Chapter 48: Fall
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Fall
“Well, this has been torn to shreds.”
Rad, the Administrative Minister, clicked his tongue and folded the newspaper in half.
Since yesterday’s trial, it was safe to say that not a single media outlet was printing favorable articles about the Imperial Prince.
The Pope had personally stepped forward to completely shatter the basis of their claims, and the other charges they had framed Lionheart with were being refuted point by point with new evidence.
To top it all off, even the soul of the Lord Protector, summoned to render the trial itself meaningless, had been subdued by Lionheart and her husband.
…There isn’t a single advantageous factor here, is there?
Rad scratched his head as he mulled over the facts.
This wasn’t just any crime; it was a false accusation of treason. They had leveled a charge punishable by death at someone, only for that person to be proven innocent.
It would be stranger if their reputations didn’t get destroyed. And this was an assessment made even before the public learned that they had forcibly summoned the Lord Protector’s soul…
“No matter how royal you are, with public opinion this bad, it’s dangerous to act on the front lines. It would be best to move behind the scenes for the time being.”
“…”
“I must say, I didn’t expect a spirit summoned and strengthened to that extent to lose so easily.”
Rad directed his words toward the Imperial Prince, who sat opposite him with his eyes closed.
Instead of his usual mask-like smile, Rad’s face was etched with a rare, heavy irritation.
“Your Highness? Are you listening?”
“Rad.”
With his eyes still closed, the Imperial Prince replied in a calm voice.
“I was never told that you would use the actual vengeful spirit of the Lord Protector.”
“Ah, was that so?”
“…You said you would use a double. You said you would do just enough to frame Lionheart.”
As the Imperial Prince spoke, Rad scratched his head and tilted it to the side.
“Well, I felt like that wouldn’t have much of an impact.”
“…”
“As it is, we didn’t get much of an effect since she was subdued before we could even frame her properly. But it would have been much better if a massive number of civilian casualties had occurred during that battle.”
“…”
“And even if it failed, forcing Lionheart herself to deal with it would have inflicted a massive emotional wound, leaving her completely devastated. If that husband of hers hadn’t meddled so pointlessly, wouldn’t it have been a perfect move?”
“…”
“Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter much anyway. As for our next move—”
Before Rad could finish his sentence, the Imperial Prince slowly opened his eyes.
They held a sunken, ink-black murderous intent.
Soon, Qi began to pulse from his body. Several colors bloomed with physical force, tracing dazzling trajectories through the air.
“…Your Highness?” Rad asked, confused.
Instead of answering, the Imperial Prince immediately directed his Qi.
As the energy coiled tightly around Rad, binding him, his bewilderment deepened.
“What is the meaning of—”
Once again, the sentence was cut short as the Imperial Prince’s gaze shifted.
—Triangle, Shatter.
The streams of Qi bent in three different directions, compressing the bound Rad. It went beyond mere compression, as if it were squeezing him dry. Then it went beyond squeezing, as if it were grinding him down. And beyond grinding, as if it were shattering him to pieces.
It took less than a few seconds for Rad’s body to be crushed with a sickening crunch.
Bones snapped, muscles tore, and pulverized organs burst forth as blood sprayed in all directions.
As the Imperial Prince withdrew his Qi, Rad’s body, now a mangled mush that was barely recognizable as human, splattered onto the floor.
“…”
The Imperial Prince remained silent, leaning his head back slightly in his chair. For someone who had just committed murder, he was remarkably calm. His next words, spoken quietly, carried that same chilling tone.
“Get up before I actually kill you.”
It was a strange thing to say to a corpse.
“…My, why are you so angry all of a sudden?”
But that was hardly the strangest part—not when Rad’s corpse immediately stumbled back to its feet.
While the Imperial Prince exuded a murderous intent sharp enough to rip a person apart with a single glance, the reanimated Rad replied nonchalantly. His entire body, including his face, was a crushed ruin, causing his words to slur and leak out. His flat, unbothered attitude in such a state only made the sight that much more grotesque.
“You’ve made quite a mess. And after all the trouble I went through to make this artificial body, too.”
As he spoke, horns sprouted from the top of his head—horns of an ominous color reminiscent of a demon, shrouded in black mana.
Soon, the Demonic Energy flowing from the horns slowly enveloped his body. It mended broken bones, regenerated muscles, and even fully restored his torn clothes.
It looked similar to the forced regeneration of Deathwish from the Holy Kingdom or the Pope, but its nature was slightly different.
For one, this wasn’t this man’s ‘true body.’
Furthermore, this creature wasn’t even a man. Nor was he the ‘real’ Administrative Minister.
He was ‘something else’ wearing that skin.
“What a magnificent hypocrite you are.”
“What?”
“Even if it was a fake, you were still planning to use the Lord Protector to frame Lionheart. So it’s acceptable to use someone badly, but unacceptable to use them as overtly badly as I did? I’ve heard that ‘humans’ naturally apply morality in such a flexible manner.”
“…”
At the words that implied he wasn’t human, the Imperial Prince quietly glared at him.
“Well, I don’t really care about that. But you mustn’t forget our deal, Your Highness,” Rad said, cracking his neck with a loud pop.
“We will deliver the ‘Empire’ to you.”
His finger drifted through the air, drawing a sinister curve as it pointed from himself back to the Imperial Prince.
“In return, you will offer us sacrifices.”
The way he spoke while his twisted body slowly regenerated gave him an even more grotesque aura.
“I think Lionheart or her husband would make excellent offerings.”
“…”
“So, why don’t you show some spirit? It seems like you’ve been on the receiving end this whole time.”
Chuckling, Rad stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes.
“Well, enough weapons have been smuggled into the Imperial Capital, and we are fully prepared to move on to the next step, so it doesn’t matter for now. But if we get pushed back any further, things could get really troublesome, you know?”
With those words, he gave the Imperial Prince a deep wink.
“Just prepare the sacrifices, and we’ll handle the rest. Got it?”
As Rad strolled out of the room, whistling, the Imperial Prince quietly spat a curse under his breath.
“…Demonic bastards.”
…Of course.
Joining hands with them had been his own choice.
He bitterly drank from the teacup in front of him.
* * *
— System Message
▶ The Affinity of the target ‘Theresa Adelite’ increases.
▶ This target is ineligible for increasing Bond Levels. Unable to copy skills.
▶ A large amount of ‘Points’ is awarded as an alternative reward.
▶ The ‘Point Shop’ is now open. You can now use Points to receive various benefits!
“…”
Aiden closed the window with a bitter smile.
Receiving rewards was a good thing, but he couldn’t bring himself to rejoice. Considering the sheer resolve the Lord Protector had shown, he couldn’t accept this with a light heart.
However, he couldn’t just let it go to waste either.
— Skill Info
◆ Dharmic Power: Savior’s Oath
※ Unique – Only this character possesses this skill!
First Restriction: Save the world.
Second Restriction: Protect the powerless.
The sole oath dedicated to Urgan, the Goddess of Ascension. Power increases significantly when performing actions related to the dedicated oath.
This window proved it.
I have to keep my word.
He had promised to protect this world in her stead. He had promised to defend the home of his family and friends on her behalf.
If he didn’t want to be a man of empty words, he would have to grit his teeth and gather every possible means to do so.
In that regard, the next window that opened was more than enough to grab his attention.
— System Message
▶ You have increased the Affinity of a character whose Affinity normally cannot be increased.
▶ A core axis of the scenario shifts because of you.
▶ Additional rewards have been distributed!
— Skill Info
▶ ‘Skill: Weaver of Fate’ is activated.
▶ You obtain ‘Remnant: Lord Protector - Resolve’.
▶ Can only be used once.
※ Viewing this information requires ‘Unique Ability: Source’.
“…”
Aiden blinked as he read the text floating before his eyes.
…A Remnant?
This was a first.
— Skill Info
◈ Remnant: Lord Protector - Resolve
A skill containing the target’s mental imprint. It can unleash an extremely powerful effect, but only once.
※ Viewing skill information requires ‘Unique Trait: Source’!
“…”
…And the explanation was incredibly unhelpful.
No clear effect was described. Aside from the words ‘powerful’ and ‘single use,’ there wasn’t a single piece of comprehensible information.
Normally, he would have complained immediately, asking what on earth this was.
…But isn’t this the first time?
In any case, this was the first time the system had directly described something as ‘powerful.’ Not even Katya’s Divine Power or Noel’s Qi, which displayed absurd levels of might, had ever received such an evaluation.
But the fact that it required awakening the Unique Ability ‘Source,’ of all things, was a bit of a headache.
This is definitely… the ability that only awakens when you unlock a character’s Individual Quest, right?
He had unlocked Katya’s, but Noel’s Individual Quest was still a distant dream. He didn’t even know where or how to start.
And, as if to answer that very question, a window popped up in front of him.
— Tip!
▶ The target’s Individual Quest can be easily resolved in situations related to ‘Theresa Adelite’!
▶ Make good use of the connection between the characters! Directly contacting ‘Theresa Adelite’ will provide even greater assistance!
“…”
He stared at the system window with dumbfounded eyes.
Was this a joke? How was he supposed to contact and get help from someone whose soul he had just sent to the afterlife?
…I’ll think about it later.
There was no way to solve this right now. Besides, something else had just come up that required his attention.
— Quest Info
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift>
— Chapter 2, <Night of the Hunt>
▶ The related event will be updated soon!
Aiden grimaced and tapped his chin.
Ultimately, Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift>, was a series of events that started with chaos inside the Imperial Capital and led up to a ‘rebellion.’
The smuggling of weapons in the prologue and the Ghost Knight Incident in Chapter 1 were all part of that trajectory, and Chapter 2, <Night of the Hunt>, was no different.
A Demonic Beast rampage… was it?
It was another event designed to sow chaos within the Imperial Capital and disrupt its defenses.
The difference from Chapter 1 was that this event occurred right before the ‘coup d’état,’ the climax of Act 1. Though it was called Chapter 2, it could practically be considered the prelude that led directly into Chapter 3.
As such, the scale of the event would be much larger than before.
Demonic Beasts were fundamentally ferocious and powerful creatures. Not a single one of them wasn’t dangerous. The Night of the Hunt referred to an event where they would spend an entire night hunting down those Demonic Beasts while trying to minimize damage.
But before he could think too deeply about it, another notification on the quest window caught his eye.
◈ Sham Marriage
…
★ You have dealt with the event wisely. Talk to the character to receive your reward.
…This was definitely it.
The same notification that had appeared right before Katya’s relationship type changed from mere ‘Bond’ to ‘Obsession.’
The notification that appeared right before a relationship with someone underwent a sudden, drastic change.
“…”
“…”
Even without the prompt, he could feel Noel, who was sitting across the office, stealing glances at him.
In truth, they had been so busy with the aftermath of yesterday’s trial that they hadn’t had time to exchange a single word. They hadn’t had a chance for a serious conversation, but with her being so obvious, he couldn’t help but ask.
“…Do you have something to say?”
The moment she heard his words, Noel took a deep breath and lowered her head.
“Aiden.”
“Yes. I’m listen—”
“Thank you.”
“…”
As if her heart had been about to burst from wanting to say this, Noel let out a long sigh of immense relief.
“It is as if you held Theresa’s funeral in my stead. No amount of thanks would ever be enough.”
“…You could have said that to me at any time, you know.”
As he scratched his cheek, Noel seemed to take the opportunity to speak her mind.
“But may I ask you just one thing?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“…How did you know?” Noel asked in a low, subdued voice. Aiden turned his head slightly to meet her gaze.
Clenching her trembling hands tightly, she asked with deeply troubled eyes, “How on earth did you know that Theresa was holding out for that reason until the very end?”
“…”
Honestly, even Noel had doubted at one point. She had believed that Theresa Adelite’s soul was so corrupted that it could never return. That was why she had tried to end it with her own hands, feeling she had to at least perform the requiem herself.
To this, he tilted his head slightly and replied, “I promised you, didn’t I? That the Lord Protector was absolutely not the kind of person to end up like that, and that I would prove it to you.”
“…But even so, if your judgment had been wrong, you could have been in grave danger.”
“I told you from the very beginning,” Aiden cut her off with a grin.
“If you believe, then I believe too.”
“…”
“If I can’t trust my betrothed’s words, whose words in the world can I trust?”
No matter how much she lost her mind. No matter how crushed her ego was. No matter how unable she was to distinguish right from wrong.
If Noel was certain that was the kind of person she was, then she definitely was. Aiden’s principle of action stemmed from such simple logic.
“…Actually, I just figured I probably wouldn’t die even if I failed, so trying to look cool now might be a bit unsightly—Dame Noel?”
He tried to keep speaking to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too heavy again, but Noel’s reaction was strange.
She just stared at him blankly, as if in a daze, her eyes unfocused. It was a gaze filled with wonder, as if she were questioning how such a creature could possibly exist in this world.
“…Dame Noel?”
“Ah, d-d-did you say something?!”
When he called her a second time, Noel jumped in surprise. She was clearly flustered, uncharacteristically stammering her words.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Instead of pointing out her obviously strange behavior, Aiden cleared his throat and smoothly changed the subject. In times like this, it was better to just talk about work. He rummaged through the stack of documents left behind by Dame Stella and pulled out a sheet of paper.
“More importantly, I think it’s about time we set a date for our wedding.”
“…Pardon?”
“Officially, we are engaged, aren’t we? If we don’t set a wedding date soon, people might suspect something is wrong between us. I want to block that possibility in advance.”
Well, they were bound to have a contract marriage anyway. Theirs wasn’t the kind of relationship where they would bicker over setting a wedding date. Still, they needed to consult each other.
He had brought out the document with that in mind, and indeed, Dame Noel looked at the paper he placed in front of her without saying much.
“When would be a good time? Even if it’s not a specific date, we should at least decide on a rough timeframe.”
“…”
“…Dame Noel?”
“…”
“…Dame Noel…?”
“Th-Aiden.”
Noel, who was looking down at the paper with somewhat shallow breaths, glanced around before speaking. It looked as if whirlpools were spinning in her eyes.
“Could we, perhaps, d-discuss this a bit later?”
“…Pardon?”
“I think I need to… think about it a bit—”
“…”
Her reaction was strange. It was as if she was having an extremely intense, visceral reaction to the very topic he had brought up.
…Why?
Why was she reacting like this when she had gone so far as to kidnap him for this very purpose in the first place?
This was utterly incomprehensible…
“I-I’m sorry! I’ll think about it on my own for a bit!”
She blurted out those words and rushed out of the office. She fled so quickly that the draft she created sent the marriage registration form fluttering helplessly across the desk.
“…”
Aiden was left speechless, staring at the door that had slammed shut with a loud bang.
…No, wait.
He had resolved the related quest wisely, and the system said the relationship stage would change as a reward, so what on earth was this?
If anything, her reaction felt even more skittish than before.
— System Message
Right on cue, a system window popped up, as if to update him on the changed relationship.
Aiden glared at it with a tense expression. Judging by her reaction, maybe it had actually gotten worse…
▶ The Bond Type of the target ‘Noel Astria Seimurs’ changes to ‘Extreme Love’!
▶ The target’s affection for you is extremely powerful, to the point where rational judgment is impossible in matters concerning you. A major change occurs in the target’s behavioral patterns!
▶ From now on, the target will place you as the highest priority in whatever action she takes!
▶ Increase the affection level to copy more skills!
“…”
Aiden stared at the window, speechless for a moment.
Extreme Love.
Literally, it meant affection that had reached its absolute peak.
The various explanations could be summed up in short:
Dame Noel had come to like him very, very, very much.
With a blank expression, he looked back and forth between the door Noel had just fled through, leaving the marriage form behind, and the system window.
“What on earth?”
…He had nothing else to say.