111. In fact, they knew (5)
“…is it right to covet this position?”
“of course.”
“Then why do you covet this position?”
“Because Edoardo Desert is not a person worthy of the position of emperor.”
The duke had been observing the emperor intently for a very long time.
That’s why I saw it. I had no choice but to see it. A child was crushed to death because he could not bear the weight of the yellow crown. The sight of him supporting the weight of the imperial crown at the cost of his life was so vivid that the duke could easily be convinced that he was not an emperor.
How can we recognize a person who has to sacrifice his own life just to have a golden crown on his head as an emperor?
“It’s easy to feel guilty and get broken down by it. “An emperor must look forward and move forward, but he only focuses on the past and the things that have been lost. How can he be called an emperor?”
Are you hallucinating? I asked in a whisper.
Before anything else could come out of the Emperor’s mouth, the Duke spoke again.
“There is no need to deny it. Because I’m already sure. Of course, don’t ask me how I knew.”
“….”
“You often touch the area around your eyes and close and open them tightly. The eyes may not be in clear focus or may be focused on empty space as if looking at something. “He shows his condition so openly. Even if I don’t know, I can’t help but notice.”
Hallucinations are evidence of guilt. If you put a wrong stamp on a document, many people’s lives will be lost. So many lives were lost— people were killed —that it would have been better to go to the battlefield and swing the sword yourself .
Hallucinations increased. stamped. There were more hallucinations. After checking the list of deaths from the war, my vision became pitch black with hallucinations filled with malice.
“…No, that’s not it.”
The emperor pressed the back of his left hand with his right thumb.
The duke’s words were eloquent, but he did not act as emperor with such clumsy resolve that he could easily be swayed.
Therefore I say it again.
“Don’t change words in a subtle way. Jim clearly asked why he coveted this position. “There is no reason why I am not worthy of the position of emperor.”
This time the Duke kept his mouth shut. The silence wasn’t very long.
“…Do you need a reason to covet power?”
“It’s not wrong, but I don’t think that’s the whole reason. “Is that really all?”
The situation has turned around. This time the emperor pushed the duke.
The duke, who maintained a consistent expression even in a not-so-pleasant situation, opened his mouth casually as if he would reply at any moment, but then paused and raised his gaze to look into the emperor’s eyes. The purple eyes that met the golden eyes were hidden under the curved eyelids as if they were closed.
“To protect something, whether a person or an object, you need power stronger than anyone else.”
“…Does someone like Kong have something to protect?”
“well. In any case, the emperor is the pinnacle of power. “Isn’t it natural to covet it?”
Therefore, the duke pledges once again.
No matter who the opponent is, even Edoardo, I will definitely take that position.
“I vaguely understand the reason, but you probably know the ball well. “There’s no way Jim would give up this position with just a few words.”
“….”
“I don’t know why you’re putting in so much meaningless effort and saying meaningless things. “I would rather take the crown from the severed head.”
“—What are you saying such scary things? “God intends to rightfully take over that position.”
Some pressure is inevitable in the process.
He bowed his head gracefully in greeting.
“Anyway, I understand your Majesty’s intentions, so I’ll leave for today.”
Your Majesty wants to enjoy war games more. Is there anything you can do about it? I can’t say anything more here or do anything, so I’ll just leave you to enjoy playing emperor a little more.
The purple snake closed its eyes and smiled.
***
There was something the emperor missed. An inconvenient truth that Deonhardt noticed, Stigma agreed to, and even the Margrave Amiable could not refute.
‘The possibility that other kingdoms will side with the Demon World.’
‘Furthermore, there is a possibility that the Empire’s nobles will betray the Emperor and join the Demon World’s side.’
The duke had already predicted that possibility from the moment the emperor declared war against the demon world.
And I met the emperor, talked with him, and became convinced.
The emperor is ruling out that possibility.
‘Your Majesty is truly naive.’
I feel like I just want to leave it alone and watch the situation unfold, but I can’t.
“I cannot lose ‘my empire’ so vainly.”
Isn’t that right?
I muttered consciously and snapped my fingers. A man dressed in black appeared somewhere in a deserted space, far from the banquet hall.
“Tell Saerin. “Use ‘them’ to spread evil rumors about the demons.”
“Exactly what kind of rumor are you talking about….”
“Anything is fine. I like the rumor that he eats betrayal and lies like he breathes, and I also like the rumor that he eats people. All you have to do is make people not believe in demons, whether realistic or illusory.”
Rumors that spread in the slums soon spread throughout the empire’s citizens, and the rumors that spread among the empire’s citizens were passed on to the nobles through employees. The rumors of the nobles will soon be delivered to the emperor, so there is no way that other kingdoms paying close attention to the empire will miss this.
If that happens, no human would dare to think about joining the Demon World. This was one of the reasons why the Salvation Church was somehow left behind.
After hearing a positive answer from the man, the duke smiled with satisfaction and continued his walking steps. And then it stops.
“…Oh, perhaps.”
“Tell me.”
“Are there any cases where a person with a warrior’s fragment loses their power or cannot use their power in a specific situation or area?”
“As far as I know, none. “If you command me, I will investigate.”
“I think there probably isn’t one, but… still, please do some research just in case.”
“yes.”
Regardless of whether the man with his head down disappeared or not, the duke lowered his head and muttered with his hand on his chin.
“That means… it’s continuous self-harm.”
The Duke knows that the Emperor does not wear gloves.
When was the bandage on his hand mentioned in a conversation with the emperor? The emperor was wary and turned his horse around. And today he came wearing gloves. The answer was obvious.
[The wound did not heal.]
Is it not recovery or is it continuous self-harm?
The emperor is a ‘hero’. The hero’s fragment is what allows one to overcome all human limitations. In a situation where even life expectancy is included, there is no way resilience cannot be included.
So the answer is divided into two again.
[Has the warrior’s fragment lost its strength or is it a continuous self-harm?] There is
no way that the emperor, who was stirring up the battlefield not long ago, has now lost his strength. Since the timing is not correct, this assumption is discarded.
So, has the hero’s fragment lost its power only in terms of ‘resilience’? At this point, the duke blocked his intention to delve into and analyze in more detail.
Is there any need to dwell on things that have low possibilities? The most obvious answer is right here.
‘Self-harm… Self-harm… Come to think of it, I pressed the back of my hand in certain situations.’
To be precise, I raised my fingertips and pressed gently, as if twisting. It was probably a wound that had been opened.
‘What was the situation?’
─When stress gets worse, when your eyes become out of focus, and in situations where the ‘dead person’ may come to mind.
…under.
“A terrible human being.”
I can’t believe I was holding on to my hallucinations in such an ignorant way.
***
The first thing the emperor noticed upon returning to the outdoor banquet hall was none other than a knife fight taking place on one side.
The green-haired man who took a step back and was blocked by the table lowered his head with a troubled expression. The dagger that crossed over it broke the candlestick decorating the table. Wow! A loud noise rang out and muffled screams erupted from everywhere.
The emperor, seeing white hair flowing refreshingly in the center of this commotion, quietly raised his hand and covered his face.
“What is this…”
***
At that time, just 15 minutes ago, Stigma was looking at Deon Hardt, who was drinking his glass in silence.
Every time he takes a sip of alcohol, his red eyes sink with a look of reluctance, and as he takes another sip, the emotions drain from his normally expressionless face.
He watched this whole process right in front of him and smiled softly.
‘Of course it is. ‘Does the person who made such a ridiculous request to the emperor have any saneness?’
Although he was said to be subtly normal, it seems he was hiding this nature.
I learned something I didn’t expect, but I don’t really care. The reason I liked Deonhardt in the first place was not because of his personality, but because of his actions, such as ‘he destroyed my family.’
Perhaps even if Deon Hardt had been crazier than he was now or a more normal person than before, my fondness for him would still have remained the same.
‘On the contrary, his true nature was revealed, and it was surprising that he was much calmer than I expected.’
By this point, it was time to open my mouth, but there was no answer.
In the end, Stigma couldn’t wait and called Deon.
“Junior?”
“I don’t know.”
“…what?”
Bright red eyes are looking straight at me. Stigma frowned slightly, not understanding that attitude or words.
I’m not drunk, so what? I feel something is out of place. Hasn’t the full nature been revealed yet?
“That’s what my junior asked me to say at a business meeting after the 8-year war…”
“I don’t know.”
A clear signal that questions related to this will not be accepted or answered, so do not ask.
“…So you don’t know.”
For some unknown reason, Deon Hardt is sober and refuses to talk about this topic.
─In that case, all you have to do is cloud your mind.
I gestured to the driver standing nearby and took back the alcohol I had left behind.
“Would you like to have a drink? “There is some alcohol that I stole from my subordinates.”
“…Is that okay?”
“They are my subordinates, so what’s the problem? Besides, this is the type of alcohol I have banned.”
I gestured to a passing attendant, took a clean, empty glass, and placed it in my junior’s hand.
It was said to be alcohol obtained with great difficulty from the North. Stigma’s area of responsibility is the southernmost part, so it must have been difficult to obtain it.
He chuckled as he casually poured the drink containing subordinate A’s bloody tears into a glass. Deon, who was examining the glass with suspicious eyes, probably feeling quite anxious, quietly asked a question.
“If it’s banned alcohol… does it contain drugs?”
“Something like that is on the banned list, but this isn’t, so don’t worry. It’s just a little harsh. Could it be that I give drugs to my junior?”
Do you like strong alcohol?
Stigma smiled seductively. Deon, who was staring at him, took a look at the glass and drank it straight away without hesitation.
…I just made him drink it a few more times.
I shook my head. The dagger struck the spot where the face was, making the sound of cutting through the air. Stigma clearly recognized this and let out an awkward laugh.
There was a clear hissing sound just now. You really tried to kill me.
“Hmm… Junior, why don’t you quit at this point? “If this continues, the banquet hall will be a complete mess.”
“You said you were an enemy…”
“Actually, it was a lie. “Not the enemy.”
“They say they’re the enemy… They say they’re the enemy!”
this.
He took a step back and clicked his tongue softly.
‘If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have lied like that.’
