The festival nad the 'Night of Heroes' would be unfamiliar to everyone, regardless of their social status. After all, I was the one who devised it and let it slip into the Emperor's ear. Naturally, I expected Lucas to take the bait — he had already been savouring the success of his circus, which had bewitched and misled the people.
Moreover, with Constantine and Benjamin out of the picture, there was no way he wouldn’t realise the urgency of expanding his support base. Though he seed to have everything on the surface, his position was as precarious as a candle flickering in the wind. To him, this circus was absolutely vital.
Though it might appear extravagant, with nurous events and a complex façade, the core purpose of this event was strikingly simple, straightforward, and brazen. Its goal was to assemble everyone deed a hero in the empire and have them openly reaffirm their unwavering loyalty to the imperial family for all to see.
By placing those admired by the people at the forefront, it ensured they clearly understood who they were ant to serve. After all, in every world, in every era, and regardless of social status, people have always been captivated by heroes.
・・・・・
Night of Heroes.
The sound of fireworks and vibrant bursts of colour filled the sky, heralding the start of the event. The nobles gathered in small groups in the banquet hall and gasped in awe as they peered out towards the terrace. I, too, fixed my gaze on the dazzling display in the sky before slowly lowering my eyes.
"Long live His Majesty, the Emperor! May he reign with eternal power and glory!" Soone shouted.
Lucas's inherent gift — being the ‘firstborn son of the emperor and empress, and the legitimate heir to the throne’ — would serve him for his entire life. This birthright was the source of all the privileges he enjoyed. The people would forgive all his misdeeds simply because of his noble lineage. For generations, those who opposed the imperial family faced only death, as they had been taught that ‘defiance equals death.’ Unless one was willing to sacrifice their life like a fleeting mayfly, they had no choice but to accept whatever was given to them.
I tightly gripped the glass in my hand, taking in the sight of the crowd that filled the square and beyond.
'...I've lost contact with Cedric.’
His whereabouts beca unknown after he set out to subtly investigate Benjamin’s sches. Both Cedric and I knew that once he voluntarily entered Benjamin’s grasp, things would inevitably beco dangerous. That was why I suggested sending Ilypia’s doll, but Cedric firmly rejected the idea.
The first reason was that if we sent a fake, it would only be a matter of ti before the ghost-like Benjamin discovered it. The second reason was that Benjamin would never sever the last remaining bloodline of the forr emperor with his own hands.
I completely agreed with his reasoning.
The only thing Benjamin, who had everything, lacked was the golden bloodline. As a result, despite his imnse ambition, boldness, ruthless thods, and corrupt nature, he was fated to spend his life as a puppet master, unable to claim royal status.
So, despite feeling uneasy inside, I had no choice but to send Cedric to Benjamin. However, the result was that we lost contact.
'He won't kill him. He won't kill him.’
Yes, Cedric must be alive.
‘The problem is that, aside from his life, nothing can be guaranteed.’
The sudden loss of contact without any warning was unsettling. Could it be that our collusion was exposed? If so, why was everything so quiet? There must be so sche behind this. I kept anxiously looking around and checking my watch.
To make matters worse, I couldn't attend the banquet with Claudia because she was one of the heroes nominated by Lucas. Although Claudia hadn't perford any heroic deeds, she had summoned the Spirit King, the first of its kind in the empire. Given her abilities, she could certainly be considered a hero. Her popularity and recognition were on par with Walter's. Of course, Lucas must have nominated her for selfish reasons.
‘Anyway, he's been useless all the way till the end. Damn, bastard…’
The heroes weren’t here at the mont. This was because they had been summoned to the imperial palace a few days ago. It was also the reason I couldn’t et Felix right away and why I couldn’t tell Claudia that Felix was risking his life with a dangerous plan. Ti was steadily slipping away, and there was nothing I could do. I had thought hard, doing my best to co up with a solution, yet why did everything keep going wrong? Why was I so incompetent?
"Damn it..."
“Dear.”
At that mont, soone suddenly touched , pushing my tension to its breaking point.
"Mum, at least once.’
Lady Jonzar panted, muttering to herself. She had t Walter only once at the previous banquet. However, under pressure from the other young ladies, who warned her to stay away from "such a barbarian," she hadn't dared to approach him. On top of that, his commanding presence had been so overwhelming that it felt impossible to even get close.
His extraordinary appearance was unlike anything she had ever witnessed before. Though everyone whispered amongst themselves, they likely had the sa thought in their minds: that he resembled a god who had descended from the heavens to pass judgnt on humanity. Until that mont, Lady Jonzar had secretly harboured feelings for Emperor Lucas, but the instant she saw Walter, Lucas seed no more important than a common type of seafood. It felt like a mystical experience as if she were stepping into an entirely new dinsion.
It was love at first sight. Every night before she went to sleep, she longed to see that unforgettable face again. But as the daughter of a humble family, how could she ever et the Emperor's knight? That was what she thought, but surprisingly, the opportunity presented itself again soon — in the na of the Night of Heroes.
Lady Jonzar had been eagerly anticipating this day, and in her excitent, she ended up being late.
‘How could I make such a foolish mistake, like sothing out of a novel?!’
She swallowed her tears, gripping the hem of her dress, and nearly ran towards the banquet hall. However, as she turned a dimly lit corner, she suddenly collided with a man who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Kyaaah!"
Today, her luck was unusually bad. In the midst of what had been an uneventful day, misfortune had already struck twice. To make matters worse, the man she collided with was so big and solid that the impact sent her flying back with a thud.
"Ugh, I'm sorry. My legs are too long..."
However, the excuse he offered as an apology was downright ridiculous.
‘What? Because your legs are too long?’
"I tried to avoid you... but I'm not used to it yet, so I can't walk properly."
‘No, then how did you even manage to get here? Are you so kind of newborn deer?’
Harsh words bubbled up to her throat. She wanted to snap at him, but as soone from a humble family, she often found herself having to bite her tongue.
‘What’s with that outfit? Are you a servant working in the imperial palace?’
Most of the palace servants were of noble descent, but they were still employees of the imperial palace — how could he act so brazenly? She lifted her head, determined to see just how thick-skinned this shaless man was. But as her gaze t him, her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she froze. Without realising it, Lady Jonzar blurted out a question.
"...Would you like to help you up?"
‘You said your legs are too long, making it hard to walk, so of course, I should help you, right?’
"No, I think I should be the one helping you."
The man let out a soft chuckle, as if he had heard sothing quite amusing, and extended his hand. Lady Jonzar, srised, watched as the sharp, almost piercing gaze of his eyes softened into a gentle smile.
At first glance, his face, cold and distant, might have seed harsh and unapproachable, but his smile was unexpectedly sweet. Despite being a full head taller than her, the word 'lovely' unbiddenly ca to mind. Neat and orderly. His beauty wasn’t overwhelming, nor was it the kind that commanded every eye. Still, Lady Jonzar found herself unable to look away.
"Are you alright?"
Only after receiving the question did she snap back to her senses. Of course, she was fine. She nodded so vigorously that her head seed like it might fall off, her eyes still dazed as she reached for his hand. The man chuckled at her absentminded expression, helped her up, and turned away without a second thought.
"Wait, at least tell your na!"
She thought he would ignore her, but her desperate cry caused his golden gaze to briefly turn towards her.
"Hmm, then could you keep it a secret? I’m not supposed to be seen here by anyone."
"O-Of course! I'll take it to my grave!"
"I'm Shayne Speare."
Shayne smiled brightly and answered without hesitation. Lady Jonzar gaped for a mont before stamring out her introduction.
"M-my na is!"
"I know. Lady Urva Jonzar."
"Even though our eting caused so trouble, I’m still glad we t."
Shayne offered a small bow, then lightly kissed the back of her hand. His lips, which barely brushed her skin, quickly withdrew, and he fluttered away like a scattering flower petal.
Urva’s face turned bright red, all the way to her ears, as she cupped her hand, still warm with the lingering sensation. By now, the image of Walter’s face had completely faded from her mind. In its place, the vivid golden eyes, beautifully curved like crescents, began to appear clearly before her.
・・・・・
‘Am I going to end up getting addicted to these potions?’
Although it had been crafted with great care to minimise side effects, no matter how good a dicine was, it could sotis cause adverse reactions. Grumbling to myself, I downed the ‘I Beco a Rock’ potion in one gulp. Its effect was to erase my presence to the point where those around would perceive as nothing more than a rock.
‘The effect lasts for about an hour.’
The more the potion was consud in succession, the weaker its effects beca due to the body's limits in absorbing its ingredients. After checking my watch, I boldly made my way into the temple.
As I walked, I pulled out the ‘Is This Fainting or Sleeping?’ potion I had transferred into a perfu bottle. If consud, it had a terrifying effect, plunging the drinker into a deep slumber, like a late-winter hibernation. When sprayed, it rely induced a brief fainting spell. Still, I hoped I wouldn’t need to use it, as being caught sneaking in would be disastrous.
Holding the potion as a makeshift self-defence item, I quietly made my way towards the underground prison beneath the temple.
I knew there was a secret passage leading to the temple’s underground. It was briefly ntioned in the original novel when the female protagonist was captured by Constantine. However, comparing written descriptions to the real location was no easy task. As a result, I had no choice but to circle around, searching for the spot while trying to piece together the novel’s descriptions.
Fortunately, before the effects of the ‘I Beco a Rock’ potion wore off, I was able to find the secret room. After thoroughly checking my surroundings to ensure no one was nearby, I closed the door and approached the bookshelf. I then pulled out a decorative piece embossed with the symbol of the god, triggering the chanism.
At the sa ti, the chanism leading to the secret passage began to activate.
Whirr-click-clunk.
For soone attempting a secret break-in, this loud grating noise echoing through the room was particularly nerve-wracking.
It was the sound of the small semicircle drawn on the floor beneath the bookshelf flipping, its inner and outer sections reversing with a clatter. My heart raced at the thought of soone hearing the noise and rushing in, but I managed to slip into the passage without incident.
‘Ugh, it's so dark.’
I felt my way along the pitch-black walls of the secret passage. After a short ti, I discovered a staircase leading underground and, with a smile, eagerly made my way towards it. Still, sothing felt off — it had all gone too smoothly. There had been no crisis to face, not that I wanted one, but the silence was unsettling. For a temple of such renown, its security seed surprisingly weak.
‘This doesn’t feel right. There’s no way Felix has already been here, and it’s unlikely that soone else has infiltrated the temple…’
They said misfortune struck when you least expected it, didn't they? No sooner had the unsettling thought crossed my mind than I ca face to face with Benjamin, holding a torch, in the prison. So, it turned out, it was because of Benjamin.
'Why is that bastard here?!'
Fortunately, the effect of the potion masking my presence had not yet worn off, and Benjamin casually brushed past , frozen stiff in surprise.
'Phew...'
Relieved I hadn't been discovered, I couldn't suppress my growing irritation. I had planned to wait for Felix, but why was Benjamin wandering around the temple's underground prison? Where the hell was Cedric, you kidnapper?!
‘What is this? Did he co to persuade Constantine?’
It seed that, with Lucas having gathered all the rumoured heroes, Benjamin was thinking of bringing Constantine back under his control... In truth, I had expected as much. Even if I managed to sow discord between them, Benjamin was the type of person who judged others based on their usefulness, not personal feelings.
Still, I concluded that there was no imdiate need to worry. Even Benjamin wouldn’t have a way to get Constantine out imdiately. For at least the next few months, while the Divine Trial proceeded, he would have no choice but to wait idly. That was what I thought. But…
‘A pitch-black... lump?’
I narrowed my eyes, staring intently at the dark mass shifting behind Benjamin. At first glance, it vaguely resembled a human form, yet at the sa ti, it resembled a swirling, smoky cloud. Was I seeing things? I rubbed my eyes and checked again, but it remained, floating silently in the sa spot.
When did such a malevolent spirit attach itself to him? If anyone could walk around with thousands upon thousands of vengeful spirits trailing behind them, it would be Benjamin — but even so, this couldn’t possibly be a real ghost, could it? While I was agonising over the identity of the black mass…
It suddenly stopped moving. And then, it slowly turned to face . At the sa ti, my gaze t two glowing red lights, resembling eyes, on the black figure’s face. It all happened in an instant.
"Is there sothing there?"
Benjamin, quick to sense sothing was off, strode towards and swung his arm in my direction. His rough touch sliced through the air.
My breath caught in my throat, and I instinctively tilted my head back. I covered my mouth and pressed myself against the wall.
When Benjamin’s hand t nothing, he glanced at his palm with a faint "Hmm" and frowned. His expression tightened, the sa as when soone swats at a bug on the wall, only to find no bug corpse left on their palm. That was exactly the look.
"Where did it go?"
'Creepy...'
For Benjamin, who lacked superhuman abilities, his heightened sensitivity was his greatest asset — so sharp it bordered on paranoia. He couldn’t relax until he imdiately checked or dealt with anything that seed even slightly off. This relentless vigilance was likely how he navigated the countless crises and threats he faced as the ruler of the underworld.
As I watched Benjamin, who looked uneasy, I thought to myself that he seed more ghostlike than the phantom hovering in the air. But my idle musings didn’t last long.
Benjamin, with his unyielding persistence, began to slowly run his hand along the wall, his movents deliberate, like a predator slowly closing in on its prey.
Each ti he inched closer, I recoiled in fear, stepping back instinctively. I stifled my presence and held my breath, but it still didn’t seem to work. Gripping tightly onto my 'Is This Fainting or Sleeping?' potion, I braced myself. It was at that mont—
[Are you really going to hunt down and dispose of even a single mouse if it bothers you?]
The dark mass hovering near Benjamin spoke to him.
‘What is that thing? It can talk too.’
It was a very eerie voice — more like sothing a grotesque creature from a movie would have than a human being.
[It doesn't seem like the right ti for this. The oath ceremony is about to begin. Wouldn’t missing it be problematic? I can sense your greed.]
Right ti? Greed?
"That's right. Unfortunately, nothing is more important than this."
Benjamin murmured, “Because there's sothing I want to have, no matter what it takes,” and then stared intently at the wall where I had been standing.
"You’re a lucky little mouse."
With those words, he shifted his gaze without hesitation, as though his earlier insistence had been nothing more than a fleeting whim, and issued a command towards the mass.
"Please begin."
Begin what? I barely had ti to feel offended at being likened to a mouse when ominous words were uttered.
[As you wish.]
The pitch-black mass, the important matter, and Benjamin's visit to the temple — it all pointed to one unsettling conclusion. There was only one way for Benjamin to free Constantine: to bring about a catastrophe so severe that it would threaten the very existence of the world, pushing nations to the brink of collapse. With Constantine's imnse divine power, any destruction caused by magic would be even easier to control.
‘…If you summon a devil, all of that will be possible.’
No, surely not. I doubted they would go that far. Even without such drastic asures or urgency, Constantine would eventually escape from prison. Besides, Benjamin despised relying on powers beyond his control. He must have known this just as well as he knew his own nature — that it would one day co back to him as a great loss.
Needless to say, a devil’s power, was undoubtedly beyond his control. He couldn’t possibly be foolish enough to think that Constantine’s divine power, nothing more than a human’s feeble amount, could control a devil. So then, what was it? A black mass, neither a spirit nor a ghost.
As soon as it vanished like a ghost beside Benjamin, a thunderous sound followed, loud enough to tear through my eardrums. For a mont, I thought a volcano had erupted. The ground shook violently, and dust rained down from the ceiling. Reflexively, I crouched and covered my ears. By the ti I looked up, Benjamin had already disappeared, likely having escaped from the prison. I quickly retreated through the secret passage and made my way out.
The festive atmosphere, once filled with joy and cheer, had vanished. In its place, screams of utter despair erupted, as if those cast into the fiery pits of hell were wailing, tearing through the pitch-black night sky.
"The land is rotting away!"
"It’s a devil! A devil!"
"A devil has appeared!"
The black entity engulfed the land, deepening the already pitch-black night. It was decayed and rotting, giving off a foul stench. All of this was disturbingly familiar. I had seen it before, on Camoli Island, now subrged beneath the sea, never to be visited again.
With a pale face, I stared intently as I broke off a branch. The mont I touched it, the branch, drained of all vitality, snapped dryly, turning into black soot that scattered in the air.
‘That bastard, he figured it all out.’
My entire plan…
My face fell in despair as I imdiately understood why Benjamin had taken such drastic asures. Considering how he ntioned the oath ceremony, it appeared he was planning to ruin everything all at once now that things had co to this.
“Oh, this is just unbelievable...”
This was all I could say at that mont.
Was this the ntality of soone who, unable to have it, would rather destroy it instead? Using Larry to eliminate Chamberlain might be understandable since it wasn't a full-fledged devil but just a fragnt. But how could he summon a devil…?
I muttered hopelessly, realising that I would never understand lunatics like him. Then, gritting my teeth, I ran towards the square.
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