Chapter 26

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Chapter 26 – A Stepping Stone To Take Care Of That Day (2)

The assailants were already lying on the side of the road. He confirmed them wriggling like corpses just before death and then collapsed. He was forced to endure it, but his body had reached its limit. In the relief of the situation being settled, he could not hold it any longer and collapsed.

“Huk, huk–”

As he was trying to catch his breath, a sound cut through the pattering of the rain. The clattering sound that followed was caused by a calm, light step. Liam turned in the direction of the sound and gave strength to his heavy eyelids. There, people were standing closely around him. The number of people covering their faces with a hood was two. No, three. Because another person was wearing a hood in between the alleys.

“You’re here.”

Those who had arrived earlier bowed their heads.

‘Is that the leader…?’

The person who came out of the alleyway was tall. But his physique was quite thin.

‘A woman.’ The hood was pressed so closely that he couldn’t see the face but judging from her physique, she was clearly a woman.

“This…”

Turning toward Liam, the woman looked straight at him and spoke.

“Did I come too early?”

Liam’s eyebrows twitched as she stared at him silently.

‘Come early? Doesn’t it mean that you knew about today’s attack in advance? Who the hell are they?’ Liam stared at the strangers, holding unanswered questions. On the other hand, the new people were faithful to their purpose instead of paying attention to Liam.

“I’ll deal with the dead bodies.”

“Yeah.”

Liam struggled to remain alert. They were right in using the Explosive Magic Tool. Thanks to that, Liam did not die at the hands of the assassins. But that was the result. He wasn’t sure if that was their intention.

‘If I had done something wrong, I would have gotten caught too.’

He wasn’t sure if they meant for his survival or if it was an unexpected mistake. In such a situation, Liam, as well as Leon, were unable to continue the battle.

‘What if these new people attack?’ He, who tried hard to give strength to his hand holding the sword, breathed heavily.

On the other hand, the sound of the woman approaching Liam was calm. The sound of a woman walking in the rain was strangely clear to him. As she approached, Liam was able to figure out more than she had thought. Her face and body were covered with a hood, but some things couldn’t remain hidden. The woman’s posture was upright, and her steps were quiet and heavy, characteristic of those who have been educated for a long time to rule.

‘It is clear that she is a noblewoman…’

‘Who are the female nobles who could contact me in Vetern at this time?’ While Liam remained vigilant with suspicion, the unknown woman came closer. Then, she squatted down and peered at Liam from behind her hood. Her lips were slightly puffy at first glance, and her skin was pale. Liam gripped the sword he had not yet released. ‘If I swing the sword like this, I can surely kill her.’ At that time, he was even considering killing the woman.

“Shall I save you?”

Even in a situation where it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed immediately, Liam’s eyebrows rose sharply. It was a tone that gave a strangely determined feeling for a question. As if she knew what Liam would choose. Liam pulled the corner of his mouth while his life was at stake. From the moment the woman opened her mouth, he had already made a choice.

“Save me.”

As he opened his mouth, the woman remained still, even when she saw the blood gushing down.

“Your feet, I’ll lick them, if you tell me to.”

‘If I could not die, I could do anything.’

In the face of life, facing the end, pride and means are only obstacles.

The woman’s lips curled up softly as he held his shaky breath and forced himself to speak.

That was the last sight he saw before he lost consciousness.

Evelyn lowered her head as she walked away and looked away from the fainted Liam.

“Take it.”

As she raised her body and gave the order, the one who activated the explosive magic tool approached. According to Evelyn’s command, he picked up Liam and Leon.

“What about the physician?”

“He’s waiting with the clinic closed.”

“Take him and treat him, and when he wakes up, bring him to me.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Evelyn stared silently at the back of the man who was leaving with the two men. His name was Utah Romullang. He was originally a faithful knight under Cesar. However, Evelyn had contacted him before he met Cesar, and treated his sick wife before she died. Thanks to this, he lived with not only his wife but also with the child she had in her womb. In the original story, Utah meets Cesar while the two are dead, but now his family is alive and well. This was why Utah’s loyalty to Evelyn was solid. In fact, after leaving Fedora, like Utah, some people had become Evelyn’s hands and feet. They should have gone to Cesar, but Evelyn stole the supporting characters along the way.

“I didn’t know it would be this helpful.”

This was not the kind of change she had hoped for when she initially recruited Utah. After realizing that she couldn’t kill Cesar because of the power of the original, Evelyn took away the talent he should have been in contact with.

She wanted to increase the possibility of his future rebellion failing. However, the original did not show any reaction to Evelyn’s actions. It must mean that pulling out a few people wouldn’t do much harm. At that time, she thought she did something wrong, but now it was quite helpful. Now that she could not mobilize the intelligence of the Grand Duchy of Fedora, this small force barely exceeding ten people was Evelyn’s only power.

She turned her gaze from Utah, who had disappeared through the alleyway, and looked around.

Similar to Utah, another man who became Evelyn’s person through her initial help was collecting the corpses. It was Gale, who evacuated the people of the Duchy of Orman two days ago and returned.

He was surrounded by red puddles. But they will disappear soon. It didn’t seem the rain would stop anytime soon.

“When you’re done, wait at the inn. It’ll be busy from now on.”

“Yes.”

Evelyn nodded, and turned around, leaving Gale behind with his head bowed. Unlike when she arrived, she didn’t need a guide now. It wasn’t difficult for her to find a path she had already passed. Evelyn made her way through the tangled alleys with ease.

Now that she succeeded in snatching the sub-male lead, Liam, it was time to prepare for the next one.

The relationship that started again as a mercenary and a traitor led to the relationship between a meritorious contributor and the new Emperor.

Etrada was staring intently at Cesar, who had become an adult at some point. As she stretched her body, leaning against the back of a luxurious chair, Cesar, struggling with a pile of papers, looked at her.

“Again, what’s the matter?”

“I’m bored.”

It was suitable to say the two had a master-servant relationship. However, Etrada never used honorifics or titles to Cesar. Regardless of whether they were in public or not. It was possible because Cesar had tolerated all of her actions. The reason was unknown, but he did not take into account Etrada’s carefree attitude.

“You must not have enjoyed the banquet.”

“Absolutely.”

“You have only attended one. Count Ramolt’s banquet was probably not to your liking.”

Etrada had been fidgeting, bored since taking over the Imperial City. Cesar, who failed to see it, suggested a banquet, and she willingly attended. People who had already forgotten the blood that had flowed over Vetern started to hold banquets in a hurry, and many places invited Etrada. She was a knight who made a great contribution to the beginning of the new Empire.

In fact, even before the official award for contribution was held, she was already nominated as Count.

Those who were ready to flatter the new Emperor were impatient to give good faith to Etrada, Cesar’s closest aide.

“Haha- hoho, hihihi-, oh my~ It’s not funny at all.”

However, Etrada, who went to the banquet with her eyes twinkling out of curiosity, had a sullen face from the beginning to the end. For her, the banquet was a place full of pretense, flattery, luscious drinks, and filthy desires.

“Do you like that?”

“Sort of.”

“Your taste is really strange.”

Etrada looked at Cesar with a look full of incomprehension. Cesar had become somehow foreign, and his forehead was wrinkled.

“These are the ones who once flattered my enemies. They are now on their knees at my feet, and of course, they are willing.”

He was also glad that his servants, who had been despised by those same flatterers, took power and looked down on them. After hearing Cesar’s words, Etrada’s expression slightly crumpled.

“Then what’s the point, there’s no one who really welcomes you.”

Etrada began to wave her arm that was hanging below her armrest and continued.

“Is that seat worth it?”

“What?”

“Is it worth it even if you sacrifice the lives of the people you cared for and who cared for you?”

Cesar’s expression hardened. This was because the faces of those who died to take over Vetern came to mind. Rogers, who taught him swordplay since childhood, and Pedro, with whom he grew up and shared faith. When the faces of faithful knights who could die in a new war in the provinces came to mind, Cesar said in a low, subdued voice,

“Before discussing values, I should discuss my rights and obligations.”

Today’s revenge was foreseen.

Now worthy of being called a ruined Emperor, Anterman created a river of blood that flowed endlessly and ascended the throne. He was fated to endure the revenge and resistance of those who squeezed the blood. Cesar had the right to take revenge on the late Emperor Anterman in return for the blood of his grandfather and father, and his duty to take revenge on behalf of his dead blood and his younger self.

If you want to take someone’s property, you have to endure the revenge that will come later. In the same way, Cesar must also endure revenge for those who had lost their blood, family, honor, and future due to him. If he loses to them, he will be in the same situation as the ruined Emperor Anterman, but if he wins, he will be able to rule with the New Empire under his feet. The price of his long-cherished revenge was to spend the rest of his life in endless political strife. And Cesar was prepared to endure it all.

Etrada stared at Cesar with a hardened expression on her own face.

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