Episode 9
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"One day, the Kyndel Empire will fall, and its inhabitants will abandon it because of its foolish rules and those damned nobles. Princess Gloriana, do you really believe your empire will change?"
Rosell spoke in a grim tone. Gloriana looked at him with wide eyes. In his voice and on his face, she could see the weight of his thoughts. There was no jest in his words.
Rosell was right.
Gloriana, as a princess, knew this better than anyone else. Even if she became empress, the empire wouldn't change overnight just because she wanted it to.
Because no matter how hard she tried, nothing would truly change. However, there was only one way the Kyndel Empire could transform. But the empire's strongest mages would never allow it, even if it were a direct order from the empress.
"The empress may be the only one who truly cares, but she lacks the power to change the empire. That power lies with the emperor."
Rosell's words rang true. The emperor was someone so powerful that even an eighth-circle mage couldn't stand against him. Yet, despite his strength, the emperor thought only of the nobles, never of the people.
"If I... If I were my father... I would change the..."
"You wouldn't change anything."
"Yes, I would..."
"Don't be ridiculous. Someone like you, without the people's support, could never change the entire Kyndel Empire."
"But—"
"I said you wouldn't change anything!"
Rosell's mana surged within him. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his expression left no doubt about his anger.
He had come to mock Gloriana, but instead, he found himself embroiled in a pointless argument, as if they were two children quarreling over differing opinions.
Rosell grabbed the bars of the cell. Mana gathered in his arms as he pressed against the metal, glaring at Gloriana with a murderous intensity.
"W-what do you think you're doing, Rosell?"
"And what do you think? Perhaps I should just kill you here..."
"....."
Rosell averted his gaze for a moment and then spoke in a heavier, more intimidating tone.
"What is... that hole over there, Princess?"
Rosell's eyes fixed on a hole large enough for someone to crawl through. He quickly shifted his gaze between Gloriana and the hole, a grin spreading across his face as he spoke again.
"You were trying to escape, weren't you? Ha! Did you really think I wouldn't notice, idiot?"
"No... I wasn't..."
Boom!
Beyond the end of the hallway, a hundred slaves burst out of their cells, rushing toward a window that had once been secured by iron bars. Someone had even demolished an entire section of the wall, creating an escape route large enough for everyone to flee.
In an instant, nearly all the prisoners dashed out, their movements frantic and desperate, while the guards shouted in alarm.
"This is bad! All the slaves have escaped!"
Rosell clenched his teeth, his bloodshot eyes surveying the chaotic scene. His grip on the cell bars tightened, his fury boiling over.
"Who... who was the bastard that did this?"
"It was me."
Rosell's eyes widened at the voice coming from where Gloriana was supposed to be. But before he could fully process it, he turned his head and in that same second, a mana-infused punch landed squarely on his face.
Dull sound!
His body was hurled backward, slamming against the ground as he lay momentarily stunned. Blood dripped from his nose, forming small crimson droplets that stained the floor. Slowly, Rosell opened his eyes, raising a trembling hand to his face.
Touching his nose and then his cheek, he looked at his palmit was drenched in blood. His shock quickly turned to rage, his expression twisting with fury.
"You son of a bitch... I'll kill you for what you've done to me!"
Before he could finish his curses, another brutal punch landed on his face. The force left him reeling again as a calm, authoritative voice echoed in his ears.
"The first rule of survival for an assassin: never curse during a fight. Stay calm, no matter the situation."
***
It had been a perfect plan. Everything had unfolded as if it were resting in the palm of Park Chan-woo's hand.
He had made a hole in the wall while Gloriana distracted Rosell. At the same time, Park Chan-woo quietly slipped out of his cell and freed all the slaves. The guards had moved to the surface, leaving Rosell alone in the underground chambers because he had ordered them to leave while he stayed behind. Park Chan-woo never thought the guards would actually obey and go to the surface, but thanks to Rosell's command, it was possible.
Once he freed the slaves, Park Chan-woo quickly headed toward the barred window. Rosell's furious shouts at Gloriana kept him so distracted that Park Chan-woo managed to focus his mana into a single strike, shattering the wall and creating a massive hole. The slaves were ready and immediately started running.
If Rosell hadn't been sufficiently distracted, Park Chan-woo wouldn't have been able to use his mana without Rosell noticing. However, everything went just as Park Chan-woo had planned.
"Make that second-circle mage as angry as possible,"
"But… what will you do?"
"Of course, I'll get everyone out of here,"
Gloriana played along, keeping Rosell's attention fixed on her. Meanwhile, Park Chan-woo moved swiftly, executing everything in less than three minutes while Rosell yelled at Gloriana.
The next phase was to retrieve Gloriana. When the wall shattered, creating a hole, and the slaves bolted toward the sound of the explosion, it provided just enough time for Park Chan-woo to return for Gloriana and strike the distracted Rosell. Now, they had to escape the place as quickly as possible.
"Let's go," Park Chan-woo said, grabbing Gloriana's hand. Together, they ran through the hole in the wall, following the fleeing slaves.
"Where do you think you're going, you damned bastards!" Rosell bellowed, but Park Chan-woo and Gloriana were already gone.
"Forget about the slaves! Catch those two! Whoever brings me their heads will be rewarded!" Rosell commanded.
"Yes, sir!" the guards replied, quickly moving to hunt down Park Chan-woo and Gloriana.
***
In the dead of night, as the moonlight bathed the entire mountain and a snowstorm blanketed the view, the flickering glow of torches and the shouts of men echoed loudly. Their voices, calling out as they searched for two fugitives, carried far into the distance.
Park Chan-woo and Glorian ran downhill, their breaths visible in the icy air.
The accumulated snow was so deep it made running nearly impossible, yet with the aid of mana, it was manageable at least for one of them.
"I-I… wait… I can't… I still can't use mana…"
"….."
"You're part of the imperial family, and you can't even use mana?"
"I… It's just that… I never had time to learn anything…"
Park Chan-woo let out a heavy sigh before stepping closer to her.
"W-what are you doing?"
"It'd be pointless to leave you behind after everything I've done," he replied.
Without waiting for her response, Park Chan-woo swept Glorian into his arms and began running down the mountain with renewed speed.
For a moment, Glorian gazed at his face, illuminated by the soft light of the moon. Her eyes widened as the realization struck her.
Her heart raced in that fleeting second, pounding so hard that, had they been in a silent room, the sound would have been deafening.
'You… you're… Cute…'