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The Sun’s Retribution was now done.
Actually, no. It was temporarily suspended.
‘The final decision will be made in three days.”
That was the only thing Emperor Marcus had said before he stood up and coldly strode away.
And then the air was dead again as everyone’s attention was turned toward one man. They couldn’t hide the hatred in their eyes.
Joshua felt their burning stares, of course.
Showing happiness in the midst could spark jealousy, and showing pain would mark him as weak. That was aristocratic society.
“Come with me.”
The silence was broken by a man who was so respected in Avalon that they called him a “god.” Joshua eyed Duke Agnus’s back oddly before following.
The only sound anyone could hear in that field was their fading footsteps.
Their walk was agonizing. Duke Agnus didn’t open his mouth until they were firmly outside of the Imperial Palace.
“Why didn’t you come and see me?”
“I've had a lot to do, so I've been busy.”
“Did it matter more than meeting with me?”
“You should know—I’m not part of the Agnus family anymore.”
“Count Sanders…” Duke Agnus muttered, then he spun on his heel.
Joshua stopped and stared at Duke Agnus’s back with undisguised anger.
“There will be a war soon.”
“Are you going to stop it?”
“Human hands can’t dam a river.”
“But they say your dam is godlike…”
“If the river overflows, even the dam won't help. Floods are disasters for a reason.”
“Then you’re too weak to be called a ‘sword god.’”
Duke Agnus stopped and looked at Joshua for a moment and burst out laughing.
“Hearing that from my own kid doesn’t hurt. Not bad.”
“That’s a mistake, I apologize.”
Joshua recognized his mistake and bowed his head. When Duke Agnus didn’t move for a moment, Joshua thought he was going to die—and then the Duke laughed.
“When the head of the family prepares to go to war, he needs to make preparations in case the worst happens,” Duke Agnus said, eyeing Joshua.
“I’ve already had that talk.”
“Please don't get me wrong.” Duke Agnus’s eyes flashed. “You wouldn’t have done this if you hadn't thought about this for a long time. I know that you can do this without my help.”
Joshua’s heart began to hammer against his chest. Duke Agnus’s words blew him away. No matter how smart Joshua was, he was challenging a Prince of the Empire.
And yet, with no evidence of Joshua’s ability to succeed, Duke Agnus still had faith in him.
‘Does he know something? Why…?’
Duke Agnus examined the pleased twinkle in Joshua’s eyes.
“Are you not satisfied with the Agnus name?”
“That…”
“Are you trying to go higher?”
Joshua shivered, something Duke Agnus easily noticed.
“One, you'll never be able to make her follow you.”
What was he saying? Was he trying to push Joshua to be his successor?
It didn’t matter here, though.
“I don’t want that either.”
The air seemed to weigh down on Joshua as he spoke. The energy was inhuman and incomprehensible. It frightened him.
“Do you know something?” Duke Agnus asked. “Should I also be kept in the dark?”
Joshua remained quiet. Duke Agnus stared at him, but soon slowly turned away.
“I was expecting so much so I pushed the child to do something great. Come any time if you need help.”
Duke Agnus slowly walked away from the imperial palace.
Joshua did nothing but stare.
***
“Let’s get along well, partner.”
Second Prince Kaizen frowned silently at his brother.
“I don’t mean that we’ll hold hands indefinitely; it’s just until we beat Joshua Sanders.”
“...”
“If you’re willing to go through this mess, then does this mean you failed to tame him?”
“I… I never even tried,” the First Prince replied.
“You mean you did nothing, brother?”
Kaizen gave him a surprised look. With Kiser’s mounting power, no one could reasonably refuse his hand. But even so, the number one target, Joshua Sanders, was untouched.
‘Duke Agnus and Duke Pontier have been very close friends for a long time… Is it true that my brother is crazy about Charles di Pontier?’
Kiser’s voice interrupted Kaizen’s thoughts.
“An alliance is more likely to happen with unanimous agreement.”
“What does that mean?”
“Is there not still one more party?” Kiser looked at Kaiser, who had been quiet up until that point. “Kaiser, what do you say about this? You know that simply just saying, ‘Yes, I want to,’ doesn’t cut it, right? We want to know the truth.”
Kaizen also turned to Kaiser with an expectant look.
“Do you want to know everything?”
Kaiser’s brothers gave him disbelieving looks.
“It’s true: there is a space under my palace.”
Kiser looked calm, like he knew what was coming, but Kaizen’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“Then… Then what about the undead?”
“One.”
Kaiser’s eyes flashed a weird light and he smiled.
“Are you sure I couldn't have done a project that big by myself?”
“Wha—”
“It’s been ten years. Back then, I was nothing… My pride and ego hadn’t been filled yet. That I could have done such a huge thing by myself without anyone in the Imperial Palace noticing—do you really believe that?”
Kaizen had closed his eyes to listen, but they opened wider with every word. The reports he’d received from his allies had suggested a strong link between the Imperial Palace and the undead.
“Do you think someone is behind me?”
Kaizen’s jaw dropped.
“No way—?”
Kiser walked away from his brothers.
“Do you want the throne?” the First Prince asked.
“...Don't worry too much, big brother. I'm only the fourth prince and I don't have any power or support.”
Kiser gave a slight nod.
“I also thought that. For now, at least.”
“It would be a lie, of course, to say that I have no ambition at all. No, I'm more driven than everyone else. But… that ambition isn’t directed in the same place as my brothers.”
Kaiser was borderline manipulating the both of them.
Feelings of betrayal began to boil up in Kaizen.
“What bull—”
Kaiser cut Kaizen off before the profanity could leave his lips.
“I don’t want to choke on my own greed, I just wanted to be the second most important person—the one that no one could ignore.”
“If that’s your goal, then why did you kill Kasselon?”
“Haven't I told you already? I am the most ambitious person in the world. Brother Kasselon was in my way… And again,” Kaiser’s eyes were clouded by strange sentiments as he looked at the both of them. “My other brothers are no different. Only one of you can take the throne.”
When Kaiser was done talking, there was a calm silence. Kiser and Kaizen’s minds were buried in their own inscrutable thoughts. Of course, neither of them believed what Kaiser said.
“Did His Majesty want you to kill Kasselon?” Kiser asked.
Kaiser shook his head.
“He said that I’m the one who killed Kasselon, but His Majesty didn’t even do anything. Brothers, don’t you know what kind of person he is?”
Kaizen groaned.
For fun, imagine a madman who values his family as little as a fly. That was Marcus ben Britten, their father.
“Do you still want us to work with you even after telling us these things? If yes, then why?”
“I think I’m on the edge,” Kaiser answered confidently, as if he’d thought about the answer for a long time. “I told you the truth so I could gain your trust and make you see that I don’t have any interest in the throne. Second, because Joshua Sanders is one of the best saboteurs of all time; far more than I expected.”
“But there’s one last point,” Kiser interjected. “It doesn't matter if we work together or not. Your political career is over if Joshua Sanders really does find that space. What do you think about that?”
Kaiser smiled.
“Do not worry. He won’t find it.”
“How do you know that?” Kiser insisted. “We all know how monstrous his skills are—”
“The difference between a knight's mana hall and a mage's magic circle is that they work in very different ways and on different principles,” Kaiser reasoned. “Just like a mage doesn't know everything about a knight, a knight doesn't know everything about a mage either. Only people working in the same field would be familiar.”
Kaiser met his brothers’ eyes confidently.
“As far as I know, the person who hid that space is the best in their field—ever. Joshua Sanders doesn’t stand a chance.”
Kaiser ended his sentence with a smile.
But it didn't take even an entire day for that trust to turn into doubt.
***
From one corner of Kaiser's room came a loud noise like glass shattering. The clear film coating the wall was broken into two pieces and a dark, gloomy mouth opened on their path.
When its job was done, the pure white light quickly dissipated.
Joshua was the source of light that broke the barrier. He slowly turned, and the Knight Commander and the Knights went in, accompanied by dozens of Imperial mages.
Joshua looked deeper into the room and smiled.
Kaiser was just standing there disbelievingly.
“Poor prince. You shouldn't be too surprised, because from now on, things are getting real.”
Joshua slowly disappeared into the suffocating silence.
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