NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
(185)
I checked on Sereraji and Sir Tentia right after the explosion to make sure they were okay.
“Sir! Are you okay?”
Both of them were future talents whom I risked my life to save, and more than that, they were like family to me.
Ah, Sereraji is a real family.
“Yes, Your Majesty. There is no problem.”
Sir Tentia raised his visor, his red flame resistance cloak fluttering, and smiled proudly.
“What are you doing that for, you might get hurt-”
“It would be an honor to be hurt while protecting His Majesty.”
I felt speechless, let out a sigh of relief, and lifted up Sereraji, whom I had been embracing.
“Sister. Are you okay? Did you twist your leg or break something when you got caught?”
Sereraji nodded, his gold and silver fluttering in the wind.
“Yes. There’s no way I could have made a mistake… … As expected, this magic tool was a success.”
Seeing him talking like that, it seemed like he hadn't hurt a single finger.
No, since Sereraji might have said something like that even though he was injured, I made him drink a recovery potion and restoring his composure.
I immediately sent someone to check if there was any problem with Jaylilith, and I consoled Rudy, who had come running with a pale face, holding 'Saengdong' and 'Agathe'.
“Valen! Who are you? I’ll burst that bastard’s head open like a rotten watermelon!”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
I patted Hadritan on the shoulder, who was at a loss after seeing the burned documents, and fortunately heard a report that there were no problems with Jaylilith.
“Gather the entire guard to guard His Majesty, and have the Black Iron Knights and the Chief Constables patrol outside the palace! What kind of nonsense is this?”
Afterwards, I heard a ridiculous report from the Platinum Knights that they had let the executioner go, and when they said that the bastard had neither used mental waves nor mutations, I had a hunch.
That afternoon, as I watched the senior constables, the commissioner general, and Lord Barbatos approach with grim expressions, I knew my instincts had been right.
“This must have happened in more than one place.”
“Your Majesty, there were seven explosions with green flames in the city today.”
world.
* * *
As soon as I heard this devastating news, my head started spinning.
The first thing that came to mind was not the death toll or the property damage, but the impact this incident would have on the Pledge of Allegiance.
“There is a risk of contamination, so the deceased should be decontaminated first… … .”
“The injured come first. Let’s cremate the dead.”
“Is that the problem now? An encroacher has appeared in the capital. He has clearly heard the sound of His Majesty’s magic tool in Sereraji. We must immediately begin a large-scale search operation with the cooperation of the church and the great lords.”
It was the words of a guard.
I shook my head with blurry eyes.
“No. I can never allow that.”
"yes?"
“What do you mean?”
The chief of police and the high priest looked at me with surprised eyes.
Even Tentia and Sereraji had questioning expressions, and only Hardritan let out a small sigh as if he understood what I meant.
“Valencianus.”
I looked at the administrative officials receiving treatment from the priests who had come running.
The sound coming from the magic tool wasn't that loud, so if I could just get the people here to keep their mouths shut, no one would know that it was an eroder.
I spoke to each person around me, making eye contact with them one by one.
“He didn’t use psychic waves. That was just a ploy to disrupt the oath of loyalty.”
The chief of police asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“If this were simply the rebellion of a slightly insane wizard, it would not be all that uncommon, even if it were on a large scale.”
"hmm."
“There are madmen everywhere who try to get attention by killing high-ranking nobles, royalty, and the imperial family. Or the republicans, or the martyrdom of the martyrs, yes. You can blame it on the martyrdom of Caesar. You can claim that he came with the escort of the great nobles. But what if it turns out that this is the work of the encroachers?”
The Chief Constable and Sir Barbatos frowned.
“The invaders are running wild in the capital city in broad daylight, and His Majesty the Emperor is incompetent enough to deal with them… … Is this the same situation?”
I nodded resolutely.
“If we go a step further, there could be talk of collusion or secret agreements, or there could be a noble who says he can’t stay in the capital city where it might be attacked at any time and wants to return. It could also be that the noble who didn’t want to swear allegiance in the first place sent that person to say those words.”
Sereraji blinked as if she didn't understand anything, and I realized that I was explaining things correctly.
* * *
“Don’t you all know? How many wars of nerves and political battles were fought to create this place? If that bastard is revealed to be an encroacher here, it could all be over! The Northern Grand Duke Severic is coming tomorrow. Can you allow him into a city where an encroacher is? Can you accept His Majesty as His Majesty if He has not received the Northern Grand Duke’s oath of allegiance?”
Sir Barbatos bit his lip.
“Let’s cover it up. The method doesn’t matter. Even if he’s already been caught, you can still search the streets of Magic Street to find the mad wizard. Of course, you’ll have to go around the newspapers and make them shut their mouths, and you’ll have to go to the parliament and oil the heads of the major factions.”
Sir Tentia made a face of astonishment.
I glanced at Rudy and said.
“Rudy. Go and get me three gold coins.”
“Three?”
“I collected them for times like this.”
The chief of police coughed and opened his mouth cautiously.
“So, Your Majesty Valencianus, are you saying that you intend to cover up the incident and hide from the citizens and the nobles the fact that there is an intruder in the capital?”
“You understood correctly. While you’re killing time, I’ll quietly catch you and kill you without anyone knowing.”
“I see. Then I can’t do it.”
——————
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Sir Barbatos opened his eyes wide.
“You bastard!”
The chief of police looked at me.
The calm brown eyes burned with indignation.
“Your Majesty, we must evacuate the citizens immediately and inform the High Lords of the truth. We don’t know when he will have a mental breakdown.”
I lifted my chin and looked down at him.
“Did you listen to what I said with your nose? If you do, your oath of loyalty will be thrown out the window.”
“Do you really think you can hide it like this? If this continues, a hundred or so eroders will appear and the entire city will turn into a sea of fire. Tens of thousands of people will die!”
I looked at the stubborn and loyal Chief of Police.
His clenched fists were shaking.
I let out a deep sigh.
“Commissioner General of Police.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Didn’t you get some pocket money from the Red Mask?”
Sir Barbatos grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.
The chief of police smiled sadly, as if he knew what I was trying to say.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I have. I have not always lived a clean life. However… … This has crossed the line. If 10 gold coins cannot do it, 100 gold coins can do it. However… … there are things that cannot be done with 1,000 gold coins, or even 10,000 gold coins. Things like treason and immorality. That is what Your Majesty has instructed me to do.”
I shut my eyes tightly.
The Chief of Police was right.
It was literally insane to try to cover up the presence of an eroder, especially one that had clearly begun to operate.
A lot of people might die.
But, I have already killed countless people for my oath of loyalty.
I don't know for sure, but because I gave the Northern Duke a 30% increase in grain aid compared to last year, tens of thousands of poor people and farmers will starve to death or go into massive debt.
Even though they were people who were eroding and gangsters, there was a time when they had Lord Tentia cut down thousands of people in the slums.
Going back to before the regression, it goes without saying.
At that time, I deliberately did not send reinforcements to a kingdom or an earldom, but rather built a defensive line in the rear while it was being destroyed.
I gritted my teeth and grabbed the Chief of Police by the collar.
“Do you dare to disobey the royal family’s orders?”
"majesty!"
Sir Barbatos and Sir Tentia tried to stop me, but they could not touch me.
I glared into the Chief of Police's brown eyes.
“You have no right to disobey my will. You have no right to ruin everything I have done so far. I prepared this under the assumption that a talented person like you would roll like a cog in the wheel. You have followed along obediently so far, so continue to do so!”
“… … .”
“You have no right to disappoint me. You have given me high hopes, so break your conscience and listen to me.”
The chief of police gritted his teeth.
A thousand emotions swirled in his eyes.
I felt like the weight of his conscience would be too heavy, so I decided to make his decision a little easier.
“I heard that the older one is a third-year student at the Academy’s fencing department. He’s close with the student council president, Jin, and he recently joined the student council and got a new studio apartment, right?”
He knew that Jin was a local collaborator that I had planted.
Of course, you also know that Jin's job is to kill students who interfere with the academy's erosion, cremate them, and dump their remains in the sewer.
The chief of police nodded in a tired voice.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so….”
I let go of his collar, and he slumped down on the lawn.
I directed like a wax doll.
“Sir Barbatos. Together with the magistrates, calm the unrest among the people.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hardritan. Reprimand the administrative officials and keep their mouths shut.”
“Yes, Valencianus.”
“I will personally handle the newspaper and parliamentary affairs, Sereraji.”
Sereraji looked at me with a fresh smile.
“Are you done with the heavy story?”
I was afraid of how my actions would look, but she didn't seem to care one bit.
I realized once again that she was a genius magician from an ivory tower, free from all ethics and common sense in the world.
“It wasn’t a particularly heavy story. Please mass-produce that magic tool as quickly as possible.”
“Okay. Just leave it to me.”
“Thank you. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Really? Then… … .”
“To make that magic tool.”
Sereraji blinked and stepped back, and I accepted the sack of gold coins that Rudy had brought back just in time.
“I will go to the newspapers and the parliament. Now, everyone, get moving. For the Emperor.”
He clapped his hands and dispersed the crowd.
The chief of police looked at me with a longing look until the end.
It seemed like he was saying that it shouldn't be done.
No, no matter how I think about it, I'm right.
The fact that we detonated eight times today without triggering a psychic wave meant that we were trembling in fear of a psychic wave, waiting for the people to evacuate and the lords to act.
Clearly this was the plan of powerful old followers.
We are trying to blow up our goal, which has come right before our eyes, with our own hands.
There's really no way I'm going to have a mental breakdown.
Because all threats are only effective before they are carried out.
After thinking that far, I looked at Sir Tentia.
She had a dignified look on her face, her helmet at her side.
The red eyes, devoid of their luster, looked like hardened blood.
“Are you… disappointed in me?”
Sir Tentia slowly shook her head.
Red hair swayed near her eyebrows.
“You used to tell me that. When you get stronger, it’s easier to be upright.”
I think so.
While drinking and walking down the street together, he said, 'Seeing Your Majesty solve problems with such tricks, I began to doubt whether the methods I believed to be right and proper might have been wrong.'
That's what I answered at that time.
I am still weak, so I have no choice but to use any means necessary.
“That’s right.”
“Your Majesty… … do you still need to become stronger?”
I was silent for a moment, then slowly opened my mouth.
“I think I’ve become strong enough to stand up to those who ask for a fair fight.”
"then."
“But the enemy has become stronger. Do you know who I fought against recently? I fought against the Golden Knight Commander of House Gremorius, Zelpas. One blow broke his scaled arm.”
“I remember.”
“There’s no need to mention Cariosa.”
Sir Tentia nodded.
I spoke softly.
“Kyung-eun fought fair and square. But what if I lose and it means I’m going to die?”
She lifted her head as if she understood a little.
“I’ll use every method I know. If that doesn’t work, I’ll kick your legs and throw dirt on your face. Haha. I see.”
I said, walking slowly.
“It has been said that time is the best spell. Desperation and fear… … make people no longer human.”
Sir Tentia followed me and asked.
“Your Majesty, what is so urgent?”
That question brought back to me memories of events that happened in the distant past.
Emperor Jaerilis, who is notorious throughout the continent, the traitorous prince Justinian and the great lords and foreign countries supporting him, the magic circle exploding every other day, the death of Mateos… … .
“Everything. Lord Tentia. I am afraid of everything.”
After a moment's hesitation, she said.
“Then your Majesty will always be a loser.”