Walter Gernhardt guided me to a shortcut favored by the Intelligence Bureau. We descended into the sewers and walked through a labyrinthine path. In the original work, it was a hidden route that led directly to the Imperial Palace. Gernhardt, being the kind of man who tortured or stabbed nobles to death, was quite taciturn. It had already been 20 minutes since we began walking, and he hadn’t said a word. Of course, I also had a reserved personality, but there wouldn’t be many chances to have a private conversation like this.
“I have a question.”
It was about 10 seconds later that Gernhardt, who was walking silently through the pitch-black sewers, responded. He clearly didn’t want to answer. His unpleasant nature was the same now as in the original. Why is he so handsome? If he were bald and ugly, would it be any worse? No matter how much we’re in a fantasy game mode, this doesn’t make sense.
“…If it’s something I can answer, then ask away.”
As the head of the Intelligence Bureau, Walter Gernhardt must have substantial access to information. Although there is a separate organization called the Information Guild, this was a chance to gain valuable information without invoking the Emperor’s right to question. I pondered how to broach the topic and finally blurted it out.
“Do you know the name Enoa Blackwind?”
The Anti-Saint, Enoa Blackwind. The leader of the Red Star who often dresses in black priest robes. In the original, he ultimately succeeded in assassinating the incompetent Emperor and led the Empire into chaos. That doesn’t mean he was particularly capable in terms of personal strength or strategy.
In fact, he lagged significantly behind others. He was pathetically weak compared to a knight, and his only talent was clumsy incitement. If he hadn’t noticed the Empire’s fatal secrets, he would have died a nameless and lonely death. Given that this world hadn’t followed the original’s flow, there was a high possibility that his actions had also changed. The moment I mentioned that name, Gernhardt abruptly stopped walking.
“…What is your intention in asking that name?”
The look in Gernhardt’s eyes as he asked that was icy. It was as if he was questioning how I knew that name.
In fact, considering my situation, his reaction was understandable. I was a debauched scoundrel who had merely been rolling around on the front lines for 11 years. Normally, one would think of me as a barbarian ignorant of worldly affairs. I locked eyes with Gernhardt and replied.
“I was wondering if you might be plotting something.”
“You needn’t worry about that mongrel. Her Majesty the Emperor has already taken care of it.”
What does he mean by “taken care of”? Given what I knew of Gernhardt’s character, “taken care of” could only mean he was dead. The realization that the world I had possessed might not be the original began to sink in. One of the biggest reasons for this was—
‘-The Emperor is too capable.’
In the original, the Emperor was merely a puppet. He was dragged around by the nobles fawning over him and stayed silent until the Northern Front collapsed. Eventually, he was assassinated and led the Empire into hell—a reckless, irresponsible man. But the Emperor I faced directly was the opposite.
“Does ‘taken care of’ mean he has been killed?”
“…That is incorrect. He is currently active as a teacher at the Academy.”
The Academy is one of the imperial institutions. Since it is the place to train the power to support the Northern Front, the Emperor’s influence there is immense. He had even managed to cover up the incident involving the cadets turning into monsters, including witnesses. If he had put Enoa in the Academy, it meant he had thrown him into a prison. He might not be wearing a collar, but in reality, he was just a pet crawling before the Emperor.
What, then, would happen to the Red Star, where Enoa was the leader? Has it not made its appearance yet? Is it secretly moving past that strict surveillance system? Questions that couldn’t be hastily answered crossed my mind and disappeared. Then, let’s get to the main topic.
“Do you know of an organization called the Red Star?”
“The existence of such an organization has not been confirmed.”
Gernhardt glanced at me and responded. The vague answer of “not confirmed” was ambiguous. The timing of his response was perfectly similar to the previous one. This meant he understood the question and answered it without hesitation.
However, it is not the case that asking a question gives one a chance to know everything. I had never sworn an oath to reveal all truths like the Emperor either. I wasn’t particularly expecting him to respond honestly.
From his answer of “not confirmed,” I could think of two possibilities. One was “I know but will say I don’t” and the other was “I genuinely do not know and am responding that way.” There’s no way to tell which truth was correct. Gernhardt, who had been walking silently, turned the tables by asking me a question.
“How did you come to know that mongrel’s name?”
“Oh, to be honest, I don’t know much about that name either. I might have seen it in a dream or heard it on the front lines.”
“…”
What are you going to do with this kind of answer?
***
The sewers were connected to the palace. Following Gernhardt, we arrived at the depths of the palace, at a magical pool. The Emperor was waiting in front of the massive gate that led to the magical pool. She wore a broad robe and had a veil covering her face. Through the glimpse of the veil, I could see golden eyes.
“Well, then, go ahead.”
The Empire’s report—the magical pool. An extra-dimensional space created by applying magic to the overflowing energy within a Greater Demon Beast’s body. Here, magic refers to the technique of handling divine power from the East. It’s about manipulating the divine power flowing in the atmosphere to create mysterious phenomena, separate from magic.
Magic is not always efficient or destructive. There are largely two reasons for this.
1. Unlike the divine energy-rich atmosphere of the East, Central has a very thin divine energy, making it unsuitable for usage.
2. Divine power is energy that cannot be contained within the body, unlike magic or aura.
To handle divine power, it must be manipulated indirectly through spells, formations, or catalysts. Sometimes it could take more than a week just to use a single spell. Even if successful, the lack of divine power in the Central continent lowers its destructive capability.
Therefore, the Empire changed its method of using overflowing magic instead of lacking divine power to utilize magic. The disappearance of messengers like shadows was one form of that potential. However, as the energy source changed, the casting speed increased significantly while the risk also heightened. Ultimately, using magic through mana was deemed unsuitable for front-line deployment.
The Emperor bit her finger in front of the gate, spraying blood before the gate. The gate, which would lock the report, was designed to open only to the Emperor’s bloodstream.
With a tremendous vibration, the gate gradually began to open. Inside, things resembling human hearts were piled like mountains. Even though they had been harvested a long time ago, they throbbed as if they were still alive.
At the center of them, there was a hole that seemed to gather all the darkness of this world. Light could not escape; it was as if nothing could be seen beyond that hole.
“Are you ready?”
The Emperor gazed at my face, as if trying to gauge my reaction. A chilling golden glow emerged from behind the veil. There was nothing to prepare because I already had memories of visiting this place two or three times.
Although it was just a game, experience is still experience.
The Emperor reached out her hand toward the hole first. The moment her hand touched what looked like a black hole, her divine form flipped and disappeared. I also reached out my hand. The moment my hand touched the darkness, I felt as though my vision was compressed and disappeared, and my body flipped.
The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself on a white marble floor. Above the neat space were transparent capsules displaying various artifacts. They were all solid armor made from Greater Demon Beasts.
It looked more like a museum showcasing art than a warehouse. The Emperor, who had come first and was waiting, opened her mouth.
“You are the first to visit this place in my reign.”
“I am honored.”
“You may stay here as long as you wish. Take your time to think and choose what you want.”
But before that.
“How many can I take?”
The Emperor turned to me, seemingly surprised by that question.
“Hmm…? I thought people would first express their amazement upon arriving here. Is that the first thing you’re asking?”
After contemplating for a moment, the Emperor continued speaking.
“Two. You may take any two artifacts. I shall grant you permission to take two items.”
I had thought it would be a maximum of one. Truly, she is a generous Emperor. I was convinced that there was some ulterior motive behind this.
But even if there was, my tasks wouldn’t change. I would merely crush the seeds of doom that exist in the South and the Red Star, as well as the East. And if that helps rather than hinders the Empire’s prosperity, then there is even less reason to hesitate.
‘Two semi-finished parts. Let’s go.’
Let’s start shopping.
