“I—I can’t! Rather… … Put Duke Tintalion on the throne!”
As the royal family continued to express their refusal, the Duke of Atreille became anxious. He thought about becoming emperor himself, but it was impossible.
Whoever was to become the next emperor would have to kick Aslei out of the palace. Or at least calm him down.
Duke Atreille was not confident of his ability to do even that. Even though he was his son-in-law.
“… … Wouldn’t it be better if we crowned Duke Tintalion as emperor?”
The hope was that he would calm down if all the nobles came together, presented him with the crown, and bowed to him, asking for him to become emperor.
“Will the crown calm him down?”
The crowd grew quiet at an aristocrat’s musings. The shouts calling for the traitor’s death, Duke Tintalion, had already evaporated. No one wanted to be killed while opposing the Duke.
‘Frisia, I wish she hadn’t died… … !’
He had no idea that his daughter’s absence, whom he had always disliked, would be felt so greatly. He never paid her much attention, nor did he know that she and Duke Tintalion had gotten along together so well.
“That’s it!”
Duke Atreille, recalling a solution, jumped up from his seat. The wizards and knights who were said to have accompanied Frisia when she was murdered were needed.
❁ ❁ ❁
“… … What’s the matter, father-in-law?”
He had no idea how many days had passed since he had been covered in blood. Every time Aslei moved, pieces of hardened blood fell off of him. Additionally, a foul odor reeked from all directions.
He feared an infectious disease might spread due to the stench of rotting corpses.
However, no one had the ability to enter the imperial palace and deal with Aslei, who was occupying it.
The Duke of Atreille was relieved that Aslei recognized him. He did not allow his son Ryan to accompany him, just in case.
“I have come to inform you of important testimony from your wizard.”
“Testimony?”
Aslei looked tired. Although his appearance was like that, the Duke of Atreille thought not to be fooled by his appearance. It was rumoured that a sword master could fight without eating or drinking for a month.
Not all swordmasters were like that, but he thought if someone could do something like that, it would be Aslei.
“What’s the testimony?”
His despairing gaze passed through the Duke and landed on the wizard. He recognized him from the procession protecting Frisia.
He remembered him, for he had painstakingly chosen the most talented sorcerer to accompany them.
‘Right. There were those guys too.’
The thought occurred to Aslei that the blame for Frisia’s death was not limited to just the Emperor or Julien.
It was also a sin to not be able to protect Frisia. Just as he must die after completing his vengeance, they were equally guilty.
It was decided that he should be killed, but he had to show the minimum respect to his father-in-law. He was the one who lost his daughter because of him.
When the Duke gave a signal, the wizard trembled and knelt before Aslei.
“A-after the chariot was enveloped in flame magic… … I felt traces of teleportation magic.”
What? Aslei listened as if he was bored and was now so intense it made him dizzy. The wizard looked intimidated but then met Aslei’s eyes.
In reality, the Duke of Atreille had asked him to lie. But what the wizard said to Aslei was not a lie.
Because it was indeed true that he felt such a presence and sensed the traces.
But it had happened in an instant, and the wave of magic was small, so he wasn’t sure. That was why he couldn’t report it to Aslei at the scene.
“It doesn’t make sense for there to be no bodies left since she had powerful magic in her magic tools! Since the magic tool must have defended itself to some extent, the bodies must remain… … .”
“Escape. Could she have escaped?”
Aslei, who was sitting on the throne and clutching the armrests, stood up. As he let go, a piece of the armrest broke off.
The wizard froze when he saw him. However, Aslei, gaining little hope, flew towards the magician.
“Is it really true? Frisia… … S-she’s alive, right?”
“… … .”
The wizard just stood agape without being able to answer. When Aslei’s eyebrows were about to wrinkle in frustration, another knight stepped forward. He was also one of Aslei’s knights.
“It must be. I also saw something gray jump into the carriage!”
He was certain that someone had helped Madam escape, perhaps a wizard. He didn’t know what he had seen that day, but the knight was sure of it.
Aslei’s blue eyes shone brightly.
“Yes, yes! Frisia can’t die like that! Frisia… … !”
Aslei was laughing, his face distorted as if he was going crazy with joy, but that light was short-lived. Then, the light in his dark blue eyes went out and became dark.
“But why don’t you appear before me?”
Everyone gathered in the conference hall held their breath at the sign of menacing peril. At any moment, Aslei would run amok and kill everyone for daring to lie to him.
“I—I can’t! Rather… … Put Duke Tintalion on the throne!”
As the royal family continued to express their refusal, the Duke of Atreille became anxious. He thought about becoming emperor himself, but it was impossible.
Whoever was to become the next emperor would have to kick Aslei out of the palace. Or at least calm him down.
Duke Atreille was not confident of his ability to do even that. Even though he was his son-in-law.
“… … Wouldn’t it be better if we crowned Duke Tintalion as emperor?”
The hope was that he would calm down if all the nobles came together, presented him with the crown, and bowed to him, asking for him to become emperor.
“Will the crown calm him down?”
The crowd grew quiet at an aristocrat’s musings. The shouts calling for the traitor’s death, Duke Tintalion, had already evaporated. No one wanted to be killed while opposing the Duke.
‘Frisia, I wish she hadn’t died… … !’
He had no idea that his daughter’s absence, whom he had always disliked, would be felt so greatly. He never paid her much attention, nor did he know that she and Duke Tintalion had gotten along together so well.
“That’s it!”
Duke Atreille, recalling a solution, jumped up from his seat. The wizards and knights who were said to have accompanied Frisia when she was murdered were needed.
❁ ❁ ❁
“… … What’s the matter, father-in-law?”
He had no idea how many days had passed since he had been covered in blood. Every time Aslei moved, pieces of hardened blood fell off of him. Additionally, a foul odor reeked from all directions.
He feared an infectious disease might spread due to the stench of rotting corpses.
However, no one had the ability to enter the imperial palace and deal with Aslei, who was occupying it.
The Duke of Atreille was relieved that Aslei recognized him. He did not allow his son Ryan to accompany him, just in case.
“I have come to inform you of important testimony from your wizard.”
“Testimony?”
Aslei looked tired. Although his appearance was like that, the Duke of Atreille thought not to be fooled by his appearance. It was rumoured that a sword master could fight without eating or drinking for a month.
Not all swordmasters were like that, but he thought if someone could do something like that, it would be Aslei.
“What’s the testimony?”
His despairing gaze passed through the Duke and landed on the wizard. He recognized him from the procession protecting Frisia.
He remembered him, for he had painstakingly chosen the most talented sorcerer to accompany them.
‘Right. There were those guys too.’
The thought occurred to Aslei that the blame for Frisia’s death was not limited to just the Emperor or Julien.
It was also a sin to not be able to protect Frisia. Just as he must die after completing his vengeance, they were equally guilty.
It was decided that he should be killed, but he had to show the minimum respect to his father-in-law. He was the one who lost his daughter because of him.
When the Duke gave a signal, the wizard trembled and knelt before Aslei.
“A-after the chariot was enveloped in flame magic… … I felt traces of teleportation magic.”
What? Aslei listened as if he was bored and was now so intense it made him dizzy. The wizard looked intimidated but then met Aslei’s eyes.
In reality, the Duke of Atreille had asked him to lie. But what the wizard said to Aslei was not a lie.
Because it was indeed true that he felt such a presence and sensed the traces.
But it had happened in an instant, and the wave of magic was small, so he wasn’t sure. That was why he couldn’t report it to Aslei at the scene.
“It doesn’t make sense for there to be no bodies left since she had powerful magic in her magic tools! Since the magic tool must have defended itself to some extent, the bodies must remain… … .”
“Escape. Could she have escaped?”
Aslei, who was sitting on the throne and clutching the armrests, stood up. As he let go, a piece of the armrest broke off.
The wizard froze when he saw him. However, Aslei, gaining little hope, flew towards the magician.
“Is it really true? Frisia… … S-she’s alive, right?”
“… … .”
The wizard just stood agape without being able to answer. When Aslei’s eyebrows were about to wrinkle in frustration, another knight stepped forward. He was also one of Aslei’s knights.
“It must be. I also saw something gray jump into the carriage!”
He was certain that someone had helped Madam escape, perhaps a wizard. He didn’t know what he had seen that day, but the knight was sure of it.
Aslei’s blue eyes shone brightly.
“Yes, yes! Frisia can’t die like that! Frisia… … !”
Aslei was laughing, his face distorted as if he was going crazy with joy, but that light was short-lived. Then, the light in his dark blue eyes went out and became dark.
“But why don’t you appear before me?”
Everyone gathered in the conference hall held their breath at the sign of menacing peril. At any moment, Aslei would run amok and kill everyone for daring to lie to him.
