Chapter 121
Chapter 121: Secret Circumstances (1)
It was a Fragment of the Moon. That was the Imperial oath containing the secret to continental unification, evidence of a sublime promise made with the Moon itself.
'A thing that responds thoroughly to bloodline.'
Which is why it was also a symbol representing the right of succession.
'So why is it responding to Erik?'
The Prime Minister stared at Erik in disbelief. In the hands of the giant Paladin rested a meticulously refined Fragment of the Moon...
Uuuwoong!
The fragment trembled, scattering a clear, refined tone in all directions. The crystalline resonance produced by moonlight seemed like a sound from another world.
'Erik, isn't his fundamental identity an orphan from the Stateless Zone?'
At that bizarre phenomenon, goosebumps ran down the Prime Minister's arm. A thing that only responded to the blood of the imperial family resonated with Erik's Divine Power. That fact was beyond shock—it was astonishment. Thus far it was merely that.
"How could this be...!!!"
The moment the resonant sound ceased and silence descended. The Prime Minister's eyes widened dramatically.
'As I heard from the Emperor, when the resonating moon stops its tone, moonlight should scatter...'
He recalled what the Emperor had told him. In reality.
Zzziiiing!
Moonlight began scattering through the Fragment of the Moon.
'How could he possibly possess the Imperial Family's power?'
The Prime Minister scrutinized Erik thoroughly. His brilliantly golden hair was striking, and his deep, intense golden eyes were sharp and clear.
'Not silver hair and red eyes at all.'
The Imperial bloodline invariably possessed the characteristic of silver hair and red eyes. Yet Erik's essence was completely saturated with golden radiance.
'In the first place, His Majesty could never have illegitimate children.'
Then a question remained. How could a being with no mixed blood wield the power of the Moon? As the Prime Minister fell into such contemplation, brilliant golden pupils directed toward him.
"Prime Minister, surely you're not thinking something like 'How is this ignorant commoner orphan using the Imperial Family's power?'"
Erik looked at the Prime Minister's face. It was a very familiar expression.
'Like father, like daughter.'
From the Prime Minister's eyes alone, Erik could fully infer his thoughts. After all, Erica's behavior in her youth perfectly resembled the Prime Minister's.
'Father and daughter thinking the same irreverent thoughts with the same face.'
However, the Prime Minister was too old for behavioral correction. It meant his mind wasn't flexible enough to accept change.
'A person with no reason to change.'
The Prime Minister was a being with enough power and authority to live as he pleased without any problems. One man below, ten thousand above. Only the Emperor mattered—that was Ferdinand Archdukes, Prime Minister of the Great Empire.
"Hmph, I've never had such thoughts about my daughter's benefactor."
The Prime Minister persisted in feigning ignorance and changed the subject.
"Erik, did the Fragment of the Moon truly resonate with you?"
Originally, the method of receiving information from the Information Department was telepathy transmitted through the Moon.
But hadn't Erik directly awakened that power himself? He wanted to ask the reason, but the answer came from another source.
"Krhrhrhrhrhrhkrk, a heretic saint who revives the dead."
The Fragment of the Moon vibrated. An awe-stricken laugh scattered in all directions. A voice as grave as Erik's, yet even weightier. There was only one being worthy of such a voice.
"We greet Your Majesty the Emperor."
Erik and the Prime Minister recited simultaneously. The Emperor's voice transmitted through the Fragment of the Moon. Though merely words, its presence was overwhelming. At that tyrannical voice, Erik's body naturally responded, stirring Divine Power.
'An overwhelmingly strong power.'
The Emperor Erik saw in the throne room and the Emperor now were completely different. Though merely a voice, the current Emperor felt like a truly ferocious monster. Erik clenched his fist. Just as when sparring with his master, everything around him felt threatening.
'The Emperor isn't even present in this place...'
While he was so tense, the Emperor suddenly burst into laughter.
"Krhahahaha!!!"
"Facing endless legions of the undead, I seem to be in high spirits."
The Emperor continued speaking as if the landscape of the audience hall was clearly visible to him. At the Emperor's usual manner of speech, Erik regained his composure. Once calmed, the emotion that bloomed in Erik. It was joy.
'Unlike the incompetent First Prince, the Emperor is straightforward.'
Thus, he immediately looked at the Fragment of the Moon and asked.
"Your Majesty, why are all your children like that?"
It was an extraordinarily presumptuous remark. However, the other party was the Emperor. What was dignity? The Emperor was straightforward and bold, wasn't he?
"Krhrhrhrhrhrhk, I worry about that too. I wish my children had grown up like you. Worry, just worry..."
A hearty laugh. Yet his voice trailed off. From Erik's perspective, he didn't seem entirely pleased. So Erik changed the subject.
"Your Majesty, what about those scientists? I'm the Director of the Possessor Management Bureau in my own right, but I hadn't heard that story before."
"Why speak of those executed fools? They are rightfully under the Information Department's jurisdiction."
The conversation between the two continued through moonlight.
"Still, those guys clearly looked clever, and if you execute all of them—"
"They insulted the Moon. As an Imperial Family member and the greatest authority here, how could I tolerate it?"
The Emperor cut off Erik's words with a sharp declaration.
"Astia God, no, that's right. You're an atheist... Yes, imagine that Ruelle was insulted."
Erik understood immediately. The person closest to him being insulted?
'No matter the circumstances, I wouldn't let it slide either.'
Erik also had quite the temperament. Didn't he have a record of turning Marquis Aaron into a smartphone because he gifted Dongtan Misirok? Therefore, Erik understood the Emperor's meaning.
'The Moon is no different from the Imperial Family.'
In other words, for the Imperial Family, the Moon was not merely a symbol of power. Moreover, entrusting that Fragment to him meant...
'That he trusts me to that extent.'
Understanding all this context, Erik bowed deeply toward the Fragment of the Moon.
"I understand Your Majesty's will, heart and soul."
"Yes, I must return to the battlefield. We'll meet again soon."
With these words, the power of moonlight faded away.
"Huh, since when has His Majesty cared for you so much?"
The Prime Minister, who had been observing that conversation, asked a question, but Erik had no ready answer. In reality, wasn't his relationship with the Emperor just one of mutual exchange?
"I'm not entirely sure either."
Though Erik didn't know, the Prime Minister sensed something. The Emperor's excessive intimacy with Erik likely stemmed from the word "hero."
'That's something His Majesty should tell himself.'
However, the Prime Minister didn't reveal this. Instead, he brought up a different matter.
"There's something on His Majesty's mind."
The Prime Minister sensed something suspicious in the Emperor's words. It was a subtle change he could notice from having observed for so long.
"What would that be?"
"I don't know either. However, since His Majesty said we'd meet soon, he'll likely summon you to the Imperial Palace before long."
***
The Prime Minister left the audience chamber, saying he would spend time with his daughter. Left alone in the audience chamber, Erik fell into contemplation.
'The Empire is the answer.'
As he thought, establishing himself in the Empire was undoubtedly the best choice. His resolve wavered slightly upon seeing First Prince Leonardo, but that delusion disappeared with the conversation he'd just had with the Emperor.
'The Emperor is still the Emperor.'
He was completely different from that incompetent First Prince who worried over mere ten billion.
"The First Prince is too constrained in the Labyrinth because of scarcity... Hmm, even I have nothing to say about it."
For the Prime Minister to say such a thing, the Emperor's only flaw was probably his children's education.
'As long as the Emperor stands firm, the Empire is eternal.'
Though brief, the conversation felt as if a long-held unease had completely dissipated. Thinking about the Emperor in this way, a sudden question occurred to him. Thus, Erik turned his head to look at his master.
"Master, what exactly is the Emperor worried about?"
At his question, the wall of the Imperial Palace's audience hall shattered.
Baang!
White hair fluttered amid the scattering dust.
"Disciple, your ability to read presence is quite refined."
Though he had correctly sensed the presence, he hadn't managed to identify who it was.
'However, it couldn't be Ruelle.'
There was no way Ruelle, who was preparing a canonization ceremony, had already returned. So the answer must be Riferoze. Wasn't this also a kind of intuition on Erik's part? Erik smiled widely and welcomed his master.
"Isn't that all thanks to Master's teachings?"
"Haha, well said. So you're saying that's what the Emperor is concerned about? Hmm. Typically, there are no worries for a strong being of that caliber."
It was as if he spoke from experience. However, unlike Riferoze, the Emperor was the master of a nation.
"Then it must be an issue with the Empire."
In fact, the Empire's situation wasn't very favorable.
'There are too many problems.'
Erik organized the information his master had brought.
1. After the declaration of war, began a conquest war against Lu-Solace. The Continental Unification Army was still parading throughout the Empire displaying its might, so actual combat hadn't been engaged yet. However, the vanguard was already constructing positions beyond the Eastern Great Forest.
"Hmm, the military's departure parade is taking too long—"
"The Second Prince fights wars brilliantly. So the war issue probably isn't the Emperor's concern."
"Then..."
2. The field effect of the [Styx River] flowing from the Demon Realm. According to Riferoze's investigation, it would take approximately 100 days for the Styx River to encompass the entire imperial territory.
"So, isn't it a river problem?"
"Disciple, the Emperor is a monster."
However, Riferoze denied Erik's speculation.
"A monster?"
Given their back-and-forth exchange, the Emperor's might didn't fully impact him...
'But a being called a monster by Master...'
Seeing such a being called a monster by Riferoze, Erik once again confirmed the value of the title "Emperor."
"A monster is a monster, but his power is limited to the Empire's territory."
This meant he couldn't destroy the [Hell] that appeared in the Stateless Zone beyond the borders.
"But Master destroyed it, didn't you?"
"My power that cuts through all things. And my father's sublime grace and a master's love for his disciple made that possible."
Riferoze recalled that moment.
"I too saw beyond the wall at that time."
Erik's eyes widened at words he was hearing for the first time.
'Does this mean the Master can become stronger?'
That his master possessed a wall beyond which to transcend was deeply shocking.
"At that time, all those things were interlocked allowing a glimpse beyond the wall, but I too did not cross."
She had not yet crossed. However, having seen it meant she could cross it.
"I wonder if our reunion might become that key."
The master approached beside Erik. Then she subtly glanced at the chair. It meant: sit immediately. Erik closed his eyes tightly and sat in the chair.
"Hmm, when you were young, did you also like my lap?"
His master, now sitting with Erik on her lap, asked. Erik recalled old memories.
"Hey! Where are you trying to go? The moment you go down, I'll strike your head with all my might!!!"
The memory of being forcibly kept on his master's lap while enduring all sorts of lectures returned.
'She was harsh even back then.'
Erik felt a slight bitterness. Though it was a painful memory, with time's passage, he thought of it as a fond recollection.
'It wasn't a good experience.'
Memories are just memories. So Erik changed the subject to something else.
"Master, I can resolve the river problem."
"You can?"
The white-haired girl tilted her head. Sitting on the lap and swinging her feet, she looked entirely curious.
'Just a little more—'
Erik calmly worked to heighten his master's mood.
"More precisely, we will resolve it together."
"We?"
Riferoze's eyes widened like a drawn bow. She seemed to be in very high spirits. Erik quickly brought up the main point.
"How about returning the old man's name?"
"Disciple, have you gone insane?"
***
Erik almost died. Half of the Audience Hall of the Banquet Palace collapsed, and his arm was torn off three times.
"You're being greedy!!!"
The violence his master unleashed was finally stopped by the arrival of the Imperial Palace's Magic Tower Master.
"White Witch, please stop—"
Erik faced the Imperial Palace's Magic Tower Master for a second time. However, compared to when they first met, he looked at least a hundred years older.
'Those stiff whiskers have wilted.'
The long whiskers that moved like antennae had lost their vigor, and his face bore clear signs of exhaustion with deep dark circles.
"Girl, are you going to keep interfering?"
"If only His Majesty weren't absent... Why exactly are you beating his disciple while destroying the palace?"
"Hmm. Elder, don't be so petty about the palace."
"Sigh..."
The Imperial Palace's Magic Tower Master looked at Erik. Then.
"Since he's your disciple, you take responsibility!"
Telepathy was transmitted through a Fragment of the Moon. That voice sounded very desperate.
'What kind of trouble has the Master been causing...'
Erik slightly nodded and crossed his arms over Riferoze.
"Master, please calm down."
"Erik, have you finally come to your senses?"
"No. My intention to return the old man's name remains unchanged."
Erik led his master toward the church. The gates to District 1 as well as all the way to Ruelle's church opened with a free pass. Evidently, the Empire had already prepared the route in advance. On the surface, it might seem like a waste of national resources.
'But it's because Master's convenience means Master stays in the Empire.'
Riferoze was one of the supreme strong beings whose very existence possessed a deterrent power. What money cannot solve is precisely military might, isn't it? Thus, clearing the path for her movements was naturally necessary.
"The Empire is quite nice."
They arrived at the church in an instant. Immediately, Riferoze raised her momentum.
"So, tell me now."
Kuwoong!
A heavy power descended. Erik stepped forward to face her.
"Master, if the old man recovers his power and name, all problems with the river can be resolved."
A black mage who received permission to live. The only such being. An old man living in the church basement with his twin. A wretched existence. Moreover,
"One of Lucifer's Seven Masterpieces."
"Isn't he dead?"
Erik spoke of how faithfully the old man had lived all this time.
"The old man, true to his promise with Master, has lived a virtuous life without taking even a single innocent soul. And his deeds—"
The old man himself volunteered as a sacred bomb, helping to eliminate the black mage and Possessor group of the Garcian Kingdom. When this was mentioned, Riferoze waved her hand.
"Yes, I've heard. Exactly how do you plan to eliminate the Styx River through that one?"
Since Erik showed such unwavering determination, Riferoze decided she would hear him out.
"At one point on Earth, there was a movement to purify by drinking."
An explanation accompanied it—a movement where tens of thousands of people cleansed the air by breathing in the midst of severe air pollution.
"Did it work?"
"It was foolish."
"Then why bring it up?"
"Earth was ineffective because ordinary people did it. But here, isn't this a paradise for superhumans by Earth standards?"
"Oho—"
White pupils sparkled with interest.
"If you return the old man's name and power—"
Erik didn't miss the given opportunity.
"—eat and eliminate it. That becomes possible."