Chapter 144
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144
Lieutenant Colonel Casert and I remained on our knees, waiting for Fransek to rise.
Fransek had no guards. He had walked into this powder keg completely alone.
“Shuwell Casert, open the checkpoint and protect the imperial subjects,” Fransek said as he rose. His voice boomed, carrying far and wide without any amplification, resonating as if multiple people were speaking in unison.
“Is this Your Highness's command? Or His Majesty's?” Lieutenant Colonel Casert asked, his head still bowed to the ground.
“Are you saying you will not obey if it is my command?”
“……I am merely curious.”
“What value is an army that cannot even protect its own people?”
“It was a decision made to protect the greater number.”
“Speak honestly. You are not protecting the greater number, but a small, privileged class!”
At Fransek's thunderous rebuke, the protesters let out a roar that shook Akbaran. Some even boldly stepped across the boundary line.
Lieutenant Colonel Casert was backed into a corner. With the Crown Prince present, he couldn’t risk a violent clash.
Furthermore, Fransek's appearance poured fuel on the fire of the protest. While many of the empire's lower-class citizens detested the nobility, few harbored any ill will toward the Imperial Family.
Fransek, in particular, was immensely popular with the public. Within the Lower Districts, he was likely even more popular than the Emperor himself.
With Fransek on their side, the protesters began to advance with bold confidence, as if they no longer had anything to fear.
“Lucaus Custoria, stand and protect me. We will discuss the details later.”
I rose at his command and scanned our surroundings. Even among the protesters, I spotted suspicious figures—several individuals whose faces betrayed a rising panic. They were likely agitators, not genuine citizens.
If Fransek had been a moment later, a bloodbath would have ensued.
The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.
No, Fransek waited on purpose, aiming for a dramatic entrance. He is a man who knows better than anyone how to command the spotlight.
Even I had been on edge, wondering if he would show up at all. When he finally graced us with his presence, my relief was greater than anyone's.
Did Ilay explain everything clearly to Fransek?
I had sent Ilay to him to convey my intentions. There was too much that couldn't be discussed over the network.
I can only hope Fransek has the stomach for this chaos.
He was likely unfamiliar with such dark conspiracies. He was a man thoroughly groomed to walk in the light.
How must he feel, hearing that his own father, the Emperor, and his younger brother have conspired to kill him?
I had even been prepared for the possibility that Fransek might panic and ignore my summons.
But Fransek’s imperial education had not been for naught. Not a single shred of anxiety showed in his majestic bearing.
The Crown Prince's voice was magnificent, his form flawless. His long, trailing cloak and robes fluttered proudly, refusing to be weighed down by the wind and rain.
Sensing a touch of the divine, those nearby belatedly fell to their knees, paying their respects to the founding bloodline.
Swoosh.
Fransek took a step forward. A circular ripple of golden light radiated from beneath his feet. It possessed no physical force—it was merely a luxurious, decorative effect.
Yet the soldiers shrank back, as if they dared not tread upon that light.
Step.
Fransek walked slowly toward the entrance to the stairs. The circular ripples expanded with each footstep before fading away.
No one dared lay a finger on him. I followed close behind.
Clack!
Lieutenant Colonel Casert caught up and blocked our path.
“Your Highness, you might as well kill me here and open the gates yourself. If you proceed, I’ll be branded a fool who stood by and watched his mission fail.”
“I wish to resolve this peacefully, Lieutenant Colonel Casert,” Fransek said, his eyes cast down. For a fleeting moment, his expression seemed tinged with sorrow.
“If you wish to enforce your will, you must shed blood.”
“A sovereign…”
Fransek's arm moved. From within his sleeve, a blade longer than his arm slid out, seemingly defying the laws of physics. I had no idea what mechanism allowed it.
Screeech!
Fransek's blade sliced clean through Lieutenant Colonel Casert's head. He had not decapitated him; he had split his skull down the middle. Thanks to its monomolecular coating, the cut was flawlessly smooth.
As the blade passed through, a cross-section of the man’s brain was laid bare.
“……must not fear blood, even if it is my own hands that will be stained.”
The soldiers at the checkpoint remained silent, even as their commander fell. They were caught in a paralyzing limbo between military duty and loyalty to the Imperial Family, with no idea what to do. No training academy teaches a soldier how to handle a situation like this.
In times of chaos, one can only rely on their own will to make a choice.
I was deeply shaken by Lieutenant Colonel Casert's final decision.
He chose death of his own accord.
Lieutenant Colonel Casert was more than capable of dodging Fransek's strike. Yet, he had willingly accepted death, as if to stay true to his word.
He was likely a soldier completely uninvolved in this conspiracy… a man loyal to a fault.
Lieutenant Colonel Casert had silently and nobly performed his duty to the very end. The Empire had lost an invaluable man. This was precisely why civil wars were so devastating. How many more capable men would perish in this Storm Era? In the end, cunning opportunists would simply align with the victor and usurp Casert's position.
And it's all because I chose to stoke this chaos.
Casualties would mount, and the Empire would grow weaker. The issue wasn't whether Fransek had the stomach for it; it was whether I did. From this moment on, I had to swallow the sins I was about to commit and not choke.
“Luka, don't just stand there. Open the gates. Show them that we are the shield for the imperial subjects who cannot protect themselves.”
I nodded and stepped forward. My blade moved with swift precision.
Clang!
Crucis cleanly severed the complex locking mechanism. I then reached out and forced the heavy iron gates apart.
Honestly, it was a strain. I had to push my prosthetic body's output to its absolute limit.
Yet, because the gates parted so slowly, the theatrical effect was magnificent. The crowd watched, holding its collective breath.
Screeeeech!
The gates groaned as they were dragged open. One by one, the mechanical components of the locking mechanism snapped under the sheer force of my strength, flying apart in a shower of sparks.
Thud! Thud!
The stairs leading to the Upper District were thrown wide open.
“Whoaaaaaa!”
“Long live His Highness Fransek! Long live the Prince!”
“May you reign eternal! Cracia, guardian deity of the Empire!”
Praising Fransek and the Imperial Family, the protesters surged up the stairs. No one feared crossing the boundary line anymore. They now had the ultimate shield: Fransek himself.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
A woman cradling her child bowed repeatedly in gratitude before being swept upward by the crowd.
The weak, unable to protect themselves.
They were desperate. Throughout the Storm Era, they had been unable to step foot outside their homes. Not that staying indoors offered any real safety. Every sector outside the Upper District had devolved into a lawless wasteland. Even now, people were dying by the hour in the Lower District.
Fransek and I ascended the stairs. The protesters ahead parted like the sea, yielding the path to us.
“Those seeking to assassinate you are everywhere. It will be difficult for me to guard you alone,” I whispered.
“Right now, all of Akbaran—no, the entire Empire—is watching us. They won't dare make a rash move. Besides, if your warning is true… I can hardly trust anyone around me.”
“Do you believe me, then?”
“No, I am still skeptical. But if my brother Riley—no, is it Ivan now?—is truly plotting a rebellion against our father, then I will have no choice but to believe you. However…” Fransek's tone remained remarkably calm. “……If you and Ilay have deceived me, the price you pay will be more horrific than anything you could possibly imagine.”
“Your Highness already knows I’m not lying. That’s why you came.”
A crack appeared in Fransek's composed facade. His brow twitched.
“The Akies Domini is a truly exhausting existence.”
“I have been stripped of that title.”
“Then what are you?”
It was a difficult question. I pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I suppose I will be the symbol of the new era Your Highness desires.”
Fransek let out a dry chuckle. “Your flattery has improved. But what you are doing now is a classic abuse of authority by a Watcher. Stepping far beyond the role of an advisor, you seek to manipulate royalty to your own ends.”
“I would frame Your Highness's words differently. I am simply in a position so desperate that I have no choice but to use you. This is not an abuse of authority; it is a desperate struggle for survival.”
I felt a burning sensation between my brows as my thoughts raced.
Fransek's sudden intervention.
His actions had just split the future into dozens of new paths. With every new variable, the branches of possibility multiplied exponentially. It was an infinite sea, far too vast for a human brain to process. The only tool I had left was intuition.
From this moment on, I would have to trust my instincts. Logical reasoning alone would not get me through what was to come.
* * *
The Circulation Road of the Upper District was now packed shoulder-to-shoulder with the masses following Fransek.
He had taken a massive gamble. Knowing the Emperor, his own father, wanted him dead, he had been forced to act.
Fransek's weapon is public support.
The crowd following us had swelled to tens of thousands. The streets were so packed there was barely room to stand. By a rough estimate, there were easily over twenty thousand people in sight.
And the number was still growing.
“……Cease this fighting. I shall personally guarantee your rights.”
We had reached a sector where the military and rioters stood in a tense standoff. Fransek marched right between the barricades. I scanned our surroundings, my nerves stretched to their absolute limit.
He was walking a tightrope; an assassination attempt could happen at any second. By now, the Emperor and Ivan would have caught wind of his sudden move.
I was in just as much danger. Members of Nemesis were hiding among the rioters. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them put a bullet in me for killing Rick.
“It is dangerous, Your Highness! They are rioters—” the commanding officer at the standoff said as he approached Fransek.
“Watch your tongue,” Fransek snapped. “They are not rioters; they are imperial subjects. I will not tolerate citizens of the Empire pointing weapons at one another.” He extended his hand, gesturing toward the mass of people.
Overwhelmed by Fransek's magnificent presence and commanding aura, the bewildered soldiers slowly lowered their weapons.
“Lucaus Custoria!” Fransek bellowed, his voice ringing out for all the soldiers to hear. “In the name of Cracia, seize command of these men and reorganize the unit! From this moment on, you shall not be watchdogs for the privileged class, but a true shield for the citizens of the Empire!”
The officers, thrown into utter confusion, desperately tried to contact Upper Command for instructions.
Most officers in the Imperial Army were nobles. However, the vast majority of the enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers hailed from the Lower District.
Step, step.
Captivated by Fransek's overwhelming charisma, the non-commissioned officers were the first to break ranks and rally to his side. Once the defection began, it spread like wildfire.
“……Those who wish to right these wrongs, take up your arms and follow me! The name of Cracia is with you! Our founding bloodline exists to protect you, not just to rule you. He who abandons the duty of protection forfeits the right to govern—that is the very oath the First Cracia swore when he raised his banner!”
Whether the real Dino Cracia had actually uttered those words was anyone's guess. But there was no denying that they set the crowd's hearts ablaze.
In truth, Fransek's speech never mentioned his actual goal. His words were incredibly vague. Yet, through sheer, polished charisma, he successfully absorbed both the military forces and the rioters of the Upper District into his fold.
But some would surely try to stem this tide. I fully expected an assassination attempt, regardless of who was pulling the strings.
The roaring cheers of the crowd seemed to slow, the sounds warping in my ears. Despite the crushing fatigue, I kept my eyes peeled. Then, a figure in a window caught my attention.
A sniper?
The man poked his head out, and I caught the glint of a gun barrel. I prepared to throw myself in front of Fransek.
But the sniper never got the chance to pull the trigger. A hand shot out from behind him, grabbed his head, and twisted it sharply.
Kinuan…
Out of the swirling vortex of chaos, Kinuan had appeared. He neutralized the sniper targeting Fransek, then vanished as if he were never there.