Chapter 307: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 307
The knight glared at Caesar and growled.
"What do you intend to do if Count Vex finds out about this?"
"Is that all you can say, invoking Count Vex's name? Don't you have the guts to swing at me yourself?"
Veins bulge on the knight's neck. His pride must have been quite severely scratched.
Well, it's not easy to say nice things to someone who threw an axe at the back of your head. But that doesn't mean torturing a woman weaker than yourself is something a knight should do, right?
"Tell Count Vex. I have something to say before the ceremony begins."
"Why don't you go find him yourself?"
"Isn't that why I came here? I definitely knew Count Vex was staying in this hotel suite. I'll be here until he comes, so keep that in mind."
Caesar brought a towel and wiped the water from Hiya's head.
"That woman could be an accomplice who aided in the kidnapping of Lady Olivia. Stop that right now."
"And if I refuse?"
"Get out of the way right now!"
Bang!
At that moment, the sound of the suite door breaking and people walking in could be heard. He knew without looking.
It was Count Vex and the Ascension Knights. Count Vex was wearing armor and a sword sturdy enough to go straight to the battlefield.
Since the Count is also a knight, wearing armor might be acceptable, but going to the ceremony in such full battle gear could only be seen as blatantly disrespecting the Emperor. Once he decides to cause trouble, he's going all out.
"What's all this commotion?"
"We were interrogating an accomplice in Lady Olivia's kidnapping, but Viscount El Lindger interfered."
Count Vex's sharp gaze turned toward the knight. The silent reprimand, as if asking why he couldn't handle this one thing properly, cut into the knight. The knight trembled with rage as he looked at Caesar.
"We'll talk later."
Count Vex stood at the bathroom entrance, glaring at Caesar.
"I heard you were looking for me. Is it because of that woman?"
"No."
"Then why are you protecting her?"
"I was waiting for you, but it was noisy. I'm not patient enough to wait for you while listening to someone being water-tortured."
"I see."
Count Vex laughed as if amused.
"I think I finally understand a bit about you."
Count Vex tapped his sword handle as he approached Caesar.
"How far have you gone for what you want? You must have killed people, so have you ever conducted an interrogation?"
"I've never conducted an interrogation like this."
"Like this? What do you mean by 'like this'? Like this?"
Bang!
As Count Vex's sword flew toward Hiya, Caesar swung his axe to block it. The sharp sound of steel against steel sent chills down the spine.
"What would you do to get your daughter back?"
"Since I don't have children yet, I'm not sure, but if I were in your position, I'd want to save her by any means necessary. But isn't this different from capturing and torturing an innocent person?"
"This woman is innocent? How would you know that?"
Count Vex withdrew his sword.
"Do you know something? Ah, perhaps you were the one who ordered Pio to kidnap my daughter?"
"How could that be possible?"
"Then step aside. You're an outsider who has nothing to do with this matter."
Count Vex's argument was legitimate. What wouldn't a father do to save his daughter? But Caesar knew that Hiya didn't know anything. Pio didn't kidnap Olivia; Olivia voluntarily followed Pio.
But at this point, he became curious.
How did Count Vex think about Olivia? Was he really torturing the kidnapper's family just because they might have information about Olivia out of genuine concern for her? Or was he just angry that something belonging to ‘Count Vex’ had been taken?
-Pio wouldn't have kidnapped Olivia without a reason.
-If they touched my family, they should know their family could die too.
-When I find Olivia, I'll chew you and this woman to pieces, Pio.
Should I call it unexpected? Count Vex was genuinely anxious and impatient about losing Olivia.
This meant that Count Vex loved Olivia as his child. How could such a person have been so cruel to Olivia?
"I have a way to help you."
"Oh, really? How do you intend to help? Ah, perhaps you plan to use your psychometry ability?"
"No. Raven will help."
Raven entered the bathroom using blink magic.
"Raven, can you help a bit?"
"Sure."
Raven looked straight into Hiya's eyes and said.
"Do you know anything about Lady Olivia's kidnapping?"
Hiya gently shook her head.
"...No. I don't know anything."
"Do you really not know?"
"Yes. I don't know anything."
"I understand."
Raven looked at Count Vex and said.
"She really doesn't know."
The knight who had been interrogating her snorted.
"Of course she would say she doesn't know, wouldn't she?"
"I analyzed the magic waves and found no trace of lying. This woman doesn't know anything."
Count Vex glared at Raven and said.
"Can you take responsibility for that?"
"Yes. This woman knows nothing."
"I see."
Count Vex's sword stabbed Hiya. Caesar grabbed the sword. His palm was torn and blood flowed down the blade.
"What are you doing?"
"Since she claims to know nothing, I was going to gouge out her eyes."
This crazy psycho bastard. Caesar tightened his grip.
"Are you trying to vent your anger?"
"Shouldn't they pay the price for daring to kidnap my daughter?"
"Then you should gouge out the eyes of the kidnapper, why are you swinging your sword at an innocent person?"
"Because."
Count Vex slowly began pushing Caesar back with force.
"That guy can't bear to see his little sister hurt more than himself getting hurt."
This bastard is seriously crazy. Well, it's wrong to expect human compassion from someone who believes human lives have different values. Count Vex looked at Caesar's blood dripping on the floor and said.
"It seems you want to save this insignificant woman's eyeball. In my opinion, your palm is worth more than that woman's left eye."
"I appreciate your high evaluation of my left hand, but I can endure this much to save an innocent person's eye."
"Interesting."
Count Vex withdrew his sword. The Count wiped the blood-stained sword with a cloth and said.
"Let's stop here. I think I've learned a lot about you today."
-I thought you were a man of great ambition, but you're more of a knight who values nobility.
-No, to be more precise, you're someone who absolutely refuses to cross the lines you've drawn.
-You're a human who lacks the flexibility to be a servant to others.
-But you shine.
-I can see why the citizens of Homigraph call Caesar the King of Homigraph.
Gloria immediately ran over and wrapped Caesar's left hand with a cloth.
"Master, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine."
Count Vex said to his knights.
"Lock that woman in this room. Pio will definitely come to rescue Hiya, so don't take your eyes off her."
"Yes. Understood."
The Count threw the blood-stained cloth on the floor and put his sword back in its sheath.
"Now, let's get to the main point. You're not thinking of ruining the plan just because of that one woman, are you?"
It's obvious he's trying to scratch at Caesar's pride. He seems to want to gauge how much Caesar needs Count Vex. Caesar wrapped his palm with the cloth and said.
"No. Let's start right away."
Count Vex looked down at Hiya briefly and said.
"Not here. There's an outsider."
"Let's go to the next room. Raven, please."
After Raven placed a sound block in the adjacent room, Count Vex entered the room.
***
As Caesar and Raven, along with Gloria and several of Count Vex's close associates entered the room, Caesar immediately got to the main point.
"His Excellency Minister Hilos has been looking for you, Count."
Count Vex sat on the table and nodded as if he had expected it.
"So your collaborator was His Excellency the Minister."
"Have you had separate contact with His Excellency the Minister?"
"No, I just thought that if you speak with such confidence, such a person must be included in the plan. So, what are you trying to do with the Minister?"
"His Excellency the Minister has informed me of the location of the Emperor's secret laboratory."
"Secret laboratory?"
"Yes. It seems to be a place where research on immortality was conducted."
Count Vex's eyes showed a hint of curiosity. Rumors that the Emperor was researching immortality had already spread among the nobles for a long time.
However, the location of the laboratory or exactly what research was being conducted had not been revealed.
"There are exactly two locations. The dungeons beneath the Imperial Palace and beneath the Apsin Order."
"Apsin Order?"
"Yes. The Apsin Order outside the Imperial Palace. If we raid that place, we should be able to find the secret laboratory."
"Are you certain there is a secret laboratory there?"
"His Excellency the Minister has confirmed it personally. It's definitely there. And there's evidence linking it to the Emperor too."
Count Vex's mind was racing. The Emperor's secret laboratory where unethical experiments were being conducted.
Count Vex rescuing people suffering as experimental subjects by raiding the secret laboratory. If that image were captured by journalists and spread throughout the country, Count Vex's support would undoubtedly skyrocket.
"There are only two passages - Sewer No. 55 on the Eileen River and the Apsin Order. If we raid those places, we'll get answers immediately."
"Why not touch the dungeon?"
"I heard that the laboratory is being evacuated and there's barely any evidence left. The current headquarters is beneath the Apsin Order."
Count Vex thought for a moment and then spoke.
"Then what does His Excellency the Minister want? Is he thinking of pushing out the current Emperor and becoming the new Emperor?"
"You should ask him directly at today's commemorative event. Shouldn't you double-check if what I'm saying is correct?"
Count Vex checked the clock hanging on the wall. It's already 8 AM. The event starts at 10, so they needed to leave quickly by carriage.
"Good. Except for a few Ascension Knights, have everyone stand by at the Apsin Order and Sewer No. 55. As soon as I arrive at the Apsin Order, I'll go in and secure evidence."
"Yes."
Count Vex pointed at Caesar and said.
"And Caesar, you'll have to move with me."
"Will I also enter the Apsin Order with you?"
"Since you planned this, you should participate too."
He's suspicious until the very end. Well, Caesar wanted to enter the Emperor's secret laboratory anyway.
"Recently, I need to find out what those Niflheim guys have been talking about.
"Very well."
"Then let's move."
***
The commemorative ceremony was held at Goldmile Square where the statue of the founding Emperor stood.
Count Vex looked out the window while riding on the exclusive road for event attendees.
"I wondered why the event was being held at Goldmile Square instead of the usual Twelve Knights Square in front of the Imperial Palace, but this was the plan from the beginning."
Goldmile Square was only about 500m away from the Apsin Order. There had been a parade since 8 AM before the event, and people had filled up to 1km around Goldmile Square to watch the parade.
If monsters were to emerge and attack citizens in such a crowded situation, it would surely become a catastrophe that would remain in imperial history.
Of course, Caesar would prevent such a thing from happening.
"How much do you know about the Empire's history?"
"Well, I know as much as others do."
"That means you don't know much."
"Why? Are you planning to give me a history lecture on the way?"
"Seeing you talk like that, it seems you really don't know anything about history."
Why is this bastard suddenly trying to make small talk instead of just going quietly? It's annoyingly tiresome.
"What are you trying to say?"
Count Vex looked at Raven and said.
"You've studied history, so you would know. The Empire's history is extremely sloppy. What do you think is the reason for that?"
Raven thought for a moment about how to respond, then opened her mouth.
"Because the history of the Imperial common language used by the Empire isn't very long."
"Exactly. Because we forgot the very characters used during the forgotten era. That's why the first thing the founding Emperor did before establishing the country was to create a language. And it took about 10 years to create a language that could be read and written at a basic level."
Count Vex looked at the writing on signs and said.
"And that language has been developed and improved by linguists until now to become the current Imperial common language. So I have one question. Why did we lose our language?"
Even if Caesar didn't know much about this country's history, he knew this.
"I heard that dragons eliminated it."