Chapter 329
Chapter: 329
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 329
>Chapter Title: No. 21's Days (5)
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Though he bore the sin of neglecting his young son, how could a child do such a thing to his own parent?
Why was the Holy Emperor so desperate to keep Kaien by his side at any cost?
And every time the Holy Emperor was poisoned and vomited blood, why did Kaien's sneer toward No. 21 grow ever thicker?
“…Damn it!”
As time dragged on, No. 21 grew so anxious he felt like he might die from it. No matter how closely he monitored Kaien's every action or berated the guild members, it was all for naught.
The time the father and son spent eating together kept increasing, and every single time, Kaien without fail slipped poison into the Holy Emperor's food. He couldn't even begin to figure out when or how he was doing it.
“Ordinary methods won't stop it, probably. Controlling someone by binding their soul is far beyond human perception. Now that you understand, stop tormenting those poor guild members from here on out.”
When the Holy Emperor, who had just barely survived, offered this calm piece of advice, No. 21 finally exploded.
“You're the biggest problem here, you! Even if the guild members don't know, you do, don't you? That's why you keep picking the poisoned food and finishing your meals so quickly. Am I wrong?”
“No…….”
“Forgive my impertinence first, Your Holiness! But have you lost your mind?”
Lost your mind?
The Holy Emperor looked at No. 21 with slightly surprised eyes. This was someone who had occasionally shown veiled killing intent but had never openly crossed the line before.
But that was just the beginning.
“Not only are you skimping on scolding and discipline, you're letting every dose of poison hit you full force—what are we supposed to do about that?! Are you toying with me right now? Don't you see how your attitude is only encouraging Kaien's insolence?”
“Enri…….”
“And now you're telling me it's pointless, so I shouldn't even try to stop it? This is ridiculous! What do you take your attendants for?! Do you really want to see us underlings bursting with frustration until we drop dead?!”
Heh heh.
No. 21, having unleashed a torrent of rude words at the continent's most exalted figure, grumbled on for a while longer, his anger not fully spent.
“…….”
The Holy Emperor was deeply flustered inwardly.
But when his gaze fell on No. 21's haggard face, worn thin from days of heightened nerves and vigilance, he quickly came to a conclusion.
‘Right. I've been pushing people too hard lately.’
Tap.
As if to soothe him, a shower of white light poured down over No. 21's head.
It seemed absurd at this point, but ridiculously enough, his fraudulent divine power actually worked quite well. As the fatigue melted away from his body, No. 21's anger began to subside as if by magic.
“…What am I to do with all these acts of irreverence.”
Hearing the Holy Emperor's low voice snapped No. 21's mind clear, like a bucket of cold water over his head. Next came an indescribable wave of self-loathing swirling in his thoughts.
“…….”
Fortunately, the Holy Emperor seemed unperturbed by the rudeness and asked again in a calm tone.
“Very well, Enrique. I admit I failed to consider your position and that of the guild members. So, what should I do with that child?”
- Just cut him down with a single stroke right now. So he can't commit any more sins, that madman. Wouldn't that be for the best, for both our sakes?
No. 21 wanted to say that to the Holy Emperor with all sincerity.
But no matter how angry he was, he couldn't bring himself to say it to a man who poured such devoted affection on his children.
“I just…….”
“You've seen it for yourself by now, so you know Kaien's abilities are far from ordinary. That's why I believe you understand why I can't just let that child loose into the world.”
They were guild members boasting some of the top skills on the continent. And yet Kaien slipped poison right onto His Holiness's table under their noses.
If Kaien set his mind to it, he could stir up massive storms wherever he went in this world.
“Isn't it actually a blessing that he's content to stay quietly here, devoting himself to personal revenge?”
No, that's not something you say!
No. 21 was about to flare up again when the Holy Emperor continued bitterly.
“And at first, I did have some hope. Maybe this way, the child's soul could fully recover.”
He was referring to that “golden soul” which No. 21 had never witnessed but which the father and son often discussed.
“Your Holiness.”
“I won't ask you to understand Kaien. But the punishment his soul is enduring is unimaginably painful and heavy—beyond what ordinary people could fathom.”
And that's undoubtedly all my fault. So it's only natural that the child wants revenge.
The Holy Emperor added as much.
“But it doesn't seem to be a fundamental solution, more's the pity. The collapse has been delayed, that's confirmed, but that's the extent of it. So I've been thinking it's about time to end this little game.”
“…Then how long do you plan to play along with it?”
No. 21, finally regaining his composure, asked in a hoarse voice. The Holy Emperor averted his gaze slightly and said something cryptic.
“Who knows, how long? Perhaps until you ease up on your impatience a bit—or until you stop taking out your anger on that child.”
“…Pardon?”
* * *
At some point, the Holy Emperor had once said this to No. 21:
- Because Kaien is using himself to exact revenge on me.
At the time, it had sounded like complete nonsense.
But after being forced to cross paths with Kaien repeatedly of late, No. 21 had begun to gradually understand the madman's peculiar ways.
With Kaien busy preparing poisons and not stirring up other trouble, the Holy Emperor had naturally reduced the punishments—and he even seemed more at ease than before. If it were simple resentment toward the Holy Emperor alone, Kaien could have easily found far more efficient methods than poisoning.
‘Then who exactly is that madman getting revenge on by using the Holy Emperor right now?’
And that wasn't all.
When his thoughts reached the increasingly blatant sneers directed at him, an unwelcome realization dawned.
…Me?
“No, that's way too much of a leap, isn't it? Why would that guy target me… Yeah, right. Even I know that doesn't make any sense…….”
“What nonsense are you muttering to yourself? Have you lost your mind, No. 21? I knew your Assassin branch trips were frequent, but you look exhausted lately.”
No. 21 shook his head vigorously, and No. 19, entering with an armload of documents, chided him.
“Quiet down. Anyway, what's all that?”
“Oh, it's a favor from Senior No. 13. Princes Logan and Mores are coming back to the capital soon, right? Apparently, they're starting a restaurant business the moment they arrive, so he asked me to scout some good spots in the bustling districts.”
“Restaurant business?”
No. 21 blinked.
What was this out-of-nowhere talk?
“Yeah. His Highness Prince Mores is opening a salmon specialty shop soon.”
“…Salmon specialty shop? What's that?”
“No idea. Something about importing expensive salmon from the north and selling it dirt cheap in the capital.”
“Is that a business? Or charity? It'd be way more practical to just scatter the money on the streets. Why kick off something so insane?”
“Who knows? It's that Prince Mores we're talking about.”
Ah, right. That Prince Mores.
No. 21 frowned slightly.
Kaien had overshadowed him as an enormous nuisance by now, but up until then, Prince Mores had been at the top of the Holy Emperor's worries.
No matter one's exalted status, the moment child-rearing failed, life itself crumbled—that was a bitter truth anyone could grasp.
‘Come to think of it, that man really has no luck with children.’
Sticking close to the Holy Emperor day in and day out made it clear. Compared to what weighed on his mind, his relationships with his children were so terribly distant.
Prince Owen had run away and not returned for years, while Princess Amelia and Prince Logan were polite enough but not particularly warm toward him.
The twins clamored every week for him to play chess, which he didn't even like, and the youngest princess subtly seemed to fear her father.
‘At least things have gotten a bit closer with Prince Mores lately…….’
But so what? Prince Mores was the unprecedented bundle of trouble who made the Holy Emperor clutch his neck in agony.
‘Not to mention that madman Kaien.’
On the other hand, what about those with no relation to him whatsoever?
He recalled Aslan's flushed face, beaming with joy at the slightest attention from the Holy Emperor.
-Y-Yes? Then I'll have to work even harder so I don't disappoint you!
Yes. It was inevitable to think such thoughts.
What if people like Aslan, rather than his current children, were by that man's side?
‘Even though that man is the enemy of my homeland and the great betrayer of Ortona’s people.’
If not for that, I……
No. 21, lost in such idle thoughts, shook his head fiercely.
Reality never changed. And he was no longer the naive child Kike, seeking solace in absurd fantasies.
* * *
No. 21 did his utmost to maintain his composure as long as possible.
But the day he visited Kaien's residence again and spotted a black vial brazenly placed in the center of the dining table, he finally reached his limit.
No longer even bothering to hide it—he'd just left it out in plain sight for him to drink?
“Remove that thing immediately!”
No. 21 ordered the guild members, then glared at Kaien with blazing eyes.
“Lord Kaien, what exactly do you think you're doing?”
“What? Haha.”
Kaien shrugged with an incredulous look.
“Why pick a fight for no reason? You know it, I know it, we all know it. Why bother hiding it in the food?”
“…What did you say?”
“No, our dad says it's fine, so why's a mere underling like you making a fuss? You've been eyeing my things and climbing above your station, and now you've completely lost it?”
“……!”
There was no communicating with him.
‘I can't let this go on!’
I can't keep watching this madness! I have to confront His Holiness right now!
With that resolve, No. 21 dashed toward the inner chamber where the homunculus lay. Just then, the Holy Emperor, having just used the homunculus, was awkwardly rising with rustling movements.
“Your Holiness! Poison is now openly placed on the table! Are you satisfied now? How long will you let this go on?!”
Bam!
Bursting through the door with a shout, No. 21 made the Holy Emperor look up in slight alarm.
“…What happened this time?”
“Yes! It happened! What else could it be? Your son didn't even hide it this time—he put the whole poison vial right on the table!”
“Ah, I see. So that's it.”
…What?
For a moment, No. 21 felt something snap in his mind.
“Enough already! I'm telling you to stop this! Do you think your guilt will ease even a little by acting like this?!”
“I understand. I get it, so calm down now.”
The Holy Emperor waved his hand dismissively and casually headed for the door. He fully intended to sit at that poisoned table.
This guy really!
“I said stop it, please!”
Grip.
In his panic, No. 21 grabbed the Holy Emperor's arm just as he reached for the doorknob.
“……?”
Before the Holy Emperor could even turn, No. 21 looped his other arm over the man's shoulder, crossing both arms to lock the wrists behind his back. It was an improvised joint lock to halt his movement on the spur of the moment.
Suddenly restrained, the Holy Emperor wore a look of utter bewilderment.
“What's this? This sloppy technique.”
As he'd said, it was sloppily applied in haste. But No. 21 had faith in it.
His opponent was a homunculus. It couldn't brute-force its way out of the hold.
“Do you remember? This is the technique you taught me yourself when I was a child. Once it locks in, there's no escaping…….”
But then something astonishing happened.
Crack.
A chilling rupture echoed, and before he could even process it, his arm lost support and swung downward unsteadily.
The force pressing down on the opponent's shoulder rebounded fully, and suddenly No. 21 was soaring through the air. Floor and ceiling flipped in an instant.
Thud!
“…Guh!”
Before he could comprehend what happened, agony exploded in his back.
Enduring the pain, he barely opened his eyes to see the Holy Emperor casually brushing off one shoulder, expression unchanged.
“You only remember what suits you, Enrique. I told you time and again—it's inescapable only if the opponent's joints are intact.”
“……!”
No. 21 stared in disbelief at the Holy Emperor's elbow, bent backward and mangled.
‘This madman! The whole joint?’
No normal person's joint would snap so easily under pressure. It was possible only because of the homunculus's weak durability!
‘Even a body that breaks easily can be turned into a weapon…….’
Suddenly, he recalled Branch Chief Justin grumbling at him.
-A hundred guys like you could rush me at once. Think Bart would even blink?
He'd dismissed it as empty bluster back then, but maybe it was true. Crushing self-doubt flooded No. 21's mind mercilessly.
Was this all he amounted to in the end? He'd defied everyone to become an assassin, trained this hard to grow stronger—and still fell short of that man's weakest moments?
“You're still so green, Enrique.”
Creak.
As the Holy Emperor slowly rotated his restored joint, No. 21 rubbed his throbbing back and glared daggers at him.
“But Your Holiness, if it were your real body, escaping wouldn't have been so easy.”
A faint look of pity crossed the Holy Emperor's face.
“If it were my real body, do you think you'd have even gotten the chance to apply the technique? Don't be ridiculous.”
“…….”
“And it's getting worse by the day. What am I to do with all these irreverences piling up?”
Damn, how should I know.
Stubbornly clamping his mouth shut, No. 21 met the Holy Emperor's steady gaze as the man finally spoke.
“Enrique.”
“I'm No. 21, Your Holiness.”
Even knowing he would never call him that, the insistence had become habitual. The Holy Emperor gave a faint smile.
“Fine. It always ends like this. Didn't I warn you from the start to treat that child professionally? Your hostility is so palpable—how could Kaien not take an interest in it?”
…Interest?
Flustered by the unexpected words, No. 21 felt the Holy Emperor pat his shoulder with a small sigh. Potent divine power flowed in, and the back pain vanished in an instant.
“Understand? That child is trying to pay back everything he received—straight to you.”
“……!”
No. 21's face drained of color.
What if all of Kaien's actions had been aimed at him after all? That nagging, ominous suspicion he'd harbored was now confirmed as fact.