Chapter 115: Flame Part 1: Frenzy [VIP]
(We investigated the Black Witch Suevelt not because Ulysses discovered the budget documents for the Crown Prince's birth celebration, but because Romila unconsciously entered the mirror dimension while delivering a letter and saw you and Suevelt together, which aroused our curiosity.)
Xiao Yun secretly complained.
But he had no intention of explaining to Edmund. He smiled very reluctantly and said, "How do you want us to help you?"
"I have no idea."
Edmund sneered, "For you brothers, wisdom and beauty are both innate. But for someone like me who has no power... well, at least I'm still alive. I can even appear at the banquet with a smile on my face under His control. Although I don't know when I will be eaten by that thing in my body..."
"If you can fully cooperate with us and expose His conspiracy, we have a way to deal with what's inside you."
Yaris suddenly said that in his conscious state, his whole body exuded a beauty as clear as crystal.
"And then? What happens after I get rid of the things in my body? What will happen to me? Will I be able to continue living?"
Edmund looked at the two men, his expression indescribable. "After this is over, I will most likely no longer be able to retain the throne, but I don't want to die. I hope that even if I lose the throne, I can still live a life of ease and comfort as a noble lord. Can you fulfill this request of mine?"
"Can."
Xiao Yun said without hesitation, "We brothers decided to rebel to save this country from Him and His conspiracy, not to kill you."
"The prerequisite is that you must cooperate with us honestly. You cannot cooperate with us while plotting a more evil conspiracy with Him."
Yaris's consciousness added.
"oh……"
Edmund narrowed his cloudy eyes, looking somewhat reluctant.
After a long moment of contemplation, he said to the two, "From now on, I will cooperate with you wholeheartedly, fulfill all your demands, and help you end His control over me and this country. You must also fulfill your promise and allow me to live a respectable life as a noble lord after this is all over!"
"certainly."
Xiao Yun nodded firmly.
Yaris's consciousness smiled at Edmund and said, "As long as you keep your promise, we will definitely keep our promise."
"So, what are you planning to do?"
Edmund asked the two, "Although He will be away for a long time this time, He will only be gone for five days."
"Five days is enough."
Yaris's consciousness smiled elegantly. "The simplest and quickest way to thwart his plot is to gather everyone in the capital, nobles and commoners alike, before he returns. Announce that you are gravely ill and must permanently relinquish the throne. And then, use the magic crystal to notify all major cities across the country of this news!"
"--you!"
"Why? Can't bear to give up the throne?"
Yaris's consciousness narrowed its eyes and looked at Edmund.
Edmund took a deep breath. "I didn't expect the solution you proposed would be..."
"But it can fundamentally solve the problem," Yaris's consciousness said coldly, "If you are not the emperor, He will no longer possess you, and the monster parasitic in your body will no longer think of replacing you."
"But if that happens, can I still save my life?!"
"Of course I can keep it."
Yaris's consciousness said, "My brother is a true hero. Heroes will always do what they promise. Unless you are the first to break our agreement."
"I--"
"You said you would cooperate with us wholeheartedly, meet all our demands, and end His control over this country."
Yaris's consciousness asked politely but sarcastically, "Why do you hesitate when I offer the most practical and effective solution? Are all your promises to us brothers false? Do you want to use our power to drive Him away and still retain the throne?"
“…”
Edmund's face looked extremely ugly.
Seeing this, Yaris's consciousness said to Xiao Yun, "Let's go. He has no sincerity in cooperating."
"good."
Xiao Yun pretended to agree and pulled Yaris's consciousness to leave.
"--etc!"
Edmund cried out in agony, "I promise you! Tomorrow... No, tomorrow is too late! Three days from now is your birthday, Jaris. Together with you, I will gather the nobles and citizens to the Sacred Square in the name of celebrating your birthday. Then, I will step onto the reviewing stand and announce that I will give up the throne forever!"
"That's wonderful."
Yaris's consciousness smiled politely.
Edmund looked at him with a distorted expression.
Seeing this, Xiao Yun comforted him, "As long as you give up the throne, you can live the rest of your life in peace. Two of the world's three greatest magic masters are our friends. They will definitely find a way to help you remove the thing in your body."
"……All right,
Edmund said tremblingly, his bones were too thin: "I no longer hope to regain my power and dignity as emperor. I just want to live a peaceful and decent life."
"Your beautiful expectations, from this moment on, firmly draw a clear line between yourself and evil, and your dreams will surely come true."
Xiao Yun comforted Edmund.
As if Ai was gaining strength, a little light gradually appeared in his cloudy eyes.
He looked up at Yaris's consciousness and said tremblingly: "Yaris, I think I may understand why you are so proud but regard him as the most important person. I originally thought that you valued him because of your blood relationship and because he had a happy childhood that you wanted but couldn't get. Now it seems... He is indeed, indeed different from everyone I have met before..."
"Why couldn't I discover his beauty earlier? Why was I blinded by dark thoughts, thinking that all the misfortunes in my life were caused by you, especially him... Why was I so determined to believe that as long as he disappeared, I would get the happiness and joy I wanted... Why..."
He began to shrug his shoulders and cry like a child.
"...You were actually deceived. Hatred and fear clouded your reasoning, and you lost your basic sense of right and wrong. You became intoxicated by the small favors He gave you, believing you and He were collaborators."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I was blinded by anger and pain, and I mistook Him who reached out to me as my savior. I naively thought I could benefit from collaborating with Him, but I didn't expect... I was so stupid! Seriously!"
"Um……"
Xiao Yun looked at Edmund with a little more sympathy.
"But—cooperating with Him isn't entirely without benefit to me. Every time He uses my body, I gain something. Now, my mind is filled with the contents of books I've never read, and my thinking is clearer and more organized than before. I used to be unable to sense the extradimensional body no matter how hard I tried, but now I can perform low-level spells by simply following the instructions in the grimoire..."
Edmund rambled on, trying to prove that he had not gained nothing from this unequal transaction.
"I just made a small mistake, and I have decided to pay the price for my careless mistake by giving up the throne..."
"...I hope you have truly realized your mistake."
Yaris's consciousness' tone was full of sarcasm.
…
…
“Huh~”
Xiao Yunm woke up from his sleep and slowly raised his hand in the dim light in the room to make sure he had come out of the dream.
Yaris also woke up at this time.
He gently placed his hand on the back of Xiao Yun's hand: "Just now-"
"What just happened wasn't a dream, was it?"
"Do you believe him?"
Yaris said bluntly: "I don't think he will give up the throne. He is filled with jealousy of us and fear of losing power."
"I'm just as hesitant to trust him as you are, but no matter what, Edmund has fully expressed his sincerity in cooperating with us. I want to give him some trust for the time being."
“What if the Square abdication declaration is a hoax against us?” Yaris asked.
Xiao Yun shook his head. "Even if the declaration is a hoax, as long as Edmund stands on the reviewing stand at the appointed time and faces the tens of thousands of nobles and citizens gathered in the square, with the assistance of the magician, everything that happens next will be witnessed by the entire city and even the entire country."
"you mean--"
"A stalemate is not a good thing for us."
"You're quite right."
Yaris understood and sighed bitterly, "This rebellion absolutely cannot be delayed until next April, when the monster is born and replaces Edmund as emperor and controls the entire country... He's already troublesome enough, and now there's this evil monster that even I find disgusting at the mere sight of him..."
"Yes, we can't let that dangerous thing be born, but—"
Xiao Yun was also distressed. "If they really turn against us and kill us on the day of the declaration... how should we respond? ... He is determined to capture you and me alive. Even if the worst happens, our lives will be safe. But our supporters and... all the ordinary citizens who gathered in the square because of this matter..."
"——Tower of Sin!"
Yaris suddenly said: "Maybe we can consider the Sin Tower!"
"Tower of Sin?"
Xiao Yun was surprised.
Yaris nodded. "Many units within the Royal Knights support us. The Knights Protecting the People and the Citizens' Volunteer Corps are also on our side. If He wants to break off relations with us, we must suppress them all together. Suppression means the army—even with the cover of magic, such a large-scale military mobilization cannot be silent."
"so--"
"Notify everyone to prepare for battle. Intelligence personnel should closely monitor the military situation in and around the capital. If an armed conflict occurs on the day of the abdication declaration, and victory is unsuccessful, use the Sin Tower as a temporary base and headquarters to gather troops and organize a resistance. It is the most easily defended and difficult to attack building in the capital."
"But to do this—"
"To do so would mean abandoning Silver Moon Palace."
Yaris tried hard to suppress his sobs, leaning against Xiao Yun and muttering, "Silver Moon Palace is my favorite residence. It is so beautiful and elegant, and carries most of our beautiful memories. But it really... really doesn't have any military defense capabilities..."
"elder brother--"
"It doesn't matter. After everything is over, we will gather craftsmen to rebuild it..."
…
…
"Report--"
The maid entered the living room and reported the latest situation to her master who was adjusting the details of her dress in front of the mirror.
"People are starting to gather in the Sacred Square. Currently there are about 2,000 people."
"Well, have the citizen representatives remain vigilant at all times and immediately organize and guide the public to evacuate if they find any unusual situation."
Yaris nodded and instructed the servant.
"There may not be any unexpected situations today, but the fact that a large number of people gather can easily cause a stampede."
Xiao Yun added.
"Yes, sir."
The maid obeyed the order and left the room.
Then, another servant came in.
"The Knights Protector have now assembled and are ready to proceed to the Sacred Square to maintain order."
"…Tell the two tribunes to proceed according to their original plan upon arrival. Remember, protecting the citizens is their sole responsibility. Everything else—whatever happens in the square—has nothing to do with them."
Xiao Yun instructed the maid solemnly and seriously.
"yes!"
The maid turned and left the room.
"Report—Representatives of the Citizens Volunteer Corps request an audience!"
"Representative of the Citizens Volunteer Corps?"
Xiao Yun and Yaris looked at each other and said, "Let them in."
"yes."
The maid then brought two men and one woman into the room. All three were under 30 years old, with short, neat hair, tall figures and bright eyes.
"You are—"
"Joanna, Conte, Moras."
The female representative stepped forward, quickly introduced the three names, and saluted in unison. "It is our honor to meet Your Majesty and Your Highness before the operation officially begins."
"Do you know your mission?"
"Yes, we are very clear about our mission."
Joanna looked up and repeated, "If an armed conflict breaks out in the square, I will lead my team to cooperate with the Knights Protector to seize control of the Ebola Bridge and prevent the lower city from becoming an isolated island."
"I will lead my team to the Tower of Sin. After receiving the signal from the magician team that they have successfully captured the tower, I will quickly sort out and relocate the prisoners and wait for follow-up assistance."
The young man named Conte spoke clearly.
His gait suggested military training.
"What about you, Moras? Do you know what your mission is?"
Yaris took the initiative to call out Moras, who was the last and most silent person in the team.
"I'm ready to die."
Moras slowly raised his head and spoke in a low voice.
Xiao Yun discovered that Moras' eyes were not only sparkling, but even burning with flames.
(he……)
Xiao Yun felt inexplicably uneasy.
Don't overthink it.
While mentally reassuring his brother, Yaris gave the three of them his signature elegant smile: "All of you have confirmed your mission twice. Begin your actions immediately!"
"Long live! Long live!"
The three representatives shouted in unison, then followed Ser Duncan out of the room.
After the three left——
Xiao Yun couldn't wait to ask: "That Moras——"
"Did you find out?"
"Yes, his eyes were passionate, like flames. Just looking at him, I could almost hear his inner voice shouting: 'Let me die a martyr!', 'I can't wait to sacrifice my life for my ideals!', 'Please give me the most difficult and life-threatening tasks!'"
"So I arranged for him to carry out a mission where he would die."
Yaris said wearily, "He's a ball of passionate fire. If you don't throw this fire at the enemy before it gets out of control, there's a high chance he'll get burned."
"But to do this—"
"Unfortunately, this is all we can do."
Yaris's voice was a little hoarse. He leaned on Xiao Yun's shoulder, his breathing a little weak.
"Brother, you are as upright and bright as the sun, attracting everyone's love. However, experience has taught me that brightness and integrity can also breed unfathomable darkness and evil within people, especially when someone like Moras, who is stubborn, paranoid, extreme, and self-important, believing he was born to fulfill a specific mission, is drawn to you and joins your ranks."
【But he——】
So I assigned him this mission with a 100% mortality rate. I told this fanatic that this was a special mission that only the most devout could complete. That way, by the end of the mission, we'd solve two difficult problems at once, while also fulfilling his quest for martyrdom...
Yaris smiled gently, his dark eyes like the darkness at the beginning of the universe.
[Yaris, what on earth are you...]
[I will not tell you the content of Moras's mission, because I want you to live forever under the sunshine and justice.]
Yaris smiled gently, kissed his brother's forehead, turned around and pulled away the light-colored shawl above the mirror: "It's almost time. We should go to the Sacred Square to meet our destiny."
…
…
As we all know, the Holy Family, with its 5,000-year history, represents the Sun Empire better than the Royal Family of Euler.
Therefore, when the news spread that Emperor Edmund III would personally preside over a ceremony in the Holy Square of the royal capital to celebrate his cousin Yaris Ald Saintis's 24th birthday in the name of the Imperial Emperor, no citizen was surprised, especially those who had naive fantasies about the future - they believed that the emperor's move was a gesture of goodwill to the Holy Family, and foreshadowed the formal reconciliation of the long-standing tension between imperial power and divine power.
On this day, before dawn, the civilians dropped all their work and filled the Sacred Square and the space on both sides of every road leading to the Sacred Square.
Ding~ding~ding~
When the noon bell rang, the leading troops appeared in people's field of vision, riding horses, wearing shining armor and holding flagpoles, facing the winter sun.
Following closely behind were more than a dozen floats decorated with tassels and ribbons. On the floats stood gorgeously dressed singers, dancers, and page boys. They kept throwing gold coins and silk petals into the crowd, and people cheered and reached out to grab them.
Of course, everyone is not participating in today's celebration to pick up gold coins and silk flowers, so regardless of whether they get any or not, the crowd will maintain order and wait in place, cheering "Long live" from time to time.
After the guide troops and colorful floats had passed, the Royal Knights, Royal Guards Corps, Holy Guards Knights and other knightly orders belonging to different political forces appeared in turn, holding their flags high and forming neat rows.
Looking at the gorgeous cloaks fluttering in the sun along with the flags, and listening to the uniform sound of horse hooves, people can't help but feel proud and conceited.
(This is our motherland! A great motherland with a history of 5,000 years!)
(My motherland, you are so beautiful, so powerful, your prosperity will never end!)
(My only dissatisfaction with my motherland is that its tomorrow will surely be better than today, but tomorrow I will be one day older than today!)
(Ah! Motherland, our motherland! The most beautiful and prosperous motherland!)
(……)
In the breathless silence, a carriage decorated with extremely gorgeous ornaments, led by more than a hundred paladins in golden armor, passed through the crowd that excitedly shouted "Long Live", entered the Sacred Square, and came to the reviewing stand with the golden and purple royal coat of arms hanging on it.
The leading knight dismounted and took off his golden helmet.
Crash——
The long dark brown curly hair swayed in the wind along with the long cloak, making the knight's already handsome face look like a prince from a fairy tale come to the world. Even the page who was holding the reins forgot his duty at this moment, staring at his handsome master in a trance, his breathing almost stagnant.
"—Lucien d'Al-Saintes, Grand Marquis of Gaula, presents his greetings to His Majesty, Emperor Edmund III."
The clear and high-pitched voice drifted towards the reviewing stand and all directions of the square with the breeze.
Edmund, who was sitting on the throne, stood up and looked down at the people who were bowing below with a stiff expression.
Xiao Yun knelt on one knee, raised his head, and led the paladins of the Silver Moon Palace to look up at the people on the reviewing stand with a respectful attitude.
The blue-black eyes that looked like an impending rainstorm and the fiery sapphire eyes met head-on at this moment.
(Lucien——)
Edmund swallowed stiffly and forced a polite smile. "Ah, Lucien, my dear cousin, you are so handsome today. You have captured the hearts of almost all the boys, girls and ladies along the way. Please stand up! - Everyone else, please stand up too!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yun stood up and walked back to the exquisite and graceful carriage with a smile. He personally opened the carriage door decorated with golden flowers and purple brocade.
“Ahhh—”
“Oh my god…”
"Finally, finally..."
The crowd was boiling again, letting out low sighs of excitement.
At this moment, a full year and five months have passed since the Holy Grand Duke moved to Maga City under the pretext of recuperating.
Although he had been regularly traveling to the Holy City of Denos to perform his duties as the high priest during this one year and five months, and had secretly returned to the capital a month ago accompanied by his half-brother, but—
Seeing that person walking out of the carriage, supported by servants, his body wrapped in silk, thin and fragile like a flower ravaged by the wind due to long-term illness and torture, his delicate, white cheeks, like the most exquisite masterpiece of a famous artist, set against his lush, black hair, seemed as if they could be swallowed by darkness at any moment, his waxen neck and wrists were covered with obvious scars from treatment, and as soon as his shoes touched the ground, his body leaned against his brother's arms like a fragile work of art—
People's eyes suddenly became moist.
(In the one year and five months away from the capital, Your Highness has been on the brink of life and death countless times...)
(Ah! Why…why…)
(How wonderful it would be if I could suffer for His Highness. His Highness's health is already... ready to die at any moment...)
"—Don't feel sad for me. I'm fine. I'm just a little weak. I can't do strenuous exercise or stand for long periods of time."
Yaris said to everyone in a gentle and sweet voice, "This one year and five months of separation was indeed full of suffering, but everything is over now. I have once again set foot on the land of the capital and returned to you..."
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