“Let’s go, Hara.”
*Thud…*
The audience chamber door opened.
In front stood Schlus Hainkel, standing tall.
A knight with a dark blue school uniform, a black eagle on his left chest, and a longsword at his right waist appeared.
He confidently stepped onto the carpet and bowed his head before Emperor Gustav.
“Schlus Hainkel pays his respects to Your Majesty. I received the letter inquiring about my well-being. I believe it is unbecoming of a courtier to respond in writing, hence I have come to see you in person.”
“······.”
Gustav’s expression slightly contorted, but by the time Schlus lifted his head, it had returned to its original state.
‘A courtier, huh? What a joke.’
If you were capable of being a proper courtier, you wouldn’t have suddenly enacted a slave hunting decree in the Southern Colony.
Nor would you have executed Lorraine without a word.
Let alone ignoring the messenger who brought a letter asking not to execute her.
If he had any sense, he would have laid low after that, but Schlus Hainkel was rampaging around, drawing attention for slaying ancient monsters and asylum creatures.
At this point, it almost felt like he was asking for a war.
So Gustav decided to grant Schlus’s wish.
He mobilized the annihilation cannon capable of killing Majin to attack him.
“As you can see, I am safe, Your Majesty. You need not worry.”
“Is that so? That is quite fortunate.”
But Schlus had survived.
He had come alive and was now mocking the imperial palace.
“Thanks to the skilled generals of the imperial army you provided, I have saved my life. I hear that the traitorous 1st division commander exploded on the airship… Truly, that is well.”
“······.”
Schlus certainly knew that Gustav had secretly ordered the division commander to deploy the airship.
He also knew that it was not Gustav who sent Roman.
Yet, he pretended not to know, flattering the emperor.
Gustav felt his anger boiling to the top.
“I heard you were hit directly by the annihilation cannon. Is the affected area alright?”
The question seemed strange.
Asking someone hit by a weapon that could even kill Majin if the affected area was okay…
Still, Gustav didn’t stop his questioning.
At the very least, he wanted to see Schlus lament that one of his hands was crippled.
“Yes. Fortunately, my right hand, which was hit, is perfectly fine. I apologize for causing you concern, Your Majesty.”
“My right hand that was hit by the annihilation cannon.”
Hearing that, the corners of Gustav’s eyes twitched slightly.
He had received reports that the shell had struck Schlus directly but suddenly changed its trajectory.
After hearing that, he thought some other spell had interfered or that there was a problem with the cannon’s shell.
But Schlus clearly stated he had fired the cannon.
That ultimate weapon which guaranteed survival even if it hit a Majin…
He wanted to believe it was all just bluster.
He didn’t want to acknowledge the birth of a monster surpassing even Sergey or perhaps Gawayn.
To acknowledge that would mean he had to tear apart all the plans the National Defense Research Institute had set up to eliminate Schlus Hainkel.
“Schlus Hainkel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do you have no intention of accepting the position of duke in the Southern Colony even now?”
“Yes. I will decline.”
“Then how about taking the position of the Imperial Sword?”
“······.”
Schlus’s shoulders trembled slightly.
He looked flustered.
The position of the Imperial Sword.
It was a title given to the one most trusted and powerful by the emperor.
The Imperial Sword was revered just after the royal family within the empire, and the family that produced the Imperial Sword was rewarded for generations with unprecedented privileges.
However, it was practically a ceremonial post, stripped of political power and influence.
“I am not sufficient for such a position. I will decline.”
But Schlus Hainkel kicked away even that position.
He resolutely refused to abandon politics and submit under the royal house.
At this, the emperor tightly shut his eyes and spoke.
“I must attend to state affairs now. You may leave.”
“Yes. I will take my leave, Your Majesty.”
Schlus Hainkel bowed his head once more, then stood up and began to walk away.
The door soon closed, and Schlus Hainkel’s figure vanished.
In that moment, Gustav groaned, clutching his throbbing temple.
*Ugh…*
Would it be possible to gather all the imperial guards right now and ambush Schlus Hainkel to kill him?
Gustav’s intuition told him that it was indeed possible.
But what price would he have to pay in the process?
Even if he deployed the Imperial Sword, could he guarantee that he would survive?
How many of the so-called elite knights of the imperial guard would be lost?
And would the imperial palace building be safe?
Moreover, in the worst-case scenario, the royal guard might not be able to protect the crown prince from a rampaging Schlus Hainkel.
“Damn it…”
There were uncertainties everywhere.
How can one analyze the strength of someone who kills ancient monsters and casually deflects annihilation cannon fire?
His power was always gradually exceeding the set benchmark.
As if imposing a higher benchmark would expose his limits.
But even as that benchmark continued to rise to an absurd degree, Schlus Hainkel showed no signs of limits.
Perhaps he possessed a strength that could never be fathomed by human standards; a somewhat chilling thought crossed his mind.
“Your Majesty. The chief guard is waiting for orders. Shall we attack?”
“No. Let him be.”
“Yes. Operation halt confirmed.”
When the head of the institute initially devised this operation, he must have envisioned swiftly ambushing Schlus Hainkel and quietly eliminating him.
Not a scene in which the palace would burn down, and the guard would suffer catastrophic damage while ambushing Schlus Hainkel.
Now, he simply hoped that Schlus Hainkel would leave the palace quickly.
“Wait. Where is the crown prince?”
“I do not know, Your Majesty. I will check.”
“No… Just leave it.”
He must have gone to see the crown prince again.
That cunning fellow would surely try to instill some strange ideas into the crown prince’s head.
But the clever and astute crown prince wouldn’t fall for that.
Though he seemed to take an excessive interest in Schlus Hainkel, the judgment of right and wrong was entirely up to the crown prince.
The boy would soon ascend to the throne.
*
“I think I understand now why Father would stare at this lake for so long.”
By the quiet lakeside.
I walked along the path next to Aria in silence.
If I got a little too far ahead, I would wait for her, and if I fell behind, I would catch up.
“May I ask what that meaning is?”
“Of course. I presume my father liked this serenity itself.”
“This serenity itself?”
“At the time, my father was in a politically precarious position. He was being absurdly undermined by nobles, and his standing was shaken. Perhaps he came to see this lake, which would remain unchanged forever, tired of the noisy and ever-changing political landscape.”
“······.”
That was the right answer.
Except for the part where the nobleman’s attack on the crown prince was not absurd undermining but rightful criticism, it was almost entirely correct.
In the original story, Aria never even got close to the answer.
In the end, she ascended to the throne without knowing the secret of her father’s death.
She didn’t need to know anyway.
But this world’s Aria was gradually getting closer to the truth.
Now, a light push would be all she needed.
“You must have had a tough time.”
“Don’t talk casually about things you couldn’t possibly understand, you little… Ah.”
Aria stopped speaking, mouth agape.
Then, glancing up at me, she smiled.
“It makes sense for you. You are no less than my father’s position.”
“I do not quite understand what you mean, Your Highness.”
“Right. It’s just my random ramblings. So you can stay ignorant.”
“······.”
Following Aria as she lightly stepped forward, I remained silent.
I didn’t understand a word of what she was saying.
I just had to listen.
“My coming-of-age ceremony and the crowning of the crown princess is just two weeks away. Now that the emperor is aging and ailing, he will have no choice but to pass the throne to me when the time comes. So just hold on a little longer. The Emperor will surely be so astonished by your capabilities that he won’t want to touch you for a while. If you can endure for just one more month, I will treat you well.”
“······.”
That was a piece of fortunate news amidst misfortune.
Aria realized that she was completely on the opposite side from the emperor, and that this oppression would end once she ascended the throne.
‘Is there any reason to delay any further?’
Though Aria said the emperor would be too surprised to attack for a while, I thought differently.
Having failed with the annihilation cannon, wouldn’t he try to develop a more terrifying weapon to use against me?
Given what I know about Emperor Gustav, he would have plenty of reasons to act.
So I could not afford to delay executing my plan any longer.
If I were to act, it had to be today, right now.
I deployed the recognition interference barrier around us.
A resilient one that was difficult to dispel.
Oblivious to the mana-sensitive barrier, Aria kept walking along, while behind us, startled courtiers and knights rushed towards us, chattering away.
But since it was a bidirectional sound-blocking barrier, that noise would not reach Aria.
“Your Majesty.”
“······.”
The moment she called me, Aria’s body flinched, and her steps halted.
*Ha-ha…* This little rascal just made a mistake. How could you confuse me with Your Majesty—
“The one who killed your father is Emperor Gustav Friedrich von Freya.”
“······!”
Aria’s eyes widened.
As she began to shatter the recognition interference barrier, courtiers and knights rushed in, surrounding Aria.
“What was that barrier just now?”
“Answer me, Sir Hainkel!”
“I will take my leave now, Your Majesty. And I look forward to the coronation ceremony.”
Ignoring the furious reprimands of the knights, I took my leave.
Even as I distanced myself, Aria continued to stare at me with her mouth agape, flabbergasted.
The die has been cast.
There was no turning back now.
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