Chapter 89
Chapter 89
It was only after Zair left for the northern region that Alter was able to return to his daily routine.
Of course, the aftermath of the rebellion still lingered, but no one raised any objections.
The new Emperor was already solidifying her power both in and around the capital, steadily establishing an unshakeable authority.
'I never imagined she would just take the name of the 9th Emperor for herself.'
Yuria Ruth Celestion was referring to herself as the 9th Emperor.
In other words, she was denying the deposed Emperor while emphasizing that she was the rightful successor to the throne.
Moreover, by openly criticizing the crimes committed since his days as Crown Prince and his attempt to seize the daughter of the Duke of Illenat, even the commoners had no choice but to accept the reasons behind the rebellion.
'Still, it'll probably take some time to quiet down.'
No matter what reason was given, the outcome of toppling the imperial household would not simply disappear.
Furthermore, since the 8th Emperor had ruled actively, the sense of discord would only be deepened.
Thus, for a while, it was necessary to align with the current trend to prevent the people from harboring doubts.
'Since troops have to be sent to the eastern region... there might be some controversy, after all.'
If peace was not brought to the people, the rebellion would remain a subject of ongoing debate.
However, ominous signs had been detected in the eastern region, and they were even planning to reinforce the military in preparation for an invasion of monsters.
In such circumstances, anyone would be swept up by anxiety, making them more prone to depend on their rulers.
'I'm sure they'll try to blame the Emperor for everything.'
Basically, humans show selfish attitudes no matter the situation.
If the outcome is outstanding, they take all the credit for themselves, but if misfortune befalls them, they look for scapegoats elsewhere.
Whatever could be deemed the cause would naturally be linked to the Agnes Empire itself, and so people would inevitably point fingers at the Emperor's incompetence.
'Even dragons, said to be extinct, will appear... Is it going to get noisy for a while?'
Dragons were the cause of ruin and also formidable opponents at the pinnacle of power.
Humans could hardly hope to face them, nor would simply increasing the number of troops be enough.
Only by sending an overwhelmingly powerful individual could their awe-inspiring might be broken.
'The Sword Saint won't be able to leave the imperial palace, but the Great Mage and the Holy Apostle might be dispatched.'
Normally, they wouldn't send people out to other regions, but if it's a dragon, immediate measures would be necessary.
They were probably considering the option of sending either myself or Brillie, or even the next Sword Saint.
But things hadn't yet reached a dire state, and the whereabouts of the next Sword Saint were still unknown.
'Lang's disappearance... it must be because of Brillie. After all, she didn't break off the engagement with me.'
Of course, Alter could not be certain, but it seemed to fit to some extent.
Above all, since Lang had acted as a variable, Alter could never predict his moves.
Therefore, even though Lang's existence was on his mind, Alter had no choice but to leave him alone for now.
'I have no idea where he is or what he's doing. I heard even Hilise has left...'
Hilise, who had been employed as the mansion's butler, had vanished at some point.
Perhaps he had arranged things in advance when Brillie and I visited the northern region.
'They've all died or disappeared.'
Once, Alter had resolved not to interfere, thinking the future was set, but now everything was tangled.
The pure-blooded vampire was the first to die, and the next Sword Saint had fallen into despair after a painful rejection.
The Crown Prince was killed after ascending as Emperor, while Hilise quietly left behind only solitude.
In other words, everyone who had been connected to Brillie had been removed.
'I suppose things inevitably turned out this way.'
Alter accepted it lightly and emptied his mind. He had not intended any of this, but he must not turn away from the result.
Still, there was no point in nitpicking over every detail at this point, so he simply let the past be.
'What should I say when I go to the society? I doubt I'll hear anything good...'
For some time, he had neglected visiting the society to focus on dealing with the aftermath.
By now, the Great Mage and the other society members would have become aware of the overall course of the rebellion.
Surely, they were discussing what to do about him, but Alter wondered how he should respond.
'If I get banished over this, it's going to be a real problem.'
* * *
With some relief, Alter departed from the Society Head's office.
Alraune, overlooking the recent incident, informed him that no sanctions would be imposed on him.
Although he ended up having to listen to a long lecture, Alraune also expressed his understanding of Alter's position.
'They can't go so far as to banish me. The Emperor is right behind me, after all.'
If he were to blame Alter for the rebellion, it would obviously appear to be condemning the current Emperor.
Furthermore, since justified reasons were given, even the society could not easily criticize him for wrongdoing.
Of course, if Alraune, as Great Mage, shielded him, the other members likely had no choice but to back down as well.
'I couldn't even talk with them well before, and now they'll probably try to avoid me altogether.'
Alter briefly looked into his own future. He was now a meritorious retainer who had enthroned the Emperor, but as a key player in the rebellion, people would remain wary for a while.
Even as the Great Mage's disciple, suspicion would be inevitable since he had killed the Emperor.
'But they can't mock me. That's the Emperor's dignity.'
In the end, the third princess led the rebels and claimed the throne.
No one could possibly oppose her, and her absolute authority now enveloped the whole Empire.
Since this was built on his own achievements, even ordinary members of the society dared not challenge him.
'It's not like I wanted to start a rebellion in the first place...'
"Sir Alter, it seems it's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Ah, lady Terosa. I have been quite busy lately."
Alter, encountering Terosa, cautiously greeted her.
Terosa's father, Duke Eiliche, had also joined the rebellion. She probably had not heard the details and only learned of it belatedly.
"... It may be hard to believe, but I truly knew nothing of it. My father must have purposely kept me in the dark."
"That's how it should be, generally. But Lady Brillie and I had no choice but to step forward."
"If you have just cause, then it's right to step up. Especially if you're well qualified for it."
Though still somewhat uncomfortable, Terosa had no choice but to accept the outcome.
Her father led the family, and at least the rebellion had been successful.
From her perspective, she had unexpectedly become the daughter of a meritorious family simply by staying put.
"I believe it was right, but... it's not that I don't feel regret. I do sometimes wonder if it had to turn out this way."
"Had things gone differently, you and Lady Brillie would have been swept up in tragedy. No matter what one does, isn't there always a price to pay?"
Terosa responded calmly, supporting Alter's actions.
Since she cherished ideals of romance, she could not accept acts that violated those values.
Even for an Emperor, trampling on romance should be forbidden.
"I only wish the price had been a bit smaller."
"You know, you can't always make deals on perfectly fair terms, can you? Isn't it always the side with more regrets that takes the loss?"
"The one with regrets... that's not wrong."
"And you took risks, after all. You can just think of it as gaining something now, can't you?"
"It's true I've gained something, but I've definitely also suffered a loss. It will go down in the Empire's history for a long time."
"......"
Terosa understood the meaning behind those words.
A noble who participated in regicide, a person who enthroned a new Emperor, leader of rebellion.
History may be written by the victors, but the underlying truths can never be fully erased.
"Still, I got the outcome I desired, so I won't regret it. Lady Brillie probably thinks similarly."
"How romantic. I think that's wonderful."
There wasn't even a hint of a lie in Terosa's reply. She simply faced the fated path toward romance.
Perhaps Alter possessed even greater and deeper ideals than she did.
"As expected, you really are amazing, Lord Alter. I'll have to work hard if I want to follow your example. I'll go ahead now."
Terosa bowed her head gently and walked away first.
Somehow, she felt her fate would not reach Alter. There was such an overwhelming difference between their ideals—how could they ever come together?
'We were mismatched from the start. That's why, even if I was given a chance, I couldn't hold on to it.'
At that moment, Terosa finally let go of her faint lingering feelings.
Her ideal was far too narrow and withdrawn.
As she was preoccupied with her own happiness and safety, she couldn't hope to move forward any farther.
'Brillie must have just as grand a sense of romance. That's why... she's able to accept Sir Alter.'
* * *
Brillie, residing in the Duke of Illenat's mansion, oversaw the training of the private soldiers.
Being a swordswoman, she often focused on teaching swordsmanship, but she was also providing instruction in spear and archery.
Although she hadn't studied other combat skills in detail, she was learning proper ways to respond.
'They've almost all come together. Does this mean we now have the makings of a knight order?'
Brillie intended to incorporate the members of the Setinos Order into the family's ranks.
With only a few exceptions, all of them consented, which allowed her to establish a dedicated knight order for the family.
Since all had undergone systematic training, she felt confident they could quickly adjust to a new environment.
'The maintenance costs have gone up, but even so, this is better than a regular army unit.'
Even as a duke's family, maintaining private troops required considerable expense.
Furthermore, if skilled knights were added, the financial loss would be quite significant.
However, if these forces achieved some major merit, it would greatly enhance the family's honor.
'Maybe I should send about half of them to the eastern region?'
The more perilous the battlefield, the more opportunities there were to earn achievements.
If she led her private troops herself, some results would surely be attained within reasonable limits.
But as she hadn't yet refined her tactics, there might still be some shortcomings.
'If a dragon really does appear... I'd have to withdraw all the private soldiers.'
Ordinary soldiers couldn't even approach a dragon. Instead, only the strongest should take the field, while regular troops focused on frontline defense.
Perhaps only she and Alter would be fit to participate in the eastern frontline.
'But what if either I or my fiancé gets hurt? Dragons must be unimaginably strong.'
The moment Brillie pictured Alter being involved, she was gripped by anxiety.
For now, the curse had been lifted, and as the Great Mage's apprentice, he was displaying overwhelming martial power.
But strength didn't eliminate the risk of injury, so she couldn't urge him to jump into battle carelessly.
'Maybe we should have the wedding first and think about it again. As if a dragon would show up before then, right?'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Dragon Raid!
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】