Chapter 524: For a Friend (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 524: For a Friend (2)
To the common folk, life had seemed perfectly ordinary until only a few days ago.
Now, however, even they could feel the heavy shroud of war looming over the entire Empire. Everyone knew that the Emperor’s sword was pointed not at a foreign enemy, but at the very pillar of the Empire: the House of Hairan.
“I, more than anyone, am well aware of how this greatest clan of swordsmen has fought for the Imperial Family and the people for so long!”
In the square before the Imperial Palace, the Emperor of the Viment Empire, Amir Viment, stood atop a massive golden palanquin, looking down at the crowd. The palanquin was borne by two hundred condemned criminals dressed in red funerary shrouds.
The crowd felt a sense of bewilderment at the Emperor’s sudden announcement, but none dared to voice it.
The Emperor’s justification for the purge was treason and insurrection.
“You must be curious. You wonder exactly what act of treason the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle has committed. You must also be displeased. I am well aware that you all love Ron Hairan more than you love me.”
The Emperor slowly scanned the faces of his subjects.
“However, as the supreme sovereign of this Empire, I too trusted Ron Hairan, my most loyal subject. As a man, I respected and admired him, so I cannot find the words to express my grief. Yet, the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, Ron Hairan, ignored not only my commands but even my earnest pleas, plunging the Empire into the threat of terror, war, and ruin.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, two torn and blackened banners unfurled from flagstaffs mounted on either side of the palanquin. They were the flags of the Empire and the House of Hairan.
“You all remember the day the disaster struck the Sword Emperor Castle. These flags were ruined on that day, and I intend to reveal to all my people the true cause of that terror. It was… because of a single object held by Hairan.”
For the first time, the crowd gathered in the square began to murmur.
The Emperor glanced to his side, and a warrior clad in Hairan armor stepped forward.
It was Tion Hairan, the second son of Ron Hairan and a former Flagbearer of the clan.
Following the terror at the Sword Emperor Castle, traitors had begun to emerge from within Hairan. They were mostly those whom Ron Hairan had treated as “non-existent,” having long been overshadowed by Dante.
Normally, they would never have dreamed of betrayal, suppressed by Ron’s overwhelming presence. However, with the Sword Emperor Castle suffering unprecedented damage and the Imperial Family offering its backing, they believed they had found their opportunity.
Tion was the first and most proactive among those who had betrayed Hairan.
“…In my family, there exists a White Stone that is passed down only from Patriarch to Patriarch.”
Originally, Tion had known nothing of this fact, but the Emperor had informed him specifically for this occasion. Unlike Hairan, which had kept the secret for generations to protect the world from its threat, the Emperor had no qualms about revealing the White Stone to the public.
The crowd’s gaze toward Tion turned to one of pure contempt.
Unless they were fools, they couldn't help but realize he had betrayed his family and stood there now out of greed for the position that would have eventually passed to Dante.
“It may be hard to believe, but if that White Stone were refined and utilized, it would possess enough power to sustain every magical device in the Empire and more. It could make the Empire several times wealthier and more powerful in an instant.”
To the crowd, this story sounded absurdly far-fetched, and it only fueled their anger.
Boo—!
Eventually, the crowd began to jeer at Tion.
As the Emperor had said, Hairan was a family more beloved by the people than the Imperial Family itself. Those gathered in the square wanted to stone him to death right then and there.
“Your Majesty.”
Alton Hairan, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, met the Emperor’s eyes. He was signaling that he would suppress the unrest immediately if ordered.
However, the Emperor simply curled his lips into a smile and signaled for him to stand down.
“Let them be. They are merely making a bit of noise because they are displeased. Let them vent their frustrations.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor wasn't giving this speech because he feared public opinion regarding the purge of Hairan, nor was he worried that the people would rise in revolt to side with them.
First, it was to pressure Hairan by exposing their secret. Second, it was simply his own way of “sincerely” loving his people.
He was letting them use their voices and show their displeasure to resolve their anger.
“They lack the power to stop me anyway, and they have no will to do so. They like Hairan more than me, yet they will never truly risk their lives to step forward. I find such foolish and irritating behavior from my people to be quite cute and lovely.”
The Emperor’s eyes shone as if he truly found his subjects precious.
“…Therefore, His Majesty issued a command long ago for our family to return that White Stone to the Imperial Family. I say ‘return’ because that stone was originally an object entrusted to Hairan by a previous Emperor.”
Of course, the Imperial Family had never entrusted the White Stone to Hairan. It was merely a lie told because the public had no way of knowing the truth.
“Bullshit!”
The jeering grew more heated.
“But as you can see, the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, Ron Hairan, has failed to comply with His Majesty’s command. Even after enemies seeking the stone committed acts of terror upon the Sword Emperor Castle and Imperial soil!”
“Get lost! You filthy traitorous rat!”
“Bio-golems and unknown giant monsters threatened the Empire. All because of that stone! And yet, Hairan refuses to let go of their greed and return the stone to the Imperial Family. As a member of that family, I know better than anyone that the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle is plotting treason using that power.”
Clap!
The Emperor clapped his hands once, and the angry crowd fell silent instantly.
“Tion Hairan’s testimony may feel suspicious to you. I also know it is a sudden story that may be difficult to accept. But listen, my people. Even now, if Hairan returns the stone, I am willing to forgive their incitement of civil war and their treason.”
As the speech reached this point, curiosity began to bubble beneath the anger in the hearts of the crowd.
What exactly is this White Stone? Does such a thing really exist? If it does, why won't Hairan hand it over to the Imperial Family?
It was a natural reaction.
“I, Amir Viment, Emperor of the Empire, hereby declare: the moment Hairan returns the stone, I will stop the purge. However, if they do not seek my forgiveness until the very end, the Sword Emperor Castle shall be reduced to ash and vanish.”
* * *
The contents of the Emperor’s speech reached the Sword Emperor Castle in no time.
“That bastard Emperor…! How could he do this to Hairan? A White Stone? Don't make me laugh! He makes up such a ridiculous story just because he has no justification? And he calls himself the supreme sovereign of the Empire!”
“That madman will surely pay the price. We’ve treated him like an Emperor for so long that he must think Hairan stayed quiet because we lacked the strength.”
“The throne shall be stained with his blood. The one who truly deserves to sit there was never a Viment, but a Hairan from the very beginning! Without Hairan, this Empire wouldn't even exist!”
The warriors gathered in the meeting room were raising their voices in fury.
Most looked ready to march on the Imperial Palace and fight this very moment.
However, anxiety was clearly taking root in their hearts.
It was an anxiety that had begun even before the Emperor’s speech.
“We shouldn't just sit here; we must strike first! We must show that brat the majesty of the Sword Emperor and what that name truly means.”
“He frames us for treason, so we might as well show him what real treason looks like. A few traitors may have defected and the Emperor may have raised his troops, but as long as Lord Ron is here, they will eventually fall to their knees before our blades and beg!”
They all shouted while looking toward the person sitting in the seat of honor.
It was the Young Lord of Hairan, Dante Hairan.
Dante was barely managing to keep the exhaustion from showing on his face. He could not, however, hide his bloodshot eyes or his parched lips.
“Please, Lord Ron must…!”
“Lord Ron…!”
The source of the warriors' anxiety was the very man whose presence alone had summoned them here without a single action: Ron Hairan.
Though several days had passed since the warriors gathered, Ron had yet to show himself before them even once.
Grandfather…
By now, even Dante knew the truth of Ron’s condition. Ron’s illness had taken a sudden, severe turn—one that could no longer be concealed.
Ron was currently unconscious.
Dante was commanding the Sword Emperor Castle in his stead. And as time passed, the gathered warriors were beginning to doubt—doubting whether the Sword Emperor was truly still standing strong.
That doubt was becoming uncontrollable.
Ron’s absence was equivalent to the absence of all of Hairan. It wasn't that Hairan lacked capable people besides Ron, but it was painfully obvious what the outcome would be if they fought a war without him.
The pressure and sense of helplessness made him feel like vomiting.
He was dizzy from days of sleeplessness, and tremors racked his body whenever he lost focus.
This frail body of mine… even at a time like this, it fails me.
Dante grit his teeth and met the eyes of the warriors.
He felt he had to tell the truth.
“…My grandfather is currently unconscious due to a severe illness.”
At Dante’s words, the angry voices of the warriors died down. Those who had already suspected as much weren't as shocked, but for those who hadn't known, it felt like a bolt from the blue.
“Lord Ron is… unconscious? Could it be that the injuries he sustained that day have worsened?”
“W-why are you only telling us this now?”
“If Lord Ron is gone, then the war…!”
Just as Dante was about to respond, an old knight clicked his tongue and spoke up.
“If Lord Ron is gone, will you all refuse to fight alongside Hairan? You speak shameful words. Are the rest of you nothing more than empty shells without Lord Ron? We came here to fight against the Emperor’s tyranny and to uphold our friendship with Hairan, not to overthrow the Empire with Lord Ron at our head.”
His name was Shuras Helter, the Patriarch of the Helter family.
Shuras’s words prevented an uncomfortable answer, but Dante had no means of erasing their anxiety unless Ron rose from his sickbed.
Even if they stood united, an overwhelming enemy was approaching. A significant number of the warriors couldn't help but dwell on the cracks formed by Ron’s absence.
If Lord Ron is gone, this war is a guaranteed defeat.
If we lose the fight against the Emperor, it won't just be us who die; our bloodlines and vassals will all be brutally slaughtered…
Furthermore, as soon as they learned Ron was ill, another thought crossed their minds.
What if… that White Stone the Emperor mentioned actually exists?
If the Emperor’s speech is true, then returning the stone and ending this situation would be for the best. Should I hope that ridiculous story is actually true…!
Silence fell over the room.
Just as someone was about to ask if the Emperor’s speech was true, urgent footsteps echoed from outside. It was the sound of commanders running.
“Young Lord! Movement of the Emperor’s forces has been confirmed! The vanguard will reach the Sword Emperor Castle within three hours…!”