Chapter 582: Coercion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 582: Coercion
Candlelight flickered.
Walls were carved from white jade and gold, while lampstands were encrusted with stained glass and jewels. A cold, detached air of opulence drifted through the space like wisps of cloud, lending an extraordinary quality to the dancing flames.
They were extraordinary, of course, for the wicks burned the rendered fat of a deep-sea magical beast. It was a flame that neither gale nor torrential rain could extinguish—warm, bright, and emitting a subtle fragrance. A single measure of this oil could purchase ten times its weight in precious magic stones.
Albert looked up, but no trace of the candlelight reflected in his eyes. Instead, a profound darkness swirled deep within his pupils.
"Open the door," he said. "I want to see Audrich."
The corridor was silent and deserted.
This was the Imperial Palace. Under normal circumstances, even in the dead of night, palace maids and guards would be moving to and fro. Yet now, the night wind blowing in from outside carried only a chilling desolation.
Albert’s voice echoed down the hallway, carrying a long, long way.
"You... are bold."
A low, heavy voice emanated from one of the towering statues guarding the great doors. They were not statues, but knights clad in thick, heavy armor.
The knights were far larger than any normal man. Standing sentinel outside the doors, they were often mistaken for sculptures or mechanical golems operated by internal clockwork.
Only a few knew that these were the Royal Knights specifically tasked with guarding the Emperor’s bedchamber. They had stood watch here since His Majesty’s coronation. Perhaps the men inside the armor had been replaced over the years, or perhaps they had not; regardless, their loyalty was as unyielding as their stony exteriors.
"To dare speak His Majesty’s name... such disrespect... is punishable by death!"
One of the knights moved. The armor screeched with a piercing metallic grind. His massive frame possessed the overwhelming presence of a golem; the slender Albert looked like a frail insect before him.
The expressionless maid behind Albert took a step forward, but Albert raised a hand to stop her.
He looked at the sharp halberd raised high above him—a weapon that could easily cleave him in two—with a calm, steady gaze.
Whir—
The halberd tore through the air with a roar like dry thunder. As it fell, it seemed certain that blood and gore would soon splatter across this serene, noble sanctuary.
But it did not.
The halberd froze abruptly, mere centimeters from Albert’s forehead. His gaze remained as tranquil as a stagnant well, watching a few stray hairs drift down from his brow.
"By His Majesty’s decree."
The other knight also raised his halberd, unmoved by the scene. His voice held no emotional inflection. "You may enter."
The doors opened silently. A cryptic smile finally curled at the corners of Albert’s mouth. He tilted his head slightly, stepped around the halberd and the knight, and entered the Emperor’s bedchamber. This was only the third time he had ever been inside.
The second time had been not long ago. It was after that visit that his meticulously planned arrangements—which he had thought were foolproof—had taken a sudden turn for the worse. That woman had pulled the rug out from under him, forcing him to stand here for a third time so soon.
As for the first time... that was a very long time ago, measured in years.
Back then, the sunlight had been blinding. The Emperor of the Empire had sat high above, his every look and gesture carrying the weight of thunder. The memory still left Albert with a lingering sense of dread.
But now...
Albert glanced around. Unlike the opulent, brightly lit corridor, the room was somewhat dim. Neither magic stones nor candles had been lit; the entire chamber was draped in shadows, illuminated only by the meager light leaking in from the windows.
The scent of medicinal herbs was even more pungent than last time. Two maids holding medicine bowls bowed to Albert and hurried away.
Albert watched them for a moment before finally stepping forward, pacing alongside the large bed with its swaying curtains.
"I used to be quite terrified of you," he began, his tone as calm as if he were telling a story. "You are the Emperor of this nation, standing high above the masses, holding the Authority of this land in your hands."
"But you didn't just hold Authority. You were a master of intrigue, a manipulator of hearts. You fostered the Royal Faction and suppressed the Great Nobles. During the decades of your reign, the Great Nobles—the very foundation of the Empire—found themselves reduced to squabbling with commoners for power in the blink of an eye."
"Yet, you skillfully maintained the balance between the two. Both sides fought and struggled, but they were nothing more than pawns in your palm, tools to consolidate your power."
"Ancestral lands were gradually stripped away; wealth accumulated over countless generations was snatched bit by bit to be divided among the commoners. The nobles felt resentment in their hearts, yet they could do nothing but wag their tails before you, begging for mercy."
"They feared you."
"I feared you."
"Many people feared you."
"They feared you to such an extent that as long as you were alive, many didn't dare to make a move. To convince those people, I had to exert more effort and carve out more interests."
"But..."
Albert suddenly craned his neck, his eyes wide as he stared with intense interest at the old man on the bed. "I suppose no one could have imagined that the high and mighty Emperor, the great Audrich III, has actually... actually weakened to such a state!"
Thud.
Thud.
Two muffled sounds came from outside the door.
Then came the faint scent of blood, mingling with the heavy smell of medicine.
The knights hidden within their thick armor watched coldly as the First Prince’s expressionless maid killed the two palace maids. She licked the blood from her palm like a cat, but the knights made no move to stop her.
They had received no orders to do so.
At this moment, the old man on the imperial bed did not even rise to face his eldest son. He remained lying beneath the gold-threaded brocade quilt.
His eyes were sunken. Though only a few days had passed, he looked far more gaunt than before. Dark spots mottled the skin of his face, and an aura of decay and old age permeated the air. The shadow of death seemed to loom over the old man at any moment.
Facing Albert’s transgression and disrespect, he merely opened his clouded eyes. His voice was raspy, like dry sand rubbing together.
"But I... am not dead yet..."
"Ha... yes, you aren't dead. I originally intended to be patient and wait for you to pass," Albert said, looking down. "But who told you to have such a good daughter? She pushed me to this point, forcing my hand. Of course... I still harbored fear toward you, but not long ago, I suddenly realized something."
"..."
Audrich seemed to finally find his focus and looked at him.
"Yes, it’s about you making the Pink Bear the Regent... That was truly a brilliant move. It easily disrupted my plans and forced me back into hiding."
Albert wore a smile, looking like a filial son recounting recent anecdotes to his father. "But, if you look at it from another perspective, didn't that brilliant move also expose the fact that you... have truly weakened to the point where you can no longer fully control the situation? That’s why you had that ridiculous, stupid bear help you stabilize the political scene. You needed someone who could stand up for you without directly escalating the conflict. That person couldn't be me, and it couldn't be my famously clever and alert sister. Therefore, it could only be Oranriel—someone whose reputation for debauchery is deeply ingrained, yet who still possesses the Royal Bloodline."
"..."
"No answer? It seems I was right."
Albert gently pulled back Audrich’s quilt, revealing the hands hidden beneath. They were covered in a network of cracks, making his limbs look like a piece of porcelain on the verge of shattering. These cracks extended all the way up to his chest.
"How terrifying. This is the consequence of trying to forcibly break the Royal Curse, isn't it? You've fallen to this state because of that."
Albert sighed with feigned emotion. This Emperor, who had never been defeated by any man, was ultimately going to die at the hands of his own arrogance.
To think he could oppose that curse—it was pure folly.
"So, you are here to force my abdication?" Audrich’s gaze was cold.
"No."
Albert leaned down and whispered his reply. "I am here to... usurp the throne! After all, isn't the title of First Prince meant to be used for times like this?"