Chapter 79

Kerum ordered Lucas to speak from the beginning.

Without the slightest change in expression, Lucas explained everything he knew.
That the one who had murdered his wife was Marquis Girium Levvels, and the evidence.
Also the rebellion Girium was plotting,
and even that most of the nobles had agreed to the rebellion.

“I see…….”

Kerum showed a rather calm reaction.
The bitter smile lasted only a moment, and his eyes immediately regained their calm.

“But this is not a matter I can decide on your word alone.”

Rustle.

Kerum turned another page of the document.

“The person you speak of is Marquis Girium Levvels. He is a man who has contributed much to the Oratio Empire, no less than you.”
“Your Majesty, you know I am not someone who would say such things lightly.”
“You said it with your own mouth, did you not? That the one who killed your wife Helena was the marquis.”
“…….”
“Anger paralyzes reason. As long as you hate Girium, it is impossible to place complete trust in what you have just said.”

Instead of continuing, Lucas stared fixedly at Kerum.
Kerum also glanced up at him while turning over the document.

“That is what the position of emperor is. I must make more rational judgments than anyone, and not be swayed by emotion.”
“…….”
“It is not that I do not believe you. There are far too many things to consider before punishing House Levvels for treason based only on your words.”
“I know that. To begin with, I was not saying we should strike House Levvels immediately.”

House Levvels’s influence over the empire was extremely great.
So great that even Kerum could not ignore their influence.

In particular, they held a large share of military and economic power.
To punish them overnight,
the chaos and market paralysis that would follow were major problems.

Kerum was reluctant because of that.

The punishment for rebellion was expulsion.
It was fair to say that the influence of an expelled house would disappear.

Their property would be confiscated, of course,
and each member of the family would have to step down from the positions they held.

If House Levvels’s property were confiscated.
The merchants doing business with them would suffer losses.
Those merchants would stop at nothing to make up for their losses,
and in the end, that damage would fall entirely on the people.

Their positions were no small problem either.
There was no one who could handle the marquis’s duties as well as he did.
At the same time, the children of House Levvels in the imperial knight order were major forces.
The most immediate example was Nox Levvels, the Knight Commander of the Third Battalion.

‘Of course, that is if they are not plotting a rebellion.’

The possibility that Lucas’s words were false couldn’t be ruled out.
But he also had to be careful in case his words were true.

No matter how great the cost of losing House Levvels might be,
it would still be smaller than the damage caused by the rebellion they would raise.

“Your Majesty only needs to be aware of the fact that he is plotting a rebellion. Being wary of him would be a bonus.”

Lucas spoke in the same voice as always.

Kerum envied him for that.
He envied that bluntness that looked like composure.
Unlike himself, caught in worry, did he not look as if he had already finished all preparations?

‘That is also why I trust him.’

Kerum nodded.

“I only hope it is not a rebellion through force.”
“He should know well that a throne built on blood falls by blood.”
“Humans sometimes place desire before intelligence.”
“I see.”

Lucas slowly walked forward.
Standing before the emperor’s desk, he took a sealed letter from his breast.

“Lars asked me to deliver this to Your Majesty.”
“Musica did?”
“He said to read it when it is time to use it.”

Kerum examined the letter.
Staff lines and a treble clef were stamped on the red sealing wax.

“……Understood.”
“And you should choose trustworthy knights as your guards.”
“……?”

In that instant, the two knights who must have collapsed outside the door came to Kerum’s mind.
It was an amusing thing to say.
If the intruder was someone as skilled as Liberator,
would it not be meaningless no matter whom he chose as a guard?

“Those men are strong enough-”
“I am not talking about skill.”
“……I see.”

A hollow laugh slipped from Kerum’s lips.

“Understood.”

Lucas’s eyebrow twitched as his gaze moved outside the window.
The outdoor garden lit by moonlight.
There, he saw people who should not be together.

“Your Majesty. I believe I must go now.”
“You enter as you please and leave as you please.”
“……I apologize.”
“Do not apologize when you do not mean it. It only makes me feel worse.”

Kerum waved his hand dismissively.
Lucas bowed at the waist, then turned and left through the door.

Creak.

Lastly, Lucas glanced back.

“Do not worry, Your Majesty. You are a good leader.”
“……Do not say embarrassing things. It gives me chills.”
“…….”
“Leave at once.”
“May you have a peaceful night.”

Clunk.

Serpens could not hide how wide his eyes had grown.
He blankly looked up at the sky for a moment.

“Hey! You!”

Someone’s shout shook the garden.

The boy had not thought that shout could be directed at him.
Who in this banquet hall would call him in such an angry voice?

That was why, when a girl with long braided red hair suddenly popped out, he could not even hide his surprise.

“Why are you…… no, why are you here!”

Serpens hurriedly got up from his spot.

“Huh……?”

Red hair and a splendid dress.
A noble-looking face trying to hide the irritation leaking out.
The end of her raised lips twitched sharply,
and though her eyes were smiling brightly, the flames inside them were burning fiercely.
Very fiercely.

“You little brat! Pay your respects at once!”

The shout came from an ugly man who had followed the girl.
He was a person whose features looked as if they had been stuck wherever they pleased.

“Ah……!”

Serpens recognized them.

This red-haired girl’s name was Lia.
Lia de…… something,
and she was probably the princess of this country or something.

“To think you met Lady Lia de Evgenia inside the imperial palace, of all places, and did not even greet her!”

Right. Lia de Evgenia.

“Your lack of manners hasn’t changed since then!”

Serpens blinked.

‘This guy really hasn’t changed either.’

This ugly guy continued speaking to the boy, spitting as he talked.
Of course, Serpens did not care all that much.

“Ah, I see. Hello, Lady Lia de Evgenia.”

Serpens cut him off and gave a quick dip of his head.

Listening quietly was making his ears hurt.
And he also hated that the surrounding gazes were gathering on them.
Lia seemed bothered by that as well, as her face was slightly lowered.

“That’s enough. At this point, that child must have understood.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”

Serpens thought Lia was impressive.
To go around with someone like this.
Wouldn’t it only hurt her ears and pile burdens on her?
On this point, he wanted to applaud the princess’s patience.

‘With that little tact, really.’

Serpens clicked his tongue inwardly.
To look so proud without knowing his lady’s mood.
He would refuse a retainer like that even if someone gave him one.

“I apologize for my friend’s excessive behavior. However, what he said wasn’t wrong. Not greeting a lady you meet at a banquet hall is a breach of etiquette. Especially when that lady is a princess.”

Lia caught her breath and spoke softly.
Then she suggested to Serpens that they move elsewhere.
It seemed she was bothered by the gazes around them.

“I apologize. I haven’t lived a life comfortable enough to learn such etiquette.”

Serpens rubbed his nose.
To be honest, moving elsewhere was fine.
Because he was also bothered by the gazes.
However, he had no intention of moving elsewhere just to stay with these two.

“Let’s just talk here. I trained before coming to the banquet, so my legs hurt.”

Because the gazes that bothered him included those of these two as well.

“Ha……. What am I supposed to do with this child?”

Lia pressed her temple.
She was anguished, but she did not lose her smile.

“Why were you on the list of knights Father called earlier?”
“Because I went to the battlefield today?”
“You don’t earn the right to have your name called just by fighting with them.”
“That’s hard to say, since everyone I saw on the battlefield was called.”
“Of course! They are Sword Experts!”

In the middle of their conversation.
People who recognized the princess slowly approached.
But the ugly guy blocked their path.
It didn’t matter whether they were high nobles or skilled knights.

‘By the way, what was that guy’s name?’

The more he kept calling him ugly guy, ugly guy, the uglier he looked.
That said, it felt a little strange to suddenly ask his name.
Questions invited answers,
and when questions and answers repeated, conversations tended to grow longer.

‘I’ll just call him Ugly.’

Serpens scratched the back of his head.

“I’m asking how someone even younger than me stood together with them.”

The boy didn’t know why Lia was irritated.

To Lia, Serpens was like a thorn in her eye.
A boy younger than her had achieved deeds as a knight.
And they were deeds that one could not imagine someone his age accomplishing.
To think she had failed to bring such a talent under her command.
As a princess, that was a failure on her part.

A few months ago, after being flatly rejected by the boy at the Academy.
Lia had begun investigating the boy.

Because they said one had to try at least three times to recruit talent,
she searched for another way to bring the boy under her command.

He was not the child of a noble.
Far from being a noble, he did not even have a family he belonged to.

Then was there a family serving as a strong backer?
That was not the case either.
No matter how much she searched, there was no background that could have allowed the boy to develop such outstanding talent.

Then she would look in a different direction.
The gray-haired knight who had been with the boy.
She tried to find information about him,
but all she heard were absurd stories.

A gray-haired knight. An absurdly large black greatsword.
Among people like that, a skilled knight.
They said there was only one knight who matched that description.
The former Knight Commander of the First Battalion, who had disappeared.
Lucas Liberator.

She had ruled out the possibility that it was him.
A person treated as a legend had appeared at the Academy, and not a single person had recognized him.
There were many students at the Academy who held Lucas as their dream.
How could it make sense that not one person there recognized him?

But today, in this banquet hall, the possibility Lia had ruled out had been revealed to be true.
It was her second lack of ability as a princess.

Lucas Liberator.
The Sword Saint had appeared,
and beside him stood the boy who had rejected her, unmistakably present.

“Why do you possess greater skill than others?”

She disliked Serpens.
Rather than dislike, she resented him.

The girl had lived while feeling the pressure that she had to be more outstanding than anyone.
No one had ever forced it on her,
yet it was a pressure forced on her by everyone.
That was why she resented the boy who had made her feel her own inadequacy twice.

“……I have never thought I possessed greater skill than others.”

She didn’t like that humble attitude either.
It made her feel as if she was the only selfish and calculating person.
As if she was someone who thought of human relationships only as tools.

“If I had to pick something……. I guess I got in the right line?”
“What does that……!”

The girl who tried to get ahead of others,
could not understand the boy who tried to surpass himself.