In haste, Pedro returned to the Grand Duchy and went straight to find Camilla. The mansion, which had been preparing to transition to the territory, was in complete disarray.

“Camilla!”

He spotted her from a distance as she came down with a handmaid.

“Honey, what about Lucian?”

Since Lucian suddenly left the mansion, Camilla couldn’t rest properly out of worry. Nevertheless, her presence at the mansion had helped finalize the preparations for their departure.

Knowing her concerns, Pedro decided not to delve into his son’s situation, and instead, he chose to send her away first.

“Please leave for the Leon estate right away.”

“Yes? Then, you and Lucian… and Rachel?”

“Don’t worry about the children. I’m staying behind to take them with me.”

“You want me to leave so suddenly like this? I haven’t finished sorting everything out yet.”

“Take what’s been sorted out and leave. Take all the employees with you as well. Oh, and make sure to take out all the carriages in the mansion. There were that many coachmen, right?”

Camilla, seeing Pedro visibly distracted, grabbed his hand.

“What’s happened?”

He had always appeared unshakable, and even if he were shaken, he wouldn’t display it outwardly. Though now, with his face flushed in bewilderment and talking gibberish, it was hard not to guess.

Still, Pedro remained silent at her question.

His lips were sealed shut, seemingly unwilling to open, but they began to tremble ever so slightly.

“Honey.”

“…It seems to be all my fault.”

“What do you mean?”

He felt his heart sink. He couldn’t deny that Lucian’s current state was entirely his fault.

Knowing well that he was releasing his deep-seated inferiority complex onto his innocent son, he didn’t stop. He had let it be and now wanted to act like a father to his son. How despicable it was. Yet even now, he couldn’t give up the role of a father. He couldn’t leave his son, who had his body taken by his ancestor, as it was.

Camilla tightly hugged Pedro, whose stern expression was rapidly crumbling,

“Leave it to me here.”

She, too, was filled with her own worries and anxieties, but she knew Pedro’s feelings well. Even though she knew they were late, she had no desire to return to the past of turning a blind eye. That was why she wanted to help him and support the Duchy from her position.

She had a duty to protect this place for the son, who would undoubtedly return.

“…Please.”

Pedro, too, understood her feelings. It was a task that needed to be done, even if it was late.

“Then, should we start preparing to leave now?”

“I hope you can quickly get out of the capital.”

He couldn’t forget the words muttered by the being that had possessed Lucian’s body. He had an inkling of the identity of that being. The being didn’t need to reveal its name, but how could he, as his descendant, not know?

Perhaps that was what made him even more anxious. The one who possessed the ability to destroy the world had spoken.

…It felt like things would happen just as it had said.

Pedro, along with Camilla, helped everyone onto the carriages and arranged the procession. After giving orders to the commander of the Duchy’s knights, he himself quickly got on a horse. He briefly watched the departing group, seeing them off, then turned his horse’s head towards the Palace.

It wasn’t far from the mansion, but he was in a hurry.

If this were the person Pedro was thinking of was right, he would have surely gone to the Palace. Given that his body was sealed there, it would be natural.

He urged his horse forward as the Palace came into view, kicking the body to increase its speed. Suddenly, an ear-splitting noise rang out, and the Palace in the distance began to shake. Despite the vague sense of unease, Pedro, who saw it with his own eyes, didn’t stop and continued to ride.

And he was certain.

Lucian was at the Palace.

* * *

“What’s going on?”

Dustin, who had taken on Noah’s appearance, leaned against the window and glanced outside as the commotion grew louder.

“Umm!”

Despite Kylus, still bound in the form of an old man, saying something, Dustin ignored him. Both of them had come prepared for this place. Especially him, who believed that if he remained in Noah’s form, an opportunity to escape would present itself.

Being the one who had revealed the secret, he was sure to receive some privileges.

“D*mn it, because of you, everything’s gone haywire. You d*mned bat. Your nature doesn’t change even after a thousand years.”

Dustin grumbled, still reading with resentment.

At that moment, a duchy’s knight opened the door of the dungeon where the two were held, but he didn’t say much.

“Consider yourself lucky.”

Pedro had decided that the individuals Lucian had captured were no longer necessary, and he ordered them to be released. Since they had to leave as soon as possible, they were becoming more of a hassle.

Dustin watched the departing knight and then turned to look at Kylus, pondering whether to leave him behind, recalling his abilities.

“Tsk, you should know how to survive with your abilities.”

“Umm!”

As he grabbed Kylus by the neck and hoisted him up, it seemed best to hurry, as the reason the knight had left in a rush was surely not a good one. Draggin Kylus along, he walked through the dim corridors of the mansion, not forgetting to keep an eye on his surroundings.

All of a sudden, he heard someone speaking and quickly hid his body.

“Miss Amber! We’re the last ones. Hurry up.”

“…I will stay.”

“Yes? But the Duchess instructed all the employees to move to the estate.”

“I’ll go a bit later. Don’t worry about that.”

“Why on earth?”

Amber gave an awkward smile to her colleague, who looked puzzled.

“The Miss said she would return, and it would be inconvenient if there were no one here.”

“…Didn’t they already send someone?”

The colleague wouldn’t know the situation since they were unaware. Amber believed that no one in the mansion would know where the Miss was, and that must have been why the Duke had caused such a commotion.

Still, how could they send someone to where the Miss was? Regardless, she had no doubt the Miss would return here, so she had to wait.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about me, and leave first. I’ll leave with the Miss when she returns.”

“Then… alright, I understand. I’ll inform the Duchess.”

“Then, please. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Amber watched the last carriage depart before turning her body. She put on the robe she had prepared and began to walk.

Dustin, thinking that she was a rarely loyal maid, immediately realized the Miss’ true identity.

Who else could be referred to as the Miss in the Leon family? Although she hadn’t brought with him when she came to the information guild before, he was well aware of the kind of person she was, even if he hadn’t seen her face.

After hiding for quite some time, even after she left, he left the mansion with Kylus in tow. As they were about to hurry and leave, the ground shook violently.

Thinking that something was odd, he opened his mouth toward Kylus, whom he had brought along.

“Whoo, hey. Don’t shout when the gag is removed. No one’s here anyway.”

“Umm!”

He had no choice but to remove the gag in frustration.

“Cough, you!”

“Try using your foresight. What’s happening now?”

Kylus had been itching to speak all along and began pouring out the words first.

“Dustin! The Saint! The Saint has returned…!”

The brilliant light he had foreseen in the underground dungeon hadn’t faded even after all this time.

With a dazed look, Kylus began to speak about what he had seen, and Dustin’s expression gradually began to distort as he listened.

* * *

Enzo easily infiltrated the Palace with teleportation. Although there were barriers to prevent intruders, they were useless to him as he walked the peaceful palace corridors as if they didn’t know about the intruder. He then headed toward a place where he faintly sensed the spirit’s aura.

It wasn’t just walking, he was destroying everything in sight.

How long had he waited for this moment? He couldn’t help but remember Spencer, who had dared to break their agreement and fed him a suspicious potion.

That was why he couldn’t return to Selena’s side.

“…Those bat-like b*stards.”

Frankly, they were beings not even worth being called the imperial family. Making the Leonis family into the Imperial Family was one of the most regrettable things he had done in his life.

Kuang-kwaang—

As he watched the buildings collapse with a simple gesture of his hand, he chuckled. The accumulated stagnation from a thousand years had dissipated ever so slightly.

“In, intruder…!”

When the knight who spotted him shouted, Enzo emitted dark energy and teleported toward him in an instant.

“Hiick!”

Upon reaching the knight in the blink of an eye, the knight was taken aback and took a step back. Enzo gestured once, causing the knight to be suspended in mid-air.

Then he spoke.

“Go and inform the Emperor. Enzo has arrived.”

The knight, strangely filled with fear, trembled at the revealing grin, though clearly it was the Duke.

__