The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go – Chapter 108

Author: Nikss

For an ordinary person, they wouldn’t want someone they care about to suffer by constantly thinking about a grim future.

“…You’ve been through a lot, Caliberne.”

I spoke softly to the sword enveloped in a blue light.

Caliberne had been the one closest to me when I was on the brink of death due to my magic running wild.

Since she had entered my body to save me, someone she had never even met before, she must have suffered greatly watching me in pain. She had already put in so much effort to save me.

I was grateful for that, but I also felt guilty for making her worry this time, which led me to say this.

[W-why are you suddenly saying that? It’s creepy.]

Despite her words, it was clear she was embarrassed.

‘She really does care…’

[You’re the one who suffered more, not me.]

“Well, you’ve been helping me control my magic all this time, too.”

[Enough. It’s just something I’ve always done. More importantly, don’t get hurt anymore.]

“Yes, Mother.”

[Ugh, seriously.]

Despite her words, Caliberne didn’t seem genuinely angry.

Whether she had gotten used to being called ‘Mother’ or had simply given up, she didn’t react as strongly as before.

“Ah, I think His Majesty will be here soon. Should we talk again tonight?”

Noticing the clock nearing 8, I asked Caliberne.

[Sure, whatever.]

While discussing Cedric and Caliberne, I had revealed to him that I could actually communicate with Caliberne.

This was to confirm that Ackeleta’s assumption—that the owner of Caliberne would change if the current owner was fatally wounded by the sword—was not entirely wrong.

I told him I had heard this directly from Caliberne, and we concluded that some information Ackeleta had about Caliberne was accurate.

‘So now, even if Cedric hears me talking to Caliberne, it’s not a big deal…’

Still, if Cedric suddenly walked in during our conversation, it might startle Caliberne, so it seemed best to wrap things up.

“Yeah. Let’s talk again before bed.”

[Alright. I’m going in.]

The blue light emanating from the sword’s magic stone faded.

At the same time, there was a knock on the door.

“It’s me, Ciel.”

“Come in!”

As expected, it was Cedric who knocked.

“You’re here a bit early.”

I smiled slightly as I looked at him, and Cedric’s red eyes softened as he spoke.

“I missed you too much, so I came early.”

“Huh? Oh…”

“Should we hold hands first?”

Even after dropping such a bombshell that would have made Caliberne clutch her head in disbelief, Cedric casually sat beside me and took my hand.

The motion was so fluid and natural that before I knew it, I was holding his hand too.

“Oh, right, did you hear any news today?”

“Yes. As we expected, it seems Ackeleta has contacted the Kingdom of Chitran.”

“Chitran, huh…”

The Kingdom of Chitran is the second-largest nation on the continent, after the Deamant Empire.

Once, they had attacked Deamant in an attempt to seize the continent, but that was a long time ago.

Now, the two nations peacefully interact without even minor conflicts.

“If Chitran joins, it’ll be quite a headache. Their military numbers aren’t as large as Deamant’s, but if they go all out, they could significantly bolster Ackeleta’s strength.”

“Agreed. For Ackeleta, Chitran is practically a lifeline.”

“Moreover, Chitran has impressive military technology. Even if their numbers are smaller, their technological prowess can’t be ignored.”

“That’s why we’ve prepared a countermeasure.”

Cedric replied with a relaxed smile.

“Chitran will ultimately side with us, not Ackeleta.”

He spoke with a voice full of confidence.

💫

“Can you swear that everything you’ve said is true?”

A man with ashen brown hair furrowed his brow and asked in a serious tone.

Jayden responded in a deliberately grave voice.

“Of course, Your Majesty, King of Chitran.”

Dark brown eyes stared intently into golden ones.

As if trying to detect any lies hidden within.

“You know the consequences if these words turn out to be false, don’t you?”

“Your Majesty, King of Chitran.”

Jayden called out to him with a slightly cracked voice, filled with resentment, and the King of Chitran blinked in surprise.

“I sent my only sister to Deamant and haven’t heard a single word from her since. I’ve been worried sick about whether she’s doing well, eating properly, or sleeping soundly, but Deamant completely cut off all communication after taking her.”

“…I see.”

“I waited anxiously day after day, but even on the one day every three months when she was supposed to return to Ackeleta, my sister never showed herself. It was so suspicious that I tried contacting the Deamant Empire, but they didn’t even respond.”

Jayden, breathing heavily, began to tremble uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face as if he could no longer hold back his emotions.

“If my sister were safe, what reason would they have to hide even her survival from me? The more they act like this, the more I can’t help but think that something terrible has happened to her, and that the Empire is hiding it. I can’t even sleep because of it.”

“King of Ackeleta—”

“Do you really think I, who am so desperate to know my sister’s fate, have the energy to lie?”

At Jayden’s outburst, the King of Chitran finally fell silent.

“If I can just get my sister back, I’ll do anything. That’s why I even shared classified information about the oracle with you—”

“Enough, I understand.”

The King of Chitran raised his hand and nodded.

“I’ve grasped the situation. But I still wonder why you felt the need to tell me about the Sword of Victory.”

“Why does that confuse you?”

“Well, if the sword is that powerful, couldn’t you just keep the information to yourself, take it from the Emperor, and be done with it?”

“But if there’s no benefit for Chitran in attacking Deamant, why would you move?”

Jayden said with a sly smile.

“Ackeleta’s forces alone aren’t enough to bring down the Empire.”

The King of Chitran stared into Jayden’s eyes as he spoke. It had been hundreds of years since Chitran last received an oracle.

But he knew that Chitran had once received oracles in the past, so he didn’t think the oracle’s contents were entirely baseless.

There were also records in Chitran of oracles related to the Sword of Victory.

However, as time passed, the importance of oracles diminished within the kingdom, and eventually, they faded into legend, reducing the royal family’s interest in the Sword of Victory to mere folklore.

‘The story of the Sword of Victory could very well be true.’

But he couldn’t be certain of that possibility.

“Your Majesty, King of Chitran, I desperately need your help to get my sister back.”

Jayden spoke softly, “I will reclaim my sister, and you will seize the Sword of Victory from the Emperor of Deamant, placing the world beneath your feet.”

The liar’s honeyed voice echoed through the room.

‘Even that stone-hearted man should find this tempting.’

Jayden thought to himself, wearing a friendly smile.

‘Not that it matters, since I’m the only one who knows how to take Caliberne.’

The deceitful man, hiding his dark intentions, smiled brightly, revealing his pearly white teeth.