Banquet (6)
After meeting with the emperor, I got some free time, so I got out of the banquet hall and went out to the terrace to look around.
Aside from the loud noise that came up to the terrace, the terrace itself was very quiet and leisurely.
Sometimes people trying to enter the terrace where I am are surprised to see me and seem to go somewhere else, but I don’t know.
Having monopolized one terrace like that, I blankly leaned against the railing and gazed at the night sky.
If you’re looking at the night sky full of twinkling stars, it’s an impressive sight that can’t be seen on Earth, so I’m not impressed, and as always, a useless question came.
Is there a universe here too? Are all those stars planets? So, do the gods manage all of those planets as well?
By the time the thoughts that came up with questions close to taboo in the fantasy world suddenly flowed to the question of the probability that aliens exist in this world.
“Here you are, sister. Dropping a bomb and running away is a lot more strategic than I thought. I was impressed.”
Aside from the numerous nobles who entered the terrace and quietly retreated, there was someone who entered the terrace with an excited voice as if they had finally found me.
He didn’t even have to turn his head to check his face, he was the third prince.
That said, I couldn’t really show an attitude of ignoring him, so I turned my head to check his appearance and greeted him briefly.
“Hello, Mr. Belfar.”
“When will I be able to hear the word ‘hyungnim’ from my younger brother!”
Wake up, you bastard. I am now pushing and pulling with your father.
…Now that I’ve said it, the tone is very strange.
In fact, I didn’t really want the prince to change his attitude towards me.
Isn’t he the one who calls the emperor of the empire his father, the princess his sister, and the saint he calls his sister?
It wasn’t wrong, but when I saw him sticking to that title even in a public setting other than a formal one, it seemed like he wanted to express his special relationship with the other person.
Of course, the effect of promoting from the people around me that I am an equally great person with such great people and such a relationship is not small. A raccoon-like guy.
Instead of responding to the prince’s useless words, I still looked up at the night sky.
If there are aliens, then those aliens must be of a different race. Then, do they have gods? Heck, can gods use their own species to wage a space war?
While one of the epic space war scenarios was being completed in my head, the prince came up to me and stood leaning against the railing just like me, maintaining a reasonable distance.
Prince This guy, I feel it every time I see him, but he’s a really strange guy.
Even the behavior of creating a sense of intimacy by copying the other person’s actions or words similarly while maintaining an appropriate psychological distance so that the other person does not feel uncomfortable. Is it called mirroring in psychological terms?
Even if it was intended, you know that taking such an attitude is advantageous to win the other person’s heart and know how to use it, and if you do it unconsciously even though you don’t know it, isn’t it the realm of superpowers?
“It’s okay if you tell me everything about why your brother is so worried about staring at the night sky so endlessly!”
I was dreaming of a space war until just now, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?
Does what I’m doing here seem right? Or is it true that people judge others based on themselves?
I turned my gaze and looked at the prince.
The prince smiling brightly and making a face asking me to say something was the usual prince I knew.
Ay, so that’s right. What’s wrong with a guy who seems to be living comfortably without worrying about everything in this world…
As I was thinking about that, I noticed that the prince’s aura was glowing with a color that didn’t match him at all.
It was a feeling of nervousness that he had never shown before, no matter how much he was beaten and bounced on his way to the imperial palace.
Wow, this guy looks nervous and anxious too.
After witnessing the unexpected side of the prince, I was in conflict for a while before opening my mouth.
“I’m not the person I need to share my worries with, it’s Belfar-sama.”
When he clings to me, he wants to punch me, and I’m not the type to be close to him normally, and even though I’m in the line of the princess, so I shouldn’t be close to him, but I get nervous every time I see a guy who always talks like an incompetent guy with a teary face. Isn’t that how it is used?
It seemed like it would be useless with a high probability of worrying about this guy, and he was reluctant because if I asked him like this, he would be excited and talk about himself for a long time, but recently he was trying to check the church on his own, so there was nothing he couldn’t do.
“…I guess I’m still a long way off. No, seeing that even my father treats you like that, it must mean that you’re a much better person than I thought.”
Does the accident stemming from bloated narcissism justify that the other person is outstanding, not that he or she is lacking?
“It’s not something to hide from my brother, so I’ll be honest. I felt nervous after hearing what my brother said to my father today. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this feeling.”
Uh, I suddenly have a strong feeling that this is more likely to be a land mine issue than I thought.
“It may be rude to my sister, but I’ve never doubted that I would become the next emperor.”
Anyone can see that, man. Of course, the princess must know.
“It’s not just confidence in my abilities. It’s a kind of fatalism.”
I tilted my head. I don’t think the prince’s personality would believe in the theory of fate. Don’t you think that people with strong narcissism will usually go the way they want without being swayed by fate?
“For the prosperity of humans and to reduce strife, wouldn’t it be more reasonable for me to become the next great emperor?
…
Yep.
My brain couldn’t accept the prince’s words for a moment at the sound of a dog grazing that was so creative in an instant.
So… he never doubted that even fate was designed the way he wanted. .
Instead of doing 100 sit-ups, push-ups, and squats a day, instead of looking in the mirror and saying “I’m so cool”, “Awesome”, and “Excellence” 100 times each, instead of an invincible superhuman who sends everything in one punch, a monster of this terrible self-consciousness is born?
“It’s not a story that has no basis at all. I’ve said it before. In fact, if my sister becomes emperor, the church will go on the offensive, and those who have animosity towards the imperial family will also jump on the bandwagon. not advantageous.”
What was the justification for sending someone to kill me?
However, he seemed to understand what the prince wanted to say. Considering the interests of the human race as a whole, isn’t it neat and better for him to become emperor rather than creating a situation where he had to be pushed away by force in the first place?
I thought it was a story that came out with only one self-love with no bottom and no end, but it had a more plausible logic than I thought. Assuming that Orion really puts his hand into wishing for the happiness of all humans, the prince’s words were quite plausible.
It was a claim that seemed like it would pass over at once if it was argued to someone who had even a little bit of religious faith and was in conflict between the prince and the princess.
Moreover, it seemed rational on the outside, and that rationality was intertwined with God, so it was not easy to refute.
If I refuted clumsily, then it was perfect to hear a rebuttal asking if God wants humans to be at peace with each other.
This is more difficult than I thought. What should I do?
“But… my confidence started to waver. Thanks to my sister.”
That’s the good news I’ve ever heard.
Please shake that confidence a little more. You can shake a little more.
“I wondered if God might have come to a different conclusion than I thought, since God has insight into events in the distant future that are hard for humans to guess.”
In the meantime, you’ve played drums and janggu while trying to figure out what Orion might mean, right?
But you said you had these thoughts because of me? Suddenly, why?
Did Orion appear in your dream?
After hearing the prince’s epoch-making idea and deciding to destroy it, I opened my mouth for the first time since the emperor spoke in order to get even a little bit of information.
“Why did you suddenly have that thought?”
The prince looked at me as if he was a bit puzzled, then shook his head, then clearly raised his hand and pointed at me.
“If you think about it for a bit, it’s too clear. You’re a saint chosen by Orion.”
Uh…I already got it wrong from the premise?
“A brother like that stood by my sister’s side from the beginning and helped my sister both physically and mentally.”
Isn’t that… the other way round? I received a lot of help from the princess.
“Finally accomplished a heroic feat with my sister.”
I don’t think it would have been very difficult if the princess hadn’t worked hard to bring in the master?
“And let me insinuate that Orion is not obsessed with appearances.”
That…at least I was trying to deceive the prince and keep him in check…
“Now I urged my father to hurry up the installation of the successor himself.”
That was also a mistake. He said he just wanted to say something and move on. If he had known that it would be interpreted as asking the imperial family to manage the house better, he would never have done it.
“So how can I not suspect that Orion has placed my sister in the position of emperor?”
What a shame…
It is a great thing to have worked hard to fathom God’s will, but the grounds for concluding are true to the point of being true, and that is in fact a lie wrapped in truth. there was no li
But I can’t say anything because that conclusion is to my advantage.
It’s really shocking that me standing next to the princess could be interpreted as Orion supporting the princess.
I have to clear up this misunderstanding, I have to let it go.
“Since I’ve told you this far, let me ask you frankly. Does your sister support my sister becoming emperor?”
The prince had put so much pressure on me before I even had time to think about it.
Do you call that a horse? It’s the first rope I caught after coming to this world, and it’s a rope I’ve been holding dearly until now, and of course I support it.
I was thinking about putting a wedge in by making a statement of support, but I decided to be a little more careful thinking that I might face a backlash.
There is no need to tarnish my clean image that I have built up until now by making an excuse that the saint is involved in secular politics.
Besides, I believed in the princess. If the conditions were equal, the princess would be a competent enough person, and would not be inferior to the princess, rather the first princess, would have the upper hand in legitimacy?
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Let’s be satisfied with the line that continues to shake people while secretly dissolving the theory of neutralization of Orion.
Ah, but the claim that it is advantageous for you to become king for the benefit of all human beings is seized. It is too advantageous for you.
“Velfar-sama. Orion-sama doesn’t try to restrict human free will.”
“Doesn’t it restrict free will?”
“There is no such thing as a predestined destiny. Be faithful today. Repent for the mistakes of the past and promise that tomorrow will not be the same. Life is to be made, not to run on a set path.”
So, even if from the point of view of all human beings it is more beneficial for you to become emperor, that means that Orion does not plan human destiny in advance in that way, okay?
The prince looked at me with a shocked expression at my words.
Yes, it must be a bit shocking since you deny all the premise you’ve worked so hard to build up until now. But what can I do? I want to make the princess the emperor.
I am skeptical about whether there is such a thing as a real destiny even if I think about it from the beginning.
Even if such a thing really exists, there is no God who can coordinate it. Where the hell can I buy a human god?
“God doesn’t force us? Then how can we lead humans on the right path?”
I don’t know why you suddenly ask such an obvious question.
“That’s it… I have to constantly convince you to go the right way, right?”
“Persuade? God? Humans?”
Ah, now I know what it is. After all, it is also an extension of the consciousness of the chosen people.
It’s hard to accept the fact that beings who are different from humans are persuading humans one by one.
Well… in this world where the consciousness of the chosen people is normal in the first place, to say that God denies such a consciousness of the chosen people is an excuse to face a backlash.
Shall we go back in a slightly different way?
“Belfar-sama. If you look at the stars in the sky, do you feel they are beautiful?”
At my words, the prince looked up to the sky and nodded.
“It is very beautiful.”
“But there must be people in the world who don’t feel beautiful while looking at those stars, right?”
“Well… there must be. There are not a few people who have dry sensibility, lack of empathy, and do not know how to recognize beauty.”
I didn’t ask for a detailed explanation.
“Is there any point in telling people that the starlight is beautiful by coercing or coaxing them into saying that it is beautiful?”
“It’s hard to find anything more meaningless in the world…”
The prince, who continued talking, could not continue to see if he realized something and began to look at the night sky again.
“If Orion implants faith in himself in the heads of all humans with his transcendental ability, can that be called faith?”
“that…”
The prince stopped on the spot, unable to give a proper answer as if he had made an error.
The point I want to make is simple.
As long as the other party does not feel that way, there is no meaning in forced faith. That is why Orion does not use any means to coerce humans.
In fact, the two are in line with each other, but they are different stories.
It is possible not to force faith because it is thought that forced faith is meaningless, but shouldn’t we be forced to prevent the mistakes that humans make because they do not feel the danger themselves?
If parents do not take any action to respect the autonomy of their newborn child, that is not excluding coercion, but simply neglecting it.
However, it sounds similar enough if you put it together without giving such detailed examples.
If you question this part, anyone can say that dangerous and wrong actions are related to the devil and are intervening because they were manipulated by the devil.
“Faith is like the starlight in the sky. It’s something no one can explain unless you feel it yourself.”
Is it family history that the members of the royal family suddenly spit out noises once in a while? The princess didn’t seem like that.
It seems that there are many similarities between the emperor and the third prince.
Huck, can’t it be that the emperor has the prince in mind rather than the princess?
Should I go back and appeal to the princess?
“I’ve learned a lot. Sister. The nervous feeling hasn’t gone away, but something is refreshing. It feels like I took off something that was covering my eyes. Thank you.”
…It’s strange, I was more confused and tried to confiscate that cheat-like claim. Hearing it reminds me of something and refreshes me?
Any pain that doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger What is this? Super Saiyan?
“Come in slowly. I think I now understand why my brother likes the night sky! Ha ha ha!”
The prince walks away from his seat and returns to the banquet hall with a needlessly refreshing laugh. I don’t really know why.
I looked at the prince walking away with a bewildered look, then met the eyes of the princess who was looking this way from the border leading out to the terrace.
“Your sister recognized a really great person! To be honest, I’m so envious!”
The prince also recognized the princess and left with such words, taking steps closer to lightheartedness than pleasantness.
…
and a moment of silence.
Ahhhhhis resion, Princess, Never, is not the scene of such a secret.
I never intended to walk a tightrope like a bat by bridging the prince.
I feel really unfair! I even broke a tile that the prince seemed to be able to put to good use!
Didn’t you actually notice this and leave with an excessive smile to pretend you had a friendly relationship with me?
The princess slowly began to approach me, who was struggling with all sorts of delusions.
Prince Yes, I will never forgive this guy… Huh?
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Looking back, I couldn’t find even a hint of doubt in the princess’s aura.
You believe me! You believe me when you see such a sight, right?
Is this the strength of the bond that has been built up so far, never being swayed by the prince’s shallow moves?
Feeling better, I gave the princess a shallow smile.
“It’s been a long time since Belfarr expressed his envy of me. I haven’t been like that since I started paying attention to the imperial power.”
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Leave him to me from now on.
Perhaps noticing my gaze, the princess quietly reached out to me.
“Now go back.”
“Yes, go back.”
I held her hand and answered in a bright tone.
There were still countless stars shining in the sky, but I was no longer curious about whether or not the aliens would survive.
finish
Good times don’t last forever and the party always ends.
Starting with the triumphal ceremony, passing through the conferment ceremony and banquet, the tribute to the expedition prepared by the imperial family was also running towards the end.
And when the party is over, those who participated in the party scatter and lead their daily lives, but now someone has to start cleaning up the aftermath.
Their lives don’t end when the party ends, and they don’t become leisurely when the party ends.
Rather, there are bound to be more and more people running around busily to clean up after themselves.
For example, the nobles who participated in the party tried to find out more about the relationship between the imperial family, the church, and the saint in order to set a direction, or the priests who did not miss the few opportunities to enter the imperial palace eagerly met people and went around.
Or the emperor who had a premonition of the impending evacuation and began to make a decision.
“Your Majesty, Princess Azalea has come to visit you.”
“Stop by.”
The door opened at the emperor’s words, and after the princess greeted lightly and formally, the two sat face-to-face in front of the table and looked at each other.
When Azalea returned with Ronan, the composition was similar to when the emperor called the princess to test Ronan.
“Did you call?”
“Yes, I called because I have something to ask for your opinion.”
Azalea could instinctively feel herself stiffen with tension.
The emperor’s test on the saint after entering the imperial palace, the unexpected ceremony held by the emperor and saint at the banquet the previous day, and even the events that took place during the ceremony.
It was most likely related to the saint that he called himself to ask for his opinion directly at this time when the time for the saint’s departure was approaching.
“Goodbye.”
“Do you remember what the saint said to me at the banquet the other day?”
Azalea nodded heavily.
No matter how much the saint’s attitude was born out of pure goodwill for the emperor, it was problematic to mention the emperor’s problems in such an official setting.
Moreover, the emperor of the time was a man who had a knack for roasting opposing forces without revealing his weaknesses, so he might not want to leave room for trouble.
And if that’s the case…
Inadvertently, power entered Azalea’s hand.
He recalled the order the emperor had sent him and the saint to the academy.
If he told me to fulfill the order at that time now, would he be able to point his sword at Saint Ronan?
In Azalea’s mind, the image of the saint talking with the prince at the banquet hall the previous day came to mind.
From the first meeting until now, he is eager to believe in people, he is eager to save people, sometimes he has an absurd side, in fact, he is not optimistic, he has a lot of anguish in his heart, but listening to others’ stories takes precedence. I couldn’t imagine myself pointing a knife at a person.
Even though I’ve never rejected my father’s will.
“You’re thinking nonsense again.”
Seeing Azalea’s hardened appearance, the emperor smiled broadly and said so.
Returning to reality at the Emperor’s words, Azalea stared blankly at the Emperor.
“You’re still immature in that aspect. You’re still more like a knight than a person in power.”
“sorry.”
“I’m not trying to reprimand you. What can I do? I’m not without responsibility. I just wanted to take my time and tell you everything…”
The emperor cut off his words and took a glance at Azalea.
The emperor was well aware of the meaning of Azalea’s knight’s robe, and the emperor agreed with it, so he didn’t stop much.
I didn’t intend to discuss the clothes one by one, but for some reason today, the clothes looked like proof that he had forced something on my daughter, so I didn’t like it.
“Did I… not be able to obey Your Majesty’s wishes?”
Azalea’s voice, slightly shaken, came out as the emperor paused for a moment in sentimentality.
Come to think of it, the reason why the emperor called Azalea was not just the saint, but there was another.
The topic that was rekindled when the saint mentioned it the day before.
succession to the throne.
The emperor’s expression seemed quite firm, probably interpreting the emperor’s words as meaning that he would hand over the throne to the third prince.
It must have been a considerable shock to Azalea, who had lived for the long time to succeed the emperor and had dedicated her life to him.
“If so, what would you do? Would you ever say you couldn’t understand it?”
Azalea, who closed her eyes for a moment at the emperor’s words, bowed her head.
“If Your Majesty makes such a decision, how can I not understand it? I am only following Your Majesty’s wishes.”
“There’s no need to speak so eloquently in a place like this.”
The emperor fell into a strange feeling as he looked at Azalea with her head bowed.
Certainly, the princess was confused, angry, and then barely agreed… but that wasn’t all of the feelings she had.
“But can you really bet that I didn’t have the heart to think it worked out?”
At the emperor’s words, Azalea couldn’t immediately answer, saying that it couldn’t be. Because the emperor was right.
Obviously, it was painful to feel that her life up until now had been denied, but that was not all.
If you can’t become emperor…
“You can still be by the saint’s side, did you even think of that?”
Azalea bowed her head, unable to answer the emperor’s words.
It was as the emperor said, but to affirm it was close to betraying the will of the emperor and the imperial family, and to deny it, Azalea’s pride did not allow her to tell lies.
“If it had been Belfar, he would have been passionate about the value of being a saint and claiming that since he couldn’t become an emperor, he would have contributed to the imperial family in that way.”
Azalea herself agreed that her younger sister was much more competent in this situation, so she accepted the emperor’s comparative remarks without saying anything.
“Actually, that’s his problem.”
However, at the emperor’s words that followed, Azalea had no choice but to raise her head and examine the emperor’s expression.
I thought that the emperor had chosen Belfar for the next imperial throne and had called him to notify him, but it was difficult to guess the emperor’s intentions when he looked like that.
“There is no correct answer in human relationships, but at least in the current situation, for my personality, keeping my mouth shut like you, Azalea, is closer to the correct answer. Because it’s bigger.”
“How do you say that? Your Majesty, what can you be sorry for me? I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations.”
“Look. He’s not the kind of person who would say such a thing. He’s a guy who has no doubts that the world will go his way. He’s the kind of guy who has to go through hardships to realize that there are things he can’t do.”
Azalea bowed her head in silence at the unstoppable emperor’s vitriol. Azalea’s personality did not allow her to gossip about her sister, even if it was a light joke about family relations, riding on the emperor’s horse.
“So, until he realizes that, it’s too early to become a proper emperor. The same goes for you, Azalea. Making personal decisions for the empire, or at least for yourself. That’s also a necessary quality for an emperor. As long as you can’t do that, you’re still not qualified.”
“How can I forget?”
Azalea still remembered when the emperor ordered her to take the saint’s life.
At that time, he headed for the main office, ruminating that he was obviously only a person who knew how the emperor made decisions for the empire, and that he, too, had to learn.
“You have awareness, so it can be said that it’s a little better, but that alone is not enough to make a decision. If you mix the two of you, or if the two of you combine, you can become an emperor who far surpasses me, but if you bow down to Belfar, maybe Belfar will He’s not the kind of guy who will bow down to you, so if you think about that, you might think it’s better for Belfar to become emperor.”
Azalea was confused by the emperor’s long words. She didn’t know that the emperor was worrying so much while weighing himself and Belfar, and even if he was worried, the emperor was not the kind of person who would bother telling her all these things.
“Thanks to the words the saint told me, I really thought a lot last night.”
As if he had read Azalea’s heart, the emperor explained the reason in a timely manner.
Words suggesting that the words spoken by the saint at the banquet had a great influence on the emperor. It also indicated that the saint’s influence was by no means insignificant, and that the emperor regarded him as very important.
“If I’m going to appoint you as the next emperor, it’s only right that you stay in the palace instead of following the saint back to the academy.”
At the emperor’s words, Azalea involuntarily held her breath.
Come to think of it, the emperor’s words were natural.
In the first place, the fact that the princess followed the saint to the academy because she was assisting the saint was a new policy on the surface, so it was an excuse to control confusion about him. It was close to a show-style punishment for
However, with the incidents in the imperial family this time, no one doubted that the royal family and the saint had a special relationship anymore, and Azalea’s mistakes were already close to the extent that they could be sufficiently covered up by the events of the past.
Under the circumstances, if Azalea was to become the next emperor, it would be a waste of time to keep the princess in the academy any longer. It was natural to follow the emperor, learn how to handle state affairs in earnest, and stamp the face of nobles. did.
Even though she knew that it was natural, the thought that it was difficult to accept squirmed in a corner of Azalea’s mind.
“Heh heh, he’d probably run away from the imperial palace if he had to. He really grew up a lot.”
Surprised by the emperor’s words, the princess noticed herself biting her lip and hurriedly removed the power that had entered her body.
“Don’t worry. If you were willing to do so, I wouldn’t have told you all of this.”
After saying that, the emperor slowly stood up and patted Azalea on the shoulder.
“Do you remember the order I gave you?”
“…Watch him by the side of the saint and keep him, or cut him. He told me to make a decision.”
“Yes, I did. Obviously I did.”
It hadn’t been long, but it already seemed like a story from a long time ago.
The emperor looked at Azalea again.
In her own eyes, she still looks immature, and she is wary of the surroundings, saying she will protect Saint Ronan, but the princess herself seems like a child who needs to be protected by someone. Who the hell is going to protect whom?
However, Azalea’s judgment itself was not wrong. The one who was wrong was herself.
Although Azalea could not see through the essence of the other person, she must have intuitively sensed that the other person was not an ordinary human being and was the key to saving this human society.
The emperor decided to acknowledge such Azalea.
It’s not that I’m immature and wrong, it’s that I’m going down a different path. Even the emperor himself was confused because the road looked so rough and not the way, but Azalea decided to believe that she was advancing that path wonderfully.
In fact, rather than completely trusting Azalea, his faith in Ronan, who served as a guide in front of him, was much greater, but the emperor decided not to separate the two.
“Rescind that order and issue a new order.”
“…Please tell me.”
At the Emperor’s new order, Azalea rose from her seat and knelt in response.
Azalea also felt intuition that her future would be determined by the emperor’s orders.
“No matter what happens, don’t leave Saint Ronan. No matter what hardships and adversities come your way, even when you feel like you can’t stand it any longer, stay by his side. Act as. If you do not have the confidence to do so, give up now.”
However, the next moment, even Azalea, no matter how determined she was, was surprised by the new order from the emperor and had no choice but to look at the emperor again.
That’s why the emperor’s order was unexpected and unconventional.
If you’re going to follow Ronan again, trust him no matter what.
The emperor never spits out the words to trust others this much. He always tells others to trust him that way, but he never asks you to trust others that much. It was close to the way to let go of power. At least as far as Azalea knew, it was like that.
It was an overly ignorant remark for such an emperor to utter.
Instead, Azalea couldn’t even guess what effect Ronan had on the emperor. It was disrespectful, but it was to the point of doubting whether her father had gone mad, or whether Ronan had even used brainwashing spells on the emperor.
“There is no answer. Can’t you?”
When Azalea, who was in confusion, could not answer, the emperor hurriedly responded.
“No. Leave it to me. I will not disappoint you.”
Azalea, who came to her senses, hurriedly answered the emperor’s words.
Even without the emperor’s words, Azalea already had such faith in Ronan.
Although it was embarrassing to say such a thing because it was the emperor, the order itself was what Azalea had been hoping for.
“Yes, I believe.”
Azalea felt a feeling that was difficult to describe in words.
This is precisely the conversation he had when the emperor ordered him to protect or kill the saint.
And at that time, he wondered if his father would maintain that attitude even if he met Ronan in person.
The answer to that seemed to be appearing right here and now.
“From now on, you will be like my official successor. There will not be an official successor installation right now, so there will be no official announcement.
What did his father, who suspected Ronan of being an idealist or a swindler, see in the saint Ronan?
Azalea was very curious about that, but she knew very well that if the emperor was going to tell her about it, she would have told her right away.
So instead of asking useless questions, I bowed my head once more.
The emperor only looked at Azalea with satisfaction.
…
Inside the room where Azalea left.
The emperor, who was left alone, was staring into space.
Everything the emperor said to Azalea was true.
It was true that the emperor wanted Azalea to become the next emperor, but Azalea was somewhat inferior.
Considering all the various things, in fact, I thought a lot about whether Belfar, the 3rd prince, would be more beneficial to the empire.
However, after meeting Ronan, he decided to put an end to such worries.
To be honest, as long as Ronan was alive, I thought it would not make much of a difference whether Azalea became emperor or Belfar.
Whichever of them becomes emperor, Ronan will give both of them the right lessons.
Just like he taught himself what he needed.
Didn’t he tell you to set up your mind, rule yourself, and rule the family as if you had penetrated your heart?
Those words that said, “Don’t worry too much about setting up the succession, and do as you please.” According to his words, even if he comfortably supports Azalea, Ronan will take care of the problems that accompany it.
As an emperor, it was a situation where I had to be very wary of having someone else’s ulterior motive, but I didn’t feel that way because the opponent was the other person. Rather, I felt relieved.
So, he gave Azalea such an order.
It was because he thought that acquiring new teachings by Ronan’s side was necessary to become an emperor who surpassed himself rather than handing down the years he had lived as an emperor by his side.
If he were a saint, he would have already noticed his own intentions, so if he really had no intention of interfering, he would either send the princess back or raise her as an eminent emperor worthy of God’s will.
Although the blood flowing in this imperial family was the descendant of the rebels who stood up to drive out the god, there was not a small amount of sediment accumulated with the church, but the god didn’t seem to care about that.
He might have taken into account the situation at the time, and perhaps meant that he would forgive even those who stabbed him in order to restore humans to their original state.
Either way, it was certain that the imperial family had been forgiven by God.
Although the imperial family had risen with a will against God, pushing out the church and insisting with all their might that they did not care about God, in a world where God exists, such perception was a yoke that they could not help but care about.
And now that the yoke is gone…
“Your Majesty, we’re tracking the rats.”
“Okay, Sir, use your strength. It’s very important, so I don’t want to fail.”
“I will definitely do it.”
It was my turn to repay.
A group called the shadow that was also mixed in with the clergy envoys the saint had told me about.
If only the opponent was identified, digging into the opponent’s whereabouts within the imperial palace was easier than eating porridge.
And after digging into his whereabouts, he found out that he had poisoned the cup he was about to drink, the cup blessed by the saint.
Is this something that religious people would do? The fact that a priest of the religious order poisoned the emperor’s wine glass while he came to congratulate the saint?
It’s not simply a matter of ethically right or wrong. To discuss such an issue, since the emperor was the one who had already done everything.
What the emperor paid attention to was this boldness, meticulousness, and sophistication.
I don’t even have to tell you how difficult it is to poison the emperor’s goblet in the imperial palace. It’s absolutely impossible for an individual to do it. It’s difficult. Besides, there are not a few things to be gained through it.
If he dies, that would be the best outcome.
Even if he did not die, if the emperor was threatened with poisoning, it was obvious that his movements would be sluggish until the emperor was healed.
Even if the treatment is successful thanks to the saint, the church can make an excuse to take another step by saying that the emperor survived thanks to the saint.
Worst of all, what if all of this is revealed to be the work of a priest?
Cutting the tail and stimulating public opinion to make a statement that it is a self-made play on the part of the saint can damage the prestige of the saint. On the surface, it seems that the church has no reason to attack the saint and cut off his flesh, so the saint can’t be like that. Even if I pretended to protect him, the saint would be attacked with more heat.
It was very difficult to realize, but from the point of poison in the glass, it was possible to move in a direction beneficial to the church no matter what the outcome.
The feeling itself was different from the actions of the old people who had been corrupt for a long time and were only concerned about protecting themselves.
This was the true value of a group called the shadow who secretly moved under the shield of incompetence, and I was able to feel the true value of this one number.
The most frightening thing was that even without Ronan, there was a high probability that this poisoning attempt would have worked anyway.
It was to the point where I wondered if Ronan had taken this into account when he accepted the emperor’s sudden request without saying anything.
Mentioning the group called the shadow, the saint solidified his expression by purifying and handing over the cup left by the divine power, and the cup with the shadow’s hand on it.
Erase the group of shadows, the biggest cause of human straying. I will affirm that act.
It was hard to guess exactly how much the saint, who was sad rather than disappointed or angry at the people who went astray, had a strong heart and made such a decision.
What is certain, however, was that a being moderate enough to insist that faith should be persuaded, not forced, judged that it would be difficult to normalize humans unless they disappeared.
And on the lips of the emperor who guessed all of that,
“The real pleasure of hunting is to struggle with the prey to some extent.”
A faint smile caught on.
It was the appearance of the emperor at the time, when the nobles were so afraid of it, driving bloody winds.
The board had already been laid out in a splendid way. Since I had obtained the owner’s permission, it was enough to carefully prepare to kill the rats so that they would not run away.
