Episode 7: Agitated Tables
February 25, 960
Astrel's palace was gradually overwhelmed by chaos.
Despite the Malkion's efforts, the situation continued to escalate.
Theo, the Grand Master of the Order, rushed into the hospital,
As I roughly pushed open the door, I found Magellan, who had been in a coma, looking like he'd been assassinated,
The blood was dripping to the floor.
"I told you to keep a straight face!"
"Who is that? I didn't even see the suspicious person!"
"There..."
Theo froze, sweat trickling from his clenched fist as he gripped the guard's collar. His head hung low, a storm of panic and disbelief surging within him.
The guard stammered as if he was about to confess to a crime,
Theo approached Magellan's lifeless body, his face twisted in a scowl as he grasped the guard by the throat.
A knife was lodged in Magellan's neck, and it seemed he was specifically targeting Dongbaek.
"When did you last check?"
"I'll check in at 8 pm this afternoon."
"I saw this morning that..." Like this..."
Theo crouched beside Magellan's lifeless body,
I asked the guard, who was still fidgeting with impatience.
"At 8pm...""
"We're looking for any information on suspicious individuals in the area."
"I'm reporting to you immediately, Your Majesty."
In the midst of a complex situation, Theo made a firm decision and gave a clear command,
I got up and headed outside.
As Malkion had feared, the events that had been worrying him were gradually unfolding into reality,
The situation was careening out of control, like a rickety boat adrift without a rudder.
The Theo continued to trudge along with heavy footsteps.
One step, two steps,
As I walked, a growing sense of responsibility and guilt began to mix with a creeping sense of unease,
He pressed down on his shoulders.
It's as if this isn't the first time I've been here,
Although the path and direction felt familiar, he stopped in his tracks and turned back
I repeated the walk.
Finally, his footsteps came to a stop in front of the family home,
He slowly reached out and placed his hand on the door.
It's... It's..
Theo likened the knock on the door to the sound of his own heart pounding,
It's been stuck in my head.
A woman then opened the door to welcome the Theo.
"What's going on here, sir? What brings you to this place?"
"Hey, did my husband wake up?"
Her first words weighed heavily on the Theo's mind.
Theo screwed her eyes shut tightly and hung her head in despair.
She didn't seem out of place in that Theo.
This wasn't my first visit, so,
Magellan embarked on a circumnavigation of the globe, and there were two instances of his disappearance and two instances of his return
And now, only she knew.
"What... "Can you tell me something?"
"Why again?" "With that expression on his face..."
Theo's eyes remained shut, but her sobs pierced the air, echoing through the room.
You have to take the blame for your own mistakes, not someone else's
That was the weight that Theo had to bear.
He had already given her a taste of both frustration and hope, but now he was going to give her a second chance at hope
This time, even the Theo wanted to escape.
The Theo soon opened its mouth,
"Madame Celine..."
"Today, Magellan..." He's dead
All that reached the Theo's ears was her anguished cry.
Despite collapsing in front of the Theo in front of her house, she was sobbing uncontrollably,
Theo was only aware of her own cries, and she didn't feel a thing.
February 27, 960
The funeral of Magellan was marked by an eerie silence, with the sky remaining a dull, unresponsive grey.
Theo and his team were extremely cautious in their words and actions.
If only I had been a bit more cautious,
If only I had put in a bit more effort,
If only he had been a little more capable,
The thought consumed Theo's mind.
When you glance away for a moment, you can't help but focus on one spot, as if you're unable to look in any other direction
A group of agitated people were approaching his funeral,
Agitation has never ceased.
"Because I'm a devil..." "It's only natural that I'd die..."
"I guess it's for the best that he's gone."
"What's this, a new continent?" "It's just unbelievable that he's back to life."
"Yeah, I guess I was just a total devil."
The murmurs around him only added to Celine's anxiety.
However, humans tend to lose their bearings over time.
"Bak!"
A stone was hurled at the Celine's head.
"You're a devil's family!"
"That's definitely last year!"
The memorial site is starting to deteriorate.
Blood is flowing from Celine's head, and Magellan's grave is,
Tears were falling less and less, and blood droplets were falling more and more.
Theo was so shocked by the sight that he was left speechless.
"Get him all!" "Lock this place down so no one can get in!"
The sky was a brilliant blue that day, oblivious to the bloodstained grave, which was nothing more than a Celine's sacrifice
The background noise is punctuated by the Theo's cries and murmurs,
The sound was a rapid, urgent call to the citizens.
No one was crying.
Celine stood there, her forehead bleeding profusely, her eyes vacant,
She was the only one who broke the silence at the funeral.
"Madame Celine..." "First things first, let's get the treatment sorted out..."
The Theo cautiously approached the Celine and spoke to it
I still couldn't find the right words to say to her,
My mouth felt heavy.
"It's okay..."
"What's going on with our family?" "The devil..."
"What's going on?"
"That..."
The Celine was so eager to make excuses that he even wanted to know the reason for the Theo's words.
It's just a simple Vatican propaganda, but it's hard to explain why people are so strange about it
It was a first-time experience for Theo, who had always wanted to trust humans.
February 28, 960
A commotion is brewing in the house, with people gathering in a chaotic manner,
Before the weight of Magellan's funeral had even begun to lift, Theo was already back on the road.
Unlike last time, I had to be faster, and I couldn't afford to slow down, even if my footsteps felt heavy.
"Please... Please "
As the sound of the Theo's armor grew louder, the breathing sounds became even more labored,
The crowd surged forward, pushing against the crowd,
The moment you ignore the security guards at the entrance of your home and walk in,
There she was—Celine—her lifeless body hanging from the ceiling, a rope cruelly digging into her neck.
The table had been knocked over in one direction, as if it had been pushed or pulled, and the neck was hanging precariously,
Despite her pale complexion,
Yesterday's wound on his forehead was still raw and red, with a fresh scab forming.
The long waits, the repeated cycles of frustration and hope, and the unyielding gazes that she had to endure,
The prominent marks on her neck seemed to be a clear indication of something.
"No way..."
The Grand Master's knees buckled under his weight, and he collapsed to the floor with a thud,
His back buckled under the weight, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.
This time was different.
He didn't even have the chance to blame himself.
After the funeral, the Theo had security stationed outside her house to ensure her safety,
I couldn't find anyone to blame.
Not even the thought of "a little more, a little more" was acceptable, let alone regret.
Just as hope is infectious, so too is despair.
"Get a team of investigators on the case right away! We need to catch the mastermind behind Magellan's murder!"
"Catch him right now!!!"
The Theo had given the guards a brutal order, and now it didn't matter who the culprit was.
He also needed someone to blame for being human.
"Come on, let's get going!"
"You look really unwell..." "Let's head home quickly."
The horses were fed up with the commotion of the crowd around them, but they had no idea what was wrong,
He was also swayed in his direction.
Citizens began to leave their seats one by one, heading back to their homes,
Turning their backs on their own homes, which were not their concern, they returned to the table.
There she was—Celine—her lifeless body hanging from the ceiling, a rope cruelly digging into her neck.
On February 28, 960, in the afternoon,
The palace conference room was filled with an oppressive silence.
The Grand Master of the Order, Theo, strode in with heavy footsteps,
The nobles and their attendants were too intimidated to speak, their heads bowed in reverence.
Following Celine's death, the city of Astrel was shrouded in a sense of unease and trepidation.
Citizens kept a watchful eye on each other,
As the saying goes, "Magellan's death was God's will," strange flyers started circulating on the streets.
Alterion slowly got up from his seat and gazed out the window.
"Have you found the culprit?"
"No, I don't." Your Majesty..."
"The culprit is..." "I'll find it no matter what it takes."
"But before that..." "The citizens are already on edge."
"Now, the Vatican's words are spreading like wildfire, and it's hard to know what's true." His behavior is becoming increasingly bold.. "
The Theo suppressed his emotions and reported on the situation of the people.
The Alterion who had heard the report was also aware of it.
However, I couldn't have predicted the outcome if I had rejected the Vatican outright at this point.
Since Magellan's return, humanity has been plagued by a series of unexpected events,
Alterion was also unable to produce a sharp number,
Perhaps he was indecisive as a king, making those judgments.
Someone spoke up quietly in the king's silence.
"Your Majesty, may I ask..." "There's also a concern that someone inside might be leaking information."
"There may be someone connected to the Vatican or the Carcer."
The conference room was abuzz,
Despite always being on high alert for leaks, it was the most likely scenario at this point.
At that moment, the Theo stepped forward.
I'd had enough.
"Your Majesty, if I may have your permission..." "I'll take the lead on this investigation myself."
"Despite the information leak, the response from over there is surprisingly aggressive."
"We need to block it first."
The Alterion's eyes were fixed on the Theo.
The king gazed long into his eyes, where loyalty, anger, and frustration intersected.
"Whatever you do, it's fine."
Alterion bowed his head in response to the Theo's words and left the conference room without hesitation.
The direction the Theo was swaying in was unclear, but it seemed to be pointing in a certain direction,
He took two steps, as if transferring all his weight to the ground.