#039.
“You’ve come, Eugene.”
“I heard it was an important matter, but it ended quicker than expected.”
As I stepped out of the train, two people were waiting for me.
One was Keiren.
And the other was the one who delivered the letter to me, Andrei Leonhardt.
Despite meeting for the first time today, there was no awkwardness between the two.
No, far from awkward…
“I’ve heard what Major General Keiren had to say. I’ll speak to His Majesty the Emperor, and we’ll arrange a meeting later.”
“Thank you. Then the remaining matters through correspondence…”“Let’s do that.”
Watching them shake hands and converse amicably, anyone could see they were villains plotting something.
‘Even though he said hostility towards the family wouldn’t start for several more years… Has he already started laying the groundwork?’
It seemed Keiren was planning to keep the emperor at his back.
Come to think of it, in the original game, Keiren appeared as part of the imperial army, not as a magic noble.
No, was it the emperor’s side that reached out first?
I couldn’t tell.
The emperor was a character who would meet his death before the main story began.
What kind of personality he had was completely unknown.
“By the way, I didn’t expect Lord Andrei to come personally. And to think Eugene saved His Majesty’s life…”
Keiren trailed off as he looked my way.
He seemed quite surprised that I had managed to save both the emperor and Mari in such a short time.
“I just blocked something that was flying towards us. I didn’t know His Majesty’s carriage was behind.”
Looking at me as I deflected, Andrei furrowed his brow.
His eyes said, ‘That doesn’t seem right,’ ‘Anyone could see it was intentional.’
Oh, shut up and just go along with it.
If you’re so upset, you should have saved the emperor yourself.
“…There’s no need for such modesty. Whether by chance or not, the fact remains that you saved His Majesty’s life.”
With those words, Andrei gestured, and an imperial knight who had been waiting opened the rear door of the car.
A luxurious automobile with gold decorations on its black body.
As I sank into the plush seat alongside Andrei, the car that carried me immediately glided towards the imperial palace.
After driving through the upper city where the imperial capital was located for quite some time, and then riding the elevator at the palace entrance for another long while… ᚱἈＮO͍βЕṥ
‘We’ve arrived.’
At a dizzying height where the entire capital could be seen below.
With numerous airships flying beneath our feet, and a massive iron gate blocking my view.
I had arrived at the heart of the empire.
***
Inside the imperial palace.
Even as I followed the guard’s guidance, my eyes were busy taking in every corner of the palace.
‘Seeing it so intact feels strange somehow.’
In the original game, entering the palace happened in the very last part of the story.
The palace was already engulfed in flames, and the imperial army remnants, centered around the crown prince, had laid gas traps and other hazards everywhere.
Therefore, the Kalhyram Palace that appeared in the game had a desperate atmosphere rather than a magnificent one.
It was burning while containing all the glorious history of the empire.
“This way.”
Finally, reaching the end of a corridor with red carpet, guards who saluted Andrei opened the doors.
To think the monster would personally open the boss room door.
With that thought, I entered the room, and there was a truly familiar face.
‘Imperial Emperor, Friedrich Franz Kalhyram.’
The master of the empire who should have died was gazing at me with deeply sunken eyes.
“I am honored to be in Your Majesty’s presence.”
One cannot raise their head in the emperor’s presence.
As I slowly bowed according to protocol, the emperor who had been watching gestured to Andrei.
“I wish to speak with him alone. Please leave with the guards.”
“Pardon?”
Andrei was startled by the emperor’s words.
To not have even the Knight Order Commander, let alone the guards.
“I ask this of you, Andrei. This matter is that important.”
However, with the emperor himself insisting so strongly, Andrei couldn’t say anything more.
He could only look at me with disbelieving eyes.
“I shall obey your command.”
After Andrei left with the guards, the emperor who had been sitting at his desk slowly rose and approached me.
“Raise your head.”
I immediately raised my head at the emperor’s command.
The face of an enlightened old man who had weathered all of life’s turbulent periods was looking at me.
“Yes. So you are Eugene.”
The emperor’s gaze fell on my eyes.
After carefully observing my pupils, the emperor formed a faint smile on his face.
“Do you know why I called you here?”
“It is because I had the honor of protecting Your Majesty’s precious life with my humble magical power.”
“No, that’s wrong.”
Of course not.
If it was about giving rewards, he could have done it through Andrei easily.
Nevertheless, the reason why the emperor wanted to meet me personally.
That was…
“The reason I called you is to question you.”
At the word ‘question,’ I immediately responded.
“If it is something I know, I will answer anything.”
“Good, then I shall ask.”
After briefly choosing his words while looking at me with my head bowed, the emperor spoke in a leisurely tone.
“Eugene Lorentz. What was your reason for pulling me from my predetermined death?”
“……”
“Why did the revolutionary hero who would burn the empire save me?”
Predetermined death. And revolutionary hero.
Hearing these two keywords, I was certain.
‘What appeared in the original story was true.’
I recalled the original content of [Revolution Empire].
In the very last part of the main story.
When the protagonist and companions entered the burning palace, they came upon the study where Emperor Friedrich had resided.
What could be found there were numerous books the emperor had written during his lifetime.
Before entering the boss room, players could search the bookshelf and read the contents of these books.
[Year — Month — Day. With my death, the signal flare of revolution illuminates the sky.]
[Year — Month — Day. Elcidore Castle is engulfed in flames, and the corrupt mage’s head is severed by the angry mob.]
[Year — Month — Day. The empire’s flag falls to the ground, and those bearing the Red Wings dominate the empire.]
[Year — Month — Day. The hero who has served his purpose is discarded, and the Red Wings become tools of the republic.]
[Year — Month — Day. The empire falls, and the republic’s exploitation reaches its peak.]
[Year — Month — Day. The vanished Black Sun reveals itself once again.]
[Year — Month — Day. The Great Rupture spreads across all lands, and the otherworldly hordes…]
What was written in Friedrich’s books were the player’s past actions.
And sentences hinting at this game’s ending, along with what would happen afterward.
Records left by the late emperor who died at the prologue.
Though players only realized the outcome of this revolution then…
[Ominous records left by the late emperor. No, is it a curse? It’s chilling. Let’s not worry about it.]
Our protagonist Eugene doesn’t believe these records and rushes to the center of the palace for the final boss battle.
No. Perhaps it wasn’t that he didn’t believe, but that he didn’t want to believe.
‘Even now, I really don’t understand.’
After delivering such an amazing story for Part 1, why did they destroy the story at the end?
Why? Because the story writer suddenly got delusions of grandeur, that’s why.
What? A predictable happy ending doesn’t match their aesthetics?
Then they shouldn’t have made Part 1’s story so good in the first place.
‘…Let’s stop. I might die from anger again.’
What if I wake up in front of the Ishimura after dying again? (+)[1]TLN: The author really like Dead Space, huh… Ah, btw. Ishimura or USG Ishimura is a kind of spaceship from Dead Space. Since I haven’t played Dead Space yet, I can’t say more about it.
There’d be no hope even if I committed suicide there.
Thinking that, I slowly met the emperor’s eyes.
Why did I save him?
That answer was already decided.
“To survive.”
“To survive?”
“Yes.”
For someone who knows the future, there’s nothing to hesitate about.
I opened my mouth towards the emperor.
“To avoid being used as a tool by the Revolutionary Army and suffering from the republic’s exploitation.”
“…!”
The emperor’s eyes widened immediately at my answer.
What I had mentioned was the future of this game that his diary had prophesied.
I revealed to the emperor that I knew this world’s fate.
And I told him that I would change this future that was destined for destruction.
“Truly, you are the flame that will burn the empire.”
How much time had passed since hearing my answer?
After a long while, the emperor spoke with a smile spread across his face.
“However, its color has changed. Not a fire blazing with anger, but a freezing cold flame.”
“……”
“What made it so? Did another causality I couldn’t see change the flame? Or…”
Muttering incomprehensible words, the emperor slowly spoke while looking at me.
“Was it a different spark from the beginning?”
A different spark.
Hearing those words, I could finally understand the emperor’s meaning.
The color of flame he spoke of probably meant the original personality of the protagonist, or his will towards revolution.
The change in color meant that I made different decisions from the protagonist.
And those words about a different spark…
Tap.
While thinking about this, the emperor suddenly lifted my right arm without warning.
“…!”
As his hand rolled up my sleeve, there was a red magic imprint glowing there.
Wings of Crimson.
The magic imprint stolen from the imperial armory.
“As I thought, you took Maximilien’s imprint. That’s how you could protect me from their magic.”
Possessing an imperial magic imprint was, by itself, a capital crime of treason.
It wouldn’t be strange to be executed immediately.
However, the emperor, upon seeing this magic imprint, instead of issuing a stern command, slowly placed his hand on the imprint.
And at that moment.
Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu…!
The imprint, shaped like spread wings, was folding as if wrapping around something.
‘This is…’
A phenomenon I’d seen in the game.
That’s why I couldn’t help but be shocked.
‘Imprint alteration? It should be impossible without a catalyst, how…’
“Now it’s done.”
Amidst my confusion, the emperor’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Unlike moments ago when he seemed like an enlightened old man, his voice now carried a subtle vigor.
“Your Majesty, when you say it’s done…”
“I removed the royal factor from the magic imprint. No one will recognize your imprint now.”
“…!”
It was an unexpected gain.
I had originally planned to extract it when entering the military academy, but to think it would be resolved like this.
“Now that the revolutionary hero has joined me, the empire’s future has brightened somewhat.”
Saying that, the emperor patted my shoulder with a satisfied expression.
“You may go now. I will watch you closely and support you in every way.”
“Thank you.”
I immediately bowed my head at the emperor’s words.
The magic imprint that had become completely mine, and the emperor’s favor.
Though there were many surprising things, I had gained everything I could.
***
“Andrei.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After Eugene left.
At the emperor’s sudden call, Andrei immediately bowed his head.
Unlike in the past, the emperor’s voice that called him carried a subtle dignity.
“I had originally intended to die at this funeral.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
Andrei cried out in shock at the emperor’s sudden words.
“Despairing at a future that wouldn’t change no matter what, I had intended to give up everything.”
Because he knew the future, the emperor could do many things.
He kept the magic nobles in check, suppressed the Revolutionary Army, and somehow held together this declining empire.
But the future didn’t change, and he kept growing older.
The firm resolve he had at first had long since disappeared.
“However, one boy gave this old man another chance.”
The emperor assassination attempt occurred, and the emperor didn’t die.
The emperor who should have died survived, and the Revolutionary Army was suppressed.
Things that didn’t happen in the future he had seen.
Through Eugene’s intervention, his future had changed.
By saving him, the boy showed the possibility that the future could be changed.
And seeing that possibility, the emperor felt the need to repay the boy’s actions.
Therefore.
“I will change the empire from its roots.”
“…!”
The emperor intended to rise once more.
“The magic nobles who eat away at the empire for their own benefit. The Revolutionary Army who think only of burning the empire without considering the future. And Westraine in the west, who manipulates the Revolutionary Army from behind, trying to swallow the empire whole.”
“……”
“I will destroy everything that stands in the empire’s way and proudly face the predetermined destruction.”
Life gradually returned to the aged emperor’s eyes.
The atmosphere he exuded was no longer that of a sick old man, but rather emanated the spirit befitting the master of an empire.
Andrei, his fists trembling, bowed his head.
The empire’s last emperor, Friedrich Franz Kalhyram.
Ending his long seclusion, he had shown himself once again.
- 1. TLN: The author really like Dead Space, huh… Ah, btw. Ishimura or USG Ishimura is a kind of spaceship from Dead Space. Since I haven’t played Dead Space yet, I can’t say more about it.
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