Episode 89: Illegal Entry #2
The path to Tenerope’s capital lay beyond the border.
The full moon floated above the forest, scattering silvery moonlight like a veil. Plants shimmered faintly, swaying in the wind as though dancing shadows.
This was the territory near the capital of Tenerope.
It was the barony of Cassat.
They had to move discreetly, so navigating through forests and mountainous terrain was essential.
“By tomorrow, we’ll enter the capital. Rest well here tonight, as it will be your last chance!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
At the command Jevella, the leader of the operation, Yohan and the inspectors set up a simple camp.
“Hmm…”
While Eris was gathering firewood to start a campfire, Yohan approached to assist.
“I’ll take care of it. Please rest.”
“Huh? But—”
“Aren’t you tired?”
Yohan looked at her clumsy movements and gave a faint, indifferent smile.
“And those delicate hands should be spared for more important tasks, don’t you think?”
“D-Delicate hands?!”
Eris’s shoulders trembled as her face flushed red.
“Just take a seat.”
“…”
Feeling shy at his flattering words, Eris lowered her head while Yohan silently collected firewood.
Crackle.
The fire Yohan started flickered to life among the pile of wood.
“Hoo…”
He let out a breath, the white mist visible as it escaped his lips. Spending the entire day outside in the cold winter had left his fingertips frozen.
As he enjoyed the warmth of the fire with both hands, Eris quietly sat across from him. She glanced at him briefly, then lowered her gaze and opened her lips.
“You’re quite skilled at starting a campfire. Most noble mages are unfamiliar with camping and find it difficult to control fire…”
Yohan looked up at her calm and clear voice. Eris was reaching out toward the campfire, her pale skin reflecting the reddish glow, turning a warm, amber hue.
“Well, I have experience.”
“Experience… you say?”
“Yes. There was a time I had to survive in the wilderness.”
The memory of enduring days in a cave due to Fedelian’s schemes was still vivid in his mind.
Though it had been traumatic, it was also when he first met Rudella, and their bond had deepened since then, making it a memorable event.
“You’ve led quite a rough life, haven’t you?”
“Not by choice.”
Yohan chuckled lightly. The shadows under his eyes were prominent, giving him an air of exhaustion that, paradoxically, made him even more captivating. Eris found herself holding her breath.
A decadent yet sharp aura…
His stunning features were utterly enthralling, perfectly matching her type.
Doesn’t everyone have someone like that? Someone who aligns so perfectly with your preferences that they continually draw your gaze and stir your emotions…
For Eris, who had only been surrounded by sweaty knights from her household, Yohan’s refined and artistic looks were irresistibly fatal.
“Ahem…”
Clearing her throat awkwardly, she turned her gaze away, trying to distract herself. But every time she stole a glance at him, her heart surged with waves of emotion from deep within.
Yohan, staring at the steadily burning fire, spoke nonchalantly.
“The world never lets me be. I wanted a simple and peaceful life.”
“With such abilities, why would you want a peaceful life? Is there a particular reason?”
His skills were well-known among the inspectors. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that the nobles had their eyes on him.
It was widely known that he had defeated a special-grade demonic beast single-handedly. Despite graduating from the Academy of Social Sciences, he had reached an high level within less than a year.
Yet, his title wasn’t high, making him approachable—a perfect marriage candidate.
Naturally, the rumors of him being in a relationship with Lady Fervache made that irrelevant.
“I have my reasons.”
Yohan gave a wry smile. He couldn’t exactly explain that this world was a grim dark romance fantasy, where standing out often led to a higher chance of death.
Of course, just because it was a grim dark romance didn’t mean death was inevitable. If he had been a noble in a peaceful country like the Holy Kingdom, Yohan would have pursued his dreams without hesitation.
But he was born in the Rozino Empire—the epicenter of this twisted, grim story.
Even if he grew stronger, there was no way he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with monsters like the Crown Prince or the Tower Master, who were in a league of their own.
In fact, the stronger he became, the more he’d draw the attention of those in higher power, leading to a quicker downfall.
With power came responsibility, and with that, there was no escape.
That’s why Yohan had decided it was best to hide his talents, prepare for the future, and live as quietly as possible.
Though even Yohan didn’t fully understand.
He knew he had talent, but he had no idea that his talent was at such a catastrophic level.
“I… I see.”
Eris couldn’t continue speaking, her expression showing she sensed a deeper story behind his words. Yet even with such a look, his face resembled a work of art, and she found herself quietly admiring him.
“…”
“…”
Silence fell between them, and the atmosphere quickly became awkward. Eris wracked her brain, searching for a topic to continue the conversation.
“So… may I ask why you joined the Bureau despite being a Special-class mage?”
The subject shifted.
“To become a man worthy of Lady Fervache. The condition for meeting her was to achieve the rank of Special-class mage.”
Eris asked further,
“From what I know, you only began studying magic recently. Wasn’t it difficult to learn?”
“Of course, it wasn’t easy.”
Yohan continued,
“At that time, I slept only four hours a day to study magic. Even that was a luxury. To master high-tier magic, I had to increase my understanding of magic itself. I initially thought it would be enough to simply know runes, but I was mistaken.”
To prove one had reached the high level, it wasn’t just about having a high amount of mana. One had to know how to use high-level magic.
But Yohan’s understanding of magic was insufficient to learn high-tier spells—it was like math. Just as one can’t do calculus without understanding functions, magic followed the same principle.
“I had only just started learning magic. And I only had a month left. With a goal to master just the high-tier spells, I intensely focused on that, which is why I still can’t use most higher-level magic.”
Yohan could only use three high-tier spells:
• Spiral Heven Breaker for offense.
• Omniscient Perception for sensing.
• Eternal Flow Technique for defense.
As for other magic spells, he only knew Distortion Orb and Rupture Point, both needed for Spiral Heaven Breaker.
“Oh…”
Eris let out a soft exclamation. A man who worked tirelessly to avoid being separated from his lover…
How could any woman not be moved?
‘He’s amazing…’
It felt romantic. Stories like this often appeared in novels—love hindered by family opposition or social status, unable to come to fruition.
But unlike those tales where love ends in failure, Yohan had won his love.
And he did so entirely through his abilities and effort.
‘Lady Fervache is so lucky. I wish I could have a man like that…’
Eris had a secret romantic longing she had never shared with anyone. It was too vague to explain clearly, but Yohan’s story came close to fulfilling it.
Then suddenly—
‘…What nonsense am I thinking?’
Eris snapped out of it, shaking her head vigorously. She couldn’t afford to develop feelings for him.
Her instincts warned her that any affection she felt would go beyond simple admiration, turning into more profound.
Feeling flustered, Eris rubbed her wrist and spoke softly,
“…That’s a lovely story.”
“It turned out well in the end.” Yohan replied, meeting her gaze with a small smile.
“Ah—!”
Caught off guard, Eris felt as though her heart stopped. His face, faintly blurry with fatigue, was devastatingly attractive.
She hurriedly turned away, pressing her burning cheeks with her neatly folded hands.
‘Was I always this weak to men…?’
No, that wasn’t the issue. Eris, who had spent her life training in a knightly household surrounded by men, couldn’t lack resilience.
The real problem was—
‘That face.’
His appearance, perfectly tailored to her preferences, was like a masterpiece of art.
‘I can’t let myself fall for him…’
He already had a lover. He was even rumored to be engaged.
Eris struggled to suppress the forbidden feelings that kept bubbling up.
“Ahem… It’s late. We should get some rest for tomorrow.”
Forcing herself to calm her racing heart, she ended the conversation. If she stayed longer, she might accidentally say something inappropriate.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Unaware of Eris’s inner turmoil, Yohan simply smiled.
“Haa…”
A sigh involuntarily escaped her lips.
***
The inspectors and Yohan continued their journey toward the capital of Tenerope.
Encountering people along the way posed no significant problem.
This was because they were simultaneously using a concealment barrier and perception-disrupting magic. Even when dozens of inspectors passed by a forest ranger, they remained unnoticed.
They also managed to slip through into the territory by blending in with nearby merchants.
Of course, there was always the risk of being detected by knights or mages, but sensing the inspectors’ magic required at least top-tier expertise.
It was unlikely that such highly skilled individuals would be assigned to mere gatekeeping, so the chances of any major incidents were minimal.
In any case—
Yohan and the inspectors successfully entered [Lazaria], the capital of the Kingdom of Tenerope, within a few days.
“Now I see why they call this the kingdom on the brink of ruin.”
Eris, cloaked in a pitch-black robe, remarked as she strolled through the streets of the royal capital.
The atmosphere here was completely different from the imperial capital.
The expressions of the people roaming the streets were overshadowed by gloom—beyond somber, they were deeply dark. Instead of smiles, their faces were filled with despair, and their gazes were vacant and unfocused.
The fruits and foods sold by merchants were in terrible condition. They were rotting, decayed, and riddled with insect marks.
It wasn’t because the merchants were lazy that they sold such poor-quality produce. It was likely that this was all they could manage to sell.
“Indeed.” Yohan agreed.
One could often gauge the state of a region by observing the atmosphere of its densely populated streets.
This place radiated extreme poverty.
Hunger hung heavily in the air, as though the area had suffered through several years of famine.
“If the capital is in this state… the rest of the kingdom must be far worse.” Eris murmured, her voice heavy. Though her face was hidden beneath her robe, it was clear her expression wasn’t pleasant.
“This is probably why they’re resorting to reckless attempts like a coup to seize the throne.” Yohan said with a small sigh.
“For now, let’s move.”
After taking in enough of the city, the two began walking to rendezvous with the other inspectors.
Just as they were heading toward the designated meeting point—
“A rat has snuck in.”
A low, weighty voice rang out, accompanied by a murderous aura that filled the space. The suffocating pressure coiled like iron chains, freezing both Yohan and Eris in place.
What on earth…
Yohan slowly turned his head.
A middle-aged man stood there.
His gray hair and beard, flowing like a lion’s mane, fluttered gently, and his blood-red eyes glimmered ominously.
The overwhelming mana emanating from him caused Yohan’s entire body to bristle, his aura so imposing that even bystanders would instinctively shrink back.
‘He’s stronger than Duke Fervache.’
There were very few people in the world who exuded such a presence.
“Could it be… you’re…”
Step.
The man took a step forward.
“Dragonian Aegis.”
Shing.
He drew the sword hanging at his waist.
“I am the Grand Swordmaster who has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship and the protector of Tenerope.”