OMLOW 80

Chapter 80

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why on earth?!”

“It was the Archbishop’s request.”

“The Archbishop…?”

“Archbishop Sage. He was the mentor of Bishop Nicol.”

Hearing Archbishop Sage’s name, I felt like I almost understood, yet my mind was spinning.

“Why would the Archbishop make such a request to my parents… Ah.”

According to Nyx’s investigation, my parents had smuggled Bishop Nicol out of exile in the year I was born.

And because I was born through a difficult labor, my mother’s life had been in serious danger. The one who saved her was none other than Archbishop Sage.

‘I see now. Our parents couldn’t possibly refuse him because of the debt of gratitude.’

“But why did the Archbishop ask for Bishop Nicol to be saved? Did they have some connection?”

“Archbishop Sage and the Marchioness were close friends.”

“Marchioness…? Ah, Nicol’s biological mother?”

“Yes. She was also an alchemist.”

“An alchemist?”

Nicol’s biological mother was an alchemist? …Ah, that explains why Nicol became an alchemist too.

“Wait a second. That rebellion happened when Bishop Nicol was very young, right? So how did Nicol become an alchemist?”

“Most likely, he inherited his mother’s alchemy notes. That way, even if he couldn’t create new medicines, he could still produce the ones recorded in the notes.”

“Ah… I get it now.”

It makes sense. They said the First Prince’s body was difficult to treat with holy energy, and that’s why Nicol could heal him.

“I think I understand the situation now… but it’s getting much more complicated. So, the Marquis tried to use the poison his wife made to harm the Empress?”

“If you connect it to what’s officially known, then yes.”

Nyx scratched his cheek, adding that since this involved the inner workings of the royal family, it wasn’t completely certain.

“This is mostly rumor, but… it’s said the Marchioness was the Emperor’s mistress before marriage.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

According to Nyx, Nicol’s biological mother—the Marchioness—came from a minor noble family. During the rebellion, her family was wiped out along with the Marquis’ family, so they no longer exist. Even before that, they were barely noticeable, so much so that most wouldn’t recognize the family name. In other words, it wasn’t exactly a background suitable for an Empress.

“So… could it be that the real mastermind was the Marchioness herself? Jealous of the Empress and holding a grudge over a past love?”

“That’s beyond what I know. Almost everyone connected is already dead, and it’s all very old history.”

‘That’s true…’ I thought. My mother might know the hidden details, but I decided to keep that thought to myself.

‘If I ask her… she’ll probably scold me for poking into dangerous stories again.’

For now, it’s better to leave it alone. Whatever royal drama happened in the past isn’t really important anymore.

‘The important thing is that Nicol could prevent the First Prince from recovering if he chooses.’

What could I do to stop Nicol from… Wait!

“I didn’t realize back then that what I needed to do wasn’t atonement, but revenge.”

I remembered Nicol saying that in my dream.

He didn’t need to atone—he needed revenge. At first, I didn’t understand, but now that I knew the full story, the pieces fell into place.

‘He thought he was atoning to the Empress by healing the First Prince because he was the daughter of a rebel…’

But perhaps there was more hidden behind the scenes. Maybe the Marquis and Marchioness, executed as rebels, were actually victims.

If that were the case, revealing the truth early might stop Nicol from treating the First Prince.

‘Of course, it’d be bad if he tried to take revenge on Lionel too, but…’

For now, stopping Nicol from treating the First Prince is the priority.

“Nyx, I have a favor. Could you dig a bit deeper into this matter?”

“I’ll try. But it might take some time.”

“Thank you. Do you need more money?”

“No, there’s plenty left. Oh, and I’ve found someone who has the giant wolf fang. We’re negotiating, so you should get it soon.”

“Thanks.”

I handed Nyx more chocolate, and he happily stuffed it into his mouth, crunching away. Watching him, I suddenly recalled a line from my dream:

“This is your fate; you can’t avoid it… That’s why you had to enter here holding the hand of the man you despise. But if that fate isn’t complete, you can’t die.”

“What does ‘my fate’ really mean…?” I muttered absentmindedly.

Nyx flinched at my words, eyes wide. She must have been surprised by my strange muttering.

“Sorry. Want some juice?”

“Oh, yes, please. More, if you don’t mind.”

Even while sipping, Nyx kept glancing at me nervously. Thinking she might worry about the chocolate, I handed her more without hesitation.

Meanwhile, at the northern front, the first reinforcements had been defending along the Sernan River for twenty days when the second reinforcements finally arrived from the capital.

Thanks to Duke Loheim’s massive support, an endless line of wagons arrived, loaded with food, tents, blankets, and other supplies. Everyone cheered in delight.

“Fruits! Fresh fruits!”

“Please wait! We’ll distribute clothing and blankets!”

“Finally, we can rest now that the second reinforcements are here!”

But not everyone smiled. Lionel, in charge of the defense, blinked in surprise at the sight.

“Sir Veloce… why are you here?”

“I volunteered.”

“Volunteered?”

“Yes. There’s no better experience than fighting monsters in real battle. As a knight, how could I miss this opportunity to grow?”

Standing before Lionel with his hands behind his back, Veloce’s eyes burned with a wild intensity. Even Lionel, usually so composed, looked stunned. Beric, Veloce’s right-hand man, was equally taken aback.

Lionel asked again:

“And Riri? Does your sister know you’ve come?”

“She was crying and yelling, so I had to calm her down…”

Hmm?

Veloce looked at Lionel with a strange expression.

“Your Highness… you call my sister Riri?”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

Lionel tilted his head in confusion.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, not really…”

Using a childhood nickname reserved for family implied an unusually close bond—something only lovers or inseparable companions might do.

‘Does he know and still use it?’ Veloce wondered.

Unable to decipher Lionel’s intentions, he asked directly:

“Your Highness… if it’s not rude, may I ask how you feel about my sister?”

The moment he spoke, Beric turned pale and frantically shook his head, out of Lionel’s sight.

Of course, Veloce had no idea why. Seeing that Beric didn’t notice, he continued:

“Since the second reinforcements have arrived, we need to revise the patrol and training schedules. I’ll handle it.”

“I’ll help with that—”

“No! You must report to the Second Prince. Go now!”

Beric bowed politely to Lionel before hurrying away. Somehow, his retreat seemed like he was dodging something troublesome.

Curious, Lionel asked Veloce:

“Sir Veloce, have you ever been in love?”

“Eh? …Suddenly?”

It was an awkward question, but one had to answer a prince.

“During officer school, a few times.”

“I see. And each time, you realized you loved them because of something that happened?”

“No… not exactly. I never truly loved anyone.”

Lionel’s expression fell in disappointment.

“You never loved them, but dated them?”

Veloce protested sharply:

“No! Relationships among students are always like that! If there’s mutual interest, a relationship can start easily.”

“What’s the difference between mutual interest and love?”

“Well… uh…”

Even the toughest questions in royal knight interviews weren’t this hard. Veloce struggled to answer, stammering awkwardly.