NOVEL NEXT Chapter 193
Chapter 193
“My son, you must never master the Dragon’s Breath.”
“Mother? But wouldn’t that be akin to forsaking our royal duty?”
“I shall fulfill that duty by any means necessary, so you must promise me, never to learn the Dragon’s Breath!”
“Yes, mother.”
The words of his mother, the previous Empress Carolina Pionia, echoed in his mind. For reasons unknown, she abhorred the idea of him mastering the Dragon’s Breath and he had obliged her wishes.
“Instead, master this.”
She had handed him a tattered ancient tome. Its unassuming cover bore only the title ‘Fire’, with no other distinguishing features. Skeptical at first, he began to learn the art within, which soon laid the foundation for him to be called the Sun Prince.
And then, her final words before she passed.
“I am the last high priestess of the Order of Fire. Now, you must take my place.”
She revealed that the art he had mastered was the secret technique of the Order’s high priestess.
After her death, he used his agents to scour the continent for information about the Order of Fire. This was the true purpose behind the Sun Prince’s collection journey. Not only to fulfill his mother’s last wish but also to understand the mysterious and powerful art he possessed.
Yet, the information gathered was unsatisfactory, mostly abstract, and heavily damaged.
Decades later, he had almost forgotten about the Order of Fire. Yet, by some twist of fate, one of its sacred relics had come into his possession. Or rather, it had always been there, by sheer coincidence.
The Sun Duke smiled bitterly.
“Is this what they call destiny?”
He gazed at the Ifit lying neatly on the table. The audacious creature had left it for him to inspect.
“Until yesterday, it was just an ordinary sword, but after the incident earlier, it seems to emanate an unusual heat.”
He could feel a faint, destructive fire, akin to what one might call ‘Cataclysmic Flame’, and it was eerily similar to his own energy.
How had he not recognized this before?
As he contemplated the Ifit, the Sun Duke let out a hollow laugh, recalling the spectacle caused by Yan during the banquet.
“How could that fellow have wielded this sacred relic?”
He remembered a passage from the Order’s texts:
“Only the high priest can handle the items blessed by Hestia.”
‘Surely, the items blessed by Hestia’ must refer to the sacred relics. Yet, the fellow had managed to wield the power of the Ifit, albeit briefly and unstably, without mastering the priest’s art.
The Sun Duke chuckled to himself, realizing it was not his problem to ponder. Though he had inherited the position of high priest from his mother, he had no intention of reviving the Order.
Instead, he decided it would be more constructive to ponder the peace and happiness of the south.
With his mind made up, the Sun Duke resolved.
“It would be fitting to keep one in memory of mother.”
He rose from his seat with a wry smile, and just then…
Boom!
The door burst open, and a knight rushed in, breathless and frantic. The Sun Duke was about to frown at the intrusion when the knight exclaimed:
“Lord, Viscount Morris has been found murdered!”
The Sun Duke’s face turned icy cold.
* * *
The Sun Duke’s Estate was in utter chaos.
Knights with eyes sharp as axes roamed the mansion, searching every noble present. Yan, it seemed, could not escape their scrutiny.
Bang!
Yan, who was deep in slumber, awoke to the brash entrance of the knights. A headache, fierce as if his head would split open, assaulted him. His eyes struggled to open fully.
“…What is the matter?” Yan asked, forcing himself upright and splashing water on his face.
It was then.
A knight, upon seeing him, exclaimed with a voice as hard as steel, “Found it!”
Yan furrowed his brows.
He couldn’t grasp what the knight claimed to have found.
In that moment, Yan realized his face was damp.
Looking down at his hands, his expression hardened.
“…What is this?”
His hands were drenched in crimson blood.
As if he had committed murder.
* * *
Amidst the Sun Duke’s Estate, turmoil reigned.
Knights, with eyes narrowed in suspicion, dragged Yan to a secluded chamber—a place unbefitting the grandeur of the Sun Duke’s residence.
There, a coroner and Merriott sat with stony expressions, awaiting his arrival.
The knights seated Yan on an iron chair, blades pointed at his back—a clear threat to his life should he attempt any folly.
Confounded by a throbbing headache, Yan struggled to grasp the situation.
“Sir Merriott, what is the meaning of this?”
“Viscount Morris was murdered last night.”
“…What?”
Yan’s eyes widened in shock.
Murdered, here in the Sun Duke’s estate?
Who would commit such a heinous act!
Merriott questioned mechanically, “Were you in your room all evening?”
“Last evening, I…”
Despite the splitting headache, Yan tried to recall the previous night’s events.
He remembered stepping out for a moment after his contemplation.
“No, I went out for a brief walk.”
“Just as the maid said. How long and where were you outside?”
Yan was about to answer nonchalantly when suddenly…
‘…!’
His face contorted in realization.
Merriott’s question went unanswered as Yan grappled with a blank in his memory.
‘Why… can’t I remember anything from last night?’
His recollections ended abruptly after he stepped out for fresh air, as if a part of his memory had been sharply excised.
Unable to speak, Yan’s face twisted in confusion, prompting Merriott to ask coldly.
“Then how do you explain the blood all over your hands?”
Of course, Yan couldn’t explain. His memories after leaving his room had vanished.
As Yan remained silent, Merriott muttered as if he had expected as much.
After a long stare, Merriott spoke again.
“Lastly, may I see your sword? The elongated one you wore during the Dragon Soldier Project.”
He must be referring to Ascalon.
‘Why Ascalon?’
Though puzzled, Yan reached for his waist.
His expression froze.
“…?”
Looking down, Yan saw that Ascalon, which he always carried, was missing.
“Huh.”
Merriott chuckled at Yan’s confusion, stepped out of the chamber briefly, then returned.
“Looking for this?”
In Merriott’s hand was Ascalon, which should have been at Yan’s side.
And it wasn’t just that.
The blade was caked with dried blood, as if it had been used in violence mere hours ago.
Merriott continued.
“Your sword was found here, and no one else left their room last evening. We’ve received reports from a maid and several nobles who saw you nearby. And we’ve secured decisive evidence.”
The coroner added in a grave tone.
“The wounds match the style of the Special Task Force’s leader, Damian’s swordsmanship.”
Yan’s eyes darkened.
He was the only one trained in Damian’s Shadow Blade technique.
Witness testimonies, conclusive evidence.
Everything pointed to him.
Just then, a commotion echoed from afar.
A young man burst through the knights’ blockade and forced his way in.
“Hey! What’s going on!”
It was Kasa, his face flushed with urgency, gripping Yan’s shoulder.
“You’re the suspect for Viscount Morris’s murder!”
Yan let out a hollow laugh. The rumor had already spread among the nobility.
Kasa, incredulous, turned to Merriott.
“There’s evidence, right?”
The knight beside them recounted the evidence and testimonies Merriott had explained.
Kasa’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“…You, really? You have no reason to do this!”
Merriott looked down at Yan with a stern gaze.
“Vicount Morris had harbored ill will against this man, and there have been reports of their confrontations. I witnessed it myself. Did you not see it too, Kasa? That’s motive enough for murder.”
Kasa looked at Yan, his face a mix of confusion and shock.
If they had indeed clashed, even a slight motive could be construed.
As all eyes turned to him, Yan finally spoke.
“I would like to see the crime scene.”
The other coroners protested.
“Absolutely not!”
“We can’t predict what he might do! Let it be proven in court!”
But Merriott dismissed their cries.
“Go ahead and check all you want. If you can’t prove your innocence by today, you’ll be taken straight to jail, so look carefully.”
Yan nodded silently to the threat and let the knights’ rough hands guide him to the scene.
Kasa followed, his face etched with worry, as they made their way to the site of the crime.
* * *
At that moment, the Sun Duke was receiving the results of the investigation that had taken place throughout the night.
A knight was rapidly detailing the evidence and testimonies collected so far.
Listening intently, the Sun Duke furrowed his brows.
Something didn’t add up.
“Are you telling me that fellow Yan is under investigation for the murder of a noble named Morris?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Do you really believe that makes any sense?”
Could Yan, whom he had seen just the day before, have committed such an act?
It was preposterous.
Why would the man who begged him for an elixir suddenly engage in such madness?
But then, the knight added more information.
“It seems Sir Merriott, the commander of the knights, is already convinced of his guilt.”
The Sun Duke had spent decades with Merriott, his closest confidant.
He knew well how impartial and thorough Merriott could be.
“If Merriott is convinced…”
The Sun Duke let out a hollow laugh.
“It just doesn’t seem plausible.”
“Sir?”
Questioned by the knight, the Sun Duke shook his head and rose from his seat.
“It’s nothing. Would you lead me to the scene of the murder?”
“Yes, of course, Your Highness.”
Following the knight, the Sun Duke made his way to the site of the murder.
The mansion’s third-floor restroom.
That was where the noble’s murder had taken place.
The restroom floor was flooded with blood, and the walls were heavily stained.
A body, presumed to be Viscount Morris, lay sprawled across the floor.
The Sun Duke surveyed the interior of the restroom and soon frowned deeply.
He stepped outside and scanned the surroundings.
After a long observation, he let out a scoff of disbelief.
“So this is how it happened?”
He shook his head in dismay.
Then, he watched as Yan was brought forth by the knights.
“Your Highness, it might get noisy. Perhaps it’s best if you return upstairs.”
A knight suggested with concern.
However, the Sun Duke had no intention of leaving.
He fixed his gaze on Yan and spoke.
“It seems something interesting is about to unfold. I shall stay and watch a bit longer.”
“Something interesting… Your Highness?”
The knight asked, not quite grasping the meaning.
The Sun Duke’s lips remained tightly sealed.
His eyes watched Yan with keen interest.
As if to say, ‘Let’s see how you escape this predicament.’