The Emperor Who Was Chapter 87 : Chapter 87

Chapter . 87

The mont he accepted the Prince's heart—which sought to help him sohow, not because it denied his sacrifice but because it valued it highly, even helping him who had never once needed help—God also helped.

That is how the miracle happened.

Therefore, the Prince had to appear in the holy painting.

Otherwise, no artist could ever express this experience that would remain in his heart forever.

***

The people of the temple returned to the temple, and the people of my estate returned ho; everyone went back.

Even so, the people of Montova and Petrafis were all excited, so I ordered Giuliano and Sir Rolf to patrol side by side and handle the aftermath. However, Sir Rolf did not want to leave my side ever since Graf attacked .

"Lagardi turned out well, but doesn't the matter of Baron Graf remain? Your Highness generously took in the one who suddenly turned into a hawk, and although he is behaving quietly, we cannot be at ease."

"I am truly boundlessly happy for the grace Your Highness bestowed so that the people of Montova and Petrafis would not be swept up in a mage hunt, but please do not keep that man by your side."

The Count of Montova also agreed with Sir Rolf's words.

"I will leave the decision on this matter to Jero, Graf's victim."

I said.

"If we accuse Graf now, a mage trial and the subsequent hunt will occur. Although his hotown is not here, the possibility of this place being swept up as well is high. Also, as he said, if my Imperial Father's mages were involved, the matter will fizzle out, and the mastermind will not be punished."

Jero nodded. If he reported the matter with Graf, he would also have to report his past of working as the Empress's spy.

"Also, you may postpone the punishnt until the truth is known. Yolande and Vincent will manage Graf with magic so that he commits no further cris. Furthermore, if he returns to being human, he must compensate you; I will certainly guarantee that point for you, and considering that you must wait a long ti for compensation, I will appoint you as my vassal and look after you from now on."

"Prince Leontes, thank you for the rcy and grace you have bestowed upon ! It is truly a great honor."

Jero bowed with great joy. Then he spoke to Sir Rolf and the Count of Montova.

"Looking back now on the event where Graf beca a hawk and I beca human, Prince Leontes's contribution is significant. Are there not many instances in history where the Imperial line of Armatia received the protection of the God Traneha and perford miracles? It goes without saying for our Prince Leontes, who received a revelation even before ascending to the throne. Just as I would not have been able to return to being human had I not received the blessing of the holy knights under Your Highness's guidance, I believe that Graf was also influenced by Your Highness's virtue and achieved what he so desired on his own. Therefore, even if he cannot be loyal to Your Highness now, the possibility of him attacking is likely low."

"Surely, you are not defending Graf right now?"

When Sir Rolf asked sharply, Jero grinned.

"The main point starts now. I also acknowledge that there is no possibility of Graf acting disloyally to Your Highness at present, and that is why I am telling you this.

However, if by any chance he breaks even this reasonable conjecture and commits disloyalty against Your Highness, would there be any need for the two of you to step in?"

Smiling brightly, Jero reached out his hand toward the hawk sitting on my arm, looked at , and bowed to ask for permission.

The hawk flapped its wings, but when I grabbed the base of its wings, it soon quieted down. When I held the hawk out, Jero grabbed the hawk's ankles and held it upside down with its head facing down.

Then he lifted the hawk high and stroked the head of the hawk hanging upside down in his hand with his other hand.

Although the hawk was large, within his large hand, its head was nothing more than a walnut rolling this way and that. As if its neck would snap if Jero even slightly bent his wrist.

As the hawk's red eyes moved and rolled about, Jero fixed the head within his grasp, peered into those eyes, and spoke.

"Since I have already gained the notoriety of being a man-eating wolf because of Harald von Graf, I would feel less aggrieved if I committed at least one deed befitting that na, wouldn't I?"

"With this, I recognize Jero de Lagardi's right to punish Baron Harald von Graf first."

When my judgnt was handed down, neither Sir Rolf nor the Count of Montova raised an objection. The hawk also drooped its wings as if in agreent.

Sir Rolf and the Count of Montova left for patrol imdiately. Whether it was the villagers of Petrafis or the residents of Montova, they had to get used to Sir Rolf, who was my person.

I recomnded that the holy knights, who had to ride a considerable distance unlike the priests, stay for a day, but they politely declined. Indeed, it was a principle of the Knights of Saint Romola to return imdiately after completing the received order, leaving the cleanup to the priests. I wondered if this incident might be an exception, but they themselves did not wish for it.

-Prince Leontes has already bestowed sufficient grace.

The holy knight nad Immanuel said so and declined. His eyes were truly clear.

As I watched them leaving from the balcony under the sky where the evening glow was setting, Michelon suddenly asked.

"Did you use Word Soul Magic?"

"I intended to."

I admitted it. If Immanuel or the other holy knights had not reacted that way.

I felt a deficiency in them. Although different from my deficiency, a deficiency is a deficiency.

Although I thought I should focus on those who needed to be saved from them, when I unwittingly reacted to that deficiency, they reacted as well.

"Sotis, a single necessary word produces magic-like results."

Creation or destruction.

The holy knights who would have killed Jero and used it as a pretext to attack others. I who would have stood against them to protect the people. Originally, a trendous arena of magic would have unfolded.

...The fact that it did not happen is magic itself.

"Ah, really?"

However, Michelon's lips twisted in a sneer.

"Those holy knights were behaving politely towards you for now. But if they find out that you are a mage, would they show the sa respect as now? By then, they will consider attacking you to save you from magic as the way to repay your grace, won't they?"

"Most likely."

I agreed. But Michelon was not satisfied.

"You should have attacked them. Since the Wolf of Petrafis was there anyway, you should have ambushed them with magic as if the wolf did it and inflicted a fatal wound on at least a few, especially that Knight Commander bastard. Instead of letting them live and leave. As for Jero, if he secretly beca human, no one would imagine that he was the wolf."

"Your words are correct."

I nodded at the orthodoxy of military science, but Michelon did not stop.

"Soday, you will regret not ambushing them with magic when you could have."

"I gave them a chance. A chance to join hands with ."

"They are those who already pointed swords at you. Do you think they will beco your side just because of that? The dogs of the temple? Even Yolande and Vincent are relieved for now, but they won't be happy that you missed the chance to attack them. You should choose your allies carefully. This was not an opportunity to gain new allies, but leaving behind future trouble."

"It is not future trouble. If they stand against

again next ti, I will kill them all."

"......."

"I do not bestow rcy twice."

Even if they realize it too late, I would not look back again. I will walk over their corpses and move toward the people I must save.

-To think the Prince of Armatia has fallen into magic and beco corrupt!

The terrible ordeal before the regression.

The Empress set the sa trap for

as back then. No, a worse trap, by unleashing the Knights of Saint Romola upon .

However, not only did I escape safely, but I also saved people and won the favor of my attackers.

While attempting various possibilities one by one that never existed in the past, I was discovering the monarch within .

Michelon did not say anymore. The group of knights had now beco white twinkling dots beyond the horizon. They, too, would be looking at the sunset casting over them, which was exceptionally red and vivid today.

As the twinkling white dots on the horizon disappeared, white stars twinkled in the early evening sky instead.

May they reach their destination before night falls.

When Michelon and I ca inside, Sir Rolf had not yet returned. Vincent had gone to look after Nanette's sleeping arrangents. Only Yolande remained and welcod us.

"How did you do it?"

Asking as if she could not endure it any longer.

I stroked the glossy feathers of the newly acquired hawk and said.

"I did not make a human turn into an animal."

"But..."

Yolande looked at the hawk, but shut her mouth when the hawk turned its red eyes toward her.

"I do not consider Jero a victim of a curse either."

Vincent, who had returned from checking Nanette's sleeping arrangents, looked at

in surprise, but I continued speaking.

"Of course, the mages who cast the curse had such intentions, and regardless of the result, their sin is no less. They even used Harald as a puppet to prevent the curse from rebounding and turning themselves into wolves instead."

The color drained from Yolande's face. Having realized who those mages were.

"However, Jero turned into a wolf not because the curse succeeded, but because he turned into a wolf to escape when he was in danger of dying."

"Do you consider Jero a mage as well?"

"If he turns into an animal, he could be called a mage even if he cannot perform other magic, Vincent. Just as you distinguish between wizards and witches, although non-mages cannot distinguish them. Perhaps adding those with such transformation abilities as a new classification."

"I thought Your Highness turned Jero back into a human when the holy knight bestowed the blessing, just as you turned him into a wolf before the holy knights barged in."

"I rely gave him a suggestion. Because that was the most certain thod to save him from the mage hunt. However, Jero did not know and could not accept the fact that he could transform on his own, so he needed my help."

"...How did you know that Jero could transform on his own?"

"It is partly because of Jero, but also because of Harald."

Stroking the hawk's feathers, I spoke the spell I had used on him. It was effectively the na of a theory, but when I spoke it while infusing mana, it also acted as a magic spell as it was.

Totemus Totemina.

A magic now forgotten. A magic different from Polymorph, but confused with it. Like the cases of Jero and Harald.......

Like the person who first taught

that theory, Yolande understood imdiately and explained it to Vincent.

"Humans are the lords of creation, but to be so, they first had to discard their animality. However, animality always lies dormant within humans, and since one does not know when it might awaken, one must be careful not to beco an animal again... It is a magic theory based on an ancient legend."

"It sounds like we should prevent them from turning into animals, rather than magic to turn them into animals?"

"That is why it was a curse. Because it transforms a person who should not turn into an animal into one."

"...But Harald wanted to turn into an animal, Your Highness."

Vincent asked

this ti.

"It is the sa. Let us assu that everyone harbors an animal that fits their nature in their heart. That itself is not necessarily bad. Animals themselves are neither good nor evil. Therefore, even if it is not a curse, if the animal harbored in the heart of one with mana faces a crisis, they might unleash the magic of instinct, though rarely."

The magic of instinct; the contract with a dragon also corresponds to this in the end. A magic that I also had to risk my life to perform because it was buried, but which should never be overlooked.

Co to think of it, instinct might be stronger than mana, and anyone with mana can use it, or perhaps even those without mana might be able to use it.

"I only thought werewolves were a pretext for mage hunting and didn't believe in them, but could there have been many people like Jero?"

"Most of them were probably real wolves. However, it is natural in a way that many people believe in werewolves. Wolves are weaker than bears or tigers, but they are more nurous. Therefore, since they are the beasts that cause the most damage to people, they could be called the beasts people fear most. The animality of the human heart might an the favorite animal to so, while it ans the most feared animal to others. Wouldn't deciding that also be up to us in the end?"