Chapter 369: Evil (2)
Jbyl…Thud.LIwbXN
TsdvBY6The Emperor left the cabin.7Yqa8
yvaEScreeak, screeak.ibUPbmv
VIMThrough the wooden door, the sound of logs splitting could be heard immediately. Despite having caused such a scene, the emperor was, as if nothing had happened, chopping firewood.FaPJdg
jh5I remained silent, listening. Then I felt slightly dizzy.6Ojgpq
axG7Ms‘…Human evil…?’dZ9tuE
1vseDFNThe emperor is living proof of how dark the human soul can become. I, for my part, gave up being a complete god just to remain “a person.” And he is the exact opposite of that.kzb0
2RNNot long after, the members of the Imperial Guard entered the cabin.dnWR
oCtSurely the emperor had called them through Officer Garyeon, who likely sensed the situation with her superhuman strength.NG1w
n1EfMx‘What a cruel man… to the very end.’fAlso7
tt2VXWAThe emperor wanted to humiliate Oscar to the fullest. Having his subordinates witness this love triangle was going to be a brutal blow for Oscarhhfc5H
TLwAnd, as expected, they were left speechless.FzlFFJ
NuK4Ag“Y-you are…”290A
peCAt first, seeing the Heavenly Sword standing there, on imperial territory, it was logical that the guards were on high alert.AYRH
e1uHowever, that tension directed at me vanished entirely once they saw the second reason.ZVww
ruHq1“…?!”nrF
pJVzqBWThat’s right.HcV
4Ne“Ar… Armin.”OX27e
7HRbJ6IBecause of the presence of their captain and the queen.6k5mo
zauRYShThe queen, covered in blood, and Oscar, murmuring her name as if out of his mind.EmLIcx
Kp0zoYou didn’t need to be a genius to understand what kind of relationship the two shared.k0r
lm341qXInside the cabin, only three sounds could be heard: the crackling of firewood in the fireplace, muffled sobs, and weeping.bEacoxs
J8mqDRv“…Captain.”Pxmk
0iOSamseok, with his gentle expression, placed a hand on Oscar’s shoulder on behalf of everyone. The captain’s repressed emotion was conveyed through that gesture.ExEp
Rp5Y3NY“…”DicN7
K1gMSamseok slowly and sorrowfully shook his head. The guards lowered their eyes in sadness.N1iqsY
DhDxSFKChaseok, his eyes usually half-closed, even opened them a bit.oXephv3
Qfz“So this is what it was…”jdz
BLBH9Quick to grasp the context. Apparently, Chaseok was the brains of the Imperial Guard. He turned, giving his back to Oscar and the queen, and bowed to me.r4VtZJ
jYdHkcm“Thank you, Heavenly Sword.”4Dzle2v
Cdec1yWith a slight nod, he added.lmtnpN
HR5zn“You were the one who saved our captain, weren’t you?”1IhlomR
qB8Hd“I didn’t save him. I just postponed it a little.”KVP6x
9lRA“That’s more than enough. The simple fact that you allowed us time to say goodbye… on behalf of the entire Guard, we sincerely thank you.”0Qzp6ua
4G0Jj“If you put it that way, well…”deXvsKm
mBYLtCSomething needed to be made clear.jl6
Q2Rj50“In any case, Captain Oscar must pay for his crimes. Not just for having an affair with the queen. I’m sure you understand what I mean.”ViW
bQZ“…”Rxx
nTytgChaseok took a moment to think and then nodded firmly.IgL11J
BnjnpNT“Yes. Not just the captain—the entire Guard will accept the punishment it deserves.”2ETg
jJipGN“The Guard might be disbanded. Maybe even—”Y8c9
MoS0G5iI swallowed the last part, which would have been “executed entirely.”BPEFSm
eOFO“We’re prepared for that.”4Gwe
v7mAt that moment, Samseok intervened. Although he seemed like someone with a weak character, he spoke with a dignified tone.mNU4qe0
PrG9z“Before heroes, we are soldiers. Giving our lives is part of our duty. If we’ve forgotten our essence as soldiers, then paying with our lives is not unfair. But…”d2P
CJN7IoHe paused before continuing.8VQfs
WvYWE“…We want to apologize. To you, Heavenly Sword, and to Princess Victoria. From the bottom of our hearts. If our captain was blinded by love, we were blinded by glory…”IeBGp9
xPBX“That’s enough.”Bgml
9IdvbkI replied flatly and opened the door.KYvMnXA
l8GwCSigh…fWjn
REUVJust as I was about to leave, I sighed involuntarily. I felt like the guards’ gazes were holding me back. As if I couldn’t move forward.aa7
TYa1Maybe, after having shared battle, a kind of bond had formed between us? I’m not someone that sentimental.9jnco
46HI7g6I closed the door, which had opened about three fingers wide, and looked at them all. The Guard stiffened, aligned before me, and then I spoke.MCotyU
RAiQ7t3“I’ll tell you how to avoid the worst ending.”ayEl0
VOvdiEveryone held their breath. I continued.IR8yZl
n2L91“Act the opposite of how you’ve done until now. I can’t promise I’ll do anything to save you, but at least I won’t say anything that harms you.”NRg5k
xjD6m“The opposite…? You mean… protect the princess?”Lk9KHd
iOHChaseok, always sharp with his half-lidded gaze, caught on quickly.jlYhv
Jl1“Not just you. Inside the palace, there must be other factions trying to attack the princess. And surely, they’ve already had contact with you. Am I wrong?”SejWvG
eUqKQL“…”PuRnG
rqMjbLSilence. But Chaseok and Samseok nodded with their eyes.rGS
PmK92“Make moves to protect Victoria from those factions. That way, they’ll crawl out of their hiding places like cockroaches. I’ll take care of them. Use that to your advantage. That reduces the likelihood of the worst outcome. Do you understand what I’m saying?”JGYrM
Qksx“…Will that be enough?”t3e
9fFXmI“I don’t know what kind of person you think I am, but I’m more merciful than I appear.”fZ0Y
xOwI“Eh…?”ZWeK
ivQmChaseok quickly rebuked Samseok.TXMD
G9n“Samseok, stop saying nonsense.”7WSIxj
vIU8H“Ah… yes.”UTq
YRq6But judging by how he said it, he too seemed a little confused by his own reaction.ucv
ExmAnyway.hPZbEL6
tq1“We’d better talk sitting down.”9SKnKuu
70QvsFAs I headed toward the sofa, the members of the Guard stepped aside. Samseok, seeing the tea in the cup had cooled, set water to boil in the kettle.WnFFVtj
9bImkYuSteam began to rise from the spout, gently warming the air.hmJ
Vsi“That’s right.”MVIF
NlRw5yoI said, tapping my thumb against my nail with a dry tic.NHb9uvn
8WD5kZy“Until now, I’ve been rather violent. I thought it was for the best. After all, my enemies were demons.”VrTB
8XoBtNf“…Once again, we thank you for saving humanity.”G9RI
7qpm“I’m not saying it to be thanked. It’s just that… when I argued with your captain, something changed inside me. I realized that, at the very least, I didn’t want to become that kind of person.”rs986lI
a2ifBVEveryone’s expressions seemed as if words were stuck on the tips of their tongues, tickling.NNssSCu
NmZSQAnd not just that—their eyes wavered between looking inside the cabin and out the window.XQF
Gjh6i“So…”MU9
pxF4I downed the tea Samseok served me in one gulp.ZFJznm
iSH“From now on, if I judge that you’ve truly reflected, I’ll overlook some minor mistake.”fOW8
MxIThe Heavenly Sword is (almost) a god.5muPB
P3jRKHIf I trust them, that’s enough.Z4V4LgE
LhdOaCThe very meaning of the existence of Miracle Blessing M, which I loved without measure, is also a blessing. An outsider like me must approve of this world for it to continue.Ae7M
5OAThe darker human evil becomes, the greater the value of goodness.ogFrt
2XgSmAnd I want to bet on that.LuE
qzxW***avn8bH9
ZrKhFnBefore taking formal action, the members of the Imperial Guard held a meeting. The Heavenly Sword, calmly sipping his tea, gave them space to do so.AHx5JN
Qhy3CASamseok, as if trying to gauge his intentions, called out to him.aJ5RoD
FeCIS4“Sub-chief…”44ni
13i“Don’t make such a long face. At least we avoided the worst.”sjen1J
NzxOZ“Yes, sir.”BLzEvx
eSGcFA recruit, his lips completely pale, asked with a tremble:Xzk
tyoPVDl“W-what… what’s going to happen to us, sub-chief?”Oeu5
j7xLrjr“We’ll be brought before a military tribunal. Prepare yourself mentally.”JDll
OI70YqW“B-but this was a unilateral decision by the captain! I never imagined she had anything with the queen! Did you know, sub-chief?!”EqB
azyodN“And do you think, with my temperament, I would’ve allowed it if I had known?”1la
1DdIr0Silnun shut it down immediately. The recruit, who had raised his voice in desperation, shrank back at once.lf1p
LM3XZe“No… sir.”cix2
ZmssVJa“And besides, now you want to save yourself as if you weren’t part of the Guard? Shameful. Do you think the concept of shared responsibility exists for no reason? The captain, before deciding to do this, called each of us one by one to ask if we wanted to participate. Those who didn’t want to, were discharged. If you’re here, it’s because you agreed, didn’t you, recruit?”bVKop8H
szwn9gNo words.rF1gO
zXWm51Not even ten mouths could’ve justified him.oVY92R
DX6DAn uncomfortable silence reigned. Samseok, in the middle, gave the recruit a small scolding and then spoke to Silnun.V354
f5zcrX3“The important thing is that we avoided the worst outcome.”Mf3
dy1Jh“That’s right.”vCZ0r
OYrP“And that we already know what we have to do, thanks to the Heavenly Sword’s orders.”Yh2g0GR
cnKe“I know.”HwLq
kuunOscar was no longer in his right mind.KqYIhd
UDIIXThe heavy responsibility weighed on Silnun’s shoulders. It was the first time since his enlistment that he had to make a crucial decision for the fate of the entire Guard.SlVfq
kQJTN“What’s the first action principle of the Guard, Samseok?”WOFV2tQ
MAVp“Absolute obedience to the Voice of the Sun.”UQCr
QJvmW1Silnun nodded and spoke bluntly:3FMwO1
6KmS“From this moment on, yesterday’s sun has set. It’s time to welcome a new morning.”cNy7C
5kN“…”qTKJjw
voZ“Do you all agree?”YoCggJ
qF3BThe Imperial Guard was, indeed, a group of few words.BFmDP4
ebeThey simply removed their fur hats in silence, held them against their sides, and bowed their heads.lUHvkLg
mBQjt***Go4ME
4MmOscar and the queen were quietly transferred to the hospital under Guard custody.D64iBm
7I1q4EBoth had their faces completely wrapped in blankets like cocoons. If the forces that wanted to kill them managed to identify them, the situation could quickly spiral.NgvwXLG
KvyBl1The emperor, until the Guard left and I departed, did not stop chopping wood for even a second.aXUC
DsI7yiAThat made it clear there was no room for an intimate farewell between him and me. I returned immediately to my room to spend my last night in the imperial palace.28lzI
hMDp2ReI found out later that Officer Garyeon didn’t sleep a wink for days. No wonder—the chaos nearly toppled the palace.zaZ
voYeAnyway.n1vYsi
GlPf6I didn’t even have breakfast. Since I had wrapped up my business at the palace, I quickly boarded the private jet with Victoria.SiZRaNF
KPtZIt was a rushed departure, so the farewell was modest. Only a few servants and Samseok from the Guard came to see us off.Tw94A
PN6I didn’t expect anyone to come.HR9Cmk
E9uXGiven how busy they were, it surprised me that they showed up. And to think we’d had a little “physical scuffle” just the day before!82LrrhU
2jFPsI felt a bit nostalgic.QsQIj8
zXooZrDIn a slightly scattered atmosphere, Victoria, Choi Seol-Ah, and I headed back to Korea.6p7Qob
SNmbGWe departed, but—3GuM
jjNz“Why are you coming with us, Shail…?”448IUx0
iNgFO“Seems I can’t let you go alone.”9KuDMS
XaG4BG“The young lady gave me a mission: accompany the Heavenly Sword until he returns home safely. Until then, I can’t leave.”M9X5b
I94gtcQShail shook her head and sighed, as if there were no alternative. A classy way of saying she was going to keep an eye on me.k2Lo
eUh“I think leaving the Sword Master in Karon’s care alone would be excessive. Since I’m doing fine, you should return peacefully.”2MbKMa
9itrGhg“No problem. I’m on vacation.”2uWv
Sbim9“Huh?”ui2oJt
2ox“Mr. Karon and I were both granted leave.”tdrpG
qmkTxa4Choi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened at Shail’s statement.fjTuC
TukoAT7“Eh? Maids get va-ca-tions too?!”s0z9P
fxV“We get ten days off every quarter.”a3lxy
TUgPLb3“Uwaaah, I’m so jealous! Ever since I became the director’s secretary at the academy, the longest break I’ve had is three days…!”P8z
RHCgIAFrom the seat beside Seol-Ah, Victoria dropped a sharp line.PBv1qf
5qb“As far as I know, the director hasn’t rested even one day. How is it possible that the secretary has rested two days more than her boss?”GfYbd
kukWUyCA subordinate? That’s what she seemed to be implying.CIWBn
UkgChoi Seol-Ah responded as if a great injustice had been done to her.Zwi3iT
ZDl1HH“With all due respect, Your Highness… my salary is much lower than the director’s.”Xgws1
lyW“That’s only natural.”E7eE
iANA914“…?”eKX
YjNnAZTWell said.AiAA
2p9L5z7Good one, Victoria.eqTGu2p
Lvrkf“I don’t know if I’m in a position to say this, but please take good care of the director. If I were Instructor Kim, I would’ve given up even my days off for her.”z23RhX
NPq“…Yes…”dUMIoYF
RAhNzChoi Seol-Ah placed her hand behind her neck as if it were about to cramp. Then she muttered with a sour expression,cFSIf
G2XEMnv“Not even modern-day servants work like this…”x8Ri
shIGs“Modern-day servants”? That outdated expression didn’t even register with me properly.qyoCf
X7gQOAlso, I wasn’t familiar with that kind of meme. At that moment, I didn’t understand what it meant.aS599
QMhBut I would soon.DrUNCsy
UJn8After that hectic return trip, we finally made it home safe—the Joaquin Academy.qkOr3o
RF2bH“Good job.”h3S
F8oPu“I missed you.”CJ4Lxd
G8z“Blegh… I’m still not used to hearing the master say stuff like that…”ppkf
sHRO“Ryozo. Can you dock this girl’s pay?”jhao
fJ3“Yes, absolutely.”f1C2C
BYzQNRx“Hey, hey!”iWF0
hB2OI received a warm welcome from Abel and Ryozo, and the fatigue of the journey melted away.wDq
jd0mA0pAfter witnessing the emperor’s evil, this simple, harmonious home felt even more precious.wMXoZa
8fKel5But I saw something else too.SEYw8OH
7zbOVSomething that surpassed even the emperor’s deeds. I saw it in Ryozo, whom I love.Med1I
a3MR“I think I’m going to start a graduate program.”UTB1f
2BKa5ZjAnd that was only the second day after returning home.HGocq8d
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