Chapter 68
The emperor raised his hand and motioned for the man to step forward.
“Head butler of the Rohia family,” he said. “Why did you come to me?”
Adrian couldn’t stop fidgeting nervously. He avoided looking at Duke Bern and bowed at an awkward angle.
“…To tell Your Majesty the truth.”
“What truth?”
“The duke is lying. He gave Elci Carn the order to isolate Elahi.”
“I see,” the emperor nodded.
Duke Bern Rohia’s face turned red as he shouted,
“Your Majesty! How could a mere butler know what orders I gave Elci Carn? He’s not trustworthy! He’s lying!”
Adrian raised his trembling voice and interrupted.
“The duke was afraid the plague in Elahi would spread to other regions! But at the same time, he was worried that if it didn’t spread, the prophecy of [Materiya] wouldn’t be proven real. It was a contradiction.”
His voice grew faster and more urgent.
“So the duke chose to make Elahi a sacrifice.”
Bern stared at him in disbelief.
“Lies! Adrian, I never said that to you! Your Majesty, this is nonsense. He’s accusing me falsely!”
Bern was truly confused. Why was Adrian suddenly turning against him?
As he looked around in panic, his eyes landed on someone—and they started to tremble.
“You…”
A beautiful woman stood in the shadow a little distance away—his cruel wife, Eudis.
She looked at him with dry, empty eyes.
“Silence,” said the emperor, calming the murmuring room again. Then he turned to Adrian, who stood frozen in place.
“Butler of the Rohia family. I still don’t understand why you’re telling me this.”
Adrian answered, still bowing deeply.
“B-Because if the people of Elahi were trapped by the sea, they might all die. Some of the duke’s servants have families there. I thought of my fellow servants. And… I just felt that what the duke was doing was wrong, even if it was for the prophecy. It wasn’t right.”
The emperor let out a low hum.
“I didn’t expect the Rohia servants to have such strong morals. I’m impressed.”
His eyes glanced at the girl standing beside him.
She stood tall and still, her face unreadable.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have made her stand there so long,’ the emperor thought. ‘Her legs might hurt.’
Then he shook his head, annoyed at his own thoughts.
‘What nonsense. I must be going crazy.’
He sighed quietly and motioned Adrian to leave. The butler bowed deeply and rushed away behind the curtain.
The emperor looked at Bern, whose eyes were still fixed on Adrian’s vanishing form.
“Duke Rohia,” he said calmly, “even if we summon Elci Carn and interrogate him, I doubt he’ll say anything different than your butler did.”
Bern clenched his fists and raised his voice, desperate.
“I did all this for the sake of the Western Empire! If not for me, would anyone here have believed in [Materiya]’s prophecy?”
He waved his hand at the nobles in the room and spoke louder.
“No! Of course not! This result…”
He noticed the glares from around him and paused to collect himself.
“…This result may be unfortunate, but I truly believe it was the best choice.”
The emperor stood slowly, staring at Bern with a cold expression.
“Duke Rohia. You now have two choices.”
He clasped his hands behind his back, eyes sharp.
“I’ve already sent a summons to Elci Carn. Once he arrives, I could begin a full investigation from the beginning…”
A soft clink echoed from the sword hanging at the emperor’s waist.
“…Or, you could leave before that happens.”
The emperor’s steps stopped just before reaching Bern. He did not step down from the Crown Road, and though only one or two steps separated them, the gap between them felt impossible to cross.
“Why don’t you go on a pilgrimage while [Materiya] is still young? As her father, you should grow too.”
A pilgrimage meant walking across the continent to visit all the temples. It usually took five to ten years and was considered a form of exile for nobles who committed serious offenses.
Bern trembled in anger.
“Your Majesty, I am [Materiya]’s father. You can’t separate us like this!”
The emperor looked away calmly.
“When you return…”
He scanned the room full of nobles.
“I hope you realize your job is to protect my people, not prove some prophecy. If a voice claiming to be from a god demands this kind of sacrifice… then it may not be a god at all, but evil in disguise.”
Duke Benzen Tradie whispered to his son,
“Oscar, do you understand? His Majesty isn’t just speaking to the duke—he’s speaking to all of us.”
“…Yes. I think so too.”
Benzen patted Oscar’s shoulder and exchanged a brief look with the emperor, who quickly looked away.
“His Majesty is a fair and strict ruler,” Benzen said. “I’ve served him since he was young. He’s always been sharp as a blade.”
Then Benzen pointed discreetly toward the young girl standing next to the emperor.
“And yet… this is the first time I’ve seen him make an exception.”
Even now, Izana Rohia showed no fear. She stood still and calm, not shaken in the slightest.
Bern clenched his fists, trembling, and finally bowed his head.
“…I won’t be gone long.”
“Then you should leave quickly.”
Bern turned to leave the hall.
“Duke Rohia.”
The emperor’s voice stopped him.
When Bern turned around, the emperor was waiting with one hand out.
“Return your badge. I’ll give it back when you return.”
Bern looked down. A silver badge shaped like wings was pinned to his chest. It symbolized his right to freely enter this hall.
He ripped it off roughly and walked over to hand it to the emperor, who remained on the Crown Road without stepping down.
Then, ignoring everyone, Bern stormed out of the hall.
Silence fell.
Most people were glad to see Bern fall. He was arrogant and held too much power for someone of his ability—easy to dislike.
“Your Majesty,” Oscar suddenly spoke. “Could you introduce the young lady next to you?”
“My goodness, Oscar!”
His parents quickly tried to cover his mouth.
Oscar squirmed between them, trying to escape their grip.
Benzen was startled but relaxed when he saw the emperor’s expression soften.
“The young lady may step forward.”
In his words, the girl walked down a few steps and stood before the throne. Then she knelt on one knee.
The nobles stared at her with great curiosity. The emperor looked pleased.
“Izana Rohia showed great courage. She persuaded [Igrio] and saved the people of Elahi.”
If it was true—if this little girl really convinced the terrifying Igrio to help—then it was indeed a great achievement.
“In recognition of her bravery, I will adopt Izana Rohia as my goddaughter.”
