Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Summons
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‘……He realized.’
Lupera recalled the gaze of Seojin she had felt right before leaving her seat.
The man who killed the ‘Saintess.’
It seemed that very Seojin had figured out she was the culprit behind this incident.
‘Damn it.’
Lupera swore inwardly.
Driving the ‘Saintess’ mad had been a good move.
It was a seed planted from the start to be used that way.
She had simply made it sprout a little earlier for her purposes.
While the woman rampaged, the plan was to slip into the Sky Tower and find the blue-glowing egg the Holy King had mentioned.
But who would have thought she’d just kill her outright.
It was something Lupera had never even considered.
“He was looking this way.”
Piroyan had also noticed Seojin’s gaze, speaking with an uncomfortable expression.
“Since he knows we’re connected to the ‘Saintess,’ he was probably just gauging the mood, right?”
“Is that so…….”
Piroyan nodded.
There was merit to Lupera’s words.
“More than that, we should leave the Empire as soon as possible. We need to report this incident to His Holiness the Holy King and devise countermeasures.”
Now that Seojin had caught on, who knew what might happen if they lingered here.
‘He’s under house arrest, but I can’t let my guard down.’
She had heard he was confined to his lodgings by the Empire’s knights.
It wasn’t strictly enforced, but until the truth of the incident was uncovered, his movements wouldn’t be entirely free.
They needed to return to Aier before Seojin was released.
But Piroyan couldn’t do that.
“I haven’t fulfilled that person’s command yet.”
“Then how about heading to the Sky Tower right now?”
“That would be best.”
Piroyan agreed with Lupera’s suggestion.
The Empire was surely in chaos right now over the ‘Saintess’s’ death.
Though it deviated from the original plan, this gap seemed perfect to achieve their goal.
“Given the Empire’s wicked nature, we should hurry.”
“I’ll prepare right away.”
Lupera turned to make preparations for heading straight to the Sky Tower.
But it was already too late.
Knock knock—
A knock echoed from the door.
Lupera flinched in surprise and looked at Piroyan.
“…Check it.”
At Piroyan’s permission, Lupera cautiously approached the door and asked.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Ronain of the White Silver Knight Order.”
Lupera’s face twisted.
The White Silver Knight Order was the Empire’s First Knight Order.
The strongest knights who served only the Emperor’s commands.
Their visit here meant……
‘The Emperor is summoning us.’
She had rushed to finish things quickly to avoid exactly this situation.
Who knew the famously sedentary Emperor would move first……
Misfortune kept piling up.
Lupera clicked her tongue inwardly and opened the door.
A handsome man with striking golden hair stood there.
“…What is it?”
When Lupera asked, Ronain politely greeted her and Piroyan before speaking.
“His Majesty seeks an audience with Bishop Lupera.”
Lupera’s prediction had been spot on.
“Please proceed immediately.”
Ronain maintained his decorum.
Yet there was an oddly sharp edge to his demeanor.
Noticing this, Piroyan rose from his seat.
“What business does the Emperor have with this old man?”
His face was tense as he asked.
But Ronain replied without concern.
“How could I presume to know His Majesty’s thoughts? I merely obey his orders.”
“Hah—”
Piroyan let out a hollow laugh.
It was absurd that someone of his stature—equivalent to a duke of a nation—was being ordered around like this.
And he wasn’t just any noble; he was a bishop, the pinnacle of priests serving the Lord God.
Yet they offered no explanation.
Was there rudeness like this?
Piroyan glared at Ronain with an angry expression.
“I’ll present myself once preparations are made, so inform them to give me a moment.”
“His Majesty commanded that we bring you immediately.”
A sharp aura emanated from him.
“How dare you…….”
Lupera stepped in front of Piroyan, drawing up her energy.
Rumble—
Their invisible powers clashed, making the room tremble.
Surprise flashed in Ronain’s eyes.
He hadn’t expected a cardinal’s power to rival his own as a top-tier knight.
This only heightened Ronain’s wariness toward the delegation.
“Enough.”
At that moment, Piroyan intervened, calming them both.
The volatile energies vanished as if washed away.
“If the Emperor summons me so urgently, there’s no choice. Let’s go at once.”
“Bishop!”
Lupera exclaimed in shock, trying to stop him, but Piroyan shook his head.
“That’s enough.”
This was the Empire.
If the Emperor had ordered him brought, they would enforce it with force if necessary.
He wasn’t afraid of their power, but there was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Piroyan whispered quietly to Lupera.
“You carry out the plan as intended.”
“…Understood.”
The Emperor had summoned only Piroyan.
While he met the Emperor, Lupera could head to the Sky Tower and secure the objective.
As she nodded, Piroyan stepped forward.
“Let’s go.”
He said to Ronain.
“Then I shall escort you.”
Ronain bowed politely and led the two out of the building.
* * *
“Urgent news from the Empire.”
As the chamberlain approached swiftly and spoke, Mardetain tilted his head.
“Urgent news?”
Did something go wrong?
Mardetain took the paper from the chamberlain’s hand.
“Hmm.”
His expression turned peculiar as he read the contents.
“The ‘Saintess’ is dead?”
It wasn’t the outcome he’d hoped for.
If the ‘Saintess’ had rampaged and taken out even a few heroes, it would’ve been fine.
That was why the seed had been planted in the first place.
But she’d only killed a few dozen knights.
A pitiful result compared to the effort invested.
Yet Mardetain didn’t rage.
“The ‘Saintess’ died in the Empire…….”
A smirk crept across his face.
In this unexpected turn, a new plan formed in his mind.
“Summon Miteon and Urea.”
He ordered the standing chamberlain.
Miteon of Radiance and Urea of Devotion.
The other two bishops besides Piroyan.
The chamberlain’s eyes widened at the sudden command but he bowed and replied.
“Miteon can be summoned immediately, but Urea will take some time.”
“She’s not at the Order?”
“She departed for her territory four days ago due to an incident.”
Mardetain nodded at that.
“Send word. There’s urgent business, so she must return to the Order as soon as she receives the message.”
“As you command.”
The chamberlain hurriedly left.
“Hmm…….”
Left alone, Mardetain refined the plan he’d just conceived.
“If this works out…….”
It was a chance to rack up major merits before That One descended.
“The ‘Saintess’ left behind an unexpected gift.”
A thick smile spread across Mardetain’s lips.
A cruel smile, dripping with blood, unworthy of the title Holy King.
* * *
Seojin lay on the bed with his legs crossed, idly swinging his foot.
“House arrest, huh.”
He chuckled softly.
He’d expected some repercussions for killing the ‘Saintess’……
But this was it? Just confinement.
“I figured they’d throw me in a cell or something.”
Perhaps because Seojin had reached the transcendent realm, the Empire hesitated to treat him harshly.
“What’ll happen now?”
The Empire must be in an uproar by this point.
An SS-rank hero ‘Saintess’ killed by another hero—no one could take that lightly.
They’d be scrambling to uncover why Seong Yura went mad and why he’d killed her.
But Seojin wasn’t too worried.
They’d never find the real reason.
He knew they suspected him, but without solid evidence, they couldn’t act against him.
At most, they’d resort to cursed artifacts like the ‘Luden Gardo.’
“Even if they turn fully hostile, I doubt I’d just take it lying down.”
Seojin had now ascended to the ranks of true powerhouses.
Before, he wouldn’t have dreamed of facing the Empire’s guardians head-on, but now he could probably handle one.
And with ‘Demon King Transformation,’ even more.
There was no reason for him to fear the Empire’s might.
His only concern was whether the Apostles had gotten involved in Seong Yura’s death.
“That woman.”
He’d later heard she was Aier’s cardinal.
She didn’t exude demonic energy, so probably not an Apostle, but she was clearly tied to the Demon King’s followers.
“To plant someone like that in a nation’s core…….”
They seemed more widespread than he’d thought.
This incident might give them an opening to make a move, which unsettled him.
“What are those bastards scheming…….”
As Seojin pondered the Apostles’ intentions,
“Can I come in?”
A familiar voice came from outside the door.
Seojin bolted upright on the bed.
“Yeah, sure!”
The door opened, and someone entered.
“…Are you okay?”
It was Briani.
She looked at Seojin with a pitying expression and asked.
“No real discomfort.”
He gave an awkward smile in response, and Briani sighed, pulling up a chair to sit.
“What in the world happened while I was briefly at the Sky Tower…….”
She had been researching the egg with Martes when the news arrived—how shocked she’d been.
“Is it true the ‘Saintess’ went mad?”
She didn’t seem fazed at all that Seojin had killed Seong Yura.
She focused on the cause instead.
“She massacred dozens of knights. No way she does that sane.”
“The reason? Did you find out?”
“I have my suspicions, but nothing confirmed yet.”
Seojin brushed off Briani’s question vaguely.
But she wanted a straight answer.
“Tell me. Then I can help you.”
“…Do I look like I need help?”
It was just house arrest.
He could treat it as a long-overdue rest in his room.
But Briani’s expression suggested something serious was brewing outside.
“They’ve decided you need to be controlled.”
Seojin was a card too powerful to discard.
But too difficult to wield freely.
So they were seeking ways to force his use.
“The Shadow Duke has stepped in.”
Seojin’s eyebrow twitched.
“Strain?”
“He’s moving in secret, but his target’s probably you.”
If Strain was involved, it wouldn’t end with mere surveillance.
‘Maybe even…….’
Contrary to Briani’s guess, he might intend to kill him.
‘I don’t think I’d lose in a fight.’
But clashing with the Shadow Duke meant antagonizing the entire Empire.
Unless they outright tried to kill him, Seojin had no desire to burn bridges with the Empire.
He still had preparations to make within it.
With a hardened expression, Seojin began to speak.