Chapter 265

Great Emperor Continua spoke.

He asked if Ferbias hadn’t killed a second brother.

Ferbias, whose old secret had been exposed, trembled as if struck by lightning.

“Did you….”

Ferbias Caseptus is the Emperor.

Great Emperor Continua stepped down 7 years ago.

Since an Emperor is an Emperor, he always stands above others and has no reason to be afraid anywhere, but today he was infinitely fearful.

Ferbias raised his trembling hand and covered his mouth.

“…Did you know…?”

It was 7 years ago.

The day the Succession War ended.

Ferbias Caseptus killed two half-brothers.

To be precise, he had believed he killed them until now.

4th Prince Nebulo Le Etier, 5th Prince Zionis.

Saying they were such bothersome guys that it couldn’t be helped, he sent private soldiers to clear them away.

Ferbias found their corpses in the Sobel Mountain Range.

It is a distant memory now.

Since becoming Emperor, so many things had happened that he often forgot the fact that he had cleared the two of them away.

However, Great Emperor Continua seemed to have known everything since then.

That the eldest son killed other brothers, Nebulo and Zionis, and this time even Secundus, a total of three…….

“……?”

Ferbias felt a question.

He counted the numbers carefully.

It was too simple a calculation, but just in case he was wrong, he slowly counted on his fingers.

Two killed 7 years ago, Nebulo and Zionis.

One killed this time, Secundus.

Then it is three.

Although Zionis is alive in the West, Ferbias also just found out. Even if it is Great Emperor Continua….

“…Surely….”

Ferbias raised his eyes.

His eyes are golden.

He used to hear all the time that he looked exactly like Great Emperor Continua.

However, facing him directly, the light faded.

Great Emperor Continua’s two eyes were a golden color flashing more than the sun, making Ferbias’s eyes look like cheap brass.

“…Saying the brothers I killed are two means….”

“I merely spoke the truth.”

“…Even I, that guy, that Zionis is alive… just now, I just found out…?”

The Emperor now is Ferbias.

Great Emperor Continua has already retired.

However, Ferbias felt powerless enough to feel deep inferiority, no, enough to be overwhelmed by awe.

Having done this, what kind of Emperor is he?

He is still playing in the palm of Great Emperor Continua’s hand!

“…You already knew everything.”

“Why did you think I wouldn’t know?”

Great Emperor Continua sipped the wine.

Yes, he is the Great Emperor.

In the history of the Millennium Empire, there are only three Emperors who enjoyed the title of Great Emperor Magnus, and Continua is one of those three.

Even after retiring, the whole continent still called him Great Emperor.

“…Since 7 years ago, all along…!!!”

Ferbias gritted his teeth.

“…You….”

He felt sorrowful and resentful.

He was watching everything.

This man has seen it all.

Ferbias trying to kill two brothers, one surviving and fleeing to the West, Ferbias being completely deceived into thinking Zionis was dead, and even trying to kill Secundus this time, everything, everything!

“You…!!!”

Who is Ferbias? He is Continua’s eldest son. Who are Nebulo, Zionis, and Secundus? They are Continua’s sons. He watched his own sons eat and be eaten like beast cubs, yet said nothing and did nothing!

He shuddered.

“…Do you really think you are a god or something…?!”

“God?”

Ferbias asked, containing even grief, but Continua was brazen.

“There is no such thing as a god. Cordis is an empire of humans.”

He poured another glass of wine.

Continua’s two cheeks were flushed.

It was understandable that he would get tipsy.

Since he sipped wine repeatedly like that at over seventy years of age.

The sight of getting drunk from drinking alcohol was even stranger.

It was hard to accept the fact that that man, who didn’t seem human at all, was a human like himself.

“I am just a retired old man. Since I have no power, I am merely a human trying to act fairly at least.”

“Fair…?”

“Right, was I not fair?”

Continua tapped the armrest.

“Zionis fled the Empire 7 years ago. I only watched that.”

“……”

“When your friend, the descendant of Aretion, chased that child… Hmm, what was the name…?”

Ferbias tried to answer. However, Continua spoke toward the empty air instead.

“Hey, Hermai. That friend’s name…. Ah. Right, right, Amethus. Amethus Aretion! The child with the Breath of Light.”

Ferbias realized that Continua had spoken to Hermai in that manner earlier as well.

But Continua is not a mage. Speaking toward the empty air wouldn’t transmit words to Hermai.

It was impossible to know how on earth he was doing it.

“Anyway, when Amethus chased Zionis, I did not interfere in any way.”

At that time, Zionis was eleven years old.

Amethus chased him with swordsmanship comparable to the Ten Great Generals of the Empire and ghost-like intuition.

It cannot be expressed how great a threat it was.

It would have been a threat great enough for a chase scene worthy of two volumes if written as a novel.

“That he even made Amethus his own side is solely Zionis that child’s ability.”

“……”

“Besides, think carefully. Didn’t you manipulate Hermai’s disciple to hold the Grand Convergence? You haven’t already forgotten how forced that was, right?”

“…I remember.”

“Yet you doubt my fairness, my son?”

Son? Ferbias unconsciously chewed on the words, ‘my son’.

It seemed to be the first time Great Emperor Continua called him son.

Searching his memory, it was really the first time.

Yet, far from being happy, only a bitter smile came out.

“Now I understand.”

Ferbias’s eyes glistened golden.

“Neglect and indifference are your fairness, Father.”

“Think as you please, my son.”

The fun is gone.

Continua tossed the wine into his mouth.

He picked up the wine glass he had poured for Ferbias.

“If you won’t talk further and won’t drink wine either, go back now.”

Continua poured the wine onto the floor without hesitation.

It was the wine Ferbias refused.

The sight of red wine scattering resembled a scene of disaster.

Ferbias ended up recalling the faces of the brothers he killed.

“Since you caused trouble, the cleanup is a mountain, isn’t it, Emperor Your Majesty?”

“…Yes, I will go back.”

“Come again. If you want to come again.”

“…….”

Ferbias ground his teeth instead of answering.

The crunching sound was distinct, so Continua ended up laughing heartily.

***

Ferbias walked silently.

As soon as he left Continua’s villa, Hermai Merhes descended from the sky.

Grand Dean Hermai also walked silently by Ferbias’s side.

He was quite thoughtful for a mage aged 400 years.

No, perhaps he became thoughtful because he aged 400 years.

“…….”

There is no one by the Emperor’s side now.

Those who could be called aides left one by one, and with this incident as momentum, he lost them entirely.

Nine-Lines General and Ten-Vigorous General, Director Kentil, Bukenos, Nana, and ……Amethus.

His friend whom he missed to the point of hatred.

However, his only friend now is solitude.

He recalled one aphorism.

Fancy words like humans do not become strong without solitude.

But this is also a painful saying.

Because solitude is a painful thing.

It was so severe that his marrow felt cold.

The fact that he had become accustomed to this coldness was the most painful.

Because no way to escape could be seen at all.

There must have been passion.

There must have been will.

Oh, there must have clearly been big dreams and causes for the people of the Empire.

But they are not visible now.

There must have been such things, but where have they gone?

They existed, but the solitude was long enough to forget what they were.

Ferbias sat on the Imperial Throne he desired deeply, but he did not grasp a single thing he truly wanted.

Rather, he only lost things.

“Grand Dean.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“When will you leave?”

“……I must go soon.”

“I have a guess about what Secundus said.”

Ferbias continued.

“Is Dean Cornelius alive?”

“……He said so.”

“Right, I was too harsh to Cornelius. I pushed him away for no reason, saying I was keeping you in check. I apologize.”

“……I did not expect to receive an apology from Your Majesty.”

“I didn’t know I would apologize either.”

Ferbias smirked.

His beard bothered him.

The beard he had grown following Great Emperor Continua, it seemed he had gotten used to it, but it feels awkward again.

Now he wanted to shave it off without lingering attachment.

“…Director Kentil was a born flatterer. But he was an excellent professor. Perhaps I should have just let him teach students….”

“No. He was an excellent professor but always had a desire for power.”

“So I should have kept him in the Imperial Academy of Magic even more. So that he always felt a little regret. Humans don’t go too astray when they have regret….”

“……Your Majesty.”

“Leave as soon as we return to the Great Imperial Palace, Grand Dean. And please ask Cornelius once. If he returns, I will treat him tens of times better than the poor treatment until now. Though he won’t return, he might be a little tempted.”

“…….”

“I’m a guy full of damn mistakes…. They are full of mistakes too big and dirty to just pass over calling them mistakes….”

Hermai Merhes looked at Ferbias.

Ferbias looked a bit relieved.

Even though all plans failed and he only made mistakes, he had a strangely comfortable face.

“Your Majesty, do you remember the words I said on the day of the coronation.”

“Words like you see fire in my chest?”

“Yes.”

The old mage bowed his head.

“I said so. Do not control the fire. Either extinguish it completely to make it cold, or fuel the fire further to let it burn the whole continent.”

“You did.”

“However, it seems Your Majesty is controlling the fire.”

“Does it mean I am becoming ordinary rather than great?”

“It means you are becoming a better human than before. It would be the best path for Your Majesty yourself. However, I wonder why your heart changed.”

“Why would it be?”

Ferbias smirked.

“A man who once burned the whole continent with the fire in his chest… now a man who extinguished all the fire in his heart and is merely fair even to his blood relatives…. My father, Great Emperor Continua….”

He wanted to resemble Great Emperor Continua.

He had earnestly desired to become at least a miniature version of the great and great father.

However, such a heart does not remain now. Is it because he became too exhausted?

“I cannot become like him.”

The smile was bitter.

“I ended up realizing, Grand Dean.”

Ferbias continued.

“The Great Emperor still hasn’t called my name once. It was the same for Secundus or Nebulo. Perhaps he still doesn’t know. Right?”

“…….”

“Until now, I thought he wasn’t interested in us because he was too great. But… no….”

He looked at the sky.

The disappointment was great and the despondency was great, so it was even sad.

He had no energy to go forward anymore.

He had thought he must go forward even without energy, but now he doesn’t even have the energy to think.

“The Great Emperor… Father….”

Ferbias closed his eyes gently.

“…He remembered Zionis’s name. He was only interested in that guy. Ah, it was like that on the day of the Succession War proclamation too. How special an answer it was that he praised him so much….”

His heart ached.

“Even, he seemed very interested in Amethus who has now become that guy’s confidant.”

He realized this was jealousy.

Realizing that he was jealous, he became newly certain of what he truly wanted.

Ferbias just wanted to be recognized.

He wanted to be the eldest son recognized by the great Great Emperor Continua.

So, in fact, it means it didn’t have to be the Emperor.

But then, what about the countless lives sacrificed to become the Emperor?

What should be done about those tears and pain?

When he has not a bit of a way to take responsibility for the fallen lives?

“It’s a dog-like day.”

It is the day he killed his brother.

It is the day he lost all his confidants.

He realized the brother he thought dead is actually alive and sharpening his sword, realized he cannot become like his great father, realized his inadequacy, but ended up realizing he still has to bear the weight of the Emperor.

“Truly, a dog-like day….”

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