Chapter 309

“…Sword….”

Ferbias Caseptus decided to die.

“…Right, I still have a sword left….”

There were logical reasons for deciding to commit suicide.

First, there was no reason to live any longer.

Second, the weight to bear was too much.

And third (actually, this is closest to his true feelings), he didn’t want to suffer anymore.

Ferbias was born with an excellent mind.

Because of that, once he made up his mind, the execution was swift.

He began to derive a method that was rational, minimally painful, yet would not stain the honor of the Empire.

At first, he thought about stabbing his stomach or slashing his throat with the sword.

But it was inefficient.

Suicide by such methods involves pain continuing longer than expected.

He knew because he had actually seen it a few times.

Among the subjects he kept, a few who were particularly loyal had taken their own lives as an apology for their disloyalty.

“Right, right, you won, Zionis….”

He put down his sword.

And he began to dig the ground with his bare hands.

It happened to be a secluded place.

He had already passed the capital Lutilium, and a little further was the Sobel Mountain Range.

The Sobel Mountain Range, the place where Ferbias had tried to kill his two younger brothers.

The place where he could have actually killed one.

As he dug the ground with his bare hands, his fingertips throbbed.

Soon, a fingernail even peeled off. Damp soil seeped into the raw wound, causing quite a bit of pain.

But he was the Emperor, and even in the face of pain, he tried hard to remain calm and continued to dig the ground.

“…I ignored you, but I was wrong…. Indeed, if it’s you of that caliber, you are worthy of being entrusted with the Cordis Empire….”

He dug the ground and planted the sword.

Blade facing up, handle facing down.

So that the sharp blade soared looking upward.

He set it very firmly so the sword would not shake.

He filled stones around the planted handle and sprinkled soil on top.

He even stomped around it with his feet to pack it down very firmly.

The blade is sharp and blue.

Even when pushed as a test, there is no shaking.

It was the same even when pushed with force.

It was like a fang protruding from the earth toward the sky.

Ferbias was satisfied with his handiwork.

He thought that if he had become a hunter and set traps to catch animals, he would have done well.

But such an opportunity would not be given to him.

He turned his head, trying hard to ignore the sorrow.

Far away, he could see the sleepless city.

That place, splendid even in the dark night, is the capital Lutilium.

His city that he ruled as the 50th Emperor.

But because he couldn’t handle it, he ended up running away.

“…I will make my exit. Do well, Zionis. Since I will disappear quietly, very quietly, so as not to tarnish the honor of the Empire….”

He intended to jump onto the blade.

This was the method to end his life most quickly and rationally.

It would have been much more comfortable if there was just one person to hold the sword for him, but what could he do when there wasn’t.

Unavoidably, he planted the sword upside down, hand first into the ground.

“…Hmm, is it a bit high?”

Ferbias tilted his head.

The position of the blade was higher than he thought.

If he jumped in like this, he would likely only hurt his legs unnecessarily.

He didn’t have the confidence to land precisely on the blade if he jumped from a tree.

He looked around this way and that.

“Oh!”

Ferbias, having found a stone of suitable height, let out an exclamation.

If he stacked three stones well, it would be about the height of a human head.

This much height was needed.

It was a suitable stepping stone to jump down onto the blade and finish his life.

“Good, this will do. This will….”

He did not build the stepping stone carelessly either.

So that he wouldn’t misstep by any chance.

So that it wouldn’t shake.

So that the planted blade would surely pierce his torso.

So that his life would be cut off at once like that.

He built the stepping stone firmly and climbed on it.

There was no shaking.

The blade in front of his eyes is sharp and blue.

The blade was also fixed firmly.

Now if he lifted his foot and jumped, he would fall onto that blade, the well-sharpened edge would pierce his stomach, and it would be the end.

Right, it was the end.

“…Right, if I do this… now if I just jump down, just jump down….”

Ferbias ended up sobbing.

Tears came out because his life was sorrowful.

He didn’t do anything carelessly, not planting a single blade, nor making a stepping stone for his own death.

He always lived like that.

He lived doing his best all his life.

He lived choosing the best things, and the best things for him were not just for himself alone.

The best path for everyone.

He lived agonizing over what that would be.

He hadn’t lived enjoying life either.

If someone had to dirty their hands, he would do it; still, he would find a way to dirty them a little less.

Sometimes boldly, sometimes enduring pain, he lived like that.

He definitely did.

But why?

Did he amount to only this much?

“…Excuses….”

Ferbias Caseptus could not be kind to himself until the end.

He was a man who could not tolerate even his own sobbing.

He pointed a finger at his sobbing self and ground his teeth.

He wanted to run away from the sharp blade.

But he scolded himself not to run away.

“…It’s all excuses, Ferbias… pathetic guy…. This pathetic guy…. Put it down like an Emperor until the last, like an Emperor….”

A path befitting an Emperor.

If he did his best but couldn’t become one, he had to exit.

If the Empire did not want him, he should disappear without lingering attachment.

That would be right.

So let’s die.

Let’s just die.

It’s regrettable, but that is right.

Beautiful night sky.

The sound of insects in the silence.

Pleasantly cool night air.

Stillness and calmness.

Amidst that, a blade standing upside down facing the sky.

A human who has failed.

“…….”

Ferbias looked back on his life.

But there was nothing to look back on.

The tear stains were miserable.

He too had precious things. But now, none exist.

The face that comes to mind until the end is that guy with jade eyes.

The best friend who boasted fierce swordsmanship.

Amethus, Amethus, why did you leave me?

Even resenting feels sinful.

He wanted to lament but couldn’t lament.

Moonlight seeped in.

He saw a tree branch, saw a leaf hanging at the end, saw the sky, felt it was beautiful, and saw himself.

Amidst all beautiful things, he was terribly alien and cumbersome.

“…………Ha.”

Ferbias Caseptus laughed, and abruptly threw his body onto the blade.

And, a gentle breeze blew.

The gentle breeze touched the tree branch.

The tree branch dropped the leaf.

The hairy caterpillar attached to the leaf fell.

The caterpillar landed exactly on Ferbias’s eye.

Ferbias realized a caterpillar had fallen on his eye and screamed.

“…Uwah…!!”

He unwittingly twisted his body.

“…B-Bug! Bug…!!”

Ferbias Caseptus, the Emperor of the great Empire, screamed like a girl because he detested hairy caterpillars creepily, raised his hand to detach it, but having nothing to grab, he put his hand on the ground.

As a result, despite jumping onto the blade with grim determination, he ended up twisting his body and avoiding the blade.

Ferbias, having shaken off the bug in front of his eyes, soon realized his situation.

“…This….”

He didn’t have a single scratch.

“…What is this?”

Even a hollow laugh didn’t come out.

His state was so shameful that his face didn’t even turn red.

He looked at the caterpillar on his hand.

It was gross, but small.

It is just small.

He muttered looking alternately at the caterpillar and the sharp blade.

“…I….”

The voice was sorrowful.

“…A person called the Emperor of the Millennium Empire… got scared by just, just a single bug like this….”

He tried to throw the caterpillar away.

But he saw the caterpillar wriggling.

It was a wriggle to live.

Ferbias realized he was no better than this bug and let the caterpillar go.

“…I couldn’t even manage to die?”

Only then did he realize he was miserable.

He wanted to die honorably.

At least for the end, he wanted to act like an Emperor, like Great Emperor Continua.

But he couldn’t even do that.

Because he is Ferbias.

Because no matter how much he hated it, he couldn’t not be.

He wanted to blame.

He wanted to resent.

He wanted to scream and go crazy that this shame, this bug-likeness of his, was not his fault.

He always lived like that.

Since I am excellent, it is your fault.

It’s Zionis’s fault, it’s Amethus’s fault, it’s Nana’s, Chief Official Kentil’s, Director Urbes’s fault!

But now he was alone.

Because there was no one to blame, he lifted his head.

He looked at the night sky where the moon had risen.

“Let me die.”

He pointed a finger at the sky.

Cordis is a human empire.

It does not acknowledge gods.

Ferbias was the Emperor of such a place.

But now, he spoke very actively toward the sky.

“…Me, just…!”

The moon is bright.

Regardless of his misery, it was pouring out its light to Ferbias in a form more beautiful than anything.

“…Just, let me die, I mean.”

“Your Majesty.”

There was a human voice in the darkness.

“Just what are you talking about right now?”

***

“…Oh…!”

Ferbias’s face brightened.

Clanking sounds drew near.

It is the sound of weapons and armor clashing.

Ferbias possessed sword skills surpassing a Commander of a Thousand.

He could tell that the presence approaching was one of the Ten Great Generals of the Empire.

“…Yes, as expected! There has to be one…!”

He excitedly raised his body.

He tidied his appearance, slyly hid the blade standing upside down, and began to pretend to be nonchalant, pretend not to be miserable, pretend to be a splendid Emperor.

“At least one person who looks for this Ferbias…….”

But soon, he realized the voice he heard was a woman’s.

There are only two women among the Ten Great Generals of the Empire.

It wasn’t Nana’s voice.

Then there is only one left, and she is….

“…….”

“Why do you stop speaking?”

The owner of the voice walked out from the darkness into the moonlight.

Unusually, only the thumb and index finger remained on her left hand, and she held a spear with that hand.

Ferbias lamented.

“…General Marina….”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is Seven-Forged General Marina Debius.”

Marina’s smile was scary.

She was smiling, but he felt something rotting inside.

Because it seemed to smell of rotting insides.

Marina Debius was nearing fifty, unlike her appearance.

She had exactly one son, and Ferbias killed him.

“…Right, Seven-Forged General….”

Ferbias grabbed the sword he had set up.

He held the sword and pulled it out with force.

Naturally, his palm became a mess and blood flowed.

But somehow he held the sword and stepped back.

Because Marina Debius was approaching even more while wearing a smile.

“Why do you raise your sword, Your Majesty?”

“…Because you are holding a spear.”

Ferbias caught his trembling breath.

“Then why do you think I am holding a spear?”

“…That is….”

He parted his lips with difficulty.

Just facing the spirit of a Ten Great General of the Empire crushed his windpipe.

“…That matter, couldn’t be helped. That guy was plotting the division of the Empire. I endured too, you see. For 7 whole years, I watched with open eyes as he only prepared to betray me, and I held back…. Secundus was….”

“Mouth.”

Trees were uprooted.

Because Marina Debius’s spear was swung, scraping the ground.

The spear thrust was so fierce it seemed like waves of soil were crashing.

Ferbias, who blocked it, vomited blood immediately.

“Shut it, Your Majesty.”

It was just one spear thrust.

But Ferbias could not handle it.

The sword that blocked the spear was chipped, and blood surged from Ferbias’s throat.

Marina Debius found that detestable.

Secundus was now in a state where he couldn’t even bleed.

It means he has died.

“Where.”

Another spear thrust.

Ferbias barely blocked it.

Although two of his fingers were bent backwards.

“Dare you.”

Spear thrust again.

This time he couldn’t block properly.

One of Ferbias’s ears disappeared.

“Put my son’s name in that mouth-!!!”

“…….”

Ferbias thought many things.

Just a moment ago he wanted to die, but now he didn’t want to again.

He ended up shouting like a child eventually.

“What do you want me to do!”

He swung his sword fiercely.

Marina Debius realized that the Emperor’s sword skills had grown in that short time.

As expected, he was worthy of being called a genius. Ferbias shouted, spitting saliva.

“Did I not say it couldn’t be helped! Should I apologize? Huh? Would you feel better then? Huh? Do you want an apology, Seven-Forged General?”

“Good, apology.”

Marina lightly flicked her wrist and struck away Ferbias’s sword.

The sword flew far away.

It is surprising that Ferbias grew in a short time, but it wasn’t enough to reach Marina yet.

She is a Ten Great General of the Empire.

“Please die obediently, Your Majesty. Then I will accept the apology.”

“…….”

“No. This is a little insufficient. My anger isn’t relieved…. Secundus in the underworld, too, will definitely not be satisfied….”

Marina Debius pulled her spear back.

It was an instant.

Ferbias sensed death.

That pulling-back motion is the Debius Forged Horn.

It was not a blow he could block having lost his sword.

Ferbias Caseptus squeezed his eyes shut tight.

If it seems like a stab, it has already stabbed.

Debius Forged Horn.

“Seven-Forged General.”

Another voice.

It was a woman’s again.

She had a small frame, half her face was covered in scars, and she blocked Marina Debius’s Forged Horn nonchalantly.

She was someone both Marina and Ferbias knew well.

“You are being excessively rude to His Majesty.”

“…Nana…!”

Nana Nereyades, Nine-Streams General.

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