◈ Chapter 149 - 18-Eve Festival
After sending Asili away after finishing her treatment, Amber returned to her room and looked at the scene.
To be honest, Amber felt uncomfortable with Jin.
This is true for anyone who grew up hearing legends about the devil.
Arrogance and stupidity.
An evil spirit who eventually lost sight of Moloch and left behind a disaster that continues to this day.
That was the world's evaluation of Jin.
As she lived with her, she vaguely realized that it was a stigma, but it was still too distant for her to approach in a friendly way.
Jin, sensing her popularity, quietly turned his head towards her.
"...If you look at me like this, don't you think I'm completely childish?"
After hearing her words, Ember moved her gaze to Bjorn, who was lying as if he was sleeping.
She is 16 years old.
A face that still shows traces of being a child, and shoulders that lack any trace of masculinity.
Now that his eyes were closed, he couldn't find his usual adult atmosphere.
He was still just a boy who needed protection.
"He's just a kid, but I put too much burden on him."
Complaint-like words continued.
Amber also agreed.
Perhaps she, like Jin, was relying on her extraordinary talent and extraordinary brain to push him to the cliff.
The North has not been able to provide any support until now.
Endlessly.
Only now are we facing the consequences.
"I... Broke this child's wings..."
Jin grabbed the blanket that Bjern was covering.
Because he could not be her dependable being, Bjorn burned the rest of her life.
Jin thought that his life, which was supposed to have grown into a knight more outstanding than anyone else, was distorted when he met me.
Even with Bjern dying day by day, there was nothing Jin could do.
This is not because he is a half-god who has lost his body.
Even when Jin was powerful, everyone who was by his side met an unfortunate end.
"Was I, after all, a curse on this world? It will only end when I burn all the people around me..."
The Burning Continent, the warriors who followed him and fought bravely against Moloch, Antenor...
The battlefields of the past days played out one after another in her mind.
The end of those who followed her on the battlefield was ultimately tragic, and she is the only one left who remembers it.
And Bjorn may soon meet the same end.
If this is not a curse, what is?
What do you mean by God?
How dare I lead someone and show them the way forward?
Unable to hide her miserable feelings, Jin just looked at Björn.
Amber felt that she was similar to Björn.
The point was that she was overly obvious when she had something to say about something she couldn't say.
Thinking that she couldn't leave it like this, she approached Jin's side.
"Jin. Bjorn will not blame you. On the contrary, he will be offended. He will definitely ask why you are sad when it was my choice."
"..."
"So, we just have to do what we choose. That is, help Bjorn on his final journey."
Until now, I had completely relied on Björn.
It is an undeniable fact.
In that case, from now on, you just have to show yourself to be trustworthy.
So that you don't have to worry when he leaves.
That is a virtue that others should show.
"But how..."
Jin seemed unable to shake off his worries about her future schedule.
Over the past two days, many nobles have visited her.
There were some friendly people like the revolutionary faction, but the majority were women from the opposing camp who were trying to bite them in any way they could.
At times like that, Jin became noticeably withdrawn.
It was like that even when Björn was there, but now that he is absent, will we be able to stop them without causing any trouble as they persistently bite us as if this is an opportunity?
Amber dismissed her concerns.
"There is no need for Jinnim to conform to the grammar of nobles. No matter what anyone says, Jinnim is a god, and only Jinnim has weapons. So, you can act as usual."
Jin's shoulders, which had been shrinking, slowly straightened as she whispered words into her ear.
If that was enough, Jin could do it.
"It's time. Let's go get ready for the prom."
The climax of the party.
Now I had to get moving to prepare for the prom.
Jin barely managed to get her body upright.
Just as she was leaving the room to make her debut, she glanced at Björn one last time.
He looks like he's going to grab his head and wake up right now and yell for a drink.
But the miracle didn't happen.
Now the only person you can trust is yourself.
In an empire shaking like a lantern before a typhoon, Jin opened her eyes wide to shake off her fear.
*
The men had nothing else to do until the ball was ready.
Originally, they would have gone hunting or gathered together to chat about the situation, but at this point in time when the political situation was turbulent, the nobles were holding back.
The night's unrest alerted them.
I knew early on that the atmosphere in the capital was different from before, but when it hit me in the form of a riot, I felt a sense of crisis.
Some imperialist nobles were calling for the festival to be stopped altogether and to suppress the unrest before it spreads.
"Your Majesty, now that the heat is overheating, I think the first thing to do is to stop the festival and restore public order in the capital."
"It is important to celebrate the happy day of the empire, but wouldn't it be a mistake if this festival were to turn into a disaster?"
Despite the emperor's faction's strong words, the emperor shook his head.
"It's just a commotion for one night. It's only natural for a festival, right? So don't worry and enjoy the happy days of the empire."
The emperor dismissed last night's unrest as a commotion, but that couldn't have been his true intention.
In fact, it was the opposite.
We are continuing the festival because we know more than anyone else the seriousness of the unrest.
If the festival is stopped now, the revolutionaries who are holding on to the party in the name of the party will be released.
If that happens, the unrest will become even more uncontrollable.
In that case, it would have been more efficient to hold on to the leash and then place the blame on the revolutionaries in the party when the unrest deteriorated further.
The emperor is waiting for that moment, cowering.
Björn's departure at the right time was fortunate.
Now that the spark of revolution had just been ignited, the revolutionary group could not help but shrink from the absence of the person who could ignite it into a fire.
And of course, the aristocratic faction also shared in that luck.
"Oh my, I heard you were seriously injured, but you were unconscious for at least three days. You must be so worried."
Duke von Lorraine, who popped his head into the salon where the revolutionaries were gathered, laughed.
The reason he came to the enemy camp was to appease the wizard and merchant.
Now that Björn is gone, unfortunately, there is no one among the revolutionaries who can stop him.
"The political situation is so turbulent, but Your Majesty is still obsessed with partying. Shouldn't we come together and give advice to Your Majesty? You should stop the war right now and listen to the voices of the people."
At first glance, the story is no different from the claims of the revolutionary faction.
However, if the person who made the claim was Duke von Lorraine, the meaning changes considerably.
On the surface, he supported the abolition of the caste system and was a prime minister working for the empire opposite the emperor, but in reality, he was an explorer who only pursued the interests of the nobility.
Adding a voice to his argument ultimately only strengthened his political capabilities.
"Don't you guys think the same way as me? Then it wouldn't be right for us to join forces at this time."
However, the revolutionary group could not refuse outright.
This is because the advice he gave to the emperor had been advocated by revolutionaries for a long time.
Rejecting this was tantamount to denying the essence of the revolutionary group.
Even if we are enemies, if our intentions are right, we must go together.
I know the darkness, but I can't ride with it.
Duke von Lorraine posed a choice question that revolutionaries could not easily choose, and it was enough to cause a rift in the revolutionaries.
The Duke was fiercely pushing them as they lost their focus and hesitated.
"Count Sorang, what do you think? Time is running out, so I would like to hear an answer as soon as possible."
Ask someone other than the person in charge for an answer that cannot be easily given.
Regardless of Count Soran's capabilities, he cannot clearly answer this question.
How will that be reflected in the eyes of revolutionary aristocrats?
At least it won't be reliable.
It was a terrible and ugly strategy, but it was an effective strategy.
'Damn it, Bjorn. Why are you lying down now?'
Count Soran, who clearly knew Duke von Lorraine's numbers, could not help but feel indignant.
His absence was shaking the revolutionary faction more than expected.
At the moment of crisis, someone's voice was heard.
"Duke. Before I tell you that answer, I would like to ask you one thing."
It was Pilbu's son who saved Count Sorang, who was cornered.
It was Barton Wigner, the president of Central Newspapers.
Duke von Lorraine looked at him with his curious face.
"I know that the power you hold is not small. However, are you aware that you are now interfering with a nobleman's conversation?"
The duke's push.
In a class-based society, if you were a commoner, you had no choice but to have your neck pulled by that sad threat.
However, although Barton may have been short-tempered, he was a witty knight who said everything he had to say even in front of Qarha, the great evil of the plague.
He shrugged his shoulders and said to Duke von Lorraine:
"So, I would like to ask the Duke. Where on earth does the voice of the people you are talking about come from?"
◈ Chapter 150 - 18-Eve Festival
Who is Duke von Lorraine?
A nobleman who held the second most power in the empire after the emperor.
A public servant who sided with the emperor in the last rebellion, and a collateral member of the imperial family.
He was an omnipotent authority with the only operational authority.
Instead of being discouraged, Barton stuck his teeth into him.
"How dare you buy me time with your gift of wit? Do I look like a fool like Qarha in your eyes?"
A tone of voice that suppresses anger that threatens to explode.
Barton trembled slightly at the old man's spirit.
He was not as arrogant as Q'ar'ha, nor was he indecisive like the demon cultists of House Haenrel that he had encountered in Stemwind.
A seasoned enemy with no flaws.
You can't break it down with witticisms.
Barton felt as if he had been thrown into a dark cave and had no idea what was ahead.
'Do you mean to say that Master Bjern played with this person like twisting a child's wrist?'
It felt even more real to see Duke von Lorraine like this.
How great Bjorn was.
How cozy was the shade given by the huge tree called Biern.
Even though he had only been away for a moment, his breathing became difficult.
On the other hand, did Bjorn overcome this pressure at every moment?
Barton always thought.
He said that he, an incompetent person, did not deserve to be next to Bjorn.
Originally, he was an inferior student who would have failed the Human Lighthouse Corps entrance exam.
Neither his intelligence nor his martial arts are outstanding.
It's just that I'm being treated unfairly due to a combination of good luck.
When the time comes, he will undress himself and leave.
But first, he must repay the favor Bjorn did him.
Even without his armor, Barton was a knight.
The role of a knight is to provide strength to his lord the moment he swears his oath.
At a time when he needs strength the most, you must give him even a small mound.
That was the only repayment Barton could do.
His trembling hands stopped and his tongue moved smoothly.
"It's a short and clear question. The answer is also a simple question and answer divided into positive and negative. If we get the results we want, the revolutionary faction will cooperate with the duke with all its might. So, I hope the duke will teach the foolish commoners a lesson."
The emotion that passed across Duke von Lorraine's face was curiosity.
The anticipation that comes from being called a knight of wit.
And the enormous political benefit that will be gained by pressing it.
After weighing the scales, Duke von Lorraine allowed him to unfold the numbers.
"Hmm, really? Then, show off your humor."
"There's no need to say it's a joke. I just want to know the former duke's intentions."
Barton, who calmly accepted the contempt that bordered on ridicule, took a step toward him.
Like a knight about to draw his sword and cut off his head.
This is how the first move against the duke unfolded.
"The Duke wanted to abolish slavery. Is that correct?"
"That's right. It's an old system, so it's right to fix it."
In the current empire where factories were built, slavery, which privately owned productive forces, was virtually useless.
Over the course of time, most slaves had already become free and converted into workers or farmers.
The remaining slaves are aristocrats who were sentenced to military service for political felonies.
In short, he was the emperor's political enemy.
Duke von Lorraine's abolition of slavery was not a reform of the old system, but was closer to a political offensive against the emperor.
"The duke also said that the rights and interests of wizards should be improved, right?"
Duke von Lorraine could not hide his surprise at Barton's behavior of asking the obvious.
"That's right. Isn't it eroding the nation's power to look down on the magicians who are the backbone of the empire?"
"I also agree. We should not look down on them. In other words, does the Duke want to make wizards 'nobles'?"
The emphasis in Barton's tone was on the word noble.
Duke von Lorraine realized where he was aiming.
However, at the point where Barton was allowed to attack, there was nothing he could do.
"A wizard is a noble who has already received a title. Is there nothing left for me to make or do?"
"Of course. Then what about merchants? In the future of the empire the duke dreams of, will merchants also become nobles?"
An ambiguous answer means you got the bite right.
Barton held on to that point tenaciously and stretched.
People from all walks of life here waited for Duke von Lorraine's next words.
Among them, there were nobles and extremist wizards who came with him.
And they had no intention of sharing their privileges with commoners.
Moreover, if the Lobe Union was split and the noble faction, which only extremists gathered, approved this, it could have led to antagonism.
There was no way Duke von Lorraine, who led them, would agree to Barton's question.
"...They will be treated as they have dedicated themselves to the empire."
The answer may have protected the nobles and wizards, but it came as a huge anathema to the merchants belonging to the noble faction.
Because it was like a declaration that fair treatment would not be given.
The words Barton threw became a huge wall, driving Duke von Lorraine into a corner.
"But isn't it strange? The world believes that the duke is advocating for the abolition of the class system. Excluding the abolition of slavery, the duke's words actually sound like he means to further strengthen the class system. Come to think of it, the duke directly speaks of the abolition of the class system. "I don't think you've ever done it?"
Abolition of slavery and promotion of wizard rights.
This was all that Duke von Lorraine directly mentioned.
He never once directly spoke of 'abolishing the caste system'.
However, the people just made their own guesses about his actions.
No, Duke von Lorraine incited us to believe that.
"As the president of Central Newspaper, I am curious. Do you really support breaking the old shackles of the caste system?"
No matter how much he was known as the knight of wit, he was considered at best a scarecrow set up by Björn and had a hard time with unexpected counterattacks.
In order to gain the support of the people and push the emperor, he deliberately allowed this illusion to become a problem for Duke von Lorraine.
As he withheld his answer, Barton dealt the final blow.
"We have no intention of becoming nobles. We will not divide the noble from the lowly, and we will not treat or be treated according to our parents' lineage. The undeniable fact is that you and I are born with one heart. . We will fight to protect the heart that we all have."
Barton confronted Duke von Lorraine with cause and justification.
"This is the voice I heard from the people. It seems that the duke and we listen differently, so it will be difficult to come to a consensus."
Then, the aristocratic faction was stripped of its shell and became a union of aristocrats who simply pursued their own interests.
Among the wizards and merchants who were deceived by the aristocratic faction, all willing ones will come over to the revolutionary faction.
Those who were oppressed by the imperialists will become the vanguard for the revolutionary cause and fight together.
From this moment on, no faction could beat the revolutionary faction in terms of ideology and power.
"Your intentions are right at first glance, but the water you drink hastily tends to taste bad. Haven't you realized the truth that there is an order to everything? Now, we must join forces and give advice to His Majesty."
Duke von Lorraine turned his back on his horse and said that for everyone's sake, they must come together now.
However, unlike before, that persuasion had no power for the revolutionaries.
"If that advice is correct, even without our help, His Majesty's sincerity will reach you. Isn't the Duke the Prime Minister of the Empire, no matter what anyone says?"
Barton's dismissal.
Previously, this was behavior that would have been blinded by faction and abandoned the cause.
However, now that he had been stripped of his skin by Barton, he knew that the more he did so, the more he would be viewed as disgraceful by wizards and merchants.
'Indeed, as expected, if we do not take this opportunity to push forward, it may be difficult to ride the wave of the times.'
If you lose, you lose.
Duke von Lorraine smiled delicately.
It was the kind of expression a strategist would make when everything was going according to plan.
"What do you think? Count Sorang. Do you agree with what the president of Central Newspapers says?"
Count Sorang, who was observing the situation from a distance at the sudden name call, was clearly embarrassed.
"What is that..."
"Aren't you a noble after all? You follow Viern's will, but I'm asking if you harbor other intentions deep down."
He is a duke who presides over the empire, and has a straightforward speaking style for a noble from the central region.
There was a hidden intention to make it clear to the wizards and merchants present.
"If you adopted a girl whose origins are unknown and placed her next to Björn, you might think of this as an opportunity. Or, perhaps Björn has the same intentions as you?"
"You're saying something I don't understand. What on earth is that..."
"Well, it's just a guess, but I doubt that you and Bjorn are planning to throw the empire into chaos and take complete control of the North."
Even more ridiculous.
Barton could not help but tilt his head at Duke von Lorraine's behavior, trailing off at the end of his sentences and only asking questions.
The answer came sooner than expected.
"Count Sorang! Count Haenrel collapsed while drinking!"
Duke von Lorraine poisoned Eileen.
◈ Chapter 151 - 18-Eve Festival
*
The ball started in the evening when the sun went down, but the ladies of noble families were busy from the morning.
Changing the clothes you've already chosen dozens of times to choose them again.
Repeating makeup and washing your face over and over again to notice subtle differences that only you can see.
If that were all, it would be fortunate.
According to original court etiquette, noble women must bow to the Empress before the ball.
That's the meaning of debut.
Now that the emperor has not yet married and has no one in the palace, the ritual has become somewhat altered.
Before the ball, a women-only social gathering was held in the back of the Glass Palace.
"Okay, this should be enough. It's not too late, not too early, it's the perfect time to go for sponsorship. We have to move quickly."
The count who rules Haenrell and the mother of Marquis Aidan de Jeevitz, the ruler of the North.
A northern hero who purged his demonic father and saved humanity.
There was no title that did not carry him with brilliant authority.
If you were to rank her in order of power in the Empire, she would be right behind Duke von Lorraine.
Eileen de Jewicz.
There were very few people who knew the reality of the powerful man who was respected and revered by the North.
She was currently serving a woman whose name she did not know, according to Bjorn's orders.
"I'll say it again. Raise your head high, but keep your gaze slightly downward. Keep your shoulders straight but not stiff. Walk gracefully, with long strides, but without being masculine. Don't talk as much as possible, understand?"
In the last few days, Eileen has been saying things that only her maid would say.
This girl named Beaset Soran was like a bomb to Eileen.
None of his actions conformed to royal etiquette.
However, he did not have great political sense.
In the battlefield called this palace, she was no different from a lamb ready to be bitten.
She was relieved that at least she was not a woman with ambitions to devour the North, but for Eileen, who had difficulty maintaining her own health, it was like carrying around a heavy weight.
Just as her annoying nagging was about to continue, the orange pupils of her beaje soran captured her.
"...I understand enough, so let's stop."
Beaset's tone of voice suddenly changed.
Eileen flinched as if she had been burned by something hot.
'W-what is it? The atmosphere is different from before...'
The girl Eileen had been looking at for the past few days was nothing more than a girl who did not fit into the palace.
Eileen had seen countless times a woman who had fallen for a man who was too much for her abilities.
She didn't have to go far, she was one of those types.
In the end, the ending that such women faced was not much different from Eileen's.
Either I can't overcome my greed and get ruined, or I get thrown away.
This rootless girl will meet the same end as me.
Eileen secretly thought so.
She just instinctively realized that her guess was wrong.
"What are you doing? You were the one who said we had to move quickly, weren't you?"
Impolite.
Even though she was Bjorn's fiancé, her words to the woman who would become her mother-in-law were too short-lived.
But Eileen couldn't point out that attitude.
Because she was overwhelmed, as if she was facing a huge being.
Don't worry, Jean recalled her Ember's advice.
"Jin. In the end, court etiquette was created to appear dignified to others. Jinnim, who already has everything, there is no need to be bound by it."
"But if you don't follow the rules, things will get in trouble."
"It may be presumptuous to say this, but Jin-nim, have you ever seen Viern-nim follow the rules of etiquette? Have you ever gotten in trouble for it?"
Does not exist.
No matter how much I searched through my memories, I couldn't find it.
I ran wild like a monkey that didn't even know manners, let alone manners.
Amber continued after hearing Jin's denial.
"From the beginning, Bjern probably didn't think that Jin would follow royal court etiquette. However, isn't it possible that he was worried that Jin would turn everything upside down due to his personality?"
Things like burning the tongue of an arrogant nobleman with fire.
At Amber's guess, Jin couldn't help but look down at Bjern with a face like, 'What on earth does this guy think of me?'
Many memories that burned his tongue in the past came to mind, but he tried to ignore them.
"So, Jin-nim, you can put down your burden and take it easy. Why don't you think of treating the believers instead? Aren't nobles and emperors ultimately just human beings? Jin-nim, why would you be intimidated by them?"
Comfort and encouragement warmly enveloped Jin.
With that, Jin felt the burden she had been carrying on her shoulders disappear.
That's Bjorn.
He wouldn't have asked me to do something I couldn't do in the first place.
When she believed that, Jin regained the aspect of the goddess who led humanity in the past.
Eileen couldn't help but laugh, as if the mismatched pieces had been put together.
'Is that so. 'You didn't need any manners to begin with.'
An attitude that matches the looks that overwhelm others.
Be honest, but do not look down on others. Have an advantage over others, but do not trample on them.
Court etiquette is a tactic used to make non-noble people appear that way.
For those who are born that way, it only becomes a hindrance.
Who was I teaching?
Swans cannot understand geese.
So, I kept making mistakes.
First, the moment the geese realize that the swan is a swan, they have no choice but to look at its elegant appearance.
Eileen could vaguely understand why Björn chose this woman.
Rather than worrying about her, it was her expectations that overwhelmed her.
'But I wonder if that will work for her counterpart...'
Leaving their thoughts behind, Eileen and Jin reached the sponsorship.
The noble women who were considered the most powerful in the empire gathered together.
The precious metals they wore were worth the size of a villa or two, and the dresses they wore were soaked in the blood and sweat of the best tailors in the empire.
The pretentious laughter and small talk was cut off the moment Jin put her foot down in the support.
When the sun rises and pushes out the darkness-encroached dawn, humans have no choice but to look at the light, even if it is dazzling.
Because it's beautiful.
The masks that protected them like instinct were completely shattered in an instant.
"...Oh my. Count Haenrel. Welcome."
An awkward welcome that only came out in a short silence.
The support was filled with blatant hostility leaking from the broken mask.
Most of those who belong to the revolutionary faction are wizards or merchants.
In this social church where only aristocratic women were invited, Eileen, who was from the northern part of the revolutionary faction, was like an island far away.
She can expect neither support nor reinforcements.
It is a burden even for her with her title, but it must be even more so for Jin, who is treated as her illegitimate child.
Paying Jin no heed, she walked between them.
The moment she stepped into her sponsorship, Jin seemed like the main character of the world.
All of her creatures bowed their heads to highlight only her.
It was a noble appearance that no one could easily approach.
Eileen wanted to see how Jin, who had changed in just one day, would overcome the adversity that lay ahead.
As she and Jin sat down in her empty seat, the maid poured her tea.
As the signal for the cup to be filled, the noble women opened their mouths.
"Beezé Sorang. Do you like the food of the central region? Oh, did I say you didn't grow up in the north? I made a mistake."
"More than that, I'd like to hear about her mother. She must be as beautiful as Lady Vease, right? Madame Sorang is also beautiful, but not as beautiful as you."
"What can I tell you? She must have been an incredibly beautiful woman! Count Solang, famous for being a public wife, fell in love with her and had a child with her? Please tell me. What kind of person was your mother?"
The nobles who were overwhelmed by Jin somehow managed to suppress her voice and put her down as a lowly woman.
She was perfect both as a woman and as a noblewoman.
Even so, she couldn't back down.
It's a matter of life on the other side, too.
A blatant act without any pretense or pretense.
It seemed as if there was not much time left due to the unrest that took place last night.
If they knew Jin of the last few days, he would have been so intimidated that he couldn't even speak properly.
However, after regaining her peace of mind, she returned to the Flame Jinn.
She gave a short answer to the nobles, recalling the main ancestor.
"My mother is a loving woman. She chose to give birth to me out of her love. Perhaps she could not allow personal matters to enter into her feelings, though you do not know that."
Jin was referring to her mother as a princess, but her nobles took it differently.
You guys are prostitutes.
The women of noble families, who were sold as a bridgehead to connect clans, spread fans to cool down the heat rising to their heads.
It was definitely a spectacle worth paying money to see.
Eileen smiled her wry smile.
In the end, Björn was hit again.
Now, even without Eileen's help, she will survive on her own in this aristocratic society.
'What I don't understand is what the noble faction actually gains by doing that...'
She corners her fiancé in Björn and she leaves him with a scratch.
It cannot be said that there was no political benefit, but it was not enough to turn the aristocratic faction, which was on the defensive, into a reversal.
Eileen had no idea what Duke von Loren was aiming for.
'Well, I guess that's Bjern's job to take care of.'
It is his role to use his head in these matters.
All Eileen had to do was do whatever the proud half-child told her to do.
Putting her mouth to her car, she let go of her thoughts.
"Keuhum, khuhhum, khulok! Khulok! Khuhuh!"
At that moment, Eileen coughed as if her throat was swollen.
In an instant, her face turned blue.
"Count Haenrel? Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Count?!"
"Oh, Eileen?!"
Even as she coughed and tried to force herself to breathe, her throat swelled and she could not breathe.
Jean grabbed Eileen who had fallen and called her doctor, but her hand fell as if it was already too late.
Everything happened suddenly.
◈ Chapter 152 - 18-Eve Festival
*
Why are you doing this?
What on earth is power?
Who was it?
A political enemy whose name I no longer remember asked Duke von Lorraine as he died.
I don't remember answering that question.
To ask the obvious.
Because he died before I could say anything.
Why do people want to fly?
Because it can't fly.
Because I don't have it, I want it and am greedy.
All humans want to become gods.
Because we cannot do that, we live as human beings.
So did the emperor.
However, the difference between an ordinary man and a duke is that the duke was in a position to aim for the throne.
What is the difference between the emperor and I?
They have the same blood and roots, and have worked for the empire for a long time.
However, there cannot be two or three masters of an empire.
Just one person.
That's why the duke wanted to get to that position even more.
Since the people cannot become nobles, they want to destroy the caste system.
On the other hand, why should he who can become emperor destroy it?
I ran just for that.
He even abandoned his daughter to avoid getting caught.
I listened to the disgusted voices of commoners.
Dissembler.
Duke von Lorraine's political opponents ridiculed him so much.
They were purged before word could spread.
Everything was according to his plan.
He became a public servant by supporting the emperor, who was weak at the time of the rebellion.
He received the trust of wizards, merchants, and the people of the empire.
Now, all that remains is to carry out a rebellion with both the Dark and Robe alliances in hand.
Purge the emperor and take his place.
What started to go wrong was the disaster caused by the filth-like daughter.
Even in death, he still holds on to his father's ankles. It's disgusting.
Björn de Jewicz engulfed him like revenge for his daughter.
Duke von Lorraine knew.
He said he couldn't deal with Bjorn with his own capabilities.
No, who would dare deal with him?
At the age of only 16, he played with the emperor and prime minister of a country in the palm of his hand.
That's all.
The very framework of the empire was being destroyed through a new strategy of newspapers and ideology.
No trickster in history has ever done something like this.
Björn was doing it without any problem.
In his plan, Duke von Lorraine was nothing more than a soldier.
In that case, just break the board and that's it.
In the palace, no one can escape the emperor's eyes.
This is because the dark side is on guard everywhere.
But Duke von Lorraine was different.
Since the head of the secretariat was on the same page as him, he was freer than the emperor in the palace.
That meant, to put it another way, that if he wanted to, he could assassinate someone in the palace without leaving a trace.
Now that Bjern was unconscious, it was his golden opportunity.
"Say again! Are you saying that Count Haenrel was poisoned?!"
The man who was reporting to Count Sorang's office stuttered.
"Ah, it's still under investigation, but given the circumstances, it's highly likely."
"Fuck you!"
Duke von Lorraine hid his joy when he heard the news of Eileen's poisoning.
It seemed that Ambu had successfully achieved his goal.
From now on, it was his solo stage.
"Poisoning people at a festival, what an unholy thing is this. We must focus on finding the culprit! We must not dismiss this as a northern affair!"
Northern affairs.
From the words Duke von Lorraine shouted, Count Soran guessed what he meant.
Eileen is the mistress of the De Jeevitz family and the countess of Haenrell.
Her death marks a rift in the North.
Duke von Lorraine was there to infer who was behind the assassination.
Who poisoned her?
The people of the empire will probably think of several people as suspects.
The most influential among them was Count Sorang.
He added a woman of unknown origin to his genealogy and betrothed her to the eldest son of the De Jeevitz family.
It would not be strange to interpret this as an ambition toward the north.
To him, Count Haenrel and Marquis Aidan are a thorn in his side.
Count Soran plans to use this opportunity to kill Eileen and insinuate Bjorn to rob him of his marquis status.
People will believe that.
Even though it's not true.
'Is that why you kept pushing it away as something vulgar? ...'
The offensive against Beaset Soran was not directed at Bjorn.
This was all aimed at Count Sorang.
And the results that could be achieved through it were clear.
"Bjorn's departure..."
Barton pursed his lips in response to Count Sorang's thoughts.
To quell the chaos in the North that will result from Eileen's death, Bjorn must head to Stemwind as soon as she regains consciousness.
In a gamble where the empire is at stake, you will be eliminated from the preliminaries.
The aristocratic faction is riding the wave of the times brought about by the revolutionary faction.
When Bjern returns from clearing out the North, the person he has an audience with is me, Duke von Lorraine.
As if to drive a wedge, he raised the allegation.
"I heard that the person closest to Count Haen Rel before he lost consciousness was Beaje Sorang. Is that true?"
"Yes, Lady Vease Soran was sitting right next to Count Haenrel."
"Call her to her now!"
As he filled the salon, the maid tried to leave to fulfill the duke's call.
But before that, the door to the salon opened and the person the duke was looking for appeared.
"Did you call me?"
Beaget Soran, fully dressed for the ball, approached him.
Every time she walked, her pure white legs broke through her dress and caught her attention.
His hair flowed from his braided head.
Even his gait and manner of speaking were against the etiquette of a nobleman.
However, no one could comment on that appearance as if they had encountered a goddess.
Rather, it was Duke von Lorraine who was embarrassed.
After finally coming to his senses, he cleared his throat and wrung out his voice.
"Hmm! You are now suspected of poisoning Eileen. Do you know?"
The duke was not an investigator, and there was no one who raised charges in this situation where he knew nothing.
Nevertheless, the duke naturally accused Jin of being the culprit.
'He must be out of his mind because he witnessed Eileen's death right in front of him.'
The duke remembered her as he had when he had met her on their first day.
She was an idiotic beauty who knew nothing about the etiquette of aristocratic society.
If it was the Beaget nonsense he had figured out, he would be stumbled by this political move.
The Duke was so confident.
Jin's answer exceeded his expectations.
"You stupid and stupid person. You are immature and foolish. You are a shabby and ugly man. Are you so afraid of Björn?"
The words to answer the question lingered in Duke von Lorraine's mouth.
However, I couldn't get it out of my mouth.
Tongue, mouth, and even throat.
This is because all moisture disappeared as if it were evaporating.
"If that child is so scared, what about me?"
An ugly old man was reflected in the cold scarlet pupils.
So what is reflected in the old man's cloudy eyes?
It's God.
The flame that brought fire to the world was burning endlessly, looking down at Duke von Lorraine.
"Keu, keuheook!"
Steam so hot that it seemed like it would cook my lungs was sucked in through my airways.
Her fierceness was overflowing from the woman who faced her as if she was going to kill her.
All humans want to become gods.
That is because God rules over everyone from above human heads.
He was the pinnacle of all things, incomparable to the emperor.
Duke von Lorraine had to face the end of his pursuit.
"Duke von Lorraine, you have crossed the line."
Jin has already reached the limit of his patience.
An emperor who has no sense of crisis despite the great evil living underground,
A nobleman who is obsessed with the fictitious thing called power and is destroying the empire.
And what bothered her more than anything was his incompetence in being unable to provide any help even though he knew everything about her.
So Bjorn was ruined.
It all came together and she couldn't take it anymore.
"You have deceived countless people, taken their lives without notice, and now you are trying to bring harm to all of humanity."
I kill this bug and reveal that I am the Jinn of Flame.
If we do that, we can prevent divisions in the North and add to the legitimacy of the revolution.
Bjorn lost her consciousness and there was no other way to turn the situation around.
That was the only help she could give Bjorn.
'Björn, in the end it turned out just as you worried. I'm sure they'll hate me for making this decision.'
Jin ended up proving to himself why he was so restrained.
Still, she couldn't help it for Bjorn's sake.
Just as he pushed her away, unable to help herself.
Because we can't let this bug interfere with his final journey.
"In the name of the Lord, I will punish you."
Jin smiled bitterly and clenched her fists, squeezing out her magic.
To reduce Duke von Lorraine to a pile of charcoal.
Contrary to her wishes, the fire that was supposed to hit Duke von Lorraine disappeared right under his nose.
"Let's leave it at that, Bease Sorang."
"...Asili. Are you going to disturb me?"
The person standing in front of Jin was the empire's only 10th circle archmage, the dragon Asili.
She smiled and said to Jin, who was glaring at her with a distorted expression.
"For now, everyone, calm down. I'm here to give you some unexpected news."
"Whoosh! Whoosh... Whoosh...!"
Duke von Lorraine, whose life was saved by her help, was breathing heavily.
Everyone who was paying attention to her rapidly changing situation looked at her.
"It might be good news for some, and sad news for others. But I'll tell you anyway."
After a pause, she licked her lips with her tongue.
Looking at everyone with snake-like split pupils.
What she said next was something that no one could understand.
"There was no poison in the tea Count Haenrel drank."
◈ Chapter 153 - 18-Eve
The roof of my mouth burned as if it had been scorched by fire.
With his stiff, dry tongue, Duke von Lorraine repeated Asili's words over and over again.
There was no poison?
No, that can't be true.
Duke von Lorraine apparently ordered Ambu to poison her tea.
Something that would be easy to detect in order to frame Beage Soran.
Didn't Eileen actually faint after drinking her tea?
"Cough...! Is that true...?"
Almost crawling with her knees on the floor, he couldn't help but ask Asili.
Asili did not hide her cold gaze.
"Are you offering a different opinion to what I just said?"
No matter what anyone says, the person who inspected the car was an archmage of the 10th circle.
If she doesn't trust her research, who will she trust?
However, what surprised the Duke was Asili's attitude.
Like her swordsman, she is someone who watches politics from afar.
Even when the magic tower was a slave to the nobles.
Even when she took on the difficult tasks of the emperor and nobles.
She at least pretended to respect the leaders of the empire.
Asili was now looking down on the duke.
"What Count Haenrel drank was ordinary tea. However, he was hit hard and lost consciousness for a moment. He just regained consciousness and is recovering, so don't worry."
The duke had no time to criticize her attitude.
The vague sound of her fainting for a moment after hearing it in Sarae shook her mind.
Duke von Lorraine, who knew the whole story of the incident, could not believe it.
There was only one conclusion that could be inferred.
'I knew in advance that I would poison Count Haenrel... ?!'
I admit that Björn is outstanding.
But no matter how much of a bastard she is, she cannot find out the inner thoughts of the duke who is under the protection of the shadow.
Even if he had figured out by deduction that he would kill Count Haenrell, predicting when and how he would kill him was up to God.
Plus, this is a glass palace.
In this place where darkness was spread in all directions, it was impossible even for the emperor to carry out a plan without being caught by him.
Moreover, isn't Bjern currently unconscious?
She had never heard of a schemer using tricks without conscious awareness.
I aimed for the right vote at perfect timing.
Accepting this was closer to foresight than to strategy.
At that moment, it was Della who came to the duke's complicated mind.
"No way...?!"
A child who could have just withered away beautifully in a villa.
She was the eldest daughter of the von Lorraine family, who wished she had disappeared without even knowing she was born into the family. She eventually made her name known to the empire and tarnished the family's name.
Just once, the duke had seen her foresight that shook the empire.
As people live, there are certain things they must do.
Sleep, eat something, or cross the street.
Among them, she gave precautions to the most frequent ones.
Anyone who hears her attention becomes bothered by the situation.
Then, both unexpected luck and sudden misfortune become her foresight.
In other words, Della cleverly manipulated the premonition to make sure it happened.
Why did her trick, which I immediately recognized the moment I saw it, cross my mind at this moment?
That's because Duke von Lorraine realized that he had been caught up in that obvious trick.
"Björn, you son of a bitch...!"
He was injured in the bloodbath with Runea and lost consciousness.
I heard from his wife that he had to lie down for three days.
So, naturally, Duke von Lorraine pulled out the trick he had prepared today.
Because it is normal to bite the enemy when they are weak.
The trap was there.
Björn never lost consciousness.
He just pretended like that.
He trusted the information brought by the shadow.
There is no source of information as reliable as them in the empire.
But where did the information come from that Bjorn would be lying unconscious for at least three days?
It was Asili.
Why didn't I notice it earlier?
Just because I didn't get involved in politics over the years, there's no guarantee that I will do so in the future.
Asili said as if mocking the duke.
"Duke. You look bad. Are you okay?"
The magic tower lord joined Bjorn's side.
Duke von Lorraine had predicted that this might be the case.
But at least if Bjorn moved, the Ambu should have noticed.
No matter how much you knew, you couldn't hide that in this palace.
Something is happening that I don't know about!
Cold sweat poured down like a waterfall.
Duke von Lorraine mustered up all his remaining mental strength and bared his teeth at Assili.
"You bastard! How dare you shamelessly do something like this!"
"Kahat, I don't know? What are you talking about?"
What was so funny about that sight was that she came down from the sky giggling.
Asili seemed different to the Duke than usual.
Why did I realize now that her eyes were slit like those of a snake?
[Are you referring to this skit to cut the dark part out of you?]
Asili's voice rang in her head.
It was a familiar voice I had heard over the past few decades, but at the same time it was an eerie voice that I had never heard before.
As incomprehensible as her voice was what she said.
Cut out the dark part?
From me?
It was impossible to just use Eileen's actions to poison her.
But the circumstances, his current situation, proved that she was not lying.
I was out of breath.
The information that came in like an ebb and flow in an instant ravaged his brain as if it was going to cook.
Additionally, Asili showed him what she saw.
[Or are you talking about 'doing something like this'?]
-Krrrr...
The coiled dragon was staring at him with its mouth open.
A descendant of Draigonak, the first dragon who presides over truth.
The last remaining dragon on the continent of Esteria appeared before him.
Shaking the sky with dragon words.
The legendary dragon that is said to have destroyed mountains with its breath.
To the Duke, it was an unknown creature that he had never seen before, but he knew as soon as he saw it that it was a dragon.
What would that be if not a dragon?
Saliva drips down its huge fangs.
Hot breath enveloped my entire body.
Duke von Lorraine felt as if his heart would stop at any moment.
The god-like power that Bjorn's fiancée was hiding.
Asili's identity.
Contrary to plan, the poison disappeared from the teacup and the shadow showed no reaction.
The palace that was so comfortable and almost like one's own felt particularly unfamiliar today.
Could it be that I am dreaming right now?
My open jaw trembled.
"Uh, uh..."
The duke ran out of the room.
There was no trace of the Duke who was a prime minister of a country or a threat to the imperial power behind him.
There was just an old man who was terrified.
"Hello! Damn it! Is there anyone here?!"
After leaving the room, he sent several hand signals matching Ambu's.
However, the long corridors of the palace were strangely quiet.
Something went wrong with the people he had planted in the dark.
He couldn't help but think so.
All the cards he was holding disappeared.
Duke von Lorraine screamed, tearing out his head.
"No, no! I can't collapse like this!"
It's not over yet.
Let's calm down.
I was just momentarily possessed by a strange magic.
Yes, that's it.
In any case, Björn cannot prove that I tried to assassinate Eileen.
The undercover's mouth is so heavy that he will never be able to get a confession through torture.
The attempt to break the board failed, but that didn't mean everything was lost.
The Duke thought so.
He was still the Duke and Chancellor of the Empire.
The faction that followed him was still alive and well.
Even without the Dark and Robe alliance, he was still the second most powerful person to control the empire after the Emperor.
That doesn't change the fact.
How did you cultivate it?
How hard did he work to keep this position?
How did you persevere until this moment came?
The throne is just around the corner, so I can never give up like this.
His steps were guided by instinct and headed towards where Count Haenrel would be staying.
He pushed the maid who tried to stop him.
When he opened the door, the sight he saw was a change of clothes.
"Huh? Duke. You look pale. I guess you heard the news?"
Björn was sitting there.
He sat across from Count Haen Rel and took a sip of his drink.
He laughed for a long time, thinking the duke's appearance was funny.
With a face that resembles Della.
"From the look on your face, you believe there's still a chance, right? But the Empire has no intention of opening its crotch to a loser like you?"
There was a lot I wanted to say to Björn.
Political rhetoric, deception, or a play on words that suggests what they were trying to achieve through this incident.
But the duke could only stare blankly at him, as if he were a fool.
This is because standing next to him was the vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross, who would never be with him.
"How on earth..."
"You must be curious. How did I figure out your plan? How did you fool the dark eye? Also, why is the vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross here?"
Before that, let me tell you one thing first.
Björn sarcastically sneered at his maternal grandfather.
"Walking on the right path means knowing the private path, which is like a shortcut, and still going back."
If I had been as dirty as you, it would have been over long ago.
At least there was no one here who could deny that statement.
◈ Chapter 154 - 18-Eve Festival
*
Duke von Lorraine has a total of two cards.
Lobe Alliance and Ambu.
Among them, the Lobe Alliance easily took control due to unexpected luck.
However, as far as the dark part was concerned, there was no way I could do anything about it.
The Glass Palace is the heart of the empire.
Here, not even a single ant can move away from the darkness.
The Duke must have believed so.
However, there was someone who could move as secretly as Ambu in the glass palace.
Runea Van Hoss.
Vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross, considered the strongest swordmaster in the empire.
She could freely hide in the glass palace, avoiding the eyes of the undercover.
Moreover, if she received the support of Helga Sentle, who was from Bondi Ambu, it would not have been unreasonable for her to follow in the duke's footsteps.
She was the variable that caught Duke von Lorraine off guard.
Her problem was whether she could be persuaded.
Without solid physical evidence, Runea will never believe what I say.
When she heard that the duke had actually been captured, she laughed.
"Did you just spit it out so that I would believe those words? What reason is there for the shadow to be attached to the duke?"
To protect the emperor and the empire.
Since the dawn of the empire, the shadowy side has been operating in the dark.
From the moment Ambu was born by the first emperor until now.
They gave up their own growth engine to learn a special technique to hide themselves with mana.
No matter how great his achievements were, his name was not left behind in history.
Still, only for His Majesty's sake.
Their loyalty was unparalleled, and their devotion became the fertilizer of the empire.
There was no reason for them to stick to the duke's side.
From her perspective, the words of an enemy of the empire.
It was nonsense that could only be heard as a joke.
Fortunately, I had the privilege of being a reincarnated person.
"A few things. I'll give you a quiz. Try to solve them with your smarts."
In her amphitheater, I poured out my sword energy towards her and spoke.
"First. The emperor is a capable person. In fact, I feel like I want to let him run the empire on his own. But, isn't it strange that he is not using his strength when it comes to war?"
The southern expedition is lagging and wasting resources.
The war with the Kingdom of Junta was the biggest cause pushing the empire into crisis.
However, the emperor was not a person willing to fight a war that would shake up the empire.
He truly believes it.
The Kingdom of Junta will soon fall.
But he didn't know.
In the biography of Esteria, the war will continue for several more years.
"Do you mean that someone is blindfolding His Majesty? I already know that. But that is none of your business."
The thinly sliced peak of Auror touched my sword.
I exploded her fire spirit mana, pushing away her aura, and fired at her.
"A bitch who can even smell the emperor's skin doesn't really know His Majesty? Is she someone who is blinded when the emperor covers her eyes?"
"Are you planning on making a pun?"
"No. Listen straight. It's not that someone is blinding the Emperor. It means that they are manipulating information in the middle and blinding the Emperor's eyes."
The emperor is a person with extraordinary intelligence.
With just a few pieces of information, he was able to infer the situation and understand the battle situation.
What if there is some confusion about the information he trusts?
It was inevitable that an uncontrollable error would occur.
It was the shadow that trapped the emperor into an unknown trap.
"Bullshit! War is inherently difficult to predict! Just because the war situation is difficult doesn't mean it was the emperor's misjudgment, and isn't it just speculation that the shadow confuses His Majesty by reporting false information to him?"
That's the devil's whisper.
Many people were deceived by that tongue play.
Lunea must have made up her mind that no matter what I said, she wouldn't ignore it.
"Yes, it's just a guess. But hasn't something happened recently that supports that guess? How did the shadow know that I was in contact with the head of the Robe Alliance? Who did I meet just before that?"
Runea also knows that I made a fuss at the von Loren family mansion.
And, quite coincidentally, right after that, the shadow discovered my contact with the Lob Alliance.
There is no physical evidence.
But the circumstantial evidence was very clear.
"Second question. Who benefited the most from the war with the Kingdom of Junta?"
"..."
"By this time, even the neighborhood kid knows that he's the Duke of von Lorraine."
The noble faction was originally formed to oppose the war with the Kingdom of Junta.
It goes without saying that the political influence of Duke von Lorraine, who was at the forefront of opposing views, grew.
As words came out of my mouth that I wanted to deny, but couldn't deny, she closed her eyes tightly.
"Don't you know yet? That it was Duke von Lorraine who instigated the war against the Kingdom of Junta."
In the Esteria biographies, Duke von Lorraine is portrayed as a thoroughly evil person.
For power, he colludes with Ambu and instigates a war with the Kingdom of Junta.
A greedy person who used the Robe Alliance to bring bloodshed to the capital.
Only because of his desire to sit on the throne, he destroyed the empire.
"No. I can't believe what you say! Why on earth would Ambu collude with the Duke?"
Circumstantial evidence is not certain.
Rather, you might think that I induced that situation.
Why on earth would Ambu betray the emperor and side with the duke?
What on earth do they gain by doing that?
Money? Authority? Honor?
If you pursue any of these, there is no way you would enter the dark department in the first place.
I knew the answer.
"Do you know how the shadow masters the art of stealth?"
Through surgery from the dark side, the dark side learns the art of hiding itself with mana.
That was common knowledge.
"Last question. Then where did the art of stealth come from?"
Runea seemed speechless at the question I asked.
There are two ways humans deal with mana.
A magic using the circle of the heart, or an art that condenses and explodes with a dantian.
Stealth techniques do not apply to either of the two.
If that were the case, there would be no need for special surgery.
"You've probably seen something similar to Ambu's stealth technique."
A small ripple I threw.
Runea must have remembered a being at the end of the ripples.
Archdemon Antenor.
The first saint to be equally endowed with the powers of the five great devils.
When he approached to kill me, he disappeared in the same way as Ambu.
"No way...!"
Yes, you are right.
If it did not apply to one of the two ways humans handle mana, the answer was fixed.
Power given by God.
Warrant.
The stealth technique that Ambu had mastered was a deteriorated version of the power possessed by the Great Devil of Darkness.
A forbidden technique that should never be touched.
However, it has been preserved by those in power because of its usefulness.
"An arch-demon has infiltrated the capital's basement. I'm guessing it's probably the dark arch-demon, Homun. He could have used his power to control the life of the shadow."
Swords and swords go back and forth.
At the same time, the situation the capital was facing also entered Runea's mind.
A huge facility under the capital and the great devil living there.
Bombs and flames that will blow up the capital.
And the reason they are throwing the empire into chaos.
Her face turned white, and her sword was filled with directionless anger.
"The duke did not become attached to the duke. He surrendered to the devil. Duke von Lorraine thought he was using the duke, but in reality, the great evil was just using him for his own good."
The secretaries, whose lives were at stake, would have been used by Homun as he pleased.
Duke von Lorraine's greed created a place for the devil to thrive there.
As a result, Octantium becomes a sea of fire and is erased from the map of the continent.
His greed ultimately ended with his head being cut off, but humanity had to suffer for a long time in the aftermath.
In silence for a moment, Runea swung her sword.
That anger was difficult for me to handle alone.
Her body was crushed and blood flowed back into her mouth, unable to withstand the pressure.
After regaining her composure, she spoke to me.
"...But there is no physical evidence at all."
"Are you going to hang your head down and pretend you didn't hear? Okay, if that's what you mean, why don't you make a bet with me?"
It might be hard to believe in words.
Barely holding on to her shaking consciousness, I aimed my sword at her.
"After sparring with you, I will lose consciousness and pretend to have collapsed. Duke von Lorraine will not miss the opportunity and will definitely move to turn the situation around. Why not watch Ambu's movements then?"
If it's you and Helga, we can fool the dark eye.
See with your own eyes whether the shadow really moves with the Duke.
"If I'm wrong, then kill me. But if I'm right, you'll go to hell with me."
After sparring, Runea eventually accepted her bet.
From then on, it was all smooth sailing.
No matter how much the shadow flew and crawled, it could not be compared to the vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross.
With Helga's help, the duke's move to turn the situation around was discovered.
All too easily, Runea thwarted the attempt to poison Eileen.
"Duke. Still, I thought you were someone who truly cared about the empire."
The bet was obviously my win.
Lunea ground her teeth as if she wanted to cut off her head at any moment.
Duke von Lorraine, aware of the situation, burst into maniacal laughter.
"Ha,haha! What do you mean?! I was truly worried about the future of the empire at every moment!"
Duke von Lorraine cried out to evil.
◈ Chapter 155 - 18-Eve Eve
"I pushed the empire into the abyss of war through secrets? Be honest! In the end, wasn't it the emperor who summoned the knights and wizards and engaged them in a useless territorial war? The fact that they didn't give up even though the situation was bad was also the emperor's arbitrary decision. It was! Who is it that made the empire sick?"
Although it was only a superficial action, Duke von Lorraine discouraged war countless times.
The one who ignored it was the emperor himself.
Don't say it as if I'm responsible for it.
He was saying that.
"Don't say that I controlled the empire like a puppet. Just as it was the emperor's choice to start the war, the nobles, wizards, merchants, and people who followed me all made their own choices. I simply escaped from the emperor's stubbornness. "I only incited their desires to protect the empire! Bjorn, how is this different from the way you took over the empire!"
The desire for a larger territory and a richer empire pushed the emperor into the abyss of war.
Even if there was no duke, the emperor would have ended up going to war.
Taking advantage of the weakened imperial authority, the nobility came together to promote their interests.
Wizards and merchants added their voices to get something from them.
And he, who wanted to sit on the throne, took advantage of it.
It was all a matter of human desire.
Fundamentally, the way I controlled the capital was similar to Duke von Lorraine.
Because they took advantage of the people of the empire by instilling in them a desire for a better life.
His point is not entirely wrong.
"To protect the empire? No, Duke. You just hoped that the throne you would sit on would not rot, right?"
But there was an unbridgeable gap between the duke and me.
After quenching his thirst with alcohol, I got up and approached him.
"Don't act like an ascetic because everything will go wrong if you follow your desires. To do that, you have to first remove the tissue stuck to the head of your dick."
In the original, his rebellion, which blows up the capital, ultimately fails.
The reason he was ultimately unable to overthrow the emperor and sit on the throne was because he had no vision.
How will we move forward and what is different from before?
Duke von Lorraine, who was simply swayed by desire, was ultimately unable to offer anything.
That was the cause of his miserable end.
The desire aroused by the Duke is just for today.
On the other hand, the new wind I have brought to the capital is not the kind that simply stimulates discontent.
What makes humans human, and what the country must do to achieve that.
So what is wrong with the empire now?
People spoke passionately and judged coldly.
So what settled in their hearts was not a simple complaint.
It is a desire for a better life.
It's the power to move forward.
It was qualitatively different from simple desire.
Defending the empire means something like this.
"Do you think I didn't take the shortcut because I didn't know about it like you? Then how could I have known that you were going to assassinate Lady Eileen?"
The only card left in his hand is one dark card.
The most efficient way to get me to leave with that card was to bring about chaos in the North.
He was mean and mean, but an effective apostle.
Helga called the duke a difficult enemy, unlike the emperor, but that fact made it easier to deal with him.
Because I know countless ways like that.
Not doing so is no different from gnawing at one's own flesh ahead of the devil's invasion.
Faced with moments where I had to go back countless times, I wonder if I really couldn't find an easy path.
The Duke's reaction did not deviate one bit from my expectations.
"So, Lord Runea Van Hoss, will you tell the Emperor that I have pushed the Empire into the abyss of war?"
The Duke's gaze turned to the knight standing next to me.
"Even if you are the vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross, do you really think the Emperor will believe that Ambu is on my side? And even if he does, do you think the Emperor will be able to deal with this when he is in a state of confusion due to the uproar brought about by Bjorn?"
At Duke von Loren's point, Runea pursed her lips.
He knew that Ambu had betrayed him.
However, he had no physical evidence to persuade the emperor.
There was no way Duke von Lorraine and the head of the darkness would have left such evidence in the first place.
Also, if you raid the dark area now, the devil might pick up the scent and blow up the capital.
The duke didn't know about demons, but he knew that Runea couldn't make a hasty move.
His angry words continued.
"Yes. I will confess to you here. I tried to poison you, Count Haenrel. I planned to kill you to cause chaos in the north and eliminate Bjorn from the central region. It is a shame that it failed."
Eileen stopped sipping her tea and glared at him with a cold gaze.
She was swallowing her anger in her own way.
In addition to the fact that he was targeted by Duke von Lorraine, he had to drink a medicine equivalent to poison without knowing it in order to deceive him.
She asked me if it would be better if I told her in advance, but did she do it just because I thought she was pretty?
His judgment is distorted as he saves the life of a woman who already wants to kill him twice.
What was even more jarring was the Duke's next words.
"Now, what can you do now? Are you going to take me to court? Do you dare to judge the empire's work with the law?"
Derision.
The confidence behind it got on my nerves.
Even if his scheme was discovered, his power was still intact.
In the capital of the empire, this kind of secret struggle is a daily occurrence.
Especially in these turbulent times, this incident was not a blemish on the duke.
It was natural to think that way.
I shattered the duke's arrogant thoughts.
"Duke. Before that, let me point out something. Where have all the undercover men who followed you gone?"
"..."
The duke looked embarrassed, as if he had been caught off guard.
Let's say the shadow that was watching me was taken care of by Runea and Helga.
Even so, there had to be a shadow next to the duke.
However, from the moment I left the room until now, Ambu would not have even seen a snot.
"Shall I answer for you? You were abandoned by Ambu."
The duke may think this failure is no big deal.
The coming wave of revolution will definitely be strong, so there are plenty of opportunities to turn it around.
But the dark side was different.
What the devil is aiming for is chaos in the capital.
It has already been accomplished by the revolutionary faction.
He agreed to the plan to poison Count Haenrell and induce him to leave the central part of the country, but since that plan failed, Duke von Lorraine was no longer useful.
He decided that it would be better to abandon him at this point than to cause trouble.
"Do you know what this means?"
I lost my arm.
That means the shield that would protect him is gone.
Runea spewed out a deadly force filled with mana towards Duke von Loren.
"The moment you leave here, Runea will assassinate you. There will be no shadow around you, so there will be no trace left behind."
The empire's strongest sword master.
The life she exuded was not something the average person could endure.
Having felt it with my own skin, I knew it better than anyone else.
It was possible to assassinate him secretly even if he had a shadow, but now that the shadow had abandoned him, he was able to twist his neck more easily than a child's wrist.
You will get a keen taste of what it feels like to have her as your enemy.
The duke let out a breath that felt like it would stop and showed courage.
"Well, if that were the case... The noble faction..."
"They won't keep quiet. They will think the Emperor killed you. They will be angry at the Empire."
The Duke's eyes widened at my words.
Who benefits most from assassinating the duke, the head of the noble faction?
The person at the top was the emperor.
I returned Sue, who had put Count Soran into a corner by assassinating Eileen, to the Duke.
"This is how you write duke and apostle."
Pressure tightening around the neck.
My plan to corner you.
The duke's eyes were colored with despair.
The only way he could do it was to provoke Runea.
"Is it okay to be used by this guy, Runea... I feel sorry for the emperor..."
"It's my job to cut out the empire's evildoers. Duke. I don't care if I'm used for him."
Even his provocation could not stop Runea's anger towards him for destroying the empire.
There is no way out.
I grinned at him, enjoying my victory.
"Duke, don't worry too much. I'm a person who likes to be given choices. I should say I have bad taste. I enjoy seeing the loser struggle and suffer over what is better. So, I'll give you an example so you can choose as well."
Eileen, who had been bullied by me first, closed her eyes tightly as if recalling the past.
She knew better than anyone else because she had already been through it.
"You can leave the room like this and see for yourself how great the Empire's strongest sword master is, or..."
A voice as cold as ice flowed from a wry smile.
"Either be locked in a cage and spend the rest of your life messing around. Just like you did to my mother."
Either die, or live a life better off.
No matter what you choose, the duke's fate will be no different.
Because the destination is hell.
◈ Chapter 156 - 18-Eve Eve