Book 17: Chapter 18
“Son, I am happy to know you want to do look into it, but it’s clear that you don’t need to get involved. This is my Royal Palace and my nest. If I can’t capture him, how can I guarantee that I can protect others or you?”
Mom picked up a long sword and stabbed it into the swamp of blood on the ground. She then looked at the only remaining Valkyrie and frigidly commanded, “Go and tell the other Valkyries that, if you can’t capture the culprit before the sun goes down, all you Valkyries can kill yourselves. Your purpose is to protect me and the Royal Palace, yet somebody was assassinated in my flower garden. Can you protect me or not?!”
“Yes, Your Majesty… I understand… I… I…”
She must’ve been a Valkyrie who joined the ranks not too long ago. It would explain why she was fearful and had traces of unnecessary emotions. She quivered as she glanced at me. She seemed to hope that I could protect her, as I saved her once before. I stroked her head and whispered next to her ear, “Go to the outer court” then gave her a push on her back.
I believed that Nier could take care of her. I didn’t want to see an innocent Valkyrie commit suicide because of Mom being on edge. I knew I couldn’t change the Valkyries’ attitude in life but still wanted to protect one, nonetheless.
I went up to Mom’s side. I took a light hold of her hand: “Mom, let me investigate it. I have some clues already; I’m sure I can find out who was responsible. I’m sure the culprit wasn’t trying to start with the royal family… I’m absolutely certain of that.”
I had never seen Mom with such an insane gaze. She might’ve been equally crazy in the last war for me. Normally speaking, her crazy state of hers was the alarm that lots of people were about to die. Last time, three armies died, the elves excluded. How many would die this time? I had to stop Mom. Mom considered her Royal Palace to be her safest place; or rather, she was someone who lacked a sense of security. After her family was attacked last time, she grew mindful of her Royal Palace similarly to a mother wolf guarding her own home. Her territory was been infiltrated, which meant she had to rip out the throat of the trespasser.
“There’s no room for discussion, Son. This isn’t just about safety but more about Mommy’s dignity. My finance official died in my Royal Palace in the vassal states’ presence! They are challenging me! They are challenging me!!”
Mom was so enraged that she didn’t even plan to look at me. Instead, she gazed into the distance with her teeth tightly clenched. She really wanted to rip out the culprit’s neck. She roared. She swung her sword with random strokes and brayed, “I’ll make him pay! I’ll make his entire family pay! I want to destroy him! I want to erase every trace of his existence! Nobody will be able to find any trace of him! I’ll destroy even the bricks in his home! I swear on my title as the Empress that I’ll kill everyone related to him! I’ll kill a street, then a village and town and then I’ll continue killing until nobody dares to mention his name. Not a single living person is allowed to remember him!!”