Chapter 524

* * *

From the perspective of the public, life was nothing out of the ordinary just a few days ago.

But now, even they could feel a heavy atmosphere hanging over the entire empire.

Everyone knew that the emperor's sword was not aimed at foreign forces, but at Hairan, which was called the pillar of the empire.

"I know! better than anyone else that the Imperial Sword has been fighting for the Imperial Family and the people for a long time."

In front of the Imperial Palace, the Emperor of the Empire, Amir Vermont, stood on a giant golden platform, overlooking the crowd. The platform was supported by about two hundred condemned criminals dressed in red robes.

The crowd felt puzzled by the unexpected announcement from the Emperor, but dared not express it.

The emperor said that the cause of the purge was treason and civil war.

"You would be curious. What kind of treason did the lord of Sword emperor castle commit? You may also dislike it, but I, too, am well aware that you favor Ron Hairan more than me."

The emperor slowly looked down at the people.

"I, too, as the supreme ruler of the Empire, trusted the most faithful servant Ron Hairan. Also, as a human, I respected and admired him, so there is no way to hide my frustration. However, Ron Hairan, the lord of the sword emperor castle, ignored my orders as well as my earnest requests, putting the empire in danger of terror, war, and destruction."

As the emperor beckoned, two blackened flags torn from the poles on both sides of the platform unfolded. They were the flags of the Empire and Hairan.

"Everyone remembered the day the disaster happened in the sword emperor castle. These flags were destroyed that day, and I will inform the entire populace about the cause of the terrorism that happened that day. It was because of... a single item possessed by Hairan."

The crowd gathered in the square murmured for the first time.

Then, the emperor gave a sideways glance, and a martial artist wearing Hairan armor stepped forward.

He is the second son of Ron Hairan and the flagbearer of Hairan, 'Tion Hairan'.

After the Sword Emperor Castle terror attack, traitors appeared one after another inside Hairan. They were all those who were pushed by Dante and treated as 'non-existent people' by Ron Hairan.

They, who had never imagined betrayal under Ron's majesty, saw a chance when the Imperial Sword suffered an unprecedented blow, coupled with the Imperial Family taking a back seat.

Tion was the first and the one who took the lead in betraying Hairan.

"... there is a white stone in my clan that was passed down only from patriarch to patriarch."

Originally, Tion didn't know about it at all, but the emperor informed him about white stone. And the emperor had no hesitation in revealing the white stone to the public unlike Hairan, who has kept a secret that threatens the world by passing down the patriarch.

The eyes of the crowd watching Tion were stained with contempt.

Unless he was an idiot, it was impossible not to realize that he betrayed his clan and stood in this position to covet the power of Hairan, which would soon pass to Dante.

"It may be hard to believe, but if you can smelt and use that white stone, it has the power to support all the magic equipment of the empire and make the empire many times stronger in an instant."

From the perspective of the crowd, it was an absurd and infuriating story.

Booo-!

Eventually, the crowd booed Tion.

As the emperor said earlier, Hairan is a clan that is loved by the people more than the imperial family. Those gathered in the square wanted to stone him to death at any moment.

"Your majesty."

 The leader of the imperial guard, 'Alton Hairan', met the emperor's eyes. It means that if the emperor gives an order, he will immediately suppress the commotion.

However, the Emperor, with a raised corner of his mouth, silently instructed him to leave it alone.

"But isn't it just a little bit of an unpleasant noise? Just let them vent their anger at least a little bit."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor was not giving this speech to chastise Hairan out of fear of public opinion or worry that the people would side with Hairan and rebel.

The first was to expose the secret of Hairan and pressurize them, and the second was simply because he loved the people in his own way.

It means to raise your voice a little, show your dislike, and relieve your anger.

"After all, they have no power to stop me, nor the will to do so. They may like Hairan more than me, but they won't risk their lives for it. I find the foolish and annoying appearance of the people quite cute and lovable."

The emperor was sincere and his eyes were shining as if the public was fascinating.

"... Your Majesty, you already ordered my clan to return the white stone to the imperial family long ago. The expression 'return' implies that the stone was originally entrusted to Hairan by the former emperor."

Of course, the imperial family had never entrusted a white stone to Hairan. They are just saying this because the public can't know the truth anyway.

"What a load of crap!"

The booing grew more and more furious.

"But, as you can see, Sword Emperor Ron Hairan is not following Your Majesty's command. Enemies seeking the stone have even carried out terrorism on the lands of the Empire, Sword Emperor Castle."

"Get lost! You filthy traitor!"

"Living golems and unknown giant demonic creatures threatened the empire because of the stone! Yet, Hairan clings to its greed and does not return the stone to the imperial family. As a member of that clan, I know better than anyone else that the lord of the Sword Emperor castle is using that power to plot treason."

Clap!

The emperor clapped his hands, and the angry crowd calmed down at once.

"Tion Hyran's testimony may seem dubious. I also know very well that it will be difficult to accept because it is such a sudden story. But hear me, my people. I am willing to forgive Hairan for instigating civil war and treason if they return the stone even now."

As the speech reached this point, a mixture of curiosity and anger was brewing in the hearts of the crowd.

What in the world is this white stone? Does it really exist? If so, why doesn't Hairan return it to the imperial family? Such questions naturally arose.

"I, Amir Vermont, Emperor of the Empire, declares. I will stop the purge as soon as Hairan returns the stone. However, if they do not seek forgiveness from me until the end, the Sword Emperor Castle will disappear."

 * * *

The contents of the Emperor's speech quickly reach the Sword Emperor Castle.

"Emperor, this son of a bitch...! How could he do this to Hairan? White stone? Ridiculous! He is making up such nonsensical stories because he has no justification. And he claims to be the supreme ruler of the Empire!"

"That lunatic will surely pay the price. He acts as if Hairan is powerless and silently enduring, being supported just because he's the Emperor."

"The throne will be stained with his blood. It was Hairan who deserved to sit there from the beginning, not the Vermont family. If it wasn't for Hairan, the empire wouldn't have existed!"

The martial artists gathered in the meeting room were each raising their voices in anger.

Most seemed ready to storm the palace and fight, but there was undoubtedly an undercurrent of unease among them.

Anxiety had already begun even before the emperor's speech.

"We can't just gather here like this; we need to take action first! We must make that kid understand the dignity of the Sword Emperor, the significance of that name."

"We are being framed for treason, but we should show what real treason is. A few traitors switching sides and the Emperor raising an army? As long as Sir Ron is here, those who turned their backs will eventually kneel before our sword!"

They all shouted, looking towards one person seated at the top.

It was Dante Hairan, the young patriarch of Hairan.

Dante was barely managing to hide signs of fatigue on his face. However, the bloodshot eyes and parched lips couldn't be concealed.

"Come out Sir Ron...!"

"Sir Ron...!"

The uneasiness of the martial artists was no different. It was because of Ron Hairan, the man who summoned all the martial artists to this place with just dignity without any action.

It has been several days since the martial artists gathered, but Ron has not yet appeared in front of them even once.

'Grandfather….'

Now even Dante was aware of Ron's condition. Over the past few days, Ron's health had deteriorated so rapidly that it was impossible to conceal.

Ron was currently unconscious.

Dante was in command of the Sword emperor castle on his behalf. As time passed, the gathered knights began to doubt whether the Sword Emperor was truly in good health.

The suspicion was becoming undeniable.

Ron's absence was equal to the absence of the whole of Hairan. While there were still individuals in Hairan without Ron, the outcome of waging war without him was as clear as day.

A sense of pressure, helplessness, and nausea overwhelmed Dante

Dante was dizzy after not being able to sleep for several days, and cramps occurred in various parts of his body if he did not concentrate.

'A weak body makes it hard for me even at times like this....'

Dante gritted his teeth and met the eyes of gathered knights.

It seemed like he had to reveal the truth.

"... My grandfather is ill at the moment, and he is unconscious."

At Dante's words, the knights' angry voices died down. Those who had already noticed were not too shocked, but those who did not know were struck by a thunderclap.

"Sir Ron... unconscious? Could it be that the injuries he suffered that day have worsened?"

"Why are you telling us that now?"

"Without Sir Ron, war...!"

As Dante was about to reply, an old knight opened his mouth, clicking his tongue.

"If Sir Ron is absent, are you saying you won't fight with Hairan? You're talking nonsense. Without Sir Ron, are the rest of you just a bunch of rank-file soldiers? We came here to fight against the tyranny of the Emperor, to protect the friendship with Hairan. We didn't come to overthrow the Empire with Sir Ron leading the charge."

His name was Shuras Helter, the patriarch of the Helter clan.

Dante avoided giving an uncomfortable response to Shuras's words, but as long as Ron remained in bed, Dante had no means to dispel their anxiety.

They were facing opponents that would be difficult to handle even if they solidly united. Yet, a significant number of knights couldn't help but contemplate the crack created by Ron's absence.

'Without Sir Ron, the war is lost.'

'If we lose the fight against the emperor, not only will we die, but all of our blood and kin will be brutally murdered....'

Moreover, once they learned of Ron's illness, thoughts like these crossed their minds.

'The white stone the emperor spoke of... What if it really exists?'

'If the emperor's speech is true, it is best to return the stone and resolve the situation. Should I hope that his absurd story is real...!?'

A tense silence fell.

Just as someone was about to bring up the question of whether the Emperor's speech was true, urgent footsteps were heard from outside. It was the sound of commanders rushing in.

"Young patriarch! Movement of the Emperor's forces confirmed. The vanguard will arrive at the Sword Emperor Castle within three hours...!"