Chapter 315

Chapter 315

Translator: yun

He seemed to think that I would no longer chase him away after he stated his business. And he was right.

“Raise your head.”

As soon as I spoke, his stiff shoulders relaxed naturally. The moment he raised his head, the glasses plastered on his face flashed the way it did earlier in the day. His deep gaze stood out from behind the glasses.

“Did you say that you were called Dike?”

“It is an honour that you remember this humble name of mine.”

“When you say the barrier, you must be referring to the one that protects the Empire, right?”

“I thought it might be the case but just as I expected, you do not know anything, Your Majesty.”

I frowned momentarily. Before I was struck with a sudden thought.

This man seemed determined to get on my nerves. As if that was what he planned to do all along.

‘He also looked very proud talking earlier in the day.’

Who else would dare nitpick the emperor’s gender? The opposition as well as all those who were in their faction voiced similar dissentients.

I turned towards Rebecca to find her nodding. Perhaps it was because we had been together for so long but Rebecca would sometimes read my mind and answer with her gaze before I could say anything

“Alright. If you have to come visit at this time, it must be urgent. However,”

I leaned back on my chair before quietly giving a warning. He needed to realise. No matter what trick he was trying to pull, I would not fall for whatever lowly scheme he had.

“Whatever you want from me, you won’t be getting it for as long as you try to anger me. So, will you continue acting like that?”

I nailed the end of my sentence with a sigh. To be honest, his actions barely left a scratch on me.

“My deepest apologies. Please take it as the ignorance of an uncultured and be merciful.”

“Ignorant? That’s not something the Head Templar of Wisdom should be saying about himself.”

His eyes momentarily widened behind his glasses.

“Not all Templars of Wisdom are wise and smart. Sometimes I make foolish judgments as well. As my late brother did.”

Soon, his dark eyes slightly curled pleasantly.

“What I wanted to inform you of is a secret that has passed from generation to generation in the Temple of Wisdom.”

His relaxed expression took a serious turn.

“But I feel that you should be aware of it now, Your Majesty. Especially since the barrier has disappeared.”

“So what on earth do you want to say?”

“It is a way to set up the barrier again.”

I lashed out at his words.

“The marble or tools needed for the barrier were made by the God of Blacksmiths and the spell and sorcery needed for it was created by the God of Wisdom. 2000 years later, the specific techniques were still handed down to the next generation of each temple.”

“Are you saying that it is possible to reestablish the barrier?”

“In theory, yes. If we manage to set up the barrier again, the war may swing in our favour.”

“... This plan wouldn’t turn out fruitless, would it?”

We also needed to protect this land from the powerful Castor. However, the person who was delivering this message was the same man who had been casting doubt on my legitimacy just earlier this afternoon.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Purple butterflies appeared around the corner and surrounded the Head Templar, moving according to my emotions. He flinched. The Head Templar immediately caved to the pressure and confessed his real intentions.

“The Goddess of Wisdom is one who has been eaten by the Lord of the Gods and lives in his head while whispering to him wisdom. Perhaps it is because of her close relationship to the Lord of the Gods but we are also able to mimic the Power of the Lord to a certain extent.”

“Mimic?”

“I can feel the future.”

The Head Templar calmly explained his point.

“Of course, I cannot prophesise as accurately as a Templar of the Lord. It’s something more like a vague feeling I get. I sensed a chill as though everything will go to ruin if I do not follow you, Your Majesty.”

As he spoke, his business-like expression faltered. His doubtful gaze behind his glasses turned to me.

“But the strangest thing is that the feeling changes from day to day. One day I would sense ruin looming while on another, I could see the future being completely fine.”

I noticed instinctively.

‘The future has not been completely set in stone yet.’

The race to the future was tight. The future Castor might destroy and the future I might change.

The Head Templar, Dike’s, words gave me a ray of hope. At very least, there was a possibility which was why my voice softened.

“Yeah. Now I understand why he was so subservient now.”

“Have you been bothered by what happened in the afternoon?”

“Well, are you referring to the show you put on with Julian?”

“Yes. You are right.”

Already, in our western front, there would be two or three battles every three days with two skirmishes a day at most.

The Templars of Diana were fighting valiantly. But no one knew how long they could last.

‘Pontus’ army from the City of Snow and Sea is heading west...’

That would also take awhile.

“You must have heard from the Head Templar of Wisdom, right? About rebuilding the barrier.”

“Yes, I did.”

I halted my thoughts before staring straight at Julian.

“If Castor reappears before us, will you be willing to be held hostage?”

Julian flinched. He looked calm but I spotted his hands trembling temporarily.

“That will be difficult.”

“Why’s that?”

“If I really was his weakness, he would have taken me along with him.”

He admitted the reality of the situation with a wry smile.

“No, I realise now. He is willing to kill me without any hesitation. I don’t think I’ll be able to work as a hostage.”

“I see.”

“The reason why you asked... is it because you’re worried I might take brother’s side?”

Julian asked while flashing a gentle smile. I felt it back in the North Tower... He would pierce one’s heart with such a beautiful expression that made himself look like he had not a care in the world.

“That’s not it. If I thought that, I wouldn’t have tried to bring you to my side.”

“I just... No, it’s nothing. By the way, I heard that the Templar of Wisdom became your other aide.”

“Yes. He did.”

“Ah, let me apologise.”

I shot him an incredulous look.

“You’d have to first get up from your chair to kneel on your knees.”

No, he hadn’t seemed to have realised it yet?

“Aha. I had never knelt in front of a table before, so I didn’t know.”

“Isn’t it common sense?”

Why was he such a clumsy man? Instead of asking him that, I shot Amor, who had been standing silently thus far, a look.

‘Has he always been like that?’

Amor nodded as if he had been waiting. One of this world’s greatest mysteries was this man who was more intelligent and brilliant than anyone else falling after taking less than three steps.

“Get up.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Excuse me for asking but what do you think of your other aide?”

Suddenly, the Head Templar of Wisdom came to mind. He was never the one to be polite enough to hold himself back in front of other Head Templars or stop himself from coming in the middle of the night to give the emperor a visit.

“Hm, perhaps he’d prefer if I had not become emperor or he has been lamenting under his breath to have a mistress like me.”

He smiled broadly.

“He’s a good man.”

Where was he going with this?

“... You know him well.”

I wondered what kind of relationship they had.

The emperor’s children had cat-like eyes because they had inherited it from the sinful emperor. But Julian’s eyes were the opposite. His eyes drooped at the ends like a dog’s, much like Hernan’s, before they folded gently.

“I will keep my oath. However, there is a truth I cannot reveal to you.”

“What’s that?”

After hearing him out, I promised to forget whatever he said which prompted Julian to thank me before he smiled and continued talking.

“I just wish to see brother’s face once more after the war ends.”

“... You must have lots to say bottle up inside you, don’t you?”

He smiled wordlessly before falling over again after getting up from his seat. Ultimately, Amor sighed before summoning his vines.

“You’re quite high-maintenance, brother.”

“Ah, you still consider me your brother?”

Amor looked annoyed as Julian smiled softly and reached his hand out towards him.