CH 87

Vikram explained about the enhanced undead monsters.

“My guess is that they’ll be able to break the barrier in the capital.”

“Then I must go help my father.”

As soon as I said that I was going to the capital, Daniel reacted immediately.

“Frey. I won’t send you alone where it might be dangerous. If the enhanced undead monsters are rampaging as Vikram feared, it could be difficult.”

The thought of my father being in danger brought an immediate response.

“Even if you stop me, I—”

“I’m not saying I’ll stop you from going to your father’s side, I’m saying I’ll go with you.”

When Daniel flicked his fingertips, a moving magic circle large enough for two people to enter appeared.

“I am your husband, and today is our wedding anniversary.”

Strangely, when I heard that he was on my side, my anxiety began to subside.

“Then can you help me a little?”

“Frey. You don’t know how many people are waiting to help you.”

Daniel immediately summoned Luke and the other knight in the castle. Their faces were grim as if they’d been briefed on the situation.

“Give me your order, His Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Luke, always at Daniel’s side, asked me.

“Tell me if you have anything to prepare.”

Even the Baron butler, who was only for Prause.

They looked at me with straight eyes and waited. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

“Luke. Order the knights to strengthen the boundaries of the territory and protect Damon and Arsene.”

“Alright.”

“Vikram. Watch the mansion with the undead monsters and the fog of Fall, and let me know if you see anything.”

“I will do as you command.”

I gave some more instructions.

No one protested or said it was not my authority. In fact, they were trusting me. The moment I confirmed their trust, I was able to regain my composure.

‘Nothing has happened yet, so there’s no need to be afraid of the illusions created by my imagination.’

Ting!

I walked into the moving magic circle with Daniel. The coordinates were the imperial palace.

But it was much more noisy inside than I remember. Knights were running in all directions with torches, busy with their own duties, unable to spot us.

“Something seems to have happened.”

I tried to calm my mind and went inside the palace.

As if by luck, the first knight I encountered was a vassal of the Emperor’s faction.

“What brings Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Frause to this place…”

“What is going on in the palace?”

He explained with a very puzzled face.

“There was an urgent call from the Holy Knights. A group of undead monsters are trying to break the barrier.”

“Breaking the barrier of the capital that was built by His Majesty the Emperor?”

My father’s divine power barrier was very strong. Until now, there was only one time when undead monsters penetrated into the barrier and came close to damaging a private house.

‘The day my mother passed away while my father was away.’

It was clear that it was not an ordinary undead monster he had been dealing with.

“His Majesty the Emperor went to the Temple to reinforce the barriers in the capital.”

There was no sacred tower in the capital.

A more accurate explanation was that there was no need for a sacred tower because the emperor managed the vast barrier centered on the Great Temple.

It was the other part that bothered him.

“It’s not too much trouble that the emperor should visit the Temple.”

“that is…”

While he was avoiding my gaze, the Doctor and His assistant escaped from my father’s bedroom.

An ominous feeling ran through my body.

“Could it be that something has happened to the Emperor’s health?”

Noticing the anger in my voice, the knight avoided my eyes.

“I apologize. It was the Emperor’s orders that the Grand Duchess not be informed of the state of his health under any circumstances.”

“What do you mean?”

In <Abandoned World>, knowing that my father died of chronic disease, I asked the high priest to receive the results of my father’s health checkup every month.

All they said was that he was healthy, but now that I think about it, it seems that my father gave a strict order to the High Priest.

It was understandable to hide his health condition from others because it could lead to political battles.

But why even me, His daughter…

“How is His Majesty?”

Daniel asked on behalf of me who was speechless.

The captain of the knights pondered for a while whether he should disobey the imperial order, but soon came up with an answer.

“He has been vomiting blood for a few days.”

“You said he vomited blood?”

“Kill, kill me. His Majesty never wanted Lady Frey to know.”

“….”

“I finally found a cure thanks to the numerous visits to the imperial palace by famous people who were said to rarely show themselves, but I didn’t expect undead monsters to attack just in time….”

No. It was no coincidence that they came now that my father’s hidden illness had worsened. They must have observed my father’s condition and decided it was time to move.

“Are you sure you found a cure?”

“Yes. I heard that it is difficult to find a cure, but with enough time, everything will work out.”

“Ah…okay.”

Daniel opened the moving magic circle to the Temple without me even saying anything.

* * *

“Soon the spectacle will unfold.”

Duke Gelon looked out the glass window and sipped his wine.

Here, from the spire of the Duke of Gelon, he could look down at the main lines of the capital city at a glance.

“Garnet. What do you think, the Imperial Palace and the Temple are unremarkable from up here, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Crown Princess Garnet received an invitation she could not refuse and came here to keep her seat.

‘It must mean to keep Lydia under control.’

As a mother, she was worried about Lydia, who had gone somewhere due to the needs of the Duke of Gelon.

Garnet, however, was more concerned about her situation right now.

“The Capital…”

The sight of the former Lord of Vliette looking out the window with his hands tied behind his back, was surreal.

‘One day, I’ll be like that, too, when I’ve outlived my usefulness.’

‘Someday, when I’m done with my usefulness, I’ll be like that.’

Garnett stared out the window, hoping that such a day would not come sooner.

The only ones relaxing on the spire were the Empress and the Duke of Gelon.

“Thanks to my older brother’s invitation, I think we’ll have a fun time watching in a good place.”

“Since it is a historic moment when Gelon dominates the imperial family, there is plenty of reason to gather together.”

Duke Gelon laughed and smiled kindly.

However, in reality, his eyes were glaring at the top floor of the Temple with a cool gaze.

“It would be nice for our proud Lydia to watch the scene where the divine power collapses helplessly.”

Duke Gelon was a man who sought perfection.

He devoted his entire life to directing scenes where undead monsters who secretly strengthened their bodies broke the emperor’s barrier and destroyed private houses.

Instead of killing the crown prince, who had the worst magical power, he fatally wounded him and put him on the throne.

He married his younger sister to a scarecrow-like creature and made her the empress.

‘The only flaw was that Tahar, the child born to them, had no divine power, but… it was the power that would be downfall anyway.’

But lately, a series of annoying things have happened.

It started with the announcement to the whole world that Frey, who was only a timid daughter of a concubine, had divine power.

She married the most annoying Grand Duke and even stole items from the Magic Tower.

‘How dare you mess up my plans.’

When Duke Gelon frowned in anger, the empress trembled.

“The timing was a little earlier because of the lowly thing, but just in time, the scarecrow’s internal wounds got worse and he was bleeding profusely, so it’s right.”

“Since Lydia can control the monsters, surprise attacks are possible and it’s easy in many ways.”

The granddaughter must be having a hard time controlling dozens of undead monsters by now. it’s like Lydia isn’t considered a member of the Gelon family.

“For the victory of the family.”

Duke Gelon toasted the empress with a fishy laugh.

On the top floor of the Temple, there was a divine power barrier maintenance device.

When the emperor came and laid his hands on the pillar standing tall in the middle, the divine power they had for generations spread in the form of a huge barrier.

Bang!

Then, when the emperor, who was not even equipped with a combat uniform, coughed, drops of blood splattered everywhere.

In the meantime, efforts were made to maintain the barrier by somehow pouring divine power into the pillar.

Isaac, the commander of the Holy Knights, looked at the stooped back with pity.

“Your majesty. The knights evacuated people from private houses.”

“Good job. They’re not ordinary, so you’ll have to be extra careful. What about support?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is personally leading the knights.”

The emperor made no reply.

Tahar’s magical power was so great that he was called a genius, but he had no divine power, so he couldn’t help maintain the barrier.

‘But it’s not like he is coming to defeat undead monsters together.’

The Emperor already knew Tahar’s purpose.

The moment the divine power runs out, he will show off his presence by using wide-area magic as if he had waited.

Only to let the world know that the age of divine power is over and the age of magic has dawned.

‘Although he is my son, Tahar was more like Gelon than anyone else.’

[“your majesty. Is it because he has divine power that you want to use the right of absolute obedience to that lowly thing?”]

The Emperor remembered Tahar’s visit when Frey asked him to marry Grand Duke Prause.

[“Tahar. Even though you don’t have divine power, your magical power is as good as that of a transcendent.”]

[“….”]

[“If you cooperate with Frey, you will become a good emperor. don’t you know she doesn’t want to be emperor.”]

Then Tahar openly laughed, saying that it was nonsensical.

[“I am of Gelon blood, Your Majesty. I take away from the world what I do not have, and I do not beg to borrow.”]

‘But you are also my son.’

The emperor wanted to say it, but he couldn’t utter it. Tahar had avoided him, and the Emperor hadn’t had a chance to talk.

And now.

Creaaak!

As the undead monsters threw their bodies, the barrier began to shake greatly.

Looking down, he saw Tahar leading his knights.

‘They are all those who have been appointed by Gelon.’

It was a time when the emperor, feeling bitter and lonely, tried to gather the remaining divine power.

“Father!”

He heard the melodious voice he loved.