Chapter 36: Follower of Demons

The man who stopped the carriage approached where Perda was.

He took out something he had hidden.

Perda was about to fire the sphere of mana he held in his hand.

But he did not.

Just as he was about to release it, he stopped.

What that man was holding was not a weapon, but a piece of cloth.

“The emperor has betrayed the faith of his subjects!”

The attack on the carriage was a protest.

“He ignores the suffering of the subjects, fills his pockets, and continues with his incompetent policies! Those who suck our blood are not children of the light!”

His actions drew everyone’s attention, just as he intended.

The cavalry captain, Marco, shouted with the veins in his neck bulging.

“What are you doing?! Subdue him immediately!”

“Yes!”

The armed soldiers climbed onto the carriage, dragged the protester down, and began beating him with batons.

“Aaah! Aaah! People, rise up! We are not slaves!”

“Shut up, damn bastard!”

The man was brutally beaten and dragged away.

Bleeding nonstop, they took him out of the avenue.

The people of the capital simply looked away and continued on their way as if nothing had happened.

“Well, haha… I have shown you something unpleasant.”

Captain Marco apologized, trying to smooth things over with a smile.

But Perda did not return that smile and instead looked at the man being taken away.

“Who was that? He seemed unjustly treated.”

“Unjustly? You must not be deceived by appearances. They are followers of demons.”

“Followers of demons?”

“Yes.”

Marco replied seriously.

“Lately, with the golden age, demons are trying to gain influence. They shamelessly defame His Majesty the emperor with absurd propaganda.”

That was what he explained.

But Perda knew.

And Marco also knew.

‘That man is not a follower of demons.’

He looked like he had not eaten for at least three days.

He was starving, without options, and had only come out to shout in desperation.

Perda decided to react like any other noble.

“I see.”

He did not pretend to be surprised nor show understanding.

He simply acted as if he did not care.

That would make them feel at ease.

The protest was suppressed and the carriage continued on its way.

Perda observed the prosperous landscape of the capital and thought.

‘Is an empire like this really necessary?’

In truth, Perda did not care.

Whether it collapsed, continued to rot, or a revolution broke out.

Let it flow however it would.

But Valdrova was different.

Who was she?

Although she possessed a body that had defended the continent of Serdes through countless battles, her mind was like a flower raised in a greenhouse.

A pure woman who wished for everyone’s happiness.

From her perspective, the actions of the empire were evil.

‘But she does not move.’

Because her mission is only to stop the monsters.

And burdening her with such complex problems would practically be abuse.

‘Internal affairs are my responsibility.’

Perda had to decide for Valdrova.

That is why he sent three letters.

All of them were trash.

Choosing the least bad one was foolish.

‘It is better to roll the dice.’

And he used those three letters as dice.

He would go with whoever reached out first.

Nothing more.

The carriage entered the imperial palace and Perda got down.

Giant granite columns.

A palace so imposing it seemed worthy of a god.

The imperial guard was lined up to receive him.

And at the end of that formation, someone was waiting.

Upon seeing her, Perda’s expression hardened.

This cannot be.

It should not be possible.

He tried to reject that reality.

‘Someone I did not even choose, because she appears?’

And the one who came to receive him was not the emperor.

Nor the first prince.

Nor the second prince.

“Welcome, regent of Valdrova.”

The princess of the Arken Empire.

The one to whom he deliberately did not send a letter.

“I am Olivia Arken.”

It was Olivia Arken.

“It is an honor to meet you, imperial princess.”

Perda reacted by reflex, bowing his head.

Even so, he felt as if he were trapped in the palm of a gigantic hand.

‘Fate.’

The theory that all mana is predetermined by fate.

Lately, Perda had been thinking about it a lot.

And now.

Could it be that fate is truly fixed?

That the only person to whom he did not send a letter was the one who responded.

‘As I thought…’

The doubt turned into certainty.

‘The empire is destined to fall.’

***

Olivia Arken.

The woman called the Golden Rose of the Empire was truly beautiful.

Blonde hair and blue eyes.

Her large bust, inherited from her mother, and her slender waist captured the hearts of men, while her innocent gaze and behavior awakened a protective instinct.

A woman who exuded an uncontrollable charm just with her appearance, someone who would remain desirable even if she lost her position.

Every man would wish, at least once, to be attended by Olivia Arken.

“I did not know what to prepare, so I will serve you the black tea that I like. I do not know if it will be to your liking.”

Olivia offered the cup of tea with an apologetic expression.

“The emperor and my older brothers are busy with official matters, so I came personally. Have you felt uncomfortable because of that?”

She lowered her head slightly while raising her gaze with her blue eyes.

She had the face of a delicate and pitiful young woman.

From the beginning, they were not busy with official matters.

They simply dismissed Perda’s letter as something insignificant, and it was the princess who took it without hesitation.

“No, it is an honor to be able to meet Olivia Arken, who is considered the most beautiful woman on the continent of Serdes.”

They were not sincere words.

“Thank you for saying it that way. Although I still have much to improve, I will try to carry the conversation well.”

Olivia smiled softly and clenched her fist as if encouraging themselves.

“I heard that you wish to attend the Grand Council. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes. Isn’t it the absolute territory of the White Dragon, Blancaros, known as the White House?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The absolute neutral territory created by the White Dragon, Blancaros, lord of order and creation.

A place where wars are mediated or matters that encompass the entire continent are discussed.

‘At some point, even my name was a topic there.’

In a place where matters of nations or organizations are usually handled, it is almost never about a single person.

However, Perda’s name had reached that place.

If he had been pointed out in the Grand Council, he would undoubtedly have been designated a public enemy and would have received concentrated attacks.

Even Perda, who grew stronger through adversity, would not have survived there.

But he managed to escape.

‘Emperor Arken.’

The emperor was useful in many ways.

He seemed incompetent, but when it came to his power, he thought with almost supernatural cunning.

The emperor sided with Perda, and in return, Perda strengthened his position in power.

“Nobles of ducal rank or higher can attend the Grand Council. Your fiancée, Duchess Valdrova, is a grand duchess and also a Red Dragon, so you can participate as her representative.”

“If I attend as a representative, I don’t think everyone will see it favorably. Is that okay?”

Perda probed her reaction while pretending uncertainty.

Olivia nodded firmly.

“It is perfectly fine! After all, you are the protector of the Far East! You have more than enough right to express your opinion there.”

As expected of Olivia.

She knew perfectly how to make people feel good.

Although it was something that, upon reflection, could be unpleasant for Perda, it did not anger him at all.

Olivia was that kind of woman.

“Besides, in reality it is common for dragons to send representatives.”

“Representatives…? Then they would be spawns.”

“Some are spawns, and others are simply humans.”

Although he knew it superficially, he did not know it in depth, so Perda asked.

“Which dragons send representatives?”

“Hmm I couldn’t say. It varies quite a lot. You know how dragons are, you can’t predict even a moment ahead.”

She said that and suddenly covered her mouth, surprised.

“Oh! I spoke badly of them without meaning to. That was not my intention!”

“It’s fine. Continue.”

“Eh… well… the ones who usually attend regularly are Silverwind, Goldensacred, Iorga, and Storeus.”

The Silver Dragon, lord of steel and wind.

The Gold Dragon, lord of faith and light.

The Blue Dragon, lord of magic and water.

The Thunder Dragon, lord of storms and lightning.

‘The one who uses humans instead of spawns must be the Gold Dragon, Goldensacred.’

Goldensacred was a dragon who had founded his own sacred kingdom in the central-western region, and he himself was the faith.

He did not create spawns because anyone could believe in him.

“Thank you for the information.”

“No, on the contrary, I am the one who should thank you.”

Olivia’s eyebrows curved with a seductive air.

“That the consort of the duchess attends will be a great advantage for our Empire.”

“For now I am only a regent. I do not have that level of status.”

“But if you marry Duchess Valdrova, won’t you obtain that status?”

“Even if I marry, I will remain a regent.”

“Oh? Why?”

Olivia covered her mouth with her hand while her eyes shone.

“I did not come for power. I am in this position solely to look after our territory.”

“Ah… I see. Mmm, mmm…”

“Call a magical inspector immediately. It is urgent.”

***

Demons are a forbidden existence on the continent of Serdes, without exception.

That is why very few can remain composed when facing the demonic language.

Within the Empire, only the magical inspectors who investigate heresies and demonic magic, and the senior scholars who record, preserve, and study all information, can do so.

The man who introduced himself as a magical inspector, Yuren, looked at the paper that Perda had handed him and spoke with a grave expression.

“This… is definitely demonic language.”

“My goodness…”

Olivia let out a sigh.

Although her body trembled slightly, her eyes did not show the slightest hesitation.

“Do you also know what it means?”

“Yes. This indicates a location. And that place…”

Yuren took out a map from his storage space and unfolded it, pointing to a spot.

“It refers exactly to the interior of the underground sewer system of the Empire’s capital.”