118 – 39. The Shadow of Dawn. Or the shade.
The Countess The woman he met in her office was not the woman he had known before.
A beautiful woman with her blue hair and blue eyes melting without a sense of incongruity, was her current self.
With a straight gaze, she proudly looks at Dyke, who has been guided to her office.
“The divine water has become clear.”
A voice as if the wick was firmly planted.
It’s an atmosphere that doesn’t go well with light talk.
Even though it is a voice and attitude that does not involve any particular malice or inconvenience.
The air around her seemed to freeze before she could speak.
“That said, you have changed a lot.”
It literally has its own spirit.
However, I couldn’t shake Dyke that much.
He, too, is a knight of reversal who has endured and overcome all kinds of adversity while touring abroad.
Among the descendants of heroes, the only one who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him is the princess, Elhermina.
She has always wanted to be a man that suits her.
… In order to overcome Kariel’s stronghold, he voluntarily endured the steps he had taken.
It was completely Dyke’s own will.
Anyhow, the blue-haired, blue-eyed beauty on the way from a girl to a decent woman, looking back, she has become the head of the count’s family.
The prestige of the count’s family is further strengthened because of the possession of the territory. Some people say that, but the Estina family has firmly established themselves as courtiers since ancient times.
She also survived and she did not become one of the nine heroes, but she was a warrior who supported the backs of the nine heroes and stood shoulder to shoulder with them.
This is the reason why the Esdina family was able to openly reject the heroic emperor and knight of brilliance, and the reason why they could be the head of the anti-emperor faction, the aristocratic faction.
Above all, the Estina family has been a family that has gained prestige by securing wealth and interests instead of land.
However.
It is said that more than half of the many interests were absorbed into the imperial family… It was clear that the prestige of the Estina family had changed significantly.
This is the amount of information I got from scratching the surface.
More than anything else, the biggest shock was that Seras became the right hand of the princess.
… The reason why it had to be that way was not something I could guess.
“Is it because of El that you rushed to find me first, not anywhere else?”
“… Seeing that even though she hated El, she has come to call her by an abbreviation, you can feel the impermanence of the world.”
“I’m done talking.”
“Still, I’m a childhood friend I haven’t seen in years, isn’t the treatment too harsh?”
“As an El follower, is it possible for you to become friends with me?”
“Isn’t it the same for you now?”
“… I’m not a follower. It is a political pact.”
“Isn’t that what it is?”
“I can’t understand the language.”
Her simple clothes and plain clothes with low exposure and impressive deep blue color made her look very good.
Her hair was noticeably longer than I’ve seen her before, which made her more mature.
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“I’m curious about El, but what I’m more curious about is Kariel.”
“… If it goes into your ears, it looks like you’re done. Is not it? Would it be correct to assume that you managed to establish a position with her by going back and forth to foreign countries that much?”
“I did my best. First… Isn’t it obvious how much I’m worth just by securing the legacy of the Great Demon King next to L?”
“His self-confidence is still there. I’m more annoyed because I’m not bragging.”
Seras chewed his lips openly.
Of course, I was only pretending, but I didn’t really chew on it.
“When you said you were qualified to get it, Mr. Bariel really liked it.”
“My father?”
“I heard you were openly proud. I guess he didn’t tease you?”
“When I saw you earlier, you treated me calmly as if you had been away for a few days.”
“It must be because of the pride of being a father. Wasn’t it like that every time?”
“That… yes.”
Dyke just smiles.
“Did you know that the current head of the aristocratic faction is your father?”
“What?”
What is it? Did I hear it right?
“Although nominally. Currently, the imperial faction is overwhelming, so those who fall in love with it or need to pay attention to it have no place in the court. Sir Bariel is the one who mediates to make it useful.”
“… Originally, I remember that Countess Esdina of the previous generation took on that role.”
“Grandpa is now in a position where he spends his old age alone in a secluded place. Just looking at the atmosphere at the time, it was to the point of being fortunate that I didn’t die.”
How much.
“Did you hear that Alessius was sent to the northeast border?”
“Even though it’s not detailed, I heard that it happened.”
“It’s not like a simple demotion. It’s far worse than that.”
It must be a shocking incident.
In the public, it was only known that Prince Alexius had made a fatal mistake in the internal conflict.
Only now, Dyke was able to understand at least a part of the details from Seras’ mouth.
“My grandfather was in fact imprisoned because he couldn’t be dismissed. And….”
There, Seras, who was speechless for a moment, sighed heavily.
“Eras was excommunicated and banished at the same time. In fact, our family was beaten with a mace properly.”
“Is it because you swore allegiance to the imperial family that you are safe? Whether you want it or not, there must be no lane. This… Is it a case of consideration from His Majesty?”
“Exactly… There is a compromised part in the discussion of the relationship between El and Kariel. The opinion was right there, so I was given a leniency. If not… Well. How was it?”
“…… To say something incomprehensible again.”
As a childhood friend, I knew long ago that Seras had feelings for Kariel.
The problem is that the competitor is Elhermina.
… Therefore, there was no way she didn’t know that it was a difficult fight to be established in the first place.
Nevertheless, she chose to fight.
The fundamental reason she hated Elhermina, in a way, must have been that.
Isn’t that what being quiet is originally like?
As she thought of Kariel that way.
“To be honest, it was embarrassingly Elhermina conceded. But looking at what’s going on now… I wonder if we didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Could you explain it in a way I can understand?”
“As much as you like.”
In summary, what I said was really simple.
Originally, it took some time after Kariel’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but after her return, the union between the two was certain.
Using that as a justification and excuse, they pulled out all the previous crimes, continuing a massive purge and punishment at the same time.
It was none other than Elhermina who set the stage to completely tilt all powers in the direction of the emperor by instantly reforming and reforming the power structure of the imperial court.
On the surface, it seems that the heroic emperor was exaggeratedly known as the one who orchestrated everything.
“The problem is that Kariel never came back. No, it was a problem before that… Rumors started to circulate that Kariel was involved with the demon king.”
And one more thing.
“This is a secret, so keep quiet. You’re telling me If you leak it anyway, the suspect is obvious, so be prepared then.”
“… Thank you too.”
Are you trying to make him an accomplice? After becoming the head of the family, you learned to be shady.
But, to refuse, he stepped too deep.
… Maybe it’s because I couldn’t bear to turn away from my inflated curiosity.
“Don’t be sarcastic. Anyway… Melineos said he had a precognitive dream, and what he saw and heard there was unusual.”
A bigger problem.
“That memory was sealed for a while, but you said that it was the demon lord who made it that way, what a golden beast?”
“… That much of the story reached your ears?”
“El told me. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t even know a word about it.”
The problem.
“… We were planning to secretly secure Kariel, but it actually leaked somewhere, and the information that Kariel had escaped to a foreign country overlapped, so it seems that there was a lot of interference.”
“Hmm… ….”
“Thanks to that, things suddenly started to roll. Much faster than expected.”
If he made a mistake, the prestige and authority of the hero could be destroyed in an instant, in the name of defending Kariel’s secret.
Political loss and inferiority, rather cute level.
In addition, Count Estina, who was Seras’s grandfather and the head of the aristocratic faction at the time, found out about this and made up his mind to reprimand the emperor.
“At this time, as if Elhermina had been waiting, she brought up the subject by openly mentioning those who had slandered and isolated Kariel in the past.”
If this is the case, then all the children of the nobles who colluded, were related, or impliedly sympathized with or cooperated would stumble.
Even with this, El Hermina had written down a number in advance, and some of them took care of themselves and set up an atmosphere of confession and apology in her imperial family, making her bow her head before laying down her plate.
That’s also very secretive.
Thanks to this, Count Esdina failed to resist once and fell into a trap.
Alessius, who would have been their best shield at this time, was sent by the emperor himself to a foreign country and put in the border guard to set an example, so he could not be reprimanded separately.
If it’s simply sending them to a foreign country, they’ll cover their eyes and ask if they’re okay.
It was important that it was a border area in the northeastern part of the country.
The most dangerous conflict area where local wars and conflicts occur due to monsters and hostile countries.
That’s why.
If you ask for more than this, it means to kill the golden blood… At the point of mentioning it as a servant, what difference does it make from a traitor?
“It seems that my grandfather was the one who led the isolation of Kariel.”
“… It’s true?”
“Yes. And besides that… At the time, Grandpa forced a choice on Erath, who was friendly with Kariel.”
Will you capture Kariel, or will you capture Alessius?
At that time, it seems that Erath had such an opportunity.
Though Seras himself did not know.
However, Erath had no choice in the first place.
Except for blindly following what her grandfather, the head of her family, wanted.
The two sisters who were also young.
For Seras and Erath, the scolding and corporal punishment of their grandfather, the head of the family, was too frightening.
Still, if Seras had figured out that fact earlier, wouldn’t he have shown at least resistance, or even a backlash?
However, his grandfather was very clever and blocked even that.
Really, when I found out later, it was too late at the very least, and I couldn’t even get things back.
“… ….”
Thinking about it again makes my teeth tremble.
Grandpa has completely changed since his son, who should have returned as a hero, died in the end.
The only thing left is two daughters left by a son.
If only I had come back alive in the final battle… He was a son who could have had everything.
“Even more so after hearing the story that it tried to protect his mother, and ended up sharing her death.”
Her mother wasn’t her hero, but I heard that her influence on her was so great that all nine of her heroes respected her.
I didn’t really know what the reason was.
My grandfather always kept quiet, and because of that grandfather, I was the Esdina sister who couldn’t bear to ask others properly.
It wasn’t until after the grandfather reached that point… Although I could have asked the empress.
“… My story is done Anyway, that’s how the power structure was completely reorganized.”
The establishment of absolute imperial authority.
Although it was overwhelming in the past, thanks to the reputation and political moves of the emperor who insisted on benevolence and harmony, there were always points out that the resolute response was insufficient.
It was clear that such a conciliatory attitude, at least during the turmoil, united the great empire.
Of course, if you showed only mercy without power, you would belittle and ridicule.
… When the Hero Emperor was cruel, he was more cruel than anyone else.
And this is a war, and it has been clearly proven through several great battles between the Demon King’s army and the countries that cooperate with it.
As if taking a small country clinging to the demon king as an example, they completely burned the whole of their homeland to ashes, demolished all the standing buildings, and even crushed or pulled out all the common weeds.
At that time, he was clearly more of a cruel ruler than a hero.
But thanks to that resolute decision.
The fact that many countries have refused to respond to the demands and cooperation of the Demon King’s army or have begun to show a sluggish attitude.
With a single decision, the human union was able to somehow escape the wars and exhausting battles that would have spanned dozens or dozens of wars.
“The first thing he did when he drew his sword was demoted his son, the prince, and at the same time deprived him of the right to inherit the throne, making him pay the price… Now, the accomplices who collaborated with us can also be charged with the same crime.”
The shield has disappeared.
Then I have no choice but to take it with my bare body.
By the way.
The problem is that the crimes mentioned by the imperial family were very heinous.
The aristocrats decided and tried to bring it to the imperial family, but they reversed it.
Even worse.
Cooperation with the Devil.
Heresy and Rebellion.
Hosting social church gatherings conspiring to revive the demon king, etc.
The number of cases trying to interrogate and interrogate them is like a flood breaking through a collapsed dam.
It poured down without hesitation.
“If that was the end, it would have been better.”
When even the inquisitors dispatched from the Vatican were added, they began to weave endlessly.
However, the emperor and the church were determined and confided, but was there anyone who was healthy?
The emperor had written down his killing book from the beginning, and he was only looking for an opportunity to draw his sword.
If it wasn’t for that, how could he have been able to handle things so quickly without hesitation?
A very harsh punishment was imposed on those whose crimes were mentioned and their intentions confirmed.
A massive public execution.
As a result of the guilt-by-association system, the family itself collapsed, and those who had been born in the family continued to succeed the original family.
Those who became the new owners of the family all swore allegiance to the imperial family, and in order to prove it, they began to take care of those who once belonged to the original family on their own.
All of this was accomplished in less than 30 days.
In addition, anxiety and fear for the imperial family, conversely, spread into hatred.
The reasons and justifications for the purge by pinpointing all kinds of crimes one by one and delivering them to the people in a meticulous manner to the point of persistence. The realization and realization of justice achieved by implementing it was established on a large scale.
Here, the petty truth was meaningless.
Some truths were exaggerated, and even small sins were turned into mortal sins.
Above all, all of this was the painful decision of the hero emperor.
The emperor who continued to put up with hardships for the sake of the people treated even the nobles well as subjects and subjects.
How he did such atrocious things casually, and brazenly boasted of being a nobleman and blue blood!
The heroic emperor, who eventually endured and then drew his sword, as if he had accumulated and saved the righteous and fair perceptions he had accumulated over the years.
He brushed off all the anger and harshness he had accumulated over the years.
So.
The people actively supported the noble decision of the emperor.
“At the time, cheers went all over the islands. I heard that the greedy and corrupt blue-blooded ones are finally paying for their crimes.”
This is probably because the people have known for a long time about the will and intention of the emperor who wanted to push ahead with policies and agendas for the people.
It was because the nobles had been implicitly spreading to the people and intellectuals that they had always wanted to push for policies or agendas that would arouse resentment from the people in order to establish their interests and interests.
A long period of time.
For a very long time.
On the contrary, there were quite a few people openly swearing at the emperor’s ease of concession to the nobles.
So, what kind of meaning would a resolute response like this time give to the people who were usually frustrated….
“I should have seen it myself.”
The chaos is over before long.
The surviving aristocrats think implicitly.
That the Emperor did nothing meaninglessly.
The Emperor had never been afraid of them, never felt like a threat.
In the end, he sowed seeds suitable for each of the people and nobles, and waited patiently for each harvest to grow.
Thinking of it like that, there were too many things that fit right in front and back.
By the time I noticed, I was already in a situation where a pile of mud was rushing down my throat.
It’s too late.
However, if there were really no people who wanted to make a fuss even if it was late, that wasn’t the case.
By the way.
… Who was next to the emperor?
Even without him, the emperor? What about the empress?
Those who knew all about it, but tried desperately, as if they had no choice.
… It reached an even more dire situation.
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The family name itself has been erased.
There are no exceptions to home visits and room visits.
“The reason why the current empire moves quickly, everything is decided and handled with one heart and one mind.”
Thanks to this, the empire was developing rapidly.
No matter how low-ranking the central nobles are, it’s not uncommon to have them piled up in their pockets and warehouses.
Reaping them, sharing them, selecting new talent, and pushing ahead with the policies that were put off as if they were waiting.
Work has increased dramatically, but that much energy has begun to rise throughout the empire.
Now, the Empire was entering its golden age.
How much power when politics is working properly makes a country strong, agile, and efficient.
It was to the point where it was often said that the development of each day was to the extent that it was noticeable.
“For some reason, people’s expressions are full of energy.”
In Dyke’s eyes, the Empire was still an Empire, and the Empire’s heartland, the Isles, was no exception.
However, as I went and looked around the interior, I felt that it was more lively than before.
Above all, it was noticeable that the cleanliness of the system and the clothes and appearance of the citizens had changed even compared to a few years ago.
Invisible buildings and facilities have also increased significantly.
…… But.
“As mentioned earlier. Is it only about Kariel that things didn’t go as expected?”
There, Seras gave a small sigh.
“Thanks to that, El is now arguing with His Majesty, saying that he will vacate the system for a while.”
“What?”
“And now you know who to persuade, even if I don’t have to make a lot of noise, right?”