### Chapter 357 – Room 205, The Cursed Room – ‘□□□□’ (6)
—
– Park Seungyub
— Swoosh!
It was raining like crazy from the sky. I felt like my heart was pouring down as well.
Two days ago, my sister Eunsol had met with Ahri and Miro at a secret spot outside the Imperial Palace to push forward a special plan.
But then…
Shocking news started pouring into the palace since last night.
Lee Eunsol, the Master of Harmony, had died.
Ija Seong, the Master of Heavenly Oppression, had died.
Cha Jinchul, the North Star General, had died.
Kim Sanghyun, the Emperor’s personal guard, had died.
Upon hearing all this, I solemnly accepted one fate.
We were done for.
Most of our power had been obliterated, and there was no one left to lead the government meetings starting tomorrow.
The next day, thankfully, I realized I didn’t have to worry about the government meetings after all.
“…”
“…”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty?”
“Elena, just speak comfortably. There’s no one here anyway.”
“Where have all the officials gone?”
“They’ve been running away since yesterday?”
“… Where did the Emperor’s dragon robe go?”
“A few attendants took it and ran.”
“Did you just let them?”
“Should I have chased them down shouting for the robes?”
The nation was in ruins, and the world was collapsing.
From the people running the country to the general guarding the barriers, everyone was dead. Even the Emperor’s guard and the so-called greatest swordsman were gone.
At this point, I didn’t even resent those fleeing.
Honestly speaking, it was quite obvious that the nation was on its way out.
Even if I were a commoner or a subject, I’d be outta there.
Is there still anyone going to work at the palace?
Such a person must either be mentally unstable or have some suspicious motive.
Elena and I were perfect examples of that.
Late last night, after hearing the news, Elena came to the palace early in the morning to discuss future plans with me.
Our combination…
I hate to say it, but neither of us seems particularly bright.
What kind of duo are we? It’s a cookie party.
A cookie party is when the smart folks are racking their brains to reach a wise conclusion while we just sit around munching cookies, following whatever conclusion they decide on.
So what can two cookie party members accomplish?
“I’ve got it!”
“Yeah?”
“Seungyub, with so many of our allies down, it’s tough to solve anything, right? We should focus on escaping.”
“Right.”
“Let’s run to the countryside!”
“… Huh?”
“Why not? History shows that a king’s defeat in the ancient times is only seen when he’s dead or captured.”
Now that’s not entirely wrong.
If you look back at Korean history, didn’t kings run around like madmen when victory seemed uncertain?
That would sometimes work too.
Ancient kingdom wars and modern conflicts have slightly different logic.
But still…
“Sister, doesn’t that just mean it’s a slow defeat?”
“Isn’t that the point of escaping?”
“The source of the curse is the Baehwa Sect’s ascension ceremony.”
“Hmm…”
“If the sect leader occupies the capital and does not chase us down but proceeds with the ascension ceremony among themselves, doesn’t that end up being a victory for Baehwa?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Why not?”
Silence fell for a moment.
She clearly stated that my hypothesis was wrong but couldn’t quite explain why.
I guessed she felt instinctively that I was off base, but she seemed confused about which part exactly.
“I got it!”
“Again?”
“Seungyub, the difference between our opinions is whether the sect leader needs to ‘chase after’ you. If he can conquer the capital, the escape has no meaning.”
“Exactly.”
“But if there’s a reason for the sect leader to pursue you, then there is a reason to run.”
“What’s that?”
“To understand this, we need to discuss the ascension ceremony—”
Just then, a familiar voice thundered,
“Elena! If that’s true, why are you just standing there explaining everything!”
“Grandfather!”
“If you have time to gab, pack up and flee immediately!”
With a shout like thunder, my grandfather entered the palace, visibly annoyed that every second counted.
Elena couldn’t help but smile, feeling reassured.
“Right. We’ll discuss later, Grandfather, just take Seungyub and run.”
“What about you, Elena?”
“I came up with an even better plan while talking.”
“A better plan—”
Before I could ask what the better plan was, my grandfather grabbed my body and started running.
“Just do whatever you need to do!”
“Okay!”
…
On that rainy day, the brains and swords supporting the empire broke simultaneously, leading the nation to ruin.
And the Emperor began to escape faster than anyone else.
“W-was this how our ancestors fled?”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Yes.”
*
Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye.
My grandfather hid me alongside Songi in an alcove of the palace, then scurried around securing horses, wagons, and plenty of guards and food supplies.
I couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to gather all this amidst such chaos.
“How did you get food, but the horses?”
“Uh, well!”
What a silly question it was.
My grandfather’s foreign hands were stained with blood.
Apparently, a ‘peaceful’ conversation had gone well. I’d choose to believe that.
Elena then disappeared for half the afternoon and joined us through the conversation tab, keeping us informed of where to hide.
Honestly, my grandfather’s ‘conversation tab’ is quite a handy ability.
In a world without cell phones, how else would comrades scattered everywhere be able to communicate in real-time and align their opinions?
“Seungyub, you got the escape plan, right? Broadly speaking, it’s similar to my initial suggestion of fleeing. Just added a ‘credible backdrop.’”
“Sure.”
“Are you really sure you understand?”
Elena seemed skeptical about my comprehension, but I got it.
I don’t exactly trust the judgement of cookie party members either.
Of course, I’m the kind of person who’s pretty strict with myself, so I don’t trust my own judgement all that much either.
“Yes. To be specific, it feels like my role has shifted from being an ancestor to being the emperor.”
“What?”
Elena, who’s a little weak when it comes to Korean history, appeared confused.
Meanwhile, Songi started to collapse laughing beside us.
“Ugh! Haha—!”
“Sister, just let it out and laugh.”
“Your analogy is right on the money! It’s just like that ‘Gwangju Incident’ or whatever!”
Elena tilted her head in confusion and left our hideout once more.
In truth, this is no time for joking around.
My grandfather and Elena were busy running around without a moment’s pause to keep going with the escape plan.
I, being a middle schooler and also the emperor, couldn’t just wander out to the streets; I’d be in big trouble if I got caught, so I just stayed here resting.
As the evening approached, a group of intimidating men clad in armor appeared at our hideout.
Under Elena’s request, the Iron Cross Knights, the embodiment of Western Empire’s military, had arrived.
Elena pointed at me with a gesture, and a knight with a massive physique, who looked like he was broadcasting “I’m super strong,” approached and knelt before me.
“I, Drian, son of Konrad—”
“Hurry up.”
“…”
“Elena: Your Majesty’s tone! This is the official procedure of the two nations!”
“Drian, speak quickly. We’re all busy here.”
“I apologize. Your Majesty of the Radiant Empire, from now on, the Iron Cross Knights will serve you. I vow upon my honor as a knight that this is not an act of oppression by the Iron Cross.”
“This was my request.”
“Therefore, this is a resolution for peace between the Luan Empire and the Radiant Empire—”
Why do I have to witness this nonsense during a tight schedule?
Elena: This is an unavoidable procedure. It is to declare that the Western Empire is not kidnapping the Emperor.
After some time, the great escape from Room 205 began.
— Bump!
The wagon shook uncontrollably.
If there had been any whining noblemen, they would have strongly rebuked the driver, but thankfully none of us had such childish reactions.
We had to bolt every second we could, and there was no luxury for comfort.
Elena began explaining the ascension ceremony to us.
“What does the ascension ceremony mean religiously inside the Baehwa Sect? This part is somewhat complex and varies in interpretation, so it’s hard to give a definitive answer. Just know the Jo Wonhong side sees it as the salvation of humanity while the Abester Sect sees it as the temptation of demons.”
“Simply put, it means everyone’s going to heaven, right?”
“That’s a very rough way to put it.”
…
“The important question is this: What is the reason the Baehwa Sect wants to conquer the empire before performing that ceremony? It’s simple. The ascension ceremony is a ‘privilege’ originally bestowed only to the Baehwa cult members.”
My grandfather interjected.
“Does that mean it’s irrelevant to the people of the empire?”
“Exactly. However, Jo Wonhong discovered some interesting facts through various routes.”
“Various routes… like interpretations of scriptures or revelations from prisoners? What did he find?”
“Even if one is not a member of the Baehwa Sect, if one serves the sect leader, they can be considered a kind of ‘implicit member.’”
After contemplating, I understood the difference between the two interpretations.
According to the former, only the Baehwa cult followers get to partake in the ascension ceremony and go to what they refer to as heaven.
According to Jo Wonhong’s new interpretation, even those who serve him as ‘emperor’ can also enter heaven.
In other words…
“If that means Jo Wonhong can toast the entire country’s populace with ascension once he sits on that throne.”
“That’s why the ability to sit on the emperor’s throne is very significant. It’s not just a symbolic position. Jo Wonhong truly believes he is the savior.”
At this point, I had to ask.
“So he wants to send as many people to heaven as possible?”
“If he can’t save all of humanity, he at least wants to save the people of the Empire he was born and raised in!”
“Wow~ Honestly, he seems way more fit to be an emperor than I am!”
My grandfather sighed, ruffling my hair.
“Shut up. Even without the Baehwa sect leader, this nation would have collapsed because of you!”
Elena continued speaking.
“Initially, I was just considering taking you away and hiding, but we had a flaw. What if the Baehwa sect declares that Seungyub is dead?”
“I can just tell them I’m fine—ah, but that means the great sect leader would come after me to kill me.”
This just wouldn’t be enough to simply escape.
“So we have to go into exile. We need to find a force that can protect you from the sect leader, a group that’s truly against the unification of the Baehwa Sect.”
Three days later, the Western Empire sent a letter to Baehwa.
As an old brother and ally, the Emperor of the Radiant Empire has requested salvation from the tainted sect leader; hence, the righteous Abester Sect shall not refuse this request!
—
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