Children of the Holy Emperor
chapter-150

Beat that bastard Riccardo to death.

With that, the primary purpose of coming to this mansion was accomplished.

However, now that he had started this night out, Seongjin had no intention of wasting this opportunity. That was why he was diligently rummaging through the first-floor study until dawn.

“How on earth did I end up… Even in the long-standing history of [Oberon’s Hand]^[1], there has never been a member who went this far…”

Dasha was lamenting beside him, so Seongjin instructed her.

“Important documents might be carefully hidden inside the room. Dasha, why don’t you investigate the bedroom area?”

“Yes, of course.”

She let out a sigh of resignation and left the study.

Even on a pitch-black night with the faint moonlight obscured by clouds, Seongjin could easily read the documents with his Aura vision enhanced. It was a technique he had learned from Dasha.

[Perhaps the really important documents are kept at the main residence?]

‘Who knows.’

The siblings Riccardo and Isabella, who mainly reside in the townhouse for active social activities.

According to Orden’s investigation, they were also the ones who primarily showed their faces at the Milo Company.

Seeing that there was no mention of the eldest son, Dominico, it was highly likely that the collusion with the Milo Company was the independent doing of Sigurd Sigurdsson, not the entire Scarcepino family business.

In that case, wouldn’t there be a higher probability of the evidence being kept here rather than at the main residence?

‘Besides, don’t you think something is strange, Demon Lord?’

[What is?]

The reason Seongjin boldly carried out this secret operation today was because he had thoroughly investigated the overall security situation of the Scarcepino family in advance. He calculated that he and Dasha could sneak in undetected with just the two of them.

The problem was just that. The vast difference in the level of security between the townhouse and the main residence.

The strictness of the security system operated by the Scarcepinos, the wealthiest family in Delcros, was truly beyond imagination. They even had a private assassin brigade operated solely for VIP protection.

But what about this place? Although they were said to be quite strong Aura users, weren’t they just rigid bodyguards who were completely incapable of dealing with skilled assassins?

If it weren’t for Sisle’s revenge, Seongjin would have also held back for a while to investigate if there was some fishy situation hidden.

Was this intentionally arranged by Riccardo, who was being manipulated by that damn Storyteller, for the convenience of his movements?

Or…

‘Did someone from the Scarcepino main family have a hand in this…?’

While he was thinking that far, suddenly he felt a small presence approaching from over there.

Seongjin, who was about to hastily organize the documents he had spread out and hide, paused for a moment when he realized who the owner of that presence was.

The graceful footsteps of a noblewoman with an utterly ordinary Aura activation.

‘…Isabella?’

Captured by a strange premonition, Seongjin quietly stood in place and waited for her.

Creak.

Indeed, the one who opened the door and entered the study was Isabella, wearing nothing but a nightgown.

Their eyes met head-on, but she wasn’t very surprised and blankly stared at the black-clothed intruder, then asked.

“Who are you?”

Seongjin’s brows furrowed beneath his mask.

Isabella, was she this kind of person?

She had trembled so much in front of Orden before, yet in front of a suspicious person whose identity was unknown, she showed such a calm demeanor?

“Who are you? What are you doing here right now?”

Was that the normal reaction of a noble lady when faced with someone who had illegally trespassed into the mansion?

Moreover, it was difficult to pinpoint, but there was a subtly different feeling from when he had met her before…

“……”

“Hmm…”

While Seongjin silently observed her, Isabella also didn’t take her eyes off him as she moved her steps, trailing the hem of her gown.

“You are quite young. A young man… No, a boy.”

Her voice began to drop low.

“Which group do you belong to? [Oberon’s Hand] does not deploy such young members to the field. And [Kaya’s Breath] has not advanced into the Empire yet…”

Not only her voice but also her way of speaking seemed to be changing little by little.

As if something was being layered over.

Feeling strange about that, Seongjin just watched what she was doing, and Isabella fearlessly approached him and pressed her body close to his.

“How peculiar. Truly peculiar. Strangely, I feel a strong interest in you.”

Slender fingers intertwined over his gloves. Isabella’s lips came close to his face as if she was about to kiss him at any moment.

And then…

[Now, go ahead and tell me.]

A voice with a strange vibration that tickled the heart rang in Seongjin’s ear as if seducing him.

[Who sponsored someone extraordinary like you? Who is behind you?]

Oh ho? Would you look at that?

Without answering, Seongjin gently took her hand. A faint bewilderment appeared in Isabella’s turquoise eyes.

[…The enchantment isn’t working? Who the hell are you…!]

At that moment, Seongjin grinned and pulled Isabella’s hand hard.

“Sigurd Sigurdson.”

[…!]

Caught you, bastard!

***

“…So what they demanded from Cardinal Gistier was… Your Majesty? Are you listening?”

In the midst of reporting on the current situation in Brittany, No. 21 asked the Holy Emperor, who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the window.

“What is the matter?”

“……”

For some reason, the Holy Emperor seemed to have his mind elsewhere, unable to focus on his report at all since earlier.

Judging by the occasional strange glow in his eyes, it seemed he was seeing something invisible to ordinary people again.

After doing that for who knows how long, the Holy Emperor slowly raised his hand to his forehead and spoke with a deep sigh.

“When a child tries to face the world alone, they have no choice but to whittle themselves down like that first.”

“…Pardon?”

“I can’t bring myself to blame him for being too hasty.”

The Holy Emperor sometimes had a habit of abruptly uttering words that No. 21 couldn’t understand. But it wasn’t very common for him to completely deviate from the context like now.

No. 21 opened his mouth to ask something, but the Holy Emperor continued.

“You may go now, Enrique. I will…”

And before he could even answer…

The Holy Emperor’s body limply collapsed to the side.

“…!”

No. 21 was momentarily taken aback, but from past experience, he realized that the Holy Emperor had moved only his soul to go somewhere again.

He slowly got up from his seat and quietly looked down at the Holy Emperor leaning against the sofa.

“……”

The Holy Emperor’s body, with his soul gone, looked as if he was dead or in a deep sleep.

Enrique, who had been blankly staring at that seemingly defenseless face, gripped the handle of the dagger in his bosom out of habit.

His breathing gradually grew rough with tension.

Now?

That’s right. The annoying Chief Chamberlain and the burdensome Knight Commander of St. Aurelion were not here now.

Is it possible?

That’s right. Since he left in a hurry without properly informing him, it would take quite some time for him to return.

However…

“…Even if I succeed now, you still won’t die in the end…”

The muttering voice was terribly hoarse.

Emotions that had been suppressed in one place for too long sometimes had their boundaries crumble like this, irreversibly mixing together.

Not knowing whether what he was feeling was resignation or relief, Enrique slowly let go of the sword and bit his lip.

***

“Sigurd Sigurdson.”

As he cheerfully called out the name and clasped hands, Isabella flinched in surprise and opened her eyes wide.

[…You are?]

It seemed she couldn’t recognize his voice since the drug’s effect still remained.

Slowly pulling down his mask, Seongjin flashed a bright smile at Isabella.

“You couldn’t get very far for someone who fled so frantically? Huh?”

Orden had mentioned it, and since she frequented the Milo Company with Riccardo, Isabella was also marked as a person of interest.

But to think he had daringly created another puppet right next to him?

“Impressive? Don’t tell me even the eldest young master of this house is your puppet?”

At that, Isabella, no, Sigurd Sigurdson tried to pull his caught hand away in surprise.

No way.

When Seongjin tightened his grip so that he couldn’t escape, the guy finally gave up and let out a deep sigh.

[Yes. There can’t be many people in the world who are immune to enchantment. It must have been you who made poor Riccardo like that.]

Recently, Riccardo had been suffering from frequent delusions and seizures.

As always, when he went to check on his condition at dawn, to his surprise, Riccardo was sprawled on the floor, beaten to a pulp!

So just in case, he had come down to the study where Riccardo’s documents were gathered.

“That’s right. Then you should know well what will happen to you now?”

As Seongjin began to stretch his shoulders, Sigurd unknowingly took a step back and spoke as if making excuses.

[Wait a moment, my friend! Let’s have a conversation! I think there may be some misunderstanding between us?]

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”

[Calm down first! Acting violently like that won’t solve anything!]

Sigurd tried his best to appease the prince. He had already tried to get rid of him by opening the Labyrinth and was properly punished by the Holy Emperor.

If he lost this puppet again, he would have no other options left.

And above all, the prince’s eyes, shining alone in the darkness as if emitting light, had been unsettling since earlier.

[Our Bella is an innocent woman who knows nothing! Are you really going to harm this guiltless and pitiful person who has almost lost her self-awareness?]

What a despicable bastard!

Ignoring him, Seongjin took a step forward, and Sigurd quickly added.

[You are also partly to blame for Bella ending up like this! Didn’t you greatly contribute to making her miserable and eventually turning her into a complete puppet?]

Seongjin paused his steps.

What?

“…Me?”

[That’s right. You are the one who consistently eroded her self-esteem by not even treating this woman as a person! Thanks to that, I was able to easily take over Bella without much work.]

“I didn’t treat Isabella as a person? Why?”

[That’s because Bella has been my puppet for a long time. You probably knew that.]

Seongjin felt a deep irritation welling up inside him.

Hey, you bastard! Then it was your fault from the beginning! How dare you arbitrarily shift the blame?

[Do you understand? Bella and Riccardo are just being controlled, they are both innocent.]

The very person controlling them had the audacity to say that.

[So stop tormenting that poor young man Riccardo. He is already in deep pain of loss. Although unintended, unfortunately, the connection with him has been completely severed.]

Seongjin glared at this shameless guy with Isabella’s face for a moment.

But was it just his feeling? Somehow, it felt like his personality was a bit different from when he was using Riccardo as an avatar.

“If you pity him so much, why didn’t you just erase his memory completely? You clearly knew I would come to interrogate, so why did you leave memories of you?”

Then the guy nodded and explained.

[If I completely erased the memories of me, his mind would collapse as it is.]

Memories of Sigurd Sigurdson occupied such a large part that there was a risk of his mind completely breaking down.

[Although he’s a hopeless older brother who spouts cringeworthy flowery writing like breathing, leaving him to become a total wreck would be too pitiful, don’t you think?]

While the guy was babbling on his own, Seongjin quietly organized his thoughts.

Separate from this guy’s plea, the actual controlled puppets might have some unjust aspects.

Moreover, even if he cut down this puppet now, the guy might just move to another body again.

However…

[This is all our Bella’s will too. She’s fundamentally a kind-hearted child. Thanks to that, I’m currently in a quite merciful state.]

Living as a puppet isn’t a proper life anyway.

Rather than letting them be controlled by him and bring harm to Delcross…

Before he torments Sisle again, I’d rather…!

Seongjin made up his mind.

As a chilling murderous intent reflected in his eyes, Sigurd, who keenly noticed it, let out a deep sigh.

[Well, I thought it would be difficult to appeal to you with emotions, given your dry sensibility. In the end, I have to give up on this puppet too. You and I both have terrible luck.]

And flutter.

A blue butterfly fluttered before his eyes.

“…!”

Right at that moment, Seongjin saw something indescribable.

The instant the guy squeezed through the crack between dimensions to fling him into the Imaginary World…

In that fleeting moment of escaping from puppet to puppet, the trace of that soul drawing a long trajectory…

Seongjin had a hunch.

‘…If it’s now!’

It’s possible.

To cut down not only the puppet but also the essence controlling it all at once!

Aura naturally gathered in his arm. Trembling finely as if anticipating something about to burst out violently.

The moment it’s recognized, it becomes reality.

Not knowing what it was that gradually amplified its pulsation inside, drawn by that momentary ecstasy, Seongjin tightly gripped the hilt of the Nutcracker.

And right when he was about to draw the sword…

[Calm yourself, my son.]

Suddenly, someone lightly pressed down on Seongjin’s hand.

“…!”

Looking to the side, there stood an exorcist Seongjin knew very well, not knowing when he had appeared.

“…Dame Sharon?”

However, the gaze meeting Seongjin’s eyes…

Those eyes were not Sharon’s inherent black, but a silvery-gray that was very familiar to him.