Chapter 2: How to save your life?

“Why aren’t you answering, Necromancer? The member of the Imperial Family is asking you a question.”

Swallow. The sound of my Adam’s apple bobbing. And a jolt running through my whole body.
Carefully suppressing it, I calmed my emotions.

I must not show any sign of agitation here. If I did, I’d be caught in the trap of leading questions, and it would be the end of me.

“…I beg your pardon, Your Highness.”

I repeated it over and over, and answered in the most calm tone I could manage.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to unearth any clues about the culprit’s identity.”

“Hmm? You haven’t unearthed anything?”

“That’s correct. As you can see, the extent of the damage is too severe… It seems impossible to read the memories properly.”

I touched the charred skin as I made an excuse.

If I make a wrong slip of the tongue, my neck will be cut off in an instant.

“…Please forgive my lack of skill, Your Highness.”

I bowed my head as much as possible to evade suspicion.

With my life hanging by a thread, each word that came out of my mouth felt like walking on the thin ice just before it cracks.

“The cause-of-death investigator is a duty bestowed upon me by the great Emperor. Yet I cannot even properly fulfill this role. It is a great disloyalty, worthy of a hundred deaths. I am truly ashamed, Your Highness.”

“…”

I kneeled to avoid suspicion, and Ferdinand’s eyes narrowed. Was he trying to gauge whether it was a sincere apology, or just an act?

I just had to hope that he was fooled, while I could only clench my sweaty fists.

“…Is that so? What a shame, Necromancer.”

How much time had passed? A natural smile returned to Ferdinand’s face.

Whether he had dismissed his doubts or not, he patted my shoulder and spoke in a complimentary tone.

“If it’s impossible even with your abilities, there’s nothing we can do. Our Eve will have to work hard. Don’t you agree, Eve?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Investigator Vellam, who responded without changing her expression.

“Anyway, thank you for coming, Crowley.”

She held out her hand with a bright smile.

As I shook hands, she revealed her neat teeth and spoke gently.

“It’s a shame there were no results, but the proper fee will be paid separately. You still have many debts to pay off, don’t you?”

“That’s right. Thank you for always considering that.”

“You’re welcome. A new cafe opened a few days ago, maybe we can go for tea or coffee later? We’ve known each other for a while, so it’s alright, isn’t it?”

…I realize again, Investigator Vellam is the only citizen of the Vǫlsunga who has ever shown me kindness.

I felt guilty that I had forgotten her name until now.

But, unfortunately, there would be no more opportunities to improve the relationship.

I’m planning to escape the capital today.

“I’ll be on my way, Investigator Vellam. I hope you have a good evening, Your Highness.”

I bowed politely and turned my back.

Then, I walked away from the scene, taking steps that wouldn’t attract attention.

The opponent is a member of the imperial family, who is vying for the throne.

There was no time to be leisurely if I wanted to get out alive.

“Who was that person, Eve?”

The back of the gloomy man, who was quickly disappearing.

As it became almost a black dot, Ferdinand stroked his own hair.

Bright blonde hair, similar to Eve’s, but much more vibrant, it was just like a gem.

It was Ferdinand’s characteristic that was similar to that of the old Emperor.

At the Second Prince’s question, Eve took out a notebook from her pocket and replied.

“Crowley Altra. The only survivor of the Altra bloodline, who are descendants of ancient witches, and the man who inherited the lineage of necromancy, which was severed by the witch hunt of the past.”

“Yes, that’s right. The survivor of the Altra bloodline.”

Ferdinand muttered as he stroked his smooth chin.

His flame-colored eyes, the symbol of the Imperial Family, reflected the intrigue that he always showed whenever he plotted.

“…Nathaniel?”

After a long silence, Ferdinand called out to someone.

“I wonder what your opinion is.”

Swoosh. Then, a transparent barrier appeared in the air.

Next, a middle-aged man wearing a hood stepped out.

Eve gasped in surprise and shouted.

“Sir Nathaniel? Have you been following Your Highness all this time?”

“I’m a court mage, so it’s just a matter of being loyal to the master.”

Ferdinand chuckled, and replied.

Eve, who was amazed by the scene, examined the person and asked.

“Light manipulation? I’ve only heard about it, and this is the first time I’ve seen it. The rumor that you are about to reach the 6th rank isn’t a lie, is it?”

“Of course, he is my subordinate, so is that not natural? I don’t keep useless people by my side. Isn’t that right, Nathaniel?”

“I bow to your command.”

Nathaniel, the magician, replied with a blunt tone.

His cold atmosphere, reminiscent of a skilled hunter, was impressive.

However, Ferdinand’s interest was not in the chatter about his subordinates.

Since earlier, his mind was focused on the one person who had left.

Leaning toward the middle-aged magician, Ferdinand lowered his voice.

Then, he whispered to him a crucial question, only in a voice he could hear.

“Tell me, Nathaniel. Should I turn a blind eye to this unsettling situation?”

“It’s best to leave no seeds of danger. Above all…”

Nathaniel added, his eyes like those of a black wolf.

“My sixth sense is warning me. Even if it’s a little troublesome, it’s best to deal with him cleanly.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

A satisfied sneer slowly crept across the Second Prince’s lips.

“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you. Be careful not to make any unnecessary noise.”

“I will obey your command.”

There was no hesitation in his immediate response. That was why he liked Nathaniel.

Impeccable loyalty. Excellent magic skills. And the boldness to get his hands dirty for his master.

He was the only talent he could never get tired of.

Thinking that, he quietly turned his eyes to the dead body.

The body that had been terribly destroyed by pouring oil and setting it on fire.

The scene, bringing back the sensation of a sharp weapon that remained in his hand.

‘Well, I have no personal grudges.’

Whee. Ferdinand said with a playful whistle.

“Anyway, farewell, the last Altra.”

Thud!

My room in the boarding house, I returned immediately. First, I locked the door and organized my thoughts.

“What… what should I take?”

The specific destination is unknown. The period of wandering is unknown.

As long as I’m safe from the grasp of Prince Ferdinand.

The luggage I had to pack was, so, first…

“…Damn it.”

What am I doing right now?

With a sense of emptiness, my shins lost all strength.

I leaned against the wall and slumped down, and I covered my forehead.

‘Run away? To escape the Prince?’

Where do I go?

The Vǫlsunga Empire isn’t a small country. No matter how much I ran, I couldn’t be free from the influence of the Imperial Family.

And I could only survive in the capital because of the Emperor’s meager grace.

If I ran away, I wouldn’t have a lord or an official to hide me, nor did I have a network to ask for help.

‘Above all, running away is the same as admitting that I saw the real culprit.’

The cause-of-death investigator, Crowley Altra, is a necromancer who can see the memories of the dead.

And he goes missing as soon as he checks the girl’s body?

Isn’t that an obvious ending?

Running away would’ve been a move that played against me.

“…Then what do I do?”

I tugged at my black hair, and grumbled in annoyance.

Considering the severity of the situation, there’s a high chance of getting harmed no matter what action I take.

But I can’t just sit here and waste time.

‘Should I plead with the Emperor?’

I thought of that as the first solution, but I immediately rejected it.

It’s absurd for a humble necromancer to have a private meeting with the Emperor.

Above all, isn’t he Prince Ferdinand’s own father?

‘Where is the fool who goes to his parents to report on his own child?’

Damn it. Then what do I do?

If there’s something… some other way to save my life…

“…!”

A possibility suddenly came to me.

There’s a chance I could take a gamble, even though it was like a strand of thread.

At this point, I’m being threatened by Prince Ferdinand.

For him, Crowley Altra is nothing more than a threat that must be dealt with as soon as possible, and the relationship is the same for me.

But, the saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ exists, doesn’t it?

‘Princess Krimhild.’

The most powerful woman in the Empire, called the Iron-Blooded Lady.

And the powerful political rival of the Second Prince, Ferdinand.

Now that the First Prince has been forced out of the power struggle due to a riding injury, the only option I can gamble on is her.

“Phew, calm down. Let’s calm down.”

I chewed on my thumbnail and patted myself.

‘Where is the Princess staying?’

It was difficult to determine the exact location at the moment.

As a member of the Imperial Family, she might be staying in the Imperial Palace or an exclusive villa outside the city.
Or, since she was about to enter the academy under the Magic Tower, she might have already entered the dormitory.

Of course, whatever the case, the actions I need to take won’t change.

‘Let’s find Princess Krimhild. I’ll meet her in person, no matter what.’

I convey the information I have, and save my life in return. That was the only remaining way out.

‘The important thing is how useful this information is to the Princess.’

The Iron-Blooded Lady is a woman who is as meticulous in calculating profit and loss as her name suggests.

And in the Imperial Palace, a fierce political war is fought every day between the Krimhild faction and the Ferdinand faction.

But if, in the Princess’s position, she were to gain an opportunity to seize the rival’s weakness, let alone a murder scandal directly involving the Prince?

Without a doubt, I judged, it wouldn’t be without value.

‘Okay. I can see a way to live, even if just a little.’

I said to myself and took a deep breath.

“Is anyone there? Mr. Crowley, are you there?”

Suddenly, a knocking sound was heard from outside the door.