novelraw Chapter 148 : Chapter 148
Chapter 148 : Chapter 148
Chapter 148: The Specter of Reverk (4)
“Please… kill me. I beg you…”
The mysterious Imperial, Rotman Reverk.
The sharp, fierce glint in his eyes before being subdued was gone, replaced by a pitiful gaze yearning only for death.
“Please, grant me peace.”
His eyes were filled with deep pain and sorrow, evoking involuntary pity in those who saw him.
Though Evan didn’t yet know the full story, he was certain this was tied to an Imperial conspiracy.
Thus, he first tried to calm the man.
“Calm down. You’re safe here. Do you know you were brainwashed?”
“Yes… They controlled my mind. They did this to me… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ve done, but I must have committed sins worthy of death.”
Tears streamed down the man’s face.
Though unaware of his crimes, his tears carried genuine remorse and anguish.
“I know it wasn’t your choice. Just tell me clearly who brainwashed you and for what purpose. That’s what matters most right now.”
“Understood. I’ll tell you everything I know… I’m sorry, truly sorry.”
“First, I want to confirm your name. Is it really Rotman Reverk?”
The question of his name—
the issue that weighed most heavily on Evan’s mind.
“Yes, that’s my name.”
“…Do you have any family? As far as I know, the surname ‘Reverk’ doesn’t exist in the Empire.”
“You’re likely correct. I… am an orphan. And the Reverk surname was merely bestowed upon me.”
An orphan background, a surname deliberately granted by someone.
The eerie similarity to his own life deepened Evan’s sense of foreboding.
“Who bestowed it? Why did they give you that surname?”
“Commander-in-Chief Badehart Doyton granted me the surname. He said it was simply because I caught his eye.”
The name was unfamiliar, unconnected to Evan’s past memories.
‘Badehart Doyton? No relation to my past life. Likely someone who rose to prominence in the Empire after my death. The problem is…’
The problem was that his methods were strikingly similar to the Emperor’s.
Selecting talented orphans, granting them a special surname, and using them as puppets matched perfectly—
except for the added layer of brainwashing.
“With your skills, you could’ve resisted the brainwashing and fled to another kingdom. Why didn’t you?”
The man’s expression darkened, as if recalling painful memories.
“I wanted to, but… I couldn’t. There were those I had to protect.”
“Who?”
With a bitter smile, the man answered laboriously.
“Children from the same orphanage as me… and my squad members.”
The word “squad” sharpened Evan’s senses.
The uncanny repetition of his own past fueled his unease.
But the next words made that discomfort pale in comparison. “I had to protect my squad, the ‘Reverk Detachment.’ That’s why I couldn’t defy the commander’s orders.”
“Wait, what did you just say?”
“The Reverk Detachment. A special unit composed of those like me, all granted the same surname. Not all, but most are orphans or have their own stories.”
Evan’s gaze grew increasingly piercing.
“Why do you all use the same surname? What’s the reason?”
“It’s a form of branding. I didn’t know at first, but I later learned… the surname ‘Reverk’ is used in the Empire to mean a dog loyal to the Emperor. In other words, we were the Emperor’s hunting dogs.”
Evan was speechless.
Rage surged within him, coursing through his veins.
The intense aura of anger he exuded startled even Anna, watching from behind.
“Evan? Are you alright?”
“…Oh, yes. I got lost in thought for a moment. Sorry if I startled you.”
“It’s fine. But listening from here, I’m getting angry too. How could they treat their own citizens so cruelly?”
As a royal who never considered herself above others, Anna valued responsibility and duty over privilege, embodying noblesse oblige.
The Empire’s atrocities revealed here were utterly unforgivable to her.
“Why would they exploit people like this to threaten our kingdom? What’s the Empire’s true goal…?”
Seeing Anna and Evan’s fury, the man named Rotman shared what he knew.
“I don’t know if this answers your question, but… the current Emperor seems to harbor grand ambitions. I heard he wasn’t particularly notable before ascending the throne.”
“Grand ambitions? What do you mean?”
“There’s talk that he’s like the second coming of Tarkin II, who once sought to swallow the entire continent. I’m not from that era, so I don’t know for sure, but the current Emperor seems to have inherited his ambitions.”
“The second coming of Tarkin II…”
Evan’s gaze turned icy.
That infamous name he never wanted to recall.
He quickly pieced together the events in his mind.
‘Tarkin II’s name, absent from the Roster of the Dead, the Empire’s repeated invasions, and the reappearance of the Reverk surname…’
Whether Tarkin II himself was alive or his will and ambitions were driving the current Emperor,
the Empire’s threat was no longer confined to the continent.
“Wait! So the current Emperor aims to conquer not just the continent but the entire world?”
The man nodded slowly at Anna’s question.
“Likely so. That’s why I was sent here. Before the brainwashing, I was ordered to use the Kandahr Tribe to topple the kingdom. After that, the details are hazy due to the brainwashing, but Commander Badehart’s plan was clear.”
The room’s atmosphere grew heavy as they considered the devastating consequences of that plan.
The kingdom had been pushed to the brink of collapse and was still recovering from the scars.
“I don’t remember exactly what I did. But since I reached the kingdom safely, regardless of the plan’s success, the kingdom must have suffered greatly.”
“…”
Evan looked at him silently, then walked to the window and opened it.
“Ah…”
The man gazed out at the kingdom’s desolate ruins, still not fully restored, etched clearly in his view.
“I’m so… sorry. So sorry…”
Tears fell again.
Though not by his own will, he was consumed by guilt for his weakness causing such tragedy.
“Even death can’t atone for this, but please kill me. I don’t want to be used by the Empire anymore.”
He bowed his head in anguish, ready to accept death.
Evan watched him silently for a long moment before slowly drawing his sword.
“Evan!”
Anna tried to stop him, but Evan strode toward the man and swung his sword.
―Swoosh.
The man braced for death, eyes shut tight.
But the expected pain never came.
Opening his eyes, he saw the ropes binding him scattered on the floor.
“Why…?”
“Death is just a cowardly escape.”
“Then you mean I should face punishment? Very well, I’ll accept it gladly.”
“No.”
Evan shook his head and offered a new proposal.
“Before punishment, take revenge on the Empire that made you this way. Don’t you resent living as their dog?”
“But I…”
“I won’t force your choice. Just think carefully about how to live the rest of your life with less shame.”
Evan’s stance wasn’t purely out of kindness.
This incident solidified his resolve to go to the Empire and act directly.
And to operate in the Empire at this moment, this man was essential.
‘Even a brainwashed pawn sent across the sea must know the Empire’s inner workings well. I need him as a guide.’
Beyond self-interest, a deep sense of kinship as bearers of the “Reverk” fate moved Evan.
Thus, he proposed revenge.
“To be honest, I know nothing about fighting the Empire. But if you give me a chance to atone, I’ll help with all my strength. Just…”
His voice carried a desperate wish.
“There are many in the Empire like me, controlled against their will. Especially the detachment, all raised that way. Please… give me a chance to save them.”
“Of course. My target is solely the Empire’s leadership causing these tragedies. I have no intention of harming victims like you.”
Evan’s goal was clear:
to find and eliminate the masterminds behind this.
There was no reason to turn his blade on those exploited and sacrificed like him.
“Thank you. Then from now on, I’ll serve as your hands and feet. But I still don’t know your name. May I ask it?”
“My name is…”
For a moment, Evan nearly said “Mikhail Reverk” instinctively.
He wanted to speak it, to share his true name with this man and affirm their bond as bearers of the same surname.
But that was merely a trace of a past life.
In this moment, he had a new life and a new name.
“Evan Lafard.”
Yet the shadow cast over this new life lingered.
The curse of the Reverk name, persisting across generations.
Facing the name the Empire used for its attack dogs, Evan felt the greatest rage of his life.
‘No doubt about it. That Emperor’s will still drives the Empire. Or perhaps he’s actually alive. I’ve tried to ignore it, but I won’t run anymore.’
The ominous premonition from the Coast of the Dead was becoming a vivid reality.
‘I’ll end this toxic cycle with my own hands.’
The spark of vengeance, long dormant in his heart, began to blaze fiercely.