Arc 1 Chapter 34 : To The Desert

[Raul's POV]

In front of me lay the corpse of a man, dead, with a smile on his face. His stomach had been destroyed by a disgusting creature that had eaten him from the inside out.

"He didn't reveal anything about his master, even with his last breath," I muttered, recalling what had just transpired. "He would've made a great agent if he had worked for me."

Upon hearing my words, my four subordinates lowered their heads in silence.

It seems that today, we won't uncover the connection to the candidate Count Juan contacted. Still, taking out his messenger was enough to wreck his business here.

Before his last breath, the man muttered a name, possibly a clue:

"Bell and Winda, huh?"

I then turned to give my next command to Karl and the others.

"Find this man's family," I ordered Karl. "Since he failed his mission, we'll take his family under our protection in case his master comes after them."

"Understood, Boss. We'll carry out your orders immediately," they responded in unison.

"And make sure he gets a proper burial."

I walked out of the warehouse, gazing at the moonlight illuminating the night sky.

In this world, not everything is black and white. To change it, I even have to kill a man who was loved by his family. But that's how this world works—good people are everywhere, but they aren't spared from the cruelty of the power struggles in this country.

Lives will be lost, both good and evil. It's naive to think we can avoid that and still achieve what we desire.

For that reason… I want this thought to be my solace as I continue to kill more good people in pursuit of my goal.

---

[Third Person POV]

The next day, at the office of the foreign minister of the Aragon Empire, a man stood before a young man with blonde hair, likely in his early twenties.

"Duke Rayodel, what news brings you here in such a hurry?" asked the blonde man.

This man was Felix de Aragon, the first son of Emperor Philip de Aragon, one of the strongest contenders to be the next emperor of the most powerful human nation.

"It has begun, Your Highness," said the Duke. "Someone is targeting nobles from our faction."

Hearing the Duke's words, Prince Felix grew serious.

"I just received word that officers from the Ministry of Trade raided the residence of Count Juan, one of the nobles in our faction," Duke Rayodel reported on the move Raul and Elena had made earlier.

"Is that so? What punishment will Count Juan likely face?" asked Prince Felix, already aware of the crimes committed by the noble in his faction.

"Given the large sums of money that have flowed into Count Juan's pockets, the Empire will likely force him to abdicate, leaving his underage son to inherit his title," the Duke explained with regret over the situation.

With Count Juan's downfall, Prince Felix's faction would lose several votes in the upcoming election.

"I sent someone to help him, but there's been no word so far," the Duke said, anxiety creeping into his voice. "I suspect he's been captured by agents from another candidate, who are trying to thwart our efforts to assist Count Juan."

After hearing the Duke's explanation, the Prince tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

"What's done is done. Ensure there's no trace of our involvement in the investigation against Count Juan," ordered the Prince. "Find out which candidate is behind this attack on us. I'll make sure they regret getting in my way."

Prince Felix was an ultra-nationalist. His love for the Aragonian Empire was undeniable, but he disliked the current policy of allowing people from conquered tribes and regions to hold significant positions in the Empire.

He believed this country should not be tainted by those who weren't of pure Aragonian blood, especially not by those he deemed inferior.

Many of the current ministerial positions were held by nobles or tribal leaders from recently conquered lands. This was done to quickly stabilize the newly annexed territories.

This was why he wanted to be the next emperor—to undo these policies and lead the Empire down what he believed was the rightful path.

"With each passing year, the Empire's influence has been chipped away by the rise of other nations," Prince Felix said as he stood from his chair. "I will ensure the Empire is feared again, and no one dares oppose our will in this world."

---

[Brian's POV]

The next day, after spending the night in the city of Murcia, we began our journey to the southwest region of the Empire.

For some reason, the security in Murcia was tighter than usual. Rumor had it that the Count of the city would be arrested and tried in the capital for certain crimes.

I don't really understand these things.

Why do so many nobles commit crimes and take what isn't theirs? Why aren't there more nobles like Ariel out there? Most of them are scumbags, like that black-haired man.

Speaking of him, lately, the students have been talking about him more and more.

"Are we going to face him again in the second round?" "I hope what happened in the first stage doesn't happen again." "I just want to relax and enjoy the next exam."

Ugh, a bunch of cowards.

Why are they so afraid of him? Can't we beat him? He's not invincible like the great knights of the Empire!

"Brian, what's wrong?"

I heard Ariel's voice beside me.

The second-year students were resting after hours of traveling.

Ariel and I had planned to have lunch together, just the two of us.

"You seem in a bad mood. Is something bothering you?" Ariel asked with a concerned expression.

Lately, she's been different, ever since that man held her hostage. She's less responsive when I tell her stories, and spending time with her feels dull now.

"I'm fine, Ariel," I replied naturally. "I should be asking you. Ever since the first exam ended, you've been lost in thought."

At my question, Ariel touched her chin, as if deep in thought.

"Hey, Brian, why do you hate Raul so much?"

Why would Ariel ask me that, out of nowhere?

Isn't it obvious? He's a jerk of a noble who always forces his will on others! He looks down on commoners like me! Of course I despise someone like him. He's even made Ariel cry and caused her all kinds of trouble with his behavior.

"Isn't it obvious? Why are you asking, Ariel?"

As I spoke, Ariel seemed to be looking somewhere else, not paying attention to me.

I followed her gaze and saw a black-haired man sitting under a tree. He was holding a small notebook and a writing tool, seemingly jotting something down.

Lately, Ariel's been watching him more often, and it's been driving me crazy.

"Stop thinking about him, Ariel," I said, trying to snap her out of it. "I know it must have been terrifying being held hostage by someone you hate, but you need to confront those feelings to move forward."

Ariel didn't respond to me at all. She just lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, looking anxious about something.

"We should focus on the second exam. I think we'll reach the test site in two days."

I reached out to touch her hand as I said that, but to my surprise, Ariel pulled her hand away, as if she didn't want any physical contact with me.

What's going on with her…?

"Sorry, Brian, I need some time alone."

All I could do was watch as Ariel walked away from me.

I then turned to glare at the black-haired man sitting under the tree with hatred.

"This is all his fault... He's done something to Ariel…"

I clenched my fists as hard as I could, holding back my anger.

My feet moved toward the black-haired man.

He seemed to notice my approach and put the notebook he was holding into his pocket.

"What do you want from me?" the black-haired man asked, sounding completely uninterested.

He had once said during the exam that he did something indecent to Ariel. But when I asked her about it, she denied that he had done anything to her during the time he held her captive.

Still, with Ariel acting so strangely lately, I couldn't shake the feeling that something happened between the two of them during that exam.

"What did you do to Ariel?" I asked him. I wouldn't know anything if neither he nor Ariel would talk to me. "She's been different ever since you kidnapped her!"

Yes… The once cheerful, smiling Ariel was gone. Now, she spent most of her time quiet and lost in thought when we were alone.

I won't forgive this man if he's the reason Ariel changed!

The black-haired man stood up, and now we were face-to-face.

His dark eyes seemed like an abyss, ready to swallow anyone who dared look into them.

"Do you not like the way Ariel has changed?" asked the man with black hair, his voice flat.

To be honest, I preferred the old Ariel. She always listened to my stories, heard my complaints, and her beautiful smile always motivated me to train hard and pursue my dreams.

The Ariel now is quieter than usual. Somehow, it feels like her heart is distant from me, even though we are physically so close.

I didn't answer his question. But it seems he knows exactly how I feel.

"Do you love Ariel, Brian?" the man asked again. This time, his gaze was serious, as if he truly wanted to know my answer.

Hearing his question made me reflect on my feelings for the platinum-haired woman.

Do I love her?

Seeing her gentle smile always lifts my spirits during training. Being with her was always fun before the kidnapping incident happened. I hate it when other men get too close to Ariel.

Yes... I love her...

For some reason, this thought never crossed my mind until Raul asked me.

"Yes, you're right." I admitted my feelings. "I love Ariel."

Hearing my confession, Raul's expression changed. I had no idea what he was thinking at that moment.

"I see. So, you really love her," he muttered quietly.

But what does my love for Ariel have to do with her sudden change in behavior?

"Everyone changes, Brian," he said, now sounding serious. "Depending on what they've been through, it's impossible for people to stay the same forever."

I... don't understand what he's saying. What does this have to do with Ariel?

"Loving someone means accepting everything about them. If the person you love changes, you will still love them, whether those changes are good or bad for you."

For some reason, his words seemed to come from personal experience.

"If we only love someone for the good in them, that's just obsession."

Hearing this made me angry.

Why does it feel like he knows Ariel better than I do? I'm the one who's always been by her side. I'm the one who stood with her through all her struggles.

His attitude only made me hate him more.

"What do you know?"

This was all too frustrating.

What does he know about Ariel that I don't...

The black-haired man didn't answer. He simply walked past me, leaving me alone.

"Damn it..."