Fake
“Commander of the 4th Legion, arriving!”
A powerful band performance echoed, and the soldiers of the 4th Legion began marching in formation through the main gate of the imperial palace.
Leading them was, of course, Reinhardt.
Clad in thick armor, Reinhardt dismounted his horse and strode confidently into the palace.
‘Still the same as ever…’
Watching Reinhardt, Vanessa let out a dry laugh.
From the Spirit’s Eye, Reinhardt’s aura constantly flickered and shifted—a state of pure ‘chaos’ with a swirl of emotions and tendencies.
How could he still be the same after all that battle? Vanessa chuckled quietly.
“Welcome, Reinhardt. You’ve endured so many battles in succession, and today we’ve prepared a feast in your honor. Please, relax and enjoy it. Let your soldiers rest as well.”
“It’s the first luxurious banquet since your coronation, sister! I consider it an honor and am very grateful!”
“But I heard that when the 4th Legion first crossed the border, they were laden with slaves as spoils of war. What happened to them all?”
“Oh, those? I took care of them myself.”
“…”
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
She had received reports of over a thousand elven sl*ves.
Yet he took care of them all?
“Reinhardt… you didn’t…”
“Haha! Are you disappointed, sister, because I didn’t save any for you? Don’t worry! I’ve prepared plenty of other spoils instead of those wretched slaves!”
“That’s not what I meant…!”
Vanessa clenched her teeth, and the atmosphere around them turned cold in an instant.
Vanessa’s clenched fist trembled, while the nobles around her were too stunned to even breathe.
It was Reinhardt’s voice that finally broke the silence.
“Sister, is this all the protection you have?”
“…?”
With a chilling sound, a blade emerged from Reinhardt’s scabbard, gleaming menacingly.
Alarmed, the guards quickly surrounded the Empress.
Reinhardt scoffed, amused, and stomped the ground.
Boom! A deafening sound like an earthquake erupted, and Reinhardt shot forward in a flash.
His movement left a long afterimage that seemed to vanish entirely, leaving the guards in shock.
‘Sword Master!?’
The speed was so quick that even the elite Sword Experts among the guards couldn’t follow it.
Panicked, the guards turned their heads, searching for Reinhardt.
“Above! Look above!”
“…!?”
A shadow loomed from above, and an unexpected attack rained down on the guards.
Without time to respond, they fell one by one to the blunt force of the attack.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Within moments, Reinhardt had broken through the wall of guards and was charging directly at the Empress, who remained as calm as ever.
His sword arced toward her in a fierce swing.
“Hah… Hah…”
“You’ve lost, Reinhardt. You’ve improved quite a bit.”
As the cloud of dust dispersed, the scene revealed the guard captain standing in front of the Empress, blocking Reinhardt’s attack.
The Empress, however, had the tip of her sheathed sword aimed at Reinhardt’s neck.
“I never imagined you’d have reached the level of a Sword Master. Captain, there’s no doubt that Reinhardt has reached the realm of a Sword Master, correct?”
“Yes, yes? Oh, yes… absolutely…”
The captain replied, stumbling over his words in shock.
One moment, the Empress had looked furious, and now she was smiling.
The captain couldn’t make any sense of it.
“How can this be my defeat? Are you saying, sister, that you could kill me with that blunt scabbard?”
“Yes. More than enough to kill you.”
“…!?”
Sizzle…!
Sparks flew from Vanessa’s scabbard as it burned away, falling to the ground, revealing a sword wrapped in a brilliant blue aura.
The blade’s intense aura flickered, as if it could pierce Reinhardt’s throat at any moment.
Only then did Reinhardt sigh and close his eyes.
“You’re right; I concede defeat. I still lack in the mastery of Aura…”
“It seems you’ve learned how to accept defeat now. When you were young, you would keep challenging me until you were completely exhausted.”
“… Please forget those days.”
Accepting his defeat, Reinhardt knelt to the ground, bowing his head.
Vanessa gently patted his head and sheathed her sword.
“Can we be assured there won’t be another attack today?”
“Yes, sister. The rule is that I can challenge you only once a month.”
“Very well. Come inside; the food is ready.”
Turning as if nothing had happened, the Empress walked ahead, while Reinhardt followed with a smile.
The stunned nobles and guards, who lay sprawled on the ground, could only stare in disbelief as the two walked away.
.
.
“What are you all standing around for? Start playing the music again. This banquet feels like a funeral.”
“Sister! When will you finally pass down the throne to me? I hear you’re constantly buried in work; perhaps it’s time to rest!”
“That won’t happen, so don’t get your hopes up.”
It was absurd.
When Reinhardt had drawn his sword, everyone had feared disaster.
But the duel ended without anyone being seriously hurt after just a few exchanges.
Rumor had it that the Empress and Reinhardt made a pact when they were young: whoever won their duel would claim the throne. That duel had continued ever since.
‘Maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems?’
More than anything, the Empress’s reaction was completely calm.
If she felt any danger from someone seeking her life, her sharp instincts would have surely revealed it.
At least for now, it seemed Reinhardt didn’t carry any murderous intent.
“Ah, I have someone to introduce. Count Vermont, come here.”
“Ugh. Aslan Vermont…”
As Reinhardt walked closer at the Empress’s call, he visibly grimaced in distaste.
I feel the same way about you, you know.
Suppressing the curse that nearly slipped out, Aslan struggled to keep his composure.
“This is a friend I’ve made recently. We get along well, and above all, he performs excellently in his work. Once he takes on a task, he grumbles, but he always exceeds expectations, so I can’t help but appreciate him.”
“Sister, if that’s the case, isn’t he more of a servant than a friend?”
“He responds sincerely to the Empress’s calls. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander of the 4th Legion. May I ask you one question?”
“Ask freely!”
“I heard that you disposed of the sl*ves you brought back as spoils of war. What did you mean by that?”
Aslan had been meaning to ask this for a while, but he couldn’t hold back.
So far, Reinhardt didn’t seem like the villain type.
He was just a bit too brash and carefree.
But that didn’t necessarily mean Reinhardt’s nature was ‘good.’
It was possible that Reinhardt was purely unaware of his own darkness, someone whose pure-hearted nature might conceal something sinister.
This question was to confirm that.
“They were prisoners of war captured by my soldiers throughout the campaign. There’s no other way to dispose of them.”
“You mean…?”
“I paid their ransom myself. Then I granted them citizenship and set them free in my territory. The influx of elves should resolve the labor shortage in my lands. Hahaha!”
“Why are you bearing all the costs? You should report the details to me, and I’ll cover the expenses.”
“I can’t accept that, sister! Why should I use national funds to buy back the spoils of war? I’m the one who should bear the cost!”
“…”
The unexpectedly heartwarming outcome left Aslan speechless for a moment.
So that’s why the Empress was angry…
She didn’t like seeing her younger brother spending so much money.
The two siblings bickering over it felt like a group of older men fighting over the bill after a company dinner.
“Then what about the livestock you requisitioned from the village you passed by on your march?”
“I made a loan agreement in my name for both the livestock and the wages of the villagers. Despite the unreasonable request, none of them complained, so I decided to double the market price for them. The village chief was overjoyed, even shedding tears.”
“…”
This guy…
He wasn’t pure evil; he was just pure-hearted, wasn’t he?
The unexpectedly good episodes that kept emerging were beginning to make Aslan dizzy.
How could this guy be the main villain of Chapter 2?
Had he misunderstood everything?
Then what about that cutscene in the burning imperial palace, where Reinhardt was pointing his sword at the Empress?
He had no idea what was going on anymore.
“Sister, please have a drink. It’s an elven traditional liquor.”
“Traditional liquor…?”
“The aroma has already dissipated, so there’s no need to worry, Your Majesty.”
“Ha, my soldiers and I have been drinking this for five years. There’s no way it’s poisonous.”
The Empress, seeming reassured by the words of the maid and Reinhardt, took the cup.
At that moment, an unsettling thought flashed in Aslan’s mind.
Something felt off.
‘Based on his character, Reinhardt isn’t a wicked person.’
‘The fact that the Empress isn’t rejecting it means she doesn’t have a hidden evil nature either.’
‘But the imperial palace is still burning, and Reinhardt is attacking the Empress.’
All the information he had didn’t add up, and the contradictions were growing more apparent.
Could it be that the butterfly effect he caused had changed this world’s Reinhardt, making him different from the original?
But Reinhardt had been isolated for five years on the battlefield, only just arriving.
It was impossible that his personality had completely changed due to Aslan’s influence.
‘Wait. Elven traditional liquor?’
A chilling thought crossed his mind, and before he could make a decision, his hand instinctively reached out, grabbing the Empress’s wrist as she was about to drink.
“Ah!?
“Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty. Did you drink that liquor?”
“Just a sip…”
“Commander of the 4th Legion, where did this liquor come from specifically?”
“I got it from the Elven Kingdom. My subordinate, Sephiroth, is in charge of procuring it, though… You dare to touch the Empress without permission? Are you not afraid of death, Count?”
“Your Majesty, have you met Sephiroth?”
“No, I haven’t yet.”
“Then…”
“Answer me, Count Vermont! Release the Empress’s wrist first!”
At that moment, everything started to click into place.
Reinhardt was not the main villain of Chapter 2.
The cutscene had been a fake.
‘The true mastermind is Sephiroth!’
Aslan had assumed Reinhardt was the one leading the attack on the imperial palace, believing Sephiroth was merely his subordinate, but the reality was the opposite.
The fire in the palace and the Empress being brought to her knees were all part of a scheme orchestrated by the sorcerer Sephiroth.
Reinhardt had no idea and was simply being manipulated.
Sephiroth, who had been hiding in the shadows, was the true threat, and it wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t been caught by the Empress’s sharp eyes.
Sephiroth had already anticipated that the Empress’s keen senses would be watching closely.
“Your Majesty! We must stop the banquet immediately!”
“What is this about…?”
Boom!
At that moment, a massive tremor shook the ground, and the walls of the banquet hall crumbled.
The hall was soon plunged into chaos.
