[Schwarz]
I didn't understand what happened.
If you think about it, it all started with the words from the woman named Yuri.
She spoke as if more reinforcements existed, but her statement was equally confusing for us, her allies, as well.
After all, in the middle of this desperate situation, she suggested to the Emperor that it might be better for him to step down from the throne.
This woman might be insane.
I wasn't the strange one to think so. Certainly, Yuri and Ditzen occasionally talked about something like that behind us, but since the situation progressed to this stage, it's surely nothing but a sham.
With the skills of the Emperor, a veteran of hundreds of battles, we were brilliantly corned to this throne room. Behind us was a horde of soldiers, impossible to break through, in front of us an impregnable wall of court magicians and knights of the imperial guard.
And even the Aifa, on whom we counted, was taken hostage.
If there was a force about which Yuri has spoken, in this situation it was a long overdue to throw it into the fray. Because it obviously would be of no use if we all were to be arrested here.
But that confusion of mine was shattered by a thunderous roar and piercing shockwave.
The sturdy doors of the throne room, that could repel even high-level magic, were smashed along with stone walls like thin wooden planks.
Don't tell me they brought a battering ram inside the castle?
Such silly thoughts surfaced in my mind and immediately disappeared.
「Shoot fire arrows!」
「No, ice or stone lances! Don't allow them into the throne room!」
With that shout, several spells rushed towards the destroyed entrance, but all of them disappeared in an instant.
As I stood stunned, unable to grasp what was going on, Fiatora sent me flying with a kick from aside.
「Wha—」
With such ease, even though I'm wearing armor… Is this really a woman's power?!
I rolled on the ground with those thoughts and then raised my head. A silver blade swung down there.
I reflexively moved, seeing the blade in front of me.
「Kuh!」
Deflecting the blade I kick the attacking knight in the gut.
「Schwarz-sama! To the back!」
Fiatora screamed while firing off spells, knocking away two knights approaching me.
「Thank you…!」
I replied while retreating. I feel a bit pathetic having young magicians stand in front, but for the future of the Empire, I cannot afford to die.
「However, we won't be able to get through this crisis just because we received a bit of reinforcement…」
I said while recovering and raising my head looked in front of me.
My perception of the situation was quickly overturned.
Because when I noticed, half of the knights were already scattered by unknown golems.
The golems were moving at a speed that would not allow knights to avoid… No, at a speed that even I, who stood at a considerable distance, had trouble following with my eyes.
Surely a bit small for golems, but even so, they were too fast.
「…Wha, What, What? What is going on...?!」
The court magicians deployed advanced spells one after another, but all of them were easily repelled by golems.
Powerful and sturdy, but slow and dull in movements, capable of following only simple commands. Therefore, golems can't go against high ranked magicians, or so it was supposed to be.
Were they our enemies, and if the magicians that created them was in opposition to the empire…
The thought made me shiver.
That moment, a loud shout, similar to a roar was heard.
「Don't move!」
When I turned in the direction of that voice, I saw Aifa held by two soldiers with blades pressed to his neck.
Yuri, Ditzen and those golems, completely stopped moving when they saw it.
With various feelings mixed, I looked at Aifa. Aifa did not change his expression, but slightly moved his shoulder as if in a shrug and then spoke.
「Don't mind me. Take Fiatora and run. Now, when half of the court magicians and leader of knights are absent, it is a good chance for that.」
「Aifa, I will not run away. For the sake of the family as well.」
Fiatora decisively dismissed Aifa's words. Looking at the exchange between the two, the Emperor donned a smile.
「…Did you think that your life will return to what it was before if you make Schwartz into an emperor? But it shall not come to pass. After all, the spirit tree is what every statesman wants. As it exists, and the ways to use it are known, elves shall know no peace for the rest of eternity.」
Though the emperor's words weren't too loud, they resonated inside the throne room mysteriously well.
「…The spirit tree actually exists?」
I've heard a rumor that the emperor, my father, was trying to get it, but it was the first time when he declared that it is real. Furthermore, to think he even knew the power of the spirit tree, even the very existence of which was under doubt.
Were anyone other than the emperor to speak such words, they would be laughed at and dismissed as a hoax, but faces of Aifa and Fiatora looked like they were frozen as they listened to the Emperor.
The chill could be felt in the air of the throne room.
Everyone was contemplating the emperor's words while paying close attention to the enemy.
Probably realizing that, the Emperor smiled even wider and said.
「…Yes. The spirit tree is the secret behind the elven longevity.」
With just that one line. When I heard that one line, I solved the mystery of many years.
The great sacrifices the Emperor made to find and obtain the elves.
Why was he so stuck on the elves when he was so eager to expand his territory.
That was all for the spirit tree's power.
While everyone was astonished and stood stunned with shock, the Emperor erupted into a belly laugh.
「With this, even if an emperor were to change, no, even if the country were to change, you will have no escape. The truth of this spirit tree will spread to other countries in the blink of an eye. Those are my words after all. You can't ask for more credibility… Ha, HAHA! AHAHAHAHA!」
It was close to a death sentence of a kind.
Now, the elves will surely be targeted by greedy people of every nation. Anyone would be gripped with interest were they to learn what something that previously was regarded as a fairy tale exists in reality.
Even more so, if it's an old person in power.
「...So death is scary even for the Emperor of Blau Empire.」
I blurted out without thinking. In part, I found it unexpected as I thought of him as a person who doesn't fear death, but I also felt like I saw a weakness of the Emperor, that despite being my father, was an existence strange to me.
But the emperor didn't seem to mind and after snorting looked down upon me.
「A fool. The death you said? I'm not afraid of death. But if one can extend his lifespan, then it's better to do so. The longer I live, the stronger and bigger my will empire become. I want to see how much my empire can grow. Is there a limit to my power? Or am I worthy of ruling the world… Ha, haha, hahaha!」
Seeing the emperor laugh like a madman, I realized that I once again misjudged my father.