Chapter 467: Prologue (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 467: Prologue (2)
He still remembered it vividly—the moment he first heard the news of Roman Dmitry's disappearance.
Kevin, who had been in the middle of his training, reacted with absolute disbelief.
"His Majesty the Emperor has disappeared? That's impossible..."
Why?
In that instant, an ominous premonition flashed through his mind. His last meeting with Roman Dmitry had felt... different.
He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but the moment he heard the news, the scattered puzzle pieces in his mind rapidly fell into place. That conversation where they had shared their true feelings. The way Roman had passed down the entirety of the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, almost as if he were preparing for the future.
His heart sank.
What if?
What if, by some terrible chance, Roman Dmitry never returned?
Could he go on living in a world where Roman did not exist?
'It's impossible.'
Roman Dmitry.
He was Kevin's everything.
Far beyond a mere relationship between lord and vassal, Roman Dmitry had been Kevin's sky ever since the days he was a nobody. Everything he was today originated from Roman Dmitry. A boy who couldn't even swing a sword properly had become the Evil Ghost of Dmitry. A boy who once wandered the slums now held wealth and fame in both hands as a core pillar of the Dmitry Empire.
His entire life.
There was no other way to describe it.
He had vowed to live for his liege, and only when living for him did Kevin feel truly alive.
And yet, they said he was gone.
His sky had come crashing down.
The reality he had tried so hard to deny solidified into an undeniable truth as time passed. The image of Roman Dmitry bidding him farewell lingered in his mind like a phantom. What on earth had happened to him? He didn't know what had forced Roman to leave, but Kevin was nowhere near ready to accept this sudden parting.
For the past month, he had been living in hell.
Suppressing the anxiety gnawing at his mind, he searched everywhere Roman Dmitry might be. From one end of the continent to the other, through the Southern Jungle, beyond the Endless Mountains, and deep into uncharted territories. He grew increasingly gaunt in a situation devoid of even a shred of hope, but giving up the search was never an option.
He had to do it.
Who would give up on their own life just because the path grew difficult?
To a man searching so desperately, Isabelle's summons was of such paramount importance that he had ridden day and night, forsaking sleep.
And so, he finally faced the truth.
It was shocking.
A sacrifice.
He found the fact that Roman Dmitry had sacrificed himself even harder to swallow than the slim hope that he might someday return.
Kevin demanded, pressing for answers.
"Explain it clearly. Do not give us speculative guesses about what might have happened. Tell us exactly what occurred."
It was pure denial.
Isabelle was not speculating.
She had spoken the plain truth, but Kevin's trembling eyes seemed to plead with her to take back her words, even now.
However, contrary to the desperate wishes of everyone present, the truth could not be changed.
Isabelle spoke.
"...If I could have brought you hopeful news, I would have revealed the truth before this chaos even began. It is an undeniable fact that His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry chose to sacrifice himself to eliminate the threat to humanity. However, that does not mean he is dead."
"Does that mean he is alive?"
Kevin interrupted once more.
Meeting his gaze, which burned with desperate hope, Isabelle nodded.
"Yes. Emperor Roman Dmitry is alive. He only left so as not to bring harm to this world, but he exists somewhere out there, among countless dimensions. That is all I know. Honestly, I wanted to tell you the truth from the very beginning, but I could not break my promise to Emperor Roman Dmitry. I am sorry. Hearing news of your struggles over the past month... I wanted so badly to apologize to you all."
When Isabelle finished speaking, the people closed their eyes tightly.
They certainly hadn't come here to hear a truth like this.
* * *
Silence hung heavy in the air.
No one dared to speak first.
A sacrifice.
It was an entirely unexpected truth.
To think that Roman Dmitry, whom the entire continent had been searching for so desperately, had actually chosen to sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity.
It was devastating.
Some shed tears of sorrow, while others clutched their heads, unable to hide their despair. The people gathered in this room—every single one of them had been graced by Roman Dmitry's benevolence at least once. Setting aside all political interests, they simply wished for his safe return.
And so, they remained in silence for a long, long time.
Then, breaking through the heavy quiet, Chris was the first to speak.
"To be honest, I already suspected the truth. I knew that something had happened to His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry. Yet, I couldn't accept it, so I kept denying it. But this is actually a relief. Emperor Roman Dmitry is not dead. He is alive, surviving somewhere beyond the dimensions."
His gaze sharpened.
Desire.
Venom.
A complex tangle of emotions overwhelmed everyone gathered in the room.
"Before Dmitry rose to its current position, there was a time when I doubted Emperor Roman Dmitry. But ever since I accepted him as my lord, I have never once disobeyed his commands. Lady Isabelle... His instruction not to reveal the truth must have been Emperor Roman Dmitry's way of telling us to accept this reality. We ought to obey our lord's command. To ensure his sacrifice was not in vain, we should forget the past and focus on the present."
Grit.
He clenched his teeth.
Chris, who had always maintained his icy composure, could not suppress his emotions now.
"But for this once, I cannot obey. While I respect Emperor Roman Dmitry's wishes, as someone who has only ever received his grace, I cannot allow my lord to be sacrificed like this. Lady Isabelle, I will ask you just one thing."
"...Go ahead."
"Is His Majesty truly alive?"
"It is certain. God clearly stated that Emperor Roman Dmitry departed for 'another dimension.'"
"That is enough."
What Chris needed was certainty.
Roman Dmitry.
The certainty that he was alive.
That single fact was enough.
Chris looked around at the people one by one and said,
"I ask of you all. Please, lend me your strength. Let us bring back the Emperor who exists beyond the dimensions, and let us resolve together the reason he had no choice but to leave this place. This is no way to say goodbye. So please..."
Chris, too, was just like Kevin.
Only with Roman Dmitry's presence could his life be complete.
"Join me in defying his orders."
* * *
Chris's proposal was easier said than done.
Dimensional travel was an unknown realm with zero guarantee of success, and attempting it would demand a massive price. That wasn't the only problem. Even if everyone gathered here combined their strength, the probability of them resolving whatever had forced a godlike being like Roman Dmitry to leave was astronomically low.
Yet, there was no hesitation.
The moment Chris finished speaking, Kevin chimed in as if he had been waiting for this very moment.
"No matter what price we must pay for defying his orders, I also believe our lord must return to his rightful place. If experiments are required, I will volunteer. I will do anything for my lord."
It was the spark they needed.
Following Chris, Marquis Valentino and Marquis Fabius spoke up.
"As you know, Valentino has accumulated the greatest wealth on the continent. Just say the word. If you need manpower, we will provide manpower; if you need funding for experiments, we will provide funding. Valentino will resolve all practical matters."
"Come now, do you really think Valentino can handle everything alone? I, Fabius, will also lend my strength. In fact, I have already mobilized my family's entire might to search for Emperor Roman Dmitry. So what if we have to go a little hungry? We received everything we have from our lord, and the Fabius family is ready to give up everything in return."
Valentino and Fabius.
At their core, they were merchants.
Judging the situation coldly, they knew that merely pretending to help would be the pragmatically correct choice.
It was a simple matter.
Investing astronomical sums into an experiment with no guarantee of success was madness. But for this, Valentino and Fabius did not calculate profit and loss. It was simply the right thing to do. They refused to calculate and scheme as they usually did when it came to finding Roman Dmitry, the man who had sacrificed himself for humanity.
It was blind devotion.
One by one, they pledged their support.
Among them was Edwin Hector.
"If it involves magical experimentation, that is Hector's domain. In fact, ever since the war with the Demon Realm, Hector has already been researching the Boundary of Dimensions. I will release all the research data we have gathered so far. If it helps in finding Emperor Roman Dmitry, Hector will gladly give up everything."
"...Thank you."
"We will not forget Hector's choice."
Everyone was genuinely shocked.
Magical achievements were state secrets that should never be exposed, yet Hector had offered to make them all public. Edwin Hector knew that this decision meant voluntarily giving up his nation's competitive advantage. However, putting aside his personal gratitude, he firmly believed that the world absolutely needed Roman Dmitry.
Their wills aligned.
The key figures leading the continent, gathered in this very room, declared without exception that they would join Chris's cause.
"Our wills have united. As the regent of Emperor Roman Dmitry, please make your decision now."
At Chris's words, all eyes turned to one man.
Romero Dmitry.
The power of decision lay with him.
As the father of the Emperor and the one who had taken the position of regent, the people entrusted their collective will to him.
'My son.'
Faced with this situation, Romero Dmitry's emotions surged.
He was ready to sacrifice everything to find his son, but those watching him had no such obligation. Yet, none of them had hesitated. Knowing their sincerity, he could not help but feel deeply grateful to them for not turning their backs on Dmitry in such a difficult time.
But now was not the time.
It was not yet time to break down in emotion.
He believed that only by standing firm in moments like this could they ever bring Roman Dmitry back.
"I will never forget your kindness. As the Emperor's regent, I declare to the world: as of this moment, the entire continent, including the Dmitry Empire, will devote all its strength to finding Emperor Roman Dmitry!"
That day, the world underwent a rapid transformation.
Countless changes were set into motion, all for the sake of finding just one man: Roman Dmitry.
* * *
The meeting ended.
Stepping outside, Kevin moved to a secluded spot, stumbled, and collapsed to the ground.
Thud.
"Ugh... sob..."
His suppressed emotions welled up, and tears finally began to flow.
Roman Dmitry.
The fact that he had sacrificed himself was shocking, but Kevin was still so deeply grateful that he was alive.
"...If my lord had chosen death, I would have followed him."
He could not stop weeping.
It was a relief.
Truly.
A profound relief.
Even though he trusted Roman Dmitry implicitly, he had been unable to sleep at night, terrified that something had gone horribly wrong in this absurd turn of events. As long as he was alive, that was enough. Bringing Roman Dmitry back would not be easy, but the mere certainty of his survival made Kevin weep with relief.
Just then...
"Kevin. Are you alright?"
A familiar voice.
It was Hans.
When Kevin looked up at him, Hans wiped away his tears with a handkerchief and said,
"I, too, spent every night in tears just like you. Worrying that something might have happened to His Majesty, my heart was in hell even as the peaceful days went by. But not anymore. Didn't Lady Isabelle say so? The Emperor is definitely alive. So, crying is only allowed for today."
It was different from his usual demeanor.
Hans looked at Kevin with a firm, resolute expression.
"As a mere servant, there is nothing I can do. So, Kevin, please find the Emperor. If you tell me you will do it, I can believe in you and wait. The boy named Kevin whom I remember is someone for whom nothing is impossible—someone who rose from the slums to become the greatest swordsman of the Dmitry Empire. So please... please tell me you will succeed."
His voice grew choked with tears as he spoke.
It was the first time.
The first time Hans, who had always looked after him, had made such an earnest plea.
Kevin held back his tears.
He stopped crying.
Looking at Hans, he nodded with a fierce determination burning in his eyes.
"Yes, I will succeed. Even if the demons of the Demon Realm, or even God Himself, stands in our way..."
He clenched his teeth.
His eyes, shimmering with venom, revealed the madness of the man known as the Evil Ghost of Dmitry.
"Even if I have to cut them all down, I will bring him back."
He believed in himself.
No matter what lay ahead.
He would keep his promise to Hans.
* * *
Time passed.
Or rather, it was impossible to tell how the concept of time even flowed.
Amidst the tangled currents of time and space...
Flash.
Roman Dmitry opened his eyes in a new world.