Chapter 81

Chapter 81 – The Emperor (1)

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Larkspur

The King of Koronis handed over the book of early history, that Viola had sent him, to the wizard. And he was able to find some answers. He learned of the reason the princesses were going to the Arpen Empire. Unlike the prevalent belief in the Slovenian Continent, the Arpens were not out to capture hostages through arranged marriages.

In fact, their real purpose was to have a hostage from each kingdom to keep them in check and to ultimately use them to find God’s Companion.

《God’s Companion will be born with the highest status.》

It wasn’t difficult to find that clue. Until now, all the princesses that had been sent to the over were born of their queens. And now, King of Koronis was fortunate enough to learn yet another fact.

“This is their last chance. The Gods’ promises come to an end with Crown Prince Lustian, so the day when the Arpen Empire will fall is not far from now.”

“That’s… Is that true?”

“The time that the Gods promised was not indefinite… You can see that just by looking at the curse that was placed upon the crown prince.”

A smile showed itself at the corners of the king’s mouth. It was a great fortune that they had been able to find out about the curse that had been handed down to each Crown Prince from generation to generation.

“Then, the reason the emperor hasn’t been in the palace—”

“He knows it’s life or death this time. Otherwise, there’s no way he would leave the imperial palace for so long. He’s probably trying to find God’s Companion as soon as possible. If Lustian does not succeed, the seed of the imperial family will dry up entirely, and no children will ever be born. When God’s promises are gone, their blessings will also disappear. No matter how strong the Blood Army stands, they won’t be able to fight us all off with only force. That’s when we must all attack the Arpen Empire at once.”

They all looked cheerful. Though they were each small, if all their kingdoms formed an alliance with each other and attacked the Arpen Empire at once, victory was still possible, even if the Blood Army tried to fight them off. The Crown Prince of Farus had been listening intently all along, his face hardened with determination.

“We will save your sister. So, the Kingdom of Farus must also be prepared for that time.”

“Please let me stand at the vanguard.”

The King of Koronis felt envious of the Crown Prince of Farus’s valor, but unfortunately, he had no son of his own. If only Edward were still alive… He would put his own son at the vanguard… However, the King of Koronis did have an heir that was just as brave as Edward.

“My daughter Viola will be the one to assist you. Since she has been our most important ally in this plan… We will take away from them all the blessings of wealth they’ve been receiving from the Gods, and all that they’ve stolen from us until now. The Judith River will become public property, and those so-called imperials will become simple vagabonds just like before! It’s thrilling just to imagine that! Isn’t it? Hahaha!”

♛

The Emperor of Arpen, oblivious to the fact that the royal families across the continent were preparing for a decisive battle against him, was seeking God’s Companion today as well. It was not his true form that appeared through the waters of the Judith River. He was able to enter the barrier laid by the Gods through the power of magic, and it was here that he met with Guinev.

“How long will you stay like this? Is it okay to keep acting as a bystander, just watching from afar?”

There was only a high-ranking wizard with the emperor and no one else. The emperor had not traveled anywhere far. He was hiding in the imperial palace. It was a place no one could access, the very place where Ivan’s mother had been confined decades ago.

“This is the will of the Gods.”

“But there’s still time left, isn’t there? It would make it easier if you would just give a little more power to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“No. My role ends here.”

The emperor had been living in a forest that was a little removed from the abandoned castle. Here, he did not need to eat or sleep. This forest was a place where time was frozen. Time remaining still meant Guinev’s mind hadn’t changed. When the [Three Conditions] were met, she would be confirmed as God’s Companion.

“I had originally thought that her mother was God’s Companion. Haha—”

The emperor’s gaze was vague. His eyes seemed to be that of someone that dearly missed another person. He looked down at the large piece of parchment in front of him. It was then that new letters started to form upon the parchment.

“A new history is being recorded, I see. Yes, what will happen after that? Show me—”

But unfortunately, no more words appeared upon the parchment. The emperor frowned and sighed. He reflected upon his promise with Guinev.

“Although the fates may be harsh, the ending will surely be sweet—”

♛

Upon returning to her room, Viola took out the cloth she had found in the book yesterday. Rosha tilted her head.

“What’s this?” the little maid asked.

“A map.”

“Oh… I see. Look at this picture. Isn’t it a picture that symbolizes the Blood Army?” Rosha pointed out.

“It seems to be a secret map.”

“A secret map—”

Viola recalled the time when she had first arrived at the imperial palace. She remembered that they had closed the windows of the wagon so that she couldn’t see outside. This could have been to prevent the hostage from knowing how to get in and out of the imperial palace.