A Betrayed Master Will Not Return

59 – When the World is Turned Upside Down

I couldn’t accept the current situation at all.

I knew that today was a fairly important day.

I knew that it had something to do with determining the fate of this country,

that many people were busy preparing for it.

However, I wasn’t really concerned about these grand aspects.

There was only one thing that I was interested in.

After this is over and the situation is sorted out, it is a fact that Ellie and I will be able to live happily, calmly studying and existing together.

Power and devices were probably good things for me.

Living day by day with the person I love,

That was the only thing that interested me,

It could be said that it was the biggest reason for the way I live now.

And.

For someone like me.

At this moment.

The sight of her in front of my eyes.

It made me feel like my heart was being pierced by an unexpected blade.

“…”

Ellie and Napolea lying before me, frozen like cold corpses.

The holes pierced through their hearts,

And their appearance, stained red with blood flowing from there,

Forced my brain to face reality.

Death.

The death of someone so precious.

And someone who would surely become even more precious in the future.

Even as I looked at it with my own two eyes.

I couldn’t accept it at all.

“…What… what happened? Why… why did Eli… and even Napoleon…”

“…I’m sorry. By the time we discovered the scene, it was already…”

Voice of Jeanne filled with shock and disbelief.

However, those who heard the news could only bow their heads and offer no response.

The culprit had disappeared without a trace,

and those who could provide information were all wiped out.

All that could be ascertained was one clear conclusion.

That Eli and Napoleon had been murdered by someone.

“Sob… sob…”

“Eli… Napoleon…”

“Uaaah!”

The Devil Hunters, who had held back their tears, finally began to weep.

Among them, I still could not accept the reality and could only shed tears silently, feeling confusion and despair.

Once again, I was overwhelmed by my own helplessness in having sent away the person I loved so foolishly.

And feeling an indelible sense of guilt towards Eli, who had trusted and followed this foolish person.

*

The aftermath of Eli’s death.

It was far greater than imagined.

In fact, with the death of the main protagonist leading the Tripartite Council, the meeting fell into chaos.

In the midst of it all, General Raphael stepped forward decisively.

With him as the focal point, the commoners’ faction, who were thrown into confusion by Ellie’s death, was able to regroup in a precarious manner. However, their characters had changed drastically compared to when Ellie led them.

Ellie was able to accurately calculate the gains and losses between the nobles and the commoners, while smoothly managing their weaknesses and providing slight compensations. Unlike her, General Rafael, who simply pushed through with his strength, did not possess such ability. Furthermore, his goals were so extreme that they could not be compared to Ellie’s.

Carrying the burden of the commoners on his shoulders, Rafael blatantly pushed for the interests of the feudal lords and privileged class. This attitude not only led to opposition from the nobles who were originally favorable to the commoners, but also resulted in the three-part conference, which had finally opened, escalating discord between the different statuses and concluding without any resolution.

In the end, enraged commoners held a meeting on the tennis court in accordance with General Rafael’s decision, forming a delegation. The organized commoner faction, fueled by the harsh reality that could not be ignored, rapidly gained momentum.

And amidst this process, a figure quickly took action.

Duke Oaklane, originally a staunch noble, swiftly proclaimed himself a supporter of the commoners following the three-part conference. Due to his joining and incitement, the already tense Paretown soon erupted into large-scale riots.

“Destroy the Bastar Prison!”

“We must rescue our persecuted comrades!”

Bastar, the massive prison located in Paretown. It was unclear whether there were any individuals involved in the revolution held inside. However, due to Duke Oaklane’s speech, someone mentioned Bastar Prison in the heated atmosphere that had already been stirred up.

In response, hungry and excited individuals began rushing towards Bastar Prison with crude weapons in hand.

Thus, without knowing the exact reason, a sudden battle began in the midst of Paretown.

At the words that came from his lips, Doroliby’s face suddenly hardened.

“What… what did you say?”

*

“How is it on your end?”

“All clear. As expected, everyone’s focused on the Bastya prison, and it seems like they don’t know anything about our business.”

“…I figured as much. Just like Eli had said.”

Carefully moving towards the port in sight, despite the grueling journey, we felt more relief than fatigue, reassured by the fact that we had managed to come this far without major issues.

Months ago, a letter had arrived to a floundering me in the wake of Eli’s death. It contained detailed instructions for potential scenarios that might unfold in the event of her demise and how to act accordingly.

Eli, meticulous to the end, had left us her final act of diligence. With admiration for that fact, and feeling a sense of responsibility for her beloved yet surviving disciples, I trusted the information in the letter and began to take action.

And now, the task at hand, which we had undertaken as a result, was… to follow a route meticulously kept secret, even from the queen herself; right under the land, we were departing the Kingdom of Frantz.

“Even so… I never thought that we would end up like this just a few days after Ellie’s death…”

“Yeah, it’s quite a mess… I thought we would be able to live comfortably now, but everything has fallen apart…”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Frankly, I think this is much better than being stuck in that tired old palace. Who knows what would have happened if we had stayed there.”

“Speaking of that, Gabriel seemed to be quite relaxed, didn’t he? He even ordered jokbal (a Korean dish) from Baren on the way today.”

“Well… it was quite tasty, so I can’t complain.”

“Hmm… hmm…”

Gabriel blushes slightly at the words of Jannu and Niko.

However, both of them had no major complaints about the fact that they had escaped to this point, just as she had said.

After Ellie’s death, we, who were her close aides, became nothing more than a bunch of defeated and mocked losers.

Not only the nobles, but also General Raphael, the leader of the commoners’ council, did not see us in a favorable light.

And as Ellie had mentioned, it was a situation where we couldn’t expect anything from the incompetent queen.

In the end, the only path left for us…

No, to be more precise,

The only path left for me, was to ensure the safety of my disciples.

Leaving this country completely.

Thanks to the enormous legacy that Ellie had left us, there were no financial issues.

Moreover, due to the massive riots that she had foreseen, the powerful figures who currently pay attention to us in this country were virtually nonexistent.

Literally, now was the perfect time to disappear cleanly.

If a little more time had passed, we could have been dragged into unnecessary conflicts with the commoners or nobles and could have been killed without even a chance to resist.

If it were just me, I could somehow manage to prevent that, but the fact that precious people could be killed again in the process was an unbearable future for me, who was already burdened with Ellie’s death.

It would be better to leave this country and live comfortably elsewhere.

In addition, there were people who were willing to help me both inside and outside, besides the preparations Eli left for me.

“Thank you for supporting me until the end.”

“I told you, I will definitely repay the favor.”

“We are truly grateful for giving us the opportunity to help like this.”

Fiola and Sharlotte, former disciples of Gerald.

Although they originally came from commoner backgrounds, they have risen to prominent positions as Devil Hunters. Currently, they are actively assisting us in our escape as close aides to General Laphael, in return for repaying the favor of rescuing them from the past imprisonment.

And one more thing,

I had another reason to be grateful to them, apart from this escape.

“By the way… do you really intend to stay? It would be safer for you to go with us…”

“Yes… I won’t go, no… I can’t go. Until I repay the debt to Teacher Napolea…”

A girl replied in a serious and cold voice, unlike before.

Leone.

Honestly, I had a strong desire to take her with me, even more than the other disciples, who are still young. However, Leone firmly refused, which was unlike her usual self.

There was only one reason for it.

The teacher who taught both her and me.

It was because she was determined to uncover the truth about Napolea’s death.

The relationship between the two of them was much stronger than I had thought.

For her, Napolea had become like a sister or a mother at some point,

It might have been natural that one couldn’t turn away from the death of such a person.

“Don’t worry, Master. As your disciple, this child is no different from our juniors. We will protect and nurture them well.”

“…Yes, please do. And…thank you, truly.”

Fiona’s words felt sincere.

With a bit of relief, I slowly made my way toward the pier that was starting to come into view.

And there, waiting for us, was one person.

That person was…

“hehehehe, welcome, Gellard Mewra. And the other young ladies as well.”

“…Thank you for the welcome, Nelson.”

Nelson, with shimmering golden eyes and a face filled with joy.

Still, despite my anticipation, seeing her actually bring the ship and come all the way here to Kalle, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of reassurance and unease.

“Though I did accept the proposal we made before…it still feels strange, doesn’t it? She’s being overly friendly…almost to the point of being excessive…”

Nelson, who not only delighted in recruiting capable talents but also blushed with joy on her face.

However, from the perspective of someone who accepted her scouting proposal, I couldn’t help but push those feelings aside for now.

“I’ll say it again, the safety of me and my disciples must be guaranteed absolutely. If anything were to happen to them…”

“Don’t worry. I swear on Queen Pera’s name and Lady Dorothy Invisible’s strand of hair. I will absolutely keep that promise.”

Nelson declared with a convinced voice, imbuing the meaning of an absolute oath.

Feeling a little bit of relief, I looked at the faces of those who were parting with me for the last time.

Honestly, I still didn’t know much about my two disciples,

And Leone, who had grown dear to me during this time.

While looking at their figures, I spoke sincerely.

“Well then, until we meet again, everyone, take care.”

“Yes, Master…Master, please take care as well.”

Leone, with tears pooling in her eyes, replied.

After tightly embracing her body,

I took the other disciples and boarded Nelson’s ship.

And so, the ship slowly began to move away from Kalle.

On the deck, I asked Gabriel, who was always by my side, in a gentle voice.

“Now…what will become of us?”

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes. A little.”

Gabriel responded with a hesitant answer.

Towards her, I smiled calmly and spoke.

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens in the future, I will always protect all of you.”

“….Master…”

In response to my words filled with determination, Gabriel’s cheeks turned slightly red.

As I gently caressed her head, I started to step into the ship with her.

Feeling both worry and a slight bit of anticipation for what would unfold.

At the same time,

I felt a light sense of doubt towards Gabriel and Nelson, who were sending me heated glances for some reason.