* * *

At the same time.

Hikan stepped out a little behind from the center of the huge hall. He looked at the center of the hall with a gloomy and somber expression.

Starting from the center of the hall, strange patterns and unknown characters surrounded it.

At the same time, countless threads stretched out of Hikan’s hand and intertwined the entire hall like a spider web.

The ability he gained through the mana awakening was commonly known as swordsmanship, but in fact, it was actually more complicated.

Its essence was close to being able to control the movement of every object in his reach.

The Imperial Magic Tower, where the most elite wizards of the Imperial Palace gathered, recently developed a special use of this ability. It is the complete restraint of human beings.

At that moment, the center of the hall was dyed with a green light.

Then a man with a swollen and bruised face appeared there. He was the man who had just escaped from the Pesteros villa in Vesta .

Hikan moved his fingers smoothly and tightly pulled the thread.

At the same time, the pattern on the floor of the hall rotated around the center with a brilliant light.

“Gasp!“

The man’s limbs were pulled tightly as if they were tied to a thread, and soon his body soared into the sky.

His face was in shock.

This wasn’t where he was supposed to return.

In a hurry, he tried to chew the poison inside his molars. If it doesn’t work, he’ll try to die by cutting off his tongue. But unfortunately, he couldn’t move his jaw or tongue.

‘Damn it!’

He still has a last resort.

He tried to break the poison bottle lodged in his muscles by exerting all his strength on both his arms and legs.

However, there was no strength in his limbs. Now he couldn’t even blink.

Hikan walked in front of him, who was still in the air with an indifferent look.

As he moved one finger, the man’s mouth opened on its own. His hidden poison rolled out of his tongue.

Hikan looked at it with disgust and looked at the man again.

“His Majesty must have had a lot of trouble since they would die whenever he caught them.”

The spy of the Imperial Family has so far captured almost all the fanatics who have infiltrated the capital.

However, they didn’t manage to get any useful information from any of them. Because they all committed suicide.

The Imperial Family and Hikan have researched for a very long time on how to capture them without killing them.

The result was this.

From the moment they went to Vesta, he had expected for them to use a warp portal to kidnap Dalia.

Using it in reverse, the Imperial Magic Tower created a magic circle that invested a tremendous amount of time and manpower.

By forcibly fixing the coordinates of all warp portals activated within this Empire into this hall.

Since the warp portal was a dangerous magic, there was no need for the innocent ordinary people to get caught.

The day the magic circle was completed was yesterday, the day Hikan left Vesta.

However, this plan had its weaknesses. That Hikan is absolutely necessary here.

So he had no choice but to stay away from her, knowing that Dalia would be in danger.

Instead, Hikan also entrusted Adrisha with a warp scroll. To summon him if there’s an unavoidable situation.

Cedric also volunteered to step up. Hikan accepted him because he desperately needed his help this time.

And there was only one fanatic who came over here. The plan was completely successful. Looking at his condition, fortunately, Dalia appeared to be unharmed.

‘Then.’

Hikan narrowed his eyes.

Now, after a long time, the most elite manpower of the Holy Empire has finally come into the hands of the Imperial Family.

If they had simply focused on preventing Dalia from being kidnapped this time, the same thing would have happened again twice and three times.

However, as long as the fanatic was in Frederic’s grasp, Aceras could never move as he did now.

He moved his hand again. Then the man’s hair was pulled back, revealing his face.

He had a humiliating expression on his face.

“Now confess.”

Hikan spoke grimly.

The man’s face slowly grew terrified.

What he feared more than any pain or death was betraying the Pope. And Hikan had no intention of understanding the man’s situation.

This made it clear.

Aceras wants Dalia Pesteros.

“And tell His Majesty that he is ready.”

However, no matter how many times he repeated it, no matter what sins he buried with his hand, he was determined to protect Dalia.

* * *

Adrisha and Cedric roughly organized the situation in the mansion.

Adrisha said that she had received Hikan’s power of attorney for this mansion just in case something like this happens. No, it’s not exactly the power of attorney…….

“…… Now this villa is mine, Adrisha?”

“I guess so.”

Hikan completely handed over the building and all the employees’ contracts in Dalia’s name.

Dalia recalled what he had said in the past.

“If you like this place, I will officially proceed with the acquisition of this territory. Under your name.”

“…… What?”

“Now that you have reached this age, you should have at least one territory. I’ve already put some of the Dukedom’s possessions in your name.”

‘Wh, when?’

She didn’t think that she could get allowance from Hikan forever, but she was grateful that he was already secretly working on such a plan.

Still, she politely refused Vesta.

Anyway, Dalia wrote a letter of attorney with her name for the first time. Adrisha was in charge of managing and cleaning up the now ruined mansion.

Except for one of the fanatics who fled, the remaining two were still unconscious.

They were taken by the imperial knights who arrived late.

The maid who the fanatic disguised as is currently being searched, but has not been found.

Everyone was quiet, but Dalia knew that there was little chance of seeing the maid again. However, Dalia also said nothing for those who kept their mouths shut in consideration of her.

Fortunately, the imperial wizards were only held captive by the fanatic’s divine power, and they were still alive.

The floor of the first floor that Cedric removed and the iron door that Meldon broke were being repaired.

There may be something to come next, but when that time comes, the original villa will be waiting for Dalia again.

“Hikan should be in the capital. I think we’d better go back right away.”

Cedric briefly explained to Dalia why Hikan left Vesta and what his duty in the capital was.

‘That’s why you didn’t stop him from running away.’

Rather, it was a situation where they had to let them run away.

Upon hearing Cedric’s explanation, Dalia belatedly nodded.

“So that’s why……brother left Vesta.”

“Yes. He probably succeeded in capturing him alive.”

Cedric gives an odd smile.

“I wonder what they will talk about.”

Dalia felt strange for some reason and shrugged.

She realized that this was not a simple incident, but a great deal that would lead to a dispute between the Holy Empire and this empire.

And that’s all because of Dalia’s own abilities.

‘I feel like I’m entangled in something incredible.’

In the original Aceras route, there was also a war between the Holy Empire led by Aceras, who had gone crazy, and the Frederic Empire.

However, it happened at the end of the bad ending route, so it was impossible to know exactly what happened after the caption ‘war broke out’.

“Don’t worry too much. Even if the war really breaks out, protest letters and international criticism will drag back and forth, and it won’t happen until about five years later.”

Meldon spoke warmly next to Dalia.

Is this really the original male lead of the hardest route? It was awkward, like a person wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

“……That’s not a very helpful consolation.”

Besides, the words that he says seem to mean that he cares…… but like she said before, it didn’t make any sense.

Dalia looked at him smiling radiantly. Then a very reasonable question came to mind.

“…… But why aren’t you leaving yet?”

“I have to take care of something else. Don’t worry too much.”

Meldon spoke naturally. It was difficult to deal with him because he was an iron wall in a different sense than Cedric.

It was difficult to speak casually because he was the original male lead and she knew that he would later become Duke Artus.

“Dalia, just ignore him and come here.”

Fortunately, Cedric was still blocking Meldon. But why is this person like this.

“I have something to do at the capital, so can I escort Miss until then?”

Why are you suddenly hanging around Dalia like this?