annihilate (4)
205
“This is really… troublesome.”
Phoebus’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t mean to denigrate the devotion, merit, and influence of the Marquis, but looking at his achievements, I think there must have been someone in the Empire who made such a contribution in recent years.”
“Even if you look for records of nearly hundreds of years, there are probably not many.”
Even in the midst of difficult times, it was difficult to accumulate achievements comparable to that of Ray, even if he worked hard for the rest of his life.
But Ray was now nineteen.
Even in a fairy tale book, the hero’s achievements were not inflated.
“…”
Phoebus was worried.
Most of Rey’s achievements did not come under the normal system of command.
So if you want to disparage it, you can disparage it as much as you want.
Moreover, the killing of the first prince could be a felony depending on the point of view.
It was not an ordinary felony, but a felony that could be annihilated by a family unit.
It is for this reason that elders in power risk their lives for procedures and causes.
If you proceed without going through the proper procedure, even if you have done a good job, you could have your head cut off at once with a pun.
But even if Phoebus tries to knock Rey down, Ernst will not cooperate.
As soon as he ascended to the throne, it was a very risky decision to lose the imperial sword master and chuck.
Boiling a hound wasn’t very pleasing to Phoebos either.
However, it was difficult to fully acknowledge and reward Rey’s achievements.
‘…it’s not easy.’
First of all, there was a great need to separate Ernst and Rey’s relationship.
When two people maintain a close relationship and form one power, that power becomes too bloated.
Ernst will also understand Phoebus’s position on this point.
However, even if it was brought to the edge of the empire, Rey had no choice but to naturally form a huge force.
‘Even after 10 years, the youngest sword master in the history of the empire would be praised as the hero who saved the empire…’
From the point of view of the imperial family, it was not so burdensome.
It was not a narrow-mindedness of Phoebus, but a practical matter.
Even if Rei was genuinely loyal to the imperial family and listened to the old tombs, she could not be relieved.
The Sword Master lived for nearly 150 years with integrity.
If you reach a high level at a young age like Ray, your lifespan will be longer.
Who can predict what kind of change of heart will occur to an individual over 150 years?
Phoebus pondered again.
“…that child inherited the space sword?”
“That’s right.”
The space sword symbolizes the tradition of the hero.
Even if it did not symbolize the legitimacy of the imperial family, the ripple effect was evident.
‘I’d rather be accepted as a member of the imperial family.’
If you make an engagement with the soon-to-be-born princess, or a child of an imperial family with less legitimacy.
It would be convenient to take control of the situation right now, but the lifespan was still an issue.
The lifespan of the imperial family was at most around 60. The Sword Master lived twice as much and half more.
If not done, the imperial family could be eaten up by Rei’s influence in a hundred years or so.
That was the reason the imperial family had never received a lord-class person to become a member of the imperial family.
“Hmm…”
It was a pain in the ass in many ways.
Road-class unmanned soldiers always gave the monarch’s head a pain, so sitting and agonizing over it wouldn’t give a good answer right away.
While Phoebus was thinking about meeting Rey for the first time, Ernst opened his mouth.
“I don’t know what your Majesty is concerned about… but he won’t covet his title, fame, or wealth.”
“…It’s a naive story that doesn’t sound like a marquis. Even if you’re a child on the outskirts of the country who doesn’t know anything about it, once you taste power and wealth, it’s natural and logical that you can’t give up your greed.”
“Your Majesty will know how many sacrifices have been made in past attempts to succeed the Space Sword.”
“Of course I know.”
“The child did not overcome the side effects of the space sword. The child’s body was also constantly being destroyed by the load the space sword exerted.”
“That means…”
“It’s going to be short-lived. I’ve been overworked in Alimo again… I’ll probably have less than 10 years left. He knows that his life is short.”
At the unexpected story, Phoebus showed a bewildered look.
“Ten years left?”
“Yes, if that child returns… I think it would be a good idea to call in the priests and healers of the Imperial Palace to check with your Majesty.”
“Isn’t there a way to prolong life?”
Ernst was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“I’ve heard there is one way to prolong life, even a little.”
*
Rey and her companions arrived safely near Prua.
The atmosphere was quite chaotic because the head of the kingdom had disappeared and even the army of the empire had been dispatched.
It seemed that it would take some time for the chaos to settle and some order to be established.
Meanwhile, Bang and Jet, who had accompanied Rey to Alimo, discovered Rey’s party while on a new mission to patrol the area near the gates the Empire had landed.
Bang and Jet recognized Rey and went straight to her.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
Saying so, Bang and Jet knelt in front of Rey.
Bang and Jet, apologizing for not being by their side until the end, were troubled by Ray and brought them up.
“There are many eyes to see, so don’t be too harsh…”
“Okay. I’ll guide you to the gate.”
Ray nodded.
Rey wanted to return to the Empire as quickly as possible.
If he stayed in the kingdom for a long time, he would have been caught in trouble in a chaotic atmosphere by only breathing in the turbid air.
My stamina was gone and I really needed a break now.
Rey and Luna and Ult went through a few simple steps and were allowed to pass through the gate.
Rey said one last goodbye to Gilland before crossing the gate.
“You’ve worked hard, Commander of the Knights. The atmosphere is a bit chaotic, but take care.”
“You have been a great help. I will never forget your grace.”
“What is it, listen carefully to what the deputy chief says. At times like this, you have to be more careful not to get hit by a blind sword. If you have to stay still, don’t meddle here and there, but rather guard the palace. They all ran away and there was no one. .”
“I’ll read it.”
“Well… Anyway, I hope we can see each other with a smile next time.”
In addition, Rey, who greeted a few others lightly, crossed the gate with Luna and Ult.
Tsuzui!
As we passed the gate, the freshness of the air and the heat of the sunlight greeted Ray.
Ray took a deep breath.
“Whew…”
It wasn’t all over yet.
Still, when I returned to the Empire, relief came.
While Rei slowly brushed her hair away, letting go of the tension.
Ernst, who was waiting, came over and put a hand on Rey’s shoulder.
“Good job.”
“Thank you, Marquis. Really… Thank you. But…”
Rey was troubled and picked up a completely scrapped artifact.
“Almost all of the weapons I borrowed are like this, but I don’t know what to apologize for.”
Ernst smiled at Rey, who was shivering with humility.
“Your contribution is not small, so I will not rebuke you.”
“Thank you for your generous generosity.”
“Follow me.”
Ernst walked ahead and said to Rey.
“Have you heard the news that the Emperor has ascended to heaven?”
“Yes, I heard from Bang.”
“I have reported the achievements you have made so far to the Emperor.”
“ah…”
Rei shivered, even though it was expected.
Ray, who had touched the back of his neck for no reason, asked cautiously.
“Your Majesty… weren’t you angry?”
“Don’t worry. If your achievements are recognized, is there any reward you would like to ask the Emperor?”
“Uh… well. I want to visit my hometown first. It seems it’s been too long since I’ve seen the faces of people I miss.”
Ernst looked at Rey quietly and asked.
“Is that the end?”
“I think we need to think about other things. Shouldn’t your Majesty be offended by being too greedy?”
Ernst nodded with mixed emotions at the joke, not the joke.
“Get enough rest for now.”
*
After healing the wound and resting.
Rei’s party had to tell an investigator dispatched from the imperial family about the incident in Alimo.
The investigator was careful not to create an atmosphere of interrogation, and was polite to Rey’s party.
The investigator’s attitude was polite, but his eyes were sharp enough to discern the truth.
However, even an experienced investigator could not properly read the signs of lying from Luna and Rey.
In the case of Ult, information about Genesis and Titi was not disclosed to investigators.
However, as long as the matter had grown to this extent, it was impossible to keep the truth hidden, so he reported everything related to the emperor through Ernst.
Apart from the issues with Genesis and Titi.
Ult had violated the laws of the Empire quite a bit, so he was formally transferred to a state of detention.
Even if he committed a crime, he did not lack the merit he had made, so by the time this situation is over, Ernst assured him that he would be released safely under the protection of the emperor.
Anyway, for now, the Empire was also busy conducting military operations in Alimo.
The issue was to be discussed after the current situation was over.
Since we had to wait two more months, Rey and Luna decided to return to the Frislan clan’s fortress to stay.
Rey got on the carriage heading to the Frislan family’s fortress and smiled as she recalled the faces she had longed for.
Then Aftel appeared from the air.
[The wizards of the Imperial Tower have strengthened the overall security of the obelisk.]
Rei was instantly cold and stood up.
“What, did you notice that Luna used that system?”
[Not that. The main reason for the increased security is the increased awareness due to this Meteor incident. However, there may have been a few low-level suspicions.]
“Will Luna be unable to use your system in the future?”
[available for use. No one can interfere with the authority granted to Luna.]
“Then you don’t have to worry about it.”
Aftel shook his head as Rey declared in a light tone.
[As long as the security is strengthened… The next time you access the obelisk system, there is a high probability that the officials of the Imperial Horse Tower will discover the existence of the obelisk system and those who have accessed it. If caught, the traceback cannot be stopped.]
In other words, being able to deploy Meteor without the Empire’s knowledge meant that it would be the end of one time in the future.
Rey nodded and handed the bracelet to Luna so that Luna could also know the information.
Meanwhile, the carriage drew closer to the fortress of the Frislan family.
Ray kept smiling for nothing, coughing and clearing her throat.
I didn’t want to show the kids the way I was smiling .
