The Emperor's Shadow and the Dwarf's Secret
The Crown Prince’s memories felt like looking at a hopelessly tangled skein of yarn. If I followed one thread, I’d hit a knot; the moment I tried to untangle it, I’d lose my grip on the original strand and have to start the search all over again. It was an incredibly user-unfriendly structure. At first, I assumed this was simply a side effect of not having fully adapted to the body, but that wasn't it.
'The memories must have piled up through repeated regressions.'
There was only one container for these memories, yet because of the regressions, completely different stories from the same timeline kept stacking up inside the body. The problem arose in the process of verifying them. The most reliable way to check my memories would be to pinpoint specific ones, but that was impossible for the time being. I didn't even know how many times the Crown Prince had regressed, nor did the specifics of what he had done in each timeline clearly emerge. I still felt like I was walking through a thick fog. The only silver lining was that there was an Executioner who knew about the Emperor.
Clack.
The moment I stopped in front of the palace where the dwarf Executioner resided, a screeching sound of rusted hinges echoed. With a loud thud!, the massive door in front of me swung open from the bottom up. Why on earth would anyone build an entrance like this? Was it some kind of security gate?
'Is this a display of a craftsman's unique sense?'
I didn't know for sure if the Executioner I was about to meet was actually a dwarf, but I knew for certain that his handiwork was extraordinary.
"Your Highness! You’ve finally visited my palace! I’ve been waiting for you to come!"
As soon as I stepped inside, a voice boomed, and the Executioner came out to greet me. He was too small to be an average adult, appearing similar in stature to Arveda or perhaps even a bit shorter.
'But he’s impossibly solid.'
He didn't feel small or fragile in the slightest. He felt like a bundle of thick steel rebar compressed by a hydraulic press. The Executioner, who fit the description of "sturdy" perfectly, let his long beard hang down and bowed deeply to me.
"It is an honor, Your Highness! I am Gilbart Hantron! I am finally greeting you properly."
"I am Bellon Bellos. You could have just come to see me comfortably; why wait so long?"
"There are things that can only be discussed when you visit in person. If I were to visit the palace myself, it would draw too much attention."
"That is true."
I nodded at the words of the dwarf Executioner, Gilbart. My eyes were suddenly drawn to his brown beard, which was nearly as long as he was tall.
"That’s a magnificent beard."
"Kel-kel! I’m glad you noticed! It’s a bit awkward to talk while standing here, so let me escort you inside."
He seemed genuinely pleased by the compliment. Gilbart stroked his brown beard, took long, purposeful strides, and led the way forward.
Clang, thud! Clang, thud!
As I followed Gilbart deeper into the palace, the smell of iron began to permeate the air. Iron, steam, and intense heat. It felt as if Gilbart’s entire palace was one massive forge and furnace; there was a rough, industrial noise, and I got the distinct impression that something was constantly being produced here.
Creak.
"This way."
The place Gilbart led me to had an interior that immediately brought the word "CEO's office" to mind. Luxurious, flashy, and filled with items that could never have been mass-produced, the room was packed. From the chairs to the table, not a single thing looked trivial.
"This is a hobby of mine. As I collected things, I naturally became interested in decorating like this."
"It’s impressive."
"Haha, thank you."
I sat in the seat of honor at Gilbart’s cautious gesture, and the moment he saw me sit, he quickly took a spot beside me.
"I am honored to be able to host you like this."
"But judging by what you said earlier, it sounded like you were waiting for me."
The moment I said that, Gilbart slowly lowered the corners of his mouth, which had been grinning.
'What on earth is he trying to tell me?'
If an Executioner comes to the palace, they are bound to attract attention. But even then, it’s just attention within the palace. To be so wary of that and to wait for me specifically? There had to be something more to it. Just trying to get to the point had already changed his expression.
"With the Covenant in place, I had no choice but to wait. Aren't you the only one who can resolve our deepest wish? Especially since the case of Luminix has already been settled."
"Was it because of the Covenant?"
"Half of it, yes."
Gilbart continued, tapping the table. At his signal, the table split open, and two mugs of beer rose smoothly from the floor.
"How about a drink? Beer made by a dwarf is truly delicious."
"So you really were a dwarf."
"Haha, of course I am!"
Clink.
The joy that should have existed the moment the glasses touched was absent. Perhaps it was because the topic of the Covenant had already been raised, or perhaps because of the topic that was to follow. After maintaining a superficial smile and downing the beer, I went straight to the point.
"In my memory, I recall you being close to His Majesty."
I didn't need to deal with the Covenant just yet. Since there were no immediate hints regarding Gilbart’s Covenant, asking about the Emperor was the top priority.
"Are you speaking of His Majesty?"
"Yes."
A brief silence. Gilbart stroked his beard, let out a low "Hmm," and slowly opened his mouth.
"He has been away for quite a long time recently, but he has done this occasionally in the past as well."
"He did this occasionally?"
"Yes, and every time that happened, Your Highness always governed the Empire well, just as you are doing now."
The follow-up was shocking. This wasn't the first time the Emperor had been away for so long. Yet, it made a certain amount of sense. 'I was the only one searching for him; everyone else was acting so nonchalant.' No one had even pointed out the problems caused by the Emperor’s long absence. There hadn't even been talk of imperial succession. And to think that was because the Emperor had frequently been away and the Crown Prince had been acting as his proxy?
'So, is this some kind of custom?'
Why would he do such a thing? The moment I followed that train of thought—
The fog in my head cleared, and the Crown Prince’s memories were forcibly replayed in my brain. The Crown Prince seemed to be talking to the Emperor, his gaze fixed on the throne. I wished I could have seen the Emperor’s face, but strangely, even though it was the Crown Prince’s memory, it played from a third-person perspective.
— "I met that woman, too. I told her there was no need for us to be at odds, but it was useless."
— "...It’s absurd that we’re the ones having to bow down to her, truly."
— "She made the same choice through several regressions. Saying something incomprehensible about how the one who is most popular is the protagonist..."
— "I don't see what that has to do with our Empire falling."
— "I even asked her to at least take in the imperial citizens, but she refused. She was cornered and started screaming nonsense about NPCs and whatnot."
— "Did you kill her?"
— "She doesn't die even if you kill her."
The "woman" mentioned in their conversation was clearly Mirne.
— "When did things get like this? I clearly felt everything was peaceful before."
— "A future where the entire continent must tilt for the sake of one country... it’s hard to accept."
— "Your Majesty, to prevent this, we must prepare for what comes next."
What kind of preparation? I wanted to look into it further, but the conversation ended there. It was a short exchange, but every word was shocking.
'The Crown Prince contacted Mirne during the process of his regressions.'
I didn't know how the Crown Prince had figured out why the Empire was falling, but he had clearly identified Mirne as the culprit and tried to mediate the situation.
'But judging by the question "Did you kill her?", the result must not have been good.'
Usually, in such cases, he would have tried to use the Empire’s military might to wipe her out. Or perhaps he had already tried that once through a previous regression. But the outcome must have been bleak, which is why he spoke of preparing for "what comes next."
'Next... does that mean the next regression? Or after the possession?'
Did the Crown Prince also know that I would possess his body? Various thoughts swirled in my head.
'The Emperor and the Crown Prince must have had many such conversations in the past. The Emperor knows the Crown Prince regresses. If so... is the Emperor’s disappearance really just a simple case of going missing?'
Perhaps the Emperor disappeared with a purpose. He might have made some unknown promise to the Crown Prince before vanishing, and he might have been creating this image of disappearing and reappearing to prepare for the current situation.
'Now I know why I instinctively loathe Mirne. It’s because the Crown Prince’s body hates her.'
If there were two possessors, they could have shared information to create a better situation, but my initial decision to antagonize Mirne wasn't just a whim. My body had been screaming that it was a lost cause from the start. Throughout all the regressions the Crown Prince had endured, he had never once achieved peace by joining hands with Mirne, so the body reacted with rejection the moment I even thought of doing something with her.
"Your Highness?"
"...My apologies, I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Not at all. Isn't that what an environment like this is for? A good atmosphere fosters deep thought."
I snapped out of my reverie at Gilbart’s words. My questions were answered, but new ones kept piling up. 'Does Mirne really want the Empire to fall? Because she’s the protagonist and everyone else is just an NPC?' And what did that have to do with the Emperor disappearing?
"My memory is a bit hazy... when the Emperor disappeared periodically, where did he usually go?"
"I don't know that much myself. The reason I was one of the few Executioners who could periodically contact His Majesty was because of weapons."
"Weapons?"
"Yes. The sword you are currently using is a prototype, and we always discussed creating something even more destructive."
"Something more destructive? What was it?"
"You must have truly forgotten because you've been so busy lately. He explicitly asked me to create a sword that could kill a god."
A sword that could kill a god. There was only one reason he would need that. 'To kill Romper.' Just how many times had he regressed? And how many routes had he experienced in each of those regressions?
'Why did that Crown Prince give up on everything when the novel’s plot began? Did he know he would be possessed? Or was he watching to see what would happen if he gave up?'
Various possibilities surfaced. 'What if I am the regressed Crown Prince? I could be a Crown Prince with a concept of believing I was possessed.' It was dizzying. There were too many possibilities to say anything clearly. Then, a conclusion suddenly hit me.
'No, I am me. That is certain, because my memories from before I possessed this body are clear.'
I didn't need to shake my own identity. Establishing that unchangeable truth, I continued the conversation.
"Did you make that sword?"
"Yes, I did. I am currently working on the next one."
"There is a next one?"
"Something even stronger than that... that was the message he left behind before he departed."
As Gilbart spoke, he unconsciously reached for his side as if to unfold a book. But there was no book at his side, and naturally, nothing happened.
"Oops, habits are a terrifying thing."
Gilbart, having made a sly remark, clearly wanted me to ask about his previous action.
"What was that gesture just now?"
I immediately took the bait.
"This is the biggest hint regarding the Covenant that I can give you."
With a wink from a dwarf who clearly looked over a hundred years old, I heard the hint about the Covenant.
"You have lost something."
"There was a book that contained everything about our clan, it was definitely there... but one day, it suddenly vanished."
Since I had heard everything important, I steered the conversation toward a much lighter topic.
"Come to think of it, are you the only dwarf in the Empire? I’d like to entrust you with the Academy construction."
"Haha, construction... that brings back memories. But as for my kin... I have to stay by the Empire’s side because of the Covenant, so I don't know much about their whereabouts."
"Is that so?"
"However, if you go to the West, there should be a home for the dwarves. At least... there definitely was until about a thousand years ago."
"The West?"
The moment the West was mentioned, a single possibility crossed my mind. 'Could it be that the demi-humans are gathered in the Maserin Kingdom? Even if they don't live together, are they all over there?' Why would they be there? The reason was simple. They had to be close so the Maserin Kingdom could easily seize the opportunities.
'Should I dispatch more of the Empire’s eyes?'
Just as I was thinking that—
— Your Highness’s No. 1 Staff! Teo!!! I’ve finally discovered traces of the Black Mage!
Teo had contacted me. The news that he had found a Black Mage. I felt it was a perfect opportunity, as I had been looking for a place to vent my frustration.
"It was a pleasant conversation. I hope we can talk often."
"You are welcome to visit whenever you like. And as for the Academy construction, I will at least dispatch some golems."
"Thank you."
"It is only natural for the sake of the Empire, kel-kel-kel!"
The conversation with Gilbart ended there. 'I hope the Black Mage is alive when he gets to me.' I wanted to move to the location of the Black Mage’s traces immediately, but I couldn't step out every time something like this happened, so I decided to trust my subordinates.
— I will send the staff and knights that way, so stand by. And well done.
— Thank you! I will always prove that I am the staff most suited to be by Your Highness’s side!
— Don't disappoint me.
— Yes!!! Loyalty!!!
I decided to send reinforcements to Teo. For now—
'Since one has been found, Black Mages will start appearing in various places.'
It was time to focus on exterminating the Black Mages.