Banquet of Blood (2)
The banquet hall had descended into utter chaos the moment the incident occurred.
“Y-Your Majesty…!!”
Screams echoed from every corner as nobles who had witnessed the brutal murder firsthand shrieked in horror. The royal guards stood frozen, completely at a loss. Who could have predicted it? That a princess would murder her own mother—the Empress—right before her eyes.
Yet there were those who moved with startling speed.
“Secure Her Majesty at once!!”
The Imperial Knights. The order known as the Empire’s Blade swiftly formed a defensive perimeter around Diana. Then they seized Morgan.
“Rescue the Princess! Princess Morgan is the true Empress of this nation!”
As if it had all been prearranged, nobles led by Duke Deloa sprang into action. They charged the knights while shouting their support for Morgan.
“Treason! This is treason!!”
The battle between the knights and the rebels had begun.
Weapons were supposed to be forbidden inside the banquet hall except for the royal guards and the Imperial Knights. Yet the traitors were all armed. On top of that, private soldiers belonging to the nobles had somehow burst into the hall.
“D-Demons…!”
Nero, who had been watching the scene, muttered under her breath. Her eyes were glowing—she must have activated her unique magic. She pointed at Duke Deloa’s faction and cried out in shock.
“I’ll use magic,”
Daeho said quietly. He began a short incantation, then shouted.
“Bind—!”
Chains suddenly erupted from the shadows beneath the traitors and shackled them. Legs, arms, torsos—every part of their bodies was restrained.
“W-What the hell is this?!”
It wasn’t just the nobles who had joined the rebellion. Even the terrified nobles trembling nearby, the servants carrying food, and several of the Imperial Knights were caught in the binding.
“Are they all restrained?”
“Yes, it looks like almost everyone.”
Nero nodded at Daeho’s question. The marking they had done earlier while walking around with Nero before the incident had taken effect. Every person confirmed to be affiliated with the Demon King’s army had been pre-marked with the spell.
“Damn it…!”
The captured rebels twisted their bodies desperately, trying to break free, but it was useless.
“Strengthen—!”
That was why Daeho had immediately reinforced the binding. The White Night family’s magic was known to be far more powerful than ordinary spells. Still, even I hadn’t expected it to be this strong.
“Ugh… blegh… the backlash from the magic…”
The downside, of course, was the heavy burden it placed on the caster. Blood streamed from Daeho’s nose and ears.
The recoil from using multiple spells simultaneously had hit him all at once.
“Heal.”
I immediately cast healing magic at full power.
“You’ll be fine.”
“As expected of Sir Sieg… you saved me again. Thank you.”
The bleeding had stopped, but Daeho’s face remained deathly pale. Even so, he pressed forward, leaning one shoulder against me.
“We need to rescue Empress Diana before it’s too late.”
“Y-Yes. Sir Sieg, do you think it’s possible? Please… save my mother.”
Nero’s voice had grown nasal from crying. I nodded at her pleading gaze.
“Of course.”
We headed straight for the Empress.
*
“Your Majesty…”
Rose, captain of the Imperial Knights. Having served the Empress for fifteen long years, her guilt was overwhelming. Why hadn’t she been able to protect her?
The instant Morgan swung her sword at Diana, Rose had seen it. Just for a split second, but she had definitely seen the glinting blade.
“Ugh…”
But in that moment of hesitation, it was already too late. Perhaps she had let her guard down. She never imagined the princess would draw a sword in that place.
The moment she registered that Morgan was holding a blade, Diana was already screaming and bleeding before Rose’s body could even react.
A Sword Master—one of only six on the entire continent—had failed to protect her own liege. Rose could only lament her own inadequacy.
“Rooose…”
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t speak. The artery was missed, but the esophagus was pierced. The bleeding won’t stop. We’re looking for a healer, so please endure just a little longer.”
Rose held Diana with trembling hands and begged. Just a little longer. Just until a healer arrived and could cast their magic.
“Ugh…”
But Diana shook her head. She seemed to sense her own death approaching. Instead, with a withered finger, she traced something on the back of Rose’s hand.
—Forgive her…
— Diana
The words were a mother’s plea, laced with concern. Even knowing that Princess Morgan had assassinated her, she was asking Rose to forgive her daughter.
“M-Me? I… I… k-killed… Mother… ugh…”
Morgan, who had been seized immediately after stabbing Diana, clutched her head and screamed. She acted as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened. The sight was utterly repulsive.
How much had Her Majesty cherished her? Though it had been sudden, Diana had been overjoyed by the positive change in her daughter. Even when Morgan behaved hatefully or caused trouble, the Empress had believed she would eventually come to her senses. She had taken the girl’s transformation as proof of solid trust.
That was why she had simply wanted Morgan to find a husband, settle down, and lead the next generation of the Empire. Rose, who had watched Diana’s heart closer than anyone, loathed Morgan for it.
‘Your Majesty… it seems I won’t be able to keep that promise.’
The moment Diana’s breathing stopped, Rose had already resolved to cut Morgan down. Fortunately, Princess Nero was still healthy. She would crown Nero as Empress and execute Morgan.
Just as expected—people don’t change. She never should have trusted her. If only she hadn’t believed in that good-for-nothing Morgan, this future would never have come to pass.
“…Where is the healer?”
Rose cried out desperately as Diana’s body grew colder and colder.
“T-They can’t be found. The captain of the Second Knight Order went to look for them.”
“Damn it!”
Rose knew the Saint and the high priests were supposed to be attending this banquet. Why were they absent at a time like this? Her boiling rage turned toward them as well.
“The Saint of the One God Church couldn’t even foresee a situation like this?! Even if she can’t prophesy, shouldn’t she be here at a moment like this…! Damn it all!!”
“…”
Only silence answered her. The poor subordinates looked deeply uncomfortable.
‘O God, if You truly exist… please save Her Majesty.’
Rose clung to Diana and began to pray.
‘Don’t You know how faithfully she has served You? If You know that, please do not abandon her.’
Her cries were mixed with resentment. She prayed like that for a short while, holding Diana close, but nothing came in return. The only change was that Diana’s ragged breathing had grown quiet.
She could no longer hold on. If a healer didn’t arrive immediately and cast their magic, it would be too late. There wasn’t a single healer—or anyone from the Church—nearby.
“Your Majesty, I will resolve this situation.”
Judging there was no more hope, Rose stood up. She drew the sword that Diana had personally bestowed upon her.
Step. Step. Step.
Her footsteps were heavy. Her target was Morgan, and the traitors who followed her. Consumed by the rage that ruled her entire body, she wrapped her blade in sword qi.
—Vrrrrrr.
As the sword qi violently enveloped the blade, even her beloved sword seemed to cry out in sorrow.
“After I clean this up, I will commit seppuku for failing to uphold my duty. So please… watch over me.”
Rose stood before Morgan and raised her sword. She swung it down. The instant Morgan’s body was about to be sliced in two—
“Aegis Shield—!”
A familiar voice rang in her ear.
Boom—!
The Sword Master’s strike had been blocked. A blow that could slice through steel with ease… blocked?! What stopped it was a thick wall of mana. There was only one person here capable of casting such advanced magic.
“Second Princess…?”
Before Rose stood the Second Princess Nero, breathing hard, the Countess of White Night who looked just as terrible as the Empress had, and an impossibly handsome young man.
*
“How is she, Sir Sieg? Will she be alright?”
Nero asked, pointing at the Empress.
“Just a moment.”
Quite a bit of time had passed. The floor was soaked with so much blood that it squelched underfoot, yet a faint heartbeat could still be felt.
‘The golden time is five to ten minutes, right…’
Even if the artery was missed, exceeding that window meant death. Even if she received treatment, she might fall into a coma, or suffer organ damage that could impair her brain or eyes. Under normal circumstances, she would either die or become a vegetable.
‘If there were no healing magic, that is.’
But this was a world where magic that surpassed imagination existed. A miraculous magic that could completely cure any condition with a single snap.
“W-Wait… what exactly are you trying to do? Princess.”
As I approached the Empress, a woman who appeared to be the knight captain blocked my path.
“No matter that you are a princess, I cannot forgive any action that disrespects Her Majesty.”
“Sir Rose, this man is a healer.”
The seemingly unhinged Sir Rose snapped at Nero in a rough, sharp voice. But Nero calmly explained.
“A m-man is a healer? Does that even make sense?”
“He is an officially recognized healer by the Church.”
“No way… that can’t be… A male healer?! But even if he is a healer, for a wound this severe, he’d need to be at least on the level of the Saint.”
The healer examination came to mind. I remembered that they assigned ranks based on the severity of symptoms and curses during the test.
“Here’s my license.”
And the results from back then were clearly listed on my certification.
Healing Magic License
Rank: 6
Certified by the One God Church
“Sixth rank!?”
Sixth rank was considered Saint-level. Even the high priests were only fifth rank.
“In that case… please, I beg you to save Her Majesty.”
Sir Rose accepted the truth faster than expected. She grabbed my arm and pleaded.
“If you can just save her, I will repay the rudeness I showed you in any way possible. So please…”
“S-Sir Sieg can do it.”
Nero declared with unshakable faith. I nodded and raised my hand.
“Heal—!”
A brilliant light enveloped Diana. The color that had been fading from her face as if she might stop breathing at any moment returned.
“Nero? Sir Rose?”
The Empress’s voice sounded gentle. She had survived.
“How is this possible?!”
As the Empress tried to grasp the situation, Sir Rose slowly explained. That I had saved Diana, who had been on the verge of death, with my magic. The Empress looked momentarily skeptical, but after Nero’s passionate explanation, she nodded.
“Remarkable. I had heard that a male healer had appeared from the Church, but I never imagined it would be you.”
“Right? Isn’t he amazing?”
Nero chimed in enthusiastically at the Empress’s admiration, as proud as if she were talking about herself.
“Yes, truly remarkable… And to think a man can wield magic on the level of the Saint. Even if one searched the ancient records, such a case would be unheard of… And his face is incredibly handsome too. Hmm.”
The Empress looked me up and down. She showed no sign of having been on death’s door just moments ago. After seeming lost in thought for a while, she smiled brightly.
And then she said,
“Would you consider becoming Nero’s husband?”
It was a shocking proposal.