Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Palace Infiltration (3)
The first to speak was the Emperor.
"Viscount Rudian Belstad."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"It's been a long time since I've seen you since your title conferment ceremony."
"That's correct, Your Majesty."
When Rudian killed Gude and became a Viscount with the recommendation of the 2nd Prince and the two great ducal houses, Rudian had his first audience with the Emperor's appearance at that time.
The Emperor, approaching his sixtieth year, still maintained his youth enough to appear to be in his late forties, except for his declining vitality.
However, unexpectedly, the Emperor's interest was not in Rudian, who stood at the front.
The Emperor's gaze turned to Sonya, who was beside Rudian.
"Sonya Bluephil."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
To Sonya's demure response, the Emperor's gloomy voice reached her ears.
"...Have even you fallen into the hands of the demons?"
"...Pardon?"
Sonya's eyes widened in bewilderment for a moment.
But before she could make any excuse, the Emperor sighed like a lament.
"To oppose the witch beside the 3rd Prince, I saw you and Vincent as the Empire's hope... What on earth did they offer to make you betray the Empire and humanity? Magic, perhaps?"
"No, no, Your Majesty...? What absurd misunderstanding is this...?"
No matter how much Sonya was someone who would do anything for magic, she still wouldn't betray humanity like Caslay.
Rudian finally realized what misunderstanding the Emperor was having.
"You all, withdraw and guard the entrance to the bedroom. Never show any signs and respond as usual."
"Yes, great master."
"We shall obey your command."
Rudian sent out the two succubi who were the cause of the misunderstanding.
It seemed the misunderstanding arose because the Emperor also knew that they were serving as watchers.
"Well... Let me clear up the misunderstanding first, Your Majesty."
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding would you, a demon, clear up with me?"
There was a subtle anger dwelling in the Emperor's eyes.
Sure enough, the Emperor had mistaken Rudian for a demon and Sonya for a traitor who had sold her soul to that demon.
"Duke Bellatrix and I have not abandoned the Empire. Moreover, I am not a demon but a human. The reason I have committed this rudeness to Your Majesty is solely to deal with those demons."
"Ridiculous. Then how do you explain leading those dream demons in here?"
Despite the Emperor's continued distrust, Rudian persistently continued his persuasion.
"Because of this."
Rudian drew Diablo and infused it with just a little energy.
Instead of ordinary magic, thick and dark demonic energy began to flow along Diablo's blade.
"...!"
"I was able to dominate them thanks to the power of this demon sword I wield. Using demons to control demons. I am confronting the demons within the Empire with this power."
"...Hmm!"
The Emperor finally showed signs of understanding to some degree.
However, he hadn't completely dispelled his distrust, as he began treating Rudian with a somewhat wary attitude.
"So what's the reason you brought even Gael to find me?"
When the name Gael was mentioned, the eunuch who had entered with them realized what he had done and prostrated himself on the spot.
Rudian, regardless of whether he did so or not, began to bring up his main business.
"Your Majesty, we will soon engage in a decisive battle with the demons within the Empire."
"...!"
"The Glory Knights of House Delphione, the Heidegger Magic Corps of House Bellatrix, the group of psychics called Psychic Luminous, as well as various noble houses that share our cause, have all completed their preparations."
The Emperor turned his eyes to look at Sonya.
Under the Emperor's gaze urging an answer, Sonya nodded and reinforced Rudian's words.
"That's correct, Your Majesty. We have finished preparations for battle. However, three problems remain."
"What are they?"
The answer came from Rudian's mouth.
"First is the safety of the Imperial Family, second is the safety of the capital's citizens, and lastly is the matter of post-war handling."
"I see, I understand."
The astute Emperor immediately understood Rudian's words.
Since the Imperial Palace was already under the demons' surveillance, if something happened, the safety of the Imperial Family could not be guaranteed.
"If the capital becomes a battleground, countless casualties will occur. Finally, the damage from battle or war will create a vacuum in the Empire's administration, and if we drive them out, the demons of the Kingdom of Rohans will immediately wage war as well... That would also be a serious problem."
"...Did you know this?"
Rudian was considerably surprised that the Emperor accurately understood the situation in the Kingdom of Rohans.
The Emperor answered as if it were natural.
"When the Empire is in such a situation, it would be best to abandon the thought that neighboring countries would be safe. The King of Rohans has long since become a puppet of the demons."
The Emperor still had the authority to move the Empire's intelligence agency.
Before the demons extended their influence right under his nose, he had already collected all the general external situations.
"Then this conversation will be quick."
Rudian knelt on one knee before the Emperor and spoke.
"The reason we came here and what we want from Your Majesty are two things in total."
"Speak."
"First is information about the 1st Prince's situation, and second is Your Majesty's support."
Rudian continued speaking quietly.
"Since His Highness has had no external activities for months, we hypothesized that Your Majesty was being threatened by the demons using the 1st Prince's person as leverage."
"...That's not it."
When the assumption they naturally thought would be correct was immediately denied, not only Rudian but even Sonya were greatly flustered.
Looking at the two of them, the Emperor closed his eyes and spoke a shocking fact in a mournful tone.
"The 1st Prince is dead. About two months ago..."
At those words, Sonya, Rudian, and the eunuch all widened their eyes.
"What do you mean...?"
"To be precise, it would be right to say he committed suicide."
No emotion could be felt from the Emperor as he calmly recited that his son was dead.
"In the past, shortly after Luciella was decided as the 3rd Prince's fiancée, that witch appeared in the Imperial Palace. At first, I only knew her as an adopted daughter that Gude had brought in to get close to the Imperial Family. So I didn't pay much attention to her at first either."
But realizing that this was a fatal mistake happened several months ago.
"That witch first approached the 1st Prince Logan and tried to dominate that child. But fortunately, due to a holy relic that child possessed, it ended in failure, and she changed her target to the 3rd Prince, Roho."
The 2nd Prince was supported by the magician house Bellatrix, and the reason she didn't bother to cast mind control on the 3rd Prince was probably due to such a failure.
"But just because that attempt failed doesn't mean they left Logan alone. They confined Logan and threatened me. Even when I wouldn't listen, they began torturing Logan before my eyes... And when I still wouldn't move, they threatened to do the same to the other princes."
The one who tortured the 1st Prince before the Emperor's eyes was Baron Rigos Bargo, that is, the Rigos that Rudian killed in the north.
"Logan's suicide was around that time. Even though his body was bound, he somehow found freedom and took his own life before my eyes, saying he couldn't be a burden to the Imperial Family."
"......"
"After that, when I stepped forward with the resolve to abandon everything, the demons seemed to have no choice but to step back."
What followed was an intense struggle beneath the surface.
Rudian finally saw emotion in the Emperor's eyes.
As a monarch, he had to sacrifice even his own child's life for the nation, but as a father, his emotions still burned as anger deep in his heart.
"Since then, my actions have also become cautious. To somehow maintain the Empire's name while driving out those bastards, every single choice had to be careful."
CLICK!
"...!"
As soon as those words ended, Rudian felt the unease that someone was standing behind him.
Neither Diablo nor Adi had noticed that being's existence at all until he revealed his presence.
Rudian got goosebumps at that fact.
The opponent had been deceiving both presence and space from the beginning and had been there all along.
Rudian slowly turned his head to see the being who had caught them from behind.
There stood an old knight with a very ordinary appearance.
Sonya, who recognized the opponent's identity, widened her eyes in shock.
"...Archduke Oscar von Quihiller?"
"It's been a while."
Rudian was also quite surprised by Sonya's words.
The former Sword master.
The Continental Greatest Sword.
The era's only Grand Master.
The strongest knight to whom even the current Sword master Kaitel would show unconditional respect slowly approached Rudian and opened his mouth.
"Master-level at that age... I never thought I'd see a genius comparable to Crux again in my lifetime."
***
The Emperor was not simply staying silent.
He was sharpening the blade of revenge more keenly than anyone, waiting for an opportunity.
"Archduke, didn't you say you had retired?"
Sonya, having regained her composure, spoke to Archduke Quihiller in an accusatory tone.
"If you had given us advance notice, things would have been much easier."
"Don't be so argumentative when you should know better."
Rudian had put considerable effort into bringing in Quihiller through Gray.
However, for the sole reason of having withdrawn from the front lines, not only the Archduke but the entire Quihiller ducal house maintained their silence.
"It's true that I retired. I simply couldn't refuse His Majesty's earnest request."
"Is the ducal house's silence also related to this matter?"
"That's right."
Rudian swallowed and observed Archduke Quihiller.
But then...
-Access denied.
CRACK!
With those words in the message window, lightning flashed in Rudian's eyes.
"...Ugh!"
"You? What's wrong?"
When Rudian suddenly covered his eyes and collapsed to the floor, Sonya supported him and asked.
"I'm, I'm fine..."
Rudian fumbled around his eyes and waved his hand.
The lightning flash was just a feeling; Rudian's vision was perfectly fine.
But there was definitely a feeling of being blocked and bounced off by something.
"You have an interesting ability. Is it a type of Demon Eye?"
Archduke Quihiller approached Rudian.
"Since I knew it wasn't an ability that would harm the opponent, I stopped at that level. Most strong people could boldly overlook such a gaze, but I have an extreme aversion to such things."
Rudian, having regained his composure, silently expressed gratitude to Quihiller with a bow.
"Thank you for showing mercy. You seem to be the first person I've seen who can deflect this ability itself."
"It's probably a type of observation ability. However, such eyes aren't very useful in the world of the strong. At your level, relying on that ability would rather have a negative effect."
Rudian smiled bitterly at Archduke Quihiller's advice.
"Thank you for the advice. However, I am certain that I myself am weak. That's why I've received considerable help from this ability."
"Is that so...? To sincerely believe that, you're quite an unusual fellow."
Of course, in this crazy world, acting up with just this much would be asking for death.
Archduke Quihiller observed Rudian for a while, then turned his gaze to the Emperor as if he had made up his mind.
"Your Majesty, I think there's sufficient possibility at this level."
"Is that so?"
"What's needed now isn't numbers but absolute strength. If we can lure them outside the capital, there should be some chance of victory."
"If you say so, then it must be so."
The Emperor seemed to place absolute trust in Quihiller.
The Emperor slowly rose from his seat.
Then he solemnly opened his mouth toward the three people in the room.
"I want the beings called demons to be completely exterminated from this Empire."
Rudian spoke to the Emperor while maintaining the courtesy of a subject.
"If Your Majesty trusts us, that will become reality."
"If possible, I'd like to cut off those bastards' heads with my own hands... But that would probably be too much."
For an Emperor who must always maintain dignity to use such harsh words as 'bastards' shows just how angry he was.
"You said what you want is my support, right?"
"That's correct, Your Majesty."
"Then lending you command of the Imperial Guard would be the most solid means of support, wouldn't it?"
That much?
The Emperor's words exceeded expectations.