Chapter 191: Purity(1)
A being concealed in an eerie black smoke.
The being known in the Imperial Palace as the Shadow, the one who had ruled the Empire from behind the scenes, stood before the Emperor.
In a rare, wrathful tone, the Shadow spoke to the Emperor.
“You’ve done something foolish again, Emperor.”
“…Foolish? I wonder. I’ve done nothing but sit on the throne as you commanded.”
The Emperor feigned ignorance, but his insides were burning.
The Shadow’s presence pressed down on him, as if crushing his very body.
“I believe I warned you not to contact the hero.”
“…”
So, he’d been caught. But it couldn’t be helped. He might have been able to turn a blind eye to framing Astria as a public enemy to create a pretext for war.
But to make the hero a traitor to the realm as well?
That, he could not tolerate.
“Are you in love with the hero, Emperor?”
“Mind my age… I lost interest in such childish love games long ago.”
A lie. Those childish love games were the only joy in the Emperor’s life.
The memory of the day he first met Lina was the most precious treasure of his entire life.
Was the Shadow pleased with the Emperor’s answer?
It parted its black mouth and laughed. The pitch-black darkness visible within was horrifying.
“Excellent. I must eliminate the hero now… and I was worried it might break your heart, Emperor.”
“…”
To receive such concern from a being who’d never shown any in his entire life was almost too much to bear.
“If you intended to kill the hero, why didn’t you do it sooner?”
“You claim to have no interest in love games, so why ask such a thing?”
The Emperor knew.
This Shadow’s arrogance was so immense it pierced the heavens. So arrogant that it would knowingly fall for a petty provocation.
Now was the time to use that arrogance.
“…I just find it amusing. It’s as if you’re saying you’ve been letting the hero live on purpose until now.”
“…”
A reaction. He could feel the Shadow’s aura growing more savage.
The Shadow opened its mouth.
Even knowing it was a pathetic taunt, the Shadow wouldn’t care.
An arrogance that pierced the heavens would not permit itself to be bothered by such a small provocation.
“Emperor. No matter what you spout, the hero must die. She has outlived her usefulness.
No. It would be more accurate to say she has become an obstacle.
The hero is just like you. Blinded by love, she has forgotten her duty and even defies the prophecy, I hear.”
“…The hero is strong. It won’t be easy.”
“Yes. She is strong. Even if she has not been perfected by the holy sword, she is powerful. I will acknowledge that.”
“…”
“But one does not always need force to defeat an enemy. Hehehe.”
This bastard. What is he planning?
He knew from experience that whenever that thing laughed like that, it was hatching a plan so sinister it was nauseating.
“Are you planning to run and tattle to the hero about what I’ve told you today?”
“…”
“It’s useless, Emperor. I have already cut off all your hands and feet in Astria.
A pity for your blameless subordinates.
They swore to devote their loyalty to the Imperial Family and the Empire… only to be sacrificed for their Emperor’s trivial love games.”
“…”
“Finally shutting your mouth? Good. That suits you. Be careful how you run it from now on.”
With those words, the Shadow began to disappear.
Just then, the Emperor spoke.
“Why are you trying to start a war? What do you possibly have to gain from it?”
“That is none of your concern, Emperor.”
With that, the Shadow vanished.
Only then did the Emperor begin to gasp for breath.
He had been pretending to be strong, but the Shadow’s mere presence had exerted an immense pressure on him.
The old knight approached.
He may have been old, but this was the man once called the Imperial First Sword. Even he was powerless before the Shadow.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
“I’m fine. That Shadow bastard was putting on more pressure than usual today.
It seems the heroes truly are special, seeing how sensitive it gets about them. Heh.”
“…Forgive my inadequacy.”
“Enough. Why act so out of character? You’re retired. Just being by my side is more than enough.”
The Emperor was fond of the old knight.
Knights were an obstinate lot, always singing praises of loyalty as they threw their lives away.
But the old knight was not like that. His loyalty was genuine, but he did not foolishly cast his life aside.
“I despise a dog’s death.”
“Yes. I hate a dog’s death, too.”
He refused to live and die as the Shadow’s puppet his entire life, like the previous emperor.
What else could that be but a miserable dog’s death?
Having watched the life of the previous emperor—no, his father—from the sidelines, he knew this all too well.
“The hero must remain safe.”
From what the Shadow had said, it was clear it had been targeting the hero for some time.
But now, the Shadow called her useless. An obstacle.
The Shadow was the most terrifying being the Emperor knew. He was genuinely worried for Lina.
“Come to think of it, has the Shadow ever mentioned that adventurer?”
“The adventurer named Kerry, you mean? I believe not.”
The Emperor had received detailed reports of Kerry’s exploits. Kerry was competent.
But whether the Shadow knew and didn’t care, or simply didn’t know at all, it seemed to pay Kerry no mind whatsoever.
“…I suppose we have no choice but to hope for that adventurer’s success.”
To be able to do nothing but sit on the throne and hope for someone else’s success.
The Emperor felt to his very bones the futility of power without sovereignty.
*
Lina’s party continued to track the Ruler of Mana.
The Empire’s declaration of war could soon become a reality.
That is, if the hero’s party couldn’t resolve the issue of the Black Witch quickly.
Following the trail led them to a set of ruins.
The remnants of an ancient city, crumbling with the passage of time, came into view.
Good timing.
As it happened, the place where the fake was hiding was the very ruin Kerry had been looking for.
The ruin where the White Witch’s key was hidden.
The imperial palace of Asmodeus, who had reigned as the emperor of this ancient city.
The White Witch said the key to her seal was here.
Catching the fake and getting the key would be killing two birds with one stone.
Although, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were going a little too smoothly.
Natasha spoke, her voice full of doubt.
“What do you suppose that masked bastard is doing here?”
“Who knows. He’s been impossible to figure out from the start.”
Lina’s party entered the ruins. Everyone was on high alert, scanning their surroundings.
Ruins like this were full of annoying traps.
And there was no telling where the fake might pop out from.
More importantly, what a magnificent palace.
To think that a nation which boasted such a splendid civilization could fall to a single person, the Black Witch.
Traces of that ancient battle were still visible. Old armor and weapons lay scattered throughout the ruins.
“Everyone, stay sharp. The Ruler of Mana is cunning, so our coming here might be a trap in itself.”
Lina was more vigilant than anyone, her senses honed to a razor’s edge. The rest of the party tensed up at her words.
He felt bad for the others, but Kerry couldn’t help but focus on his other objective.
He had to find the White Witch’s key.
Between the fake and the key, the key was obviously the priority.
Beating the shit out of that fake can wait.
He had now absorbed almost all of the remaining elixir and possessed a hundred years’ worth of mana.
He didn’t think he’d be easily overpowered by that guy.
A good amount of time passed after they entered the ruins. Fortunately, nothing had happened yet.
Lina’s party forced open a dilapidated door that wouldn’t open properly.
Beyond the door was a mural, similar to the one they had seen in the last ruin.
The mural depicted Asmodeus and a being that appeared to be a goddess.
The nameless goddess was bestowing a stone of some kind upon Asmodeus.
The White Witch had said the seal was originally Asmodeus’s property, a treasure she herself had found in some ruin.
This must be a record of the moment Asmodeus received the seal from the goddess.
Bingo. Looks like I came to the right place.
The probability of the seal’s key being here was high.
Kerry scanned the moss- and tree-covered parts of the ruin.
My dear Witch. Just wait a little longer. I’m bringing you a big present.
A pleased smile spread across his face as he imagined the White Witch jumping for joy. But he couldn’t let his guard down yet.
The fake was one thing, but the ruin’s traps were not to be underestimated.
It was then.
The ground beneath Arwen’s feet gave way with a mechanical clunk. Anyone could see she had stepped on a trap.
An eerie swoosh of wind whispered past his ear.
In that instant, Kerry threw himself toward Arwen without thinking.
At the same time, he deployed his shield with all his might.
KRA-KOOM—
His ears went numb, as if a bomb had gone off right next to him. His surroundings were plunged into darkness in an instant.
What just happened?
He still couldn’t get his bearings from the shock. The good news was, the barrier hadn’t broken.
He felt like he was reaping the rewards of achieving a union of yin and yang.
Kerry looked down at Arwen, who was cradled in his arms.
She, too, was struggling to make sense of the sudden situation.
“Princess Arwen.”
“…Y-Yes?”
“Are you alright?”
“…”
Was she not alright? Arwen looked around, slightly dazed.
“It seems we’ve fallen into one of the ruin’s traps.”
Kerry kept the shield active.
Something heavy was pressing down from above, but it was too dark to see anything.
“If you can, could you please create some light?”
Arwen used Light, a beginner-level spell.
Even for a spiritmancer like Arwen, simple magic was well within her capabilities.
The area lit up.
Only then did the situation become clear.
Earthen walls boxed them in. A massive stone pillar pressed down from above.
The trap must have been a descending stone pillar.
But because the ruin was so old, the ground had collapsed, and they had been driven deep underground.
Feels like the ground collapsed pretty deep. Just how far down are we?
He could see Arwen’s grave expression. It seemed she had finished assessing the situation.
In that moment, tears began to fall pitifully from her eyes.
“…It’s my fault. I ruined everything. I dragged you into this trap with me, Sir Kerry. Hic… sob…”
“That’s not true.”
“I didn’t want to be a burden… I wanted to be helpful… I really am a stupid idiot.
A hopeless case who just holds the hero’s party back…”
He could clearly hear the disappointment Arwen felt in herself.
The sight of Arwen crying was heartbreaking.
“Princess. It was unavoidable.”
How could anyone avoid an invisible trap underfoot?
Of course, the other party members with their superior physical abilities might have been able to evade it even after stepping on it.
“If one person could do everything perfectly on their own, what would be the point of having comrades?”
Physical strength wasn’t everything. Arwen could do many things the others couldn’t.
Kerry patted the back of the still-sobbing Arwen.
The inside of the shield was cramped. There was barely enough room for the two of them to move.
He could expand the shield, but… one wrong move could disturb the collapsed ground and trap them even deeper.
“I know it’s uncomfortable, but we’ll have to stay in this cramped space for a while.”
Aside from being cramped, it wasn’t that bad. The shield kept out all the dirt and debris.
Arwen buried her face in Kerry’s chest.
As time passed, Arwen gradually calmed down.
“The party will rescue us soon. Let’s wait.”
“Yes, Sir Kerry… I made a fool of myself, didn’t I?”
“Not at all. Anyone would have reacted that way.”
Just then, Arwen shifted slightly.
He felt the soft press of her breasts against him. They were definitely bigger than they looked.
“If you’re uncomfortable… should we put some space between us?”
Arwen shook her head vigorously. It seemed she didn’t want to separate.
“If you don’t mind, Sir Kerry, I’d like to stay in your arms for a little while. But this position is a bit awkward… may I readjust?”
“Of course.”
Still in his embrace, Arwen moved her body.
But her new position was a little… dangerous.
“…Is something wrong, Sir Kerry?”
Arwen’s eyes were pure, innocent, as if she knew nothing.
Tears still welled in the corners of her eyes from crying. Her glistening pupils looked utterly pure.
Does she really not know…?
It was after she had changed her position.
Arwen’s sex was pressed so blatantly against Kerry’s groin.
So much so that he could feel the parted lips of her flesh through his clothes.
“…Nothing’s wrong.”
Snuggling into his embrace as if relieved, Arwen truly looked like a pure, innocent elf princess who knew nothing of the world.
That is, until she spoke her next words.
“Um… Sir Kerry… I was so startled and I’m still shaken… could you… stroke my ears?”