The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 205

The Prince of the Kingdom of Panicis.

The news that he had appeared at the Aquiline Academy made them move without even taking a break.

He was one of the important figures in the royal family.

Yet, he had left the royal palace and come to the Aquiline Academy.

It was clear what the situation of the royalist faction would be.

'If we're not careful, the noble faction might even barge into the academy, chasing the prince.'

If that happens, our situation would become extremely complicated.

The current dungeon expedition team is a valuable force even for the empire.

Starting with the fact that most of them are nobles, they are composed of the most promising talents in the world.

Naturally, the empire cannot afford to ignore such a force.

From the perspective of the noble faction, which is already heated by civil war, this could be a valuable card to prevent external forces from intervening.

They do not want external forces to interfere and ruin the civil war.

The moment this civil war fails, the only thing left for them is purging.

Success means revolution.

Failure means treason.

For them, there are only two possible outcomes.

So, the moment our existence becomes known to the outside, it is highly likely that they will try to lock us up under the pretext of safety and protection.

Of course, if they do this, they will face global condemnation.

We have defeated the ascended apostle.

On the other, Panicis has played the worst possible move by diverting even the forces stationed at the dungeon's entrance.

And now, Panicis is trying to detain us?

The consequences are obvious.

But the noble faction is already heated by the civil war.

They prioritize the present over the future.

They believe they can compensate for their actions in the future.

So, they must win at all costs in the present.

It was clear that they were thinking this way.

In this situation, the prince has come to the Aquiline Academy.

If we're not careful, we could be detained along with the prince.

The wounded have not yet fully recovered.

Even now, it would be difficult to escape Panicis with everyone.

"This way."

Following Solvas's guidance, we arrived at a place where several knights of the Panicis royal family were gathered.

All of them had tired faces and were injured in various places.

It was clear how difficult it must have been for the prince to leave the royal palace.

That’s why, as soon as I appeared, the knights stood up.

A sense of caution was immediately felt from them.

It was a natural reaction, given that they had risked their lives to save the prince.

"Hello. I am Vikan Niflheim, an assistant instructor from the Jerion Academy. Is there a representative here with whom I can speak?"

If I had omitted my family name here, I might not have even had the chance to speak.

Even though I was disowned by my family, I had to use what I could while it was still useful.

"I am Solvas Umbra. I can vouch for this person’s identity."

At that, Solvas, who had accompanied me, provided support.

Given his family background, Solvas was well-connected in political circles.

He must have anticipated the consequences of getting involved with us.

It was obvious that the noble faction would become the worst possible move for Panicis in the future.

The blinded nobles might not see the future, but the younger nobles could.

Looking at Solvas, the future of Panicis didn’t seem entirely dark.

"Krama Verilio, deputy commander of the Panicis royal knights."

At that moment, a middle-aged knight stepped forward.

The most injured among the knights, his entire body was wrapped in bandages.

It was a sign of how serious the royal family’s situation was.

"You’ve been through a lot. As I mentioned earlier, I am from the empire. Currently, the students of the Jerion Academy at the Aquiline Academy are injured and resting."

"You mentioned injuries—"

"These are injuries sustained in a battle with an ascended apostle who was trying to leap toward Panicis."

Krama’s eyes widened.

As the deputy commander of the royal knights, he would fully understand the implications of an ascended apostle.

He would also know that they had betrayed their global duty for the sake of the kingdom.

"What happened to the apostle?"

He asked cautiously.

Given that Panicis had been greatly shaken by the civil war, if they had failed to stop the apostle, they would have faced global condemnation, which would have meant the downfall of Panicis.

"It was successfully eliminated."

Krama’s expression relaxed slightly.

It was a small mercy.

"I apologize. It seems we’ve left all the responsibility to you."

Krama bowed his head in apology.

For them, the kingdom was the world.

With the kingdom turned upside down by civil war, they had no choice.

They could only hope that the apostle’s leap would not be toward Panicis.

There was nothing they could do.

Even as knights, they were ultimately soldiers who had to follow orders from above.

"It’s fine. However, we’d like to avoid any additional damage caused by the civil war on our side."

This was also a path for the future of Panicis.

Krama seemed to understand my words, as if he wasn’t entirely closed off.

"Yes, we will do our best to ensure that no harm comes to you, who have shown the path of heroes."

He, too, had become a knight for the glory of Panicis.

He was well aware of the problems that could arise from our involvement.

But if they could prevent it, the civil war wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Empty promises are meaningless.

My eyes briefly glanced at the door he was guarding.

In the end, the only one who could make a proper promise was the prince.

At that, Krama’s face darkened.

It was as if he knew it would be difficult to get a good answer.

But he also knew he couldn’t take full responsibility.

"I’ll try to speak with the prince."

After knocking, Krama entered the room.

Isabelle, who had followed me, met my eyes.

Her eyes were filled with concern for everyone.

A civil war is a crossroads for a nation’s survival.

Given the urgency of the situation, it was natural to worry.

I gently placed a hand on Isabelle’s shoulder.

"It’s okay. There’s no problem. No matter what happens, I’ll handle it."

I didn’t want to plant unnecessary anxiety in her.

So, I spoke calmly.

Isabelle stared at me for a moment before lightly punching my side.

"Don’t overdo it."

"Of course."

Though Isabelle still looked skeptical, her expression showed a bit of relief.

"Oh, my lord?"

At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.

There was a woman who had just returned from the bathroom, wiping her hands with a handkerchief.

"Vinesha?"

My eyes widened at the sight of her.

I hadn’t expected Vinesha to be here.

Soon after, Granto appeared behind her.

"Granto, you—"

"Oh, my soulmate!"

Granto greeted me with a grin, clacking his teeth.

Why were these two here?

For a moment, I couldn’t understand.

Then, I noticed their clothes were dirty in various places.

"Don’t tell me you two were the ones who rescued Prince Maron?"

Vinesha and Granto exchanged glances.

Then, a light flowed from Vinesha’s pendant, and her emerald eyes sparkled.

Musica had possessed Vinesha.

At that moment, Vinesha raised her arm diagonally, and Granto mirrored her, striking a pose.

"That’s right, we did it!"

"Ahem, the hero duo."

I let out a hollow laugh.

They were supposed to seek help from the Panicis royal family, but they ended up rescuing Prince Maron.

'I thought it would be difficult to escape with just the knights.'

The noble faction must have prioritized capturing Prince Maron.

They must have considered all possible battles with the royal knights.

But they didn’t account for one variable.

The soul mage duo.

Thanks to their efforts, Prince Maron and the royal knights managed to escape here.

"You’ve done something incredibly dangerous."

"Heroes always face difficulties on their path."

Given that a former hero said it, it was quite convincing.

"So, the boy came here to walk the path of a hero again?"

Musica, with a cheeky expression, mimicked a woodcarver.

"Report the situation."

"Heroes don’t check the situation—they charge in!"

"That’s why they all end up buried in graves early."

"Well, that’s true!"

Her energy was still high.

Still, it was a relief that Musica and Granto were safe.

"Will you come in?"

At that moment, Krama opened the door and asked.

Isabelle and I exchanged glances before nodding and stepping inside.

Solvas followed quietly behind us.

"Come back safely!"

"Hehe, you’re in for a tough time."

Musica and Granto tactfully stepped back.

Inside, the room was a mess.

This was a guest room at the Aquiline Academy, so it was furnished with high-quality furniture.

But now, all that furniture was being used to block the windows.

The room was extremely dark.

In the corner, a boy was huddled under a blanket.

He looked like a high school student at most.

His face was full of fear as he struggled to breathe.

Krama suppressed a sigh.

Though I was an assistant instructor, I was a noble from another country.

It wasn’t good for him to show such fear in front of us.

My eyes briefly met Krama’s.

Reluctantly, he spoke.

"Prince Maron is still recovering from the shock of leaving the royal palace."

He tried to sugarcoat it, but the prince’s state was obvious.

If a prince of a nation was this fragile, his followers would naturally waver.

My eyes turned to Solvas.

My gaze asked if Prince Maron was always like this.

Solvas nodded quietly, as if swallowing bitter water.

The Panicis royal family had long practiced inbreeding, leading to genetic diseases.

Some of these diseases even restricted reproduction.

Recently, the closed-off policy had changed, and the Panicis royal family began accepting diverse bloodlines.

But genetic diseases don’t disappear overnight.

The current Panicis king was born with a genetic disease, making it difficult to have children.

Prince Maron was the result of overcoming that difficulty.

Prince Maron is the only heir to the Panicis throne.

It was clear how carefully he must have been raised.

But that had the opposite effect.

Raised too delicately, Prince Maron was born with inherent fragility.

He was vulnerable to stress and danger, lacking the ability to cope.

When a crisis arose, he would avoid taking the lead, leaving it to others.

That was Prince Maron.

Unlike Iris, who, despite being a princess, attended the Jerion Academy and built a reputation,

Prince Maron, of the same age, hadn’t even enrolled in the Aquiline Academy.

This must have caused unease among the Panicis nobility.

With the empire already leading the world’s political landscape,

the Panicis royal family was falling behind.

What would happen if Prince Maron, the only heir to the throne in this situation, were to succeed the king? To be honest, the future of Panithis was bleak.

Prince Maron was bound to be swayed this way and that, incapable of proper governance.

His wavering would shake the entirety of Panithis.

This would become the driving force that moved the noble faction.

Rather than welcoming an incompetent king, they would establish a new dynasty.

That was the reason for the coup d'état by the noble faction of Panithis.

And now, that very Prince Maron was at the Aquiline Academy.

The noble faction could not simply stand by.

"Your Highness, Prince Maron, I am Vickman Niflheim of the Jerion Academy."

Even after I introduced myself, Prince Maron did not respond.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on Krama.

His gaze was filled with the clear intent to have someone else handle the matter.

Is he even avoiding a simple greeting?

This is giving me a headache.

"Our Jerion Academy is currently resting in Aquiline after eliminating an apostle who escaped from the royal palace. Given the potential for diplomatic issues due to civil unrest, we would appreciate it if Your Highness could guarantee our safety."

But that doesn’t mean I can just stay silent.

As I brought up the matter of safety, Prince Maron’s eyes flickered violently.

"How can I protect anything when I can’t even protect myself?"

"It’s fine. We only need a promise. We’ll handle the rest."

It was merely a pretext to prevent the noble faction from interfering with us.

I had no intention of relying on their protection.

All I needed was a justification to keep the noble faction at bay.

"Ugh, fine, fine. I’ll do it. Now, I’d like to rest, so please leave."

Forced by the expulsion order, we stepped outside.

"...Since His Highness Prince Maron has made a promise, you won’t be harmed."

Krama spoke in an attempt to soothe us.

It must be hard serving such an inadequate master.

"May I ask about the situation in the royal family?"

"...The knights and soldiers hired by the noble faction have nearly pushed their way into the royal palace."

Even if the Panithis royal family had lost much of its strength, it shouldn’t be so easily breached.

As I expressed my confusion, he made a despondent expression.

"The noble faction has someone who deals with the arcane."

The moment I heard the word "arcane," my eyes narrowed.

At the same time, a certain group came to mind.

The Arcane Order.

The very group I had crushed alongside Vulcan.

‘Could there have been remnants left behind?’

My hand pressed against my chin.

Perhaps there was another group of arcane practitioners, separate from the Arcane Order.

‘The Arcane Order was just being established and expanding its influence.’

The Arcane Order’s completion was a story for the fifth act of the main timeline, next year.

So it wouldn’t be strange if those unaffiliated with the Arcane Order belonged elsewhere.

‘In the end, this must be a result of the timeline being twisted.’

I swallowed a sigh.

The timing of Panithis’ civil war, the emergence of the apostle—everything felt like part of a grand design.

"Thank you for telling me. I’ll take it into account."

"Yes, I’ll ensure no harm comes to you."

After finishing my conversation with Krama, I returned to the ward.

"Isabelle, once everyone is awake, we’ll head straight to the Jerion Academy."

When I discreetly relayed the plan, Isabelle agreed.

Staying at the Aquiline Academy any longer was too risky.

Above all, we had no business interfering in another country’s affairs.

"Solvas, you must be worried about your family too."

"...Yes, I am."

"Don’t worry about us anymore. Thank you for looking out for us."

"No, I should help where I can. You saved my life."

In the past, we had fought like wild animals.

But from now on, we might just get along.

Boom!

At that moment, a sudden explosion erupted from the men’s ward.

Startled, the three of us rushed toward the ward—only to find Van with his sword drawn.

At the same time, someone was frantically jumping out the window.

Van slashed his sword toward the ground beneath his feet.

The magic binding his legs shattered instantly.

Solvas, recognizing the nature of the magic, narrowed his eyes.

"Shadow magic."

At the mention of shadows, my eyes narrowed as well.

"Van, what’s going on?"

"Hanon has been kidnapped."

Hanon Irey, who had been asleep in bed after his injury—had been taken.