Chapter 169

A voice, originating from somewhere unknown, was amplified by magic and rang out across the entire courtyard of the Central Temple.

“Isn’t that… Duke Ruthius’s voice?”

“Huh? I think it is. Does that mean the wife he’s referring to is Duchess Marcella?”

“He killed her for refusing His Majesty’s proposal… I don’t understand what any of this means.”

“Hey! Look over there!”

A magical projection began to appear on the white wall behind the platform. The speaker was not visible, as if the video had been recorded from their point of view.

But the other person was clearly visible.

The attendees’ gazes immediately shifted to the Emperor. The face of the Emperor, who had been standing before the platform, froze over like a winter lake.

“Axion, is that what you’ve been thinking all this time? Were you planning to get revenge?”

“…”

“But you’ve got it wrong. I didn’t kill Marcella.”

In the video, the Emperor looked up at the ceiling. The faint curl of his lips was chilling.

The real Emperor, frozen in shock, finally roared.

“Wh-what is this! What is the meaning of this! Guards! Stop that thing at once!”

At the Emperor’s command, dozens of knights surrounded the Central Temple’s courtyard, leaving no gaps. They were the Emperor’s personal guard.

“What are you all doing! Stop it now! I said get rid of it!”

“Your Majesty, it is a magical projection. We must find the caster to stop it.”

There were over a hundred mages attending the funeral. How long would it take to find the caster among them? There was no telling how many times the video would replay in the meantime.

Unaware that the caster of the video was Kaiel, the Emperor could only grind his teeth in frustration.

He didn’t know how they had obtained that recording, but it was clear that the Ruthius family and the Magic Tower had joined forces to humiliate him.

“Damn those Magic Tower bastards! Get these people out of here! Disperse every last one of them!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Just as the Emperor’s guards began to forcefully push the attendees away, a voice rang out.

“Knights, lower your swords and stand down.”

High Priest Closo slowly rose to his feet. His eyes were not on the knights, but on the Emperor.

“Emperor, have you forgotten where you are? Do you truly wish to incur the wrath of the Goddess?”

“…”

The High Priest was not wrong.

The Temple was extraterritorial ground.

The Emperor’s authority did not extend to the Temple. Even the Emperor could not act as he pleased here, and he had no right to interfere in matters that occurred within its walls.

This was a promise that had been made when the Temple gave the Taikan family the Book of Prophecies containing the oracle.

Whoever broke the promise would have to face the Goddess’s wrath.

This was why Alex had chosen the Central Temple as the location for the funeral.

The Emperor’s mind raced.

“High Priest, this is a political matter. It is a conspiracy by traitors, meant to mislead the masses and overthrow the throne! The Temple should not meddle in secular affairs!”

The Emperor tried to frame it as the Temple interfering in politics. Yet, the High Priest remained perfectly calm and unperturbed.

“I am sorry, but I do not believe this is a political matter.”

“What?”

“The Duchess Ruthius was taken into the Goddess’s embrace while giving birth. That is what everyone has believed until now. But watching this video raises the suspicion that the Duchess may have been murdered. As the Goddess forbids murder, the Temple has a duty to find the sinner and reveal the truth.”

“High Priest!”

The Emperor’s roar exploded. The ferocity of it made everyone flinch, but the High Priest didn’t even bat an eye.

“All use of force is forbidden until the truth is made clear. Anyone who disobeys this will have to face the sword of the Goddess.”

At the High Priest’s command, Johan appeared, leading the Paladins.

“Now, please continue.”

Receiving the signal from the High Priest, Kaiel, who had temporarily paused the flow of mana, began to channel it again.

Being within the Temple’s domain consumed more mana than usual. Still, it was fortunate they were in the courtyard; had they been inside the Temple proper, magic would have been completely ineffective.

The video, which had been frozen like a photograph, seamlessly resumed playing.

“Did you not strangle her?”

“Ah, I did strangle her. But that was only to quiet her down. She was resisting far too much.”

“She… resisted?”

“She resisted quite fiercely, yes. ‘Axion, no! Axion, help me!’ She made such a fuss calling your name… Hah, she was so loud.”

“When I choked her, she stopped moving. I thought, ‘Did she faint?’ and tapped her cheek… but then she kicked me. That clever little bitch was pretending to be unconscious.”

In the video, the Emperor chuckled like a madman. His handsome lips moved grotesquely, casually spewing vulgarities.

The attendees all frowned at the sight of his abnormally gleaming eyes and the way he compulsively licked his lips.

“She pushed me away and started crawling on all fours. I was curious to see how far she would go, so I just watched. But then she went for the stairs, you see? The ones leading to the banquet hall. Hah, what a nuisance.”

“She couldn’t crawl down the stairs, so she staggered to her feet.”

“So I pushed her. Just a little push.”

An eerie silence descended upon the Central Temple’s courtyard. The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

The Emperor hid his rage and agitation behind a mask of indifference. He even let out a scoff, as if he were being framed.

But upon closer inspection, his panic was evident. His fists were clenched so tightly they had turned white, and the muscles in his jaw bulged. It was from gritting his teeth.

The betrayed gazes of the attendees poured down on the Emperor.

The Emperor’s true face was hideous. He had deceived the Empire while wearing the mask of a righteous and benevolent knight among knights.

Not all the nobles were on the Emperor’s side.

No matter how jealous they were of the Ruthius family, they were still nobles in name and reality.

The Emperor’s authority came from the nobility. Without their support, no one could ascend to the throne.

Yet the Emperor had casually harassed a pregnant Duchess and, when he didn’t get his way, murdered her.

Setting aside the fact that it was a horrific crime against humanity, the nobles couldn’t help but feel a sense of alarm.

If the Duchess could be treated this way, no noble could guarantee their safety before the Emperor. They could be next.

“Emperor, do you have anything to say?”

The Emperor, who had kept his lips tightly sealed, suddenly smiled leisurely at the High Priest’s questioning.

“What is there to say? Who would believe such a fabricated video?”

“Are you saying that video is fake?”

“Is there any proof that it’s real?”

The Emperor dismissed the High Priest’s question with a sneer and turned his head to stare at Astell.

“Princess Astell, you tell me. Is there any proof that the video is real?”

Astell said nothing. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Emperor shook his head and clicked his tongue, his attitude one of utter disbelief.

“Of course, you can’t answer. It’s a fake video made with an actor who bears a slight resemblance to me!”

The attendees’ expressions turned uncertain. It sounded like a stretch, but they couldn’t be certain it was impossible.

“So desperate for power, you finally resort to committing a crime.”

The Emperor, who had been muttering sorrowfully, declared in a strong tone.

“I approved the marriage between the Princess and the Crown Prince! In time, the Crown Prince would have taken the throne, and the Princess would have become the Empress! But you couldn’t even wait that long and plotted treason!”

Treason! At the dreadful accusation, the crowd held their breath.

“From this moment on, I hereby strip the Ruthius family of all rights and titles! The marriage between the Crown Prince and the Princess is also suspended indefinitely!”

The Emperor’s demeanor was more confident than anyone’s, and his voice carried a persuasive weight.

Besides, his claim wasn’t entirely baseless. He had, in fact, approved the marriage between Astell and Dante.

The people’s resolve began to waver. They didn’t know who to believe.

The Emperor, keenly reading the mood of the crowd, smiled inwardly in triumph. He exclaimed with an air of victory.

“Arrest Alex Ruthius and Astell Ruthius!”

The moment the knights approached Astell and Alex, the Paladins drew their swords in perfect unison.

“Emperor, did I not forbid the use of force?”

The High Priest intervened with a gentle smile, easing the tense atmosphere.

“High Priest! Can you not see the situation and judge for yourself? Can you not see the vile ambition for rebellion that the Ruthius family harbors!”

“Well, to my eyes, they look like a pitiful brother and sister.”

“Have you decided to serve the Ruthius family instead of the Goddess? If you are a priest, act like one!”

The High Priest’s gentle eyes hardened for the first time. For a priest, what he had just heard was the worst possible insult.

“A priest exists solely for the Goddess. I would appreciate it if you watched your words.”

“Then remain neutral! Stop snooping around here and there like a stray cat!”

The Emperor’s taunt caused the mood among the clergy to sour rapidly.

The situation was on the verge of escalating into a conflict between the Temple and the Imperial Palace.

At that moment, Astell rose from her seat.

“Your Majesty, do you wish for proof?”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. He scrutinized Astell’s face, but her expression was unreadable behind the black veil.

‘What is she scheming?’

At the time, the only people in his office were the Emperor and Duke Ruthius. He had even sent out the Lord Chamberlain.

He didn’t know how they managed to record that day’s conversation, but that had to be the extent of it.

Any evidence had been lost to time, and the only witness, Hamilton, was locked in the dungeon.

Convinced that Astell was bluffing, the Emperor snorted.

“Are you saying you have proof?”

“I do.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Present it.”

“I intend to, of course… but I wanted to give Your Majesty a chance first.”

“A chance?”

“Admit that you murdered the Duchess yourself. If you do, I will not release the evidence.”

“Ha!”

The Emperor let out a deliberate, hollow laugh and spoke solemnly.

“I am the master of this Empire and its first knight. A knight reveres justice, vanquishes evil, and upholds the law! I have lived my entire life that way, and I will continue to do so!”

“This is your last chance. Confess.”

“It is I who will give you a chance. I am giving you this opportunity because it would be a waste of your talents, so listen well.”

The Emperor pointed at Astell and said.

“Astell Ruthius, kneel at once! Relinquish all your rights and live the rest of your life defending the Empire! If you do, I will spare your life, and yours alone!”

The members of the Guardian guild ground their teeth.

It was maddeningly frustrating to watch their guild master in peril and be unable to do anything.

“This is making me nervous. What should we do? Should we just flip the table?”

“We might have to if it comes to that. Let’s ask the Constellations to decide the timing.”

“Wait, just a moment! Let’s wait and see.”

“Why?”

“The Guild Master’s mood is a bit strange… She’s smiling right now, isn’t she?”

“What?”

All the guild members turned to look at Astell.

She was indeed smiling. Brightly, as if she had been waiting for this very day.