A Snake’s Life Ch 91

Chapter 91

 

Shuiren, who held out a hand and backed away, telling him not to come closer, appeared strange in Zerpell’s eyes. The reason was because Shuiren’s eyes were trembling visibly through the fingers covering his face.

Zerpell approached slowly, as if trying to soothe Shuiren’s heart, but his agitation only intensified, and faint blue lights were captured in Zerpell’s eyes. Those lights gradually grew clearer, encircling Shuiren.

The lights were not clear and gentle; rather, they appeared murky and oppressive, as if long cords were tightly binding him.

“Mas… Master, something’s wrong with me…”

Just as he asked for help, Shuiren collapsed. Thankfully, due to Zerpell’s sharp reflexes, he didn’t fall onto the floor littered with sharp debris, but Shuiren groaned in pain, his face twisted in agony.

“What was done to him…?”

Zerpell’s growling voice resonated from deep within his throat. The nobles flinched, and Zerpell’s murderous aura took shape, bearing down on them.

“W-Why is His Highness here…?”

“I-I didn’t do anything, Your Highness!”

One of the nobles, whose conscience was pricked, tried to dodge responsibility.

But to Zerpell, the reason Shuiren had collapsed seemed entirely due to these nobles who always made excuses the moment they opened their mouths. In truth, that was exactly the case. Had they not run a casino and engaged in slave trafficking, Shuiren wouldn’t have been kidnapped or collapsed from overexertion.

As Zerpell lifted him into his arms, he noticed Shuiren’s wrists, red and swollen.

“……”

Unless his eyes were deceiving him, the red marks on his wrists were traces left by shackles. Zerpell, who had seen the video, immediately recognized them for what they were. He quickly checked Shuiren’s ankles as well, where similar red marks were visible. His teeth clenched tightly.

If things had gone just a bit worse, the scene he’d seen in the video could have actually happened to Shuiren—and the thought made his mind go blank. Zerpell blamed himself for being slow to act and allowing the situation to escalate.

If Shuiren had been conscious, he would’ve tried to soothe him, asking what he was talking about and reminding him how busy he’d been. But now, Zerpell was silently wallowing in guilt.

“Your Highness… this.”

From behind, Wol handed Zerpell a box. Inside it were the documents Shuiren had discovered, neatly stacked. Holding Shuiren in one arm, Zerpell began sifting through the papers with his other hand, his eyes moving quickly over the contents.

“…I always end up saying sorry to you.”

The papers fluttered back into the box, and Zerpell closed his eyes, pressing his lips gently to Shuiren’s forehead. When he opened them again, his golden gaze overpowered the surroundings.

“Sort out the situation and return immediately! Use force against any noble who refuses orders. Make sure not even a single rat escapes.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Cedric, you stay behind and lead the knights. Make sure the documents are preserved and hand them over to Ian.”

Overwhelmed by the cold glow in Zerpell’s eyes, the nobles shrank back and followed the knights. Just as Zerpell was about to leave with the thunderous shouts of the knights behind him, Shuiren’s body began to shrink. Having experienced it once before, Zerpell remained calm. He had a feeling this would happen—that Shuiren would revert into a snake.

Without a word, Zerpell looked up at the sky. Rain fell from the gloom of dark clouds.

“It’s enough to make someone hate the rain.”

He climbed onto his horse, tucking Shuiren close to his chest, and without a hint of a smile, galloped toward the imperial palace.

“The rain just won’t stop…”

On the other side, someone was equally distressed. It was Shuiren who had caused the rain, and worry began to creep in that something might have happened to him.

Despite the attendants’ urging, Ian didn’t go inside, instead pacing anxiously, waiting for the knights who had yet to return. Just then, a horse appeared in the distance. Ian immediately recognized Zerpell with his sharp gaze.

“His Highness approaches! Prepare a hot bath and dry towels!”

Ian barked loud orders at the attendants and maids. They hurried to carry them out. Zerpell, drenched from the rain, dismounted, but Ian couldn’t spot the one person he had hoped to see.

“Your Highness… don’t tell me, Lord Shuiren is…”

“Don’t speak nonsense. He’s right here.”

Ian’s voice trembled with worry, thinking perhaps Zerpell had returned without finding him. But Zerpell sternly reprimanded him for speaking rubbish. Taking a towel, Zerpell wrapped the soaked Shuiren, whom he had held close to shield from the rain, in a warm, fluffy cloth.

Ian let out a breath of relief. Composing his expression, he spoke respectfully.

“Your Highness, the bath has been prepared.”

“Good. And Ian, things may proceed smoothly from here.”

“…Pardon?”

“Cedric will bring you the documents. Sort them and bring them to me tomorrow.”

Though Ian asked in a dazed tone, not yet aware of the full situation, Zerpell was already walking toward warmth for Shuiren’s sake. Ian rushed to follow him, hurrying to assist.

News of the slave auction held in the capital spread far and wide through word of mouth, carrying the shock of the event. The article even came out later than the rumors.

According to the article, based on eyewitness accounts, nobles had kidnapped citizens and sold them into slavery through secret auctions, but Shuiren had intervened. Some said they had been captured alongside him as slaves.

The vivid testimonies convinced the public, and in the blink of an eye, the news reached the provinces.

The people were outraged—and rightfully so. The thought that their missing family members might have become slaves was horrifying. Many nobles had participated in the auction, and when it was revealed that the Franchia Marquisate had been the ringleader, people gathered in protest before the imperial palace, demanding punishment.

War, famine, and heavy taxation—amid this volatile situation, the scandal became a spark that ignited a blaze. As a result, the emperor’s already dwindling prestige plummeted to rock bottom.

The emperor, Zerpell, and Duke Bert became busier as a result. Now that video evidence had been secured, all that remained was to find the Franchia marquis.

Whether inside the court or outside of it, things were turning in Zerpell’s favor. Still, he constantly pushed himself. He was determined to bring this case to an end as soon as possible.

The person who made him feel that resolve still hadn’t woken up. Zerpell skimmed the newspaper and stared at a photograph showing the aftermath of Shuiren’s power.

Once again, Shuiren had exhausted himself for the people and reverted into his snake form.

“Wake up soon.”

Zerpell gently stroked Shuiren’s forehead with his finger as the latter slept peacefully.

Since the last incident, Zerpell had grown more cautious and never left Shuiren’s side. Had he still been in human form, it would’ve been impossible—but as a snake, it was doable.

Shuiren was curled around Zerpell’s neck, sleeping softly. Occasionally, he would open his eyes and hiss weakly before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Watching him silently, Ian and the Duke lowered their voices as they conversed.

Inside the office, Zerpell, Duke Bert, and Ian discussed the documents while going over the nobles involved, using the data retrieved from the auction house. Their aim was to rescue the enslaved and administer punishment. They were determined to bring a definite end to this matter and proceeded with great care.

“Your Highness, we’ve only just begun, but we’re already running out of prison space.”

There were separate prisons designated for nobles. Even so, they were treated with a degree of dignity. But now, so many nobles were involved that even those facilities were becoming full.

Zerpell believed such people deserved no special treatment, but laws were laws. Still, he began to consider rewriting them altogether. He turned to Duke Bert.

“Tsk. We’ll need a solution. Don’t worry about the prisons—I have a plan. Focus on capturing the criminals, Duke.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Ian. The documents.”

“Yes, here they are.”

Ian handed them neatly arranged documents, placing them before Zerpell and Duke Bert. For a while, only the sound of rustling paper could be heard. Ian then pulled out a single sheet from his coat—it was the original contract.

The original contract handed to Zerpell bore the unmistakable seal of the Franchia Marquisate.

“They won’t be able to deny this.”

“Yes, their habit of documenting everything has backfired. It seems this was meant to silence the merchant, but now it’s excellent evidence for us.”

Though the contract was originally made to shackle a slave trader, it now became the noose around the marquis’s own neck. Ian’s smile deepened. It was the reward for all his hard work.

Yet, at the same time, his expression darkened. Though they had the evidence and immediately sought the ringleader, the marquis had vanished. Amusingly, he had taken all his valuables with him.

The attendants left behind in the mansion seemed genuinely clueless. Even with knights searching every corner, they found nothing. Zerpell tapped the table quietly and asked Duke Bert.

“Still no sign of the Franchia marquis?”

“No, Your Highness. We’ve combed the area thoroughly. There were no eyewitnesses either. He must’ve taken a carriage to escape… yet no one saw it. It’s baffling.”

“It’s clearly magic. Ian, are you ready to leave?”

“…Must I really go?”

“If he disappeared so cleanly, it’s likely a mage helped him. According to the data, the entire Magic Tower wasn’t involved. The matter is serious, and they can’t ignore it. He violated imperial law banning slavery. Go to the Magic Tower and bring back a mage who will testify. Someone you have ties with is fine. I can’t move due to the trial.”

If the entire Magic Tower had been involved, they wouldn’t have slipped up like this. Since it was an individual, the places he could hide were limited, and that left openings.

Faced with Zerpell’s grave gaze, Ian had no choice but to nod. He swallowed dryly, feeling that the day had finally come. It wasn’t a pleasant place to visit—but not somewhere he’d die rather than go, either. And he would do it for the day Zerpell became emperor.

“Understood. I’ll return with help from the Magic Tower—for Your Highness.”