Book 6 Chapter 17
Episode 141
The period when Laida Eijin, recorded as the emperor who led the last resurgence of the mid-empire, fully appeared in historical records was in 1425 of the Tersian calendar, that is, during the 'Great Migration of the Beastfolk' incident.
At that time, the keen insight Laida displayed as the young crown prince of the empire was praised as a great achievement in historical records, but to the people of that era, it was an act of eccentricity itself.
Just like now, Minister of War Yorhan paced endlessly in front of the soldiers, grumbling.
“I can’t believe it… How can he trust such a dark-hearted fellow and meet him alone? He’s still too immature!”
“Is it true that this immature person made all the palace scholars stumble and falter in the Royal Lectures (Gyeongyeon) from the age of fourteen?”
“Be quiet, Imperial Palace! Theory (non) and reality (sil) are different things… Ah, how frustrating this is.”
No matter when I see him, this old man is always a geezer… Leoren shrugged his shoulders and glanced up at the sun parrot perched on his bow.
“Hmm, are you Rain Ludwig’s pet bird?”
“Pet, pet, pet.”
“How strange. Even a pet bird is a sun parrot. Does that fellow resemble Sir Rin? Serweborn cries sadly every time I meet that fellow.”
“Genuine, genuine, genuine.”
“Genuine?”
Leoren couldn't have known, but this was a reunion of hero party comrades after two hundred years.
As Pipi fluttered its wings repeatedly, expressing joy, Serweborn resonated loudly, scattering the light of the World Tree in all directions.
In that wondrous light, the withered weeds around them regained vitality, stood up, and bloomed.
“…”
Meanwhile, a cold wind blew through the center of both camps, scattering Crown Prince Laida’s beautiful golden hair once.
Laida’s eyes narrowed as he heard all the stories from the ancient snowy plains north of the Wall.
The White Young Master Shar’kasra, and the true dragon died to seal him again…
“And there were underhanded schemes until the beastfolk became enemies with humanity?”
“Yes, it was all manipulated by someone. As I told you, a 5-star possession spirit was attached to the Commander-in-Chief.”
“To be honest, it’s still hard to believe. But it’s also ambiguous to simply dismiss it as a lie. Do you have a witness to prove your actions?”
“Kiran Wolf Blado, an officer of the Wall, will testify.”
“That’s impossible. He would have already been executed.”
“Excuse me?”
Unable to accept what the Crown Prince had said for a moment, I ended up asking back like an idiot.
Executed?
Kiran was executed?
The image of that kind man, smiling gently and saying he’d see me again later, is still vivid in my memory…
“It must have been about a month ago. A letter came seeking permission from Grand Duke Duren of the North, our Laida Imperial Family, and the Blado Comital House.”
“You gave permission… for the execution?”
“If there hadn’t been Duchess Madelia’s mediation, you would have met the same fate. Communication with a traitor cannot exist in the first place.”
Kiran is dead… Unpleasant sweat seeped from my spine, and my head reeled.
No, it can’t be.
Pull yourself together, Rin.
Only by allowing the beastfolk to enter imperial territory here will Kiran’s death not be in vain.
“He cannot be a witness, but Akilea here has the blood of a great true dragon flowing within him. He is the direct descendant of Alakish, the Watcher of Harvadonia.”
“What?”
“We trained him to tuck in his tail when in dragonoid form, so he’s not showing his tail… but if you feel his body temperature, you’ll know my words aren’t false.”
Laida cautiously reached out a hand to Akki’s head, then startled and pulled his hand away.
Indeed, it was hot as fire…
A person would only have such a body temperature when dying from a fever.
“This, this adorable baby… is an absolute life form, a true dragon?”
“Yes, when Sir Alakish’s lifespan was ending, he created a doppelganger to continue his mission, and that is Akki.”
“…!”
“He was a sad person. He lived a lonely life and passed away without ever seeing his daughter’s face. Taking this child to the Papal State might serve as evidence.”
As Rain offered a bitter smile, Madelia, who had been silently watching, stepped forward to help.
“Our family has Emitsa’s diary, passed down as a family heirloom. Originally, only heirs of the family are allowed to read it, but I will excerpt only the parts about the beastfolk and submit them to the Imperial Council.”
“…!”
“You will achieve a great feat. Something like, you uncovered the conspiracy involving the beastfolk with your keen insight.”
“If it truly was a conspiracy, that is.”
When Laida spoke in a tone that seemed to take a step back, Rain urgently interjected.
“Please leave it to me. I will surely uncover the truth and reveal it to the world. All the honor will naturally go to Your Royal Highness.”
Laida thoughtfully stroked his chin, lost in thought for a long time, then finally stared directly at Rain with his green eyes.
“Before I draw a conclusion, I want to ask one serious question. Why are you trying to help the beastfolk to this extent? Is it sympathy? Gratitude? Or ambition for honor? Is there something I don’t know?”
I remembered receiving a similar question from Griffion before. Why help them… Back then, emotions overwhelmed me, and I ended up shedding tears.
“It’s just that I couldn’t just leave them be.”
Not now.
Let’s not rely on emotional fluctuations, but express my feelings honestly and calmly.
“The mastermind tried to use humanity to deal with the beastfolk. To inflict the most tragic end upon them… I couldn’t just pretend not to see it.”
“Is it chivalry? You might turn the entire empire into your enemy for that? Haven’t you even thought about the consequences?”
“In that case, it would be a headache, but I wouldn’t regret it. Because I did what I believed was right. Even if time were turned back, I would do the same thing.”
“!”
“It’s shameless of me, but that’s why I need Your Royal Highness’s help. Though only darkness is visible now… I will certainly uncover the truth. Absolutely.”
Crown Prince Laida seemed to stare at me blankly, then suddenly, the corners of his lips subtly lifted. At first, I thought it was a sneer.
“What I realized while studying imperial theory was that a monarch should care for their subjects not with practical interests or reason, but with emotion.”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s no need for a proper reason to help your subjects. It’s just, it ought to be that way. Rain Ludwig, just like you did this time.”
It was an incomprehensible conversation.
Why was he saying something like this? Then Laida showed his first smile. It was a relaxed smile that revealed all his even front teeth.
“I’ll trust it. Your golden heart. If what you say is true, then those beastfolk are all my people whom I must care for.”
Well… I just stared blankly at Laida, and then the extreme tension suddenly dissipated, causing me to let out a foolish, hollow laugh.
It was an incredibly rude action, something one should never do in front of the Crown Prince of the Empire, but he did not show any displeasure.
He merely waved his hand lightly, telling me not to mind.
“Instead, there is one condition.”
“Please tell me.”
“I will definitely become emperor. If your words are true, then your merit in resolving this beastfolk incident will exert great influence in the next imperial election. But if it’s false, everything I’ve built up until now will fall into ruin.”
“That won’t happen!”
“Right, then the problem is after I become emperor. To manage state affairs, I need trustworthy people around me.”
Here, Laida paused his words. Was he asking me to guess what he was trying to say? No matter how much I thought, a suitable answer didn’t come to mind.
“If you’re asking me to recommend personnel, I’m still a student, so I don’t know many connections…”
“Are you trying to get out of it, knowing full well? You. I’m talking about you, Rain Ludwig.”
“Excuse me…?”
“I don’t know when it will be, but could you become one of the emperor’s four stars, a Magic Star (Madosung), and help me?”
“…!”
“Mages like to say ‘high risk, high return,’ don’t they? The reason I’m taking this risk now is all to gain you.”
For a moment, I was speechless.
The Imperial Four Stars (Hwanghasamusung), appointed by the emperor, received treatment equivalent to a marquis in the empire and was a position that could wield absolute power.
Among them, the Magic Star (Madosung), responsible for ‘the Emperor’s Wisdom,’ could even oversee legislation and judiciary as the emperor’s prime minister according to the emperor’s command, and also participate in the Imperial Council where the Prince-electors gathered.
“Your Highness, that position is far too grand for me.”
I was so flustered that I ended up kneeling on one knee.
Born an orphan, it was a position I had never even dreamed of… and it felt like a position someone like me couldn't handle.
Then, a playful glint shone in Laida Eijin’s clear eyes.
“Of course, it would be too grand for now. Both you and I are still young. But what about after 10 or 20 years? A mage who, at the age of sixteen, was equal to the current Magic Star?”
“…!”
“I called it a condition, but in fact, it’s half a jest. I was just asking you to think about it from now on. If you don’t want it, there’s nothing I can do.”
What did Laida just say?
Was he saying he would bestow a favor without any conditions or benefits? Was he going to take a gamble? I couldn’t understand his hidden meaning, but it was clear that I had received an immense favor from the empire’s second-in-command.
Madelia, who was watching the scene, formed a pleased smile on her lips.
‘Like a cone in a bag (Nangjungjichu), you are not the kind of talent that can hide even if you want to… because the world will find you one way or another.’
Of course, now was not the time to be lost in such thoughts. Madelia spoke.
“Your Highness, if it’s alright, may I ask how you plan to persuade His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Of course. If Rain’s words are true, all beastfolk are formidable warriors. And they value honor. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes. A common warrior has skills ranging from lower gold rank to upper silver rank, and war chiefs have skills at the very top of the gold rank, according to Eldvih, the 5th-ranked gold adventurer.”
“What if the imperial family grants favor and embraces these powerful warriors? It means the Laida Imperial Family could instantly mobilize an elite force of one to two thousand soldiers in an emergency.”
Suddenly, my stomach churned.
My heart was uneasy seeing the beastfolk treated as mercenaries, and perhaps reading my disappointed expression, Laida gave a bitter smile.
“That’s only as long as it’s under my father’s reign. I promise you this. The day I inherit the family, the beastfolk will be free from all constraints.”
Madelia’s eyes widened.
Amazing. Indeed, this Crown Prince is no mere sixteen-year-old child, just like Rain Ludwig.
Opposition could arise from various noble families of the empire. However, for the imperial family, for the head of the Eijin family, there could be no more tempting offer than this.
Because all five Prince-elector families governing their respective regions were increasing their military strength as if in competition.
Historically, the Grand Ducal House of Duren had the strongest military power, but if Eijin embraced the beastfolk, that balance of power would collapse.
“Thank you, truly thank you, thank you, Your Highness!”
“It’s too early to be grateful. There are still many realistic constraints remaining. I cannot promise only a rosy future.”
Laida sighed as if he, too, was frustrated.
“First, how will we cross the strait? Where will we procure ships to transport a number as large as 200,000? And we can’t just bring the beastfolk into imperial territory recklessly.”
“…!”
“Even if we postpone persuading the Imperial Council, we must first persuade my father and the Westerners. If we just bring them in recklessly, we don’t know what kind of situation might arise.”
That’s certainly true, but… I’m going crazy, what should I do now, I felt choked.
The food Kiran had provided was almost depleted (it would cost an astronomical sum to airlift food for 200,000 people across the sea), and above all, I didn’t want to keep the injured and children in this abyss land.
And that too, in a land teeming with outlaws, ruffian adventurers, and magical beasts, according to Eldvih.
Think, don't stop thinking.
What should I propose here, how should I resolve the situation, think, think more, more, more, quickly, before it's too late…
「Kal (to open).
Gurs (to both sides).
Oufari (water).
Diale (turbulent waves).」
It was then that a clear, cold timbre, expressible by nothing else in this world, was heard. In two lifetimes, I had never heard such a pure sound that made my heart tremble.
Everyone stared east as if enchanted… and soon, they were struck dumb with amazement.
There, the sea, the North Sea, was parting. It was neither a poetic expression nor a metaphor. A divine miracle that no mage or sorcerer on earth could achieve.
“What is it…?”
“The sea is parting…?”
“What nonsense…?”
And like the sun of dawn clearing away the darkness, there was a light of transcendence over the sea, which was once one but now divided into two.
That light was blindingly blue and breathtakingly beautiful, and it was a long time before I realized it was a dragon.
Not a true dragon, nor a wyvern, but a divine dragon (Sindragon).
“Akki, look at that…”
It was such a magnificent sight that I momentarily forgot how to think, overwhelmed by excitement.
Dragons with scales as pure white as snow and pure white wings, a legion of white dragons, crossed the horizon with clear wingbeats and descended one by one into this eternal wetland.
In front of the three of us, no, four of us, who stood with mouths agape, the source of the clear light (Cheonggwang) personally descended, scattering divine light.
Had my spirit been instinctively moved by that holy form, possessing divine benevolence, light, and shape? When I came to my senses, a handful of dew had gathered in my left eye.
No, it wasn't such a simple emotion… It must have been because a single conviction was vividly flashing in my mind.
That in the whirlwind of countless destinies, a journey that was endlessly long and arduous, yet joyful and sad, had come to an end.