EP.154
Shoot aaa-
Rain soaked the dry floor.
The first rain in a long time is nothing short of a blessing.
It’s good for nobles because they can collect plenty of taxes this year, and for commoners, it’s good because they don’t have to worry about starving.
But there was someone here who did not like the rain.
“This is the first time the rain feels like shit.”
Damon let out a bitter laugh.
He was supporting Amelia.
Amelia, who was already heavy thanks to her armor, got even heavier because she got wet from the rain.
Aside from the heavy weight, I was worried that the wound would get worse.
“Let’s rest here.”
I managed to find a hiding place hidden between stones. Damon barely helped Amelia and laid her down there. Amelia took a weak breath.
“Lu Rui… Luid is.”
The sight of the older sister calling out to her younger brother while on the brink of death was quite pitiful.
Even Damon, who was far from an ordinary person, felt sad.
“Don’t worry about him. “Even a dragon whose true identity is revealed falls to his death in less than a few minutes.”
“thank god.”
Was Amelia really worried about Ruid?
It would be too much to say that the ‘thing’ I saw earlier was a human being.
‘Who is worried about whom?’
Damon closed his eyes for a moment. Not long after, Hersy came down from the sky.
She, who always looked clean, was covered in mud. I just wiped my face and quickly ran over here.
“All traces were erased. I can assure you. Rather, are you okay, Amelia?”
Hercy’s eyes were full of worry.
“Life was saved. If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t be surprising if he died a long time ago, but it’s different in Windsor. but…”
Damon’s eyes sank low.
He wanted to say something.
But he just kept quiet and didn’t say anything.
Hersi was puzzled when he, who was always confident, became hesitant.
“sorry.”
Finally, Damon said it.
Hersi’s eyes widened at hearing this apology for the first time.
He smiled faintly.
“It’s something everyone agreed on.”
“…That ambush was not planned. “I never imagined that the Margrave of Sheffield was a dragon.”
Amelia was manipulated – it was all Damon’s plan.
He did not have the power of the first emperor.
If there was such a convenient thing, I would have used it a long time ago.
Amelia just set the rhythm.
In other words, it’s all a trivial play.
Had this been successful – it would have ended relatively peacefully.
If Windsor misunderstands that he has the power of the first emperor, he will no longer be able to easily conquer the empire.
He would have easily reached the conclusion that he would become emperor.
“What are you going to do now?”
Damon paused.
It wasn’t that I had nothing to say.
For the first time, I was wondering if it was okay to say this.
First, Damon said what had to be done.
“Hercy. First, return to your family and ask for assistance.”
“…It’s not difficult. Because I am the heir. but.”
It seemed like he didn’t want to leave these two behind. What we needed to give Hersy here was confidence.
“What are you looking at me for? “This body is the strongest.”
“…Are you saying something like that even at a moment like this?”
“It means that your presence here won’t help. But it’s different if it’s Hercy Minerva, who overthrew Minerva.”
Minerva, one of the three great families, has enormous power.
In an emergency situation like this, the only thing you can immediately trust is Minerva.
“…All right.”
“Go see.”
Hersy turned his back with anxious eyes.
Using the magic of the wind, I quickly flew through the sky.
Looking at the back, Damon remembered Hersy’s words, which he could not answer.
-What are you going to do now?
Suddenly, an unexpected dragon appeared and the plan went awry…
It wasn’t over yet. Because it’s Damon’s nature to look for possibilities even at this moment.
And while the situation was indeed dire, it was still too early to end it on a dire note.
‘It’s just that Ruid is more angry than expected. The direction is right.’
“Cough.”
At that time, Amelia coughed and vomited blood.
“Amelia!”
Hersy rushed over and used what little magical power he had left.
okay. The plan did not fail. No, there is no more correct direction than this.
But I can’t be happy about it.
‘I shouldn’t have hurt you.’
Damon clenched his fists.
‘That’s why we have to move on. ‘We can’t stop here.’
Damon steeled his resolve.
I approached Amelia and squatted down.
Amelia, who was half in a state of death, barely made eye contact with Damon.
“Can you trust me? “It is still too early to give up.”
Amelia said in a weak voice.
“I’ll just ask one question.”
At this moment, I wanted to ask something clearly.
“Will I be able to live with Ruid again like we used to?”
“….”
“He sleeps on my lap and I stroke his head. In the end, I fall asleep too. “Will I ever be able to find that kind of daily life again?”
Damon spoke in the most serious voice he had ever seen.
“I promise.”
**
imperial castle.
Smoke was rising from everywhere, and it was already difficult to see what it was like before.
The culprits who turned the splendidly beautiful castle into this state were neither Windsor nor the troops of other kingdoms.
He was a warlock.
The ambusher who had been hiding in the empire for so long has finally revealed his sword.
The imperial family, which had mobilized troops for the war against Windsor, was helpless.
They suddenly came out and reduced the imperial palace to ashes.
But the Empire is the Empire—
no matter how damaged it was, everything was not lost against the Warlock.
There was someone who stopped them all at once –
Academy President Clifford.
But this was the limit.
“I thought something was strange.”
A clear trace of blood flowed from the corner of Clifford’s mouth.
I glared at someone clearly without even thinking about wiping it.
Irene, wearing a black coat, was walking.
“That guy was lazy, but he wasn’t evil by nature.”
Clifford’s seemingly benevolent impression changed at once.
“But then they suddenly started a war and killed countless people. That weak guy can’t do that. I finally understand. “Is this all your doing?”
The corners of Irene’s mouth went up endlessly.
Now she seemed happier than ever.
“I’m sorry you only found out now.”
“Disgusting bitch!”
Clifford aimed his wand with a sinister look on his face.
“Even if I were to burn here right away, I would still kill you devilish bitch for the sake of humanity.”
“If that’s possible. please.”
Irene bowed her head politely. At the same time, a fireball rushed out from Clifford’s staff.
The fireball, which was initially one, soon dispersed into dozens.
This part showed how great Clifford’s magical talent was.
However, Irene did not even raise her head and just placed her hand on the sword handle.
Suddenly!
There was a sound of something cracking.
Dozens of fireballs were obliterated without a trace.
It was Irene’s foot sword. However, Clifford could not even see Irene draw her sword.
Clifford was not embarrassed and cast the next spell in succession.
“A spear that pierces the Wiz Grid.”
The dense forest caught Irene’s ankles. At the same time, swamps spread widely on the bottom. Irene pulled out her sword, held it back and struck it on the floor.
Jang-!
With that simple action, all magic was destroyed. Although he seemed embarrassed, Clifford continued to recite calmly.
“Rune Eyes, a thousand barriers-”
Clifford’s wand glowed red as a result of using magic in succession. It was a sign of overload. If things continue like this, Clifford will destroy himself.
Irene knew that too.
“are you okay? “For a hero who declared that he would punish the evildoers, he is too weak.”
She approached Clifford. Very slowly and gracefully.
‘It’s beyond my imagination.’
I know Windsor is strong. Just looking at Ruid, it’s the same. But this was too strong.
Irene, on the other hand, looked bored.
Clifford thought as he felt the mana of his empty heart.
‘Is this really the end?’
Would I have been able to win if I was in better shape?
No, Clifford knows the answer.
That’s impossible.
I didn’t see even a small fragment of Irene’s powerlessness.
Nothing changed.
Rather, because of that, he was calm.
‘I won’t go alone.’
Clifford closed his eyes and cast the last spell.
Forbidden magic that we don’t even know exists until now –
It was a self-destruct magic.
A kind of black magic. As soon as Clifford’s heart stops, the magic circuits he has honed for decades will recalculate and explode.
No one will escape death.
but-
I didn’t feel anything.
Clifford opened his eyes.
Irene’s sword was in front of Clifford’s neck.
“Why didn’t you kill him? “You’re not the type of person to hesitate when it comes to killing someone, right?”
“that is.”
Irene was worried.
“Wouldn’t Ruid be sad if I killed you?”
That wasn’t a lie.
Irene was truly worried.
Chicken skin appeared on Clifford’s old skin.
“…You’re so twisted.”
Irene thought for a moment and then raised the corners of her mouth.
“Oh, as expected.”
“….”
“Luid was an innocent child, so we can say that the warlocks killed him. then-”
Irene disappeared.
Clifford looked back.
The woman who had been in front of her just a moment ago had already drawn her sword, and red blood was dripping from it.
Clifford touched his neck with a blank expression.
“Bye.”
Suddenly!
The sound was heard late, and Clifford’s world turned upside down.
At that moment—time passed slowly.
As soon as Clifford’s death was confirmed, his magic circuit went crazy and exploded in an instant.
Irene’s eyes moved in slow time. But it was already too late.
By the time I realized it, a big hole had already formed in my chest.
Even at the moment of his death, Clifford was preparing for an unexpected situation and focused his explosion magic on one point.
After a while,
an innocent girl with a lovely mood appeared.
The girl tilted her head when she saw a large crater about half the size of the imperial palace.
Then, when I saw Irene standing in the distance, I was so happy that I immediately ran over to her.
Irene felt that he was popular and came back.
But isn’t there a blood stain on Irene’s white blouse?
“Are you all hurt?”
When Lilith asked in confusion, Irene smiled.
“It’s not my blood.”
**
The empire falls.
The empire that had shone for a thousand years was reaching the end of its lifespan.
Emperor Lucius simply cannot bear this burden.
All numbers have been used. It was the limit of what he could do.
Even if we were to fight this war again, the ending would be the same.
“sorry. “My ancestors.”
Lucius shed tears unsightly.
His hands were shaking as he held the coffin of the first emperor.
The moment of his final choice has arrived.
The ultimate weapon of the empire that even takes the life of its user, the emperor.
The time has come when you have to use it.
“Please forgive my sins.”
People who face death in front of them cannot help but be afraid.
Even if it is the emperor.
However, for Lucius, the fear of the sand castle of an empire with a thousand years of history collapsing was greater than the primal fear of humans.
“I need you. The promised time has arrived. Great monarch, please destroy all enemies that threaten the empire. So please help the empire to exist for 10,000 years. “This is the end of the role of the lowly Emperor Lucius.”
I have many thoughts.
There were clearly many options.
What if you had chosen well the Imperial Knights to be dispatched to the Academy for the first time?
What if the follow-up measures had been taken more neatly?
What if he had made his younger brother Damon the emperor instead of himself?
Things that have passed always feel regrettable. All of that remained as a regret.
But it’s too late now.
There was only one option left for Lucius.
He placed the ‘crown of the first emperor’ on his head.
“Gagging…!”
Lucius’ body wriggled loudly just once.
Before long, he was limp like a dead person.
After a while-
“….”
Lucius opened his eyes.
His white hair was dyed black, and his red eyes were also dyed black.
With that alone, he was clearly different from the original Lucius, but with his glossy eyes and the corner of his mouth twisted in madness, it was safe to say that he was a completely different person.
No, it’s a completely different person. He was no longer Lucius.
Creating an empire with a thousand-year history.
A man who had the whole world, even if only for a moment.
He is back again.
A word from the author (author’s review)
I will end the episode of the falling imperial family here.
I’m really sorry for being late ㅠㅠ…. I’ll resume normal serialization from now on.
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