NOVPUB
Chapter 206: Let's Go to Santamo
Fury.
One of the Seven Sins, taking the form of a black dragon. This creature was discovered in a dungeon hidden deep within the remote corners of Helgaia territory. It stirred for the first time at the precise moment Ian captured the Duke of Garcia—the very source of all his anger.
Woong! Woong!
All the anger Ian had carried from his past life to the present coalesced into a single point. It was as though this moment heralded the birth of a new incarnation of fury. The accumulated anger finally manifested.
Gyu?
A small dragon-serpent was born. Ian didn’t know why, but that didn’t matter. Only one thing occupied his mind.
‘This will be useful.’
The tiny dragon pointed in a specific direction, and Ian instinctively knew the First Prince was there.
‘This creature was born from my anger—it must understand my feelings better than anyone.’
In his previous life, it had been Duke Garcia who betrayed him. However, Ian recently learned that the Duke was merely a pawn. The true mastermind behind it all was the First Prince, Leon. Thus, Ian’s next target became clear: the First Prince himself.
Grrr…
Fury let out a low growl, resonating with Ian’s emotions. Though no larger than the size of a palm, the sinister aura emanating from the dragon-serpent grew darker and more menacing with each passing moment. It felt as though the creature was slowly transforming into its true form.
At that moment, a voice from Ian’s helmet spoke cautiously. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
[Be careful. The more you gaze into the darkness, the deeper your own darkness will grow.]
The warning was valid. The oppressive darkness radiating from Fury seeped from Ian himself. Fortunately, the radiant light of Patience acted as a shield, holding the encroaching darkness at bay.
[Light and darkness are opposites. As darkness strengthens, light inevitably weakens.]
Ian nodded, aware of the growing power of the Seven Sins within him.
‘The power of the Seven Virtues I’ve gained is still too fragile. It feels as though it could shatter into fragments at any moment.’
For now, he could endure. The fragments of Jealousy had been subdued by Patience’s light and lay dormant. Moreover, thanks to the divine power he had absorbed from his sister, the saintess Elaira, the balance between the Seven Sins and the Seven Virtues held steady for the time being.
However, Ian knew time was of the essence. He needed to obtain the complete power of the Seven Sins. To do so, he had a priority to address first.
‘The fortune-teller who altered Leonic’s fate in this timeline—I must find them.’
This was no ordinary seer, but someone capable of changing the destiny of the Crown Prince. If Ian could locate this person, they could reveal the locations of the remaining Seven Sins. Even if the exact positions couldn’t be determined, they could at least provide critical guidance.
‘If I combine their knowledge with what I remember from my previous life, I can pinpoint the locations for sure.’
With that thought, Ian tucked Fury back into his arms.
“Now then, shall we get going?”
“Of course! I’ll prepare immediately!”
Nathan’s cheerful smile quickly faded when Ian continued.
“Good. Then go inform my sister. Let her know we’re leaving.”
“Pardon?”
“We need my sister’s permission as the commander. Besides, aren’t you engaged to her, Sir Nathan?”
“…”
Nathan’s expression soured. He questioned why he had to be the one to deliver the news. More than that, he dreaded the consequences of leaving with Ian. However, Ian’s decision was final.
“Aren’t I just a mere servant right now? It’s only natural for my master, Sir Nathan, to handle such matters.”
“You’re not still upset about earlier, are you?”
“Upset? I’m not one to hold grudges. But now that you mention it, I am feeling a bit thirsty.
Should I fetch you some water? It seems like my master might be parched as well.”
“…”
Nathan broke into a cold sweat. This prince…
‘He’s more petty and sensitive than I thought!’
For some reason, Nathan felt like he would suffer for a while due to his teasing from earlier, causing an uncomfortable tightness in his chest.
***
The First Princess sat in her command tent, surrounded by knights. With a baton in hand, she gestured toward a map of Cantum and spoke firmly.
Thud!
“We will soon reach Cantum’s borders. Once we do, there will be much to accomplish.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
The First Princess moved her baton without replying directly.
“The forces within Cantum are currently divided into five factions. Your mission is to infiltrate four of these factions—excluding the Emperor’s—and sow discord among them.”
Cantum’s power structure consisted of five major factions:
The eunuchs, who held influence while the incompetent Emperor sat on the throne.The Second Prince, recently crowned Crown Prince.The First Princess, the younger sister of the former Crown Prince Leonic, who had allied herself with the Second Prince.The emerging youngest, the Seventh Prince.And, of course, the former Crown Prince, Leonic.
“As you know, Prince Leonic is under our control, so he’s not a major concern anymore,” the First Princess stated.
“However, doesn’t he still have a faction of loyalists?” a knight asked.
“According to the Black Lion Knights’ intelligence, a few remnants remain. But they’re insignificant,” the First Princess replied confidently.
Her words were true. Leonic had not only been overthrown but had also lost his position as Crown Prince. His once-loyal followers had fallen victim to infighting and power struggles, leaving them all but eradicated. The few survivors had long since faded into obscurity.
One of the knights nodded in understanding.
“That’s why the Second Prince and First Princess were able to make their moves. They were too suppressed by Prince Leonic’s influence to act before.”
“Exactly,” the First Princess agreed. “When seizing power, the first and most crucial step is neutralizing the existing factions.”
“Even so, the fact that they turned on each other… Cantum must be weaker than we anticipated,” another knight remarked.
The First Princess nodded in agreement.
“That’s correct. Therefore, the factions we need to concern ourselves with are these.”
Fortunately, the Kaistein army was marching toward Cantum’s Imperial Palace. Their first point of contact would naturally be the Emperor and the eunuchs. However, the First Princess remained confident.
‘They’re nothing but eunuchs manipulating an incompetent Emperor. Controlling them will be simple.’
She possessed a hidden skill, one she had kept secret from everyone. If used properly, it would make managing the eunuchs a trivial task. Moreover, the palace’s internal power struggles were nothing new to her.
‘From the moment I was born, my life has been a series of fierce battles.’
The Second Prince used cruel schemes, the Third Prince relied on brute force, and the Second Princess applied her wisdom and loyalty to pressure her. The Fourth Prince constantly challenged her with the support of scholars. Yet, in the end, the First Princess always emerged victorious.
‘Ultimately, I was the one who controlled the inner court.’
Even the Queen hadn’t sided with the Second Prince at the time. Her abilities and achievements were simply unparalleled. Even now, the other heirs could not match her. The Seventh Prince, Ian, couldn’t even touch the inner court.
How could the eunuchs hope to stand against someone with her experience? The real threats lay elsewhere. The First Princess pointed to the remaining forces on the map.
“The current Crown Prince, the Second Prince, is a significant threat. He hid a dagger under Leonic’s command and is a master of deceit. His schemes cannot be underestimated.”
“What about the First Princess of Cantum?” a knight asked.
“She is another danger,” the First Princess said coldly. “Though she absorbed much of Prince Leonic’s faction, she’s responsible for the most deaths among his loyalists.”
“!”
The knights were shocked. The Cantum First Princess, who had ostensibly risen in support of Prince Leonic, had ended up killing most of his loyalists. It was even well-known that the two of them had a good relationship in the past.
“She has her own agenda,” the First Princess added.
“Which means neither of them will become Emperor. That’s fortunate for us.”
“Indeed,” the First Princess agreed. “But it also makes them extremely dangerous.”
These were words only the First Princess could speak after facing off with the perfect First Prince. Those at the top often fail to notice the gaps below them.
“Those forced to look up from below… they harbor a poison more deadly than anyone expects.”
For that reason, the Seventh Prince also warranted caution. His ability to challenge the Second Prince and the First Princess alone made him a formidable adversary. Underestimating his talents and intelligence would be a grave mistake.
‘My youngest brother is the same. Once underestimated, he has become someone no one can ignore.’
This applied to the First Princess as well, though her mood darkened at the thought.
‘Of all things, the Seventh Prince… Why is it that every seventh child seems to be exceptional?’
The Seventh Prince of Cantum reminded her of Ian. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt a stronger sense of caution toward him.
‘To be caught off guard once is enough.’
As the First Princess made up her mind, one of the knights spoke up, tilting his head in confusion.
“Your Highness, where is Sir Nathan during this crucial meeting?”
“Hm?”
At the knight’s words, the First Princess turned her head. Now that she thought about it, Nathan had gone out earlier to get some air, but he hadn’t returned yet. Some of the knights’ faces grew tense.
“A fiancé wandering off and leaving his betrothed, the First Princess, unattended in a war zone… That’s unacceptable,” one knight muttered.
“Indeed. Vigilance is paramount here. Perhaps Sir Nathan needs a lesson in discipline,” another added, rolling up his sleeves.
Most of the knights were known for their loyalty to the First Princess. In their eyes, Nathan, with his reckless behavior, wouldn’t be seen in a good light. Just as they seemed ready to go after him…
“Your Highness, I have something to report!”
A voice came from outside. It was only natural for the heads of the princess and the knights to turn in that direction.
“It seems he’s finally back.”
“Let’s see how shameless he is this time.”
But then, something unexpected happened.
“Huh? Robin?”
“What is Sir Helken’s servant doing here?”
Clearly, Robin was a servant assigned to monitor Leonic. But why was he here, of all places? With a puzzled expression, Robin handed a letter to the First Princess.
“Um… Sir Nathan asked me to deliver this to Your Highness.”
“Huh?”
The First Princess took the letter and unfolded it.
[The Prince and I have something to take care of. I’ll be back soon.]
Her hand tightened around the letter, the paper crumpling under her grip.
Crumple.
The mention of the Seventh Prince made her pause, but she found it hard to believe.
‘Where could he possibly be going at such a critical time?’
Having known Nathan since childhood, the First Princess understood his impulsive nature. He often got distracted and was prone to chasing after women. But now, of all times, when his role was crucial in managing Cantum’s internal divisions, she couldn’t allow him to act so recklessly.
“Bring him back immediately!” she ordered sharply.
“Understood!”
The knights rose, drawing their swords. However, some hesitated and exchanged uneasy glances.
“Your Highness, Sir Nathan isn’t someone we can catch easily,” one of them said cautiously.
“Especially since he’s a Knight of Swift,” another added.
The First Princess smirked coldly.
“Then it’s fine to break an arm or a leg. He can be treated afterward.”
‘How dare he run away like this!’
Her eyes were sharp, and her tone left no room for argument. Without further hesitation, the knights rushed out to pursue Nathan.
***
Ian was packing his belongings with Nathan. Ian tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Using a servant to deliver a message was a risky move. Considering the First Princess’s personality, it was unlikely she would let this slide.
“If you get caught, you might actually die, you know?”
“Haha, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Nathan replied, though the nervous sweat on his brow betrayed his confidence. He tried to laugh it off, but then—
“There they are!”
“Catch them!”
Knights charged toward them, their expressions fierce. They were undoubtedly the First Princess’s men, sent to retrieve Nathan. Ian smirked at the sight.
“Well, look at that. How do you plan to explain this later?”
“We need to leave now! If I get caught, I’m dead for sure!”
“But you said it’d be fine, Sir Nathan,” Ian teased.
“Your Highness!” Nathan grabbed Ian’s arm in a panic, urging him to move. Ian’s lips curled into a sly grin.
“This makes twice now that you owe me, Sir Nathan.”
“Fine, fine! Twice! Let’s just go already! Wait, why is it twice—”
“If you don’t like it, forget it,” Ian said nonchalantly.
“No, no! Twice is fine! Just move!”
Ignoring Nathan’s frantic pleas, Ian turned to one of his knights.
“Sir Fiosen, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Do not worry, Your Highness. We’ll handle everything here.”
Behind Fiosen stood two newly assigned knights, ready for action. Meanwhile, Galon approached Ian, carrying his luggage.
“Sir Galon, you should stay and assist Sir Fiosen,” Ian suggested.
“My duty is to protect you, Your Highness,” Galon replied firmly.
“I’ll be fine—”
“No. My place is at your side,” Galon insisted, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
In fact, Ian had only intended to take Nathan for a quick escape. But Galon seemed resolute about not leaving.
“Fine, let’s go together then.”
“Thank you.” Galon bowed deeply.
But just then, Nathan tugged urgently at both of them.
“Hurry up already! They’re getting closer!”
“Alright, alright. Stop rushing,” Ian said calmly. In his hand, he held a small, drowsy dragon.
“Shall we go then?”
Gyu?
The dragon whined as if annoyed. But Ian shook the little creature’s body as if that wasn’t an option.
“Get up; it’s time to earn your keep.”
Gyu!
The dragon let out a sleepy whine but reluctantly stretched its wings. Its black scales began to darken ominously. And then…
Boom!
With a loud roar, the dragon soared into the sky. Ian, Galon, and Nathan quickly climbed onto its back, leaving the First Princess’s knights staring in shock.
“Th-that’s—!”
“The First Princess warned there’d be consequences if you didn’t return immediately!”
“Sir Nathan! Get down this instant!”
The knights shouted from below, but Ian simply called back.
“We’ll return soon. Tell my sister that!”
“B-but—”
“Don’t worry. I remember the mission. Tell her we’ll meet again at the palace.”
Nathan, guilt-ridden and pale, bowed his head and tried to hide. The dragon climbed higher into the sky, carrying them away.
“Well then, shall we?” Ian asked casually.
“Where exactly are we going again?” Nathan inquired nervously.
“To Santamo, where the Seventh Prince is,” Ian replied. “The seer is there.”
Ian intended to seek out the fortune teller and complete his mission. His ultimate goal was to infiltrate one of the Cantum factions and overturn its authority.
And eventually…
‘I’ll destroy the First Prince’s plans and claim all Seven Sins for myself.’
His journey was nearing its final stage.
