novelraw Chapter 71 : Necessary Evil (2)
Chapter 71 : Necessary Evil (2)
Necessary Evil (2)
There isn't a person who doesn't know what the title of Emperor is.
It's common knowledge that even kids playing in the neighborhood, or those born in the shadows who know nothing but the sword, are aware of.
It is the title that rules over the entire land of this Kilvus Empire.
If you are a commoner, the seat people look up to like the sky is the Imperial Palace itself.
Naturally, not just anyone can enter that sacred place.
Only nobles closely associated with the Imperial Court are barely allowed in, and the rest don't qualify to be invited.
Even more so for criminals and slaves.
It's unimaginable for such trash to set foot in this sanctuary.
"......."
"......."
That's why getting used to the current atmosphere seemed impossible.
Amazingly, that trash had stepped into this absolute sanctuary.
And that too, under the mandate of the great His Majesty.
"......."
"......."
"......."
Silia and the squad members, having been invited to the Imperial Palace, were sitting in a reception room inside.
Meanwhile, the knights standing around them looked down at them sternly from where they sat.
Under such forceful gazes from the knights, the squad members' bodies collectively stiffened.
Even if they wanted to say something, their lips wouldn't move, as if frozen.
Even though tea had been set before them, just reaching for it seemed too difficult.
Except for the academy director, Ferus, who was seated with them.
"It's been a while for all of you."
"Yes."
Thanks to Ferus's question, Silia barely managed to move her lips.
"Thank you very much for being here with us."
"There's no need to thank me. The reason I came here is simply because I personally wanted to see you all."
Thanks to Ferus, the dead air revived, but the knights' eyes in the area still remained vigilant.
'They're on guard.'
It was clear why they were being looked at that way.
Trash with criminal status had entered the sky-like Imperial Palace.
What's more, they were now calmly sitting inside a reception room.
Of course, it had to be hard for the soldiers to get used to this.
Even if it was His Majesty's order, these people were criminals belonging to the 7th Legion.
Given their latent risk, they had to be watched with caution at all times.
"S-Squad Leader big sis...."
Just then, when Rio opened her mouth, the knights' gazes shot toward her.
"...!"
Rio flinched at gazes sharp as arrows, but soon gathered her courage and spoke.
"I forgot to ask about something."
Rio spoke in a small voice, just loud enough for Silia to hear.
"What happened to the girl I saved back then?"
That girl was none other than Her Highness the Princess, but Rio purposely referred to her as "the girl".
Given the situation and the place, it was a very prudent response.
Silia answered accordingly.
"Fortunately, her life wasn't in danger. But maybe because of a curse from the demonkin, it will take some time before she regains consciousness."
Back then, Silia and Klein had found Princess Estelle and called for the security.
In the meantime, they had also checked on the princess's condition.
"Besides, that child is far weaker than you. Considering the aftereffects she suffered, it's no wonder she's been unconscious for a long time."
It was said that the rescued princess was recuperating somewhere in the palace.
Upon hearing she was still unconscious, Rio replied with disappointment.
"That's a shame. I really wanted to see her again."
"... Why?"
Even as Silia felt uneasy, the reason soon became clear.
"Because I saved her, I deserve a reward. I'll squeeze as much out of her as I can."
When Rio answered with eyes full of determination, Silia could only sigh.
"Rio. Do you know who that girl is?"
"That's why I must get my reward all the more. It's that important to our squad's future."
Of course, she already knew. She had been told in advance that the girl was the Princess.
"You know, young master taught me that helping with no reward is meaningless. Don't you know how much I had to go through for that?"
"You're not telling me you fought those demonkin with your life on the line just for that?"
Klein wasn't exactly wrong in what he'd taught her.
The problem was that Rio took it to an extreme.
"I have to get something out of her. At the very least, even her blood...."
"Quiet!"
Silia immediately knocked Rio on the crown of her head with her fist.
With a whimper—"Ayat!"—Rio shut her mouth, but the knights' gazes grew even more sensitive.
"Ah...."
Mistaking Silia's action for misconduct, the knights as a group reached for their swords.
Now the rest of the squad members looked so tense their eyes seemed lifeless.
If you said the wrong thing, you could die.
Thanks to this, all the squad members realized:
Doing nothing at all was the right answer.
"Hahaha! Calm down, everyone."
At Ferus's hearty laugh, the knights let the tension out of their eyes.
Without him, the squad members would have been crushed by the stifling silence.
****
On returning to the Imperial Palace, the Emperor heard and received reports of what had happened in the capital through communication magic.
He learned about demonkin sneaking into the palace to plot villainy and that the Princess had been kidnapped by them.
And even that the 7th Legion's soldiers had hunted down all those demonkin.
It was truly a disgraceful matter.
Even if the elite forces had been absent for his own guard, the palace is the highest place in the Empire.
It had almost been desecrated by trash in such a sky-high place.
Fortunately, things were handled secretly and did not reach the citizens' ears.
If it had, their reaction would be all too predictable.
To make matters worse, the ones who had exterminated the demonkin were also soldiers of the 7th Legion—of equally trash status.
That's why the Emperor could sense it keenly.
That the Imperial Court, his own family included, had already fallen as far as it could go.
"So let me say a word to you."
The Emperor, seated on the throne, was always in a position to look down on others.
But now, he stepped down from his throne and stood on level ground with those in audience.
Then he bent his knees and bowed his head.
"Thank you. Truly."
This shocking turn of events made the courtiers and knights around him collectively gasp in surprise.
Even though this matter was strictly confidential, it was still astonishing.
The Emperor bowing his head was a shock even to those in audience.
"I will never forget this favor for the rest of my life."
As the Emperor said this, a courtier and a knight nearby shouted.
"Please lift your head! Your Majesty, those people are not high enough for you to bow!"
"Do not forget—they are criminals belonging to the 7th Legion!"
They were the Emperor's closest aides, always by his side.
Especially the knight; Louis could sense something interesting about him.
In terms of strength, he might be as strong as Klein.
"There's no need to lower yourself so much!"
"In any case, this will not go public. Now that it has come to this, I'll handle the matter quietly myself."
Unable to withstand the atmosphere, the knight immediately drew his sword.
His grip on the sword was full of resolve.
He was clearly meaning to take someone's head at any moment.
"They say you exterminated demonkin and even an Great Devil, but in the end, it's still the 7th Legion. Nothing good comes from trusting such people's words...."
"Rubik. Sheathe your sword."
When the Emperor spoke while still bent, the knight called Rubik froze.
The sword, which seemed ready to cut like a lightning bolt, became motionless as if frozen solid.
"However, this is unprecedented in the history of the Imperial Court! If you grant one favor, they'll expect two, three! That must never happen...."
"Rubik."
When the Emperor called again, Rubik even stopped speaking.
Frozen in the half-drawn posture, Rubik was completely immobilized. Louis could sense it from nearby.
It was the same pressure, like standing inside a vacuum, that he had once felt from a legion commander named Paulo.
That very pressure was now weighing on Rubik.
"Are you saying you would defy my orders now?"
"......."
As the Emperor slowly lifted his head, his eyes shone with a blue glare.
He wasn't casting magic, nor was he enveloped in aura.
It was simply an "ability" emitted from the Emperor's eyes.
"There won't be a second warning. Sheathe your sword."
"Yes...."
When the Emperor's eyes returned to normal, Rubik finally took a deep breath.
He was sweating heavily, as if he hadn't been able to breathe for a while.
"That just now...."
Louis, puzzled by the display of strength, was met with the Emperor's calm explanation.
"Anyone who has honed their strength on the battlefield will recognize it instantly. This isn't magic or aura."
It wasn't power acquired through training.
It was a power simply possessed from birth.
"And only royalty possess this power."
Only a special bloodline could have it.
In other words, every member of the royal family was born with it from the very beginning.
"It felt as if gravity had been warped."
"Exactly. It's a physical phenomenon mimicked by aura masters simply by releasing their aura. I possess a similar ability."
It was a technique only those who had reached such a level through long years of sweat and blood, crossing the line of death, could use.
He could wield it with innate talent alone.
Of course, compared to a swordmaster, its power seemed much weaker.
Louis, who had directly experienced it, could tell.
"My daughter Estelle also possesses a special power, but unlike me, hers is not threatening."
"Are you referring to Mind's Eye?"
"Correct."
A supernatural ability that comes from being born royal. Princess Estelle had inherited that power as well.
Although not suited to combat, it allowed her to perfectly see a person's character and identity just by looking at them.
It was a truly enviable ability.
"But my son, Orbel...."
"......."
"......."
No one could continue.
With the Emperor and Princess possessing such powers, it would be natural to think the Crown Prince did as well.
But Orbel possessed no abilities at all.
"Yes. It is understandable Orbel became like that."
Not only was he born without magic power, but he also had no unique royal ability.
Though born from royal blood, he was given nothing.
It was preposterous.
"How must it have felt for him to lack what others naturally possess."
Even if others revered him just for being royalty, what did it matter?
He had not received the one thing that was truly important.
That supernatural ability was as much a symbol of royalty as anything.
How could someone born without it be considered truly royal?
There was no way others could look kindly upon someone like Orbel.
"In the end, that's why he made a contract with a demon, isn't it?"
No strength, no symbol.
How could such a person be called Crown Prince?
In truth, he was a mutant who should never have been born royal.
The whispered insults from those around him had made Orbel's daily life a hell.
Thus, he had made a contract with a demon.
He got magic power as he wished, but his heart, having already experienced hell, had long since become twisted.
"Because of that Crown Prince, innocent people had to bleed. Many were unfairly dragged into the 7th Legion."
The 7th Legion is full of criminals?
Not incorrect.
Even a good person, upon entering the 7th Legion, could not help but become corrupted.
"The mage next to me is also one of those victims."
At those words, the Emperor looked wide-eyed at Klein.
Countless others shared their fate.
"My own domain was also destroyed by the Crown Prince's henchmen, disguised as bandits. The surviving domain citizens were immediately forced into the 7th Legion."
"......."
He could already imagine how many victims his own child had created.
He had thought about what he would do if any of those victims appeared before him.
"Among those domain citizens was even the Hero prophesied to save the world."
Was.
The reason Louis spoke in the past tense was obvious.
The Emperor had already been told.
In the end, thanks to his own child, the world's hope for salvation had been uprooted.
The resulting sense of pressure felt like despair to the Emperor.
"I'm sorry."
All the guilt for his child's actions sat squarely on his own shoulders.
The courtiers, listening, could only remain silent.
The Imperial Court itself could not claim innocence.
"It's a sin worthy of death."
So they could only watch as the Emperor knelt once more.
"If there's anything you want, just say the word."
Still, hope had not been completely uprooted.
"I'm currently searching for an artifact."
And thus Louis could continue his conversation with the Emperor.