53. Emperor (4)
53. Emperor (4)
Yuma was climbing the stairs after finishing his early morning walk. His mind was full of the things he had to deal with in the future.
First, he began to worry about the Demon Realm Army that he would have to face in five months.
Kulleok─!
But he coughed up blood. He barely managed to cover his mouth with a handkerchief and wiped away the blood.
This was the expulsion of impurities from his body converting its blood into Ten-Thousand-Poison Immune Blood, the result of the <Fruit of Invulnerability to Poison> he ate yesterday to gain an invulnerable-to-all-poisons body.
Yuma thought of the Demon Realm Army again.
The time left until they invaded: five months.
"Not much time left...."
He had to properly lay out his schedule for the coming days again.
Yuma climbed the stairs while continuing to ponder.
***
"...."
Bel felt all the questions she'd been carrying suddenly resolve themselves in her mind at once.
Why did Yuma use Sword Aura only at the moment of striking down an enemy?
To defeat enemies with the least amount of force.
'To avoid putting too much strain on his body....'
In a situation where his body was severely aged, if he kept using aura, it would naturally take a toll on his life.
Seuseuk...
Bel took a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped away the faint traces of Yuma's blood on the stair railing.
Bel barely calmed her heart, which was pounding with a 'kung-gwang', and climbed the stairs.
'A method.'
Was there a way to extend Yuma's lifespan?
But Bel, who had not been out of the White Night lands for long, could not think of a way to extend Yuma's lifespan.
And she also knew deep down that these worries were futile. Because given Yuma's personality, there was no way he hadn't already tried every possible method.
Eudeuk!
Bel ground her teeth at the rising sense of helplessness.
'No more.'
And she resolved.
'I had to make sure Yuma never used a sword again.'
The 'Sword of Yuma' she had called herself to become his right arm.
She had to make that not just a self-proclaimed title.
"Hoo-ah... aah."
Bel steadied her breathing and wiped away the tears that had welled up beneath her soft pink eyes.
'Should I tell them?'
Bel fell into deep thought. Should she tell Brigitte, Cloné, and Hestia about Yuma's physical condition?
Bel, who had been worrying, slowly shook her head and climbed the stairs.
The fact that Yuma had said yesterday he was a little tired and wanted to be alone stuck in her mind.
'Yesterday must have been even worse than now....'
That must have been why he was reluctant to go outside.
He tried hard to hide it.
He was enduring his own pain alone.
Bel didn't want to render Yuma's efforts—his consideration for them—futile.
'How much time was left?'
Yuma's life. The time remaining until that brilliant flame of life would dwindle─
Would she have the courage to ask Yuma about it?
Her heart began to race again.
It felt like a sense of helplessness far stronger than when she had properly faced the karma of the White Night Clan at the end of age four was pressing down on her body from the top of her head.
At 16. When the young boy she used to play with as a child couldn't endure the clan's fence and crossed the territory, his heart stopped and he died.
When she ate almost nothing for a week because of that.
The overwhelming misery and helplessness that had crushed her body back then replayed throughout her whole body.
Bel slowly climbed the stairs.
Very slowly.
***
At the breakfast table of the 1st Princess Palace.
Seuseuk!
"You've come, Yuma."
Deureuk-
As soon as Brigitte saw Yuma, she abruptly stood up and suddenly pulled out the chair to her left.
"Sit."
Yuma, seeing that bizarre sight, couldn't help but say something.
"What kind of heir to the throne pulls out a chair for someone else like this? Don't you have any dignity?"
At Yuma's very reasonable words, 1st Princess Brigitte let out a faint dry cough.
"...You said you were a little tired. This is my way of being considerate."
Brigitte was speaking so transparently and honestly about having received word through Head Attendant Roian that Yuma couldn't help but let out a light laugh.
"You're doing something that doesn't suit you. Don't worry, I'm literally just a little tired."
Brigitte and Cloné, who was sitting to the right, nodded in relief at Yuma's words.
Come to think of it, the leader of the <Dawn Revolutionary Group>, Cassiela, whom he had sent in advance, was nowhere to be seen in the 1st Princess Palace.
"Where's Cassiela?"
Brigitte's eyes lit up.
"Ah, the subordinate you sent. Indeed, Yuma, she seemed worthy of your trust. She decided it would be better to perfectly monitor the 1st Prince rather than guard me, so she's set up positions in front of the 1st Prince's palace and in nearby buildings, constantly watching First Prince Schubertche's movements. She moved with half her forces."
"I see."
Yuma thought Cassiela's judgment wasn't bad.
Unlike the submissive attitude she'd shown in front of Yuma, Cassiela had always lived aggressively in the world. So this time as well, she seemed to have made an aggressive decision rather than a conventional one.
"She said she'll keep watching there until I've fully completed the coronation ceremony."
Yuma nodded and then pointed out another person who wasn't visible.
"Where did Bel go?"
At Yuma's words, Cloné slowly parted her delicate lips.
"Bel unni said she has no appetite right now and will eat separately later."
"Is that so."
Yuma spooned up the soup. As expected, the imperial chef's cooking was perfect, even with something as simple as soup.
Yuma's gaze shifted back to 1st Princess Brigitte.
"Has the date for the coronation been set?"
Brigitte nodded.
"In twenty days. The announcement to the nobles is all finished. Since it was approved at the Grand Noble Council... now even if Father wakes and names my brother as the next emperor, it will be hard to change the tide."
Brigitte downed a glass of water and continued.
"But if Father hears everything that's happened, he wouldn't name my brother."
So she would be crowned at the end of August.
Yuma put a piece of steak in his mouth. The juices flowed luxuriously in his mouth.
"Among the races that live in the sea, are there any that are friendly to humans?"
In <Loof Blood>, the Fishmen Tribe and whales were friendly to humans.
The Fishmen Tribe were akin to warriors of the sea.
Whales were lifeforms that represented the tranquility of the sea, the sea's guardians themselves.
Brigitte gave an answer to the question.
"The Fishmen Tribe and the Whale Tribe."
It seemed the Fishmen tribe and the Whale Tribe were also friendly toward humans in this world.
Yuma took out his notebook.
"Demon Realm Army."
Brigitte, Cloné, and Hestia's brows furrowed faintly.
"He said they'd invade in five months. That guy."
Those were the words of God Inkrinu.
"As you all heard. He mentioned something called the Book of Revelation. As if there's a book of prophecy only gods can read."
<Book of Revelation>.
"He spoke as if it contained information about the Demon Realm Army. So the invasion of the Demon Realm Army is probably a scheduled course of events."
Take what is needed.
Yuma intended to prepare for the Demon Realm Army together with Brigitte.
Brigitte realized what Yuma meant by his previous words.
"Understood. Right after the enthronement ceremony, I'll have preparations made to head to the western coast of the empire. Maps, the customs... culture of those other races. The current situation. I'll order that everything be prepared."
The demons wouldn't discriminate between land, sea, and air when invading.
Even in the thousand-year-old records left in the imperial archives, the Demon Realm Army had invaded simultaneously by land, sea, and air. With an army of tens of thousands.
And from the standpoint of the imperial throne, building friendly relations with the neighboring other races was necessary. Even more so in a situation like now where the empire could fall into crisis.
Brigitte stopped eating her steak and stared at Yuma.
Yuma felt Brigitte's gaze piercing through him and suddenly stopped his right hand holding the fork.
"Do you have something to say? Brigitte."
"...I've become very ashamed of myself. Seeing you endlessly contemplate and move to prepare for the dark clouds, Yuma."
Huk! Huk!
Cloné, the black-haired, golden-eyed mage who had been quietly eating soup, also nodded her head vigorously as if agreeing with the princess's words.
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
"I'm just trying to do something. There's nothing to gain by staying still. Because there's not much time left."
That was Yuma's honest words.
It felt like floating alone on the vast ocean.
It felt like a castaway with nothing to lean on but a shabby little boat.
There were too many enemies.
The Seven Evil Gods waiting far ahead.
And the Demon Realm Army waiting nearby.
Therefore, Yuma couldn't stay still.
Because if he kept moving diligently, he might reap some unexpected rewards.
"Yuma-nim."
Cloné spoke, staring at Yuma with her clear golden eyes.
Those eyes held firm faith and deep affection.
"I'll work harder too. So I can be of help."
So I can be of help to you, Yuma-nim.
Cloné swallowed the most important part and spoke. It was because of the burden her blind affection and loyalty might put on him.
"So please don't overdo it. Yuma-nim."
The end of Cloné's words was trembling slightly.
"When you stayed in your quarters and rested yesterday without coming out... I was really worried..."
As Cloné's words ended, Brigitte's voice was heard from the side.
"Yeah, you don't have to do all the thinking too. I'll work harder."
Yuma couldn't understand why these two comrades were suddenly acting like this. He'd just holed up in his room for a day.
On top of that, the Cat Tribe swordswoman, Hestia, added her piece.
"When a fight breaks out, I'll kill even one more bastard! Kwak! So don't overdo it, Yuma."
Since they were so worried, he slowly nodded.
"Alright, I'll try not to make you worry anymore."
After finishing his meal, Yuma headed to the training ground next to the princess's palace. For some reason, he was certain Bel would be there.
He saw a woman of about twenty.
Sswae-aek─!
There was a swordswoman with fluttering blue hair, who continued to swing her sword from top to bottom with disciplined movements, paying no mind to the sweat running down her forehead.
'Martial arts.'
Indeed, a person immersed in something was beautiful.
Thinking that, Yuma slowly walked toward that swordswoman.
"Just as I thought, you're here. Bel."
Bel hurriedly wiped the sweat from her face and collarbone with a towel.
"Ah, my lord... W-what brings you here?"
Bel's voice somehow sounded more listless than usual.
Yuma approached that Bel.