A Betrayed Master Will Not Return - A Betrayed Master Will Not Return chapter 47

47 – A Late Apology (2)

The female Devil Hunters were kneeling in front of them, shedding tears as if they were guilty of a crime.

From Noble mtl dot com

Gabriel and Napoleah, as well as Leonne who had followed behind them, all had astonished expressions.

And now, for some unknown reason, I had become the unexpected target of their “apology.” I felt a tightening sensation in my chest.

“What on earth is going on?”

To be honest, when they ran towards us, I thought they had some ulterior motive and were approaching Gabriel.

Translation by Lingmachine

However, as soon as I arrived in front of them, instead of attack, they remained motionless, with their heads bowed to the ground, begging for forgiveness.

In this bizarre situation where someone I had never met before was sobbing and begging for forgiveness, I managed to compose myself and began to analyze the situation.

“Could these guys be… the disciples Gelard had in the north?”

Although it had been over three years since I had possessed this body, Gelard Mura, the original owner, must have had a past that was older than that.

Even after three years, Gelard still had a reputation that held strong.

From what I’ve heard, he was a person who had a significant influence among the devil hunters in the north, but one day he suddenly disappeared for unknown reasons.

From my perspective, I was just forcibly stuck in the forest for three years, being devoured and killed by demons, so there was no need for him to disappear or anything, but anyway, that’s how it was known in the world.

However, now, through the words of these two guys who were bowing their heads in front of me, I could vaguely understand the situation.

Three years ago, they did something wrong to Gelard, and that caused him to leave them.

However,

“I don’t know any of you.”

Apart from roughly figuring out the situation, I had no intention of delving deeper into this matter.

Of course, whatever these guys did to the original Gelard had nothing to do with me now.

Moreover, I had only roughly read the atmosphere here,

and I had no clue about what specifically happened between them and Gelard.

Making any undue show of familiarity here could put me, the possessor, in an awkward position.

Moreover, this was an intensely public situation with the nobles crowding in due to an upcoming general council meeting. Any disturbance on my part could end disastrously, rendering me completely powerless.

So, although it was a bit regrettable for these two strangers, I was convinced that keeping my distance from them was the right answer for now.

With that in mind, I spoke to the women in the most rigid tone I could muster.

“Let me say this again. I do not know who you two are.”

“!…”

My words carried both sincerity and a refusal to engage further.

In response, the two of them looked at me as if they had been struck on the head with a hammer.

*

The words from their master, claiming not to know them.

Fiora and Charlotte were no fools; they understood perfectly what those words implied.

It was the master’s way of saying he had no further business with them.

Excommunication and severance.

A declaration that all relations up to that point were to be settled, with a clear intent that they should never seek him out again.

That desperate yet utterly cold proclamation began to shatter the two’s lingering hope that they might somehow receive their master’s forgiveness.

“Ge…Gellard… Master…”

“Ma…Master. We…we…”

Their voices wavered, trembling, as if struck by Gellard’s crushing words.

However,

Despite their attempts to wring out some words, they could not muster even a plausible excuse.

The realization that their mentor had completely abandoned them struck them with a shock greater than they could have anticipated.

To them, Gellard had been like a father.

His denial of their relationship felt like their entire lives up to that moment were being invalidated.

Then, amidst their enveloping shock,

someone’s voice began to reach their ears.

“Impudent fools, what on earth do you think you’re doing?”

“!?”

“Wha… what…!!”

A cold female voice echoed in their ears.

Prompted by that signal,

the women, floundering in the abyss of despair, belatedly became aware of the situation they were in.

The woman beside Gellard, whom they had just noticed,

sat in an ornate chair,

adorned with a crown, the symbol of sovereignty in this kingdom.

The moment they realized who she was,

Fiora and Charlotte’s faces instantly hardened.

“Y… Your Majesty…?”

“Ah… No, how did this person end up here…?”

They were the two who had run all the way here, only to see Geralt’s face.

They never could have imagined that the Queen would be sitting next to Geralt.

At that moment,

In the midst of their confusion,

The Queen spoke with a voice filled with intense anger.

“To dare cause such a commotion in front of the King, this cannot be overlooked! Watch and see!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Immediately capture and imprison them. They will pay for causing such a disturbance in front of the King!”

The Queen gave orders to the soldiers stationed behind her.

In response, the soldiers surrounding Fiona and Chalotte, who were kneeling on the ground, quickly surrounded them.

“Wait… please wait, Your Majesty!”

“We… we never meant to defy Your Majesty. We were merely here to apologize to Count Geralt…”

“What are you doing?! Take them away immediately!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Following the Queen’s command, the soldiers immediately began to apprehend and lead them away.

Without any ability to resist, the two were dragged towards the direction of the prison.

In this sudden and unjust situation,

They exerted all their strength and shouted towards the Queen.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You misunderstand, Your Majesty!”

“My… mentor! Don’t you know, mentor? Please… please don’t abandon us! We were wrong, mentor!”

Gellert, who seemed to be close to the queen’s aide, said.

They thought that if he just said a word, he could dispel the misunderstanding about this situation.

However, despite their expectations, Gellert just silently watched this situation unfold.

As if he had completely forgotten about them…

As if to show that any past warmth and affection had completely cooled.

Feeling a deep resignation at this fact,

Fiora was overwhelmed by the feeling of her strength draining from her body as she was dragged away by the soldiers.

“We barely reunited… and now, finally, we had a chance to be forgiven…”

Feeling despair at the fact that their hard-won opportunity had become completely futile.

Fiora’s heart began to sink into the depths of darkness.

At that moment.

“…Huh?”

The gaze of her mentor caught her eye for a moment.

However, in his appearance…

Through the eyes of her mentor looking at them,

Fiora could instantly perceive.

The emotions contained in his eyes were not hatred or anger.

Bitterness.

It was a facial expression that seemed to say that the current situation was inevitable.

Looking at that,

The thought crossed Fiona’s mind that there might be something different about the current situation.

*

Two people being dragged into prison according to their own orders.

And,

Gabriel already knew who they were.

“Fiora and Charlotte… Obviously, they were the previous disciples of the leader. They had become the leaders of the Devil Hunters in the North and were later expelled…”

These were individuals who were presumed to have some connection to Gallard’s sudden disappearance three years ago.

In fact, when they saw Gallard, they immediately dropped to their knees and apologized, confirming Gabriel’s speculation.

However, separate from these facts,

Gabriel tried to quickly separate the two people who were apologizing from Gallard.

Even though Gallard maintained a cold attitude while observing the two people.

But just in case.

If there was even a slightest wavering in Gallard’s heart due to their actions,

Gabriel didn’t know what unimaginable thing might happen afterwards, which Gabriel would never tolerate.

“No, that can’t happen. I can’t let those guys… Gallard, this person, go to them.”

The person she acknowledged as her master and leader.

And.

The person who had stolen her heart.

Finally, as she met the man she had been waiting for, Gabrielle had no intention of letting him go.

Even if there were reasons to question the two of them…

“You are mine… You will never be taken away by anyone!”