Chapter 81: Traitors Must Be Killed
The blue screen vanished from before Amelia’s eyes as suddenly as if it had never existed, leaving her searching with panic mixed with astonishment for the source of that strange entity which had abruptly materialized, uttered that cold mechanical voice, and then disappeared without warning.
Amelia blinked dozens of times, rubbing her eyes in disbelief as she looked left and right.
She looked at the passersby in the street... not a single person paid them any mind! Everyone continued walking with absolute coldness, as though nothing had happened. Even the crowd of people who had been standing with her father Cain moments ago to check on her seemed to have completely forgotten her existence, without casting a single glance in her direction!
’This is extremely bizarre...’ she wondered within herself. Had no one heard that thunderous mechanical voice? Was it possible that they were all this indifferent and unconcerned, or was there some mysterious event exceeding her comprehension unfolding behind the scenes without her knowledge?
Her train of thought was severed by Roger’s weak voice asking her with concern, "My Lady... is there a problem?"
She looked at him and was surprised once more that the passersby ignored the sight of a grown man lying on the ground in such a wretched state, as though a veil blocked their vision! She asked him with exploratory eagerness, "There is no problem... but did you hear that strange voice that echoed just a moment ago?"
Roger immediately shook his head weakly, "No, my Lady. I did not hear anything at all... What is the matter?"
Amelia fell silent, beginning to think deeply. She felt a pang of guilt; this man—despite everything—had burned his core and done the impossible to reach her and protect her. Leaving him like this to die in a dark street would be a despicable act unworthy of her. Since she was a responsible mentor in her past life and a dutiful daughter in her current life, she decided to resolve this conflict amicably and mend the misunderstanding between her father Cain and her disciple. She would never allow Roger to be killed because of her.
Roger asked her with a tone full of eagerness and pleading, "My Lady, what say you then? Can I follow you from this day forth as your loyal subordinate?"
Amelia did not entirely oppose the idea; she felt that once she verified the sincerity of his intentions completely, he could return to her service. However, the greatest obstacle was what he had done to her father’s subordinates; Cain would surely kill him if he found him now.
Thus, she cut him off with a firm tone, "Roger! You cannot refer to yourself as my subordinate again, for I am no longer that Empress... do you understand? But now, you must hide from sight and disappear completely until I can resolve these disasters you have entangled yourself and my father in. Only then will I summon you once more."
The world could barely contain Roger’s joy! The heavy cloud of guilt that had pressed upon his chest for years dissolved, yet he wondered with a loyal heart about the reason behind her rejection of the title: "My Lady... I shall follow you always and everywhere. Even if I do not call myself a subordinate, I shall remain your loyal follower in my soul!"
She cut him off with feigned sharpness to hide how moved she was, "Quiet, you fool! I have not fully accepted you yet..."
Roger murmured with submission and gratitude, "I am truly sorry, my Lady, for all the trouble I have caused you... I am your foolish disciple."
Amelia looked at him as he lay face down, then extended her small hands and channeled an additional, warm, and pure dose of the energy she had absorbed from the magical ice cream into his body, commanding him:
"You may raise your head now."
Roger felt the flow of life return to his veins, finally able to lift his face from the dirt to look at her with warm gratitude.
Amelia continued with a warning sternness, "You truly are a foolish man! You had better leave now and hide before my father returns and eliminates you!"
Roger attempted to object, "But my Lady... this person..."
"Do not utter a single word about him!" she cut him off with a gaze as sharp as a sword. "If you ever refer to my father as an exploiter again, you shall never lay eyes on me again, do you understand?! Now, vanish from before me!"
Silence instantly bound Roger’s tongue. As he inspected the warm energy flowing through his magical pathways, he found it unbelievably pure; it was not enough to cast major magical spells, but it was entirely sufficient to restore his body’s ability to move.
He dragged himself up, standing with great effort as he leaned on his hand. Before he turned, his eyes fell upon the five-year-old boy, Albert, who stood at a distance with a sweet face, eating his ice cream.
Roger bowed his head in respect to his master, then took stumbling steps toward the dark alley, not knowing with certainty what his next move would be to save himself.
As Roger disappeared into the darkness of the night, he recalled the specific words his ears had caught while he was fighting off unconsciousness earlier... the words his master had spoken in the presence of that small child:
’...Organization...’
’...The Celestials...’
’...The Celestial King Albert...’
His eyes ignited with a sudden, majestic misunderstanding!
"The Celestials Organization... and the Celestial King Albert!"
Roger thought with a mind full of excitement and dangerous interpretations: ’My master, the Empress, realized from the very beginning that she was in grave danger and under close surveillance by Cain and his followers... so she crafted this ingenious plan under the guise of childhood and built this secret organization! This little boy is no ordinary child... he is the very first cornerstone she chose to be the Celestial King!’
Roger made his fateful decision at that moment; he must search for this child later, rally forces, and establish ’The Celestials’ to be the ultimate supreme power that would rival the "Transmigrators Organization."
The plan in his mind was as clear as the sun: reclaim the lost throne of the Empire, kill the traitors who had conspired against his mentor, and protect her from the grasp of "Cain" at all costs!