Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Imperial Recognition (1)
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The Hidden Blade approached the youngest son. He had ordered the Royal Guard to provide support, but they refused to obey.
They claimed to be the shield protecting the imperial family, but their top priority was the Emperor. Their actions weren't entirely incomprehensible.
Fortunately, it seemed the boy had gathered some subordinates during that time. But none of them were a match for the Dark Emperor. The one-armed swordsman managed to buy a little time, but it wasn't enough.
"Absolute Shield!"
Even the supreme defensive spell, nicknamed Absolute Defense, was pierced.
The moment everyone thought it was over, a flash of white light erupted, and something punched through the Hidden Blade's chest.
It all happened in an instant. Everyone was stunned.
"Marquis Blizzard, did you see what just happened?"
The Emperor questioned the Marquis Blizzard, known as the strongest among the Royal Guard.
He figured that someone who had reached the high mage realm would have seen it...
"I saw the 5th Prince raise a white spear, but after that..."
Blizzard trailed off. It had happened so fast that even his eyes, as a high mage, couldn't catch it.
The Emperor wanted to ask more, but he couldn't.
"Cough!"
The 5th Prince was collapsing, spewing blood from his entire body. The Emperor rushed toward Raymond, who was vomiting blood.
The Hashashin were retreating with their injured leader, the Hidden Blade. But there were still plenty of assassins left nearby.
A father's love for his son overrode even the threat to his life.
He didn't stop, and the Royal Guard along with the few remaining Imperial Knights escorted him.
"Raymond!"
Despite his injuries, Gestain and the guards stood by the 5th Prince, radiating a fierce aura. As they stepped aside, the Emperor scooped up his fallen son.
Watching the blood-soaked 5th Prince slowly close his eyes, the Emperor forgot all decorum and wailed.
This was the son who, when everyone else fled, had led the Imperial Knights alone. His heart ached.
The 5th Prince's condition was so dire he could die at any moment.
As everyone stood in silence, Imperial Army soldiers poured in through the doors and windows that had been sealed shut.
"Your Majesty! Reinforcements have arrived!"
Someone shouted. It was good news, but the Emperor's expression remained grim.
The remaining assassins were swiftly subdued by the Imperial Army, and knights and mages rushed to the Emperor's side.
"Your Majesty!"
"W-We were too late! Forgive us!"
The commanders bowed their heads. But their apologies fell on deaf ears.
The Emperor spoke with a chilling expression he'd never shown before in his life.
"Save him, no matter what."
The commanders looked up at his words.
"If anything happens to the 5th Prince, I will hold you accountable for being late."
Today, the Emperor's voice was colder than ever.
He didn't want a repeat of that day's tragedy.
* * *
"Ugh..."
His entire body screamed in agony.
The moment he regained consciousness, the last memories flooded back, and he tried to sit up in a panic, but his body wouldn't obey.
"Your Highness! You're awake!"
He barely turned his head toward the familiar voice and saw Alex.
"Are you alright?"
"Why are there so many knights here?"
He brushed off Alex's question and fired one back.
"A state of emergency has been declared due to the attack on the banquet hall by the Dark Emperor's forces. I've been ordered to escort Your Highness with armed guards."
Behind Alex, several subordinates in Imperial Guard uniforms and heavily armed Imperial Knights filled the room.
This attack was on a completely different scale from the previous palace raid. A state of emergency was more than justified.
"Alex, how long was I out?"
"A whole week, Your Highness."
'A week... That's quite a while.'
"Urgh."
He wanted to get up right away, but it was no use.
His body felt rigid and barely moved; instead, a groan escaped his lips.
"I'll go report that Your Highness is awake."
"To whom?"
"I've been given an imperial decree to report immediately upon your awakening."
An imperial decree for something like this?
"Did His Majesty the Emperor visit?"
"He came every day. He was just here for about an hour before leaving."
This banquet hall attack was essentially an assault by the Tripartite Alliance.
With tensions rising and military movements underway, it showed how much the Emperor worried about Raymond, visiting daily despite his busy schedule.
"Then I'll take my leave. Please rest well."
"Yeah, go on without worry."
Alex nodded and left, casting a worried glance back.
Perhaps having heard the news, Desia arrived shortly after Alex departed.
"Your Highness, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Hard to move, but at least I didn't die."
"That's a relief. I haven't reached grand mage level yet—you can't go dying on me."
Desia chided him playfully. Knowing it was a joke, Raymond smiled as he looked at her.
When the Hidden Blade approached, she had poured everything into a defensive spell to protect him.
Casting a supreme defense spell at the advanced level must have strained her body.
To Desia, the 5th Prince was the one who had opened a path for her.
Thanks to the magic tomes he gave her, she had found hope in her stagnant progress and leaped straight to advanced mage.
Without Raymond, she wouldn't have advanced so quickly.
Desia, with her deep knowledge of magic, understood this better than anyone.
'I can't do without the 5th Prince.'
At first, she'd been skeptical when he mentioned reaching grand mage.
But after studying the tomes he gave her and advancing to advanced mage, she had no choice but to believe.
Her trust in the 5th Prince began to take root.
"Your Highness, the Azure Tower Lord has arrived."
A guard outside the door peeked in cautiously to announce Risefield's visit.
"Let him in."
It hurt like hell, but why were so many people visiting? He grumbled inwardly but permitted entry.
"Your Highness, how's your condition?"
This was the third time hearing that question. It was getting old, but he couldn't show it. With a faint smile, he replied to the old Azure Tower Lord.
"Feels like I'm dying."
"That's good to hear."
Even to that response, Risefield chuckled and sat beside Desia.
"I didn't expect it to be this bad..."
The thought slipped out unbidden.
Breaking through the mage tower's barrier had hurt and made him faint, but he hadn't thought using a bit more life force would hurt this much.
But without expending that much life force, he couldn't have pierced the Hidden Blade's unique-grade magic artifact, Shadow Veil.
"This is fortunate in comparison. You used far more life force than at the mage tower."
"Had to, to break through Shadow Veil."
"Indeed... I barely caught a glimpse myself, so I suspected some extraordinary artifact, but a unique-grade Shadow Veil."
The Azure Tower Lord nodded, muttering almost to himself.
While Shadow Veil was famous among unique-grade artifacts, it wasn't common knowledge.
He wanted to ask how the 5th Prince knew, but Risefield shook his head calmly.
'He won't tell me.'
They hadn't spent much time together, but he had a rough sense of the 5th Prince's personality. He wouldn't share even if asked.
"I think I can move now."
The pain lingered, but the paralysis was gone. Raymond slowly sat up in bed.
"Your Highness, be careful when using Spear of Sacrifice. If you're not..."
"I know."
He could guess what the Azure Tower Lord left unsaid: he could die. Understanding the concern, Raymond nodded readily.
"Your Highness, Alex here."
"Come in."
With casual permission, the door opened, and squire Alex entered cautiously.
Seeing Raymond sitting up much more relaxed than before, he let out a brief sigh of relief.
"His Majesty the Emperor is sending a messenger separately."
Alex added that he was in a military conference.
With relations with the Tripartite Alliance deteriorating and military stirrings, the Emperor had to be swamped.
"Shall we take a walk?"
The paralysis wasn't fully gone, but a light stroll might help.
Desia and the Azure Tower Lord stood, and Gestain stepped forward calmly.
"I'll prepare the Imperial Guard."
It was a casual remark, but it mobilized over ten men.
Just to the garden right outside in the 5th Prince's Palace. Including Gestain, ten Imperial Guards escorted him, with the Azure Tower Lord, Desia, and Alex tagging along.
"Isn't the escort a bit much?"
It felt excessive.
"His Majesty the Emperor specifically ordered extra care for Your Highness's protection."
Gestain replied. It was all well and good, but sometimes he seemed too rigid.
Shaking his head, Raymond left the bedroom with the Imperial Guard, spotting patrolling Imperial Knights.
These were unfamiliar faces.
They saluted him with eyes full of respect.
The intensity made him quicken his pace to the garden. But every Imperial Knight they passed reacted the same way.
"Why are they all here?"
They wore badges marking them as the Emperor's direct elite among the Imperial Knights.
He'd asked Alex, but the Azure Tower Lord answered instead.
"Curious?"
"Yeah."
"After the banquet hall attack, the Imperial Knights guarding the 5th Prince's Palace were replaced with His Majesty's direct subordinates."
News to him, since he'd been out cold for a week.
"And Your Highness protected His Majesty with your body. The loyalty of Philius Empire knights to the Emperor—you know it best."
Now it made sense why they showed such reverence.
The Philius Empire knights' loyalty to the Emperor was legendary.
This abnormal devotion was the empire's sole pride amid its decline.
The setting book said it stemmed from ancient awe for imperial bloodlines who wielded Colossal Divine Soldiers, evolving into loyalty.
"Yeah, I know."
He nodded and kept walking.
Chatting with the Azure Tower Lord, they soon reached the garden.
The stroll loosened the paralysis considerably.
"Let's head back."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Gestain led with the Imperial Guards.
Post-attack, security was tight—Imperial Knights and Imperial Capital guards everywhere in the 5th Prince's Palace.
Two hours later, back in the bedroom.
"Guess I should play up the pain a bit."
He planned to milk it, but the Azure Tower Lord shook his head.
"That won't work. The Imperial Knights saw you walking."
"Oh, right..."
He had to concede. Still, with the 3rd Prince's men purged in the reorganization, he felt at ease.
"His Majesty the Emperor is coming."
Alex reported. Raymond nodded without a word and sat up in bed.
Even recovering, he couldn't lie down for the Emperor's visit.
The door opened; Royal Guards entered first to check security. Then the Emperor stepped in.
His face was etched with worry.
"Your Majesty, the 5th Pri..."
"What are you doing? Lie down now!"
Worry laced his stern tone.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He wanted to rest anyway. Under the Royal Guards' sympathetic gazes, he lay back as the Emperor approached and sat.
"How's your body?"
"Fine, thanks to your concern."
He'd felt like dying before the walk, but now he was fine.
"I won't ask anything. Just don't push yourself."
No deep conversation. The Emperor was busy and couldn't stay long. He left first, but the Imperial Capital guard captain stayed behind.
'Ivan Lows, was it?'
He recalled from the setting book. A high-rank knight supporting the 1st Prince.
Unclear why he lingered.
Sensing the questioning look, Ivan spoke calmly.
"When all fled, Your Highness fought for His Majesty. My respects."
"Aren't you Sir Ivan, behind my brother Serak?"
"Before serving the 1st Prince, I am His Majesty's subject."
Wise answer.
"And thanks to Your Highness, my family and I kept our lives and positions."
Had the Emperor been assassinated, Ivan and his kin would have died. He wanted to express gratitude.
"If you need my help, just say. I'll step up if I can."
With that, Ivan left.
"Can I rest now?"
He wanted sleep. But the Azure Tower Lord grinned at the question. Ominous.
"Afraid you'll have to delay sleep. The Crimson Tower Lord is on his way."
"Why's he coming?"
"Rumors of Your Highness's Spear of Sacrifice at the banquet hall seem to have stirred him."
A bit annoying. But things were going according to plan.