Chapter 371 Grave in the South (5)
There were two documents.
In the first one, there was no special content, and in the second one, it was written as an observation log.
‘This is not the material that Cortés Valhalla brought. It must have been a record left by Stern Valhalla, the former emperor and 14th son, when he ascended to the position of emperor.’
Emperors of Valhalla.
Except for Canelas Valhalla, which created the southern tomb, the circumstances after the accession cannot be recorded here.
What does that mean?
The tomb in the south is for confirming the truth, and this observational log written by Cortés Valhalla in the process of selecting a successor could only be the work of the next emperor.
Palak.
handed over the document.
The first character that caught my eye was the story about the first son of Cortés Valhalla, the crown prince Jejus Valhalla.
[…] … When Jejus first grabbed the sword, the imperial family’s leadership, including me, were convinced that Jejus was the right person to inherit the future of Valhalla. Jejus was born with the blood of a warrior. He realized mana at the age of only 7 years old, and showed no fear of fighting with his unique swordsmanship that recklessly pushes forward. if he ascends to the position of emperor. As the emperors of Valhalla have done for generations, Jejus will grow into a courageous warrior who raises his voice in the vanguard.]
Palak.
[Jeju is not only good at handling swords. I was also interested in strategy, so I lived in the library all day and had time to study tactics. One day something like that happened. Valhalla had a virtual strategy confrontation with the best staff, but after a fierce battle, the staff surrendered from the mouth. He was only 15 years old.]
Palak.
[Jeju also knew how to deal with people. He assigned the right talent for the work he was lacking in and treated him with respect so that people could only be loyal to him. It was absolutely perfect. Even before Jesus Valhalla came of age, forces were formed around him, and even the vassals who whispered sweet words to me said that Jesus Valhalla should lead the future of the empire. This is a fact I also acknowledge. It is certainly. If Jejus inherits the throne, Valhalla will surely create a better future.]
Palak.
[Therefore, it is inconsistent.]
One word.
He stopped holding hands.
Cortes Valhalla explained how outstanding his eldest son was, and then said inconsistency as a conclusion.
I didn’t understand.
Then it came to the conclusion that raising the 14th son to the throne was certainly not for Valhalla.
The problem is that there are still unresolved mysteries for the Kronos Empire.
turned the page
Passing through different successors, Roman Dmitry stopped at one name.
[Stern Valhalla]
The 14th son of Valhalla.
It was an observation journal of a being called a tyrant.
* * *
[Stern is a weak child from birth. I didn’t even show a desire to ascend to the throne as my son, let alone use the sword properly. He was a boy who looked exactly like his mother. Like a mother from a humble court lady, Stern lived an uncharacteristic life of a person born with royal blood. Unlike other people who work hard to get my eyes on a book rather than a sword, a walk rather than a training ground, he gave up his rights.]
Palak.
[I heard an interesting story from the servant. People called Stern an angel in white. Wearing clean clothes every day and taking care of people around the palace, Stern showed a caring appearance enough to be called an angel. Ordinary servants brought food in case they would go hungry, talked to those who were resting because they were tired, and secretly helped someone when they had financial problems. Stern didn’t care too much about status. I lived with the words that I should live like a human being because I am a human being, and I spent most of my time taking care of my surroundings rather than self-development.]
It was unexpected.
Stern Valhalla.
A being called a tyrant.
Considering the life he had lived, I couldn’t help but think that he was a completely different being from the person recorded in this document.
The Valhalla Emperor enjoyed killing.
People showed fear of the Emperor of Valhalla because he thoroughly followed the principle of performance and killed the beings outside his eyes without hesitation.
that he
It was once called the white-clad angel.
It was a record that created a sense of gap, and Roman Dmitri turned the page.
Palak.
[I asked Stern one day. Aren’t you coveting this father’s seat? Stern said that he had no greed at all and that the reason he lived as he was now was to avoid being annoyed by his brothers. If you show even a little bit of effort, you will be seen as a competitor. Stern chose to compromise rather than fight and appealed to his brothers that he was not competitive with a life that did not suit the imperial family. In fact, his efforts were worthwhile. In a situation where it was certain that Jejus Valhalla would take over my place, no forces opposing him were aiming for Stern Valhalla’s life.]
Palak.
[Some said. What do you think will happen if Stern Valhalla inherits the emperor’s seat? Maybe a good emperor will create a country where people can live, but what is certain is that the Valhalla Empire will go downhill because of Stern. If it was a small country on the periphery, he would be the right person. However, in an empire that has to subdue the continent, Stern Valhalla is absolutely not suitable for the position of emperor.]
Palak.
[He’s the right person in my opinion.]
It was a contradiction.
Unlike Jeju’s Valhalla.
Cortés Valhalla, who constantly gave speeches on why he was unqualified, came to a conclusion different from common sense that he was the right person.
* * *
Tak.
document covered.
He furrowed his brow slightly.
It was a mystery.
I thought that if I looked at the record of Cortés Valhalla, my doubts would be resolved to some extent, but the observation log rather stirred up confusion.
In fact, Cortés Valhalla left nothing special in the southern tomb.
This was also confirmed because Stern Valhalla left it, but if there had been no such effort, the reason why Cortés Valhalla made a ridiculous succession installation would have been buried in history forever.
After checking the records.
There was only one hypothesis that could be considered.
A collusion between Cortes Valhalla and the Cronus Empire.
If you think about it, Valhalla and Cronus always used each other’s borders to create a game that favored only the two countries.
The term Yangdae Mountains.
It meant the map that supported the two empires.
Again, the recurring question was that for whatever reason, there was no reason to appoint Stern Valhalla as the successor, nor to kill him who had struggled to rebel and put him in the position of emperor.
at last.
I needed my own records.
Roman Dmitri confirmed the records of Stern Valhalla this time.
[…] … When I woke up on a morning that was no different from any other day, there was a dead cat by my bedside. Its shape was ghastly, and I screamed and called for a servant on the bloodstained bed. From then on, terrible things happened again and again. Cats, mice, birds, puppies, and all kinds of dead animals were always placed by my bedside, and the servants who had to clean them always sluggishly opened my door and came in and stared at me. It’s like you know how to get rid of it. I felt something was wrong from that day on.]
It was a diary.
The well-organized handwriting vividly conveyed the emotions of the time.
[Today, while eating, I chewed a stone. At first I thought I was mistaken, but as the day went on everything I ate came out with foreign substances. When you drink water, when you eat oil, when you eat meat, there is nothing normal about what insects eat.]
Palak.
[The door opens. Someone was watching me through a tiny gap and I was so startled that I told the guards to get rid of the being. But he laughed at me. I doubted my sanity, saying that there was no such existence, and while I stayed up all night with my eyes open, I met the gaze of the mysterious existence all night.]
Gradually.
The text has become a mess.
The process of mental breakdown was clearly visible.
Stern Valhalla wasn’t crazy from the start.
His mind began to be eaten for some reason, and those who followed his orders intentionally stood by Stern Valhalla.
The second half was full of bad handwriting that could not be recognized at all.
As if out of his mind, he filled his diary with unrecognizable writing and unintelligible writing.
and last.
The page had this to say:
[At this rate, I will die. Before I die, I will kill all the guys who try to kill me, and I will definitely be freed from this pain.]
That.
It was the last record of Stern Valhalla.
* * *
The meaning of the diary was obvious.
former emperor.
He was a puppet of something.
I don’t know why Cortés Valhalla made his son like that, but he chose the weakest of his sons and made him the protagonist of the rebellion.
The day the imperial family in Valhalla was stained with blood. Stained with madness, Stern Valhalla killed all of his brothers.
People remembered that day and described the Emperor of Valhalla as a tyrant, but the truth hidden behind it was that the tyrant itself was created.
then.
In the meantime, I was able to understand the behavior of the former emperor.
Why did he go crazy and why did he not care about state affairs?
The past explained his actions.
‘There are three truths I can be sure of in the graveyard of the South. The first is that there was an intervention by the Kronos Empire in Valhalla’s past. The second is that Cortes Valhalla intentionally elevated a person unsuitable for Valhalla to the position of emperor. That I was just a puppet that couldn’t do anything.’
When the Duke of Vieto rebelled.
The puppet was abandoned by its master.
He rose to the position of emperor with a special intention, but was abandoned regardless of his will, just like that time.
Sigh.
I leaned back in my chair.
It was lacking.
The southern tombs recorded shocking truths, but they lacked the most important details.
In fact, it was a natural result.
If there was someone behind this, the emperors of Valhalla would not have left their traces in the tombs of the south, where they could be identified from generation to generation.
From now on, I had to infer the unknown truth from the information that was divided into pieces.
“Why? How did he become emperor and why was he abandoned by the background now?”
why.
I repeated the same thought.
lost in thought
both in the past and in the present.
When Roman Dmitri faced a problem, his blood cooled and his mind became clearer.
‘Without the truth, I cannot draw any firm conclusions. To prepare for the worst based on fragmented information, we must focus on one single fact.’
that’s right.
‘Who would have benefited the most from this situation?’
I closed my eyes tightly.
at last.
The conspiracy was directly linked to clear results.
The conspiracy was conducted for a special purpose, and the result was evidence proving why such a conspiracy had occurred.
If so, the facts that can be inferred from the result are the beings who benefit from it.
It was a correlation that the possibility that they were the instigators of the conspiracy was very high.
of course.
It’s just a hypothesis.
However, after thinking for a long time, Roman Dmitri, who had been deep in thought, opened his closed eyes.
now.
It was time to go back outside.
* * *
Stage of the test.
People kept waiting there.
At the sight of Roman Dmitri who finally reappeared, the Emperor of Valhalla came out to meet him with a bright face.
“Did you get what you need?”
“Yes, I have seen many things. I found out why Carlos, who is regarded as a great warrior of Valhalla, expressed that the ugly truth of Valhalla lies in the southern tomb.”
“… What a bittersweet thing. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I first found out about it. Let’s talk about this separately. I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about it in front of people.”
that too.
Ascended to the emperor’s seat and entered the tomb of the South.
A look of bitterness washed over his face.
He, who was proud of the Valhalla Empire, couldn’t wake up to the shocking information that the Cronus Empire was related to the ranking.
He left no special notes on the southern tomb.
There were many other emperors like him, but he came out after confirming the truth of Valhalla.
conversation between the two.
Others couldn’t hear.
It was also a small voice, and I intentionally blocked the conversation from leaking in preparation for an unexpected situation.
It was then.
“By the way. The more I checked the truth, the more I questioned it. Canelas Valhalla Cortes Valhalla Stern Valhalla. If all of their accounts are true, there is only one person who can benefit from Valhalla’s chaotic situation.”
I followed the conclusion.
Starting with the conclusion, not the process, I came up with a person who could benefit from this process.
“Emperor of Valhalla. No, Duke of Vieto. You are the only one who has benefited from this bloody battle.”
at that point.
Moment.
The Valhalla Emperor twisted his expression.
