“Being a king isn’t all that special. It’s just our eight families taking turns anyway.”

“But in the last five hundred years, the Vasquez family has been king only once.”

“Oh my. Pull yourself together, Vasquez.”

“Really now.”

The response was so nonchalant it was almost absurd. Cordelia couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Thanks to that, her tension eased a little.

Meanwhile, the carriage stopped, and a royal servant opened the carriage door.

At that moment, Cordelia’s body stiffened again. Leonard clicked his tongue, got out first, and then extended his hand to her.

“Come here.”

Cordelia quickly linked her arm with his. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was half-leaning on him, she clung so tightly. Even so, her nervousness didn’t subside, and her legs trembled.

“Can you move away a bit?”

“Let me borrow your arm for a moment.”

“It’s not borrowing, you’re practically tearing it off.”

“Ahem. His Majesty is waiting inside. Archduke, and my lady.”

The servant was surprised to see a woman so casually interacting with Leonard. Even more surprising than the fact that Leonard, who was thought to be dead, was alive, was that he was entering the palace with a woman.

“Oh, do you see a box behind the carriage?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

“It’s a gift for His Majesty, so please move it carefully.”

“Understood.”

They followed the servant deep into the palace. The garden full of flowers just beginning to bloom and the interior decorated with gold and jewels were extremely beautiful, but unfortunately, none of it registered in Cordelia’s eyes.

Finally, there was only one door left. As the servant was about to open it, Leonard didn’t wait and flung it open first. Cordelia took a short deep breath before following him.

“So the white snake emblem wasn’t a lie.”

“Archduke Atilei.”

“…Atilei.”

Inside the reception room were not only Gabriel, the King of Ershe, but also Diana Saracen, the leader of Saracen, and Anton Embly, the head of the Embly family.

Seeing him completely unharmed, Gabriel, who was sitting in the highest seat, let out a sigh.

“I never thought the day would come when I’d doubt my own eyes. Is it truly you, Leonard Atilei?”

“Indeed it is, Your Majesty. It seems today’s meeting was not a private audience.”

Leonard turned to look at the Archdukes of Saracen and Embly in turn. Then Diana, staring intently at Leonard’s face, said,

“I was quite curious whether the seal you shot into the sky last evening was real. His Majesty graciously allowed Anton and me to enter the palace together.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s been only four months for Saracen, but it’s been truly a long time for Archduke Embly. Have you been well?”

“…I have no reason not to be.”

Anton Embly avoided Leonard’s gaze with a face like he was chewing on stones.

“If you were alive and well like this, why didn’t you show yourself all this time?”

“Before that, I have someone to introduce to Your Majesty.”

Until then, Cordelia had been standing behind Leonard, trembling. Leonard grabbed her shoulders with both hands and pushed her forward.

Cordelia recalled the etiquette she had hastily learned yesterday and curtsied to the king.

“It, it’s an honor to greet you, Your Majesty. I am Cordelia Abrams. I was Vasquez before marriage.”

“Vasquez?”

It was a name he hadn’t heard in a very long time. Now just a name barely maintaining its lineage, the Sword of Ershe.

Gabriel, who was approaching his tenth year on the throne, could count on one hand the number of times he had seen the Archduke Vasquez. If the previous Vasquez wasn’t dead, this must surely be his child.

Sensing the questioning look about why he was suddenly introducing her, Leonard stepped forward and said,

“She is my disciple.”

Though brief, the impact of those words was by no means small. All the seated figures wore equally surprised expressions.

“What? Atilei, you took on a disciple?”

“Unbelievable. Atilei’s disciple? Didn’t you even refuse the Grand Duke of Leviche?”

Every magician wished to become his disciple, but Leonard’s declaration that he wouldn’t take any disciples was quite famous.

But now, to take on a fully grown adult woman as a disciple, not even a child.

Everyone’s curious gazes were fixed on Cordelia. Feeling burdened by the attention, Cordelia bowed her head deeply. Just then, as Leonard sat down, she hurriedly sat beside him.

At that moment, there was a light knock from outside the door, and the king’s servant approached and whispered in Gabriel’s ear. Gabriel frowned and asked back,

“What did Atilei bring?”

“It seems my gift for Your Majesty has arrived.”

Gabriel gestured as if to say bring it in. Then two strong men entered, grunting as they carried a large box.

For the first time since arriving at the palace, a smile appeared on Leonard’s lips.

“You asked why I didn’t show myself all this time?”

He stood beside the box and clenched his fist tightly in the air. At that moment, the box shattered with a loud noise. The stench that had been contained immediately filled the interior.

“This is the answer.”

“Ugh.”

“Good heavens. What on earth is…”

“What have you brought into the palace?”

Inside the remains of the shattered box was something that barely maintained the shape of a human.

Matted hair unwashed for a long time, an emaciated body, clothes torn here and there—it was so shabby that even Cordelia couldn’t immediately recognize it as Maximilian.

“What is this supposed to be?”

Gabriel asked, covering his nose with his sleeve. Leonard dragged his brother out of the box and threw him into the center.

“The murderer who killed me. My brother, Maximilian.”

“…What did you say?”

The king couldn’t close his gaping mouth. Anton Embly couldn’t take his eyes off the person who looked like a filthy beast, unable to believe it was Maximilian.

Maximilian, suddenly exposed to light, couldn’t even open his eyes properly and crawled on the floor.

“Urgh…”

“My brother dug up our mother’s grave, took out her remains, and used them as bait to trap and kill me. That’s why I couldn’t show myself all this time.”

Then Saracen, looking alternately at Leonard and Maximilian as if she didn’t understand, asked,

“Killed? Do you mean you suffered injuries severe enough to nearly die?”

“No. I mean literally, my body died.”

“Then are you saying the you standing before my eyes is some kind of ghost?”

“When Maximilian stabbed me to death with a knife, the connection between my soul and body loosened, and at that moment, I used soul transfer magic to temporarily move my soul to another body, then returned to my original body.”

“Soul, what?”

Except for Cordelia, the other three barely understood even half of Leonard’s explanation. Leonard waved his hand as if annoyed.

“Just understand it as that bastard killed me, but I came back to life.”

“Is that possible?”

“Don’t ask, Saracen. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it anyway.”

Despite the blatant disrespect, Saracen nodded without much offense.

“Well, I suppose that’s not the important part.”

“Right. Okay. I understand, Archduke Atilei. You had a rather unpleasant experience for three months. But why did you bring him before me? You could have dealt with him yourself.”

“Of course, it’s to bring my brother to trial. Please convene the Council and hold a trial.”

The Council held regular meetings every three months to handle affairs, but to hold the trial Leonard was demanding, the king would have to use his authority to summon them separately.

At the word ‘trial’, the expressions of the three changed in their own ways. Gabriel sighed as if it was a headache, Saracen looked puzzled, and Embly glared at Maximilian as if he wanted to kill him.

“Hah. A trial… Do we really have to do this?”

“Yes.”

“You want to hold a trial that will involve at least a year of tedious procedures like defense and evidence presentation?”

“Yes. I will do it.”

“Why on earth?”

As Leonard showed his firm determination, Gabriel pointed at Maximilian with very annoyed eyes.

“Just take him away and kill him. I won’t care if you cut off his head and display it at the Atilei estate or skin him alive.”

“Of course, that might be easier and quicker, but this is the only way to punish the accomplices who helped him.”

“Accomplices?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Anton finally spoke up. Leonard met Anton Embly’s eyes without avoiding them. An invisible tension swirled between the two men.

“What do I mean? There’s a madman who helped Maximilian interfere with the Atilei succession.”

“…”

“I intend to make that person pay in blood.”

Anton bit the inside of his cheek hard. People’s gazes turned to him because Leonard was staring at Anton openly as he spoke. It looked to everyone as if he was singling him out.

However, instead of revealing who it was, Leonard turned his body to face Gabriel.

“For that reason, I request a trial be held, Your Majesty.”

“…I will convene the Council as per Archduke Atilei’s request.”

Leonard’s demand was just, so there was no further grounds for opposition. In the end, Gabriel declared the convening of the Council with a face that said he was dying of annoyance.