Children of the Holy Emperor
chapter-164

Logan was currently in the grip of an intense sense of dissonance.

The panoramic view of the greenhouse garden amidst the raging storm receded into the distance, and the unmasked face of his opponent filled his entire field of vision.

“…Benicio?”

Slowly lowering the tip of the sword pointed at the assassin, Logan unwittingly uttered the name of his old friend aloud.

-I believe that by realizing the future the Republicans dream of, Ortona will move in a better direction.

The academy cadet who brilliantly shone his eyes as he envisioned the glorious future of his homeland.

-Do you also think I’ve betrayed the royal family just because I’m the 2nd Prince who couldn’t seize the throne? Can’t you also believe in my firm conviction to support the republican government for the future of the country?

The friend who, deeply frustrated by an insurmountable reality, clung to a bottle of alcohol and lamented.

“Why in the world are you here…?”

After parting ways on the Andres Plains, his fate, whether alive or dead, had been unclear.

Lightning strikes again. In that fleeting moment, all sorts of thoughts flooded Logan’s mind.

Even after coming back to life, I kept inquiring about you. I searched for the whereabouts of my Republican comrades. I never intended to betray our homeland. It’s just that if I abandon everything like this and leave for Ortona, it would result in betraying my current family as well…

“Your Highness.”

Logan flinched at the cold voice calling out to him.

The chilly raindrops drenching his head slowly bring him back to his senses. He is now Logan of Delcross. Not Gale Bertrand.

“Benicio. How do you know his name?”

At that question, Logan scrutinized the assassin’s face anew.

At first glance, he thought it was the spitting image of Benicio, but upon regaining his composure and taking a closer look, there were subtle differences in the facial contours. The long scar running from the corner of his mouth to his chin was also something his friend never had.

Above all, if his friend were still alive, he would have already passed his 60th birthday by now. Yet the man before him is far too young, isn’t he?

Logan asked in a strained voice.

“…Do you know him?”

In response, the assassin glanced down at Arjuna, which was pointed at him, instead of answering.

“I’ve been wanting to ask Your Highness for a long time. Why does an imperial prince possess General Gale’s sword?”

“……”

“Is that how you flaunt the Empire’s power that easily sank the peerless Sword Master? As if killing him wasn’t enough, did you want to ridicule the fallen Ortona to the end?”

Logan felt a chill run down his spine at the creeping bad premonition.

A young man who instantly recognized Arjuna, knows of Gale Bertrand, and is the spitting image of his friend Benicio in his youth.

Could it be…?

‘…Lord Kike^[1]?’

The arm gripping Arjuna fell limply to his side. After gazing at Logan’s ashen face for a moment, the young man furrowed his brow as if displeased by something.

“Please forgive my rudeness towards Your Highness.”

“……”

“I was a bit flustered by your sudden pursuit. There seems to be some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding……”

“Yes. I am His Majesty’s direct intelligence agent dispatched from the guild.”

Logan blinked slowly, gauging the storm-tossed air around him.

This is the truth.

“I did not enter the imperial palace with any impure intentions. So please just let me go.”

This is… a lie.

When no response came, the young man took a couple of steps back, wary of Arjuna.

Even so, upon confirming that Logan remained frozen in place, he swiftly turned around and leaped over the wall, vanishing.

“……”

Though he had a mountain of questions to ask, Logan couldn’t bring himself to chase after him any further.

Forgetting even to activate Aura, his fingertips gripping Arjuna tightly grew cold in the rain.

***

“The Lord has prepared many things for you, so grace will fill your cup to overflowing.”

With the transparent voice reciting a verse from the scriptures, a sacred white light pours down upon the head. The blessed Duke of Carthago bowed his head solemnly in deep emotion.

This little saintess, wearing a white veil, was as sacred as if the Lord had personally molded her.

As a result, just by looking at her, a miracle occurred where the stiff neck joints of the dignitaries were healed on their own.

“As the Lord answers your upright faith……”

Sisle spoke thus and bestowed a blessing upon another dignitary’s head.

The young saintess, seasoned through years of service and visitations, knew all too well how to make people more devout through her actions.

Thanks to that, the dignitaries were lining up to receive blessings from this little saintess.

It was extremely rare for dignitaries to simultaneously receive blessings from a saintess at a birthday banquet. Usually, saintess tended to the lowest of the low, so they seldom met royalty or dignitaries.

The other saintess, Seo Yi-seo, stood next to Sisle doing nothing, but the dignitaries were satisfied even with that. When in Cardmos Mode, Seo Yi-seo exuded majestic air just by standing still with her golden eyes shining.

“The banquet hall’s atmosphere has stabilized.”

Empress Tatiana whispered to Queen Melody while fanning herself with an elegant gesture.

She had been concerned about the Holy Emperor’s delay, but nevertheless maintained her composure without forgetting her position. Just by the Empress quietly holding the head seat, it would help quell the agitation of those present.

“Yes. This is all thanks to Princess Amelia.”

Queen Melody responded with a gentle smile.

As she said, the one currently captivating the mood of those present was none other than Amelia.

The princess keenly grasped the overall flow of the banquet hall, sought out the agitated dignitaries, and skillfully led them to be swept back into the banquet atmosphere.

Even she, well-versed in palace life, couldn’t help but admire Amelia’s timely response.

“I don’t know how she can be so reliable at such a young age. I thought of her as just a delicate girl, but she has already grown so dignified. Isn’t this the attitude befitting the Empire’s Eldest Princess?”

“It really is……”

Empress Tatiana trailed off. In her heart, she wished Logan would take on such a role.

Then, her eyes caught sight of the 1st Queen, surrounded by a crowd and smiling radiantly. An overly flashy appearance, as if she had plastered her entire body with gold accessories.

She neither holds the head seat nor shows the slightest inclination to care for the banquet hall’s atmosphere.

‘Lizabeth…..’

Tatiana had been well aware of her ambitions from the beginning. If the Holy Emperor had not cracked down on factional strife and conspiracies, she would have already clashed with her numerous times.

But it was strange. When her son was notorious for being a good-for-nothing, she tried so hard to have him appointed as the Crown Prince, but now that he has transformed admirably, she doesn’t even spare him a proper glance.

Just what could that arrogant woman be thinking now?

“Oh my! Princess Herna and Prince Gades look just like dolls, don’t they? Look at them holding hands tightly and sitting together!”

Then, Queen Melody exclaimed beside her.

‘This one is too naive, which is troublesome.’

If not for the Holy Emperor, she would have instantly fallen prey to the inner palace struggles and become a mere meal. An innocent lamb whose purity had been maintained for over a decade, attesting to how stable the palace atmosphere had been all this time.

However.

‘In the end, the succession struggle will inevitably occur someday. It is too obvious a principle to be avoided forever. Yet, with grown children like this, His Majesty still hasn’t appointed a Crown Prince. Just what could he be thinking…?’

Empress Tatiana raised her fan, skillfully concealing the sigh escaping her lips.

Meanwhile, Amelia, judging that the banquet hall had settled down to a certain extent, looked around with relief.

Then, her gaze suddenly fixed on a corner terrace. More precisely, on the backs of the twins sitting in front of the closed terrace window.

Herna and Gades sat side by side in their seats like dolls carefully placed in a display case, motionless and gazing out the window.

“Are you enjoying the banquet?”

As Amelia approached, the two simultaneously turned to look at her. Then, with a rather mature expression, they politely complimented her.

“You did well, Sister Amelia.”

“Good job, Sister Amelia.”

“Hoho. It seems you’ve stopped switching clothes now.”

Amelia smiled faintly and patted their shoulders. The twins, noticing a hint of shadow on her face, nodded.

“Don’t worry about Emperor Daddy. He’ll be back soon since Morres went.”

“Daddy His Majesty will be fine. Morres will somehow resolve it if he gets involved.”

Amelia inwardly marveled as she alternated her gaze between the two. Sitting quietly in this spot, they already seem to be aware of the anomaly on the 2nd floor.

‘Well, these kids sometimes seem to know everything.’

With that realization, Amelia asked.

“Do you two know what happened on the 2nd floor?”

“Yeah. It’s the aftermath of a gap suddenly opening up. It’s hard for ordinary people to endure.”

“Just getting close to it will affect you. Of course, the distance to the banquet hall is okay.”

Amelia grew anxious at that answer. It dawned on her that she had sent Logan and Morres to such a place without any countermeasures, and now she was starting to regret it.

The banquet hall situation seems roughly settled, so should I go to the office now? Just as she was thinking that and about to turn around, the twins grabbed her arms from both sides.

“It’s okay. Morres will need to get used to gaps from now on.”

“Don’t worry. Morres might already be used to it.”

“But……”

Right then, a worried-looking knight approached them.

“Your Highness. Have you seen Prince Morres by any chance? I haven’t been able to find him anywhere for a while now.”

“Ah! You’ve come at the right time, –orabeoni. I was just about to go look for him. Would you come with me to the office?”

Saying that, she glanced back at the twins, but they had already let go of Amelia’s hands and were completely absorbed in gazing out the window, no longer paying attention to them.

Although feeling a bit unsettled, Amelia looked back at them one more time before leaving.

And, shortly after, the twins.

“Oh, it’s Emperor Daddy!”

“Yeah, Daddy His Majesty.”

They exclaimed upon spotting lightning traveling between clouds.

White bolts flashing here and there among the clouds without striking the ground.

“Suddenly, it feels like he’s overflowing with energy?”

“I know, he seems to be in a good mood.”

Then, they fell silent and continued to watch the stormy scene outside.

“You know. If we go through gaps like that, do you think we’ll be able to return there someday?”

After a while, Herna asked, lightly tugging on the gold necklace around her neck.

“Of course we will. The traces of the world squeezing in still remain like this.”

Gades replied, fiddling with the gold cufflinks adorning his sleeves.

“Now that I think about it, I kind of miss that place.”

“It’s just nostalgia. Honestly, I don’t want to go back.”

They continued their cryptic conversation for some time.

Then, as if it were a lie, the lightning suddenly subsided. The children, who had been placidly gazing up at the rain, now weaker than before, shuddered.

“Ah……”

They looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed.

“He’s back!”

***

Blink blink.

Upon opening his eyes, Seongjin realized he had collapsed right under the sofa. He tried to get up, but.

Ugh.

He immediately staggered and lay back down on the floor, retching.

‘Why… Why am I so dizzy?’

No, it was an extreme vertigo that couldn’t be described simply as dizziness. It felt as if the semicircular canals inside his head were simultaneously rotating in three directions.

The sense of time and space twisted haphazardly, as if someone had grabbed his nerve strings and was gleefully playing jump rope with them.

[Waaaah! Lee Seongjin! You bastard!]

The Demon King wailed and shouted in his head.

[Just what the hell happened? Why did you suddenly collapse and not respond at all?]

The guy was practically sobbing.

Seeing the Demon King, who usually remained silent next to the Holy Emperor, making such a fuss, it seemed he must have been extremely worried.

But I’m okay now, so could you please quiet down? My head is ringing from the noise!

[Wahhh! Hey! I thought your soul had gone somewhere again, and I was so……]

Then, a soft voice spoke above Seongjin’s head.

“Noisy……”

[Eek!]

The Demon King promptly shut his mouth.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, he looked up and saw the Holy Emperor awakening on the sofa, staggering to sit up.

“Don’t worry. This is purely due to sensory disruption. It’s not a physical issue……”

The Holy Emperor covered his mouth with his hand after saying that much. It seems he also feels like vomiting just by speaking.

And the same went for Seongjin. The moment he moved his head to look at the Holy Emperor, a spinning sensation accompanied by nausea hit him.

Quietly lowering his head and waiting for it to subside, the Holy Emperor’s hand came over his head, and a bright divine power poured down.

But didn’t you say it’s not a physical problem? What’s the point of using divine power then!

However, Seongjin also couldn’t utter these words aloud. Seriously. Just holding back the urge to vomit was already at his limit.

Ugh.

Every time Seongjin dryly heaved, divine power showered upon his head. It seems like a waste, but.

‘Well, I guess this old man has nothing else he can do for me…’

If that provides him some emotional comfort, then whatever.