Chapter 85: The Emperor’s Judgment

“Is it Court Magic Corps Commander Violet?”

“…Yes.”

Violet answered Gaon’s question while quickly turning his mind.

Gardion producing a new Great Mage, of all things.

There had been only three Great Mages in Gardion Magic Tower.

But now that was no longer the case.

This will change the balance of power enormously.

And the difference between three and four was immense.

Gardion Magic Tower’s status would skyrocket.

But why is a Great Mage coming with the princess?

Why had a Great Mage come with Luna?

What exactly was Gardion aiming for?

While Violet was lost in thought, Gaon continued.

“I heard you were maintaining neutrality. But from what I see now, have you formed a deep relationship with the ducal family?”

“That is not a matter for the envoy to involve himself in…”

He had intended to deny it.

But thinking of the defense captain and Jed, he couldn’t.

Why is the envoy…

Come to think of it, it made no sense.

Why was Gardion’s envoy doing such things?

From Violet’s perspective, unaware of Gaon’s true identity, the situation was utterly confusing and frustrating.

“We have not formed a deep relationship.”

“I see.”

Gaon nodded as if he understood.

And right then.

“HYAH!”

A shout rang out.

And Violet could see it.

The back of the Hongik Knights vice-commander, infusing his sword with aura and charging at Gaon.

“No…!”

Violet tried to shout that he shouldn’t.

The distance was close.

That was why he had charged confidently.

Distance was crucial in a confrontation between a mage and a knight.

But this was someone who had crossed the wall.

For a mage who hadn’t crossed it, maybe, but distance meant nothing.

Even if attacking first.

But before Violet could finish his shout, he saw it.

A wind blade emerging from the vice-commander’s neck.

And he heard it.

SLICE!

The sound of severing.

Then the vice-commander’s head fell, and his body collapsed forward.

And silence descended for a moment.

Literally a moment.

Panic from the deaths of the commander and vice-commander?

Several knights who had come with them began to flee.

Naturally, Gaon did not let the knights escape.

CRACK!! CRACK!!

The fleeing knights froze in their escaping postures.

…Insane.

And Violet cursed inwardly.

It was magic of an awe-inspiring level.

Silence returned, and Gaon opened his mouth.

“From now on, do not move. I will decide your dispositions one by one.”

No one could open their mouths at Gaon’s words.

SWISH—

Then Gaon turned his head to look at Pio.

“Pio.”

“…Yes!”

Pio flinched and answered.

And swallowed hard.

“I still haven’t heard the answer. Why did you hide your realm?”

“That’s…”

Pio trailed off and quickly turned his mind.

He had to answer well.

A wrong answer would lead to a bad situation.

But he couldn’t think too long either.

The longer he took to answer, the higher the chance of a bad situation.

…Sigh, no choice.

After pondering, Pio decided to tell the truth and opened his mouth.

“It was to deliver a fatal blow to those who betrayed the kingdom.”

Though the status had fallen greatly, the vice-commander of the War Magic Corps was not a low position.

It was a position that allowed access to much information, and Pio knew well that the kingdom’s current situation was poor.

That was why he had hidden his realm.

To later inflict fatal wounds on those who would betray the kingdom.

Of course, that plan was now ruined.

Betrayers’ forces were present here.

Still, not bad.

But Pio wasn’t too worried.

Considering he came with the princess.

Right then.

THUD THUD THUD THUD!

Footsteps were heard.

Gaon turned his head toward the source of the footsteps.

And soon, the owners of the footsteps arrived.

The owners were a fully armed knight order.

Gaon could identify the knight order from their emblem.

It was the ‘Sky Knights,’ the Varta royal family’s direct knight order and the foremost in the Varta Kingdom.

“…!”

James, commander of the Sky Knights and the kingdom’s only Sword Master, couldn’t help but be shocked.

Because of the Hongik Knights.

Several knights were frozen.

And two had their heads severed and were dead.

The problem was that the two dead were Commander Jed and Vice-Commander Max.

What in the world…

He couldn’t believe it.

What on earth had happened?

James first surveyed the surroundings to grasp the situation.

And after finally seeing Luna, he approached Gaon.

“…You are the envoy from Gardion Magic Tower, correct?”

James asked.

And Gaon smiled at James’s question and answered.

“Yes.”

“…?”

At Gaon’s answer, James couldn’t help but be momentarily flustered.

What is this…

An envoy from Gardion Magic Tower was not a low position.

It was certainly one with tremendous influence.

But not to the extent of receiving informal speech from James.

Right then.

[Sir James, that guy is a madman! He’s the one who killed Sir Jed and Sir Max!

We must kill him right now!]

A voice rang in his head.

It was Violet’s voice.

And then.

“I was going to give you a chance, but it seems there’s no need.”

Gaon said.

And the moment he heard Gaon’s voice, chills ran down James’s entire body.

That made him even more flustered.

Why chills just from hearing a voice?

That instant.

SWOOSH!

Intense mana was felt from behind.

Violet had clearly cast magic.

“Sir Violet, what are you…!”

James shouted with a shocked face.

But at the following situation, James shut his mouth.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Numerous magic circles appeared around Violet.

Then pure white light awls shot out from the circles.

BOOM!!!

And the pure white light awls pierced Violet’s body.

That was the end.

Violet’s aura quickly faded.

James could say nothing.

Who was Violet?

The commander of the Court Magic Corps and a 6th Circle high mage.

Yet killed in one attack?

He couldn’t believe the current situation.

And there was one more unbelievable thing.

No need for a chance? With what authority does the envoy…

Why was the envoy interfering in kingdom affairs?

What to do?

He had received a royal order.

To safely bring Gardion’s envoy.

But now an enormous incident had exploded.

James was bewildered about what to do.

And right then, Luna opened her mouth.

“Uncle.”

“…Yes, Princess.”

James answered Luna’s call.

And Luna cautiously opened her mouth.

“This person is His Majesty Emperor Gaon.”

“…Yes?”

James couldn’t help but question back.

And he looked at Luna with a face asking what that meant.

Then Luna opened her mouth.

“It may be hard to believe, but it’s true. He is the 17th Emperor.”

James could say nothing.

It was a completely unexpected story.

And an enormously shocking one.

It was hard to believe, but he couldn’t not believe it.

Because Luna had said it.

Why would Luna tell a lie that would be exposed immediately in this situation?

Then James turned his head to look at Gaon.

Gaon smiled brightly.

That instant, James reflexively knelt on one knee.

“Sky Knights Commander James Prime. I greet His Imperial Majesty.”

At James’s shout, the knights of the Sky Knights who had come with him knelt on one knee.

“…”

Lepra let out a groan.

And he paced the office with an anxious face.

Doug, who was with him, opened his mouth to reassure Lepra.

“It will be fine. No matter how outrageous those guys get, they couldn’t harm the envoy.”

“But if the Hongik Knights move…”

“The Sky Knights are not inferior to the Hongik Knights.”

“That’s true…!”

Lepra trailed off and returned to his seat.

And he asked Doug.

“I hope there’s no issue with the envoy…”

Right then.

CREAK—

The door opened without a knock.

The one who opened and entered was the palace chief butler Peos.

Lepra couldn’t help but flinch the moment he saw Peos’s expression.

Peos’s expression was unusual.

Something had clearly happened.

“What is it?”

Lepra asked.

“Th-That’s…”

Then Peos answered with a voice and face full of disbelief.

“Hongik Knights Commander Jed, Vice-Commander Max, and Court Magic Corps Commander Violet are dead.”

“?”

“…?”

At Peos’s words, Lepra and Doug said nothing.

They merely looked at Peos with puzzled faces.

“What do you mean? They’re dead?”

“The envoy from Gardion Magic Tower killed them for insulting royalty.”

Peos answered, and Lepra lost his words again.

At first, he thought Peos had misspoken or misheard.

But no.

That made it even more bewildering.

Jed and Max were among the kingdom’s top knights.

And Violet was the kingdom’s strongest mage.

Yet those three killed by the envoy?

No, with what authority did the envoy kill the three in the first place?

“…Where is the envoy now?”

Doug asked.

“He is currently coming here with Sir James. He said it would take 3 minutes…”

At Peos’s answer, Doug said to Lepra.

“Your Majesty, it might be best to postpone meeting the envoy for now.”

He didn’t know what had happened, but it seemed certain the envoy had killed the three.

If something bad happened after meeting the envoy?

“No, rather, I need to meet him even more.”

“Your Majesty…”

“He killed them for insulting royalty, didn’t he? And since Sir James is coming with him, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

Who was James?

The foremost Sword Master in the Varta Kingdom.

He wasn’t sure of the exact situation, but if James was with him, it must be an understandable one.

Moreover, with James there, no further problems would arise.

“…Understood.”

At Lepra’s firm response, Doug could no longer persuade.

“Chief butler.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Prepare to receive the envoy.”

“Yes, understood.”

“James.”

“Yes.”

At Gaon’s call, James answered in a voice taut with discipline.

And Gaon continued to ask.

“Is the head of the Meliad Ducal Family currently in the palace?”

The Hongik Knights, the knight order of the Meliad Ducal Family, were here.

What was the reason the Hongik Knights were in the palace?

Perhaps because the head of the Meliad Ducal Family or important figures were here.

“Yes, besides Duke Smich, all nobles in the kingdom are gathered.”

“Oh, really?”

Gaon’s eyes flashed.

He had thought it good if even just the head of the Meliad Ducal Family was here, but all nobles were gathered?

“Are they perhaps the ones in Glory Hall?”

Currently, Gaon was sensing the entire palace with his qi sense.

And many people were gathered in Glory Hall.

He wondered if those in Glory Hall were the nobles.

“…I don’t know if they’re in Glory Hall now, but the kingdom meeting was held in Glory Hall.”

“I see. This is perfect.”

Gaon smiled with satisfaction.

And he continued to James.

“While I meet Lepra, tie them up. Don’t let a single one escape.”