Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 617
◈ 617. [Side Story] The last festival (7)
“A hundred years ago. Your great-great-grandfather asked Archduke Dusk Bringer a favor. We need a force that will never give up..”
The emperor slowly opened his mouth..
“So the Grand Duke concentrated all of the magic and incantations of the time, curses and taboos, and even his own dragon blood… … Made the Glory Knights, the Emperor's Guard, into an immortal army..”
I shook my shoulders. Prince Dusk Bringer……?
“Thus, for the past hundred years, the Glory Knights have protected the Emperor and the Empire. Afterwards, his knights were constantly replaced, and even Archduke Bringer stepped down from his position as leader, but the curse and the magic were passed down from generation to generation..”
I thought of the bandages engraved with magic letters that wrapped Hecate's body..
That old bandage... … Is it a curse and a curse?.
“Knights selected as Glory Knights die immediately after being ordained. If you've already died once, you can't die again.”
“Killed… … That's right?”
“okay. Then, a curse is placed on the dead body and soul, forcibly ‘fixing’ it. No matter how terrible the injury, the body can restore its original form, and the soul cannot leave and remains in the body..”
As I listened to the story with my mouth open, the emperor continued..
“but. Even though the body is revived, the soul is torn away. Sooner or later, the end will come. That's why we keep looking for successors and changing generations..”
“…….”
“And the current generation of 5 Glory Knights was very rough on me..”
The emperor laughed bitterly..
“What battlefield have I been on??”
“……In the spirit world, he fought against gods..”
“okay.”
no way.
The Emperor nodded as if to support my guess..
“The Glory Knights also participated in that battle..”
“……!”
“He fought directly against gods of different races at the bottom of the spirit world. No matter how talented the Glory Knights are, they are not transcendents. Nevertheless, the five of them continued to die and come back to life again and again, clashing swords with the gods, so they were consumed in an instant..”
The emperor quietly closed his eyes as if reminiscing about that time..
“That's why the current leader, Hecate, was broken. He may be one of the greatest sword geniuses in the history of the Empire, but having his soul worn out is something else..”
“…….”
“I already reached my operating limit two years ago and should have retired a long time ago. In fact, two years ago, the most talented academy cadet at the time was graduated early and kept on standby as his successor..”
I was startled. no way.
“The successor candidate is Evangeline.……?!”
“okay. Evangeline Cross, daughter of the Margrave Countess of Cross. She was also a Glory Knights candidate.”
I gritted my teeth. Is that why Evangeline in this episode graduated earlier and faster than in the original game?……!
“But at the last moment Hecate refused..”
The emperor leaned back in his chair..
“After hearing that the knight chosen to replace him was 16 years old, he pleaded with me. He said he would hold on as long as he could..”
“…….”
“and… … an accident happened.”
“It's an accident?”
“It's Fernandez..”
ah.
I opened my mouth slightly at the sound of my second brother's name, which I hadn't heard in a long time. Come to think of it, around that time…….
“He tricked me and cut off Everblack's connection while I and the Glory Knights entered the Astral Realm..”
“oh my god.”
Damn second brother, this is how it goes.?
I remembered the time I met the emperor in the spirit world..
At that time, it was not only the emperor who was trapped in the spirit world, but also the royal knights..
“Having lost my connection with Everblack, I lost the light of the lighthouse and could not return to this world. The same goes for Glory Knights. We were scattered, and the knights drifted beneath the depths of the spirit world..”
“…….”
“Long after I returned to reality, I managed to rescue them... … It's already too late. Those five people are already completely ruined. Moreover, because he had been exposed to the spirit world for too long, his curses and magic were damaged. Now I won't even be able to pass on the curse to my successor..”
The emperor let out a light sigh..
“Fortunately, the battle with Lee Shin stopped, so… … I told my pathetic knights to choose a place to fall and die. That place is this crossroads.”
“…….”
“Hecate saw the proclamation you sent and made a request. Lastly, I want to go to the festival. There are people I want to see before I die.”
so…….
I wore a dress I had never worn in my life and even childish red Mary Jane shoes..
He dressed up and visited his old classmates..
“They are the shadow of the empire. Because he is cursed, he will never be able to see sunlight again, and he will never be able to love and be loved like an ordinary person. They are pitiful, pitiful people who burned their lives completely for the sake of the empire and the emperor..”
The emperor slowly got up from his chair..
“Entrusting them to you, what does he want from you??”
I looked up at my father, overwhelmed..
“Isn’t it obvious? As an emperor, there is only one thing a father can do for his son..”
With our backs turned to the afternoon sunlight of the city where the festival arrived, our faces buried in dark shadows.…….
The emperor growled like a wild beast..
“It's just an ordeal.”
“……!”
“Son. You said it before. I will kill monsters and save people. And Jim asked you. What is the definition of the person you want to protect?.”
I remembered the question and answer I had with the emperor in the imperial palace of New Terra..
“And you answered that question by founding the World Defense Front. All beings who communicate and understand each other are the ones you are trying to save..”
In the shadows, the emperor's pitch-black eyes... … It gave off a dull golden light..
“Then I'll ask you one more time here.”
“…….”
“Even if the being you are trying to communicate with and understand contains evil that cannot be washed away, will you still embrace it? Will you even embrace and protect someone like that??”
I was frozen and couldn't move..
“Glory Knights are loyal patriots who love their country so much that they gave everything they had. But what is the difference between being a patriot of an empire and being an enemy of an enemy country??”
“…….”
“From the founding of the nation until now, the Glory Knights have been the swordsmen who have never disobeyed the emperor's orders. How many innocent lives have been cut by that blade??”
The emperor continued to pour out.
“The shadows created by your beloved Prince Bringer are the Glory Knights. Her archduke is a pitiful and sad being, but the darkness she embraces is as deep as the years she has lived. Can you not ignore even the Archduke's ugly side??”
“…….”
“And Jim is also the greatest villain in the world. Just because he treats you kindly and arranges everything for you doesn't mean he considers me a good person?.”
The emperor clearly confessed the sins he had committed..
“Jim framed innocent citizens and made them the dew of execution. And he burned their bodies and souls and used them as firewood for my country. He also crushed many neighboring countries directly into me. How much innocent blood was shed and how many tears were shed in the process??”
“…….”
“All the darkness that Jim has created will be embraced by him and he will die. Because I want to make you a flawless emperor. I will clean up everything that can be removed with my already dirty hands. however!”
The emperor slowly bent towards me. As he got closer, an unstoppable power emanated from his eyes..
“The darkness of the world is deep.”
“……!”
“Always deeper than you imagine, than you grasp.”
The emperor spread his arms left and right.
“Are the Glory Knights the only shadow of the Empire? Every knight, every wizard, every soldier, every official, servant and patriot stands on this bloody and sinful earth..”
“…….”
“Look at your people you love. Look at the loyal warriors gathered from all over the world who are willing to die for you. Are they just innocent and innocent??”
I gritted my teeth..
“Even if there are such people, even they will willingly put blood on their hands to save you. Everyone is willing to turn over to darkness to protect your cause..”
“…….”
“But in the end, a good name is just a justification. Regardless of the reason, if you look at it a little differently, all humans are stepping into the abyss of evil..”
The emperor roared quietly..
“Truly, truly - will you embrace even that? Can you truly handle all the malice, the darkness of this world??”
“…….”
“Do you really have the courage to embrace and embrace all of this? My pure son. In this seething abyss of evil called 'the world', what kind of king do you want to become?.”
There was silence for a moment..
After barely catching my breath, I finally asked.
“As for Abama... … Why are you subjecting me to this ordeal??”
“Strictly speaking, this is not a trial given by me..”
The emperor chuckled..
“It's an ordeal you chose. I just reminded you of that..”
“……!”
“It is you who, after pursuing the infinite goodness, is walking into the path of Suritude. I'm just trying to suggest a reasonable compromise in exchange for your precarious innocence..”
the emperor whispered.
“Didn't I tell you? I'm trying to make you the emperor of an empire.”
“…….”
“Now that you are commanding the front line that protects the world, you will be able to wave that false flag. But what after that? How long will we be able to wield the ideal of embracing the entire world like that??”
As I looked at him with trembling eyes, the Emperor presented his ‘compromise’..
“cut out the world.”
“……!”
“There is no need to try to embrace everything. Embrace your world, your people, and the right amount of malice you can handle..”
The emperor slowly shook his head and tilted his head to the side. A human expression finally appeared on his mythical face, bathed in sunlight..
“That's the answer I'm hoping for.”
“If you can't do that?”
“Don't you know?.”
The emperor smiled and gestured towards the south..
“No matter what ideals they harbor, there is only one end for kings who indulge in excessive greed..”
At the southern end-
Beneath the black lake, there must be an ancient sunken kingdom..
The emperor smiled, showing his molars, and whispered in a humorous tone..
“There is only death by drowning..”
I clenched my fists. The emperor passed me and slowly left the office..
“I'll be watching, Bonheter. How are you trying to embrace and deal with this darkness of your people?.”
“…….”
“The choice you will make at the end of this ordeal. And the result.”
Squeak-thud.
The door opened and closed, and I bit my lip as I was left alone in the office..
The darkness that Hecate embraces. The darkness embraced by Dusk Bringer and the darkness embraced by the Emperor.
and…….
Of the countless people who belong to the front here... … The darkness each person embraces.
If I truly want to become king. If you want to become the owner of the flag that leads them. You must not turn away.
But - to what extent?
Do I have the courage to embrace and melt away all that darkness??
‘Ahead of the subjugation of the black dragon, you are thinking about the royal road like this.…….’
but, but.
Know.
Even if you don't find the right answer, even if you come to a clumsy conclusion…….
I can't stop worrying about this.
Because I know from past experience. I know that this agony and agony will ultimately lead to the path of protecting humanity..
Whether it's my humanity or the humanity of everyone here on the front lines..
Because I am still human, it is my role to think until the end..
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