Kwarung!
Kwarrrrung!
Kwarrrr…
The walls of the Emperor’s training ground, along with blue stones embedded in them, had been destroyed.
They weren’t just destroyed, they were completely pulverized. It would be impossible to recycle the expensive blue stones back, making the state of the training ground irrecoverable.
As the hazy cloud of dust rose and gradually dissipated, the Emperor, appearing more slender in a deep navy uniform, was seen brushing back his golden hair with one hand.
His deep blue eyes shone as if holding the light of the heavens, and his usual red lips glistened unusually.
Swish.
The Emperor swung his sword once more, sending the blood that clung to it flying away. Even the droplets scattering away like mist were particularly enchanting.
Then, with a graceful motion as if he was painting, he sheathed his sword and lightly brushed off the dust from his clothing.
“Oh, did you see that?”
“I thought His Majesty had already demonstrated the pinnacle of his swordsmanship at the last founding ceremony, but it seems he has progressed even further.”
“Indeed, His Majesty is truly remarkable. In terms of swordsmanship, there is now no one in the entire continent who can match him.”
The Royal Knights, who were watching the rare sight of the Emperor’s duel, couldn’t take their eyes off him. Even the simple act of brushing off dust appeared to be so impressive in their eyes that they were almost enchanted.
Regardless of their status, Emperor Ian was like a legendary heroic figure to the knights of Perza.
At the age of seven, he was said to have mastered all the holy elements, rewriting the history of being the youngest one to do that.
And by the age of 11, he was said to have successfully wielded the five ancient permanent runes with ease.
At the age of 15, he was said to have participated in the territory reclamation war that ignited the entire continent.
During the approximately two-year campaign, he reclaimed all the borders of the continent that had been occupied and divided with the Servan Empire, and also said to have beheaded the Servan Emperor himself.
Of all people, to be able to have beheaded the Servan Emperor.
While people casually summarize it with the phrase ‘he beheaded the Servan Emperor,’ in all honesty, it was no easy feat. A boy of noble blood truly poured everything he had into achieving such an incredible accomplishment.
The flames of war that engulfed the whole continent after decades of preparation by the great Empire of Servan were fiercer than expected. The young Emperor who had ended the nightmare, that had lasted for ten years, was truly a hero of peace who ended the war and saviour of troubled times.
The older knights who participated in the war could not forget the glory of that day, and the younger apprentice knights felt regretful that they could not carry the Emperor’s flag.
What more is there to say about what happened afterwards?
The Emperor, who ascended to the throne at a young age, was in himself a model of knights and a true hero.
As far as the Emperor’s personality is known… The Emperor’s temperament seemed to have improved significantly compared to the past.
Yes. The temperament of a model knight who wields a sword doesn’t matter. What’s important is skill. Unless you’re serving him closely, it doesn’t really matter. Probably.
As the Emperor moved with a more refreshing expression than usual, another knight with blonde hair was seen sprawled across the shattered training grounds.
The famous knight in the royal palace, Lian Bartier.
The Grand Duke of Bartier.
He is the second son of Emperor Perza III and Empress Lecanois, and the younger brother of the current Emperor Perza IV, ruling over the vast Bartier Plains and the Serie Mountains in the northeast of the Empire.
He has a very cheerful personality and acts without a sense of authority, and due to that unpretentious behavior, people often forget that he actually holds the second highest rank of authority in the Great Empire of Perza, just after the Emperor.
Known as a self-proclaimed genius of martial arts, he is said to have mastered the last stage of the five great eternities of ‘Rune’ that can be measured physically, and also known as the ‘Emperor’s Guardian Sword’.
After the war, the Senate requested that he be sent to Bartier, his fiefdom, and stationed there, however, he refused and asked to become the Emperor’s ‘Knight’ himself. The Emperor also seemed to have no intention of keeping his young brother away, and granted his request with a single gesture.
And now, he is the Commander of the Escort Knights of the Emperor, one of the three major military units under the Royal Family.
The Emperor’s Escort Knights Order was widely known to be a special knight order composed entirely of elemental rune operators. Only the Commander of the guard, a few captains, and a small number of knights serving in secretarial roles were aware of this, while the exact roster was kept strictly confidential.
Ultimately, rumors circulated throughout the Empire that extraordinary geniuses were secretly scouted and held certain titles in it, but no one knew the exact reality behind it.
In such a case.
The strength of the Escort Knights could only be inferred to be at the level of the Grand Duke Bartier, or rather, Knight Lian….
But now he was sprawled on the ground like that….
The knights who were watching shook their heads in disapproval.
Only a few seasoned knights, who had just glimpsed the events that unfolded in the dust cloud, sent sympathetic looks toward Lian.
“Sir Lian, are you okay?”
“It hurts. It hurts. Wooo, it really hurts.”
Minister of State, Count Yuton, helped knight Lian to stand up on his shaking knees, and patted the dust on Lian’s clothes.
“It’s fine. But you shouldn’t have spoken nonsense unnecessarily.”
“….”
“I thought things had calmed down lately. It’s not just a day or two passed. But why do you keep provoking His Majesty’s temper? You know his temperament all too well.”
“This isn’t my fault. He was a bit unfair.”
“Enough. Don’t say anything anymore.”
“….”
“Let’s take a look at your shoulder. Oh no, it’s all scraped up. You’re bleeding, what should I do? Your shoulder is completely dislocated.”
“Yes, I told you it hurts. It hurts twice as much with the Count nagging at me. Please be kind to me. I’m a patient now.”
The Emperor, who had been delivering a beating under the pretense of sparring, felt a strange sense of guilt at thinking Lian was merely whining and had not actually been hurt.
Of course, both the Emperor and Lian knew that the Emperor had not been giving his all.
Lian didn’t show off his full strength either.
Though Ian was always proud of his younger brother who followed in his footsteps, he also felt the rising desire to rein his younger brother who was becoming increasingly cheeky lately…
However, it was difficult to find a suitable opportunity.
Just at that time.
The Emperor saw his aides hastily rushing inside the training ground.
Now, pretending to rush over… They really need to get a grip on things.
Wow. And the way they performed to be breathless was quite impressive as well.
They must have been hiding behind the door, chatting quietly, and then reluctantly popped out due to the heavy atmosphere.
They were all talented individuals recommended from various regions of the Empire.
While they might be quite capable, the typical laziness of geniuses, and the incessant use of tricks to cut corners, get distracted, and straying from the main topic during discussions needed to be addressed at least once every quarter.
Fortunately, Ian had considerable expertise in dealing with talented and genius civil officials.
Except.
They can’t be killed.
Ian’s red lips drew a curve.
“Dear brother.”
Surprised by the Emperor’s unusually soft and gentle voice, Lian stared at the Emperor with a puzzled expression.
“…..?”
“Let’s test your skills.”
“?”
Crackle. Crackle.
With a crack of lightning, a blue aura flickered around the Emperor’s sword.
“!”
The Emperor, who usually wielded only the water element, had decided to bring forth the lightning element after a long time.
“You must have already trained extensively to handle the lightning reaction, yes?”
“Ah?”
“That ‘Ah’ just now, is it your way of saying ‘Yes, brother. Of course.’?”
“Huh?”
“Okay. Let’s see if that training holds up in actual combat.”
As soon as Lian confirmed where the tip of the Emperor’s sword was pointed, he quickly leaped forward to block the attack for the aides.
“No! This guy has gone really crazy!”
Kwarurururung!
After that. The remaining blue stones in the training ground shattered.
And the whole training ground collapsed.
The plants in the garden were uprooted.
The roof of the training grounds was blown off, creating a chaotic scene.
And then, a low remark from the Emperor struck like lightning to Lian, who lay in tatters, and the aides behind him, covered in dust and trembling.
“You guys. You all should know that there’s a limit to my leniency.”
The Emperor raised his hand and moved his index finger across his throat.
“This is almost imminent.”
“….”
“….”
‘Your Majesty! A blood, blood, bloodthirsty tyrant….’
Count Mirhi, who had been losing his mind from the sudden stress, couldn’t bring himself to vocalize the thoughts he habitually expressed.
This is how effective the admonition of death was.
“….”
As the Emperor returned to the Inner Palace, the disheveled aides leaned on each other for support as they moved forward.
The one who was injured the most was Lian.
Even though he had quickly unleashed his barrier, he was unable to block the Emperor’s sword strike fully, resulting in a deep gash on the left shoulder. Furthermore, with the lightning aura wrapped around it, the power of the sword strike was likely increased by at least four times.
The knights who had been watching from afar rushed over and gave him first aid, but it seemed like he needed to go to the infirmary and lie down for a while.
Foreign Minister Duran, who was also covered in dust, opened his mouth with an apologetic expression.
“The infirmary… since it’s near the Inner Palace, shall I take you there?”
Lian, the blonde knight shook his head weakly with a pale face.
“Let’s go to the annex.”
Lian.
For some reason, he didn’t want to go to the inner palace where his crazy brother resided.
If he were to go there now, his brother would definitely start nagging about his injuries right now, completely forgetting that he was the one who caused them in the first place.
‘Your belly is full so you’ve become lazy. Even a snail would be faster than that. How can you try to block a lightning attack with just a barrier? Are you in your right mind? This is all because you’ve become stupid.’
For a moment, Lian, who was picturing the conversation with his older brother in his mind, felt goosebumps all over his body at the eerie auditory hallucination that sounded so realistic, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
Lian saw him smiling as he walked away earlier. For the time being, he decided to not even look at the direction of the Inner Palace. I won’t go, I won’t go even if he calls. It’s the best strategy to avoid a crazy person.
* * *
A few weeks later.
Minister of State Affairs, Count Yuton, Minister of Justice, Count Feron, the blonde knight Lian, and a few others following them headed to the territory of the Red Lion of Schmarin, where the former hero resided.
The Emperor’s attendants, carrying a large seal stamped on a parchment document made from melted pure gold tucked deep in their chests, rode as fast as the wind.
They could never have imagined, even in their dreams, that in the old mansion before their eyes, a charming and beautiful ‘little bomb’ was living her ordinary life.
As soon as this seemingly simple divorce document fell into the hands of the ‘bomb’. it would unleash a whirlwind of consequences, shattering the Emperor’s barely maintained composure, undermining the dignity of the Royal Family, and ultimately placing their very lives in jeopardy, like cicadas hanging on a thread by the end of summer.
Not at all.
Not even a little.
They had no idea what was coming.
