Chapter 1273

Kiole’s decision to head for the secret vault had, of course, nothing to do with obeying Duke Diarca’s orders. If he wanted to stay alive, he’d have to deal with Kiorne la Diarca one way or another—but he had no intention of doing it as his father’s proxy.

Acting in his father’s stead meant living just like him.

And if he did that, even the faint answer he’d only just begun to grasp would vanish. That’s how it felt.

Still, the Duke had clearly mentioned that something inside that vault could help “deal with Kiorne.”

If he could confirm what that was—then meet with the Emperor—and if Emperor Keillusa was someone who could truly show him the right answer...

Kiole intended to hand over those items to the Emperor and ask for help.

Even a fool would understand how dangerous that was. It would be no different from offering his family’s secrets, his father and brother’s weaknesses, directly into the hands of the enemy. Kiole himself might end up dead because of it. A cold sweat broke out at the thought—his back damp, his skin clammy.

But if he stayed where he was, would anything actually change?

There were those who, without anything in their hands, still gave their bodies and lives for the path they believed to be right. If a knight was someone who risked everything to do what must be done without seeking reward, then wasn’t what Kiole was trying to do also a knight’s duty?

The Emperor wasn’t the enemy.

If Emperor Keillusa truly understood what it meant to be noble, if he was a ruler who cared for the Empire—

Then regardless of his father or his family, Kiole didn’t want to be the Emperor’s enemy.

Because that would be the right path.

That was the conclusion Kiole had reached.

Breaking free from beliefs that had been instilled in you for so long was terrifying. It felt like the Duke, who’d been lying in bed, might jump up at any moment and come chasing after him.

But the fear Kiole felt had already begun to fracture long ago—when he defied his father and secretly entered the Imperial Guard to ask for help, and when he stood up without thinking to protect the prisoners.

What Kiole didn’t realize was that much of that fear had been broken thanks to a series of fortunate misunderstandings. His actions had ended up being seen in the most favorable light possible—even the Duke Diarca had, in the end, acknowledged him. The fact that something Kiole believed was right had turned out to genuinely help his family—that experience had reinforced his confidence.

Had the Duke known what Kiole was really thinking, he would never have handed him the key. But by the time he misunderstood his youngest son and entrusted everything to him, it was already too late.

Opportunities don’t always exist.

A person can lose everything and become a prisoner overnight—or die in an unexpected accident. Once your power and wealth are gone, you can’t reclaim them with your own strength. Kiole had learned that lesson bitterly during his time doing forced labor.

So even if it was scary, even if he wanted to run—he had to do it.

Before he lost the chance to act at all.

That was his resolution. But going alone was still terrifying, so Kiole turned to Yuder Aile for help. He was, as far as Kiole knew, the most demonically powerful person alive. That had made him terrifying before—but for this exact reason, now he was the most trustworthy. A laughable truth.

Kiole had expected Yuder to refuse him coldly. But to his surprise, Yuder readily agreed to escort him. Who would’ve thought that declaration would feel so reassuring?

However, right after making his bold decision, a new problem arose.

“So, where exactly is the vault?”

“...Huh?”

“I asked where your father’s secret vault is.”

Kiole wore a dumbfounded expression.

‘Now that I think about it... He said it was a secret vault key, but... I don’t remember ever being told where it actually is?’

Yuder’s eyes narrowed as he observed him.

“You agreed to go without even knowing where it is?”

“No, no! The butler—the chief steward must know! I’ll ask him!”

It was the chief steward who’d told him that the key his father gave him opened a secret vault. Kiole also had a way to contact him directly, so meeting him and asking should work.

“Really? And if he doesn’t?”

“No way he doesn’t! He’s the one who told me what the key was for and what might be inside!”

After shouting that, Kiole was hit with yet another realization.

‘Wait. I left all my belongings in the room I was staying in when I got arrested... I don’t even know where my stuff is now...!’

He frantically looked around—but saw nothing.

“My stuff... My stuff...”

Seeing Kiole break out in cold sweat again, Yuder sighed and pointed downward.

“If you’re talking about your original belongings, I would’ve placed them under the bed. When you’re staying in places like this, that’s usually where people keep important items. You’d do well to remember that.”

“Ah!”

He scrambled down and reached beneath the bed, pulling out a small pouch and ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) his sword.

“My sword! My ID!”

He opened the pouch and confirmed that all his belongings—including his snuff case—were intact. The wave of relief nearly brought him to tears. Clutching his sword and pouch, Kiole choked up. Who would’ve thought he’d feel this moved over something like this?

“So, how exactly are you planning to meet this steward?”

“I need to go to a candle shop by the Fourth Wall. If I leave a message there, he’ll come.”

“I see. Let’s see how long it takes him to show.”

Yuder jerked his chin forward, signaling him to lead the way. Was he planning to follow the whole time? Kiole gave a small nod and stood up—only for the pain he’d forgotten to flare through his entire body, making him yelp like a strangled chicken.

“Gahh—!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Even though I used holy water, my limbs still really hurt...”

“So that’s it. You used up a large amount of recovery energy all at once—of course there’d be side effects.”

Yuder answered indifferently.

“Suck it up. Even kids can handle that much.”

‘...This is a side effect? I’m suffering from holy water side effects?!’

It was the first time Kiole had been injured deeply enough to need holy water—and now that he was experiencing side effects, he was shocked. But Yuder’s casual reaction made him feel even more alien.

‘To treat this like nothing... That means he and the Cavalry are used to situations like this.’

With that thought, Kiole suddenly felt ashamed for complaining. He clenched his teeth and stepped outside.

But another obstacle immediately presented itself as they stepped out to call a carriage.

“...Now that I think about it, I forgot to tell the staff to call a carriage before I came down.”

“What?”

“I’ll go tell them now, so wait he—ack!”

“You wait. What do you think you’re doing?”

Kiole had always lived in a world where if you told someone in advance to call a carriage, it would just be there. That had been the case even at the temporary residence arranged by the Emperor.

But commoners didn’t call carriages that way. Yuder stared at him, letting out a cold sigh.

“We’ve got a long way to go.”

“Wh-What do you mean?!”

“In places like this, you don’t hail a carriage like that. And do you even have fare?”

“There should be some money left in my pouch...”

“Just so you know, I mean actual small coins used for ordinary carriages. Not gold.”

“......”

Kiole’s face flushed red again. But unlike before, he didn’t shout in outrage or lash out after being corrected. He just looked ashamed.

A moment later, with his head lowered, he muttered:

“...Just show me once. I’ll watch and learn.”

“......”

Kiole braced himself, expecting Yuder to kick him again.

But strangely, this time, it didn’t happen.

Yuder silently walked ahead.

“Follow me.”

He led them down a more rundown, dirtier main road where carriages passed frequently. He observed a few that went by, then raised his hand at an empty one. The driver pulled up and asked:

“Where to?”

“The Fourth Wall.”

“That’s a long way through multiple zones. It’ll cost a bit. That okay with you?”

“How much?”

Kiole had no idea if the price the driver quoted was expensive or not. Yuder listened without comment, then shook his head and told the driver to shave off the cost by five more coins. The coachman seemed reluctant, but when Yuder stood firm, he clicked his tongue and gave a nod.

“Hop in.”

Still a bit dazed, Kiole climbed into the carriage. Inside was dirty and smelled musty. As they began moving, the whole thing rattled so hard it felt like his backside would fall apart. Trying not to bite his tongue, Kiole leaned over and whispered:

“W-What did you base that on? Why did you wave down that one and not the others?!”

“Count the ropes tied to the carriage. Expensive ones go anywhere. Cheap ones are each designated for specific zones. This one had three ropes—means it runs through Zone 3.”

“Oh...!”