Chapter 296: Levantine Empire (5)
Chapter 296: Levantine Empire (5)
Sometimes, silence conveys more meaning than words.
A person’s thoughts are rarely a single, consistent stream. Ideas swirling in one's head are often contradictory, and there are times when it’s difficult to put a finger on exactly what one is feeling.
However, the moment those thoughts are refined into language, the story changes.
Everything except the spoken words is forcibly pruned away, converging into a single point released into the air. In that sense, language is like a sword—sharp and keen, cutting away any thoughts other than its own.
Silence, on the other hand, is different. Non-verbal expression—that unrefined mass of thought—is incredibly blunt.
But it is heavy.
If you pay it no mind, it holds no meaning at all. But the moment you focus on it, the myriad of meanings contained within press down heavily on the surroundings.
Yes, exactly like Havel was doing right now.
Carla had just made a bold declaration of her convictions: that she was happiest by my side because she had become someone who could no longer live without me. It was a straightforward, "alpha-female" proclamation that left no room for retreat. Havel turned to look at us with stiff, mechanical movements.
He didn't say a word; he just stared. Yet, the emotions packed into that gaze were delivered with crystal clarity.
Shock, disbelief, anger, lamentation, gratitude, and finally, self-loathing.
Since he was a superhuman with a vivid presence to begin with, his emotions—looping and diving like a rollercoaster—felt equally vivid.
This is likely why people don't consider silence to be merely peaceful. Just because nothing is heard doesn't mean nothing is felt.
Havel communicated much just by looking at us... but he was a Sword Master.
True to a man who excelled at the art of the blade above all else, it didn't take long for him to slash through the swirling storm of thoughts and forge them into a single word.
"...I see."
Acceptance.
That was the conclusion Havel reached among countless options.
"In the end, it would be pathetic of me to argue or complain now, after having failed to do anything when it mattered."
His voice was thick with regret. Honestly, a part of me wanted to ask what he’d actually done to warrant acting all sad and mopey, but...
In this case, the problem wasn't so much Havel as it was Fiona’s capability. I had to remain wary of her ability to covertly manipulate even a Sword Master. She was someone who, without any Authority other than a blessing related to disguise, had infiltrated the heart of the Empire and pulled strings from the shadows using only her intellect and eloquence.
She had dismantled a family even while an Archmage watched with eyes wide open; stalling a Sword Master for a short while probably wasn't that difficult for her.
Havel was strong, but he was also a man bound to the Empire in more ways than one.
The situation was a bit... off in many ways, but Carla maintained a beaming smile as if none of that mattered.
"So... Sir Havel, does that mean you intend to help us?"
"Is there something you want from me?"
"Yes! My Master will be having an audience with His Majesty the Emperor soon, right?"
"Presumably. My orders were to escort the Saintess and her party to His Majesty in the first place."
Havel’s eyebrow twitched at the word 'Master,' but he nodded silently.
Carla looked at him and made a request in a serious tone.
"Just once."
"Hmm?"
"Even if it's just once, please take my Master's side in front of His Majesty. That will be enough."
"......"
Havel stared back at Carla, unable to nod easily. She continued.
"I'm asking you. Please."
"I understand."
The moment she used the word 'please,' Havel accepted immediately.
It wasn't hard to guess what he associated with Carla's words. He was likely thinking, 'This time, at least...'
After his immediate answer, Havel looked at Helena with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"My apologies. I have been disrespectful to the Saintess due to my personal circumstances."
"It is quite alright. Regardless of Miss Carla's status, she is someone who will one day become part of our family, centered around Brother Yandel. Her business is my business as well."
"Part of a family, you say...?"
Havel looked back and forth between me, Carla, and Helena with a bewildered expression. Then, as if realizing something, his mouth hung open blankly.
Regardless of whether Havel was in shock or not, Carla acted as if there was something much more important to do, rubbing her forehead against my shoulder.
"Master! I did well, didn't I? I did, right? Give me a reward! A reward!"
"Uh, yeah..."
I gently stroked her platinum-blonde crown, partly to get her to stop nuzzling me so much.
"Ehehe."
Carla enjoyed my touch with a look of pure bliss. Havel’s expression became even more complicated, but I seemed to be the only one who cared.
*
Despite the various happenings during our transit, we eventually arrived safely at the Imperial Palace.
The sight of it was far too grim to be the residence of an Emperor who ruled half of the Eurelia Continent.
High-rising walls. Mana cannons protruding from the gaps. Golems, easily thirty meters tall, were stationed at regular intervals in an inactive state. Dozens of layers of magic protected the entire structure.
To put it nicely, it was a fortress; to put it bluntly, it was no different from a Demon King's castle.
That was the Imperial Palace before my eyes.
I’d heard that during the War of the Gods, it was treated as a major strategic point and had undergone repeated renovations into a combat fortress. The outer city we had passed through was merely a wall built after the war ended to accommodate the growing population.
Seeing it like this, it really was staggering. Its performance was likely as lethal as its appearance.
This was a place where even transcendents like Sword Masters, Archmages, and Apostles could die in an instant if they made a mistake.
It was a place that had never fallen, even during that nonsensical war where Dragons—a cheat-like race that reached transcendence just by breathing—were driven to extinction, and where gods descending in their true forms split mountains and scooped up the ocean floor.
...Well, if left alone, Fiona, having awakened as an Apostle, would tear the whole thing down from the inside in a few years.
As I shrugged my shoulders, the palace gates, having confirmed Havel’s identity, began to open.
Creeeeeak—
Normally, they wouldn't open these massive gates just for a few people. They’d use a smaller side door. But we weren't just anyone; we were the Saintess and her party. Since they’d already assigned a Sword Master as our guide, opening the main gate was a given.
...Even knowing that, I couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration as I watched those gargantuan gates swing open.
"Wow..."
"This is... quite a sight."
Elisha and I couldn't take our eyes off the opening gates. However, the reactions around us were rather dull.
I could understand Havel, since he saw this often, but why the others...?
Noticing my confusion, Iona glided over and whispered.
"Everyone... it's not their first time seeing this. Iris and I saw it until we were sick of it in the past, and Carla probably entered the palace a few times when she was young."
"Ah."
Right. Only Elisha, who grew up among Elves and had just come out into the world at twenty, and I, who knew little of the world outside the Academy, were seeing this for the first time.
Realizing once again that no one here was an ordinary person, I chuckled and passed through the opened gates.
The height was so immense that I felt like a dwarf.
How do they even open and close a door like this? It looked like it was made of solid metal. The thickness was substantial, too.
That question was answered shortly after.
Two golems, identical to the ones stationed outside but holding thick iron chains instead of weapons, stood on either side.
So... it was just incredibly huge, but the structure was the same as any other gate? Since human strength wasn't enough, they used golems to move it?
"Shouldn't magic be used for something like this?"
The thought slipped out as a mutter. Iris, who had fallen slightly behind due to her short legs, scurried up and spoke.
"It was intentionally made difficult to open."
"Huh?"
"Even a simple friction-reduction or lightweight magic would make opening and closing the door much easier. They could even enchant the entire gate to move on its own. But what is the purpose of a city gate? It lies in defense, not convenience."
"...So you're saying if I can open it easily, the enemy can too?"
"Exactly. At least on the inside, there are chains to pull, but there's nothing on the outside."
Trying to open that gate from the outside with pure strength?
I could guarantee that no matter how many Ogres or Cyclopes—creatures called living siege engines—were thrown at it, it would be impossible. Even if they pushed from behind, the ones at the front would be crushed to death before the door even budged.
And usually, the gate is the weakest point of a wall.
In other words, one would need to be at least Apostle-class to even attempt an intrusion into the Imperial Palace.
But it wasn't as if the defenders would be sitting idle. The countless mana cannons mounted on the walls weren't just for show.
Most importantly, the palace had Havel, a Sword Master.
Unless an Evil God came in person, it was reasonable to assume that breaching it was impossible.
...Now I see why Fiona chose to sneak in.
If it's an iron fortress that can never be broken from the outside, she figured she’d just destroy it from within. And shockingly, she was on the verge of succeeding.
Of course, I have no intention of letting that happen.
I lightly clenched my fist, hardening my resolve.
"Ow, that hurts!"
Iris, who had been sneakily holding my hand, cried out in pain, so I immediately relaxed my grip.