~Chapter 71~
Ch.8
When Leviathan carried Rubian out of the cave, a large crowd had already gathered.
Among them, the most restless were the knights wearing the Jebert crest.
“Your Grace, Rubian…”
Leon, usually calm, stepped forward with a rare anxious look. Though he held himself back, his sharp eyes never left the child.
“Shh.”
Leviathan quietly shook his head. Then he accepted a dry cloak from a retainer and wrapped it around the child.
“Is she asleep?”
In his arms, Rubian trembled faintly.
Not really asleep—just completely drained.
“She needs to rest soon.”
He pulled the heavy cloak over her head, shielding her fully. Misty rain still fell from the cloudy sky.
Leon nodded and stepped back.
“Lady Rosetta has bound the culprits. Well… they were already hanging upside down in the trees, so there wasn’t much binding to do…”
Seven men, all dealt with?
Leviathan listened without a word, picking up stray murmurs around him.
The prince and noble ladies had awakened inside the cave. Rubian and the short-haired girl had regained consciousness even earlier… chatter, whispers.
He turned his head slightly.
A young girl who had been glancing his way flinched as their eyes met.
“Was it you?”
“…Sir?”
“You look like one of Babylon’s base magicians.”
At that, Rubian stirred faintly in his arms. A large hand soothed the child’s fragile back.
“Y-yes! I’m Asha.”
“I see. Asha.”
His cold eyes fixed on her.
“Thank you… for protecting Rubian.”
Asha’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Duke of Jebert—thanking a magician? She hadn’t expected such words. But then her gaze dropped to the exhausted Rubian, and she understood.
“Well… I don’t think I deserve much credit, but… yes.”
“Leviathan.”
A pink-haired woman hurried over. Leviathan went to meet his wife.
“Sir Oberon has taken the criminals away. Let’s go down too.”
Looking at Rosetta, soaked in the rain, Leviathan sighed heavily.
“…We should hurry. Your face looks pale.”
“Honestly. Who here has a healthy complexion right now?”
In truth, Leviathan’s own face was the palest of all. Rosetta noticed, but let it go.
“And Rubian…”
The child, buried stubbornly against his neck under the black cloak, refused to lift her face.
“…It’s better we talk later.”
The rain stopped completely.
Just as Leviathan grabbed the reins, new footsteps approached.
“Your Grace, the Duke.”
“What is it?”
“I am Lutus, knight of the First Imperial Guard.”
The prince’s escort knights had arrived late.
Leviathan’s lips twisted with disdain.
“So this is what it means to call them imperial knights.”
They bowed briefly, but their gazes soon shifted to the child in his arms. The veins on Leviathan’s hand stood out.
“We’d like to ask the child some questions about the incident, if you permit. She seems to be the only one conscious during the kidnapping.”
“Sir Lutus, that’s enough.”
It was Leon who cut in. The two men had met before in the capital.
Lutus raised an eyebrow. Leon was usually expressionless, yet now he showed open displeasure.
“My apologies, but this is procedure,” Lutus said firmly. “The child may be the only witness.”
“You already have the magician,” Leon pressed.
“He is also a suspect in another kidnapping attempt. You know his words cannot be trusted.”
Lutus returned coldly.
“So please, just for a moment—”
“Child.”
Leviathan’s low murmur froze everyone. Lutus instinctively stepped back.
“…Pardon?”
“That child?”
Leviathan stepped forward. Just one step, yet the pressure was overwhelming. A dark shadow loomed over Lutus.
“Y-Your Grace, I only meant the proper procedures…”
“Since when could a mere knight lecture me?”
Around them, Count Camellan and others turned their eyes toward the scene.
“And worse, you dare address the Jebert girl as if she were nothing.”
“…What?”
Faces froze in shock.
“G… girl?”
In that instant—
A sharp wind swept past Lutus’s ear.
Thud! A massive greatsword embedded itself in the tree behind him.
“Uwaaah!”
Lutus fell back in terror.
“My ear, my ear!”
“Ha, missed by a hair.”
“Y-you threw a sword at me?! Old Duke!”
The beast on horseback chuckled and shook his head.
“No. My hand slipped.”
No one believed that. But none dared to argue.
Balrog leapt down casually, yanking the sword free.
“So? What’s this trash now?”
The towering old man glared coldly.
Lutus stammered, “I only meant to question… It was just procedure…”
Overprotective, wasn’t it? He only wanted to ask what happened.
“Good. Then help clean up the mess.”
Leviathan seized the reins again.
“Hmph.”
Balrog’s eyes landed on the child nestled in Leviathan’s arms. Seeing she was safe, the tension drained from his shoulders.
Cracking his neck, he muttered darkly,
“Fine. Go on. I’ll take care of these rats myself.”
“That would be—”
“Sir Lutus!”
Just then, Licht ran over, breaking from Count Olson.
“What is going on here?”
“P-Prince…”
“Do you know whose presence you dare disturb?”
With wet hair slicked back, the prince’s cold glare silenced all. His face mirrored the Emperor’s.
Licht turned with a weary sigh toward Leviathan.
“My apologies for their rudeness, Duke. Please go. I’ll handle the imperial knights.”
Leviathan did not spare them another glance.
His horse reared, then charged forward.
Rosetta, Leon, and the Jebert knights surrounded the child like shields.
Behind them, Khalid turned briefly. For an instant, his eyes met Licht’s before he looked away.
Screams erupted.
“Rats! Where did all these rats come from?! Get them away!”
The knights shouted in panic.
Rubian stirred at the noise, trying to raise her head.
Leviathan pressed her down gently with his large hand.
“Keep your eyes closed.”
The child shifted, gazing quietly at his profile.
Fixing his eyes forward, Leviathan spoke firmly:
“It’s over now.”
“….”
“So everything is alright.”
The child gave a soft sound—half sigh, half answer—then buried her face against him again.
