Kill the Emperor

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 72 : Rishu Vispon

Click.

The first thing that entered Redin's eyes as he opened the door to the room where Rishu was waiting was a black satin dress.

An ebony dress reminiscent of a soft spring night, and a shawl decorated with peacock feathers wrapping around her slender shoulders.

The scent of tea faintly remained and emerald earrings settled on her ears.

Even though the final moment was imminent, Rishu Vispon was still dignified like a queen.

“I knew you would come.”

Rishu, who had finished dressing up with great care, only then turned around to face Redin and threw a question.

Traces of lingering attachment could not be found in her demeanor, having accepted long ago that the final moment was imminent.

“Do you remember this appearance?”

Of course, Redin remembered Rishu's appearance clearly.

The clothes she was wearing now, the accessories she wore, were from 24 years ago.

Because they were the clothes she wore when Rishu and Redin held their wedding ceremony.

Time had passed, but Rishu was still beautiful, and Rishu, who recreated that day from 24 years ago, suddenly smiled and asked.

“Do you remember what I said to you the day I met you in the underground prison? I said it, didn't I? That there were far more days I hated you than days I loved you.”

“…….”

“Then did I perhaps say this as well that day?”

Redin could only look at her, unable to approach or move away from Rishu.

Rishu strode toward Redin, caressed his cheek, and spoke.

“Despite that, I am still loving you.”

Rishu nodded as if trying to convince herself.

Right, neither the time of pain she had to endure nor the countless sleepless nights could erase her feelings for Redin.

No matter what happened in the world, the fact that Rishu Vispon loved Redin Reichart was an undeniable truth.

At least to Rishu herself.

“It's funny, isn't it? Words I kept in my heart my whole life, but in the end, I can only say them out loud in a situation like this…….”

“Why did you have to go this far?”

Redin threw the exact same question he had asked Hein a little while ago.

The remorse contained in that voice had deepened one layer further in the meantime.

“You ask why? Because I couldn't bear the fact that you didn't love me.”

Rishu, who answered Redin's question, suddenly burst into laughter like a young girl.

“Well, although what importance that would have now…… still, I am satisfied.”

Rishu extended her remaining arm and brought it to Redin's other cheek.

And as if trying to engrave Redin's face, she slowly caressed it and spoke.

“Since you will have to remember me until you die now. If I can be remembered by you for a lifetime, I can be satisfied with just that.”

Right, she would be remembered in Redin's head forever like this.

How could such a brilliant person forget the woman he drove to the crisis of death?

“Although there probably won't be a place for me inside your heart…… Well, it's fine. Since this was likely the extent permitted to me.”

Rishu gathered strength in both hands and stroked Redin's cheeks once again. And removing her hands that were starting to tremble, she spoke.

“Helkane is not here. Since he would have fled to a safe place by now, chasing him will be in vain.”

Trickle.

Eventually, dark red blood flowed out from between Rishu's lips.

“……!”

Redin hurriedly examined the teacup where her lip marks remained.

“It's useless. Because it is already late.”

Rishu shook her head and sat down on the bed.

“Wherever that place I reach after leaving your side may be, I will cheer for Helkane.”

Rishu lay down neatly on the bed with a peaceful expression, as if going to sleep.

“Only then will you come to my side again even a day sooner.”

Even though the final moment was imminent, Rishu's eyes captured Redin entirely without wavering.

“Cough, I will make just one request.”

With a mouth full of blood resembling the color of roses, Rishu spoke.

“If I die, send me away just as I am in this appearance. And I want you to be the one who takes me there.”

There was no way her body would be buried intact.

Her corpse would likely burn together with the countless crowds of rebellion.

She was truly fine even if her body turned to ash and scattered in the wind.

As long as the one guiding her to that place was Redin.

“I will be waiting. For you…… to come…… to my…… side…….”

With these words as the last, Rishu Vispon's heart did not beat again.

“…….”

Redin, who was just closing his eyes unable to say anything, held up her cold corpse.

Click.

Redin left her bedroom, which was filled with Rishu's lingering scent, just like that.

And in the Vispon mansion that Redin left, nothing remained.

***

Dawn the next day.

“Take it.”

Before the day had even fully brightened, in the hand of Redin, who was sitting alone with me, was Axion, which I had returned yesterday.

“Now it is yours, not mine.”

Instead of picking up Axion, I looked at Redin's face.

Overnight, the sharp spirit Redin had cherished looked precarious, like a glass window on the verge of shattering.

“Father.”

“I will return to the territory immediately now.”

“Are you returning without watching His Majesty's state funeral?”

“I am a sinner who could not fulfill my loyalty by making a foolish choice when His Majesty was alive. With what shame could I show my face?”

Redin shook his head while spitting out a slightly trembling voice.

Then he extended Axion once again and spoke.

“I failed to protect any of it—the country I swore to protect, His Majesty, or the family's well-being.”

“…….”

“I delegate all titles and authority as the Family Head to you as of today.”

A foolish choice committed under the specious name of loyalty.

Redin decided not to avoid but to accept the terrible result that came as the price of that wrong choice.

He, who chose the path of atonement by laying down everything he had, rose from his seat just like that.

‘Even if you were given the chance to choose again, would the result change?’

But I was certain that even if a few more chances were given, Redin's choice would not change.

Because ‘Redin Reichart’ was that kind of man.

Sharp like a ground blade, transparent like ice, and upright like a giant tree, but.

A foolish person who believes he can live in this world with ‘conviction’ alone.

‘Well, since I was also like that, it's not something I can just mock you for.’

Smiling bitterly in my heart, I offered a farewell to the departing Reichart Family Head.

‘I hope you cherish that sharpness dearly. Because I need your competence.’

Hiding these inner thoughts, I rose from my seat and bowed my head.

“Hein, I hope that the world you wish to create will be a better world than the old ideals I harbored.”

With this single word as the last, Redin left Abysin.

***

“It has already been nearly fifteen days since the seat of the King became vacant. Shouldn't we decide on the person to sit on the throne now?”

The Grand Meeting Hall is located in the main palace of the royal court.

A middle-aged woman's anxious voice rang out among the gathered royals.

The name of the owner of the voice was ‘Aleyna Madbane’. She was the second queen of the Late King of Zodiac, Orphel VI, and the highest elder of the current Royal Family.

“No, why is everyone silent?”

However, despite the repeated urging of the woman with the highest status in this country, the gathered people said nothing.

“Haa, how can there be such a frustrating matter…….”

“What use is it even if we discuss it?”

Just as Aleyna, feeling frustrated, was about to let out a sigh, a grumbling voice popped out from the center of the seated crowd.

“What use is it even if we gather opinions? Since we won't be the ones deciding the next succession anyway…….”

“…….”

At that voice, Aleyna could not say anything.

Although it was an exceedingly presumptuous remark, that remark was true to a certain extent.

“Grand Duke Reichart is entering.”

Then, a thunderous voice was heard from beyond the Grand Meeting Hall.

“Hoo, hoo.”

It was a funny thing.

That those with the noblest bloodlines in this country were shaking and trembling in tension like this because of a young man who had just passed twenty.

“I, Hein Reichart, greet Your Highness the Queen Dowager.”

“Public and private matters must be busy, so thank you for making the precious journey to this place.”

“I-I greet the Grand Duke.”

“I heard your work is busy, have you been well?”

When Aleyna stood up and bowed her head, all the royals in that place hurriedly followed and bowed their heads.

“You guys, go outside.”

I only bowed my head toward Aleyna and, after receiving the greetings of the other royals with indifference, gestured to the Haken members escorting me.

“Ah, and this too. I forgot.”

It could have been a great rudeness for a non-royal to bring separate attendants all the way to the meeting hall where royals were seated. But no one in this place could blame me.

I unfastened Axion, which I was wearing, and handed it to a member.

Wearing a sword into the safety of the Queen Dowager was also something that would warrant punishment and then some, but there was no one who even opened their mouth.

“Excellency, wasn't there an unsavory incident not long ago either?”

The member who received the sword scanned the Royal Family with sharp eyes, and the royals, flinching at that gaze, hurriedly bowed their heads.

There had been an assassination attempt on me two days ago.

Of course, the assassination ended in failure, and the noble family that instigated it became a status that could never see the rising sun again.

“It's fine. It is fine, so go outside.”

However, with an expression that said it was no big deal, I unfastened Axion and handed it to the member, then bowed my head toward Aleyna once again.

“Please forgive the rudeness. Since I was distracted.”

“No. It is fine. If national affairs are busy, that can happen. I understand everything.”

At the generosity Aleyna showed, I nodded but did not forget to examine the expressions of the royals.

Because I must not forget the reason why I was daring to stage such a childish play.

“Grand Duke, in fact, the reason this person asked the Grand Duke to come is because there is something I must speak of urgently.”

‘Grand Duke’.

The title Aleyna used to call me was ‘Grand Duke’, not ‘Duke’.

The highest title permitted to the nobles of Zodiac until now was Duke.

However, a young man who had just passed twenty, let alone middle age, had been granted the title of ‘Grand Duke’.

“As the Grand Duke also knows, it has already been nearly fifteen days since a mishap occurred in the Royal Family due to a truly regrettable matter.”

Although he was not her biological son, Aleyna's expression speaking of the death of Alpencius III, who was her son anyway, was surprisingly calm.

“Must we not leave the seat of a nation's King empty for this long? So I invited the Grand Duke because of this matter.”

“……Of course, that is so. Your Highness the Queen Dowager's words are correct.”

Hearing Aleyna's words, I nodded, and the royals watching that appearance carefully gulped down dry saliva.

“I will think about it.”

Hearing my subsequent answer, the expressions of the royals turned ashen in an instant.

I will think about it?

There was strictly a hierarchy of succession to the throne in the Zodiac Royal Family.

Even if a problem arose and succession did not happen according to the rank, it was fitting for the law that the authority to decide the next successor lay with the Queen Dowager, the highest elder of the Royal Family.

But I answered that I would think about it myself, not asking for the Queen Dowager's will.

This was an incredibly presumptuous thing from the Royal Family's perspective.

The authority of the Zodiac Royal Family, boasting a thousand years of history, was being shaken to its roots in the hands of a single young man.

“I understand. I will rely entirely on the Grand Duke's opinion. Although national affairs must be busy, I hope you will quickly show your wisdom and erase the worries of this person and the Royal Family.”

“I will try to the utmost limit.”

However, even this time, there was no one imposing sanctions on me.

Rather, the nobles were only avoiding my gaze, afraid of meeting my eyes even while their faces turned red.

“If Your Highness has nothing more to say, may I take my leave now?”

“Please do so. It seems this person held onto a busy person tactlessly.”

When I opened the door to the Grand Meeting Hall and left after finishing the farewell, the heavy sound of footsteps of the knights escorting me rang out from beyond the door.

“Haa…….”

Only the sigh that the Queen Dowager let out lonely piled up in the Grand Meeting Hall where only heavy silence settled.

***

“Commander, it is said that resentment toward you is rising among the royals recently.”

Ismael, who was assisting me by my side, opened his mouth with a cautious voice.

“I suppose so. Since those were actions done to make them do so.”

Unlike Ismael, who had a quite worried expression, the expression of the party concerned with the resentment seemed nonchalant.

Ismael spoke cautiously while watching his lord, who coolly ignored his worries and was absorbed in office work.

“Are you perhaps provoking the royals on purpose, Commander?”

“You saw well.”

“Yes? For what reason?”

When I admitted the fact too meekly, Ismael made a blank expression for a moment.

Even if the Royal Family had virtually lost all real power, what good was there in provoking them?

“Because I am curious how far they will endure my rudeness.”

Perhaps intending to catch his breath for a moment, I took my eyes off the documents and smiled with my arms crossed.

These past few days, I was testing my influence.

The royals of Zodiac were a tribe of arrogant people who only knew how to stiffen their necks and scream, trusting only in a single bloodline.

The fact that such people could not even make a squeak even in a situation like this meant that my position was that solid.

“Commander, no matter what, I am worried that they might possibly harbor impure thoughts and put them into action.”

“In a certain country in the past, it is said there was a person who pointed at a deer and called it a horse to mock the King, but compared to that, my actions are nothing. And if some of them rise up.”

My smile, which had been beaming, turned cold in an instant.

“Wouldn't that be a truly thankful thing? I would be able to eliminate the parasites whose entirety is eating away at the nation's finances using this opportunity.”

The document I was looking at right now was a comparison table comparing the tax amounts paid by the royals over the last few years.

There were far too many suspicious parts in this table even at a glance.

The guys who survived the large-scale purge that occurred before and after the civil war were just lucky; it wasn't that they had no sins committed.

Filth that still reeked of stench was smeared all over the bodies of the surviving nobles and royals, and I intend to clean up that trash step by step from now on.

“……It is truly a relief that I am a body serving you, Commander.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because if I met you as an enemy, I would have hated living in this world.”

“……That was an interesting joke coming from you.”

“Haha, then I will take my leave now.”

Even after Ismael left, the light in the office did not go out easily. And when the time had passed well past midnight…….

I stretched and rose from my seat to look out the window.

‘I should pick a new King soon, I wonder what kind of guy I should sit on to be comfortable?’

It has been fifteen days since I got my hands on Zodiac.

In the view of me, who had experience managing an empire, there were far too many problems in Zodiac.

To achieve my goal even a day sooner, I had to solve these piled-up problems first.

‘Even if this country cannot be compared to the Empire, it must reach a level where it doesn't hold me back.’

If my goal was to become a leader who embraced and included everyone, I wouldn't have taken this attitude either.

But my goal was much more precise and clear than such abstract things.

Therefore, my hand cutting out the rotten parts of the Zodiac was unhesitating.

I, who had been looking at the night view of the capital for a while, sat down again and rolled up my sleeves.

“Now, where shall I start fixing?”