Chapter 563: The Sun Will Eventually Rise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 563: The Sun Will Eventually Rise
It was a sealed compartment without a single window, so dark that even nocturnal creatures would struggle to see.
With a crisp snap of fingers, flickering starlight drifted upward, finally illuminating this space so deathly silent that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
The room was freezing. Muen could see faint magic circuits tracing across the floor, but these formations weren't meant to protect anything; they were designed to maintain a low temperature so that the body lying quietly under the white cloth in the center of the room would not yet decay.
Muen stepped forward and pulled back the cloth. Immediately, a thick, metallic scent of blood rushed at him.
He frowned slightly.
Beyond the heavy stench, the first thing that caught his eye was a stiff, venomous face.
That face, which Muen had encountered once before—arrogant and self-assured—was now pale and distorted. It looked like a clay statue that had been accidentally dropped on the ground before it could dry and set.
Dark red bloodstains stretched along the table. Beneath the tattered clothes were hideous, weeping wounds.
It seemed that after the death of this now-pitiful Second Prince, no one had bothered to perform even the simplest preparations on his corpse. They had left him lying there in this unsightly state.
Perhaps they were unwilling, or perhaps they didn't dare.
"Actually... this is better."
Muen whispered to himself as he placed his hand on Andrew’s forehead.
"I hope this allows you to retain more information."
His mind was still throbbing with pain.
But after a brief moment of recovery, Muen gritted his teeth and forced out a spark of Black Flame.
The dancing pitch-black fire flickered from his fingertips and sank into the space between Andrew’s brows.
This corpse would surely be inspected and handled by specialists sent by His Majesty later, so Muen didn't dare to tamper with it too much.
He only hoped that Andrew’s lingering obsession and resentment would allow him to see more.
The Black Flame wavered, silently traversing Andrew’s corpse, searching for and devouring any soul fragments that might not yet have dissipated.
Muen closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink deep as he gave a soft call.
"Black Book."
Flip.
The black book drifted up, its pages turning as chaotic script began to surface on the blank paper.
The characters were irregular, like a jumble of corrupted code. Muen touched them lightly, and images flooded his mind, though they were merely a blur of fractured light and shadow.
This was within his expectations. After all, Prince Andrew hadn't died by his hand, nor had he been able to devour the soul with Black Flame at the moment of death. He hadn't truly expected to see anything useful.
Yet Muen remained patient. Bit by bit, he earnestly watched those useless, shattered images flash through his mind.
Until...
Muen saw the shadow of a bird in the center of the frame, bowing slightly.
It made a harsh, indiscernible sound, but as Muen listened intently, he could vaguely make out the words...
"Good evening, Lord Speaker."
Crack.
The image shattered.
Muen felt a violent wave of dizziness hit his brain, followed by a sensation of warmth at his nose.
He quickly braced himself against the table and instinctively reached up to touch his face.
Warm blood stained his fingers red.
"Heh."
The last of his spiritual power had been completely drained. Muen ignored his weakened body and simply stared at Andrew’s distorted, pale face, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Speaker... So the person I’ve been trying to drag out was right under my nose the whole time. I even went through all that trouble to protect him all night... Andrew, it turns out we were both just jokers."
*
"Stop the carriage."
Inside the carriage returning to the palace, Albert suddenly gave the order.
The coachman didn't hesitate for a second, bringing the carriage to a steady halt.
Albert pulled back the curtain and looked toward the shadows of a nearby alley, smiling.
"We’re all friends here. Why bother hiding?"
"Friends?"
A sneer came from the shadows. "I wasn't aware I had a friend like you—someone who is nothing but lies from head to toe."
"Lies? No. While I did hide many things from you, in the grand scheme of things, everything I said was the truth."
Albert held his head high, looking as though he had completely shed a thousand-pound disguise. His tone was eerie and confident.
"As you can see, I am far better suited for that seat than Andrew. Whether in terms of tactics or capability, I far surpass him, don't I?"
"Far surpass... do you?"
The voice whispered, "But from where I stand, in certain aspects, you are no different from Andrew."
"Is that so..."
Albert wasn't angered by the remark. Instead, he sounded rather regretful.
"I thought we would always be on the same side. After all, our previous cooperation was quite seamless."
"Save the disgusting talk."
"I’m being sincere. If you joined my side, I believe a much brighter future would await you, rather than just hiding in the shadows of the Campbell family. But... given your personality, you would never do that. A pity."
There was no further response from the darkness.
Albert shook his head and sat back in the carriage, signaling the coachman to continue.
"Aren't you going to deal with him? He could be a threat."
At some point, a small bird had landed on the table in front of Albert, hopping around as it stuffed snacks and pastries into its beak.
"No. We’ve already attracted too much attention tonight. Now is not the time to act."
Albert placed his hands on his knees, his back straight. His young body faintly exuded a deep, heavy majesty.
"Besides... a threat? I don't consider him a threat at all."
"Oh? Why is that?" the Robin asked curiously.
"It’s simple. Do you think a 'Dark' Emperor who has been exposed to the light still possesses any so-called threat?"
The corners of Albert’s mouth curled into a light smile.
"Heh. Besides, after tonight, everything the Campbell family has exposed is clear as day to us. Do you really think that if even the Campbell family can no longer oppose us, a mere bug who can only buzz in a dark corner can stir up any real trouble?"
"I see."
The Robin also looked toward the dark corner and nodded, its tone mocking. "The Speaker is wise. He is merely a defeated foe, truly not worth mentioning."
*
"This time, it really was a total, crushing defeat."
Muen stepped out from the shadows and looked around at the wrecked streets. Seeing the bloodstains that had yet to fade, he suddenly felt an immense sense of aimlessness, unsure of where to go next.
Eventually, his mind numb, he climbed to a high vantage point to overlook the entire Lower District of Belland.
The clamor had passed, the strife had ended, the slaughter was over, and death had taken its toll... yet this district, and indeed all of Belland, remained shrouded in an endless night.
The darkness was as heavy as ink, pressing down until it was hard to breathe.
"What are you doing here?"
He didn't know how long he had been standing there. He hadn't even noticed the vibration of his voice transmission stone until that familiar, cold voice sounded behind him. Only then did Muen’s statue-like body tremble slightly.
"I’m... contemplating life."
The voice didn't make Muen feel any lighter; instead, it made his shoulders slump even lower.
"Your insignificant, failed life?"
"...Something like that."
"And what have you concluded?"
A familiar, faint fragrance drifted over as a silver-haired figure sat down beside him.
Muen didn't look up, nor did he look at her. He gave a bitter smile.
"Since it’s a failed life, what value is there in any conclusion I might reach?"
"..."
A silence followed.
In the distance, a few lights flickered on, only to be quickly swallowed by the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, Celicia glanced at the disheveled man beside her out of the corner of her eye before asking, "So, you’ve given up?"
"Given up? Not quite. I’m not the type to give up completely just because of a setback like this. I’m just thinking about a backup plan."
"A backup plan?"
"Yeah. I’ll go into seclusion and train for a few decades until I’m invincible. Then I’ll march straight into the palace and slap that old bastard to death."
"That sounds like... something out of a trashy fantasy novel sold at a street stall."
"It is pretty unreliable."
Muen laughed at himself.
"But the more I think about it, the more it seems like the only way. After all, that old bastard is now the First Prince of the Empire. With Andrew dead, he’s practically guaranteed to be the future Emperor. If I really acted against him now regardless of the consequences, I’d only drag the entire Campbell family into the abyss with me."
A personal failure was one thing, but he wasn't alone. Behind him stood the massive Campbell family. Tonight, many of their most loyal subordinates had already died meaningless deaths in this cold night.
He couldn't continue these irrational sacrifices.
"So, in the end, you have given up."
"It’s not giving up. It’s just a consideration based on reality."
"This doesn't sound like you."
"Yeah, it doesn't. Against an Evil God, I can put my life on the line. But this enemy... he plays with momentum and schemes. My momentum was inferior, and I got played by his schemes. What else can I do?"
Muen reached out his hand, but no matter how he stretched his fingers, he couldn't quite grasp this endless darkness in his palm.
"...Looking at you like this makes me really want to step on you," Celicia said suddenly after a pause.
"Then go ahead," Muen replied.
"No resistance? Are you a pervert?"
"...I don't want to resist. If you step on me a few times, I might actually feel a bit better."
"Then turn your head toward me."
"What, you want to step on my face? If it’s the face, would it be better if I just lay on the ground..."
"Shut up."
Before Muen could move, Celicia grabbed him by the collar and forcefully turned his head.
Muen felt helpless, thinking that being stepped on by a beautiful girl might not be the worst thing at a time like this... but to his utter shock, what met him wasn't a foot full of anger, but...
Lips.
Small lips, cold and soft. The girl’s fragrance, combined with a sensation like an electric shock, flooded his mind, snapping him into total alertness in an instant.
His eyes widened in astonishment. Before he could react further, she had already pushed him away.
"Do you feel better now?"
Her cold eyes watched him. Even though she had just done something extraordinary, the depths of those eyes remained as calm as an icy lake.
"You... this is..."
Muen sat stunned for a long time before finding his voice. He realized what had happened, but he was still dazed.
"Are you comforting me?"
Muen expected the habitually tsundere Celicia to snap back with a cold retort, but to his surprise, she gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I am comforting you."
"Why..."
"As I said, I can't stand seeing you like this."
Celicia brushed a strand of hair back, her voice cold.
"Besides, it’s just losing one round. Looking like this as my fiancé makes me lose face."
"Just losing one round..."
Muen was stunned for a while longer. Then, his mind—sluggish from mental exhaustion—finally grasped the deep meaning hidden in those few simple words.
"Does that mean you..."
"Think whatever you want."
Celicia stretched, her beautiful curves fully on display, before standing up and walking toward the heart of the city with sharp, decisive strides.
After a few steps, she looked back.
"This is also a path of no return. It might also drag the entire Campbell family into the abyss, and it certainly isn't that ridiculously 'stable' backup plan of yours. So..."
Her gaze shifted slightly. Her tone was a question, but her words carried a cold, domineering authority that brooked no refusal.
"Are you coming, Mr. Muen Campbell?"
Beyond the long darkness was the dawn.
Muen saw a brilliant light rising in the distance, casting its reflection into those ice-lake eyes, tracing an exquisite, breathtaking, and absolutely unforgettable arc of beauty.
In an instant, all his confusion vanished. Because in that moment, he saw it... the sun that would eventually rise.
"Of course, Your Highness Celicia Leopold."
A surge of warmth filled Muen’s heart, like sunlight scattering all gloom. He smiled and placed a hand over his chest. "With you lighting the way, I shall be fearless and invincible."
...
"So, does the part about stepping on me still count? If you’re willing to wear some nice black stockings, I wouldn't mind—"
"Shut up."
"Oh..."
Side by side, the two walked into the lingering shadows of Belland.
Behind them, a new sun was about to rise, ready to shine upon this vast Empire.
*