HRB 124

By the time the story of the allied forces of the Empire and the Kingdoms, who would face the Demon King’s army, concluded, it had become quite late.

“I had hoped that child would build a family with someone more ordinary and kind.”

As the outside grew dark and the story neared its end, the Emperor spoke those words like a lament. Ketron, who had been slumped like a listless doll throughout the story, sharply glared at the Emperor’s words.

“So?”

“It means that candidate, at least, was not you.”

It wasn’t as if he was bringing up qualifications now, but as Ketron narrowed his eyes, the Emperor continued.

“When I heard the general story of what kind of relationship you had with that child, I desperately wanted to stop you. You are too cruel in your methods. You lack humanity, and you have no affection.”

Ketron did not flinch at the negative evaluation delivered before his eyes. He agreed with all of it—that his methods were cruel, that he lacked humanity, and that he had no affection.

“You are not suited for that child at all. But—”

Sighing softly, his face looked less like the Emperor of the Empire and more like an ordinary young man with a younger sibling.

“You would do anything for that child. The reason you, who must feel more disillusioned with this world than anyone else right now, are stepping forward again is also because of that child.”

The Emperor understood the situation more objectively than anyone else, knowing why Ketron had stepped forward to save the world he had once abandoned.

“As Emperor, and as that child’s brother. I ask of you.”

“So that’s all I can do,” he added, his voice thick with exhaustion.

Born into royalty, he had walked a path of thorns rather than glory until now, and he was now like the captain of a sinking ship, just trying to hold on.

He did not pity him. He wasn’t so rich in sensibility as to feel such emotions. But his opponent was none other than Eddie’s brother.

“I will definitely win the war.”

And so, Ketron displayed an uncharacteristic meddling. It was because he was Eddie’s brother.

“Your brother will be the happiest person in the world, as long as he opens his eyes. Far more than you could ever provide.”

So you don’t need to worry about it.

With those words, Ketron rose from his seat.

The decision had been made. The personnel had been decided. The sooner the departure, the better, so there was truly not much time left until he would leave.

As if in the calm before a storm, the war had finished its preparations. Humans and demons alike.

Ketron, who had been about to return to Eddie’s side, suddenly remembered something and posed a question to Marquis Rivalt.

“Where is Arthur?”

Arthur had been confined to the underground prison again.

Naturally, the security had been reinforced to an almost absurd degree compared to before. Many court magicians had joined forces to cast even stronger barriers, and the guard force had been increased fivefold.

It was excessive for just one person, but the previous failure had been too painful.

Who could have imagined that a prisoner in confinement would break out, find a hidden royal, and suddenly attack him? Yet, because of this incident, the Imperial Palace’s captain of the guard had to step down from his post.

Of course, that alone would not resolve the matter.

Marquis Rodrigo was also a key figure. For murdering him alone, Arthur was already facing a severe sentence.

But the attempted assassination of a royal was another matter entirely. Especially when the target was the current sole heir to the throne.

This was not an issue that could be overlooked simply by claiming ignorance.

Ketron entered the prison and faced Arthur.

Unlike in the past, when he was confined but allowed freedom of movement, Arthur was now bound at all four limbs, unable to do anything on his own.

Meals were provided twice a day, and he could not relieve himself outside of those times.

“……Hah.”

Arthur, who, as usual, had intended to claim his innocence thinking the visitor was a guard, let out a sigh of disbelief upon seeing the person’s face.

The two stared at each other for a long time without speaking.

However, the situation was all too clear. One was inside the prison, the other outside.

And Arthur, now accused of attempted royal assassination, was no mere prisoner. He was at the level where his immediate execution or death sentence was being debated.

If everyone hadn’t been preoccupied with the resurrection of the Demon King, his fate would have been decided and his sentence carried out first.

In a way, being forgotten due to the urgency of the situation had helped him cling to life.

Arthur ground his teeth. He felt an unbearable sense of humiliation and shame. To face a former comrade, one he had betrayed, in this manner!

Wasn’t the situation completely reversed from when he had betrayed him? It was as if it had been staged.

All that remained for Arthur was venom and pride. And even that had been trampled upon to a precarious degree. Now, Ketron appeared, as if to trample it further.

“If you came to mock me, at least say something?”

Arthur snapped irritably. But Ketron did not show the dramatic reaction Arthur expected.

“Not really.”

Ketron had not come to mock Arthur. He had merely come to settle something that had to be faced eventually, while he was at the Imperial Palace.

There was a time when he had intensely hated and loathed the person before him. A time when he would have clung to seeking revenge, even if it meant sacrificing the rest of his life.

If he hadn’t overcome that moment, Ketron himself didn’t know what he might have done.

He had created a new space for one person in the place where that intense emotion, which had nearly consumed him, had resided. There was no room for regret about Arthur there.

“I have no feelings to spare for you.”

Though he had once hated him, and still didn’t particularly like him.

Arthur was no longer someone who could stir Ketron’s emotions.

The ambiguous feelings he had once held, somewhere on the border of friendship as comrades, had long since evaporated.

Realizing from Ketron’s expression that his visit wasn’t for revenge, Arthur’s face contorted in despair.

As Ketron had said, he could now physically feel that he was no longer someone worthy of such emotions.

“You son of a bitch.”

He couldn’t hold back and spat out a curse. Of course, Arthur didn’t consider that he was in no position to curse Ketron’s attitude.

“I don’t understand how someone like you is the Hero!”

“Oh? And you are?”

Arthur fell silent, seemingly lost for words at that remark. Seeing his current state, no one could possibly say he was suited for it.

“If you were going to steal it, you should have at least used it well, instead of being so carelessly exploited everywhere.”

In the end, he was just used by Tarajiel and ended up like this.

“You took so much from me.”

The greatest of those things was not the glory of being a Hero, nor material wealth and honor.

It was the safety of one person.

Of course, Arthur seemed to think that what Ketron mentioned was the glory he had stolen.

Ketron smiled faintly as he watched Arthur swallow nervously, as if he had never cursed before, and opened the prison door with magic.

The door was sealed with powerful magic, layered multiple times, but his opponent was none other than a true Hero, one who had reached the pinnacle of magic.

With a chilling screech, the door opened.

“W-what?”

Sensing an ominous premonition, Arthur tried to retreat further into the narrow cell, as if to avoid Ketron entering.

Of course, he was already bound tightly against the wall, so only the damp straw on the prison floor was pitifully pushed aside by his toes, and nothing changed.

Ketron’s face looked as impassive as ever. He was a man who was notoriously poor at expressing emotions and lacked empathy.

That was precisely why his methods were so merciless. Even Augustine, who had shared a deep friendship with him, had frequently criticized Ketron’s disposition, so how much more so?

Ketron took out a bottle from his embrace. As he opened the lid of the bottle containing an olive-colored substance, a fragrant scent spread through the musty prison.

Ketron approached silently and poured the liquid onto Arthur’s dumbfounded face.

“Ah! You crazy bastard, what are you doing!”

Arthur screamed as an unknown liquid suddenly poured over his head.

However, he soon realized from the peculiar smell that it wasn’t water but oil, and his complexion turned pale.

He realized what Ketron intended to do.

“No, you crazy, crazy bastard.”

Arthur knew well that Ketron was someone who could inflict terrible torture on anyone he deemed an enemy if necessary. He had thought it fortunate then that Ketron was not his enemy, but now Arthur was clearly Ketron’s enemy.

This was inside the Imperial Palace. Even if the guilt was clear, no one would dare commit such madness against a prisoner who hadn’t even stood trial yet.

However, his opponent was none other than the Hero. He, who held the fate of humanity in his hands, was someone even the Emperor could not treat carelessly.

Even if Arthur were to be horribly tortured and die here, no one would blame Ketron.

But Ketron decided to show mercy. Arthur would not die today.

“Don’t worry.”

Ketron, watching Arthur tremble and shriek hysterically, reassured him in an impassive voice.

“If you feel like you’re going to die, I’ll keep healing you.”

Keep, keep.

Of course, it wasn’t a comforting statement at all.

Flames, conjured by Ketron’s magic, flared up. The dim prison was instantly illuminated, and in that artificial light, Arthur’s terrified face shone clearly.