Chapter 294: The Past (4)

“You still haven’t found it?”

Swift Clock made a frown as perplexity was evident in his gaze. An official under the administration and aide of Swift, Hainz bit his lower lips and lowered his head.

“Sorry. The whereabouts are still unknown. Not to mention the palace knights, knights and the Defense Army, even the believers of the Tallian Church are doing their hardest looking for it. The citizens are supportive as well.”

He gave a quick report.

“Mhmm.”

With a low mutter, Swift stared at the surroundings. The square-shaped space appeared very elegant. Along the walls were tables of various sizes and in the middle of that place was a glass case made by adding magic stones.

On top of the tables and shelves were ancient tools, several books and jewels. Those were all items related to Roan, or to the founding of the Amaranth Kingdom. However, the glass case which seemed to have been holding the most important object was completely empty.

Swift’s gaze went over towards the case.

“Hmm.”

A long murmur escaped once again and clenching his teeth, he ordered with a thorny tone.

“Find it. You must find…”

When his words reached that point,

Paaaaaat!

A pillar of white light suddenly reached up to the skies from next to the glass case.

“W, what in the world…?”

Swift made a startled expression as his eyes widened. The knights and Taemusas standing nearby all surrounded the pillar of light instinctively. Although they were dumbfounded for a bit, their gaze and expression were solid without any signs of trembling – as expected of the elite knights and elite soldiers of the Amaranth.

Paat!

The pillar of light suddenly disappeared and at the same time, a masculine youth and a beautiful young man appeared.

“Uh, huh?!”

Swift who had been observing it with caution in his eyes was surprised and kneeled on one knee.

“Your Majesty!”

Loud voices filled the place.

“We greet Your Majesty!”

A bit later, the knights and soldiers saluted as they sheathed their weapons. The youths that had appeared from the pillar of light were Roan Lancephil and Kalian. After a light nod, Roan turned his head and at the end of his gaze was the glass case.

“I knew it…”

Roan made a frown.

‘My prediction was correct.’

Ominous premonitions were never wrong.

“The Grand Commander’s Baton?”

When Roan asked with a low voice, Swift lowered his head.

“Sorry. Due to my carelessness, it had been stolen.”

His voice trembled towards the end. The now-empty glass case used to contain the baton of the total commander inside. Swift couldn’t continue his words and wore a miserable expression but Roan had a calm and a somewhat nonchalant attitude.

“Tell me exactly what had happened.”

Hearing that, Swift breathed in deep before struggling to open his mouth.

“While we were giving maintenance to Your Majesty’s belongings and the objects related to the founding of the Kingdom…”

He carefully raised his head.

“We had received a request from the Archbishop Latio of the Tallian Church.”
“Mhmm.”

Roan let out a low sigh as that was exactly what he thought had happened. Swift continued his words.

“The Archbishop Latio had made a little shack on the corner of the castle as their temple and had done good deeds to not only the citizens of Castle Mediasis but also the people living around the castle. He treated the sick, saved the poor, taught the uneducated ones, respected the elders and showed an example to the children.”

It was an enormous compliment. Because it was coming from Swift who always saw every situation rationally and cold-headedly, it was all the more meaningful.

‘That’s how well his mask was made.’

Roan made a bitter smile as Kalian too shook his head with a bitter smile.

‘He had hidden the disgusting true colours and quickly controlled the hearts of the populace.’

In the midst of their thoughts, Swift’s words continued.

“I was baffled once again at Your Majesty’s eyes.”

Hearing that, Roan let out a short sigh.

‘Swift, my eyes were totally wrong.’

Bitterness filled him up to his tongue.

“With the Tallian Church at the centre, a strange sense of livelihood unlike before was created.”

Just like what Kalian had thought, Latio and the Tallian Church had grasped the hearts of the citizens in one grab. If Swift hadn’t quickly intervened by supplying the treatment fees and other ways to care for the citizens, the entire foundation of the kingdom might’ve been largely shaken.

“During all that, the Archbishop Latio requested about showing to the children of the kingdom the great chronicles of Your Majesty and the grandeur foundation of the country. The stories about Your Majesty were quite popular with the children so…”

He slurred the words towards the end but Roan gave a nod with a faint smile.

“So you had picked out the symbolic objects from within the kingdom’s safe to show to the citizens.”
“Yes.”

Swift heaved out a short sigh.

“To make sure there was no problem with the security, the palace knights and the kingdom’s knights were made to thoroughly inspect the area around and we had greatly increased the number and frequency of patrols after talking to the Defense Army.”

Raising his head, he stared at the room that had opened to the public.

“The making and presenting of this room were very successful. Let alone the children, the adults that had followed by were all greatly moved and joyous after seeing the objects related to the foundation. There weren’t any problems with security as well.”

Swift’s gaze headed towards the glass case.

“The most popular one was definitely the Grand Commander’s Baton. After all, it was a treasure that allowed military control over every army from the days of the Rinse Kingdom and Your Majesty had founded the country with this baton in hand. It looks quite cool as well.”

Resting his hand on the case, he continued.

“That’s why we asked the Technical Department, the Alchemy Department and the Magic Tower of leno to add magic stones and create a magic glass case to preserve it in but…”
“It had been stolen, huh.”

With his eyes on the empty glass case, Roan gave a short reply to which Swift nodded along with a sigh.

“Yes. It just vanished. After finding out that it had been stolen, we had immediately closed the room and asked for a search and body-check by relying on the Defenders and the knights. The temple of the Tallian Church had shouldered the responsibility as well and went out looking for it and the Archbishop Latio gave a holy order asking for the thief to turn themselves in as well as asking the citizens to help find it. Due to that…”

He turned his head and gazed outside.

“Lots of citizens helped the knights and soldiers’ search but due to things becoming complicated, we had been slowed out overall.”

Roan gave a short nod as everything became clear.

“I understand what has happened.”

The theft of the baton, or rather Tempestas was definitely something carried under Latio’s orders.

‘In the first place, he must have accepted my offer into coming to the Capital of Mediasis for Tempestas.’

All that polite and modest expression and attitude were all fake.

‘But…’

Roan made a faint smile.

‘He didn’t know that the Grand Commander’s Baton was a fake.’

Was it coincidence or a destiny after three lives? Kalian had taken the Grand Commander’s Baton away and while doing that, he had placed the fake he made inside. It was a measure taken so that the palace that knew nothing about it would not fall into a panicky situation.

Swift, who knew nothing about it, had presented the fake Grand Commander’s Baton and Latio who had no way of knowing that he had stolen the fake baton. Making a bitter smile, Roan stared towards Swift.

“Archbishop Latio and the people of the temple?”
“They’re all out searching. Ever since a few days ago, they started personally looking around the areas surrounding the capital.”

Feeling grateful, Swift replied with a smile but Roan heaved a short sigh before staring at Kalian.

“As expected huh.”

It was an awkward use of casual language, and Kalian made a smile before lowering his head.

“It is indeed, Your Majesty.”

He too replied with an awkward polite speech as they had talked and decided to hide the real identity of Kalian for the time being. Looking into each others’ eyes, they moved their lips without making a single sound.

[Is there tracking magic on the fake baton?]
[Of course.]

After another grin, Kalian lowered his head and breathing in deeply, Roan stared at Swift.

“Swift. Stop the search and return to your normal tasks.”
“Sorry? But the Grand Commander’s Baton is…”

When he was about to shake his head with befuddlement,

“I’ll find it myself. Others are not aware but there’s tracking magic placed on the baton.”

It was a believable lie.

“Ah…”

The various soldiers, knights and Swift had no way of knowing that and after a short mutter, they lowered their heads.

“Then we will stop the search now.”

It was a fast decision and judgment as expected of Swift. Due to the search of the baton, body-checks and border control, the normal tasks of the administration, the knights and the Defense Army had all been paralysed. Besides, due to the citizens throwing away their work and indulging in the searches due to Latio’s request, the entire economy of the kingdom was starting to freeze up.

‘It is better in various ways to just leave the baton to His Majesty.’

After thinking of multiple things in that short amount of time, Swift quickly made a decision. Roan approached him with a few steps and whispered,

“There will be more surprising things happening.”
“Sorry?”

Swift asked back with a clueless expression and Roan continued with a calm voice and expression.

“I’ll tell you the details when everyone is gathered.”

He was planning to divulge the necessary facts when Aily, the commanders, generals and nobles were all gathered.

“Until then, commit to your tasks to the best of your ability.”

His gentle voice etched into the eardrums.

“Yes. I will take it to heart.”

Wearing a rigid expression, Swift lowered his head. Making a content smile, Roan walked back until he was right next to Kalian, and when their eyes met,

Paaaat!

A white pillar of light rose up to the skies. It was teleportation once again.

***

The time he had spent within the memories of the Tempestas was long.

‘The time spent inside and outside were different.’

Roan had read and felt the fragmented memories of Tempestas with his own body but it had only felt like he had spent around half a day. However, when he had left the memories back to the real world, it had already been more than 20 days.

“That can’t be helped. We wouldn’t have been able to do things without you having read the memories of Tempestas.”

Kalian patted Roan’s back and Roan nodded in response with a bitter smile. Just like Kalian had said, there was nothing he could do about it. Kneeling down on the ground on one knee, he got rid of a few rocks and when those stones and rocks disappeared, pieces of the broken baton had shown itself.

“He broke them as expected.”

Roan heaved a short sigh while Kalian nodded with a grin.

“If it’s him, he would’ve found out straight after stealing, that the baton he had stolen was a fake…”

The baton that was in pieces in Roan’s hands – that was the fake Grand Commander’s Baton which was presumed to have been stolen by Latio.

“Huu.”

Roan stood up while dusting away the pieces of the baton.

“Is there any way to further chase him?”

A low voice came out but Kalian shook his head in response.

“None. If there were, I would’ve gone looking for him immediately.”

Roan made a faint smile in response.

“There’s no meaning even if you do. Dragons…”

His eyes reflected light.

“Cannot kill the followers of the gods.”

Kalian nodded his head.

“Right. That is one of the dragons’ laws after all. Damn.”

He swore without being able to hold it back. Roan made a bitter smile.

“Because of that law, the Middle World was almost completely ruined.”

His voice seemed to criticise even.

“I know. But dragons that don’t keep the laws are destroyed immediately”

It was different from the laws of humans, and their promises. Death awaited them if they didn’t follow the laws – those were the laws of the dragons.

“What about you Roan, any thoughts? As to where Latio that crazy bastard might’ve gone to…”

In response, Roan faced towards the East.

“He perhaps is headed to the Aimas Union since that was where he was supposed to start…”
“Mhmm…”

Kalian made a frown and after a while, he asked carefully.

“But would that guy know that you had come back to the past?”

It was a serious problem. Meeting that gaze, Roan shook his head.

“I’m not too sure, but judging from the actions he took…”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“He shouldn’t know yet. If he did, he wouldn’t have shown himself carelessly.”
“Right. You’re right.”

Giving a pout, Kalian nodded his head before suddenly making a strange expression.

“Right, on that note…”

A bright smile appeared on his face.

“What happened between you and Latio? Tell me in detail. Although I did look into the memories of Tempestas as well, the memories were saved without regard to the flow of time so it was all in a mess…”

When his words reached that point,

“Okay.”

Roan gave a nod.

“I’ll tell you about Latio and myself. It would be better to know of it in preparation for the things that may happen from now on.”

He heaved out a sigh and on Kalian’s face surfaced an undisguisable expectation.

“Where should I start the story… mhmm… I guess…”

Roan’s voice was soft but powerful.

“It would be better to start talking from the first life.”

The story thus began.

<The Past (4)> End.