The Crosen Empire, a superpower with a vast population numbering in the millions. No matter what, they had to prevent the Demon King’s
puppet from taking the imperial throne. Right now, he was an older brother more reliable than anyone,
but there was no telling when he might become the Demon King’s puppet. Having made up his mind, De Beers
quietly nodded.
“Understood. If that is truly your wish, Brother, then I will follow it.”
“You should have done that from the start.”
Damon patted De Beers on the shoulder, as if satisfied. At the same time, he
began working to solidify Theodore’s position.
“Regent Theodore’s loyalty truly is exceptional. He seemed prepared to lay down his life
without hesitation for your sake… In my eyes, he is a loyal subject you absolutely cannot
do without.”
De Beers nodded as if he agreed.
“I, too, trust him completely. Though he was blocked by the towering wall that was Pershtein and could not fully
display it, his ability itself is truly outstanding.”
As things unfolded according to plan, Damon inwardly cheered.
“Now you must join forces with Theodore and place this Crosen Empire upon a firm foundation.
While your brother sets out with Pershtein on the conquest of Truvenia, that is.”
At Damon’s words, De Beers nodded with a resolute expression.
“Please do not worry. After you suffered such hardships, Brother, how could I possibly sit idle?
This humiliation will happen only once. I intend to firmly establish the foundation of imperial authority so that lawless rebels
like Pershtein can never again covet the imperial household.”
“Of course you should.”
Yet as Damon nodded, other thoughts were running through his head.
‘Hehehe. Pershtein, you bastard. I don’t know about anything else, but your ears must be itching like mad. By now,
Theodore is probably cursing you to his heart’s content as well…’
Damon hurriedly erased the thought and looked at De Beers with a serious face.
“There is one rumor I heard from Theodore. He said you have been troubled lately because of a woman.
Is that true?”
A faint blush rose over De Beers’s face.
“I-I am sorry, but it is. In truth, I even thought of giving up the imperial throne
for her sake.”
Thinking a thunderous scolding would fall upon him, De Beers lowered his head deeply. When he thought of
Mina, his heart ached once more.
Mina had already been separated from him and placed under confinement in some location. Marquis Williams had
severely punished her for the crime of leaving her post without permission. If she had not been gravely injured,
she would have been thrown into the underground prison without question. Since he could not even visit
his badly wounded lover at her sickbed, De Beers’s heart was now rotting black
inside his chest.
But contrary to his expectations, his brother did not thunder at him. When De Beers, puzzled, raised his head,
his brother was looking down at him with a broad smile.
“B-Brother.”
“You fool. Why would you give up the imperial throne just to obtain one woman? Does that
make any sense at all?”
“……”
“From now on, tell me every detail of the situation you are in. Your brother will settle it cleanly for you.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Though he was dazed for a moment, De Beers soon began to reveal everything that had happened. The brother who had
suddenly appeared one day was, in a word, the only pillar De Beers could trust and rely on.
The love he and Mina had maintained as if walking a tightrope flowed without omission into Damon’s ears.
“And so, we were separated yet again. I want nothing more than to run to her and see her,
but Marquis Williams’s will is so firm…”
After hearing the whole story, Damon looked at De Beers with expressionless eyes.
Thwack.
Feeling stars flash before his eyes, De Beers staggered backward. Into his dazed
ears, Damon’s angry voice burst forth.
“You fool. If you are that dull-witted, how do you expect to lead the Crosen Empire properly?”
“B-Brother…”
“The authority of a sovereign is immeasurably august. You do not understand that in the slightest.
Though Marquis Williams may be stubborn, strictly speaking, he is nothing more than your subject.”
“……”
“From now on, I will tell you the method. As soon as I leave, summon Marquis Williams
before you.”
Holding his head as if it hurt terribly, De Beers listened intently to Damon’s words. As Damon’s
explanation continued, De Beers’s face grew brighter. A moment later, he sprang to his feet
as if he had regained his courage.
“It was quite a simple problem. How could I not have thought of such a method…?”
“Well? What do you think of your brother’s ability…?”
As he looked at the confident Damon, De Beers suddenly clutched his head. The pain he had
forgotten for a moment because of his joy had returned.
“Y-you truly are remarkable. That aside, Brother, your fist is truly fierce. It hurts terribly.”
Damon burst into hearty laughter.
“My fist has long been renowned for being fierce. In any case, you will be extremely busy
preparing for the coronation. I hear the matter of your coronation will soon be brought before the Council of Nobles…”
“B-but the coronation has been ruined every time because of that bastard Pershtein’s opposition…”
Damon extended a finger and shook it as if telling him not to worry at all.
“This time, there will be no doubt. From now on, wipe every thought of that man from your head.
I will take care of dealing with Pershtein completely.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
De Beers nodded with an expression that said he did not understand what was going on. Watching him,
Damon turned away without lingering.
“I will be going now. I have a mountain of work to do.”
De Beers hurriedly tried to hold Damon back.
“B-Brother. At least have a meal with me before you go…”
“No. I am far too busy. You also have much to do. First, you must carry out the method
I told you, must you not? If you want to obtain your woman.”
De Beers nodded as if he understood.
“Understood, Brother. Then please go safely.”
“Very well.”
Waving his hand, Damon strode toward the door. A look of relief had risen
on his face, but De Beers failed to see that expression. A moment later, after Damon
opened the door and left, a faint smile appeared on De Beers’s face.
“Though I have not met my brother even once since I came of age, he truly is remarkable. To think he could
untangle these matters woven like a spiderweb so simply…”
However, he did not dream of suspecting that an entirely different person’s soul resided inside his brother’s body.
He soon called a servant and began putting into action the plan Damon had told him.
“Tell Marquis Williams to come to me at once.”
“As you command, Your Highness.”
Damon was waiting for Theodore at the fork in the corridor where they had parted earlier.
‘As expected, even I think my acting is astonishing. It is a pity I did not get to play the villain,
but I suppose I have cleanly fulfilled Theodore’s request…’
He leisurely hummed to himself and looked around. His attitude was utterly relaxed.
But the two guard knights standing right beside Damon were, in a word, in agony.
Since an immense being they did not dare even approach was standing right next to them,
they could not move their bodies at all. Cold sweat trickled down, but they could not wipe it away.
Because they had maintained an immobile posture for so long, they had begun to ache all over,
yet they did not dare even think of moving. With someone who might one day become the emperor
of the Crosen Empire standing beside them, they could not possibly allow him to find fault with them. Therefore,
they were desperately maintaining their rigid posture.
As if understanding their hearts, a savior soon appeared.
“Have I kept Your Highness waiting long?”
Theodore approached with quick steps and offered a respectful bow. Damon responded with all the haughtiness he could muster.
“I waited quite a while. To dare keep the crown prince waiting… You deserve to be punished severely,
but given the situation, I shall generously overlook it.”
With his head bowed, Theodore wore a bitter smile.
“I sincerely thank Your Highness for your grace as vast as the sea.”
“Then shall we go?”
“Please come this way.”
After Theodore respectfully guided Damon away and disappeared, someone else soon appeared.
It was Marquis Williams, his face full of distress. Having been persuaded by Theodore after many twists and turns,
he had left his room because of the sudden summons from Crown Prince De Beers.
“Just what in the world is going on?”
Shaking his head as if he could not understand the situation, Marquis Williams soon moved toward Crown Prince De Beers’s room.
The unfortunate guard knights could not release their rigid posture until he entered. To them, the knight commander
was bound to be even more frightening than the crown prince.
“You summoned me, Your Highness?”
Seeing Marquis Williams enter after opening the door, De Beers calmly settled his heart.
‘I must stay calm. De Beers.’
He pictured in his mind, one by one, the words he had to say. Marquis Williams looked somewhat
dazed, unlike usual. But in the current situation, nothing at all could capture De Beers’s attention.
First, he welcomed Marquis Williams warmly.
“Welcome. I asked you to come because there is something important I must discuss with you.”
“W-what matter did Your Highness summon this subject to discuss?”
An expression appeared on De Beers’s face as if he had made a firm decision.
“This is a secret I speak only to you, my lord. Therefore, it must never enter
anyone else’s ears.”
At those words, Marquis Williams stood at attention.
“I swear that I will keep this secret until the day my life leaves me.”
Drawing close to Marquis Williams, De Beers began to whisper in a low voice.
“I have already finished speaking with my brother.”
“W-what did you discuss…?”
“We concluded that I shall ascend the imperial throne of the Crosen Empire. This is a fact
decided in agreement with my brother.”
“Is that truly so?”
A delighted look appeared on Marquis Williams’s face. To him, this was, in a word,
joyous news. Though he was truly loyal to the Crosen imperial family, he could not help feeling
uneasy about Alkaris ascending the throne. It was because he was an imbecile, and because his true identity
was utterly unknowable.
Despite having heard a detailed explanation from Regent Theodore, he still harbored doubts about Damon’s
identity. The thought that he might be a black magician would not leave his mind. For that reason,
he was offering boundless praise to De Beers’s decision.
“You have truly made an excellent decision. This is, in a word, nothing less than a great blessing
for all the people of Crosen.”
De Beers nodded and continued.
“And so… I have already made one resolve.”
“……”
“From now on, I intend to firmly establish the dignity of the emperor. In doing so, I mean
to ensure that traitorous factions like Pershtein’s never again run rampant. Do you understand?”
At those words, a look of passion rose in Marquis Williams’s wrinkled old face. Was that not
the lifelong wish Marquis Williams had held? Now that Crown Prince De Beers was bringing up the very thing
he had long yearned for, it was exactly what he had wanted even if he had not dared ask. Overwhelmed with emotion,
tears were streaming from the marquis’s eyes.
“You have made a truly excellent judgment. It is something that must be accomplished without fail. To uphold
Your Highness’s will, this subject will exert effort upon effort until my bones are ground to dust.”
“Brother will soon take Pershtein with him and set out for the invasion of Truvenia. I intend
to use that opportunity to stabilize the empire and reclaim the dignity of the emperor. Of course, for that,
I urgently require the assistance of you and Regent Theodore. Will you please help me?”
Marquis Williams nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“If it is necessary for Your Highness to fulfill your cherished wish, this subject is prepared to cast away
his life without mercy, even if he had several to give.”
As if satisfied with the answer, De Beers nodded.
“Good. Then from now on, I shall issue one command to you. It is the first command
for reclaiming the dignity of the emperor, so you must carry it out without fail. Do you understand?”
At the words “imperial command,” Marquis Williams knelt as if there was nothing to think about.
“Williams, Commander of the Crosen Knights, receives Your Highness’s imperial command. This subject promises to complete
the imperial command, even at the cost of his life.”
A faint smile passed over De Beers’s lips.
“Good. Then I shall now issue the imperial command.”
Marquis Williams prepared to listen to De Beers’s words, his whole body tense.