Augustus was gone!?

  The nobles scanned the wheat field in all directions.

  But amidst the vast expanse of golden wheat, not even Augustus's shadow could be found.

  That's when the truth hit them.

  Augustus had seized the moment of chaos to escape.

  Everyone was filled with bitter regret.

  How could this happen?

  How could they have let Augustus slip away?

  Though all the nobles present clearly understood -

  This entire incident had been orchestrated solely by Count Laurien's machinations.

  Yet Augustus's crimes were unforgivable.

  He had deliberately incited the demi-humans to ravage the royal city, using them to slaughter thousands of innocent civilians and transform their corpses into blood slaves.

  He had even turned the nobles killed by these blood slaves into vampires.

  So compared to the Count, the nobles present harbored even deeper hatred for Augustus.

  If not for Augustus's actions that had reached the heights of madness, they would never have faced today's trial of life and death.

  And now, the Count was dead.

  Along with the vampires' bodies, which had scattered like ash in the wind.

  Their blood essence had returned to the earth, while the souls of the fallen soldiers and innocent civilians ascended to the heavens, finding redemption.

  But Augustus's fate remained unknown, his whereabouts a mystery.

  Whether alive or dead, they needed to see him with their own eyes.

  They demanded to see him, dead or alive.

  Even if only his corpse, Augustus must face judgment for today's atrocities!

  Amidst the chorus of anger, Viktor's calm voice cut through:

  "He won't get far."

  At these words, many nobles regained their composure.

  After Viktor had slain Count Laurien and brought everything to an end,

  everyone present held nothing but respect for him.

  Viktor walked deliberately to Pricis's side.

  He looked down at her.

  The girl lay half-fallen in the wheat field, tears streaming down her face.

  Though her skin was porcelain-white in the sunlight, she appeared utterly haggard.

  Sensing his approach, Pricis raised her head.

  Her blood-red eyes brimmed with tears, her tear-stained face looking up at Viktor.

  Her weak yet questioning voice revealed her deepest anguish:

  "Why?"

  "I should have been the one to sacrifice. I was the one who made mistakes. So why?"

  Pricis was destined for tragedy.

  Her mother had given her life without hesitation, and her father too had sacrificed himself completely for her.

  Just as she believed, she had been a mistake from birth.

  Why did they insist on letting this mistake continue?

  She couldn't understand, couldn't comprehend at all.

  Pricis gazed at Viktor, her lips trembling.

  Yet tears once again betrayed her, streaming down her pale cheeks:

  "Why, Sir Mage? Shouldn't you have saved my mother?"

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  The words choked out from her throat.

  She could only sit helplessly in the wheat field, letting the breeze flutter her black dress.

  Viktor's expression remained neutral as he spoke with quiet certainty:

  "The person your parents wanted to save was always you."

  "Don't let their sacrifice be in vain."

  Above, the weak sun hung crimson in the sky.

  Its light fell upon the wheat field, where golden waves still swayed.

  But the rustling sounds were buried beneath the whisper of wind, as countless maple leaves swirled skyward, painting it red.

  .....

  Hilda supported Augustus, who moved like a ghost in the wind.

  They struggled through the endless golden wheat field, desperately trying to flee Shulbon.

  An eerie silence surrounded them, broken only by the sharp crack of wheat stalks beneath their chaotic footsteps.

  The two stumbled forward like headless flies, charging randomly through the golden wheat field.

  Yet none could know just how terrifyingly vast the area covered by that magic truly was.

  When Hilda looked outward, she saw nothing but endless golden wheat stretching to the horizon.

  "Why... still more wheat fields?"

  Hilda cursed under her breath, her gaze fixed ahead, searching desperately for an exit.

  Under Hilda's guidance, Augustus's steps were mechanical and heavy.

  His eyes were vacant, fixed numbly on the endless waves of wheat.

  The proud palace in his heart had crumbled completely.

  Golden fragments lay scattered across the rugged ground, and he was buried in those ruins.

  Augustus couldn't accept it.

  Where exactly had he failed?

  Perhaps it would have been better to just die there and end it all.

  Lost in his muddled thoughts, he let Hilda drag his body forward as they continued to flee.

  Along the way, Hilda slashed through the waist-high wheat with her sword, carving a path forward.

  She frequently glanced back, checking for any sign of pursuit.

  The sun slowly sank from the edge of the sky, and as the light dimmed, the golden wheat deepened to amber.

  After fleeing for what seemed an eternity, they finally broke through the wheat field and plunged into a forest.

  In this deathly silent world, only their labored breathing and the clinking of their armor could be heard.

  Even the forest creatures scattered in panic at their intrusion.

  Feeling they might find safety here, Hilda finally lowered Augustus beside a tree root.

  Augustus slumped weakly against the trunk.

  His eyes remained vacant, his expression blank, as if still caught in that holy magic's grip.

  Hilda dropped to one knee before Augustus:

  "Your Majesty, please pull yourself together."

  But Augustus seemed beyond hearing, his hollow eyes showing only chaos.

  "Your Majesty!"

  Still no response.

  Unable to bear it any longer, Hilda's hand shot out to strike Augustus's face.

  CRACK!

  The sharp sound echoed through the forest, sending the watching animals fleeing into the shadows.

  The slap shocked Augustus back to awareness, as Hilda shouted:

  "Augustus!"

  His eyes finally cleared as he looked up at Hilda, then around at the dark and silent forest.

  "Where... is this?"

  "The wilderness. We've escaped."

  Hilda gazed at Augustus, pain and heartache mingling in her eyes.

  "Why have you become like this?"

  "A stranger to me."

  The Augustus she had known was never like this.

  He had been the academy's brightest star, reaching Third-Tier Warrior at an unprecedented young age.

  Kind and caring toward others.

  Back then, Augustus had shone like the brightest star in Hilda's sky.

  In those days, their bond had been extraordinary.

  Until the previous king's untimely death forced Augustus to take the throne prematurely.

  Overnight, something unknown had broken in the newly crowned king, transforming his very nature.

  He was no longer the Augustus that Hilda had known.

  After becoming king, his gaze grew increasingly dark as he watched his surroundings, more like a tyrant with each passing day.

  His thoughts became increasingly unfathomable.

  Until now, when he would sacrifice everyone simply to maintain his grip on power.

  Hilda understood him - the king's sudden death had shattered his world.

  Moreover, the previous king had left Augustus nothing to work with.

  During the power transition, the nobles who had served the old king naturally rejected this untested youth.

  This left him standing on the throne yet wielding less and less actual authority.

  Augustus gazed quietly at Hilda, and in the wake of defeat, let out a calm laugh:

  "I am the king, Hilda."

  "The Samuel royal line has endured for generations, only to fall into my unprepared hands."

  "I cannot let the royal family decline under my rule."

  He was still too young, unable to command the trust he needed.

  "Thank you, Hilda, thank you for getting me out."

  Augustus's gaze had lost its former pride as he looked at her with gentle eyes.

  For a moment, Hilda felt transported back to their days at the Star Academy.

  Augustus reached out, caressing Hilda's face that had grown pale with sorrow:

  "But at least, I still have you."

  Hearing Augustus speak so tenderly, a blush rose to Hilda's cheeks.

  His words struck directly at her heart, awakening long-buried feelings and hopes.

  But suddenly, rustling movements broke the forest's silence.

  Hilda reacted instantly, straightening as she drew her sword and spun toward the sound.

  Holding her breath, she watched as a familiar figure emerged.

  Recognizing who it was, Hilda let out a relieved sigh.

  It was her sister, Joanna.

  "Joanna, why did you follow us?"

  Hilda started to lower her blade when something felt wrong.

  "Didn't I tell you to stay put and not wander off?"

  She meant back at Viktor's position.

  The golden wheat field had been suffused with incredibly powerful holy energy.

  Her sister would have been absolutely safe there.

  But that was for Joanna and herself.

  Augustus was different - if Hilda hadn't taken him away, he would have been torn apart by those enraged nobles.

  Joanna stared silently at Hilda, when suddenly, an otherworldly darkness flashed in her cold eyes.

  "I've come to take you, and His Majesty Augustus, back."

  Before Hilda could react, Joanna's form blurred into motion.

  Hilda felt only a cold wind pass by, freezing her for a crucial moment before she could tighten her grip on her sword.

  But that cold wind carried an unknown force that struck her blade.

  The gleaming sword shattered instantly, reflecting Hilda's widened eyes and Joanna's flickering form.

  By the time Hilda's mind caught up, she held only an empty hilt.

  Joanna had already materialized behind her, standing between her and Augustus.

  She held her cold blade to Augustus's throat, using its tip to lift his chin.

  Under Hilda's shocked gaze, Joanna's expression remained eerily blank.

  A crow's shadow flickered in her eyes as her cold voice echoed:

  "Do not resist."

  "You can never escape from God's control."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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