Astria gently placed Sena down after reaching the rooftop. She then precariously stood on the edge, overlooking the territory below.
‘Clouds of war are hovering over me.’
It wasn’t a thought derived from logical conclusions. Rather, it was her intuition, honed by countless battles, telling her so.
This place would soon become a battlefield. It wasn’t surprising. The territorial wars were already happening nearby.
Since hearing about it, she had suspected this would happen.
Of course, this fact wasn’t crucial to her. No battlefield posed a threat to her. But—
‘I must return as quickly as possible.’
Duke Granz had pinpointed their location. It wasn’t merely the behavior of a servant concerned for the Empress. It was so subtle that even Astria hadn’t noticed it immediately.
This was an ominous sign. She had wanted to accompany Sena to the Birkender territory, but since that was no longer possible, returning was the only option.
Astria extended her hand into the air. A momentary golden flicker appeared, revealing her magnificent holy sword.
Without hesitation, she drew it and slashed her own wrist. Blood dripped down. Astria extended her hand further to let the scent of blood spread in the wind.
Soon enough, a wyvern would catch the scent and arrive.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
Sylvia, panting, arrived on the rooftop. Astria slightly turned her head.
“You arrived just in time.”
“Um…”
“Use this to restrain the physician. He will surely struggle when he awakens.”
A golden chain fell from thin air around her. It was the hardest material that could not be cut with anything.
“From now on, nothing would be strange. Granz has pinpointed our location, and he will use any means necessary. This is a race to see if I reach the imperial land first or if Granz stops me before then.”
“…Senior wasn’t lying.”
“What?”
“It’s true that the grandfather is sick. I heard it from Seria too. So…”
Sylvia was scared. But she thought this was the time to muster her courage. She clenched her teeth and lifted her head.
“How about going to Birkender territory?”
“The fate of the Empire is at stake, and you think that’s important now?”
Astria looked at Sylvia incredulously.
“It’s a confirmed fact that the Empire’s only duke has rebelled against me. And that’s what an imperial knight says?”
“When I first became an imperial knight, Your Majesty’s illness had already worsened to the point where you couldn’t walk.”
Astria looked at Sylvia with disdain.
“So?”
“Even in that situation, it was Duke Granz who did not rebel. It must have been a prime opportunity for him.”
“So, are you saying that Duke Granz did not plot a rebellion from the beginning?”
“…Yes.”
“Your Empress is certain now. Are you denying my conviction?”
Anger. The Empress’s clear anger was evident.
Despite normally being terrified of Astria, Sylvia felt this was the time to speak her mind.
“Before Senior Sena arrived.”
“…”
“Your Majesty used to kill people almost daily. As if trying to prove your own vigor.”
Astria was a tyrant.
However, she only started being called that seriously three years ago.
When she was bedridden.
“If something slightly displeased you, you would kill them on the spot, shouting they were plotting a rebellion.”
Sylvia had seen this several times.
As a member of the Teutonic Knights, who guarded the Empress from the closest proximity.
The Astria Sylvia saw back then was simply a tyrant driven mad.
“Within the Imperial Knights, there were rumors. That the Empress went mad after the previous Guardian Knight left. And that she couldn’t endure this era of peace because she had lived through countless battlefields.”
Astria’s expression hardened.
Sylvia clutched her trembling arm and spoke softly.
“…Empress Astria is a monarch who is not fit for a time of peace.”
And that was the reason why all the knights, except the Teutonic Knights, turned their backs on Astria.
Everyone saw it. The scene of her killing an innocent maid, the scene of her killing a loyal subject who criticized her actions.
“Miss Sylvia.”
Veins appeared on Astria’s face.
“What you just said is treason.”
“Duke Granz was a loyal subject who protected Your Majesty even in such situations.”
Hundreds of Imperial Knights indeed plotted a rebellion.
The first person they sought was Duke Granz Kairos.
But the rebellion failed. Duke Granz did not join them. The person they turned to afterward was Duke Wilhelm.
Then, thanks to Sena successfully curing Astria’s illness, they were able to purge Wilhelm and the Imperial Knights.
As a member of the Teutonic Knights, Sylvia witnessed this series of events in detail.
“Your Majesty.”
Sylvia lifted her head.
She met Astria’s gaze without flinching.
It was Astria’s eyes that wavered instead.
“Do you still think Duke Granz is plotting a rebellion?”
“…!”
‘Are you saying I’m mad?’
Astria, flustered, stepped back.
Half of Astria’s life had been stained with blood.
Even when she ascended to the throne, she had killed all her kin with her own hands to claim the throne.
What followed was endless war. This was the first time peace had come during Astria’s reign.
‘Do you think I long for conflict? Me?’
Suddenly, memories of the past resurfaced.
When Sena said he would cure the “Black Death”.
Above the cathedral.
The encounter with Granz.
-You’re the one who caused the ‘Black Death’. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for you to glare at my physician as if you wanted to kill him, up here in the cathedral.
-… You still go too far. Can’t you see me grieving for the deaths of the people, Your Majesty?
Could it be that back then, he wasn’t standing there to do something to Sena?
Was he simply worried? Could it be that she had misunderstood?
“Dame… do you think I’m mad?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Duke Granz is really plotting a rebellion. But one thing is clear: right now, Your Majesty looks…”
Sylvia swallowed hard and continued.
“Like you did before you met Sena.”
Astria remained silent for a moment.
She smiled weakly.
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t taken my medicine recently.”
“You haven’t? Sena always nagged you to take it.”
“Medicine is bitter. I don’t like taking it.”
‘Like a child…’
Despite the situation, Sylvia couldn’t help but think that.
“But Miss Sylvia.”
“Yes.”
“Duke Granz is no loyal subject.”
Astria sent her holy sword back.
The oppressive aura that had been suffocating the air disappeared as well.
Without the tyrannical atmosphere, Astria looked like an incredibly frail girl.
“He would never swear loyalty to me.”
-‘Do you pledge your loyalty to me, Duke Granz Kairos? I find that hard to believe.’
Astria had killed her father to ascend to the throne.
Granz had been the Guard Knight of the previous Emperor. He was considered the strongest Swordmaster in the Empire’s history.
-‘I pledge my loyalty to the Empire. But please, spare Lady Marianne. She is your mother, after all.’
Granz had sworn loyalty.
As the strongest knight in history, many knights followed him.
Astria, judging it would help stabilize her rule, accepted his request.
“But it’s not just because I’m mad with paranoia that I doubt him.”
However, she only half-granted his request.
She cut the Achilles tendon of Marianne, her mother, and exiled her.
“If Duke Granz could ask God to kill just one person, he would undoubtedly say my name.”
Astria smirked, glanced at Sena once, and then passed by Sylvia.
“Indeed, this is not the right time. I’ll heed your advice, Sylvia Clifton.”
**
Sena regained consciousness a whole day later.
“You’re awake.”
“Yes, good morning.”
Sena, still groggy, nodded off again.
“I’ll help you get dressed.”
“Huh, thank you.”
Sena weakly allowed Lucia to assist him.
“Give me your foot.”
“Please lift your feet.”
Hmm.
Sena watched Lucia put on his socks with a blank expression.
Why is an inquisitor putting his socks on?
And with such care, too.
“Your hair is so beautiful!”
Why is the archbishop brushing his hair?
“…Huh?”
Isn’t this strange?
Finally feeling a sense of oddity, Sena’s eyes widened.
“This is strange… Why won’t the hair on the top of your head stay down?”
“Why are both of you here?”
“Of course, it’s to assist our angel.”
Sena realized for the first time that Lucia could smile so warmly.
‘This is not the time for this!’
Fully awake now, Sena recalled the events of the previous day.
He hurried to the window. Could it be that they had already returned to the imperial palace…
“Huh? This isn’t the imperial palace.”
Sena looked bewilderedly at Ellie.
Ellie sat gracefully, smiling softly.
“Though there was some commotion, Lady Sylvia managed to persuade them to stay until you woke up. Her Majesty said we would depart to the next territory as soon as you awoke.”
Sena blinked in surprise.
Hwaaah-.
A burst of warmth filled him.
“Sylvia…!”
It seems he can only trust his knight!
Sena quickly opened the door and stepped outside.
“Sylvia!”
‘I will hug you when I see you.’
He was energetically calling out Sylvia’s name as he wandered around.
Suddenly—
“Guh.”
With a warm sensation at his lips, blood spurted out.
His hand trembled, and his body felt weak as if struck by an illness.
A terrible premonition.
Sena covered his mouth and slowly turned his head.
The number reflected above his head in the window.
[10]
Only 10 days left.
A number that signified how little time was left.
The collapse of his body had begun.
