The Emperor Who Was Chapter 115 : Chapter 115

Chapter . 115

-What does it matter to you, Duke?

He didn't even call him Uncle anymore. He was the one who raised the royal blood his sister gave birth to before becoming Empress, since he was a baby. Alexander also followed him like a son……

-To go to a half-brother because you are on bad terms with your real brother. Are you going to form an alliance? Then it becos difficult for

to speak well of the Marquis to His Majesty and Her Highness.

Even after clearly witnessing what kind of humiliation the Duke suffered because of Leontes. That point was truly hurtful.

Even now, court officials pointed fingers at him as an upstart, and whenever they giggled calling him the Father of Lies, anger boiled up.

What was even more infuriating was the fact that Cecile smiled in response whenever she was called the Daughter of Misunderstanding. As if she didn't object at all even though it was an insult to her too... But now even Alexander…….

-Why do you specifically do such useless things I didn't even ask for, and approach

instead, Duke?

-Then how long do you intend to stay like this? If our two factions combine forces, the First Prince Faction will be no match. We can take revenge on Grimiati, and surely win the succession war―

-Why must I make my brother the Emperor?

-…It is not our fault that the Marquis cannot beco Emperor. It was an unavoidable decision for Her Majesty the Empress too, so do not resent only her. Would you resent His Majesty the Emperor then?

When Alexander didn't answer this, the Duke continued with a smile of conversion.

-It was the Marquis who insisted it must be the throne because even the next highest position wasn't enough. It is good to see ambition as a man. But how can you not know that the biggest enemies blocking your path are not Desmond, but Maximilian and Leontes? Especially if not for Leontes, we wouldn't have fallen out with you, so why do you try to join hands with him?

Then, Alexander, who had just been listening for a mont, smiled and opened his mouth.

-Because he is the only one who is like a younger brother. If it is that child, I could make him my Pri Minister.

Then what about Edward?

Lauderdale was about to say imdiately that his son was missing his cousin whom he followed like a brother when they were young. But Alexander didn't wait for his answer.

-Then farewell, dear Father of Lies.

After inflicting the insult he hated the most, staring blankly at that broad back moving away…….

“Prince Desmond, there is a large bonfire in front of Montova Castle.”

“What? Is Leontes's castle on fire?”

“No, a bonfire is burning in front of the castle gate, and there are corpses lined up in front of it.”

“Did a battle occur?”

“It seems there was a large-scale battle.”

“Then is Leontes safe? Since he is an older brother with no forces yet, he must have lost. Who on earth conquered the castle? The other two factions were with us when news of his return was heard!”

Desmond's sharp voice firing questions following the scout's report pulled Duke Lauderdale out of all sorts of chaotic thoughts mixing past and present.

“Prince Leontes must be dead.”

“…Uncle?”

“Isn't that so? The battle was probably fought against bandit groups from all over the country who ca here by the order of His Majesty the Emperor. Even when we arrived at the castle, many bastards sward from nearby and fawned over us, and even when we left for that cursed mountain, they continued to swarm in.”

Lauderdale's eyes flashed.

“The number kept increasing, but the traitor Montova bastard, who refused even Your Highness, locked the gates and didn't let them in, so how furious must they have been. Leontes might have barely returned then, but would he have stayed still seeing those looters with his temper? He must have wagged that tongue so disrespectful to His Majesty and Your Highness, and suffered retaliation intact from them.”

Duke Lauderdale laughed. The surroundings were silent as death. Unlike the path where three frantically fighting factions hurriedly stopped fighting and returned at the news of Leontes's appearance.

Everyone was looking only at him and listening to him. When was it that they wouldn't listen to him so much! Pouring out the words piled up in his chest amidst the breathable silence, he couldn't stop.

“Nor is it possible that the traitor Montova, who refused even Your Highness, opened the locked gates and ca out to save him. Even so, what battle could that devil's blood who only knows how to wag a devil's tongue fight? Even Your Highness lost in the first battle on this cursed land, so what victory could that devil's seed have achieved? He died, he is dead!”

Lauderdale's voice gradually grew louder.

“At barely that age, he is already dead. And not even fighting like a knight, but beaten to death by angry rioters. Bleeding profusely, his head must have been cut off! The severed head must have rolled and been kicked by rioters' feet, becoming completely dirty! While still so young! Not even of age yet! So young! He is dead! He ended up dead! Because that is his fate! No matter how young, how green, if dead, one is dead……. Can one bring back the dead? No matter how young one died, no matter how precious the life, could even a god bring them back?”

The Duke was demanding of the whole world.

“But why did we have to go to that mountain to find him who was destined to die anyway? As if we were anxious because we couldn't die with him? What kind of guy is he? Rather than tell us where the dragon egg is, he's the kind to have his head cut off. A guy who won't speak even with a severed head, a guy who will die without saying anything! A guy who will die and say nothing, I tell you! That young guy! Dead! Keeping his mouth shut tight! Eyes shut tight! That young guy dared to betray! Betraying Her Majesty the Empress and Prince, and ! That traitor! Betraying us until the end!”

He was out of breath. He hadn't even said half of it yet.

“Uncle, calm down, look at .”

Desmond grabbed his shoulder.

“Uncle, please pull yourself together.”

“I wonder who on earth he is talking about. At first it seed like Prince Leontes, but gradually Edward, no... mixing stories of this person and that person so unintelligibly―”

“Cousin Arthur, watch your mouth.”

“S-sorry, Your Highness.”

“Everyone behave prudently.”

“Sorry, Your Highness.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Mage, are there any magic potions left?”

“Sorry, Your Highness. We are all out.”

“What is the movent at Montova Castle? Try to find out more with magic.”

“That is... unlike at first, anti-scrying magic is set up. Even the scrying magic set up before leaving can only warn when a target appears if the distance becos too far. Besides, since all three factions set up scrying magic at Montova Castle, the effectiveness dropped even more due to mutual interference. B-but Your Highness, if we couldn't see, they probably can't either. No one likely knows what the situation is right now!”

The mage spoke trembling with fear. The scout also mumbled.

“…First, it is clear the battle is over. Even the defeated soldiers have surely all fled. The bonfire is large and the castle walls are bright with fire, and Prince Leontes's proclamation is still there. The night is so deep but it is bright as day, making it difficult to approach closer. It was the sa for scouts of other factions as well as .”

“Hurry. Whoever occupied Montova Castle, I must enter the castle myself to know what happened.”

Everyone followed Desmond's order.

Does everyone still not know how things are going? Duke Lauderdale was dumbfounded.

“Of course His Majesty the Emperor must have occupied the castle.”

“Uncle! What kind of reckless remark―”

“He intended to from the start. He also coveted Mount Petrafis before Ilaves died, sending mages frequently even though it was Her Majesty the Empress's territory. Even when I suggested just pretending to lose to Her Majesty and handing it over, Her Majesty insisted that if it was really related to dragons, we must not let it go from our hands……. But what happened in the end? Since there were no results, he gave up too, and Her Majesty seed to give up for a while, but eventually this trouble because of Leontes―”

“Uncle, Uncle, please calm down! Where are you looking, look at !”

“Don't you understand, Your Highness? This was all His Majesty the Emperor's sche! A Prince who knows where the dragon egg is goes to the Dragon's Mountain? Would it be just the dragon egg? Dragon's gold or whatever, maybe that guy can find what the two Majesties couldn't. Her Majesty granted that territory for that reason, and His Majesty might have calculated that point too. To the Prince anxious because he wasn't granted territory, if the Empress, whose search of that mountain failed like his, granted that mountain and the Prince went there, he must have wanted to see what on earth would happen! And the Prince found out sothing, but was eventually caught by the Emperor…….”

Lauderdale's eyes hovered in the void.

“Is there a guarantee that the powerful enemy who secretly ambushed us was necessarily the other two factions? With that much power, it is more plausible that they are the Emperor's people! And the Prince, secretly caught by his father who ostensibly issued an imperial order to save him pretending to worry, confessed everything about the dragon egg and gold, then while fleeing, pitifully... had his head cut off and died at such a green young age! No, perhaps... even such a death might have been calculated in advance! Since if a direct royal lineage dies, the property goes to the Emperor, so the traitor's castle, the cursed mountain, are all now the Emperor's possession! After killing all those who killed the Prince, he has already occupied that castle!”

Everyone stared at the Duke speaking as if possessed, having lost their minds. It even seed the other two factions moving nearby heard his words piercing through their anti-scrying magic.

The Duke, whose senses had beco strangely sensitive, noticed the flashing of suspicious artifacts and flashes of staffs directed this way, but didn't care.

They too had to know the truth. If soone died at such a green young age, shouldn't the whole world know why he died. Not just glossing over it as a sad tragedy! All suspicions must be dug up in detail!

“Uncle, you must not open your mouth any further……. Arthur, you keep Cousin Edward's head. Uncle, give it here. Give it to . You can rest when we arrive at the castle.”

But the Duke only hugged his son's head tighter. He had so much to say it filled up to his throat, yet they tell him to shut up? Leaving words not even half said―

‘How do I tell Margaret…….’

…Now that our son is dead, will Margaret continue to stay with . If she leaves for the countryside saying she needs to recuperate or finds a lover…….

No, before my wife, would the Empress allow it? If she tells

to marry again to see an heir who will beco Desmond's new right arm, no, at shield, must I break up with Margaret.

His wife could not bear any more children since giving birth to Edward at thirteen. Amidst glares that their marriage was undeserved for him, she just did what was necessary.

Since there are those who sleep even with wives younger than twelve, adhering to the legal lower limit. At the ti, rumors circulated that he did it hoping his wife would die giving birth to target her property, but it was absolutely not true.

‘Still, to think my wife would never be able to bear children again…….’

Because of his fault, a woman other than his wife becos the Duchess of Lauderdale? He never even thought of that when having an affair with Cecile's birth mother?

“Can we not increase speed?”

“S-sorry... the mana depletion is severe so…….”

“Aren't the enemies already ahead! The First Prince Faction is first, the Illegitimate Prince Faction is next, and we are last!”

“…The difference is not that severe. Ah, over there!”

Lauderdale only hugged his son's head tightly, not caring what words were exchanged around him. However, coming while lighting the way with torches unable to use lighting artifacts, when suddenly a bright light like midday shone on his unfocused face, he closed his eyes.

Opening his eyes again, it was already Montova Castle. Above the castle, the proclamation hung in the night sky, in front of it a large bonfire blazed, and everywhere was a field of corpses.

It should be a horrific sight, but seeing it in person, it wasn't really so. It was plausible the scout couldn't explain properly.

Traces of battle were evident but it hadn't beco a sea of blood, nor were flesh or entrails of corpses scattered here and there. Those things seed neatly cleaned up, and even the corpses arranged to be buried soon.

‘Enough to wrap up a battle of this scale to this extent…….’

Overwhelming victory? Domination? A fitting word didn't co to mind…….

In front of the stark contrast to their defeat.