Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Emperor of Rom
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"Open your eyes, Ben."
At the heavy voice, Ben startled awake and opened his eyes.
It had been so long since anyone called him Ben.
Even his mother had called him "Your Majesty" after he turned eighteen.
And for so long, no one had dared address him with anything but "His Imperial Majesty."
This was only the second time he'd been called this way.
'It's come again!'
Ben gasped for breath as he bolted upright in bed.
The bedroom was exactly as it had been when he fell asleep.
The window that should have been closed was open,
and in the darkness beside it, someone stood—just as before.
If Ben shouted, five imperial guards would rush in within ten seconds.
They were the finest swordsmen, ready to lay down their lives for the emperor,
and at the same time, the most loyal retainers, prepared to take his secrets to the grave.
But Ben did not call for the guards upon seeing this intruder.
He had already screamed last time, kicked off the blankets, and caused a huge commotion, yet they hadn't come.
Only the cat sleeping on the fluffy cushion by the bed had woken and stared with sleepy eyes.
This time, even the cat didn't stir.
The man in the darkness silently waited for Ben to rise.
In truth, Ben assumed it was a man only because of the deep voice; he couldn't even tell if it was male or female.
That it was an "angel" was just his own guess from their last encounter; it hadn't claimed to be one.
"I, I did as you commanded. It still takes more time to prepare..."
Ben opened his mouth in excuse the moment he got out of bed, but the angel ignored him and ordered,
"Rise."
Ben, who had only ever given orders his whole life and never received them, got out of bed and stood on the floor as commanded.
The cold seeped straight into his bare feet.
It was a vivid sensation that could never be dismissed as a dream.
"Follow me."
The angel's voice was still frightening like his father's, yet gentle.
"W-where to?"
"Follow."
The bedroom door opened, and the angel led the way.
Ben followed with heavy steps.
A month ago, they had gone all the way to Pompeii's Vesuo Volcano like this.
When Ben woke, he had been exhausted, as if he'd truly walked all day.
'Are we going to Pompeii again?'
The vast palace where Ben walked was empty.
No guards stood at their posts, no patrolling soldiers were in sight.
The torches on the walls weren't lit, yet it was as bright as day.
But it wasn't day.
'What a truly strange night.'
At some point, the angel vanished.
'It was like this before.'
Ben let his body move unconsciously, pressing forward.
It didn't feel like guidance; more like he was being pulled.
Whenever doubt crept in, the angel's voice would quell it.
"Trust in the steps you take."
Ben walked endlessly. It felt like a minute, or perhaps a year.
'Where are we headed today? Not that knowing the destination matters.
Even if it's to hell, I couldn't refuse.'
He descended long stairs, then a flat path appeared, followed by more steep stairs.
He kept going down.
At first, he thought it was Rome's undercity, but soon he lost track.
Walking endlessly downward, he saw blazing flames ahead.
Ben could go no further and stopped.
Looking back, the path behind was also aflame; he was trapped.
The Vesuo Volcano explosion from last month's dream had been viewed from afar.
He hadn't stood in the midst of the inferno like this.
As Ben stood frozen, the man who had led him emerged from the flames.
The fire on his cloak extinguished naturally the moment he stepped out.
It was as if the flames turned into the cloak and draped themselves over him.
'The volcano before, and this fire now—
whenever this one appears, fire always rises.
Then perhaps this is the angel of fire, Raphael.'
The angel pointed beyond the flames.
Following his finger, the wall of fire parted, revealing a city's nightscape.
Thick snowflakes like giant platters fell from the sky.
"Where do you think this is?" he asked.
Ben answered,
"It feels like standing in hell."
Ben spoke while staring at his face.
Even looking straight at him, Ben couldn't make out his features.
How could that be possible? Ben was confused.
"This is the city where you were before falling asleep."
He said.
"Is this Rome?"
Now he saw that the burning buildings were all familiar.
St. Vesta Cathedral, the Twin Obelisks, the Trephin Fountain...
They were just a bit crumbled or ablaze.
"Has Vesuo Volcano's aftermath reached here?"
Ben asked.
"Rome is not the end. The entire world you know will be under its influence."
Ben realized he was explaining what came after last month's dream.
"Starting with Pompeii buried under lava, 'the entire world you know' will be covered in death's ashes falling from the sky.
For a month, you won't see the sun.
For a year, the ashes won't clear.
For a century, no crops will grow."
Gray snowflakes blocked his view,
and the surroundings grew darker.
Ben could barely breathe.
The angel pointed to the sky.
"The earth's flames will kill merely thousands, but the sky's ashes will kill millions."
"I still don't understand!"
Last month, Ben had been dragged around unknowing, just watching and listening.
But not today.
"You say retrieve the Holy Grail to stop the volcano? What is this Holy Grail that it has such power?"
Ben expected the angel to roar, 'How dare you! Blasphemy!' and fell silent in fear.
But the angel silently waited for him to continue.
Gathering courage, Ben said,
"I haven't told a soul about this dream except one. Even I think it's absurd."
Ben brushed volcanic ash from his eyebrows and hair.
Though clearly a dream, everything felt real; he feared it might not be.
"Until now, Holy Grail expeditions have been Rotican-led wars.
I opposed them. Whatever that Grail is, it wasn't our empire's business."
The angel didn't ask why he opposed.
Ben continued,
"Rome now hangs by a thread.
The empire's territories my grandfathers guarded are being nibbled away by barbarians and foreign armies.
I need to tell Rome's nobles plans to shrink our borders.
And now, you want me to push for the Grail expedition I've always opposed?
How do I convince them it's worth it? Based on this dream I'm having?"
"Behold that."
The angel pointed to the pitch-dark streets of Rome.
Only the direction he indicated brightened.
Beasts moved swiftly through flames and ash.
They were monsters Ben had never seen in his life.
Even the finest painter couldn't capture their form with brush and pigment.
The monsters sliced, chopped, and devoured people.
Ben was terrified beyond endurance but couldn't look away.
His eyes were glued open like grass aflame, his neck rigid as plaster, forcing him to stare straight ahead.
A few spotted the angel's light and halted.
Spotting Ben, they charged.
They bounded like dogs or cats.
Each time their four legs hit the stone floor, cracks spiderwebbed with immense weight.
The monster leaped at Ben.
Ben screamed and turned his head aside.
Light flashed, and the monster vanished.
When Ben looked up again, the monster was gone, only Rome's ash-choked streets remained.
"W-what was that just now?"
"Creatures called by many names."
The one behind stepped forward and said.
"D-demons?"
Ben asked.
"Among other things."
"You're not an angel? Then can't you destroy those demons?
No, couldn't you prevent the volcano even before that?
An angel could do that, right?"
"Just as you can't repel barbarians or halt plagues with your emperor's name alone,
I cannot stop Vesuo Volcano with mine.
Nor predict when it erupts. Only God knows.
All I can do now is show you."
"D-does the Holy Grail stop the volcano?"
"Don't misunderstand what I've shown.
Strictly speaking, this isn't after the volcano erupts."
The angel spoke Ben's greatest fear.
"This is after the gates of hell have opened."
"Th-then what is the volcano?"
"The site where hell's gates open becomes Vesuo Mountain.
The shock of opening destroys everything around, erupting all trapped within the earth."
Ben thrust out trembling hands toward the angel.
"Does the Holy Grail prevent the gates from opening?"
"I don't know all the answers, Ben."
The angel shook his head.
"But I know the Grail will be the start of the solution."
Ben was afraid.
Not of burning Rome, nor the monsters in the flames,
nor the being before him, angel or demon unknown.
He feared being chosen for this.
"Why come to me? I'm not Rotican's Holy Father,
nor a bishop of any priesthood,
nor a saint praised by the masses.
Rather, I'm the one accused of persecuting Katic believers."
Ben shouted.
Partly to overcome the surrounding noise, partly because his trembling voice overwhelmed him.
"Why me?"
"If a shepherd could do this, I'd seek the shepherd.
If a farmer, the farmer.
I've come to the one who can."
"You've come to the wrong place!
I'm in a position to pursue this secretly.
That's why I could only call one Katic priest for such a grand task—not ten thousand troops!
And that old man brings an even frailer disciple, excommunicated at that.
If you're here to question that choice, I'll defend it as my best!
I'll say it's your mistake in choosing me!"
"I'm not here to blame your error. I'm here to urge you."
Hot flames crept right up to Ben.
As his nightclothes burned and scorched his skin in agony, he screamed.
But the angel ignored his pain and spoke slowly.
"Time is short."
Ben awoke screaming.
He'd screamed so hard his throat ached and head throbbed.
Opening his eyes, attendants rushed to calm him.
"Your Majesty, another nightmare?"
The chamberlain asked.
Ben panted, scanning the room.
It was his unchanged bedroom.
He scrambled out of bed and flung open the firmly shut window.
Peaceful Rome's night city lay in view.
The Twin Obelisks stood straight, St. Vesta Cathedral's Southern Cross silent.
Cool breeze soothed his sweat-drenched face.
"Water."
Ben finally spoke.
The attendants moved with crisp precision, as if he'd declared battle readiness.
"The Grail, the Grail..."
Ben muttered to himself.
Bitter bile rose in his throat.
Rinsing his mouth with the water the attendant brought, he exhaled a long sigh.
"Has Father Danel not arrived yet?"
It was just a grumble about when he'd come, but the attendant gave an unexpected reply.
"He has."
The emperor turned to the attendant.
"He has?"
The attendant, glared at like a sinner deceiving the emperor,
explained with a bewildered face.
"Yes. Most rudely, he came at one in the morning, requesting to see Your Majesty.
Not only ignoring visiting hours, but insisting on barging in unannounced at this hour—
he deserves the dungeon, but being a notable priest, we politely told him to return tomorrow..."
"Bring him!"
Ben raised his voice without realizing.
"Pardon? N-now?"
After the dream a month ago, Ben had first summoned Danel to consult on this.
Not because he was a priest of Rome's priesthood, rivals to Rotican-allied Raphael Priesthood.
He was a dear friend who'd advised Ben since childhood.
If anything, his Rome priesthood affiliation had been the obstacle to meeting often.
"I must see him now. He'll likely have one companion, so bring them both!"
The attendant moved sluggishly, like a child grudgingly doing chores.
Thanks to that, Ben could add what he'd forgotten.
"His coming here must be kept secret.
You know who I'm worried about, right?"