Chapter 892
Chapter 892
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 892
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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“It’s doomed. Of course, there are the exiles who returned to their original world. But we’re not exiles. We’re continentals. This world is our homeland, our realm. And this world’s destruction is inevitable. There’s only one way we can escape that doom: by accepting the angels’ help.”
It was over.
The opponent’s justification was the world itself. Elena couldn’t counter that.
This was Elena’s defeat. Her plan had crumbled. All she’d done was hand the crown prince an ironclad rationale. No one could stop him from becoming emperor now.
“…Your Highness is right. I was short-sighted.”
Elena tried to withdraw.
She didn’t mention strategies like conquering all of Atlantis’s zones and trading with the divine seats to summon imperial aid. Even if she had, it would’ve been just a vague, hopeful pipe dream compared to the angels’ salvation.
I pondered why Elena had failed.
The emperor had been on the crown prince’s side from the start.
The Empire’s Five Dukes had no interest in this matter. Fool Sword Duke Noit Arphis had been swayed by Elena, but he’d never gotten a chance to act. The role she’d envisioned for Noit was a solid wedge.
The crown prince and Angelus Legion had anticipated and prepared for Elena’s moves.
And finally, the second and third princes had stayed silent. They hadn’t attacked the crown prince, their rival, to help Elena.
…The second and third princes betrayed her.
Elena must have made deals with them. She’d moved with full confidence that they coveted the throne. Third Prince Gidin had even staged a self-inflicted drama, after all.
It’s different from the original story. Why did the second and third princes give up on the throne?
Whatever the case, Elena had failed, and she’d have to lay low for a while now.
“I seem to have spoiled the festive decade banquet. I’ll return to my estate and reflect in seclusion.”
“Hold on, Fantasy Duke.”
The crown prince called Elena back. A twisted smile curled his lips.
“Fantasy Duke. Not long ago, I came across some shocking information about you.”
“…What information?”
“Information about your mother.”
Elena’s face twisted in an instant. She was so shaken she couldn’t even manage her expression, but more than that, the crown prince had struck her reverse scale.
“I heard you committed the ultimate filial impiety: killing your own mother.”
“That’s…”
“Ah, no excuses. Just say yes or no. I don’t mind if you grovel with justifications.”
“……Yes. It’s true. I killed her.”
Elena admitted it. Whether from the long debate or panic at the crown prince’s assault, her voice was hoarse.
The nobles murmured. The Valderte family’s honor would be dragged through the mud now.
“You must be wondering how I learned this. Step forward.”
One man emerged from the nobles.
An elderly noble. His hair and beard were white, his face etched with deep wrinkles. His steely gaze and firm jaw marked him as the ultimate old fogey.
That old man…
I recognized him. After racking my brain, I recalled he was a Valderte retainer. We’d crossed paths a few times, but I’d never spoken to him.
“…Viscount Goldrex. You attended the ball too?”
“I accepted His Highness’s belated invitation and attended the ball. Too old to dance, I stayed in the corner, quietly observing.”
“……What did you discuss with His Highness?”
“I merely spoke the truth that happened, the truth that needed to be known, the truth that must not vanish.”
“Aren’t you a Valderte retainer?”
“Allow me to ask you in turn, my lady. Am I a Valderte retainer?”
“……”
Elena staggered back. It was a far cry from her earlier confidence. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her lips parched dry. She looked like a cornered animal.
“Viscount Goldrex, some may not know you, so why not introduce yourself first?”
The crown prince smiled, his eyes sparkling like he was enjoying a delightful play.
“I am Highman Goldrex, viscount who has served House Valderte for seventy years. I’ve watched over the family’s history since before the current head was born.”
“What role did you play in House Valderte?”
“The dirty work.”
“Dirty work? Be specific.”
“Eliminating those who opposed the family, exploiting merchants’ weaknesses for profit, dealing with enemies of Valderte. Yes, roughly a hundred souls met their end by my hand.”
“Dirty indeed. But we’ll address that later…. Tell us about how the Fantasy Duke killed her mother.”
“The family head murdered Duchess Valderte. It was a clear day, the cicadas’ cries endless. That day, two voices thundered through the mansion from the garden—the head and the duchess quarreling. Not just I, but everyone in the mansion heard it.”
“How did the Fantasy Duke kill the duchess?”
“With a sword. Blood sprayed across the garden, her screams drowning out the cicadas.”
“Why? Why did the Fantasy Duke kill her?”
Goldrex stared at Elena for a moment, then shook his head.
“I cannot say.”
“…Hah. Playing that card now? Disappointing. No matter. When did Duchess Valderte die?”
“Around the time the head took over the family… twelve years ago.”
“Twelve years ago. I was told she died in an accident. Why does that differ from what I know? Even with sealed lips, with so many witnesses, rumors should’ve spread.”
“I myself was unaware until three weeks ago.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I was under the family head’s illusion magic. My memories were tampered with. Without Lord Gabriel’s baptism, I’d have lived forever deceived.”
The nobles buzzed, eyeing Elena with fearful gazes. She stood frozen, unable to rebut.
“She cast illusions on her own retainer to silence him…. Terrifying, truly terrifying. When did you become a monster?”
The emperor sighed.
“That’s not all, Your Majesty.”
The crown prince’s hand wasn’t played out. Riding the momentum, he exposed more of Elena’s crimes. He called other Valderte retainers, who confessed her offenses. The silver lining was no mention of her being an executive in the criminal syndicate Helten.
Nobles killed at Elena’s behest, and the gains House Valderte reaped. The crown prince didn’t stop.
“Your Majesty. Worst of all… the Fantasy Duke hired assassins to kill the third prince, my brother Gidin.”
“…Those are not words to take lightly.”
“Your Imperial Majesty! No! I admit the rest, but I had nothing to do with assassinating the third prince!”
Elena desperately intervened. The other crimes she could gloss over—compensate survivors or bury them with future power. But anything involving the imperial family couldn’t be overlooked.
The hitherto silent third prince stepped forward.
“His Highness is correct. I was attacked during the hunt. Interrogating the assailants revealed the Fantasy Duke as the mastermind. Her knights, including that one over there, were also at the hunt.”
His gaze turned to me. To think he’d rope me in too. They’d planned this thoroughly.
“Preposterous… slander, Your Majesty! The one who saved the attacked prince was the master of Aeflan Legion, whom I sponsor!”
“Gidin. Is this true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. That much is true, but I was attacked again afterward. Aeflan Legion’s aid was likely a ruse. Your Majesty, don’t forget—the assailants confessed.”
“Your Majesty! It’s a frame-up!”
Elena shouted. She tried advancing toward the throne, but the emperor raised a hand to stop her.
“This needs deeper verification. Duke Valderte… until the truth is clear, confine yourself in the underground prison.”
“Your Majesty.”
A man over two meters tall with a sturdy build stepped forward. Fool Sword Duke Noit Arphis.
“Even so, the Fantasy Duke is one of the Empire’s Five Dukes. Imprisoning her underground is excessive. No firm conclusion yet. I’ll watch her, so grant her minimal freedom.”
“……Fool Sword Duke. This isn’t a trivial matter. It involves an assault on imperial blood.”
The emperor replied reluctantly.
Seeing all eyes on Fool Sword Duke and the emperor, I moved my lips. Millennium Duke and Gabriel watched me, but I ignored them and sent a telepathic message to Iron Cold Duke Holland Ronmasid.
-Karise del Felsman. The Sleeping Princess is in House Valderte.
Holland’s eyes widened. He bit his lip and spoke bluntly to the emperor.
“Your Imperial Majesty. We must not ignore the Fantasy Duke’s loyalty to the imperial house. Grant her minimal freedom.”
“Iron Cold Duke. Even you say this….”
The emperor’s voice deepened. With two of the Empire’s Five Dukes speaking up, Elena wouldn’t end up in the underground prison.
I didn’t stop there, sending a message to Gabriel.
-Ariel.
Just one word.
Enough to move him.
“Your Imperial Majesty. Rash judgment is unwise.”
“…Gabriel. Understood. On reflection, I was too hasty. However, the investigation into Duke Valderte continues.”
“What a spectacle.”
A man’s voice came from above.
A man leaped from the third floor, landing on the first-floor ground. Navy coat, sword in hand. Balding, with a nasty scowl.
“…Banrei.”
The emperor named him.
Banrei.
Master of Barclay Legion Union.
“Emperor. I warned you. Don’t ally with Angelus Legion. As that woman said, their goal isn’t human salvation—it’s human control.”
“…Banrei. Our positions differ. You’re an exile; we’re continentals. It’s inevitable. I allied with Angelus Legion for the empire’s future. Not your place to interfere.”
“Is that so? Too bad. I make it a point to keep my word.”
Sword drawn, Banrei charged the emperor. Fool Sword Duke blocked him at invisible speed. Their blades clashed, unleashing a shockwave. Powerless civilians flew back, tumbling across the floor.
“Elena!”
Elena’s body was hurled back too. I grabbed her shoulder in alarm. Her complexion was ghastly—trembling eyes, ashen face. She looked like a corpse.
Boom! Kwang! Boom!
Explosions erupted throughout the ballroom. Dozens armed men appeared, targeting royals and nobles. Iron Cold Duke and Beast Duke moved to counter. Outside, blasts echoed. The capital was under attack. Likely Barclay Legion’s doing.
I knew Angelus and Barclay Legions were mortal enemies… but for Barclay to act like this. The emperor’s reaction too… the story’s diverged completely from the original.
First priority: get out of here.
Fortunately, Barclay’s men ignored me and Elena. Their movements suggested specific targets.
“You…”
Elena spoke. She looked at me with confused eyes.
“Why didn’t you betray me? Wasn’t this the perfect moment?”
The second and third princes’ betrayal, followed by her retainers’, had broken her mentally.
“Get a grip. I didn’t betray you.”
“Ha…. Just betray me now. You know enough important secrets. Betray me, and you’ll get what you want.”
……Should I?
I seriously considered it, then sighed. What to do in a moment like this? After a quick think, I slapped her cheek with my palm.
Smack!
“Cut the nonsense and pull yourself together, Elena.”