Chapter 147: I Need You
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: I Need You
Olivia, looking slightly surprised, rested her chin on her hand. "What kind of regret?" she asked.
"Just because you're drunk doesn't mean you have immunity for everything you say."
Her dry eyes gazed deeply at Ferda, her intentions impossible to read. Then, she spoke.
"Let’s do this. You be my first, Regent."
"…What did you just say?"
She set the bottle down and stood up. Clutching a dagger, she stumbled toward Ferda.
"Men say that dallying with a whore isn't infidelity. Since I’m destined to become a whore with noble Golden Blood instead of a princess anyway, it shouldn't matter, right?"
She spread her arms wide.
"Now, come here."
He recognized that look. It was the gaze of a thorn laced with poison—the same look Olivia had possessed back when Ferda was a mad mage. Even if she had brought William here and put on a show just to set foot on this land, the look in her eyes right now was genuine.
In the past, she had lured the Crown Prince into her bedroom and killed him, and the 2nd Prince had been executed after joining her in rebellion. Half the Empire had burned, yet it remained standing. The royal authority of the Emperor, Godfrey Arken, had only grown stronger.
Ferda approached her cautiously, acting like a man swayed by her charms—like someone who had cast off his mask to give in to his desires.
When he was close enough, Ferda moved like lightning. His target was the dagger in Olivia’s hand.
However, Olivia’s reaction speed was nothing to scoff at. She tightened her grip on the blade, blocking Ferda’s surprise move.
"Let go!" Olivia screamed.
He couldn't back down. Ferda pushed forward, and the confrontation devolved into a desperate physical struggle.
"Let go! I said let go!"
Olivia shrieked and thrashed. Ferda found it difficult; he cursed his own body for struggling to overpower a woman his own age. He tried to recall the martial arts he had learned in the past to resolve the situation, but Olivia had been trained in self-defense and was proving to be a handful.
The struggle grew messy. To end the situation before someone actually bled—
Clatter.
Olivia’s dagger rolled across the floor, landing far away. Ferda pinned her down on the bed, securing both of her hands. Drenched in sweat, they stared into each other's faces.
"Heh… Hehehe…" Olivia sneered at Ferda’s disheveled state. "So weak. Aren't you embarrassed, being a man?"
"Shut your mouth."
"Why? Do you like it rough? I’m fine with that. It’ll make me look even more miserable—"
"Shut the hell up."
Olivia was momentarily crushed by Ferda’s intensity. His eyes were burning.
"Olivia Arken."
It wasn't lust; it was pure, unadulterated anger.
"How long are you going to keep spewing such idiotic nonsense?"
"What…?"
Olivia’s face contorted, but Ferda pressed on regardless.
"I know what you’ve achieved. If it weren't for you, no one else could have accomplished what you did."
Olivia was brilliant. Honestly, Ferda respected that side of her—the way she could smile at someone she loathed and wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice herself for the greater good. It was something Ferda could never do.
"Someone like you should have known better."
He finally understood the meaning behind the smile she had worn when he handed her the records of her achievements.
"You knew that you wouldn't even be recognized for your contributions this time."
It had been a smile of certainty. A smile filled with the conviction that things would never go well.
"Knowing that full well, you dared to come to another's territory, seduce my knight, and set foot in my lands? And now you’re even threatening me with mutual destruction?"
Though she seemed to be getting swallowed by Ferda’s fury, Olivia wasn't one to back down easily. Her expression twisted at his words.
"Someone like you…" She, too, was genuinely angry now. "What do you think you know about me to talk to me like that?"
She spat the rage she had kept bottled in her heart right into Ferda’s face.
"Even if I expected it! Do you have any idea how infuriating it is to watch you spout that bullshit right in front of me?!"
I know.
"Do you know what it feels like to have your very existence denied by the power-hungry greed of those pieces of trash?!"
I know.
"I’m sure it’s easy for you to talk. You don't have a single bit of interest in me. You treat me like a simple woman, just like everyone else. You’re probably just thinking about living happily ever after with your fiancée."
That’s right.
Ferda had no interest in Olivia. It didn't matter to him what she did—whether she became the new successor of the Arken Empire or a fallen woman. All that mattered was that he lived well with Valdrova.
Or so he had thought.
But looking back at his recent actions, that wasn't the case. If he hadn't wanted her to succeed, he wouldn't have lent her the Tactical Infantry. He wouldn't have compiled the records of her achievements and handed them over. And instead of pinning her down with his bare hands, he could have used Shadow Arts to subdue her.
If he truly didn't care what happened to her, he wouldn't have done any of it.
"There is still a path for you," Ferda said in a calm voice.
Olivia’s voice lowered in turn. "What path…?"
"Don't you have the plan you already laid out?"
The Saintess. It was what Olivia had mentioned during the Grand Council.
"Instead of wallowing in self-pity over a failed, impulsive plan, isn't it time to push forward with the one you spent years preparing?"
Olivia’s expression didn't brighten. She had likely been thinking about it as well. She avoided Ferda’s gaze.
"It’s impossible." Her voice was thick with resentment. "A Saintess… not a single one has appeared since the Dragon-Demon War. It’s hard enough just to reach the Fourth Enlightenment… how am I supposed to reach the Fifth?"
Olivia was currently at the Third Enlightenment, the 3rd Circle. In reality, the 3rd Circle was the limit for most nuns. Even those who entered the depths of a monastery, cut off the secular world, and praised God found it difficult to surpass the 4th Circle through faith alone.
For Olivia, it was bound to be even more difficult. How could she focus on serving God when she had to hide her true intentions every moment in a place filled with desire?
"Find a way, no matter what."
"To make such an irresponsible demand—"
"If you commit to becoming a Saintess, I will help you by any means necessary."
To stand against the Empire, he needed allies. There was no telling what would happen or what schemes would be hatched after the Monster Subjugation War. The only person who could help from within, someone who had been watching the heart of the Empire for a long time, was Olivia.
"I need you."
Her empty eyes regained their color as she stared at Ferda. She carried the bloodline of the Arken Empire. She desired the downfall of that same Empire. That was why Ferda spoke to her.
"Move according to your original plan. Become the Saintess. If you move toward that goal, I will be on your side."
Olivia stared blankly at Ferda. Then—
"…Say it." She spoke again in a voice as faint as a mosquito's wing. "Say it again. What you just said."
"That you should become a Saintess—"
"Not that. Before that."
"According to your original plan—"
"Further back."
"I need you."
At those words, Olivia’s body flinched once more.
"Again."
Olivia repeatedly made the same request.
"What are you trying to do?"
"You said it yourself. You said you have to make me a Saintess, didn't you?" She spoke so clearly that it was hard to believe she had been drunk moments ago. "This is the moment."
He wanted to argue against whatever nonsense she was saying, but Ferda felt it clearly too—a vibration flowing from the hands pinning her down. That vibration was originating from her Dantian. The ring of faith that clerics called upon, the Red Circle, was beginning to move.
He didn't know which emotion had triggered it, but Ferda’s words had undoubtedly touched her Circle.
‘To become a Saintess, one needs the 5th Circle.’
Ferda had to make her a Saintess. If they rode this momentum, she would reach the 4th Circle.
"Just keep whispering it to me. That you need me… just say that."
Ferda did as Olivia wished. He didn't add any sweet inflection he didn't feel. He simply repeated the words "I need you" mechanically. Even so, the effect was sufficient. Like a river swollen by monsoon rains, the power grew in an instant into a torrent that threatened to swallow even Olivia herself.
Olivia focused on her Dantian. However, she struggled due to her lack of experience. It was obvious she hadn't circulated her mana properly in a long time.
"Focus slowly." Fearing she might actually die, Ferda decided to guide her. "Imagine there is another space inside your Dantian, and imagine you have hands there. Feel as though you are shaping it with those hands."
"Ngh… ugh…"
Ferda read her flow, and Olivia focused as his voice led her. Just as she had kindly taught him a clumsy dance, Ferda did not give up on her, whispering the method into her ear.
After an hour, the violently moving form gradually stabilized and compressed.
"Ah."
Olivia let out a soft exclamation. The swelling Red Circle had been molded into a perfect sphere. The ensuing catharsis filled her previously empty eyes.
"Ahhh…"
Reflected in those eyes was a single man. Gray hair and blue eyes. Her gaze, caught in a state of ecstasy, turned toward Ferda with deep affection.
"My…"
Olivia couldn't finish her sentence and closed her eyes. He thought she might have lost consciousness, but she had simply fallen asleep.
Ferda left Olivia and went downstairs. William was there. Having finished treating his wounds, he had even wiped Ferda’s dagger clean and was waiting. Since he was the one who had caused this, he had to be the one to see it through.
"Carry the Princess on your back and follow me to the castle. You are still my man."
"Yes…"
William quietly followed his order.
* * *
The next morning.
"I apologize, Regent. I showed you a disgraceful side of myself."
She wasn't wearing her princess attire, but one of the spare outfits from the castle. She masked the smell of alcohol with perfume and thoroughly hid her hangover behind a practiced mask.
Ferda replied to her apology, "Did something happen?"
Olivia’s eyes widened at his words. Then, she let out a small chuckle. "No, nothing happened."
"Indeed."
There were no stories between a man and a woman that night. That was for the best for both of them.
"Did you report that I was here?"
"Yes."
He intentionally left out the part about William smuggling her in. He explained that he hadn't noticed at first and only found out after the incident occurred and he re-investigated. Even if a mistake was fatal, it was better than it being intentional.
Naturally, Alexander had thrown a fit, demanding how they could possibly not know. But when Ferda countered by asking how they were supposed to know when even the Imperial mages didn't, Alexander shut up like a rat. He simply left word that he would come to receive her the next morning.
"I explained that the reason wasn't a simple runaway, but that you came to negotiate."
Olivia tilted her head. Was there anything there to explain?
"I explained that the Princess had something she was aiming for and had entered secretly to negotiate for it."
"Something I was aiming for?"
Ferda flicked his finger. Ruri opened the door, and the man waiting outside walked in.
"I am Helus Fobidas, the Sage of Water."
Olivia skillfully donned her mask of smiles and welcomed him. "It is an honor to meet the Sage. I am Olivia Arken, the Imperial Princess."
"You flatter me. You are truly as beautiful as the rumors say."
Helus’s eyes seemed to suffer from indecision, vibrating wildly as they darted between her chest and her face. Suddenly, the dialect Olivia had spat out earlier came to mind. She skillfully hid her disgust and smiled innocently.
Ferda signaled him with his eyes to stop the nonsense and speak quickly.
"Regent Ferda told me. He said that if it weren't for the Princess’s operation, I would have surely met a grim fate as well."
"Not at all. My goal was to rescue the common citizens, and I simply happened to stop by the Sage’s home by chance."
"It is only right for a person to repay a kindness. Since you said the Empire desires my wisdom, I shall lend you my strength."
Olivia looked genuinely surprised. "Are you saying you will retract your statement about not being affiliated and become the wisdom of the Empire?"
"That is correct. Looking at the current state of affairs, I foresee a great crisis approaching not only the Empire but the entire Serdes Continent." Helus spoke while placing a hand over his heart. "In times like these, should we not cooperate for the peace of the Empire and the continent?"
"Oh my…" With a face that looked deeply moved, Olivia grasped Helus’s hand. "Thank you so much. On behalf of the Empire, I sincerely thank you for your choice, Sage."
"Hahaha!! It is only natural, so there is no need for that!"
He seemed to be trying his best to hide his emotions, but it was impossible to conceal his swelling pride. After receiving a promise that he would accompany them to the capital, Helus withdrew.
Olivia, who had been wearing a benevolent smile, quietly returned to her seat, sprayed perfume on a handkerchief, and wiped her hands. It was the action one took after touching filth.
"That pig is a double, right?"
As expected, she was sharp.
"If I bring someone like that back, people will say the Princess brought back a pig. Are you sure you intend to support me?"
A hint of resentment toward Ferda was mixed in her voice. But if he had wanted to screw her over, he would have used a different method.
"He is indeed the Helus Fobidas the world speaks of."
"He’s really the man himself?"
"Yes. He is capable of providing wisdom befitting a Sage’s reputation."
Olivia compared the Helus she had just seen with his reputation. No matter how she looked at him, he seemed like nothing more than a local influential figure who lived for his desires, without a shred of wisdom to be found.
"If you don't want to take him, I won't stop you."
"Hmm, I don't know how his abilities are used… but I suppose he’ll be necessary."
She had left home on a whim, but if there was a separate reason for that impulsive behavior, things changed. The achievement of recruiting the Sage of Water wouldn't be easily belittled like her contribution being reduced to 3%.
"Thank you truly. For everything…" Olivia conveyed her gratitude.
The court mages arrived after deploying a teleportation magic circle. Their faces were pale as they paid their respects and hurriedly took the Princess and Helus back with them. Olivia waved to Ferda until the very end.
And so, the Princess’s commotion came to an end.
* * *
Alexander Arken was holding a secret meeting with his close aides. One aide, who was in charge of intelligence, cautiously delivered the news.
"It seems they intend to handle this situation with extreme severity."
The aide spoke with a trembling voice. No matter how much power the Crown Prince enjoyed while the Emperor was in seclusion, it was only "comparable" power. But "comparable" wasn't enough.
"Has it… been formed?"
"Yes."
Because "comparable" power couldn't stop them.
"The Arken Crisis Response Headquarters is about to move."
The Crisis Response Headquarters. A group with such immense power that it wouldn't be strange to say they were directly under the Emperor. Even the Crown Prince couldn't dare to touch them recklessly.
"All this over the loss of a single legion…" Alexander muttered, loud enough for others to hear.
His closest aides swallowed their disbelief. The situation was more than enough for the Crisis Response Headquarters to move; in fact, it wouldn't have been strange if heads had already rolled.
Fortunately, that wasn't necessary. Someone else had already taken the fall.
"What about the ones who spread that plague?"
The "plague" referred to the generals who had suddenly fallen ill and were unable to deploy.
"You need not worry; we have eliminated their entire families and estates."
By pinning all the accumulated sins on them at once, they were made to be burned alive. It was the worst possible end.
Normally, Alexander would have felt refreshed, but he didn't. Regardless, once the Crisis Response Headquarters was formed, a hearing would be held, and Alexander’s punishment would be decided there.
To avoid it, he had to pin the blame on someone else—someone close by, with the heaviest responsibility.