Nike let out a breath he had been holding and spoke calmly.
"...The Duke requested backup from the Imperial House right after the first raid. I suspected something might go wrong, so I just infiltrated and followed him."
"Huh? But you didn't stop me?"
"You know, without me saying it, that I can't help but hold a grudge against Wassenberg."
"..."
Ryan did not answer. He simply gave a peculiar look, then smiled, nodded, and made way.
Nike walked slowly past Ryan.
Ryan, who was behind him, would neither kill nor capture him.
Were you fooled by this flimsy excuse?
No.
He knows very well that it's not true.
Ryan is a meticulous person.
He's simply trying to release Nike now to find out Vania's location.
Nike slowly began to run, picking up the pace.
It was the beginning of a terrible game of hide-and-seek.
***
“Ah, that’s it.”
Kali interrupted Nike at that point and set off to reorganize the army.
It is because she heard about what happened afterward from Vania, and also because she was disoriented by the shocking details in many ways.
There was a reason why Nike told them after receiving a promise of strict silence.
"If the Duke hadn't lifted the control, would the Lord have actually killed the superpowered individuals one by one?"
"Maybe."
It was completely different from the Ryan she knew.
He was angry, blinded by revenge, even if the Duke was a man who deserved to die.
It was uncharacteristic of Ryan to attempt psychological torture by killing his children one by one right before their father's eyes.
Because it is difficult to do such a thing easily unless one's humanity has been worn down to a certain extent.
"It’s a whole 20 years. And another 8 years after my release. I spent just a mere 10 minutes preparing for all of that to avoid revealing my identity, so there’s no way the process could have been smooth."
For Ryan and Revan before the regression, revenge was their only goal.
What effort would it have taken for two penniless criminals to bring down the country's most noble family?
From securing military funds to Ryan, who honed his instant kill technique without any support, it wasn't difficult to imagine how much the two of them had been put through the wringer.
"It seems the young lady has changed the Lord quite a bit."
“I agree.”
The goal was the same as before the regression, but the process was different. Thanks to Vania, Ryan had walked an easier path in many ways.
It is one thing that a project that originally took eight years was completed in just four, but above all...
"In the sense that you helped me find the meaning of life, even beyond revenge."
Ryan gained a family. He spent ordinary days laughing and crying with people.
It was a life lived happily in its own way for four years after release, without being consumed solely by revenge.
Twelve years spent relentlessly sharpening his blade and tempering himself to become emotionless—should we say that his devilish nature from his time in prison became somewhat gentler thanks to Vania?
But has that cruel inner self vanished as if washed away?
Kali didn't think so.
It might burst out at any moment if provoked.
Imagining sides of him that didn't suit the perpetually cheerful Lord Ryan, Kali thought to herself: He was a man not to be messed with.
I’ve messed with someone I shouldn’t have.
***
Watching Ryan humming, Revan felt his throat parched.
Belzer Castle’s basement, Revan’s armory.
Ryan had various types of knives hanging from his harness.
Why would a man capable of killing someone with a single glance bother to carry all that stuff?
"...What? Are you going to take some persimmons?"
“Hi-ik!”
Ryan looked surprised and said.
"How did you know?!"
"You... you crazy bastard! Just let him go nicely!"
"Are you crazy? You're not actually worried about that piece of trash right now, are you?"
"No. I don't care if that guy gets butchered or his head smashed. I'm just worried about your humanity getting gnawed away at by doing that kind of thing yourself!"
"Thanks for the concern. But I'm fine!"
There is no answer. Ryan's wide-smiling eyes are half-crazy.
Where did it go wrong?
After his eldest brother passed away.
Ryan personally went out to the estate, collected the bodies of the dead one by one, and even held funerals.
It was a regrettable sacrifice, but something could not be done about it.
He couldn't teleport the countless villagers to another place, nor could Ryan go out first to greet them, saying, "Brother, I knew you were coming," just to prevent damage.
He had been holding back and enduring it to hide his strength from the start, but responding like that, acting as if he knew everything, would have been tantamount to openly revealing that he was suspicious.
Besides, considering David was already determined to get Ryan to open his mouth by killing people, wouldn't there have been sacrifices even if the stage hadn't been Belzer?
He shouldn't say this, but since they managed to salvage the situation with just Vania before the entire territory was wiped out, at least the damage was minimized.
The problem is that David did not stop at torture but killed Vania right in front of Ryan's eyes.
Ryan spent the day burying the dead villagers and returned to sit blankly in front of Vania's corpse at night.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
It was three days of that hellish time until Vania opened her eyes again.
It was only natural that Ryan had lost his mind halfway through, blaming himself for 'it was because of me.'
'Are you seriously crazy? Why did you stir up a sleeping lion and mess things up this badly?'
Revan clearly remembers Ryan in Abysus during his time in prison, a time unknown to anyone.
His master is Nox Sirach, the continent's greatest assassin said to have killed the most humans.
He taught Ryan, who dreamed of revenge, various murder and torture techniques, and simultaneously castrated his emotions as if brainwashing him. Since the target of his revenge was a 'blood relative,' this was to ensure he would never let his heart soften.
That is why Ryan was able to steadily erode his humanity during his imprisonment without ever having killed anyone.
If he had been released and wallowed in the mud, Ryan's current appearance would not have been particularly surprising.
But.
Vania, who arrived unexpectedly, changed Ryan's life in a completely different way.
Revenge was merely the final destination; he had lived happily, enjoying life like ordinary people, and finding various meanings in life other than revenge.
So, Wassenberg could have gone peacefully.
If only he hadn't needlessly provoked Ryan and dug up the cruel nature planted deep within him.
“Bunny~!!!”
Revan had no choice but to summon a mental therapist, feeling like crying.
"Hey! Don't worry, Revan."
Ryan grabbed Revan's shoulder tightly, grinned, and said.
"This time, it's a massacre authorized by the Emperor, isn't it?"
"...crazy."
I'm crazy.
***
Nike stood guarding the door of the audience chamber with a nervous heart.
Duke Wassenberg, his two children, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince are currently seated in the audience chamber.
This negotiation table was created by detaining Diana and Gabriel.
At this time, there is only one thing the Imperial Family must unconditionally succeed at.
Creating a stage for the executioner.
The Duke had to issue a mobilization order.
The Duke created a major issue that requires gathering all members of the family to make a decision.
Furthermore, they must thoroughly lower their guard so that they cannot even imagine being invaded that day...
“I do it.”
The Emperor stepped forward while he was contemplating that method.
"I am the one who knows him best."
Why did the Emperor, who had been tormented by the Duke his entire life and found it difficult even to face him, summon such courage?
The Crown Prince was worried, but after reading a certain determination in the Emperor's eyes, he decided to simply follow his lead. Standing by to try again if a dark variable arose, Nike anxiously gazed at the door of the audience chamber.
"Edgar, you be the Emperor."
***
Crown Prince Bane held his breath at the Emperor's shocking remark.
As expected, the Duke came requesting an audience and asked for the reason behind the Imperial Family's audacious act of detaining a person with supernatural abilities.
And now this was the situation.
There was a reason the Emperor appeared here without giving any prior notice, simply telling Bane to trust him.
If he had said he was going to take a gamble like this, everyone would surely have tried to stop him.
"What... do you mean?"
The Duke asked, doubting his ears.
"It is exactly as you heard. Be Emperor, Edgar."
The Emperor spoke with a detached look in his eyes.
"I will officially declare to all the people of the empire and, without any procedural issues and in a very peaceful manner, abdicate to that generation."
"Your Majesty."
"I admit defeat. I no longer wish to be at odds with you. Now, go ahead and pursue your ambitions to your heart's content."
"..."
"You shall become the master of the empire. Laws, rules, everything. You may change them. As you please, to your heart's content. Establish a new order."
Bane, who thought things were going wrong when the Emperor's first remark came out, slowly calmed himself down after seeing the Duke's expression.
Even though the Emperor offered him the country he had wanted to manipulate as he pleased his whole life and told him to do as he pleased, the Duke did not welcome it at all.
On the contrary, he was confused by the unexpected remark.
Absolutely perfect.
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