CH 48

anslated by SoundOfDestiny

“Aiming for my life … Parents and children are similar only where they don’t want them to be similar.” 

“I’m sorry for your loss, Your Majesty.”

Zacharias is looking down at the body of his son when a shrill old man’s voice comes from behind him.

An old man in a grey dressing gown appeared from behind a pillar and walked up to the throne.

“What is it, old man? Why are you here?” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t help you. I was afraid I might get in the way.” 

“Ah, good, good. It’s a tactless move to interfere with a father and son especially when one of them is about to die.”

Zacharias responded with a hawkish wave of his hand.

The old man’s name was Savvy Raza. He is a sorcerer in the service of the royal court, and a great wizard who has been given the rank of “sage”.

To Zacharias, he was his ‘grandfather’, his nurturer.

“Gilbert was a good son, but……a little too serious for his own good.”

Gilbert von Althlein was undoubtedly a man of noble birth. Although a little conservative and obsessed with his lineage and position, he would have been a well-liked and wise monarch had he become emperor.

Zacharias loved his bright son, but he would not let him be killed just because he was his son.

He is the emperor, the Golden Lion of the Empire, who has only just begun his reign. 

“…..I’m sorry to bother you at this time, Your Majesty. I have something to report.” 

“Hmm? Go on..”

When the Emperor urged him to continue, Savvy bowed reverently and opened his mouth.

“The army of the West …… led by Lieutenant-General Barzen has been destroyed. He is missing and his second-in-command, Colonel Safaris, is now in command.”

“What?　It’s the Kingdom of Zain that the Western Army is fighting against. What happened to Célia?” 

The daughter of Zacharias, Princess Célia Von Althlein, was nominally serving as a general in the Western Army.

The real commander of the army was Gracos Barzen, so she was almost an adornment.  

“Lady Célia was defeated in single combat with the enemy general, and was taken prisoner.”

“Oh! There was a warrior in the kingdom of Zain who could defeat her?”

Zacharias slaps his knee and raises his voice.

She was only a novice at leading an army, but she was the chosen wielder of the holy sword, Claíomh Solas. Her skill with the sword was such that she could defeat an entire army single-handedly.

Who could have defeated her?

Zacharias’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. 

“I see, the enemy had a holy sword, too, didn’t they?”

“You guessed it, sir. It is said that the cursed holy sword Dáinsleif…… once defeated the dark witch Neimilia.”

“Hoooo!”

Zacharias smiled with amusement, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.

The belligerent emperor had a fair liking for strong men, even if they were his enemies. Forgetting that his daughter was a prisoner of war, his attention was drawn to the strongest man he had yet seen.

“We are still investigating who holds the Dáinsleif. With the loss of Lieutenant-General Barzen and Her Highness Princess Célia, the Western Front has been driven back to the border fortress of Balmes to rebuild its forces.” 

“Hmm……, let’s hurry up with the investigation. If so, send some infiltrator to take him in.”

The thought of his murdered son had already slipped from Zacharias’s mind. Instead, his mind was occupied with the new holder of the holy sword.

“Your Majesty,……enjoyment is all well and good, but if you continue in this way, you will jeopardize the invasion of the West.”

“Mmm, that’s right … but I don’t care. My blood just boiled.” 

Zacharias scratched his head at Savvy’s remonstrance.

If one of the five great armies of the empire, the Western Army, is destroyed, and loses one of the keepers of the Holy Sword, the strength of the empire will be greatly diminished. 

This would mean that Zacharias’s ambition to conquer the continent would be unfullied.

The emperor ponders seriously about the measures to be taken. 

“We must take back…… Célia at all costs. In some cases, I am willing to give up the territories I have taken.”

“Are you sure? If we continue to attack, will the Kingdom of Zain fall into the hands of the Empire?” 

“We will. The power of the Holy Sword cannot be taken from us. We can’t afford to lose the power of the Holy Sword. If the enemy also has a holy sword, we will have to be serious.”

Zacharias laughed wildly and patted Durandal’s hilt.

“Let’s see the power of the Holy Sword Dáinsleif!”