Chapter 191
Chapter: 191
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 191
>Chapter Title: The Way of Repentance (3)
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>The old man had been guarding this dimension of Delcross since time immemorial.
He had witnessed the end of the era of the five ancient dragons with his own eyes, played a major role as the dimension's guardian after the "Primordial Accord" was forged, and even personally established and led the "Council of Six" after the founding of the Holy Delcross Empire.
He was an elder who had lived through such long ages and seen so much, yet even to him, the young man before him was an utterly enigmatic existence.
The extraordinary boy left behind at the cost of the previous Oracle's life. A boy blessed with an unparalleled array of talents, as if he had monopolized all of God's love.
At first, it had only been a desire to lend the boy a little help. But before he knew it, the boy had become a towering pillar capable of upholding the dimension on his own.
He had even touched the fringes of God's authority, something the old man himself had yet to glimpse.
'...And yet, this child is human.'
Regrettably, the limits of the young man's humanity were all too clear. He could not maintain the neutral demeanor expected of a transcendent being and showed no hesitation in using his power for personal ends.
It was only natural, then, that the "Council of Six," exasperated by several incidents, had decided to rein him in through the form of an [Accord].
But this latest event had made everything clear.
The fact that this dangerous young man could crumple the [Accord] like a piece of paper if he so chose, even bearing whatever backlash came his way.
In the end, the wise old man had no choice but to gently soothe both the "Council of Six" and the young man to maintain the status quo.
[What in the world are you doing? Berseus is flying into a rage. He's calling for an emergency council to strip you of all authority right this instant.]
Yet despite the old man's mild rebuke, Nate's expression remained sullen.
[That man would have acted first and asked questions later if he could have. Since he can't, he's borrowing the council's authority, isn't he?]
[It's not just Berseus. All the members are anxious about your reckless actions.]
[Is that so?]
[Yes. There's even talk of appointing your successor sooner rather than later. They say that even if the successor can't wield the king's authority, it would be better than you causing trouble on a whim. If only you had considered their unease earlier.]
As he spoke, the old man's elongated pupils lingered on the golden halo shining brightly above Nate's head.
Nate noticed the gaze, and a faint sneer crept across his face.
[How amusing. Why don't you give it a try? It would be exactly what we want.]
[...Listen, Nate.]
[Convene the council and appoint a successor. Then I'll hand over the guardian's position on the spot and withdraw from this dimension with my wives and children. If you wish, I'll release the [Calamity] back into the world as well.]
[.......]
[We'll all gather here again like last time and helplessly watch a dimension perish. How about raising a toast together? Cracking open some of that famous Mitra moonshine would be perfect.]
At Nate's sharp retort, the old man quietly sighed.
When facing Nate in his true form, he carried an air of calm detachment. He rarely revealed his true feelings, showing no agitation even in minor matters—an impassive demeanor.
Even the old man, who had lived for ages, could rarely guess what lay beneath that facade.
But when Nate appeared in soul form, things changed. Souls, by nature, could not hide emotions or thoughts.
That was why the old man preferred to meet him this way. Of course, it came with blunt cynicism and sarcasm laid bare.
[Let me tell you this, Elder.]
Nate curled his lips into a twisted smile.
[I responded to your summons and waited quietly out of respect for you—nothing more, nothing less—for all you've done for the world up to now.]
The old man had probably summoned Nate here to demonstrate to the "Council of Six" members that his influence over him remained intact.
He intended to placate the members first, then issue a light warning to Nate for a tidy picture.
If it had been his true self, Nate might have played along. But in this soul state, he had no intention—or ability—to hide his resentment.
[I accepted that [Accord], filled with nothing but unreasonable restrictions, because you said it would at least benefit the Delcross dimension by keeping the "Council of Six" alive. But what was the result? When the [Calamity] struck, what did the "Council of Six" decide or do?]
[.......]
[If I'd known it would hobble me from start to finish like this...]
Seeing the young man vent pure fury at the "Council of Six," the old man thought it was time to soothe him.
[That was far too grave a matter at the time, wasn't it? Now everyone knows your judgment was correct.]
The old man's words were true.
When the [Calamity] rampaged, Nate alone had insisted on forcibly separating the two resonating dimensions, earning the council members' wrath.
Naturally, he faced fierce opposition, but the reckless youth had no patience for persuasion and simply forced it through with brute strength.
Thanks to that, Delcross alone had barely avoided mutual destruction, surviving with its flawed half-barrier intact.
Now everyone realized there had been no other way, but the problem was how Nate had easily suppressed the members' resistance with overwhelming power.
That memory lingered as a great threat to the "Council of Six" members.
[But that was then, and this is now. You're currently ensnared by wicked temptations and walking a clearly wrong path. That's why all the members are worried about your impulsive actions.]
With patient calm, the old man admonished him.
[You must learn to let go of what has already departed. But what of the thing you're so fixated on now? That thing, which defies the natural order, is nothing but a scourge on this world to anyone who sees it.]
[...Even you, Elder, have gone far enough.]
[Please, just cool your head a bit and look at the consequences of what you've done. See what that thing you've unleashed is causing! I hear it even opened a gate to the Demon Realm in the Imperial Capital?]
[.......]
[Take this incident. Demon World Trees don't just sprout anywhere! Do you not know an innocent merchant caravan got wiped out because of it?]
At that, a strange silver glint flashed in Nate's eyes as he glared fiercely at the old man.
[Are you lecturing me on cause and effect right in front of me? Fine, then let me be clear. If that child hadn't awakened it early, where would that Demon World Tree have taken root, and how many lives would it have claimed?]
[That is...]
[Unlike you all, who sat idly by as disaster loomed, at least that child's steps are contributing something to the world, however small.]
The old man fell silent.
His opponent was the Oracle, said to have stolen the gods' sight itself. There would be no mistake in his words.
[...All that's hindsight. Even if more people survive, we can't condone the sacrifice of others. We can't play numbers games with lives. Moreover, the fact that thing continues to distort the world's countless threads of causality hasn't changed.]
In the end, all the old man could offer was such feeble, principled rebuttal. But Nate's response was ice-cold.
[If you're just going to spout useless platitudes, send me back now. Don't worry. Just like before, whatever I do for that child, the world's causality has no choice but to permit it. You know that, don't you?]
The eyes meeting the old man's emitted a chilling gleam.
[After all, a world where that child doesn't breathe simply cannot exist.]
The old man instantly grasped the chilling implication of his words.
That, too, was pure hindsight.
* * *
The Holy Emperor opened his eyes late in the afternoon.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty! Are you alright?"
Empress Consort Melody, who had anxiously kept vigil by his bedside, lit up and grasped his hand.
"...Melody?"
The Holy Emperor blinked dazedly and looked around.
Behind her stood Louis, etched with worry, and Adjutant Francis, who somehow looked displeased.
Francis narrowed his eyes at the Holy Emperor, then delivered his report in a businesslike tone.
"You're finally awake, Your Majesty. Thanks to your long nap, poor Knight Commander Katrina and the knights are unnecessarily standing guard in front of the prayer room. Officially, you're still supposed to be in there.]
It wasn't the first day his aide had grumbled about the commander suffering even a little. The Holy Emperor let out a small sigh.
"Yes. Tell Katrina she did well."
"Understood. Then I'll go end this pointless charade with the commander now."
Adjusting his glasses, the adjutant gave a curt bow and left the room briskly. With the Holy Emperor conscious, further protection was pointless.
"The council of state was safely concluded by Her Majesty the Empress. The formal audience is running a bit long, but she said she'll wrap up all duties and come here soon."
The Holy Emperor closed his eyes without a word at Louis's report. But Melody, who knew him well, didn't miss the faint flicker of relief on his face.
Silence fell between them for a moment.
She didn't know the details, but no doubt he was receiving reports and issuing orders through some mysterious method, as always.
While he handled the urgent matters, Melody reached out and toyed with the Holy Emperor's hair as he lay there—a habit she often did with their daughter when together.
"What happened? We were all so worried."
As the Holy Emperor finally opened his eyes and sat up, Melody asked cautiously.
"All's been safely resolved. You didn't need to stay by my side."
"You've rarely vanished without a word for so long. Everyone was worried about you."
Sensing something in her voice, one of the Holy Emperor's arms slowly rose to wrap around Melody's shoulder.
The arm that had steadfastly supported her since the day they met, in every crisis. Melody felt even the slightest unease melt away like snow and gently leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Were those wicked things stirring trouble again? They never tire of causing problems."
"......"
"Even as Your Majesty labors like this, there's no end in sight. I'm always on edge whenever Sisley sets out on her inspection tours. At this rate, I wonder if the day will ever come when we can leave the Imperial Capital and travel freely..."
The Holy Emperor said nothing. But feeling the arm around her shoulder tighten slightly, Melody understood his answer.
"Hehe. Don't worry about it. It's not your fault, Your Majesty."
"...I promised to show you the canal city someday."
"Don't fret. That's fine too."
It was Melody's sincere feeling.
The Emerald Palace where she resided had a vast garden more meticulously tended than any other annex. It housed the largest greenhouse in the palace grounds and a beautiful pond where small waterways twisted like a maze.
That garden, gradually expanded, was proof that the Holy Emperor had not forgotten his old promise. For now, that was more than enough to make Melody happy.
"Saying this now, but back then, I actually didn't care about promises of canal cities or vineyards."
With that small confession, Melody burst into a soft laugh.
It was a smile remarkably like Sisley's, in a way.
"Truth is, I fell for Your Majesty's face."
"......"
And the sudden gut-punch was just like her daughter's too.
Melody chuckled brightly and lightly stroked the Holy Emperor's hair, which looked somewhat deflated.
* * *
At that very hour, a small commotion erupted in the Ruby Palace.
Empress Consort Elizabeth had emerged from her room with a severe burn on her hand, for some reason.
"Your Highness Elizabeth! How could this—!"
"Are you alright?"
"We'll summon a physician at once!"
But the consort shook her head with an expressionless face.
"Don't tell His Majesty. Quietly fetch a doctor from outside the palace."
"But..."
"Do you understand? I don't want to worry him."
At her resolute words, the head maid bowed silently.
As the head maid left and her attendant went for cold water, the consort returned to her room and silently stared at the table for a long while.
There lay the "little Saint Aurelion," its head half-burned and rolling about. It was the small statue that unknown entity had sent her not long ago.
Elizabeth glared at the charred figurine, then turned away and quietly closed her eyes.
If it was already beyond saving, she at least had to see it through to the end.
That alone would probably be the only true repentance she could offer.