Chapter 164

At the center of the encampment where a seventy-thousand-strong army slept, inside the quarters of Marquis Carson.

The cold sound of a sword being drawn tore through the silence created by Marquis Carson and Colbus, filling the space where the two men stood.

Srrring—

Colbus reached for his sword first, but it was the marquis who actually drew his blade. At Colbus’s touch, his sword failed to leave its scabbard and slid back into place.

“…What is this? Why did you stop halfway through drawing your sword?”

One could not point a blade at an unarmed opponent. Having already drawn his sword with the resolve to stake his life, the marquis stared at Colbus with suspicious eyes.

Under that chilling gaze, Colbus bit his lip. To be frank, the marquis was not even an opponent worthy of a single exchange against Colbus’s full strength. And yet, Colbus refrained from swinging his sword and chose dialogue instead.

‘Most of those still remaining by my lord’s side are empty husks who discarded Aphahiel, whom they served for so long, the moment it suited their own interests. No matter how many such people there are, they cannot be trusted. What Lord Gion needs right now is someone like this marquis.’

Despite Colbus’s earnest pleas, the marquis’s response never changed. The more steadfast the marquis remained, the more anguished Colbus felt. At last, Colbus threw out his final gambit.

“…This is not what I want, Your Excellency. Please, just once more, listen to what I have to say.”

“…Hmm.”

For someone acknowledged by all as a strong man to lower himself and take such a humble stance was no easy thing. The marquis had already anticipated the objective gap in their strength, and seeing Colbus behave this way caused his momentum to soften somewhat.

More than anything, it was possible because the marquis, who truly understood chivalry, acknowledged Colbus—his enemy—as a dignified man and a true knight.

“…Speak.”

“Thank you.”

Colbus expressed his gratitude with a light bow, then continued his persuasion as though clutching at a straw.

“Your Excellency. What does it matter if it is this way or that way? Even if the Imperial Dynasty changes, your heart—working tirelessly for the people of the empire—will not change. However, you know better than anyone how deeply the empire has rotted during this long peace without crisis. As proof, the undertaking my lord prepared succeeded this smoothly. Do you truly believe such a thing was possible through my lord’s power alone?”

The marquis was not someone who failed to understand that answer. It would have been absolutely impossible by Gion’s strength alone.

On the day the Former Emperor was assassinated, all the central nobles who joined forces with Gion to strike the imperial palace were not subordinates crushed beneath his might, but conspirators of one mind.

As if proving the marquis’s own thoughts, he gave no reply.

“….”

Whether that silence carried good meaning or bad meaning did not matter to Colbus. No, in truth, Colbus believed the marquis’s heart was beginning to move.

‘After long peaceful years, the war hero has become a thing of the past, and he is known now as a kind lord who deeply cares for his territorial citizens. If I am to change his mind… it has to be about the people.’

Knowing full well that this was his last chance, Colbus pressed harder.

“Aphahiel has already rotted down to its roots. Under the name Aphahiel, it has reached a point where it cannot be turned back. My lord will never allow such a thing to be repeated. This war is the beginning. Using this war as a pretext, my lord will weaken the corrupt officials who exploit the people, breaking their limbs one by one, and reign as the absolute monarch of a unified empire to usher in an age of great peace. A world where the fate of powerless people is decided not by which territory they are born in, but by which empire they belong to. Does that not make you curious?”

Was it because he thought it not worth answering, or because Colbus’s words held merit and he was lost in thought? The reason was unknown, but the marquis did not respond.

“As the saying goes, new wine should be poured into new vessels. The empire needs a new vessel.”

Only then did the marquis’s mouth, long tightly shut, finally open.

“…And that new vessel is called Tindal, is it?”

“Yes, that is correct. If people like Your Excellency aid Lord Gion, the coming era of the new Imperial Dynasty will surpass Aphahiel and enjoy peace for thousands upon thousands of years. It is not too late even now, so please change your mind. If I persuade him, my lord will welcome you with full honors. Please… reconsider just once more. The new empire needs you, needs a man like you.”

‘I have done everything I can. Now… it is the marquis’s choice.’

Having delivered his intentions in a single, extended speech, Colbus waited for the marquis’s answer. After a brief silence, the marquis gave his reply.

“New wine into a new vessel… It is a fine saying. I, too, do not think it is wrong.”

“….”

Colbus was not someone who would swing between joy and despair at such a response. He maintained a silence as precious as gold, patiently waiting for the marquis to finish speaking.

“However, there is a flaw in your words. If I follow your reasoning, how could old wine be poured into a new vessel? So no matter what you say, it is pointless. You may curse me as a stubborn old man if you wish. But what can be done? The only empire I know is Aphahiel.”

As he spoke, a bright sharpness flashed through the wrinkles at the corners of the marquis’s eyes. In that instant, his gaze was not that of the aging Carson, but like that of the young man who once stood by Former Emperor Yulaios under the name Astasil in a bygone age.

“…So this is the choice you have made.”

The marquis’s decision was synonymous with his death. As if death looming before him held no fear, the marquis raised his sword upright and took a formal mounted stance, wearing a smile without regret.

“Then you should be on your way. No matter how long the night is, dragging this out further will bring no good.”

As if disappointed by the marquis’s answer, Colbus lowered his head.

“I understand your will, Your Excellency. In that case… I will regard you as an enemy standing in my lord’s path and cut you down as I pass.”

Any further words would only waste time. Reaffirming that no argument could persuade the marquis, Colbus drew his sword and leveled it. At the same time, the black of Colbus’s eyes turned icy cold.

“It was a short meeting, but… I respected you. Sir Carson. You will remain forever in my memory as one of the few true knights left in Aphahiel.”

As though words were no longer needed and only the language of swords would suffice, the marquis withheld any reply. Understanding that intent from his gaze, Colbus launched the first attack.

“Haah—!”

With a short battle cry, Colbus lunged forward. The marquis did not wait in place, but met him head-on with dignity.

Inside the marquis’s quarters, spacious if called spacious and narrow if called narrow, two swords traced their own arcs as they shot toward one another.

‘Fast!’

As swift as it was fluid and beautiful, the swordsmanship made the marquis sincerely admire the blade coming to claim his life.

Swung with full power as a sign of respect toward the marquis, Colbus’s sword was beautiful enough to testify to its lofty realm.

Clang—!

Was this a momentary flash before death? Time felt unnaturally stretched, and after that elongated instant, the two blades collided with a ringing metallic sound. Even that resonance sounded beautiful, but the result was anything but.

A single exchange, traded in the blink of an eye, decided the outcome at once.

Crash—

“…!”

The marquis’s eyes widened at the unbelievable sight before him. His beloved sword, which had shared countless battlefields with him throughout his life, shattered into fragments like glass in a single exchange.

“….”

In contrast, Colbus’s expression remained perfectly calm, as if he had anticipated this outcome. Seeing that gaze, the marquis sensed his death.

‘So this is the end.’

A plain reflection for the final thought of a man who once stood beside Former Emperor Yulaios and pacified an era. The marquis had always been that kind of man.

Sliiiice—!

Perhaps breaking the marquis’s sword in one blow was not enough. With nothing left to oppose it, Colbus’s blade followed the original trajectory and surged toward the marquis’s left chest.

Just as Colbus’s sword was about to fulfill its purpose—

Whoosh—!

A single dagger cut through the air. With a faint sound, like a snake flicking its tongue. Proving his high realm, Colbus immediately detected the presence of the dagger flying toward him.

‘…A dagger!’

A sound far too small to compare to the cutting roar of Colbus’s sword. It might have seemed insignificant enough to dismiss, but Colbus did not. No, he could not.

‘Who would do this…!’

Neither slow nor fast, matched by a correspondingly small sound. Yet the ingenious technique contained within was anything but light.

‘If I don’t dodge now, I will definitely be hit…!’

The dagger flew along a trajectory that made it impossible to avoid unless Colbus withdrew the sword strike aimed at the marquis. Instantly grasping the hidden technique embedded in a single ordinary dagger, Colbus abandoned his intent and pulled his body back at once.

Having charged forward at full speed only to retreat immediately would have been impossible for an ordinary man, but Colbus easily accomplished it by kicking off the ground with his heel.

Tap—

Giving up the perfect chance to take the marquis’s life in exchange for deflecting the enemy’s attack, Colbus immediately took a defensive stance and turned his gaze toward where the dagger had come from.

“Hng… Who are you! You!”

There stood a man dressed entirely in deep black. From head to toe, he was tightly concealed in dark clothing. Even so, those two eyes—icy blue like the winter sea—could not be hidden. They were Yuwon’s eyes.

‘He’s strong… I almost arrived too late.’

If Yuwon had been even one second—no, even half a second—later, the marquis would already have departed this world. Without sparing Colbus even a glance, Yuwon confirmed the marquis’s safety and slowly spoke. He did not hide his identity.

“I came to take you away, Marquis. This does not seem to be a place you should remain. Let us go.”

Thus appeared Yurion Aphahiel, the sole Emperor of the empire, the legitimate successor chosen by the Former Emperor, the Black Lion Yulaios.

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