115 – The True Banquet Begins

Crick-crack─

A sound that, to some ears, might have been mistaken for the snapping of bone.

A sound that would instinctively repulse any human being,

emanated from a single man.

‘….’

The large hand that, moments before, had gripped the hilt of a sword,

had now clenched into a fist,

trembling uncontrollably.

And his impassive lips, which always seemed to maintain a stoic mask,

quivered incessantly, betraying his blazing fury.

Even now, as he grudgingly lowered his head.

“..Hm, very well, you may all raise your heads.”

From the Emperor’s lips, he who had been clearly displeased with the Duke’s conduct,

came the permission to lift their gaze,

yet, he could not.

“..Duke Reinhardt, why is it that you have not, since earlier,

immediately complied with my words?”

Even as the Emperor’s expression, observing him from above,

twisted with each passing moment,

he could not raise his head.

“..Hey, are you truly mad?

What in the world has possessed you since before?”

“I… have no intention of being swayed by your actions…

If you wish to die, I only ask that you do it alone.”

Even as the other Dukes’ reprimands and reproaches

continued to buzz incessantly in his ears,

he could not raise his head.

‘Not… now…!’

Because his expression, at this moment,

was so undeniably contorted,

even he himself could recognize it.

“..Reinhardt, I shall ask one last time.

Why will you not lift your head?”

The Emperor, having reached the end of his patience, began

to slowly descend those towering steps,

and at that same instant, every mouth was sealed shut.

Because they could perceive it, however faintly.

The crimson aura emanating from behind the Emperor.

‘Ah, this is ill-omened… It appears His Majesty

is truly angered…’

‘What mad thing is Reinhardt doing now, provoking such

tragedy!? ARGH!’

The boisterous atmosphere of the hall from mere moments ago

began to feel like a phantasm,

and none dared to interfere

in this frigid air.

‘Damn it… Reinhardt, that fiend…

He hasn’t completely lost his senses, has he?’

‘…The Duke falling out of favor with His Majesty

is an unforeseen situation… What should be done…?’

‘If His Majesty were to completely

“Should he cast me out… the future of my guild…”

Those who, just moments before, were spewing honeyed words and flattery at the Duke, felt the same.

They were not so devoted as to recklessly step forward in this atmosphere.

Besides, what if they carelessly intervened and offended the Emperor?

They approached the Duke for the sake of their own families and futures.

But what good would that be if they fell out of favor with the Emperor?

They wouldn’t even be able to live in this country.

“Reinhardt, do you truly deem my words a jest?”

Finally, the Emperor descended the stairs completely, halting before him.

His aura, a crimson haze of animosity, was distinctly different from moments before.

“Answer me, Reinhardt.”

“….”

“Because the fate of the Reinhardt family may well be decided by your answer.”

At the Emperor’s thinly veiled threat, everyone in the hall turned to him in unison.

They understood all too well what his words meant.

‘Did… His Majesty just say that?’

‘Those words… does he mean to cast out the Dukedom?’

‘Is he… intending to seize control for the Imperial Family entirely?’

Of course, there had been families that had fallen out of favor with the Imperial Family before.

Even just looking at the transmitted records, there were more than a few families that had been eradicated because they had offended the past Emperors.

But…

“Thinking about it, the Imperial Family has never truly touched a Dukedom.”

“….”

“There would be no justification, and as long as you did not provoke the Imperial Family first, it simply did not matter.”

“….”

“But, just what is this attitude of yours?”

“….”

“You fail to execute my commands properly,

and even force me to retract my words repeatedly..”

“….”

“Is this, perhaps, an act of defiance against my authority, against the very Imperial Household,

Duke?”

The Emperor’s tone, chilling to the bone,

sent a flurry of sharpened blades tearing at the Duke,

and only then did the Duke’s head slowly rise.

His heavy head, unmoving until just moments ago.

“..Ha, your head is weighty indeed, Duke.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.

..I beseech you, forgive this lowly one.”

At the Duke’s apology, the Emperor’s eyes

flickered, ever so slightly, but unmistakably.

Pure bewilderment and surprise.

‘Huh.. even you, it seems, are capable of swallowing your pride

in a situation such as this?’

He, whose reputation for pride in his honor was so widely known,

begging for forgiveness while diminishing himself,

meant that the Emperor no longer had

any valid reason to pursue the matter further.

Well, one could certainly overlook hands trembling

with shame, couldn’t one?

“I shall send a missive to your House at a later date,

announcing my judgment in this matter.”

“..As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Were it up to me, I would decide

your fate this very instant, in this very room, but..”

The Emperor trailed off, turning his body

in a swift motion, raising his head high.

Towards the dark-haired boy, still standing

awkwardly upon the steps.

“Today is a day for rejoicing.. so I shall let it pass.

Be grateful to that child.”

“…Your grace… is boundless…”

The Emperor, having finished his discourse, turned his back without another word and departed, seemingly pleased.

*Crack—*

Ignoring the sound echoing in my ear.

*

…The awkwardness is driving me mad.

Ella, claiming she absolutely had to go elsewhere, broke away halfway through, and the Emperor, the very man who dragged me all the way here, abandoned me on these stairs and wandered off.

All I could do was stand here, perfectly still.

“…Just who is that fellow, emerging from the same place as His Imperial Majesty?”

“Hmm… that black hair and those dark eyes… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…?”

“Perhaps… could that child be… No, never mind. It’s nothing but speculation, after all.”

All the while, I was enduring the gazes of these nobles, boring into me like drills.

Suddenly, I gained a newfound understanding of the plight of rare animals in a zoo.

And just as I was beginning to grow accustomed to the sticky scrutiny, the Emperor began to slowly walk towards me once more.

“To all those gathered here.”

The Emperor’s voice boomed, amplified unnaturally,

Echoing throughout the hall. As if he were using a microphone.

“Are you all enjoying the banquet?”

Who would dare to offer a vehement denial, when the very host of the banquet posed such a question?

It was customary, rather, to profess an utter delight, showering him with flattery and adulation.

The Emperor, as if roughly aware of this fact,

didn’t bother dwelling on the predictable response of the nobles.

“Well… I did summon you all to this place for what I styled ‘my banquet’ but…”

“…?”

“The truth is, there’s another reason I’ve gathered

you all here like this.”

The Emperor’s words barely settled before

a cacophony of reactions erupted from the nobles.

An old man, unsurprised, already bracing himself

for whatever pronouncements might spill from the Emperor’s lips,

and a man, seemingly truly oblivious, who’d dropped

the delicacy he’d been enjoying just moments before, caught my eye.

And there, beside them, stood Isabella, alone,

arrogantly tilting her glass…

‘…Isabella?’

“As for that reason…

You will come to understand it, little by little.”

At that very instant, every chandelier in the hall

began, as if by magic, to focus its light on a single point.

Like a spotlight.

“The Holy Saintess and His Holiness, the Pope, enter!”

A signal announcing the arrival of beings

who embodied pure white and light itself.

*

“…Must I really go as well, Pope?”

“Indeed, this blessing must be bestowed

by the Saintess herself.”

“….”

The hushed murmur of two voices

drifted down the castle corridor.

The woman’s grumble, hidden beneath

a veil like white silk, could also be heard.

Click-clack—

A sound rarely, if ever, heard from her,

the clicking of heels echoed in the hallway.

And those shoes, as if custom-made

for this very day,

were of a pure white, perfectly matching

the white veil and robes.

“Heh heh, did everyone who bets on me die?

Just watching won’t get you anyth—whoa…!”

“S-Saintess?”

The guards who’d been secretly engrossed in

a card game in the corridor abruptly stood, bowing deeply.

She and he passed by as if unconcerned, and then:

“Her Holiness, the Holy Father enters!”

In that instant, the gaze of everyone

in the hall turned to her.

To the woman clad in pristine white robes and a veil,

as if beauty itself had taken form.

‘This kind of attention is truly unnerving…’

Contrary to expectation, the person herself

was far from enjoying the attention, finding it burdensome.

But she soon resigned herself to it, accepting that it was inevitable.

‘The title of Saint…it’s unsettling.

Especially for someone like me.’

To avoid being aware of the gazes around her,

she tightly closed her eyes and took a step forward.

Since she could focus her divine power in her eyes anyway,

she could move forward even with her eyes closed.

“Now that Her Holiness has arrived… let us speak plainly.

About the reason I have summoned you all.”

One step, then another.

Finally, she reached the Emperor’s side,

and as the Emperor opened his mouth to speak,

her eyes snapped open with a flash.

‘..Huh?’

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes

was a pair of eyes as deep and dark as obsidian.

And hair of a color that matched them,

and his face, which always looked so hollow.

“Je… Jennison? Why are you here…?”

“A blessing upon the Empire’s young hero!”

“Ee… Eeek?!”

*

“Hm… Reinhardt, that little tyke… your s… son…”

“….”

“..It doesn’t seem like a good time to talk.

Let’s meet again later.”

“..It’s a lie.”

“….”

“..This is impossible…”