The Age Of Arrogance

Becoming the Holy Empire meant that the Emperor would be lower in rank than the Pope, and the imperial family would have to live at the mercy of the Pope and the lower clergymen. In the Emperor’s eyes, this was tantamount to destroying the imperial family.

 

The fact that the Empress planned to do this despite knowing this meant that she was either deeply religious or had been promised something incredible in return.

 

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t the end.”

 

“What? You mean there’s more? You can’t be serious.”

 

“Depending on how you take it, it could be even worse.”

 

Expecting his father to be much more excited, Carlyle handed over the information Viviana had given him.

 

“The Empress conspired with the Imperial Physician to feed Your Majesty infertility drugs for a long time. That’s why you’re infertile.”

 

The Emperor’s eyes widened.

 

This time, his hands trembled before he could even check the evidence.

 

“That’s ridiculous… No, it can’t be… Ah…”

 

Incomplete sentences popped out of the Emperor’s mouth.

 

Carlyle wagged his tongue to add fuel to his anger.

 

“She must have been trying to prevent another imperial son from being born who would rival Matthias. All the while pretending to be so kind and compassionate.”

 

“I’ll kill that bitch! I can’t forgive her!”

 

As expected, the Emperor was even more enraged than when he learned of the plan to establish the Holy Empire. He was so furious that Carlyle was a little worried that he might lose his mind.

 

‘He’s more angry that his lower body was caught… I knew it, but my father is… incredibly conceited.’

 

Carlyle wanted to shake his head openly, but he held back.

 

And he decided to give Viviana, who had risked everything to steal the information, some credit.

 

“It was also Her Majesty the Empress who sent a man who looked exactly like Your Majesty to Baron Peyton. Unable to conceive a child after many attempts, Lady Viviana fell for his trap.”

 

The Emperor’s mouth opened so wide that it couldn’t open any wider.

 

“Vi, Vi, Viviana…! Ugh!”

 

He screamed in anger.

 

The Viviana he had cast out was nothing but a weak and pitiful woman who had fallen for the scheming of the snake-like Empress!

 

He was so close to fainting at that fact.

 

“We must prepare the executioner! I will not let this go! Hey…!”

 

As the Emperor rose as if he was going to start a bloodbath right away, Carlyle stopped him.

 

“Please wait a moment, Father!”

 

“Let go of me! Do you think I can just stand by and watch this?!”

 

“Of course you can’t! But there is an order to everything.”

 

“Order?”

 

Carlyle nodded.

 

“If you act out of anger, Your Majesty will be misunderstood as a tyrant by the government.”

 

“Then what should I do?!”

 

“You must cut off the Empress’s limbs one by one.”

 

“That’s right! Cutting off her head at once is too merciful a decision! The punishment of cutting off her limbs one by one and finally her neck…!”

 

Carlyle felt like he wanted to grab the back of his neck.

 

“That’s not what I mean. I mean that you should cut off the Empress’s power. In the end, you can cut off her real neck, but whatever.”

 

He grabbed his father, who was about to run wild like a horse stung by a bee, and explained to him step by step what he should do next.

 

“Soon, create an occasion for lunch or whatever, and without any notice, announce my reinstatement and the Empress’s exile to a detached place. That day, we will expose the Empress’s conspiracy.”

 

“……And then?”

 

“You must find those involved and punish them. The important thing is not to give the Empress any time to prepare.”

 

“Is Beatrice at the center of it all?”

 

“It is reported that the Empress and the temple side conspired together, but anyway, it is the Empress who can move the nobles. If the Empress starts to move the nobles on her side to create public opinion, things will become difficult.”

 

In fact, what was more important to Carlyle was that his own reinstatement should come first. If Beatrice’s matter came first, his reinstatement would surely be postponed day by day.

 

“If my reinstatement takes place at the same time, I can also help you, Father, to uncover the Empress’s corruption. I am sure I can be of help to you.”

 

Carlyle flattered himself, pretending to be a loyal subject.

 

“I see. But I can’t wait any longer, so I’ll make an occasion soon. Be prepared too.”

 

“I am already prepared. Just give me the signal whenever you are ready.”

 

The Emperor seemed frustrated that he could not calm his anger right away, but he decided to follow Carlyle’s words because he did not want to hear the words ‘crazy tyrant of the government’.

 

“Hoo……. The palace will be turned upside down soon.”

 

Carlyle’s footsteps were light as he left the Soleil Palace, hiding his body in the darkness.

 

‘If I take care of the Empress myself, it will be noisy around me. It’s better to let my father handle it this way.’

 

Perhaps everything around him would be cleaned up before he could even get the crown prince position back.

 

He returned to his quarters, looking forward to the coming day.

 

* * *

 

“It’s the end of summer already.”

 

“That’s right. It looks like we’ll have a good harvest this year. Do you think there will be another harvest festival?”

 

The two soldiers patrolling the walls of the Pervaz Castle swallowed their saliva as they reminisced about the food and drink they had at last year’s harvest festival.

 

It was the first time they had ever eaten so full. It was also the first time they had laughed so much.

 

The two men shared a happy memory and smiled silently at each other.

 

It was around that time that they stopped in their tracks in front of a strange painting.

 

“Hey? What is that?”

 

“Huh? What is it?”

 

One of them pointed to the blocked path at the end of the corridor, which was dark with shadows.

 

“There. Can’t you see it?”

 

“Huh? Isn’t it just mold?”

 

“Is it only there that mold grows when everything else is fine?”

 

The soldier, who sensed something strange, narrowed his eyes and headed towards the end of the corridor to take a closer look.

 

“What is it… It looks like a pattern.”

 

In that place where people’s eyes rarely reached, there was a round pattern drawn about the size of a person’s height.

 

It was as black as charcoal, but it was quite elaborate and gave off an eerie feeling.

 

“Was it there originally?”

 

“No. It wasn’t there when I came before.”

 

“What is it?”

 

The two men kept tilting their heads in front of the pattern.

 

Then, suddenly, light began to leak from the edge of the pattern.

 

“Hey? W, what is this!”

 

“Hey! We have to tell the lord!”

 

A creepy, ominous feeling spread down their spines.

 

The two turned and started to run.

 

However, two other soldiers who had been patrolling on the opposite side were also running towards them in a hurry.

 

“Hey! There’s something strange here! There’s a huge painting…!”

 

“What? There too?”

 

“There too, you say? Then that means there’s one on that side too?”

 

The faces of the soldiers who met turned pale.

 

And as if to add to their anxiety, a faint vibration was felt from the solid ground of the castle.

 

“W, we have to tell the lord!”

 

They all started running to the first floor.

 

Although they didn’t know what the black pattern was, they could sense it with their senses, having experienced a long war.

 

‘Something terrible is coming! This is definitely terrible!’

 

Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck, and his hands became sweaty.

 

“Lord! It’s a big deal! Lord!”

 

“What’s going on!”

 

Asha, who was receiving the report for the day from Decker, instinctively, holding the hilt of her sword, seeing the soldiers running towards her with pale faces.

 

Since she had ordered the battle situation to be prepared for, she had been wearing light armor all day and looked like she was about to go out and cut off the enemy’s neck.

 

“Strange patterns are drawn all over the castle!”

 

“Light came out of that pattern! I’m not mistaken! This guy saw it too!”

 

“pattern?”

 

That was when Asha asked.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

There was a terrifying roar of a beast that made the hair on her whole body stand on end. That too, in the castle.

 

“Emergency! Prepare for battle! The enemy is in the castle!”

 

Asha immediately ran out of the office.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

“It’s a monster! A monster is in the castle…!”

 

“It’s the savages!”

 

The savages and monsters that they thought would come in from the outside were popping out of every corner of the Pervaz castle.

 

“What the hell… is going on here!”

 

Decker, who came with him, exclaimed in amazement.

 

Asha also didn’t understand the situation. However, thinking about the pattern that the light was said to have come out of, one assumption came to mind.

 

“I think the pattern that the guards were talking about earlier was a magic circle!”

 

“Magic circle? Why is something like that in our castle?”

 

“I don’t know. But that’s not important right now.”

 

Asha tied her hair tightly and pulled out a small horn from her waist and blew it sharply.

 

Puuuu!

 

At that sound, the eyes of the monsters and savages all turned to Asha at once.

 

“If you’ve entered the territory, you should first greet the owner of it, you bastards!”

 

The lord of Pervaz, who had rebuked the uninvited intruders, started running ahead to fulfill her mission.

 

At the sight of her, the soldiers of Pervaz and the people of the castle quickly came to their senses.

 

“Let’s fight! Let’s protect the lord!”

 

“Take up arms! Women and children to the shelter!”

 

The people of Pervaz were used to war.

 

They didn’t know they would be facing the enemy from the castle, but the need to fight in despair was always the same.

 

After a brief moment of confusion at the surprise attack, everyone quickly moved to where they needed to be.

 

And soon, the sound of metal clashing and the growls of the monsters began to mix.

 

Another horrific battle had begun.