The Lord Of Sinal (14)

Though he likely hadn’t heard him, Millen began to walk toward him. Apart from pausing to pick up two glasses of champagne, he strode forward without hesitation.

“Your Grace.”

Having come up to him, he bowed slightly in greeting.

“I am Millen Grandis, commander of the Imperial Second Knight Order. It is an honor to meet you.”

“I’m glad to meet you as well.”

Kaiston smiled faintly, sincerity in his words. Millen’s reddish-brown eyes flickered at that smile.

“Thanks to Your Grace guarding the Red Moon, the Empire can remain peaceful. As a knight, I’ve long respected you.”

He wasn’t just handsome; he spoke smoothly as well. Kaiston took the champagne glass Millen offered.

“Hearing that from someone who has the Grand Commander as a father leaves me at a loss for words.”

He took a sip of champagne and scanned the hall with his eyes. Millen could not have come to Sinal alone, yet there was no entourage in the banquet hall. It was expected, so Kaiston calmly finished his glass.

“Is life on the Isles enjoyable?”

“Not particularly. It’s more on the boring side.”

“Is that so.”

Kaiston set the empty glass on a nearby table and nodded.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“What do you mean?”

Millen asked with curiosity, but Kaiston answered lightly.

“Because it must have been worth the trip all the way to distant Sinal.”

At his words, Millen smiled that spring-breeze smile as always.

“Yes. I think it was a good decision to come.”

Millen had been waiting, for ‘good news.’ As Kaiston had said, there would soon be reason the trip had been worthwhile.

However, the duke made an unexpected proposal.

“I have something promised with your father. Shall we have a little talk alone?”

Millen knit his brow and wondered what promise the Duke and the Grand Commander could have. A lecture? Unlikely, their relationship was already too strained for that.

“Very well.”

With nothing to refuse and thinking it might be a good opportunity, Millen followed willingly.

Kaiston didn’t go far. They climbed the stairs together, walked down the second-floor corridor, and he opened the door to a somewhat secluded room. Millen entered unobtrusively but without lowering his guard.

The fairly spacious room seemed intended for guests at the banquet to rest. Kaiston sat on a sofa first and spoke.

“Have a seat.”

Millen sat opposite him. Kaiston lounged back and watched his handsome face quietly, then suddenly spoke.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“What do you mean?”

“The news you’re waiting for now.”

At Kaiston’s words, Millen’s expression immediately crumpled.

“What is it? Have you set a trap?”

“A trap?”

Kaiston laughed lightly.

“I’m only asking you to sit and wait comfortably.”

Kaiston shrugged as he watched him quickly scan the room with a cautious eye.

“There’s nothing to be suspicious of. My subordinates moved out of the banquet hall to avoid ruining a very important mission they’re carrying out there.”

“What… mission…”

“Bringing a lover.”

Millen’s expression turned savage. As Kaiston had said, there didn’t appear to be any devices or hidden soldiers in the room.

“Since things are like this, I’ll be blunt. I want the Duke to hand over the female slave he is keeping.”

Kaiston folded his arms at Millen’s words.

“Why would I?”

“She belongs to me.”

“……”

Millen stared intently as Kaiston’s previously relaxed expression slowly hardened.

“I expected as much, but this is far more unpleasant than I thought.”

Though it was neither true nor worth caring about, he was extremely angered.

“You seem to have no fear, Lord Millen.”

Despite the murderous intent beginning to emanate from him that made Millen’s whole body tingle, he remained calm.

“I’ve also put a great deal of effort into this.”

“Oh? Based on what do you come out like this? Care to explain?”

Millen answered with a triumphant expression.

“Hmm…”

Kaiston frowned.

“Is that the price?”

“…Cut the arrogance. If sending off one slave is nothing to you, then I apologize for the presumption.”

“So it’s true, it seems.”

Kaiston clicked his tongue.

“Well, I didn’t have high expectations of you anyway.”

As he rose, Millen stood to follow.

“I put considerable effort into welcoming you. Do you know how difficult it is to lay a magic-nullification ward over this entire main building? Of course, I wasn’t the one who did the hard work, but still.”

Kaiston chuckled, recalling Gern, who had glared at him resentfully as if he’d been driven half to death.

“That group… ‘Sharok’ has likely already found paladins disguised as ‘her’ around here. The matchup won’t be good. Paladins versus assassins.”

At the word ‘paladin’, Millen shot to his feet.

“How is the Paladin Order in Sinal…?”

“They’re simply where they ought to be.”

Kaiston said to Millen, who looked at him in disbelief.

“Actually, I plan to introduce ‘her’ in the latter half of the banquet, as my bride.”

He looked at Millen’s anger-flaring reddish-brown eyes with an icy smile.

“Soon it will be announced across the Empire that Liliana the Crown Princess has taken me, Duke Kaiston Crunel, as her consort.”

“Aaaah!!”

Millen screamed, drew the longsword strapped like a belt, and charged him. Having attained the Imperial Second Knight Order’s commander post at a young age, his skill was intense enough that the strike he launched even in anger was flawless.

“Not bad.”

The Commander of the Red Moon, who took pleasure in raising strong knights, lit up. A vivid blue blade of sword aura aimed at his heart extended.

‘Right. Kill him. Kill Kaiston Crunel and everything will fall back into place.’

With that thought, Millen’s murderous intent assaulted Kaiston fiercely.

Kaiston pulled his left shoulder back, twisted his body, and struck the hand that held Millen’s longsword. Millen, startled at the move aimed at him despite having no secondary weapon, quickly jerked the sword back. Yet Kaiston’s hand clung on stubbornly.

“Aagh!”

Millen pulled and swung the longsword straight toward his throat. The blade, wrapped in sword aura, could cut iron with even a graze. But his sword struck nothing.

Thunk!

“Ugh!”

Before he realized it, his abdomen was kicked; he flew and crashed into the wall. Kaiston followed slowly.

“You… bastard!”

Staggering to his feet, Millen gathered his sword aura into a single point and struck out.

“Tahat!”

Kaiston raised the corner of his mouth at the Grandis family’s secret technique he hadn’t seen in a long time. He knew well that underestimating that thin, piercing blade would send one crashing down as if struck by a massive lance.

He took a stance and thrust his left hand forward.

“Hwangggg!”

BOOM!

A ripping explosion sounded between them. Millen’s eyes flew wide.

“Still not enough.”

Before he knew it, Kaiston’s right hand had twisted around his wrist.

Clang!

Kaiston kicked the longsword away with his knee, sending it flying behind them, then pressed Millen’s wrist to the wall.

“H-How… how…”

Millen’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

“Well. For your age you’re quite something, but there are plenty like you in the Red Moon.”

As if an adult humorously handling a child’s prank, Kaiston had subdued him so easily that Millen’s fighting spirit evaporated in an instant. Kaiston produced restraints from his pocket. He fastened them to the right hand he held, then turned Millen’s hands behind his back and secured the left. With his hands bound behind him, Millen glared fiercely.

“What are you going to do now? Kill me?”

“That depends on what you were trying to do.”

Kaiston searched his body thoroughly. Millen’s face turned pale.

“Care to tell me what you intended to do with this?”

Kaiston held a bottle of pills before him. Millen couldn’t answer and looked away. Kaiston snorted a laugh.

“Show me with your body.”

Kaiston grabbed his cheek, forced his mouth open, and forced a few pills down his throat.

“Ugh…!”

Kaiston held his throat to force him to swallow, then folded his arms and watched. As expected, his breathing gradually grew ragged. From his condition, the dose seemed weak. His panting reddish-brown eyes were bloodshot with rising lust.

“Seems rather agonizing, doesn’t it?”

“Guh… S-shut up!”

Kaiston laughed coldly.

“Very well, then. Enjoy your time alone.”