just yesterday. Fortunately, the tension and fear he had felt back then were now gone. Inside, Truyde and the priest awaited him, just as before.

“It’s been a long ti, lmond.”

Truyde acknowledged him first, and lmond lowered his head without saying a word. Then, he felt Truyde’s sharp gaze on him. At first, when he was called, he was worried that Truyde had discovered Abel’s existence, but the question that followed was different. Truyde asked him directly.

“Actually, I’m looking for sothing. An item Abel had when he died twelve years ago. I think you might know where it is.”

lmond, feeling a mix of relief and a chilling sensation in his chest, kept his eyes lowered to hide his emotions as he asked,

“What item are you referring to?”

“Co now, am I that intimidating? If you can’t even look in the eye, it makes it seem like you’re hiding sothing, doesn’t it?”

Truyde’s mocking tone was light, but his gaze on his skin was more stinging. lmond had no choice but to look up at him. Twelve years ago, he wouldn’t have dared to lie to Truyde, but now it was different. The man before him was not a noble figure but an enemy.

“It had been so long since I had seen soone as high as Your Grace that I dared not even look up. What exactly is it that you are looking for?”

Truyde looked at lmond for a mont as if gauging his thoughts, then answered briefly.

“A wooden pendant with a dragon engraved on it.”

lmond pretended to think for a mont, then opened his mouth.

“Ah, I know. That wooden pendant. Abel received it from his master. But since Abel’s death, I haven’t seen it. I believe it might be with his remains.”

lmond turned his gaze to the priest and asked slyly,

“Now that I think about it, didn’t you take care of Abel’s remains? Then, you must have it.”

“What? Watch your words. It’s not with . If I had known it was such a valuable item at the ti, I would have...”

“Valuable item? Are you saying the wooden pendant Abel had was valuable?”

lmond sharply picked up on the priest’s slip of the tongue, and the priest’s face showed an alarm. Seeing his expression, it beca certain. It was clear that Truyde’s side had realized that the Marquis’ wooden pendant and Abel’s wooden pendant were the sa. lmond wanted to press him further, but Truyde diverted his attention.

“So, you don’t know?”

“Yes. I don’t know where it is.”

This ti, he looked Truyde straight in the eye as he answered. Truyde stared at him with suspicion for a mont before ordering him to leave. Truyde watched lmond turn and leave the room, muttering to himself.

“Does he really not know?”

If so, where is that wooden pendant?

Abel’s master gave it to him, so it’s unlikely he would have kept it on him and suddenly thrown it away sowhere, thus, he must have given it to soone...

At that mont, Truyde’s eyes suddenly narrowed. He had forgotten.

Who was the last person Abel had t?

Could it have been the emperor?

“Summon Norhox to the Regas Palace imdiately.”

If it was really the emperor who had it, he needed soone to gain his favor.

It was ti to make use of Norhox’s Regas.