The Emperor Who Was Chapter 110 : Chapter 110

Chapter . 110

Immanuel's words sounded so sincere on the surface that I was almost deceived. But they were people who burned corrupted mages at the stake without hesitation, claiming to save their souls.

Even if they didn't think of

as a mage now, they considered using

as a pawn for the temple to benefit God Traneha as saving my soul.

“Do you know how hard it was for

to escape from those who captured ?”

Immanuel couldn't say anything and bowed his head with a solemn face. Yet, he glanced sideways to check the Lauderdale crest on the shield Michelon seed to have taken from my captors. It wasn't evidence to submit to court, but just inducing suspicion at the mont was enough.

“Michelon here achieved great rit. As did Yolande, Vincent, and Jero who found the two of us after much suffering.”

“Yes, that is correct! So Your Highness must not be dragged back by those people again!”

At my words, Jero jumped up and shouted tragically. Yet he still looked at the knights with a sad face, contrasting well with the angry faces of the other three. It was evident that even the wooden knights found his gaze burdenso.

“I will return to my castle. I will inform my Royal Father of this fact and accuse the conspirators who targeted

to be punished. If you are truly innocent, you have nothing to worry about.”

I started walking towards Montova Castle with long strides. Then Immanuel imdiately stuck to my side and spoke. Avoiding well even as my people tried to block him again.

“Your Highness! You must not return to Montova Castle! Vagrants from all over the country are gathered there right now. It is not a place for Your Highness to go. Even if Your Highness appears, they might commit violence against you!”

“What? If such a thing happened, what becos of my territory? My castle might be under attack! Then naturally I, the lord, must go!”

I turned to leave again, and Immanuel reached out as if to grab . But Michelon's reflexes were faster than anyone, and when he moved, Yolande, Vincent, and Jero moved in a flurry too.

Even though they blocked him, Immanuel showed no sign of backing down. Being impatient wasn't like a holy knight, but seeing the ti and effort spent on

about to go to waste, he couldn't stay still.

“Your Highness, you are the one who granted

the honor of blessing. How could I betray Your Highness?”

I softened a bit at these words too. Although it was done to save Jero, the happy ending with a blessing rather than a bloody mage hunt was aningful for both Immanuel and .

Just then, Jero spoke.

“Your Highness, please go to Montova Castle with the others. I will remain and try talking with the knights.”

“What?”

“I can never accept such a thing—”

Immanuel and I shouted simultaneously, and my people and the knights also glared. But Jero raised both hands and said.

“Everyone, the highest-ranking person here is Prince Leontes. Therefore, if he goes to his territory, no one can stop him nor should they. Also, if the Knights of Saint Romola truly care for the Prince, it is not bad for , the Prince's person, to remain and attempt diation.”

Then he grabbed Immanuel's arm, looked back at Michelon, and said.

“The Prince is very tired, so please escort him slowly. As for , after talking with these people, I can ask for a ride on a horse and catch up quickly.”

And when he signaled Immanuel with his eyes, he also recognized Jero's proposal and didn't refuse.

After Jero had a brief talk with us, as the four of us excluding him walked towards Montova Castle, Jero quickly gathered the knights and started speaking in a low voice.

His voice was heard very clearly by us walking away with our backs to them. Because I had given them invisible ear artifacts applied from invisible eyes in advance.

Of course, it was a dangerous attempt. Everyone from the strongest Immanuel was a Sword Master or a mage-knight. It couldn't be the sa as spying on Imperial family mbers who only possessed artifacts without being mages.

They must have noticed Yolande's anti-eavesdropping magic we were using long ago, just didn't say it.

“Look at this ring. I believe the holy knights know what this artifact is for. You may verify it yourself.”

Saying so, Jero must have thrust the artifact at Immanuel as I instructed.

“It's frustrating not seeing. Invisible eyes were aweso.”

Michelon grumbled.

“Such aweso artifacts must be used with utmost caution. If used on the temple, it's better to use on Orlanto who isn't a mage. It's a pity he doesn't have a residence in the Imperial Palace.”

“Still, if that artifact passed to hands other than Jero's even for a mont, a signal would have co, but it isn't coming.”

As soon as Yolande pointed out, Jero continued.

“I asked the Prince's mages and received this. So that the conversation we have here is transmitted intact to the Prince. Because I do not want the Prince to doubt . So may I use this artifact? This artifact is special, so I can adjust it to transmit only my words. So the Prince cannot hear your words. Whatever you say.”

Waiting for the holy knights' response, the other three looked at . Because that was the part they worried about most when I first explained the plan.

“You may use it. We also do not mind if our words are heard by the Prince.”

Immanuel's voice was heard. Honestly, I did it thinking if it works, good, if not, whatever, but I was surprised it succeeded. Although Michelon scoffed.

“Talks big as if wanting to be heard?”

I understand Yolande and Vincent, but Michelon seed to just hate holy knights. Especially Immanuel.

“I only wish for reconciliation between my dear holy knights and the Prince I serve.”

When Jero declared solemnly, there was no objection.

“So let us clarify first. I understand that holy knights are also in a position to follow the temple's orders. But while that order might benefit the temple, is there any disadvantage to the Prince?”

As expected, no one answered. The virtues of the Knights of Saint Romola were originally silence and obedience.

“Ha, told us to use the artifact for this. So transparent.”

Michelon was sarcastic. Facing such non-response must be hard, but Jero pushed on persistently without being discouraged.

“Then I will speak my personal opinion alone, an opinion irrelevant to the holy knights or the Prince. I think parting ways like this is bad for all three: the temple, the holy knights, and the Prince.”

“Did you notice? He is developing the confrontation between

and the holy knights into three subjects: , the temple, and the holy knights, separating the temple and the holy knights?”

As I admired Jero's rhetoric, Yolande said.

“It would be good for our Nanette to do work like Jero when she grows up later.”

Yolande ca to wish for another profession for Nanette besides magic doctor.

“Trusting that you will not speak carelessly, I will share a little important information; the Prince knows who dared to kidnap and confine him. Also who joined hands with that mastermind. This collaborator is a person of the temple.”

Silence again.

“Of course, that person is not His Holiness the Holy Emperor. However, shouldn't the person who misread God Traneha's will and caused a great rift between the temple and Prince Leontes, who was originally the discoverer of holy relics and a great patron of the temple, with wrong judgnt take responsibility? If that person is truly a faithful servant of God Traneha.”

Anyway, the real enemies in the war for the throne were separate. Instead of turning the entire temple into an enemy, I had to separate Cardinal Orlanto from the temple. Framing it so that the individual takes responsibility since it's Orlanto's individual responsibility, not the temple's.

If I provide an opportunity to settle things while minimizing damage, they can't refuse unless they are fools.

“However, although the Prince was greatly disappointed and angry experiencing such things, he does not wish to be at odds with the temple. Far from holding the temple accountable, he is agonizing over whether he must reveal who that sole failure of the temple is. Truly a mindset befitting one who received revelation from God Traneha.”

Deepening silence.

“So now the temple, no, that sole failure of the temple must also show so sincerity. If you truly intend to protect the Prince as Sir Immanuel said, you must proceed on the right path, not the wrong direction of joining hands with his enemy.”

“…What is that right path? What proposal do you intend to make to us?”

“If you tell

whether you truly have the mind to respond to that proposal, I will tell you. If not, if your intention is simply to hear it once, please tell

right now. As the Prince's party is getting farther away, if this diation ends in failure, I will run to the Prince. For I have no face to see the Prince after borrowing your horses to ride.”

Thus, Jero properly threw the bait I entrusted. If it were a Cardinal, maybe, but if I, a Prince, spoke of such things one by one to a holy knight and got rejected, my face would be ruined, so Jero was perfect.

Jero, who lanted that the years lived as a wolf unable to speak were too long, showed off rhetoric resolving his past resentnt. He was material for a future diplomatic envoy, no, a Pri Minister.

“Will they accept indeed?”

Vincent asked nervously.

“It is better to cut ties now with fools who refuse an offer they cannot refuse.”

As I said laughing, Vincent laughed back with a relieved face even before the answer ca. That smile looked good.

***

“Burn it all! Burn everything!”

“Kuhahaha! It burns, it's burning, your houses and farmlands are burning, hahahaha!”

Ash was flying in the wind even before Montova Castle ca into view. Flas rose in the fields where grains were ripening golden, burning the crops black.

It was a scene where the peasants on the castle would beat their chests and collapse. Intestines and bones of beasts those bastards hunted without permission in my forest floated down the stream.

A very large bonfire was burning in front of the castle where the evening glow was descending. The looters searched the village below the castle and brought household goods the villagers hadn't moved yet to use as firewood. Even though they could have just picked up branches from the forest, they were acting tyrannically.

That fire was scorching the castle gate and walls for intimidation, and whole roasted beasts were hung over small bonfires here and there.

“Your Highness!”

Yolande gasped pointing over there. Vincent held her hand.

There were abandoned corpses between the bonfire and right in front of the castle gate. They had thrown the corpses right in front of the gate as if to show off.

Although the villagers evacuated, the old living alone in the forest or those too sick to move remained at ho. The looters cruelly murdered those who posed no threat and couldn't resist looting or anything, and stripped them all naked. Using their shabby clothes as kindling or blankets.

‘How dare they harm my people on my land!’

Not all were uneducated criminals. Knights and nobles eating stolen beasts at stolen tables sitting on stolen chairs while being served by squires, what a sight.

“Open the gates imdiately, you traitors! How dare you disobey the Imperial command!”

anwhile, they took turns going to the castle gate, shouting loudly and hurling all sorts of insults. Insulting my vassals, Count Montova and Sir Rolf.

“What are you doing!”