Chapter 306: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 306
Caesar was at a disadvantage discussing whether he was a doppelganger or not.
-Could Caesar really be a doppelganger?
-Coming from Hilos' mouth of all people, it's quite ambiguous to believe.
-Especially since Elijah is insisting that he's not a doppelganger.
Hilos had no means to confirm whether Caesar was a doppelganger or not. His best option was just to probe and observe Caesar's expressions, as he was doing now. So it would be good to properly conclude this so no further words would come out.
"Your Excellency, do you know when Elijah started falsely accusing me of being a doppelganger? It was right after the Margrave committed treason against the Hero and the Emperor.”
"I heard that Elijah was revealed to be a doppelganger shortly after that as well."
"But there's a clear difference. Elijah was revealed as a doppelganger by the Demon King and other demon race. In my case, only Elijah alone is claiming that I'm a doppelganger."
"So you mean Elijah's claim lacks evidence?"
"Elijah's claim is just a type of propaganda to unite Friedrich. Currently, Margrave Friedrich lacks justification for independence and is experiencing internal turmoil. In this situation, a clear enemy was needed to unite the border of Friedrich."
Hilos contemplated Caesar's words deeply.
-Caesar's claim has merit.
-Indeed, within the border of Friedrich, Caesar is being portrayed as a traitor who must be killed along with the 'Sith' of Home Town.
-Of course, if examined more deeply, Caesar's claim isn't without flaws.
-But...
"That enemy is you?"
"Yes."
Hilos nodded slightly.
"Well, I understand."
-I'll leave it at this.
-I didn't get the answer I wanted, but this much probing should ensure he doesn't underestimate me.
Hilos is a politician to the bone and always likes to be in the superior position. While Hilos needed Caesar's help, he absolutely didn't want to appear inferior to Caesar. He wanted to be at least equal, or slightly superior, you could say? He's an extremely difficult person.
"So what about my escape plan? We should discuss it."
"Before that, I would like to hear what information Your Excellency plans to reveal. You're not planning to verbally announce the Emperor's disgrace during your Foundation Day ceremony speech, are you?"
"Let's hear your plan first."
"If our conversation continues in parallel like this, we won't be finished even when the ceremony begins."
"Then you should have arrived earlier."
"Didn't I say I had unavoidable circumstances? And I brought reliable reinforcements, so I think that's sufficient."
"Is Count Vex clearly a reinforcement or not? He's just on the same boat because the enemy of my enemy..."
At that moment, a water jug and two cups floated up from the cabinet and passed between Caesar and Hilos. The water container and cups headed toward the table where Raven and Gloria were sitting. Raven poured water into a cup and said,
"Both of you, stop the pride contest and finish the conversation. The sun has already risen."
Hilos stared at Caesar for a while, then let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.
"I intend to expose the evil deeds the Emperor committed for his immortality research. And my method will be somewhat extreme."
As Caesar had expected, Hilos was planning to expose the Emperor's immortality research. In the Valent Saga too, Hilos exposed the Emperor's immortality research and sought asylum with the Redfield family. And the exposure method was extreme as Hilos said, releasing failed experiments created during the research process while simultaneously distributing documents detailing the Emperor's evil deeds to journalists. Caesar roughly knew how things would unfold, but decided to ask for confirmation.
"What do you mean by extreme?"
"I plan to release the failures created during the immortality research."
"There will be bloodshed. Is that okay? Ordinary citizens will die or get hurt."
"Some sacrifices are unavoidable."
This bastard is beyond redemption. In the end, he doesn't care who dies as long as he can kill the Emperor?
"Shouldn't we reduce unnecessary casualties?"
"Did killing the Emperor seem that easy to you? The Emperor is still the supreme ruler of this country. Would you abandon the hunt for a dragon because you're worried about hurting wild animals?"
"Still, I don't like that approach."
Hilos swirled his wine glass while looking into Caesar's eyes. He wanted to confirm whether Caesar truly thought that way or was just trying to tame Hilos.
"Do you mean you don't want to stain your hands with the blood of innocent people?"
"I mean I don't want to stain my hands with the blood of those who aren't prepared to die."
"Do you really think so?"
"I'm sincere."
Hilos retraced Caesar's journey. Erasing Freak show from the middle of this land, killing devils, establishing orphanages, and developing treatments for malaria patients. Despite many conflicts along the way, Caesar had never once disregarded the deaths of innocent citizens.
'How noble.'
The more he looked at Caesar, the more new aspects he seemed to discover. The reason Hilos requested asylum from Caesar was because he went ahead with producing malaria medicine despite causing friction with the Order, and beyond just producing the medicine, he was distributing it throughout the empire.
With that rigidity, drive, and attentiveness, he thought he could successfully complete Hilos' defection. But if the reason he could possess that rigidity, drive, and attentiveness was because of his desire to maintain integrity until the end in this chaotic and violent world...
'He's not someone who will remain a mere knight.'
Hilos wanted to know more about Caesar. Hilos drained all his drink before speaking.
"Then is there a better way? I will certainly bring down the Emperor. For that, I believe sacrifices of the innocent are absolutely necessary."
"To reveal everything the Emperor's failures have done?"
"That's right. Is there perhaps another way?"
"There is."
"What is it?"
"Let's use Count Vex."
"Count Vex...? Ah."
Hilos immediately understood what picture Caesar was painting.
"Count Vex wants to hold the justification to bring down the Emperor in his own hands. Just accurately point out the location of the immortality research lab. Then Count Vex will take care of exposing it."
Hilos looked at Caesar with a curious eye.
"Did you perhaps calculate this too?"
"If you mean bringing Count Vex to use him as an amplifier or a knife, then yes. Of course, I didn't know exactly how to use him."
Count Vex would use all his power to bring down the Emperor. Circumstantial evidence that Count Vex was preparing for independence had reached Hilos' ears as well. Count Vex would not hesitate to act as an amplifier in Hilos' place.
"Not bad."
It wasn't just not bad; it had higher completion than the plan Hilos had thought of. Just how far ahead had Caesar seen?
Was it coincidence or calculation?
Caesar took out a map from inside his clothing.
"When things get noisy around here, Raven will find you, Prime Minister, and teleport you to where the carriage is. Then you just ride that carriage straight out of Vexilla and that's it."
"How will she find me, knowing where I am?"
Raven handed Hilos a small brooch.
"Wear this. As long as it's not affected by anti-wizard influence or the artifact isn't broken, I can find you wherever you are."
Hilos put the brooch in his pocket and stood up.
"Alright. This seems sufficient."
"Prime Minister. You haven't told us the location of the immortality research lab yet."
"The location is somewhere you'd know just by mentioning it."
"Where is it?"
Hilos put on his fedora and opened the door. Sunlight poured in through the open door. Hilos's fingertip pointed toward the distant bell tower.
"The basement of the Apsin Order's Vexilla branch."
Caesar's eyes widened.
"...The Apsin Order?"
"Yes. Surprising?"
Of course it is. Why would the Apsin Order suddenly come up here? Originally, the immortality research lab wasn't in the Apsin Order but in the underground prison of the Imperial Palace.
"I thought it had a branch inside the Imperial Palace. That would be safer."
"Of course, there is a lab in the underground prison of the Imperial Palace. But that place is currently being evacuated. The headquarters is now under that Apsin Order over there."
"Why?"
"The Emperor has become urgent recently and started making deals with devils. It seems he felt uneasy about summoning devils inside the Imperial Palace, so he moved it to the Apsin Order."
Come to think of it, the Emperor had contact with those Niflheim fellows. It seems the future Caesar knew has changed because of that influence.
"Might there be a secret passage?"
"The secret passage is connected to the Eileen River sewer. The sewer number is 55. You can go in through there, or it wouldn't be bad to directly raid the basement of the Apsin Order."
The Prime Minister checked the time by opening his pocket watch and said.
"By the way, there's not much time left until the commemoration ceremony, so we'll need to move quickly."
"Understood. But is there anyone you might take with you?"
A carriage stopped in front of Hilos. Hilos hesitated briefly in front of the carriage door before speaking.
"Not anymore."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll be going now. Don't you have a lot to do?"
Hilos opened the carriage door and entered.
"Tell Count Vex I want to meet briefly before the ceremony. He'll probably trust my words more than yours."
With those final words, Hilos closed the door. As the carriage hurriedly departed, Caesar clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, stubborn old man."
Now I should go meet Count Vex.
***
Green strands of hair floated and unwound in the bathtub filled with water. Hiya tried her best to get out of the water, but couldn't escape because of the brutal hands pressing down on her neck and chest.
When her vision began to blur from the pain like sharp blades scraping her nose and throat as water entered her nose, Hiya's body was lifted. When she emerged from the water, Hiya instinctively inhaled air. The air was cursedly sweet.
Slap!
Someone slapped Hiya's cheek. A sharp sound echoed, but the pain was dull.
"You damn bitch. I asked you where Lady Olivia is! Where is she!"
Hiya looked at the floor with empty eyes and muttered quietly.
"...Don't know."
"You stubborn bitch. I should have recognized it when I first saw your dog eyes. I already knew you would commit such an act."
Hiya chuckled and said.
"Then you should have stopped me."
Thud!
Hiya's body collapsed from the kick that heavily struck her forehead. Hiya curled up like a grub, trembling violently.
'Ah... Brother.'
Hiya recalled what Pio had said while patting her head when she was young.
-I'm Hiya's knight.
-I'll become the strongest knight in the world!
Hiya loved her brother who promised to become her knight. When Pio became a knight, she felt like she had become a princess. So every night, Hiya prayed to Goddess Royder to please let her brother Pio become a knight.
-Brother! Congratulations on becoming a knight!
-Ah, yes... Thank you, Hiya.
-Brother, which knighthood are you in? Don't tell me it's the Ascension Knighthood?
-...No, I'm just a knight.
-Huh? What does that mean?
-Sorry, I'm a bit busy. See you later.
When brother Pio evaded the question, she should have noticed. Brother Pio had become the knight he had dreamed of his whole life, but he showed no sign of happiness. He looked rather sad. Hiya soon found out why her brother had such a sad expression.
-Hiya, don't look.
-B-brother. No, it can't be...?
-Damn it! Get Hiya out of here right now! Why did you bring Hiya?!
Pio was not the honorable and just knight he had dreamed of becoming.
Pio was someone who imprisoned, tortured, killed, and threatened people who displeased Count Vex in the underground prison.
Count Vex looked coldly at Pio and said.
-Make him talk immediately.
-No... This person was a friend of our father.
-Then there's no choice.
A knight held a knife to Hiya's neck. Hiya froze in shock at the threat she had never experienced before.
-Make him reveal the rebels' hideout immediately. Otherwise, I'll kill your little sister.
-What?!
Slash!
A sharp blade grazed Hiya's neck. Hiya's long hair fell to the floor, scattered. Hiya was so shocked she nearly wet herself and couldn't say anything.
-B-brother...
She could only burst into tears with glistening eyes.
-Aaaaaahhhhh!
Pio pulled out the fingernails and tortured the man who was not only their father's friend but also took care of Hiya and Pio after their father passed away. Witnessing the entire process, Hiya understood why she had become Count Vex's maid. Hiya wasn't hired as Count Vex's maid because she was good at sewing and ironing, but was captured as Pio's hostage.
"Ha... hahaha..."
Hiya let out a dry laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
"Has this bitch finally gone mad!"
Yes. Let's die. Hiya had always wanted that. She was a burden to her brother Pio. It was clear that if Hiya disappeared, brother Pio could become the righteous knight he had dreamed of his entire life.
The knight lifted Hiya's hair and put her in the bathtub. Hiya's body convulsed. Her neck was pressed so tightly that water couldn't even enter her nose. Now she might truly find peace. Hiya added her tears to the filled bathtub.
Crash!
Just then, the bathtub suddenly broke and water leaked out. Did that stupid knight apply too much force and break the bathtub? Hiya had no choice but to gasp for breath again. Not breathing wasn't something Hiya could control by will.
"What are you doing right now!"
Then, she noticed the perplexity in the voice of the knight who had been torturing her. Hiya opened her eyes that barely stayed open. An axe was embedded in the bathroom floor.
"This is..."
"Ah, a mistake. My hand must have slipped."
A red-haired man pushed aside the knights and pulled out the axe that had broken the bathtub and was stuck in the bathroom floor.
"Do you know you're interfering with Count Vex's business?!"
"That's why I said I'm sorry. It was a mistake."
Caesar cracked his neck and stood in front of the knight who had just shoved Hiya into the bathtub.
"Ah, perhaps I should have made the mistake on your head?"