Emperor Has Returned

“I see you still haven’t left. Thought you would have run away scared by now.”

“I figured it’d be best to stay put with all the chaos at the moment.”

After Juan had met Lars, he went straight to Heretia.

Hiveden was still a mess. Word had spread that an item of importance to the Earl had been stolen and he’d died from shock hearing so.

And that, in the chaos, the White crow knights were interrogating anyone that deemed suspicious.

While this was going on, Heretia with a nonchalant attitude had been waiting at the inn that she had been staying at.

Not entirely sure why she felt so confident about everything but her attitude didn’t reflect the fact, she’d encountered the commander of the White crow knights yesterday.

“So. Indeterminate polyhedron?”

Heretia got straight to the point. Juan showed his empty hands.

“Can’t give it to you. For now.”

Before, he wasn’t even sure about Lars’s identity. But now that he knew Lars’s hadn’t betrayed him, he couldn’t make him give up his lifeforce. Heretia bit her lip.

“You promised. I’d get the Indeterminate polyhedron and you would get information about the Hugin knights.”

“But, the Hugin knights came looking for us first. I’m thinking, whether at this point the terms of our promise means anything here….How about if we look at it this way. With your determination, you managed to get the Indeterminate polyhedron and you gave me the information I needed. Then, the Hugin knights came and stole the Indeterminate polyhedron from you. Don’t you think this would’ve been a possibility?”

“………..”

Heretia bit her lips as if she had nothing to say to that.

“And plus, the Hugin knights really need the Indeterminate polyhedron at this very moment. Without it, it’s almost certain they wouldn’t be able to function. Nor do I want them to give it up, knowing their situation.”

“Bloody hell, for several years, the Indeterminate polyhedron had been passed through the hands of rich collectors with bad tastes. Why now of all times…..”

“It happens. What were you going to use it for?”

“That’s not what’s important. I need the Indeterminate polyhedron. Without it, everything that i’ve planned won’t work. I would have to delay my plans for at least 10 years.”

Heretia put her hands on her temples as she sat on the sofa.

She too of course knew that things were happening whether she liked it or not.

She didn’t want the Hugin knights to fall into danger, nor did she have the power to take the Indeterminate polyhedron from them.

The only realistic option would be to give up.

“Are you trying to give it to someone as a present? Just like Earl Hannbon was going to? If so, how about this. God of madness, Taltere’s ritual dagger.”

Juan pulled out the dagger on his waist and placed it on the table. Heretia’s eyes turned big and round.

The dagger’s hilt which was covered in silver came into her eyes.

Realising, her hands were already involuntarily stretched towards it, she stopped.

“………Is it real?”

“Why would I carry around a fake.”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter anyways. I know it’s a valuable item but it’s not what I need.”

Heretia waived her hand with a regretful expression.

A precious treasure was offered before her so she was naturally interested, but it wasn’t what she needed.

And it looked as if Juan didn’t have any other weapon other than the dagger. She didn’t want to take that away from him.

“Then what about this. Grunvalde’s grey cloak. With mana you can control the fog and with a bit of time and practise, you’ll be able to create fog creatures as well.”

Juan took off the cape on his shoulders and flung it on the table. An item with a white fog-like feel gently floated down onto the table.

Seeing something like this for the first time, the teen and the elderly man were even left surprised.

“How on earth did you manage to get something like this…..”

Having realised the item’s worth, Heretia looked stunned.

The grey clock’s worth was immeasurable compared to Taltere’s dagger as the cloak was useful against an entire army while the other was only a weapon that aided personal combat. It was commonly accepted that one couldn’t afford to be cheap when it came to war preparation.

However, Heretia still shook her head.

“Uh, ummmm……Juan. I’m not refusing the items you’re offering because I don’t like it. In fact, deep down I know I don’t have the right to receive anything that you’re offering. If it’s something that could help my situation then I would shamefully take it, but it’s not.”

The teen and the elderly beside Heretia were more sad about the refusal.

“I prefer to do things diplomatically, prefering to create the least amount of bloodshed. In that regard, those items wouldn’t be of use.”

“So you avoid bloodshed completely?”

“Not completely, as some situations require it. Anyways, have you got any other items that would fit my situation?”

After a slight hesitation, Juan pulled out another item. The item he had just received from Lars yesterday.

Once Juan presented the little box, Heretia opened it with a confused look.

A moment of silence followed. Then she kicked the table as she got up.

“Juan! This?!”

“Will that do?”

“This? You mean this? Do you even know what you just gave to me? This……!”

Before she could say the seal of the emperor, Juan quickly put his hand over her mouth.

Wide eyed, Heretia blinked a couple of times in surprise.

She realised she had been close to slipping her tongue. Even though currently, she was surrounded by trustworthy people, the item was enough for it to endanger her if word got out.

Heretia squeezed it with both hands as a bead of sweat dripped down.

Juan stretched out his hand and closed the box. His actions suggested that this item was indeed what she’d thought it was.

Action that confirmed its authenticity.

“I’m guessing you know what it is. You’ve been taught well.”

“It’s something that I see everyday. Though of course, the ones that I see are all fake…..”

Heretia mumbled as she swiped her sweaty forehead. For the first time, she was sweating from excitement rather than fear.

“Are, is it really alright to give this to me?”

“Yeah. As long as it’s enough to help with your plan.”

“This, enough? With this, I could shorten my schedule down to 1 year, actually no half a year.”

Heretia looked at Juan with a blissful expression then came back to reality.

“But why are you giving me such an item? Even if you didn’t give me anything, I would have to accept that. Of course it’s something that I could definitely use though………”

“Right now, that item isn’t of worth to me. Instead, the fact that I was able to meet my son was more important.”

“Son?”

Juan smiled bitterly.

It was a hard decision as Lars had done all he could to keep this ring safe for several decades.

However, knowing that Hamon likely didn’t betray him, he couldn’t treat one of his descendants coldly. If he thought of it as a trade for Lars’s life, it was worth it.

And more, for now it was useless in his hands.

The seal didn’t prove that he was the emperor, and he didn’t believe it would give him the authority that he’d lost.

Heretia instantly thought what she could do with this seal.

She didn’t think too deeply, and yet many options appeared in her head.

Of course she couldn’t pretend to be the emperor with the seal. But she could fully utilise its value in other ways.

Calculating the ring’s worth in her head, Heretia nodded her head in a serious manner.

“Juan, the more I think about it, this isn’t fair.”

“Didn’t you say it was enough just then?”

“No, I mean it’s not fair for you. It’s incomparable. It’s the same thing as buying the bakery because you wanted to eat a single piece of bread. Because we have to leave shortly I won’t be able to help you this time, but if you ever need help from the Helwin family, we will assist you with everything we have in the future.”

*****

Sina Solbein was trying her best to ignore the pain near her eyelid.

However, she couldn’t stop herself from flinching whenever she saw the needle in front of her eyes.

The job eventually finished and only then Sina let out a sigh of relief.

“All done. It’s a relief that no mistakes were made.”

The area close to Sina’s left eye, a black tattoo was engraved. The scar left from the arrow and the mark Juan had made was now hidden, covered up underneath the tattoo.

Truthfully, Sina didn’t mind whether the scar was left alone but she chose to engrave a tattoo over it after the vice commander Camille strongly recommended.

“Would you like to see it in a mirror?”

“Ah………yes.”

Having received a mirror, Sina looked into it.

As Camille said, ‘emperor’s dog’ mark was clearly engraved in black ink.

Sina felt a little strange.

She didn’t know if it was a good thing Juan did by engraving the mark onto her.

Amongst several paladins, some rumours started to spread about the mark. To them, they looked at it in a positive light.

Even Bishop Rieto.

“It’s been a while. Sina Solbein.”

Sina was surprised at suddenly seeing bishop Rieto out in the training ground.

His expression was frowning and he turned his head spasmodically every so often as always, but his attitude wasn’t as angry as it was during her doctrine trial.

“You seem surprised. I’m on my way to Hiveden for some business. I stopped by to say something to Ethan Ethil, but it seems he’s not around at the moment.”

“Bishop nim. I apologise for not being able to fulfill my duty.”

“Thats, that’s alright. I heard the Blue rose knights paid a heavy price for it.”

Sina’s heart ached as she recalled the faces of her knights and Ausrey.

“It happened due to my lack of judgment sir. I’ll take my due punishment.”

Instead of replying, Bishop Rieto stretched out his hand towards the kneeling Sina.

Sina flinched at seeing Bishop Rieto’s hand move towards her left eye but steadied herself.

Following along the scar above her left eye, a smile appeared on Bishop Rieto’s lips.

“The scar left by your enemy is a mark that represents the highest sign of bravery. If the emperor has given such an ordeal, then I’m sure it means that he’ll use you as one of his pillars for his grand plan.”

“……….”

Sina didn’t reply.

In her ears, Juan’s voice that proclaimed himself the emperor still lingered.

She couldn’t figure out the reason why Juan engraved the letters that said ‘emperor’s dog’ on her face.

“I heard you were gravely injured from the fight. That it’s difficult to wield a sword with your right arm.”

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll share some of the grace that I’ve been given by the emperor with you. You’ve earnt the right. I believe the reason for your survival after countless meetings with this agent of darkness is because it is the emperor’s will for you to keep fighting him. So i’ll give you the opportunity to continue doing so.”

In surprise, Sina opened her eyes wide.

‘Grace’ given by a bishop was so powerful that it could fix a disabled to walk again instantly. However, there were very little instances of them sharing their ‘grace’.

The emperor power was in turn the emperor’s asset, so it was almost a crime to distribute carelessly.

Sina thought Rieto was simply saying this in kindness. She didn’t think he’d actually do it.

That was until Rieto lifted Sina’s right arm.

From Rieto’s hand a weak flame arose and slowly spread onto Sina’s right arm.

Sina was surprised but the flame wasn’t as hot as she’d feared. The weak flame covered her scar and drove deep into her skin.

Sina’s arm flinched at feeling a sudden burst of pain. She was bearing the pain when Rieto’s voice could be heard.

“Scar will be shrouded in the new skin, broken bones will be molded together and damaged nerves will be revived. That’s the pain you’re feeling at the moment, so endure it.”

It felt like a truck worth of pain had fallen onto her paralysied arm.

For a long time, Sina gasped for breath until she was free from the pain that was close to making her pass out.

Her body was covered in sweat.

Sina looked at her right hand that was placed on the ground. Her senses hadn’t fully come back, but her fingers were moving every so slightly.

“This is only the start. We’ll have to do this another five times for you to be healed………”

Even so, Sina was delighted. It was far different from having a lifeless limb hang from her body to having a working arm.

But Bishop Rieto’s expression was odd.

“Is there something wrong sir?”

“It’s strange. Sina, did someone heal you with ‘grace’ before me?”

Sina shook her head.

“No sir.”

Juan’s brief patch up was technically healing if she had to nitpick but Rieto was talking about healing by ‘grace’.

Rieto continued to tilt his head as if he was confused, then spoke.

“I felt the emperor’s power within you already. While it’s a slow procedure, the level of healing ‘grace’ that was performed on you will fully heal your injury in time. It’s possible the emperor has seen your bravery and he has given you a reward.”