Choi Hyun-seok’s group stopped to look at the city visible in the distance.

It was Scolbon, the capital of the Mariette Kingdom.

“We’ve arrived, but how do we get in?”

Given their history of causing quite a scene in Scolbon, entering normally would be impossible.

While they were contemplating how to sneak into the city, Sara Dunphy stepped forward.

“Don’t resist and accept the magic.”

“What are you going to do?”

“A simple disguise.”

Thick demonic energy flowed from her.

When the magic touched Choi Hyun-seok and Abelson, their faces began to change.

Choi Hyun-seok transformed into a middle-aged man, while Abelson changed into a young girl.

Sara Dunphy also transformed herself into an ordinary middle-aged woman.

“Oh, this is interesting.”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about being discovered.”

The group, now disguised as an ordinary family of parents and daughter that could be found anywhere, headed straight for Scolbon.

With the fake ID cards made by Ultimoon Fes, there was nothing else to prepare.

“Pass.”

Getting into Scolbon was much simpler than expected.

The guard merely glanced at Abelson before letting them through without any detailed inspection.

They only perfunctorily checked if they had ID cards, without examining them closely.

“This is very different from last time. Do they usually let people in this easily?”

“Yeah… Letting outsiders in like this…”

The group, who had made various preparations beforehand, entered Scolbon with a sense of anticlimax.

Not even 5 minutes after walking through the streets.

Choi Hyun-seok stopped with a groan.

“Um, are we sure we came to the right place?”

Scolbon revisited after a long time, had become a completely different city.

He looked around with a grimace.

“How can it change this much in just a few months?”

The group had visited Scolbon just a few months ago.

Until then, Scolbon had been a vibrant city.

Many people walked the streets, and shops were filled with customers.

“Hero. I can feel the gloom on my skin.”

But the scene before them now had changed so much that it was hard to believe it was the same city.

The atmosphere in the streets was gloomy, and people hurried along with their heads down.

Even the expressions of people drinking in taverns were uniformly distorted.

“This is really strange…”

“Yeah. The mood is so gloomy, but oddly there are many beautiful women. I wonder why?”

“Hero! Read the room!”

Rachel pinched Choi Hyun-seok’s chest hard.

Choi Hyun-seok, who had been frowning, saw Abelson’s expression and shut his mouth tight.

‘She really looks like she could eat someone alive…’

Abelson was glaring at the street with a terrifying look.

One wrong word and a mace would probably fly straight at his head.

“Is this really the kingdom’s capital?”

Sara Dunphy asked.

Abelson bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

“If the capital, which should be the most wealthy and abundant, is at this level, there’s no need to see other places.”

“…”

“Judging by your reactions, this isn’t normal. Is this the work of that group called Gatren?”

“It seems so.”

Choi Hyun-seok answered instead of Abelson, who kept her head down.

Sara Dunphy looked around with a complex expression.

“Hmm…”

Though she didn’t say it directly, she also seemed to disapprove of this situation.

‘She was originally a Queen after all…’

Sara Dunphy was the first ruling Queen of the Vallington Kingdom.

During her reign, Vallington was more prosperous than any other nation on the continent.

Having been qualified not only in magic but also as a ruler.

She seemed to feel complex emotions watching the miserable sight of Scolbon.

“Hey everyone! The execution is about to begin!”

Suddenly, the streets began to buzz with commotion.

The group’s ears perked up at the mention of an execution.

“Another execution? This is already the fourth this month.”

“This time is different! They say a Duke is being executed!”

“A Duke!?”

Unsettling conversations could be heard.

At that moment, before Abelson could be stopped, she strode straight toward the men having the conversation.

“I’d like to hear more details about what you just said.”

The men who were approached suddenly by Abelson gave bitter smiles.

“Are you also a young lady from the countryside?”

“Tsk tsk. I understand your situation is pitiful, but… Ah…”

To these men speaking nonsense, Abelson asked again.

“The execution you mentioned earlier. Please tell me more details.”

“There’s an execution at the central plaza in an hour.”

“Duke Maxwin Gordon is scheduled to be executed.”

“Duke Maxwin Gordon…?”

Abelson’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You’re surprised too? Well, that’s understandable. Who would have thought that such a seemingly upright and honest Duke was actually the main culprit in ruining the country.”

“Not only did he embezzle national funds, but it turns out he was the one having drinking parties with women every day.”

“Tsk tsk. Who would have known he was extending such evil claws behind the scenes while pretending to be good all this time?”

“That’s right. This is why you shouldn’t judge people just by their appearance.”

As the men were clicking their tongues and cursing Duke Maxwin Gordon’s wickedness.

One man smiled lecherously.

“By the way, miss. If you have time, would you like to have a drink with us?”

Currently, the capital was overflowing with beautiful women who had come to be selected by the king.

It wasn’t difficult to spend a night with those who were tired of their impoverished lives.

The women also used such men to maintain their life in the capital, leading to the prevalence of unsavory relationships.

“Huh? Where did she go?”

But the girl who had been asking about the execution was long gone.

The men kept looking around for her, but only the gloomy street could be seen.

***

“We must save him.”

Determination could be seen on Abelson’s face.

Choi Hyun-seok carefully asked while following behind.

“Do you know him?”

“Lord Gordon was the most trusted servant of my father. He was involved in all state affairs, big and small.”

“Ah…”

“I’ve known Lord Gordon since I was young. He’s not someone who would ever do bad things.”

Maxwin Gordon embezzling national funds and having drinking parties with women.

In Abelson’s common sense, this was something that could never happen.

Someone must have falsely accused him.

“Wait a moment.”

At that time, Choi Hyun-seok grabbed Abelson’s arm.

“First, calm down. What do you plan to do by rushing in blindly?”

“There’s no time. The execution will start soon.”

Choi Hyun-seok nodded.

“Then leave this to me. I’ll rescue him.”

“I’ll go too.”

“That won’t work. Having more people will only complicate things.”

“But…”

Sara Dunphy, who had been watching from the side, chimed in.

“His words are right. We should move to another location and wait.”

“…”

Abelson hung her head low.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly.

‘I understand how she feels, but…’

Choi Hyun-seok sighed.

This situation must be too much for her.

Her kingdom is being trampled by Gatren, and a precious person is about to die.

It would be stranger if she wasn’t angry.

‘Times like these require calmness.’

That’s why Abelson needed to be excluded from this operation.

There’s no telling what she might do if she loses her rationality.

“Abelson.”

Choi Hyun-seok placed his hand on Abelson’s shoulder.

“I am Hero Choi Hyun-seok. Don’t you trust me?”

Abelson shook her head.

“I do trust you…”

“Then leave it to me.”

Choi Hyun-seok grinned.

“I’ll show you what a proper hero can do.”

***

Maxwin Gordon stood before the guillotine in bonds.

“Die! Trash!”

“Kill that shameless bastard right now!”

“Wahahaha!”

People threw all sorts of garbage and filth.

Gordon silently endured it.

Thwack-!

A stone from somewhere struck his forehead.

Though his skin split and blood flowed, no emotion showed in his eyes.

‘Unbelievable…’

In truth, Maxwin couldn’t quite distinguish if this situation was reality.

The head of a duke’s family that had served the Mariette Kingdom for hundreds of years.

The most trusted servant of the previous king.

That was who Maxwin Gordon was.

Executing him like this should be impossible.

“All are equal before God. Execute him.”

However, Cardinal Vincenzo was merciless.

He proceeded as he pleased, suppressing everything with overwhelming force.

Gordon knew that he had been displeased with him from before.

He had thought he would be driven out someday, but he hadn’t expected it to be in this way.

‘Labrun… He really is something.’

King Labrun Mariette.

He sold Gordon out to save himself.

“You! How dare you proceed with unauthorized actions in the king’s name! Such a crime deserves death!”

“Your Majesty! This was approved by Your Majesty…”

The issue was the Palein territory.

He had submitted a proposal to lower tax rates and release national funds due to severe famine in the territory.

It was such an important matter that he had pestered Labrun Mariette, who disliked political affairs and barely received official approval, and yet.

“Silence! What are you doing? Take the criminal away!”

Labrun Mariette was merely desperate to preserve his own life.

Maxwin Gordon sighed as he recalled how the king had thrown away all the honor and pride he should have had as a ruler.

‘Perhaps dying would be better than watching this hell…’

In the end, Maxwin Gordon gave up everything.

He walked to the guillotine and knelt down.

“The execution of criminal Maxwin Gordon will now commence.”

The executioner’s voice rang out.

The noisy plaza suddenly fell silent.

Everyone was eagerly waiting for the blade to fall.

They looked no different from beasts hungry for blood.

‘What fault do they have?’

He doesn’t blame the people.

Those tired of life simply need someone to vent their frustrations on.

This place is a prison full of hungry people.

Gatren had merely thrown in a well-cooked piece of meat…

‘It can’t be helped.’

After all, it wasn’t their fault that they were hungry in the first place.

So Maxwin Gordon looked at the people with pity in his heart.

“Criminal. Do you have any last words?”

“Please save this country…”

Maxwin Gordon finished speaking briefly and closed his eyes.

“Execute.”

Now, the execution would proceed.

The guillotine’s blade would fall.

And people would cheer at the sight of the severed head.

“…”

However, no matter how long they waited, nothing happened.

‘Could I be dead already?’

As he wondered if he had ended his life without even being aware of death.

A commotion began to be heard.

“Who are you!?”

“It’s the Hero.”

A well-built middle-aged man climbed onto the execution platform.

He had fierce eyes, as if angry.

“What are the knights doing? Drag that intruder away!”

At the executioner’s order, soldiers and knights surrounded the man.

“Hyah!”

A sword thrust with a battle cry.

A knight’s sword strike is not something an ordinary person can block.

At this rate, the man would surely die with his chest pierced through.

This prediction of Maxwin Gordon’s was spectacularly wrong.

Bang!

The sword shattered.

With a thunderous sound, sword fragments flew everywhere.

Even though he watched it happen right before his eyes, Maxwin couldn’t understand what had occurred.

“Tsk. This is annoying.”

The man who had destroyed the sword with his fist, Choi Hyun-seok, clicked his tongue.

“Are you Maxwin Gordon?”

Maxwin Gordon was too flustered to answer.

Choi Hyun-seok asked again.

“Are you Maxwin Gordon?”

“Y-yes, I am.”

“Someone is waiting. Let’s go together.”

“But, there are soldiers here…”

Maxwin looked around with a confused face.

“When did…?”

Not only the soldiers on the execution platform, but even all the knights had fallen.

It felt like being bewitched by ghosts.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Wh-what!?”

Choi Hyun-seok carried Maxwin Gordon on his back.

Then he disappeared across the plaza in one breath.

“Ch-chase them…!”

The executioner’s hollow cry followed after them, but ultimately faded away without reaching them.

***

Choi Hyun-seok leisurely left the city.

No matter how many soldiers and knights they brought, they couldn’t stop Choi Hyun-seok who had already become strong enough to be legendary.

‘What is happening…?’

Maxwin remained in a dumbfounded state.

Where did such a strong man come from?

Why did he save him?

Many questions arose, but he held his tongue, thinking he would know soon enough.

“We’re here.”

Finally arriving at their destination, Choi Hyun-seok set Maxwin down.

A familiar woman was waiting there.

“P-Princess…?”

Though it had been a while, he was certain.

The silver eyes and silver hair that symbolized the Mariette royal family.

The woman before him was Abelson Mariette.

“It’s been a while, Lord Gordon.”

“It really is you, Princess…!”

A few months ago.

Word spread that Abelson Mariette had attacked the palace in league with demons.

Of course, Maxwin Gordon didn’t believe it.

Not only joining hands with demons but killing all her family?

He thought it must be a plot by the Holy Empire, but there was nothing he could do.

With numerous testimonies from soldiers claiming they witnessed Abelson killing Prince Reis Mariette.

They had no choice but to designate her as a traitor and put out a warrant, yet here she is in person.

“As I thought… You weren’t…”

The moment he faced Abelson, Maxwin instinctively realized.

Abelson hadn’t changed.

All the rumors surrounding her were just false accusations.

“I’m sorry. I was too late.”

“No… I’m just grateful you came at all…”

Maxwin Gordon bowed his head.

“Lord Gordon. Though you must be flustered, I want to know the current situation.”

Abelson grabbed his shoulders.

“Please tell me. What exactly is happening in the capital… No, in the kingdom?”

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