Nightfall.
Jared glanced at the sky, then turned his head again, gazing at a blushing Kelly.
"This can't be right ..."
Kelly was shaking as if she was trying to deny everything Jared had just told her.
"Why would Lord Father want to kill me? This doesn't make any sense at all! Just to stir up a fight between the royal family and the Academy Convocation? Don't treat me like a fool! I'm not going to believe your nonsense!"
"Believe it or not, I'm just saying."
Jared shrugged his shoulders, then stood up and walked to the door.
"Well, in any case, I'd like to tell you that Mr. Vidocq is finished. As to why he killed you, you can ask him yourself when you catch him. But not now, you should know that if you go out looking for him now, it'll be the end of all of us. I'm not asking you to put the interests of your boring country ahead of your family's feelings, in fact I'm just trying to make it clear that what you give is not at all the same thing as what you get. And, even if you don't agree with ..."
"The Convocation will do the same to Father-sama, won't they."
Kelly's expression changed to one of extraordinary calm as she whispered to herself while Jared nodded in agreement.
"That's right, and you should know that a torn face can't be sewn back together."
Kelly was silent.
Of course she realized that even if she ran out now, it wouldn't change anything. The fact that the Council already had a plan to deal with Vito meant that even if it didn't work this time, it would do it again someday. So Kelly was silent for a long time, then stood up and looked at Caroline, who was standing next to her." Ms. Caroline, could you please step outside for a moment, I have something I need to talk to Jared about alone."
(Okay.)
Caroline gave Jared a rather thoughtful glance, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Jared leaned back against the door panel, watching Kelly.
"You should know this is pointless."
He spoke.
"Caroline can always listen in on conversations between you and me, it wouldn't really do much good for you to let her go."
"I know, I just don't want anyone to see ... especially Miss Caroline."
With that, Kelly slowly walked up until she was in front of Jared, both eyes on him.
"Indeed, I see your point, Jared. Even if I go out there now, it won't change anything, the Convocation will deal with Father-sama no matter what, if that's what you want to call it."
"Quite right."
Jared whistled.
"It's out of your hands, and it's out of my hands, Kelly. We're both pawns on a chessboard, pawns to be moved, not players. The next move you make can only be bad, it's already dead."
"But at least what I've done will prolong the end of the game."
Kelly took a small step back, then put her hand on her chest.
"I beg you, do not deal with him. In any case, that is my father, who has raised me for sixteen years, and I never thought that my father-sama had any intention of murdering me."
"So what you're saying is that we're guilty of murdering him?"
Kelly shook her head slightly at Jared's sarcastic rhetorical question.
"l don't want to say anything more, and maybe to you, my choice was stupid. But it's my father, and I don't think I need any reason to help him. I have to save him. It's not too late, Jared. You'll tell Father that I'm not really dead, and that way, Father won't have to break ranks with the Council, at least for now. I know that Father is only a civil servant, that he has no right to mobilize the Imperial army, and that someone is using him for this. I can't stand by and watch Father fall into this trap. Please, Jared, give me a chance now, even if I am threatened with assassination again!"
Jared lapsed into silence.
It wasn't that he was hesitant, it was that he didn't understand what Kylie was thinking. She still refused to accept this fact, or even if she did, Kylie wouldn't hate Vito for it. From where he stood, he couldn't understand why Kylie loved her father so much that she would sacrifice herself for him.
"I won't let you down if you're willing to assist me."
Kelly suddenly took hold of Jared's right hand, then placed it on her high breasts, her face slightly flushed, obviously uncomfortable with the sensation.
"As a woman, I'm very confident in myself. If you are willing to assist me, you can get my body ... I never ask that I will be treated in the same way as Ms. Caroline, even if you just treat me as that kind of plaything and slave, but I beg you, at least not now. Not now to deal with my father, so that there may be room to save everything ..."
"There is no salvation left."
Jared didn't move his hand, he met Kelly's puzzled gaze and spoke calmly.
"Just now Caroline has realized that an unknown number of troops have entered the forest, it is obvious that they do not belong to the Empire, and there is only one possibility for them to appear at this time ..."
Even if Jared didn't say anything else, Kelly understood what he meant.
"In that case, I have my own way of doing things."
Accompanied by Kelly's words, suddenly a gust of wind rose up from the ground, raw Jared pushed open, heavy door panels in a split second in all directions, accompanied by a melodious and sad chant, Kelly transformed into a whirlwind, and just appeared from the entrance of the staircase Caroline brushed past, disappeared in the corridor.
(Jared!)
"I'm fine ..."
Sitting on the ground Jared was helpless and scratched his head, this guy is really dead brain ... Forget it, there is no use saying this now.
"Kelly's escaped. I'm afraid she's gone to find Vito. What a mess, at a time like this."
（"So didn't I tell you not to tell Ms. Kelly the truth?)
Caroline took a handkerchief out of her skirt and, with a disgruntled grumble, wiped the dust from Jared's face.
"Emotions can get in the way of things. I understand that, of course. I don't want to wait until it's all over and hope that she'll accept the truth with a boring 'we did it for you' mentality. But I still didn't realize how deeply Kylie felt about her father. It's so strange. Her father wanted to kill her, didn't he? How did he get such a strong bond with Kylie? I don't think that young lady is a masochist, the more people hurt her, the more excited she gets."
With that said, Jared stood up and patted the dust off his body.
"Forget it, even if she goes now, the plan won't change anyway ... Yuri?"
"Yes, my lord."
Yuri's figure appeared in the shadows behind Jared, without anyone seeing how he appeared.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, my lord, I have evacuated most of the people in the castle as you instructed, next ..."
"You may as well evacuate, it might be a shame to burn all this stuff, but it's better than all the deaths, and you don't want debris and charred boards for tombstones. As for me and Caroline ..."
Jared said, turning his hand over, and then the dark, shadowless, double-bladed longsword had appeared in the center of his hand.
"It would be a shame not to go for a walk on such a beautiful night."
He said leisurely.
Julio gave a low command, and immediately the army stopped advancing at his command.
Not far away,we could see the distinctive firelight, obviously, that was the target mentioned in the previous information. San Marino Empire's first city in the Forest of the Undead - the "City of Life" is located in Azus. Giulio looked at the dazzling lights and smiled triumphantly. Just as the Grand Duke had said, that punk Prince Heinrich Heine wasn't useless, but he was too stupid to do what he wanted as if the Union of several nations was his own backyard. The Federation has lost four Great Swordsmiths, and the information that has leaked out of Lilyblossom City is disturbing. Under these circumstances, it is impossible for the Federation's hearts to unite around the Council President.
And that was the beginning of the upheaval.
The six nations of the Federation that border the Forest of the Dead aren't willing to let this opportunity pass, which is why Julio is here.
He led an army of 15,000 men to penetrate into the Undead Forest, where there is no border defense, just for this moment. If he could take Azus, then one third of the San Marino Empire would be under his control. As for how these two countries would divide their rights and territories in the future, this was not something that Julio should be concerned about. After all, he was just a soldier, and a soldier naturally yearns for war. Because it represents one's ability, one's achievements.
He'd planned to charge through the forest and attack the Azoth in the dead of night, taking them by surprise, but now he had to stop.
"What the hell happened!!!"
Just moments ago, the troops in front of us suddenly fell into disarray, and then sent out a signal unique to the Combined Forces.
This was a bit disconcerting to Julio, who hated it when things went off his plan and he took liberties.
"Report my lord! Our troops are under attack!!!"
"What?!"
The subordinate's report gave Giulio a sudden shock... their whereabouts had been exposed...? Could it be a patrol? Then we should destroy them now when they don't have time to report. ...
"How many?"
"Only, only one!!!"
"BULLSHIT!!!"
Julio pushed the adjutant away, but at that moment he had also seen, not far ahead, in the light of the soldiers' torches, a teenager slowly stepping out of the forest, gazing with mockery at the commander, who was not far away.
"It's common sense to turn out the lights on a night raid, and I never thought I'd be up against such a poor opponent."
In his right hand he held a double-edged sword so black that not even the light of a torch could be reflected in it, as if it had been completely swallowed by darkness.
Julio did not act rashly, he is a cautious person, although the youth in front of him is only one person, but he does not think that the other party is only one person, perhaps, this is some kind of trap. Around the dark forest, there may have been an army ambush, this time, can not be a moment of anger, must be cautious.
"Won't do it?"
Jared muttered to himself, then sighed regretfully.
"That's right, a guest is a guest from afar, and although I think you may not be too far away, as the host, it would be a shame not to have something to entertain you."
With that, Jared raised a hand and, to the puzzled and expectant eyes of the crowd, snapped his fingers.
The next moment caused a strange change not only made the soldiers retreat, and even the horses began to neigh. The original dense jungle disappeared in an instant, and a bottomless chasm appeared behind Jared, a few meters wide like the mouth of a monster in the abyss, waiting to devour the prey that voluntarily came to his door.
What kind of trick is this?
Julio gripped his staff tightly as he stared at the young man in front of him, and for the first time, an unusual uneasiness flowed through his mind.
"The tea will get cold if you keep standing like that."
Jared said something inexplicable, then raised his double-edged sword.
"Let's begin."