Chapter 69

As the moment when Levan and the others were completely restrained, a sigh of relief could be heard from within Lucash's arms.

"Viera, are you hurt?"

"Yes, I'm very well. Lord Lucash, Lady Tina, thank you for coming to save us."

Viera flashed a bright, cheerful smile.

Despite the fear she must have felt, Lucash felt as if he had been the one saved. The resilience she showed, even in such a dire situation, was undoubtedly the real Viera. The person in his arms was no dream or illusion.

The joy of reclaiming Viera and the affection he felt for her welled up inside him.

(She's my Viera. I've finally reclaimed my treasure—!)

He wanted to embrace her with both arms, shower her with kisses, and praise her for her bravery, but he held back.

The heavy handcuffs on Viera's delicate wrists, and the metal shackles and chains on her ankles, which were bound together, were visible to Lucash. While glaring at these hateful restraints, he gently stroked her back to reassure her.

"Viera, get on Tina."

"Yes."

He entrusted Viera to Albertina and dismounted himself. Then, he stood before Levan, who appeared to be the leader of the criminal group, bound and seated on the grass. Levan glared up at him, but Lucash returned a cold stare.

"Where are the keys to Viera's shackles?"

"...In my right breast pocket."

Despite the hostile gaze, Levan showed no intention of resisting. After having his subordinates check, two keys were produced. Lucash took them, verified them, and easily unlocked the shackles. However, thin marks remained on Viera's wrists.

Seeing this, Lucash frowned, and Levan spoke up.

"Wasn't Lord Herring under house arrest?"

"Me? I'd like to know what makes you think that, Levan."

"Because the griffin, which is contracted to a divine beast knight, destroyed the king's room, you were held responsible and placed under house arrest with supervision..."

"I see, but if that were true, I wouldn't be here."

"Then why can the divine beast knights be mobilized? The threat letter definitely reached the king. The cowardly king, surrounded by powerful and talented people, would never allow the mobilization of the divine beast knights... just like last time!"

"I understand your thoughts, Levan, given your experience in war, but this time, the mobilization was approved with the king's full consent. He sent us off without any objections."

It wasn't a complete lie.

After taking away the king's calmness, shaking him, and cornering him, Lucash gently persuaded him: "Your Majesty, if we pretend the recall never happened and treat this summons as a different matter, the initial decision can be carried out without any issues. That way, I can still be your sword."

The king, recalling the choice that led to his punishment, approved the mobilization of the divine beast knights as initially planned. They then prepared a strategy to expose the informants, and the fact that the king had withdrawn the mobilization and that Lucash had coerced the king were buried.

Lucash successfully avoided punishment and could search for and rescue Viera with a legitimate reason.

(And the fact that they knew about the griffin causing the house arrest... means there's an informant in that camp. I need to return to the palace early and inform them.)

The threat letter to the palace and Viera's kidnapping revealed the presence of a mole within the palace.

To determine if the perpetrators of the two incidents were from the same group or different groups, and where they were hiding, they decided to prepare three false pieces of information, as suggested by Gerald.

1. Lucash, angry about not finding a fiancée, lashed out at the investigators.

2. The responsibility for the griffin's rampage lies with the divine beast knights, and Lucash, as their superior, was also held accountable.

3. Lucash had opposed the king's opinion and was considered disrespectful.

These three pieces of information were leaked through suspicious channels, suggesting that Lucash had disappeared from the palace. The joint responsibility scenario apparently reached Levan.

It was exactly as Gerald had planned, and Lucash couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

On the other hand, Levan still seemed to find it hard to believe that the king had made a different decision, his face twisted with a mix of dissatisfaction and confusion. However, he seemed to have no more questions and slowly lowered his head.

"Albert, Dennis, take these four to the mansion where they were based and hand them over to the knights conducting the search. Leave the transport to the palace to the knights, not the patrol team. We'll return first. We need to report to the king and the general as soon as possible."

The divine beast knights' subordinates responded with a short "Hai" and mounted their partners. The griffins grabbed each person with their front claws and took off into the sky.

Levan and the others turned pale, but there was no need to show mercy to those who had mistreated Viera. Lucash waved his hand, urging his subordinates to hand over the captives and return quickly.

The griffins soon disappeared from sight.

Lucash opened his arms to Viera, who was still seated on Albertina.

"Viera, let me hold you tighter. Let me kiss you."

"..."

Viera's face turned bright red in an instant. She looked up at the sky, confirming that his subordinates were gone, and then flew into Lucash's arms.

He caught his fiancée with both arms, lifting her and kissing her cheeks and nose repeatedly.

The perfect size that fit in his arms, the natural sweet scent that wasn't from perfume, and even the pitiful little cries of "Hie" were all dear to him. He loosened his arms, setting his fiancée on the ground, and looked down at her beloved face.

Despite her embarrassment, her large, pale pink eyes were filled with resolve and anticipation. She understood what Lucash was about to do and was ready to accept it.

Once he realized this, there was no need to hold back.

Lucash leaned in, like a butterfly drawn to a sweet scent, and repeatedly kissed Viera deeply, as if savoring her honey.