I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 679

"Alone... that sounds like him," Ian murmured after a brief silence, one corner of his mouth curling upward.

He picked up the cup in front of him and continued, "They wouldn't have attacked him approaching alone. They likely had no choice but to warn him to withdraw."

"That’s right. I was told he left calmly after saying he would return," Seras replied, blinking as if surprised by his reaction.

Ian nodded and took a sip of strong liquor diluted with water and honey.

There was a reason he didn't rush.

Hyked's actions were brave and strategic. Though no longer the Crown Prince, he was still of direct royal lineage and a recorded hero of history. Had he brought a legion to threaten them, it might have been different. But he surely knew the defense forces couldn't attack him approaching alone.

It would have left a powerful impression on the fortress soldiers. Since he withdrew peacefully, attacking him next time would be even harder.

"They say the area around the fortress remains shrouded in darkness even after his departure, with dark clouds filling the sky," Seras added in a subdued voice.

Ian set down his cup. "So, has His Highness appeared alone again?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I can’t say for certain. The messenger had been sent before that, and it had taken about a week to reach the royal palace. He may have returned to the fortress in the meantime. If I had to guess, he likely came alone again."

"And if told they were awaiting Imperial orders, he would have withdrawn quietly again," Ian said calmly.

Seras nodded in agreement. "In many ways, it feels like we’ve been caught off guard."

The concern in her tone and expression showed she understood the situation all too well.

Ian’s lips curved faintly again. "You must have expected him to force his way past the front lines."

"Yes. I imagine most people did. Even my father."

And the Emperor may even have hoped for it. The moment the fortress fell, and casualties occurred, he could immediately brand Hyked and his followers as enemies of the Empire. In war, justification was everything.

Come to think of it, this isn’t so different from my situation.

Ian’s smirk twisted slightly. This was surely one of the reasons Archduke Olaf was redeploying his troops. If Ian attacked the Wall's fortress gate first, the Archduke would spread the news to tarnish his reputation as the Demigod and Guardian of the North.

Ian wasn't holding back for the sake of reputation, but he certainly had no intention of playing into the Archduke’s hands.

"I knew he was no ordinary man from what I’d heard, but I never imagined he’d exceed our expectations to this extent."

It was an honest sentiment. As things stood, the royal family now looked as though they had unilaterally rejected the rightful request of a former Crown Prince and hero. Even if they declared Hyked corrupt, it would only raise doubts and fuel rumors.

Ian looked at her. "So, how has His Majesty responded?"

"That too is unknown. I asked, but was told they didn't know. He clearly sent the orders via a sealed edict."

She sighed, clutching her cup.

"We won't know my father's decision for certain until the next messenger arrives from the front. Until then, we can only guess."

"So, you do have a guess," Ian said, lifting his cup again.

Seras tapped her fingers against her cup, eyes narrowed.

"At the very least, I don’t think he ordered an attack on my uncle. He likely requested interrogators from the Great Church and instructed them to keep turning him away in the meantime."

She paused briefly, then added, "Or perhaps he ordered them to arrest and detain him in the fortress."

"Because His Highness Hyked wouldn't go quietly?" Ian asked.

Seras nodded. "Yes. And in the process... he may be hoping a clash breaks out."

"You're very direct," Ian said with a chuckle.

As expected, Seras understood exactly what the Emperor wanted.

She raised her cup in return and nodded. "That’s the simplest and most reliable method, after all."

"True. But I don’t think His Majesty would issue such an order."

Seras paused and asked, "Why?"

After wetting his throat, Ian lowered the cup and replied, "Because His Highness Hyked might actually submit to arrest."

"What do you mean?" Seras frowned.

Asme also looked at Ian with open confusion, wondering why a royal would endure such humiliation.

Ian placed his cup on the table. "Even if he did, they can’t treat him like an ordinary prisoner."

To begin with, it was doubtful the fortress even had a proper prison.

Only then did Seras nod. "I suppose so. Until a verdict is reached, it would be natural for him to be treated as royalty."

"Besides, there is no way they wouldn't ask questions with such a famous figure right in front of them," Ian added meaningfully.

It was something he had experienced countless times. And unlike Ian, Hyked wouldn't hold his tongue. Not just because of his straightforward nature, but because he genuinely believed in the righteousness of his choices.

"If that happens, the truth about the situation beyond the Wall will be revealed. That innocent survivors still exist on the other side," Seras murmured, staring into the air.

She looked back at Ian. "And in the process, some might even come to admire or be swayed by my uncle."

"Whether that would actually happen is another matter, but if I were His Majesty, I wouldn't take that risk," Ian said calmly.

Seras nodded in agreement, her eyes still narrowed.

"Then I suppose... he simply ordered them to keep turning Uncle away until the Great Church’s interrogators arrive."

Ian shrugged. It seemed the most rational course of action. Hyked clearly had no intention of attacking the fortress first. If his patience ran out and battle broke out, the blame for the civil war could be shifted to the Great Church.

"But I still don't understand what my uncle is thinking," Seras said, taking a sip of her drink. "No matter how my father responds, it won't create a way for him to pass through the front lines."

"Well, perhaps he has something else in mind," Ian suggested.

As Seras looked at him expectantly, he added, "Showing up alone at the fortress couldn’t have been just for appearances. There has to be some other practical reason."

"Hmm..." Seras narrowed her eyes. She remained deep in thought while Ian drank, then finally licked her lips. "This time, I cannot guess his intent at all."

"You mentioned that darkness has blanketed the area around the front," said Ian.

Seras turned to him as he tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth. "Only His Highness appeared. The defense forces haven't actually seen his legion."

Only then did Seras’s eyes widen. She stared at Ian for a moment, then said, "Are you saying his appearance was a diversion... and that his legion may have been moving separately from the start?"

Ian tilted his head. "I can’t say for certain. It’s just speculation, pieced together from circumstances."

"But there’s no way to enter the mainland without passing through the gates..." Seras murmured blankly, trailing off.

The realization that Hyked was a veteran who had traversed the front lines countless times must have struck her.

"Unless there are hidden routes unknown to the public."

"I've never been to the Eastern Front. I wouldn't know," Ian said with a shrug. "But the walls on the Northern Front weren't entirely continuous, either. It wouldn't be strange if there were a hidden path or two."

"Oh, Lu Solar..." At last, a long sigh escaped Seras. "But even if such a path existed, it’s unlikely it would have remained undiscovered... No... perhaps..."

As she murmured to herself, Ian lifted his cup again. In truth, his first thought had been of the brown mages Hyked commanded.

They're the kind of people who can bury a city and lift it back up again.

Creating an artificial canyon in the mountains would be well within their capabilities. While they prepared a route that would minimize casualties, Hyked was buying time, drawing the attention of both the front and the imperial court onto himself. To Ian, this seemed the most likely version of the Dark Prince’s true plan.

The reason he hadn’t mentioned it aloud was simple. He hoped Hyked could set foot on Imperial soil without bloodshed. Perhaps preserving Hyked’s legitimacy was the key to avoiding that ominous future he’d foreseen.

"True... if such a path exists... capturing him without killing... Oh." Seras, who had been mumbling to herself, suddenly blinked.

She straightened her posture and looked at Ian. "I’ve been rude, lost in thought while in the presence of the Agent of the Saint."

"Think nothing of it," Ian replied nonchalantly, setting down his cup.

He used the Willful Grasp to pull the bottle into his hand.

As he poured, Seras bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Agent of the Saint. Just knowing that my uncle might have another plan is a significant advantage."

"Well, there are many sharp minds in the royal palace, so they may already know. Either way, passing it along won’t do any harm," Ian said, placing the bottle down.

He’d spoken with the faint hope of sowing a little confusion within the royal palace. However, instead of answering, Seras lifted her cup.

Ian’s eyebrows rose slightly as he watched her drain it clean.

Having emptied her cup, Seras smiled with a much calmer expression.

"I can’t disturb the capital, or my father, with speculation lacking firm evidence. And perhaps Father has already foreseen this as well."

At that composed reply, the corner of Ian’s mouth curved on its own.

Even Miguel would have been able to tell that she didn’t truly mean what she’d just said. She hadn’t even tried to hide it.

So she wasn’t worried about the royal family.

Seras, too, wanted the Dark Prince to set foot on imperial soil. After all, she’d already struck a deal with Ian—and for that deal to bear its greatest fruit, Hyked needed to bring the capital to ruin.

The worst possible future has become the best one.

Her expression had settled because she was now convinced that, if left alone, her vision would come true.

"If His Highness enters the mainland without bloodshed, the war will drag on. The situation will become much more chaotic." Ian said, feigning ignorance as he picked up his cup.

Seras nodded, wearing a feigned look of concern. "Indeed. My father wouldn't want to attack my uncle first, either."

Hyked, too, would wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. It was highly likely that both sides would eventually enter a standoff until one side’s patience ran out. Of course, given Hyked's moves so far, he surely had a plan prepared for such a situation.

As Ian naturally pondered what those plans might be, Asme approached and picked up the bottle.

"But sadly, my options are limited at the moment. I have no choice but to wait for new reports from the capital," Seras said, extending her cup toward Asme.

There was no trace of regret in her voice.

Ian let out a low chuckle and shrugged. "True enough. And it’s not as if we can afford to focus solely on the capital. Our situation isn’t much different."

"Not different?" Seras asked, pausing as Asme set down the bottle and returned to her spot.

Ian raised his cup and replied, "I hear the Archduke is moving all his frontline troops to the Wall."

"What... Did you say?" Seras's eyes widened.

Asme also looked at Ian, her eyes twitching. Unlike her, however, a strange smile spread across Seras's face.

"How truly... unfortunate. To incite such unnecessary tension at a time like this."

Once again, her words completely contradicted her expression.

"However, since we cannot shed blood needlessly, we have no choice but to wait patiently."

Her sense of reading the situation is impressive.

Ian’s mouth twitched as he drank. It wasn’t difficult to guess what Seras was thinking.

A legitimate excuse for not immediately joining the Imperial civil war had just fallen into their laps. It also meant that once everything was settled, they could pin the blame entirely on the Archduke. That was one of the reasons Ian hadn’t reacted with anger upon hearing the news.

Of course, the Archduke likely hadn’t even imagined this outcome. Not only was he unaware of Seras's presence, but the thorn named Ian was already driving him mad enough as it was.

"Unfortunately, we won’t be able to wait it out simply," Ian said, setting down his clean, empty cup.

Seras, who had been bringing her cup to her lips with a smile, paused.

"We never know when a situation might arise that requires us to march," Ian calmly added.