The Emperor breathed roughly. Today, the imperial throne felt more uncomfortable than ever.
No, perhaps it was not the throne he sat upon that was uncomfortable, but the person standing before him. His son, who unlike himself gradually fading with time, sought to display his talents more brilliantly day by day.
"Your Majesty, do you still trust the Crown Prince?"
At Heinrich's composed question, the Emperor's face twisted viciously.
"Do I not know your schemes!"
Veins bulged on his wrinkled hand as it gripped the armrest. It was an action barely suppressing his urge to strike out at any moment.
Heinrich, who had been watching that sight steadily, blinked slowly.
The Emperor began shouting to summon Count Hason immediately. The servants waiting in the distance grew anxious, stealing glances at Heinrich.
Their actions naturally fueled the Emperor's rage even further.
"How dare you ignore my commands! Drag those insolent ones out at once!"
This time the Emperor pointed accusingly at the servants. The servants finally tried to move, but the guards acted faster.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
"Please forgive us!"
The servants' noisy shouts grew distant. Even in such a situation, Heinrich's expression remained calm.
The Emperor, who had hoped Heinrich might feel even a trace of fear, grew even more displeased. He glared viciously at his son and raised his voice.
"You insolent wretch! Even if you do all that, do you think I would appoint you as Crown Prince!"
"I only worry for this empire's safety, and have no other intentions."
"How dare you try to deceive me!"
There were various reasons for the Emperor's rage, but the greatest cause that had turned him against Heinrich was the Empress's existence.
From the time the Empress, who had lived quietly her whole life merely supporting from behind, suddenly attended central meetings and began stepping forward as the imperial palace's highest authority and decision-maker.
From the time rumors secretly spread that the Emperor's condition was poor enough that the Empress needed to step forward.
"Your Majesty, if you raise your voice, you will collapse again."
"Oh, so it was you who was after my life after all!"
"It was not I who was after Your Majesty's life, but Count Hason."
Heinrich let out a shallow sigh.
"I had intended to report slowly, concerned about shocking Your Majesty, but Count Hason has been imprisoned in the imperial palace prison for the crime of instigating Your Majesty's assassination."
"What?"
"The evidence has been secured. He tampered with Your Majesty's cup at every tea time."
A faint shock crossed the Emperor's face. He had inwardly sensed his health deteriorating recently, but he had never thought someone was actually harming his body.
And Count Hason of all people? Count Hason was the subordinate he had kept closest and favored most in recent times.
"It has not been announced externally yet, but Count Hason has a mastermind behind him. I am pursuing these ominous movements threatening the imperial palace."
Whether he knew or not of the Emperor's gaze filled with distrust, Heinrich quietly lowered his eyes and continued speaking.
"According to investigation, that mastermind is Lilia Roam's lover."
"Lilia Roam?"
At the unexpected name, he momentarily forgot his anger. The Emperor raised his eyebrows and chewed over the name he had heard.
Lilia Roam? The Crown Prince's fiancée?
"Yes, did I not report to you before? That Lilia Roam has been meeting men in secret."
That was from when the Emperor wielded power without worry. Even Maxel had been present when Heinrich made that report.
"I wonder if you remember. The sight of the Crown Prince desperately shielding her."
Perhaps because it was a memory from not so long ago, the Emperor easily recalled that day.
"As I told you then, Lilia Roam was concealing assets unreported to the imperial family. It was she who originally advised the Crown Prince to form a subjugation force."
"...."
The Emperor fell silent. He knew well enough that Lilia Roam had encouraged Maxel's resolve.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed seeing Maxel rely on her more than expected, but still, he had considered it fortunate that he, who had been slandered with nonsense about being crooked and whatnot, had regained his spirit.
He had also felt it was far better than Heinrich who brought in external forces.
However, listening to Heinrich's words like this, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in one corner of his heart.
At that time, after receiving Heinrich's report, the Emperor had immediately confirmed that Lilia Roam owned mines unreported to the imperial family.
He had also already investigated and learned the truth that she indeed had friendships with several men.
Heinrich's words were true, matters that had been confirmed long ago, but he had merely delayed handing down punishment out of consideration for Maxel.
"She is one who will become a member of the imperial family. She has no reason to conceal assets or manage people in secret. Unless she has some other scheme."
"Other scheme?"
"Did you not see the image crystal containing the scene of Roam kidnapping the Resurrected One?"
Strength entered the Emperor's tightly closed lips.
"Alone, Lilia Roam would not be capable of such things, but if Roam is entangled behind that ambition, the story changes. I heard the Duchess of Roam wanted to become a woman of the imperial family. Though it is a matter from the distant past, can resentment also be merely past?"
It was none other than the Emperor who did not bring the Duchess of Roam into the imperial family. It was neither the humble family the Emperor desired, nor was her temperament itself gentle.
The Emperor rummaged through the faint traces of the past.
The woman who yearned for the imperial family. She desired the Empress's crown and did not hide that wish.
"Who knows if, unable to possess the crown she coveted, she might be enticing the Crown Prince to overturn the throne. I hear the Duke of Roam cannot do anything against the Duchess."
The Duchess of Roam married the Duke of Roam who cherished and loved her greatly. He thought everything was resolved with that.
Looking at it differently, the Duchess of Roam was in a position to wield a man who accepted everything according to her will as a weapon.
"If that is true, I can understand why they are hostile toward the Resurrected One. The Resurrected One not only protected the imperial family from Dullahans but also detected and warned of Roam's wicked ambitions. Thinking about it, it seems the Duke of Roam informing me of Lilia Roam's hidden assets might also have been a scheme."
The Emperor remained silent. What else could he say?
"And this is...... something I just obtained. Actually, I came to show you this."
What Heinrich produced was an image crystal. Even before seeing it, the Emperor seemed to know what content was contained within.
The Emperor's gaze bore into the image crystal. The shining image crystal reflected a certain scene. No sound could be heard.
Yet it was impossible not to know what situation it was.
Before the vicious Dullahan's blade, the subjugation force knelt. Innocent imperial nobles screamed in terror.
"I will ask once more, Your Majesty."
Heinrich's low voice was heard.
"Do you still trust the Crown Prince?"
The Emperor did not answer.
* * *
Just because the Agent of Death granted freedom to the creations did not mean that path was always peaceful.
Originally, it began in poor circumstances. There were many who targeted them, and the Twelve Knights had always fought against enemies.
Those they met on the road sometimes welcomed Death's mercy, and sometimes refused.
Until the second knight Deares established a country and took his place, it was days of meeting opponents whose hearts could not be fathomed.
Well, how could all of this be called merciful? Was granting unwanted freedom truly a merciful thing?
Soana refused to be God's toy. She had no regrets about that choice. However, she did not think this was absolute justice.
Of course, apart from all those musings, this victory was fortunate.
"They retreated?"
Soana raised her gaze. At a slightly distant spot, Anelli and Tristan could be seen. Tristan in the form of an amber bee had finished reconnaissance in all directions using surrounding insects.
[Yes! I confirmed their complete retreat!]
Maxel, who had been struggling desperately to catch even one Dullahan, eventually gave up.
It wasn't only because they couldn't overcome the Dullahans' overwhelming strength. The humans who faced Dullahan were consistently seized with fear.
The soldiers, who had at least thrown themselves at the Lizardmen as if they would try something, couldn't even do that against the Dullahan.
「Oh God! Please have mercy!」
They just trembled, crying out to some unknown god, then ran away.
Soana felt a strange sensation whenever she recalled that sight.
Were not the Dullahan known to the soldiers as cursed creations to be defeated?
No matter how fearsome their appearance, why were they so terrified?
"Now we can travel more comfortably."
Anelli, who had readily sent Falides to fetch the hidden carriage, went around checking the Dullahans one by one.
And finally, that gaze reached Soana.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
It was a rather dry voice, somewhat different from when she looked after the other Dullahan. Yet her eyes scanned Soana's body in detail.
[......They didn't even properly attack us.]
"Ah, that's true."
Seeing Anelli nod as if it was obvious, the question grew even stronger.
[There were some who couldn't even look at us.]
"Really? I was in the rear so I didn't know that far."
[I don't understand.]
Anelli, who hadn't been looking at Soana's face, raised her eyes at those words.
"What?"
[Why they showed such...... behavior.]
Anelli, who had been wearing a puzzled expression, let out a low exclamation at those words. Then she replied in an unconcerned tone.
"It's because they're scared, of course. Just look at how they ran away."
Just because they're scared doesn't mean everyone runs away.
Even right now, Soana thought that those who retreated might return leading an even larger army at any moment.
They were defeated by Dullahan, and Dullahan were creations abandoned by God, so they must be targets to be subjugated!
Yet Anelli seemed to have no such thoughts at all, appearing peaceful and even seeming at ease.
[But doesn't the world call Dullahan evil that has run rampant?]
"Yes. That's right. You are a kind of disaster to them."
[Then isn't it right to face them properly?]
At Soana's question, Anelli smirked.
"Soana, facing rampant evil is not their job."
Anelli shrugged her shoulders and spoke in a peaceful tone as if explaining an obvious principle.
"You said it yourself. That I have high renown as God's Resurrected One. You are my jurisdiction. Anytime, anywhere."
At those words, Soana felt as if she'd been struck on the back of her head.
The enemy's fear that she hadn't understood was instantly understood.
"They will now anxiously seek me and plead. To please deal with those wicked and terrifying Dullahan. Because that's how they interpreted the oracle."
Anelli wore a brilliant smile.
"So if anyone opposes the Resurrected One, whoever they are, they will face the world's condemnation."