Chapter 151
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151
We helped the half-destroyed Ivan into a chair and listened to his story. His once-beautiful prosthetic body was a pitiful, mangled wreck.
Ivan's voice emanated from the terminal connected to the back of his neck.
"I've never seen Arcane's combat legacy with my own eyes, but I have secretly accessed the records. This was long before Noel Mulrizka's rebellion. According to them, there was once an elite guard organization similar to the Imperial Guard. For reasons unknown, the entire unit went mad, and the Emperor of that era single-handedly annihilated them."
"Are you saying that power and legacy still exist, even after hundreds of years?" I asked.
Ivan's gaze turned not to me, but to Fransek.
"A few hundred years is a long time for an individual, but in the grand scheme of eras—let alone the universe—it's nothing more than a fleeting moment. In any case, the power of Arcane must be an asset passed down only to the Emperor. Since even I don't know what it is... I had no choice but to constantly doubt whether I was the true successor. Unlike a certain fool who never doubted for a second that he was the Crown Prince."
Despite Ivan's venomous words, Fransek sat in silence. He was as empty as a cracked jar, all strength drained from him.
The only reason Fransek had walked this tightrope with me was to confirm whether his father and brother truly wanted to kill him. Now that he had witnessed his family's betrayal firsthand, the revolution and everything else felt utterly hollow.
Fransek had lost his will to move forward. This was his limit.
To put it another way, it just went to show how much Fransek had trusted and loved his family.
In my memories, the Emperor and Fransek had always seemed like an affectionate father and son. Whatever their true feelings were, from Fransek's perspective, the Emperor and Ivan must have been the ideal father and brother.
"I knew nothing. Riley, I didn't even know you were suffering..." Fransek muttered.
"Nothing would have changed if you had. I never wanted your help anyway. Look at you. You're falling apart over a simple truth like this. I am terrified of Father. But if I just sit back and tremble in fear, I'll be devoured. I have to stand up, no matter what. And those who stand have two choices: flee from the source of their fear... or eliminate it."
For once, he was saying something I liked. I agreed with every word, but I didn't let it show.
"Ivan, tell me every plan you've prepared. You must have several backup plans in case things went sideways. Our relationship and our past don't matter right now. If we want to survive, we need to lay all our weapons on the table."
"I keep telling you, your remarks go far beyond the perspective and thinking of a mere individual. What did you plug into that head of yours? Even with Akies Victima, it's unbelievable for someone with no experience in politics or power struggles to get this far..."
Ivan probed me with his sharp questions, trying to read my intentions. But I didn't bother to answer. If he found out there was a limit to my active time, he might get other ideas.
"Just answer the question. If what you say is true... then it's all over the moment the Emperor steps forward himself. The fact that he hasn't appeared yet implies it takes time to activate, doesn't it?"
"I've told you several times, I don't know the details. But based on the circumstances, it's clear there are constraints. It must be something that can only be used at the most critical moments."
The Emperor's power had constraints. We had no choice but to guess what they were.
"Your Highness Fransek, the situation has changed," I said. "We don't have the luxury of waiting for Heilas. We need to take our current forces and march on the Imperial Palace immediately. Even if we lack strength, we must force our way through and strike before the Emperor makes his move. More units are sure to rally to your banner once they see you."
"Or we could seek asylum," Ivan cut in. "Fransek and I possess symbolic value and legitimacy. Kora or Bellato would welcome us with open arms. It would be a bitter pill for Father to swallow."
Ivan had been pushing for asylum. It seemed to be his preferred option. Before I could shoot the idea down, Fransek spoke up.
"N-no, we can't do that. If w-we seek asylum, the Akresia Empire will... will be torn in two. Kora and Bellato will use us to divide the Empire. I... I have absolutely no intention of selling out our great Empire to hostile nations. Even if we die here, that is out of the question."
Fransek's speech was slurred from the shock, yet even in this state, his words held a moral center.
In an era of peace, Fransek would have made a wise and benevolent ruler. Of course, that didn't mean he was a good person. Fransek was also capable of plotting and scheming, skillfully employing hypocrisy and pretense, and he had the stomach to overlook minor sacrifices. But that level of vice was also a necessary virtue for a ruler.
"Ha, ha. How noble. You're incompetent, yet you still act so high and mighty," Ivan scoffed. "If you won't seek asylum, then Luka's judgment is correct. If my fate is tied to yours, there is only one way forward. We go to the Imperial Palace as fast as possible and subdue Father. Perhaps Father doesn't even know how to use the combat legacy passed down through generations. It would be even better if the knowledge was lost to time."
There was no way it was lost. If the Imperial Family were that careless, the empire's dynasty would have been overthrown several times over. Ivan knew this too, which was why he had been so desperate to seek asylum.
The Emperor's power is real.
We had to move, assuming the worst.
"Your Highness, can you maintain the image of an ideal monarch, just as you have until now? No, you must."
"Fransek will be fine once he's out there," Ivan said. "He's a human being molded specifically for that role. Just like you were trained to be a combat machine, Luka."
"...And what about you?"
"I possess a will that refuses to be dominated by darkness. A mind that can pursue its goals without going mad, no matter the circumstances. You two have no idea what kind of horrific education I received. Even now, pushed into a corner like this, the snakes in my head are flicking their tongues and whispering, and a vile poison simmers in my chest, endlessly creative."
I snorted. "No matter what kind of person you are, you failed."
"As long as you don't die, the possibilities are infinite. As long as you draw breath and don't give up, nothing is truly over. That is the nature of the universe. To me, the only failure is death."
Honestly, his words resonated with me on a deeper level. His values shared many similarities with mine. If the circumstances had been slightly better, I might have felt a sense of kinship with him. Perhaps I really was suited to be his Watcher.
I didn't want to grow attached to Ivan for no reason, so I refrained from replying.
Instead, I gave Fransek's shoulder a couple of light taps—a somewhat insolent gesture.
"I'll head out first. We're moving on the Imperial Palace. I can't know the pain Your Highness is going through. In fact, seeing you fall apart over something like this is rather pathetic. But you need to endure until morning, somehow. That is, if you are truly the Crown Prince."
Enduring was something I had to do as well. I just hoped my own head wouldn't give out before morning.
Vroooom, whirrrr.
Even now, the voices of Ivan and Fransek sounded painfully drawn out. An overload of deductions and interpretations flooded my senses like static noise.
"I'm a fake, Luka."
"The people who followed you believe you are real. To them, you are the Crown Prince and the future of the Empire."
Without waiting for Fransek's reply, I stepped out of the command vehicle.
Pitter-patter.
I stumbled the moment I stepped outside.
Even amidst the wind and rain, I could feel everyone's eyes focusing on me. I didn't even have to look to know.
* * *
Currently, Akbaran's communication networks were extremely unstable. This was partly due to the Storm Era, but with the riots escalating to the brink of civil war, security agencies like the Information Security Department were controlling the flow of information.
However, complete control was nearly impossible. The Empire's communication networks were intricately fragmented for security purposes, and there were numerous external networks outside of imperial control.
"...As the successor of the Empire, I will meet His Majesty in person and ask him. I will ask what our Imperial Family and the Empire exist for. If his answer differs from my beliefs, I will restore the old banner of the Imperial Family to..."
Fransek's speech spread through unauthorized channels. It was essentially a pirate broadcast. Since it was being transmitted using the command vehicle as a base station, its range would be narrow.
Swoooooosh.
The rain was pouring down. The Storm Era had reached its peak. My Auditory Vision, which rippled with every raindrop that struck the ground, made me want to throw up. Even though my cerebrospinal fluid had been replaced with coolant, the back of my head felt burning hot.
I rested inside the command vehicle, controlling my senses through meditation.
Fransek's troops were heading toward the Arch of Triumph. The Arch of Triumph was the largest road leading into the Imperial Palace.
Screeech.
The vehicle stopped. Fransek was the first to open the door and survey the situation.
"It's the Arch of Triumph! The Imperial Palace is just ahead!"
"But the bastards guarding the palace..."
"Shut up. We have the Crown Prince with us."
My hearing was so acute that I could make out the voices of low-ranking soldiers far in the distance.
We're almost there.
I couldn't see far with my Auditory Vision. I only knew the Arch of Triumph was in sight because of what the others were saying.
I searched my memory. I had passed through the Arch of Triumph during Fransek's street parade. Back then, I had thought of it as nothing more than a magnificent structure.
Is Heilas dead? Why haven't we heard from him?
Anxiety crept in. It was the worst-case scenario, one I didn't even want to imagine. Without Heilas, there was no way Fransek could succeed.
Because...
I raised my head and looked toward the Arch of Triumph. Even without sight, human habits die hard.
My Auditory Vision caught a faint outline of the arch. Once the outline became somewhat visible, my brain pulled the image from my memory, sharpening its form. The human brain's versatility was truly marvelous.
"I-It's the Imperial Guard. Th-they're really here! Damn it!"
"Don't push, you bastards! The Imperial Guard is right there!"
The murmuring swelled, on the verge of becoming a full-blown panic.
"You said the Imperial Guard wouldn't be here! You said they wouldn't!"
About a hundred Imperial Guardsmen were guarding the Arch of Triumph. It wasn't surprising. Guarding the Imperial Palace and escorting the Imperial Family had always been their duty.
To move them, we need Heilas.
Even within the Imperial Guard, only a tiny fraction knew about the coup. They had to move even more cautiously than the military.
This was due to the nature of the Imperial Guard. Its members possessed an obsessive loyalty to the Imperial Family.
The Imperial Guard is composed of talents handpicked from selection tests held across the entire Empire. Those who are naturally loyal receive training that borders on brainwashing. On top of that, they undergo periodic psychological tests, and anyone who falls short of the standard is weeded out during their cadet phase.
Free thinkers like me or Ilay were rare. Ilay had cheated on his psychological tests, and I had expanded my thinking through Akies Victima, allowing me to distance myself from that obsessive loyalty.
Most of the young Imperial Guardsmen were blindly loyal to the Emperor. They wouldn't easily go against a devotion that was practically instinctual.
But as their length of service grew... the flaws of human nature would accumulate, and their once-unshakable loyalty would begin to fade. Those who couldn't adapt were devoured by the Legion early on.
"L-Legions—!!"
Someone screamed, and others quickly joined in.
The Imperial Guardsmen at the Arch of Triumph stood their ground. Behind the curtain of heavy rain, Legions began to reveal themselves. There were ten of them.
Ten Legions.
...A frontal assault was impossible.
No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't win. The hundred or so Imperial Guardsmen were an iron wall on their own. With the Legions there as well, we stood no chance.
"Luka, come with me. We have to at least try to persuade them," Fransek said, squeezing out what little courage he had left.
I quietly shook my head. "It's useless. Your Highness must know of the real combat machines that guard the Imperial Family. Those Imperial Guardsmen are no different from them."
"...You mean the ones who only listen to Father's orders."
It seemed the ones I had arbitrarily named "Shadows" didn't even have an official name. Or perhaps only the Emperor knew it.
Judging by his reaction, Fransek doesn't even know that the Shadows are former Imperial Guardsmen. He probably just thinks they're some kind of special forces.
Fransek was truly a man of the light.
"Only a direct superior can countermand an order once it has been implanted. An Imperial Guardsman who has received their orders and is on duty will block your path, even if you are the Crown Prince. Just like Lieutenant Colonel Casert, who guarded the checkpoint. He was also from the Imperial Guard."
Fransek bit his knuckle, betraying his anxiety. We were waiting for Heilas.
Beep, bee-beep, beep.
My terminal rang. Judging by the pattern, it was an Imperial Guard code.
Kzzzt, kzt.
A screen flickered to life from the terminal's hologram. The connection was unstable, looking as if it would cut out at any second.
"Th-this is... Imperial Guard Captain Heilas Custoria..."
Heilas's transmission was on the Imperial Guard's internal network. It seemed he had somehow revived the severed line.
A commotion arose from the distant Arch of Triumph. Since it was the Imperial Guard's network, the guards there would be hearing his voice too.
Thud.
A sound came from the other side of the transmission.
"Levadas Adnoa, Aki Young, Ben Castora..."
Heilas read the names, one by one.
"...Do you remember them? The ones you believed died from the overuse of Legions are currently lying collapsed at my feet. I will now show them to you, one by one."
Lacking sight, I couldn't see the holographic screen. But I knew exactly what Heilas was doing.
He was likely showing the corpses of the Shadows on the screen. Though their eerie exoskeletons would make it hard to identify them, everyone would believe Heilas's words.
"I confess my transgression. I handed over my crippled comrades to His Majesty the Emperor, and they were turned into something no longer human. Our Imperial Guard is merely a stepping stone to becoming combat machines—a group destined to vanish once even this intermediate stage becomes unnecessary."
Static crackled through the comms.
"But it seems that time has come sooner than anticipated. We have become useless to His Majesty. And the Imperial Guard is not the only thing that has become obsolete..."
Hearing a rustling sound, I could tell he was panning the camera elsewhere.
"The Imperial Guard and the military were attacked during a meeting to suppress the riots. The mastermind behind it is His Majesty the Emperor, and..."
The transmission flickered, on the verge of cutting out. The temporarily restored network signal was weakening.
Heilas's declaration was quiet and calm, but its impact was monumental. He had chosen civil war and division. Once this grueling Storm Era finally came to an end, the Empire would be left grievously weakened.