Episode 111. War (2)
Luna gasped for breath.
The musty smell of the underground passage stung her nostrils.
“This stench is killing me. Haven’t we been here for days?”
“Don’t be a death whisperer.”
Renisha checked the small watch in her hand.
Less than 24 hours had passed.
The underground passage was intricately intertwined.
The path to the Emperor’s bedroom was even more complex.
The design itself had been layered, requiring a deep descent and then a return to the top.
Renisha massaged her numb leg.
Her face was pale, but her expression was stubbornly composed.
Renisha whispered in a cold voice,
“If it were easy, would everyone have killed the Emperor?”
Renisha snickered.
Taking a sip from her water bottle, Renisha found her way.
“For a first-timer, this is pretty good.”
Luna let out a long sigh.
“At this rate, I’ll be exhausted and die before I even get there, let alone kill the Emperor.”
Luna supported Renisha.
Renisha turned to Luna.
“Let’s go quickly.”
Renisha smiled.
Leaving Luna here was, as expected, a good choice.
Turiel had been worried about Luna until the very moment she left.
Luna hated the Emperor more than she hated Renisha.
Since their goals aligned, Luna would never betray her.
And surprisingly... Luna was rather innocent. She was more accustomed to enduring others than betraying them.
“If you get out of here, I’ll give you a great reward.”
“What reward?”
Luna was curious.
In fact, at this point, even her annoyance and dislike of Renisha had become indifferent.
What could she do? Kassius was Renisha's.
She hated being caught in the middle of all that and having her pride hurt.
Besides, Renisha was quite an interesting person.
She seemed cold-blooded and unpredictable, but at times, she could be like a younger sister.
Moreover, she had a surprisingly warm side. She was an enemy you couldn't hate.
She also had a strange way of piquing people's interest.
Luna asked Renisha again.
"What are you offering me?"
Renisha laughed again.
"I'll give you the chance to be my aide."
"What?"
Luna stopped walking.
"How is that a reward?! It's completely earned!!"
"Others are desperate to have it, aren't they?"
"That's not me!"
Renisha's eyes sparkled with laughter.
"You were just teasing me."
"Some of it is sincere. If you wish for something, I'll grant it. As long as it's not the throne."
Luna's shoulders slumped. She gently pinched Renisha's side, which she was supporting, and said in a pouty voice,
"There's nothing I wish for. I just... wish I could live a normal life."
"Normal?"
“A truly ordinary life. A life where I don’t have to run away, where I can reveal my name anywhere, and where I don’t have to descend the mountain for three hours to get to the market. That’s all I need.”
Luna fixed her gaze before her.
Her ears felt hot as she tried to say this to Renisha.
Luna cleared her throat.
“...You don’t have to worry about that. I have to right what’s wrong and make clean amends for the mistakes of the past. Trust me, Luna. I’ll become a different Emperor from Laxus.”
“They say everything will change when you get there.”
“You can kill me then.”
“What?”
Luna stopped walking again.
Renisha’s face was impassive, as if she were sincere.
Even as sweat poured down her face like rain, Renisha’s pale face was filled with a beautiful light.
“I’m serious, Luna. If you think I’m turning into Laxus, kill me.”
Her pale, slender neck caught Luna’s eye.
Luna swallowed without realizing it.
Even if she killed Renisha here and escaped, no one would know.
According to Renisha, this underground passage was built during the construction of the imperial palace, so few people knew about it. Since the architectural blueprints from that time couldn't possibly have survived, it was passed down only by word of mouth.
"Not now, Luna."
"W-who said what?"
Luna's face flushed red as she abruptly averted her gaze. It was almost as if Renisha could see right through Luna.
Luna coughed, feeling as if her true intentions had been revealed.
It was such an embarrassment that even the musty smell of the underpass was almost forgotten.
"If I die, we'll all fall apart."
"..."
"Do you know why, when hunting wolves, they hunt the leader first?"
Luna gasped for breath.
The musty smell of the underground passage stung her nostrils.
“This stench is killing me. Haven’t we been here for days?”
“Don’t be a death whisperer.”
Renisha checked the small watch in her hand.
Less than 24 hours had passed.
The underground passage was intricately intertwined.
The path to the Emperor’s bedroom was even more complex.
The design itself had been layered, requiring a deep descent and then a return to the top.
Renisha massaged her numb leg.
Her face was pale, but her expression was stubbornly composed.
Renisha whispered in a cold voice,
“If it were easy, would everyone have killed the Emperor?”
Renisha snickered.
Taking a sip from her water bottle, Renisha found her way.
“For a first-timer, this is pretty good.”
Luna let out a long sigh.
“At this rate, I’ll be exhausted and die before I even get there, let alone kill the Emperor.”
Luna supported Renisha.
Renisha turned to Luna.
“Let’s go quickly.”
Renisha smiled.
Leaving Luna here was, as expected, a good choice.
Turiel had been worried about Luna until the very moment she left.
Luna hated the Emperor more than she hated Renisha.
Since their goals aligned, Luna would never betray her.
And surprisingly... Luna was rather innocent. She was more accustomed to enduring others than betraying them.
“If you get out of here, I’ll give you a great reward.”
“What reward?”
Luna was curious.
In fact, at this point, even her annoyance and dislike of Renisha had become indifferent.
What could she do? Kassius was Renisha's.
She hated being caught in the middle of all that and having her pride hurt.
Besides, Renisha was quite an interesting person.
She seemed cold-blooded and unpredictable, but at times, she could be like a younger sister.
Moreover, she had a surprisingly warm side. She was an enemy you couldn't hate.
She also had a strange way of piquing people's interest.
Luna asked Renisha again.
"What are you offering me?"
Renisha laughed again.
"I'll give you the chance to be my aide."
"What?"
Luna stopped walking.
"How is that a reward?! It's completely earned!!"
"Others are desperate to have it, aren't they?"
"That's not me!"
Renisha's eyes sparkled with laughter.
"You were just teasing me."
"Some of it is sincere. If you wish for something, I'll grant it. As long as it's not the throne."
Luna's shoulders slumped. She gently pinched Renisha's side, which she was supporting, and said in a pouty voice,
"There's nothing I wish for. I just... wish I could live a normal life."
"Normal?"
“A truly ordinary life. A life where I don’t have to run away, where I can reveal my name anywhere, and where I don’t have to descend the mountain for three hours to get to the market. That’s all I need.”
Luna fixed her gaze before her.
Her ears felt hot as she tried to say this to Renisha.
Luna cleared her throat.
“...You don’t have to worry about that. I have to right what’s wrong and make clean amends for the mistakes of the past. Trust me, Luna. I’ll become a different Emperor from Laxus.”
“They say everything will change when you get there.”
“You can kill me then.”
“What?”
Luna stopped walking again.
Renisha’s face was impassive, as if she were sincere.
Even as sweat poured down her face like rain, Renisha’s pale face was filled with a beautiful light.
“I’m serious, Luna. If you think I’m turning into Laxus, kill me.”
Her pale, slender neck caught Luna’s eye.
Luna swallowed without realizing it.
Even if she killed Renisha here and escaped, no one would know.
According to Renisha, this underground passage was built during the construction of the imperial palace, so few people knew about it. Since the architectural blueprints from that time couldn't possibly have survived, it was passed down only by word of mouth.
"Not now, Luna."
"W-who said what?"
Luna's face flushed red as she abruptly averted her gaze. It was almost as if Renisha could see right through Luna.
Luna coughed, feeling as if her true intentions had been revealed.
It was such an embarrassment that even the musty smell of the underpass was almost forgotten.
"If I die, we'll all fall apart."
"..."
"Do you know why, when hunting wolves, they hunt the leader first?"
"Because if the leader dies, the rest will become a rabble..."
"Yes, that's right. Humans are the same. If I die, we'll all become a rabble. Everyone will be desperate to take my place, ignorant of their place. A nation is the same. That's why we need a successor. If Laxus dies, his nation will crumble. There will be no successor."
"So the Prince..."
"Laxus recognized a child who wasn't even his heir. And I stole that child. That little child is worth it."
Luna pursed her lips.
It was too difficult for her to grasp.
The imperial family, as expected, was not for Luna.
“...I will remember today, Luna.”
Renisha’s pink eyes were filled with a ferocity like a spring gust.
Renisha, even within this underground passage, shone brightly.
Luna blinked, her eyes abruptly lost in a fantasy.
Perhaps this was why people were captivated by Renisha.
Luna realized.
All of this was possible because she was Renisha.
“I will never forget. The pain, the humiliation, the discomfort, the hatred. I will become the Emperor who remembers all of this.”
For some reason, her heart pounded.
Renisha felt a strange belief that she could truly do it.
If it were Renisha. If it were Renisha now. Unlike Laxus...
A small hope rose in her heart that she might once again make Hientri bloom magnificently.
“Luna. I will make sure you never regret helping me.”
Even without it, she had leaked the story of the Yi tribes to the temple.
She had raised objections to the temple's designation of the Yi tribes as heretics.
Whenever they forgot, she sent Turiel to stir things up. They might be complacent now, but once Renisha became Emperor, the temple would not ignore her wishes.
The Yi tribes, along with the minorities oppressed by the Hientri imperial family, would be the first to be liberated.
And the slaves.
The originally abolished slavery was revived two hundred years ago.
While other nations were gradually abolishing slavery, Hientri alone had gone backwards.
Renisha intended to set it all right.
To ensure that no one would fall victim to slavery.
Kassius was the starting point.
The story of Kassius, a former gladiator who became a hero and the Emperor's companion, would spread throughout the nation.
The new millennium empire Renisha dreamed of seemed to be unfolding before her eyes.
Renisha gritted her teeth and took another step forward.
Light was before her eyes.
Laxus ran a hand through his hair.
“Duke Cloud.”
“Your Majesty.”
Covered in pitch-black soot, Duke Cloud prostrated himself before Laxus.
“I asked you to bring me Kassius’s head, but you came back empty-handed. Instead, you lost all my knights.”
“Your Majesty, just one more time... please give me one more chance!! That bastard was a monster! It wasn’t my fault! That monstrous bastard slaughtered Your Majesty’s knights...”
“The Duke has escaped and is now before me.”
Laxus laughed.
“Fine. I will give you the knights. But, Duke Cloud, if you fail this time, don’t come back.”
“Your Majesty...!”
“I will take your head instead of Kassius’s.”
Duke Cloud’s shoulders trembled.
“A sword is useless if it can’t bring a traitor to me. Just as you abandoned me before, I will abandon you this time.”
"No, Your Majesty! I am confident! Even monsters bleed and die! I will prove my loyalty by bringing Kassius's head!"
Duke Cloud shouted, not knowing what he was saying.
His heart pounded and his blood rushed to his stomach.
As he fled from that monster's den, he thought he would never return.
However, he didn't want to lose everything, run away, and live a life of vagabondage.
"Yes, that's right. Humans are the same. If I die, we'll all become a rabble. Everyone will be desperate to take my place, ignorant of their place. A nation is the same. That's why we need a successor. If Laxus dies, his nation will crumble. There will be no successor."
"So the Prince..."
"Laxus recognized a child who wasn't even his heir. And I stole that child. That little child is worth it."
Luna pursed her lips.
It was too difficult for her to grasp.
The imperial family, as expected, was not for Luna.
“...I will remember today, Luna.”
Renisha’s pink eyes were filled with a ferocity like a spring gust.
Renisha, even within this underground passage, shone brightly.
Luna blinked, her eyes abruptly lost in a fantasy.
Perhaps this was why people were captivated by Renisha.
Luna realized.
All of this was possible because she was Renisha.
“I will never forget. The pain, the humiliation, the discomfort, the hatred. I will become the Emperor who remembers all of this.”
For some reason, her heart pounded.
Renisha felt a strange belief that she could truly do it.
If it were Renisha. If it were Renisha now. Unlike Laxus...
A small hope rose in her heart that she might once again make Hientri bloom magnificently.
“Luna. I will make sure you never regret helping me.”
Even without it, she had leaked the story of the Yi tribes to the temple.
She had raised objections to the temple's designation of the Yi tribes as heretics.
Whenever they forgot, she sent Turiel to stir things up. They might be complacent now, but once Renisha became Emperor, the temple would not ignore her wishes.
The Yi tribes, along with the minorities oppressed by the Hientri imperial family, would be the first to be liberated.
And the slaves.
The originally abolished slavery was revived two hundred years ago.
While other nations were gradually abolishing slavery, Hientri alone had gone backwards.
Renisha intended to set it all right.
To ensure that no one would fall victim to slavery.
Kassius was the starting point.
The story of Kassius, a former gladiator who became a hero and the Emperor's companion, would spread throughout the nation.
The new millennium empire Renisha dreamed of seemed to be unfolding before her eyes.
Renisha gritted her teeth and took another step forward.
Light was before her eyes.
***
Laxus ran a hand through his hair.
“Duke Cloud.”
“Your Majesty.”
Covered in pitch-black soot, Duke Cloud prostrated himself before Laxus.
“I asked you to bring me Kassius’s head, but you came back empty-handed. Instead, you lost all my knights.”
“Your Majesty, just one more time... please give me one more chance!! That bastard was a monster! It wasn’t my fault! That monstrous bastard slaughtered Your Majesty’s knights...”
“The Duke has escaped and is now before me.”
Laxus laughed.
“Fine. I will give you the knights. But, Duke Cloud, if you fail this time, don’t come back.”
“Your Majesty...!”
“I will take your head instead of Kassius’s.”
Duke Cloud’s shoulders trembled.
“A sword is useless if it can’t bring a traitor to me. Just as you abandoned me before, I will abandon you this time.”
"No, Your Majesty! I am confident! Even monsters bleed and die! I will prove my loyalty by bringing Kassius's head!"
Duke Cloud shouted, not knowing what he was saying.
His heart pounded and his blood rushed to his stomach.
As he fled from that monster's den, he thought he would never return.
However, he didn't want to lose everything, run away, and live a life of vagabondage.
He hesitated countless times before turning his horse around, and finally stood here again.
Even though he knew that Laxus would push Duke Cloud's back again, Duke Cloud wiped his sweat-soaked palms against his clothes.
He couldn't let go of the power he once held.
His mouth, having tasted its sweetness, wanted to continue to feast on it.
"Just leave it to me, Your Majesty!!"
Laxus stared at the back of Duke Cloud's head, which was scorched by the flames.
"Go. Don't come back until you've taken what I want."
Laxus stood up.
There had been no further contact from Hiloshine.
Laxus clenched his fists. His fingernails dug into his palms.
He would never go alone.
He would leave with something in his hand.
The concubines, including Leline, gathered in one place, trembling.
"How on earth is this going to work?"
"I would understand!"
Leline said shrilly.
Leline, too, had entered the palace with sweet dreams.
She had never expected such chaos to erupt so soon after.
Outside, knights roamed armed, and fires raged through the city.
The empty streets, devoid of life, were palpable even from the palace.
That's why Leline and the other concubines had gathered together and spent the night.
Screams and the clatter of horses' hooves tormented them.
"Can't you reach your father?"
The Counts of Flanes held the most power here.
That's why the other concubines were clinging to Leline.
Leline licked her lips.
She'd already sent someone to the Count of Planes the moment she opened her eyes.
But even they hadn't returned.
Count Planes had sent Leline to the imperial palace and, as she'd hoped, had entered the center.
"...I don't know, I don't know!"
Leline shouted.
Her heart suffocated with fear.
"Even if I kill you, the Emperor won't say anything."
Renisha's voice seemed to come from somewhere.
Leline fumbled with her messily cut hair.
Although she had turned up her hat as much as possible to hide it, Leline still vividly remembered the terror of that night.
The white glare in the darkness, the sharp blade grazing the back of her neck. Even the low voice whispering in her ear,
“You shouldn’t have messed with me.”
Even though he knew that Laxus would push Duke Cloud's back again, Duke Cloud wiped his sweat-soaked palms against his clothes.
He couldn't let go of the power he once held.
His mouth, having tasted its sweetness, wanted to continue to feast on it.
"Just leave it to me, Your Majesty!!"
Laxus stared at the back of Duke Cloud's head, which was scorched by the flames.
"Go. Don't come back until you've taken what I want."
Laxus stood up.
There had been no further contact from Hiloshine.
Laxus clenched his fists. His fingernails dug into his palms.
He would never go alone.
He would leave with something in his hand.
***
The concubines, including Leline, gathered in one place, trembling.
"How on earth is this going to work?"
"I would understand!"
Leline said shrilly.
Leline, too, had entered the palace with sweet dreams.
She had never expected such chaos to erupt so soon after.
Outside, knights roamed armed, and fires raged through the city.
The empty streets, devoid of life, were palpable even from the palace.
That's why Leline and the other concubines had gathered together and spent the night.
Screams and the clatter of horses' hooves tormented them.
"Can't you reach your father?"
The Counts of Flanes held the most power here.
That's why the other concubines were clinging to Leline.
Leline licked her lips.
She'd already sent someone to the Count of Planes the moment she opened her eyes.
But even they hadn't returned.
Count Planes had sent Leline to the imperial palace and, as she'd hoped, had entered the center.
"...I don't know, I don't know!"
Leline shouted.
Her heart suffocated with fear.
"Even if I kill you, the Emperor won't say anything."
Renisha's voice seemed to come from somewhere.
Leline fumbled with her messily cut hair.
Although she had turned up her hat as much as possible to hide it, Leline still vividly remembered the terror of that night.
The white glare in the darkness, the sharp blade grazing the back of her neck. Even the low voice whispering in her ear,
“You shouldn’t have messed with me.”
It was the maid who had been by Leline’s side. Leline realized that Renisha was truly someone who could kill her.
“...Let’s run away,”
One of the concubines said in a trembling voice.
“Let’s run away rather than die here. Let’s run away with His Majesty the Emperor.”
The three of them met eyes. Take Laxus...?
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