Chapter 201

“….”

The word the Emperor uttered, stopping Adela even as he coughed up blood, was an apology.

‘Am I, allowed to be here?’

It was bewildering, but Adela must have had her reasons for calling me, wouldn't she?

‘This is a very… very important scene.’

Adela, who was originally supposed to kill the Emperor, become the empress, and burn the empire down, had given up on her revenge.

Therefore, a future that should not have existed was created.

The Emperor’s apology.

In a novel, this would be a big event that would greatly influence a character’s narrative.

“To me… who lived for 100 years with the feeling of being married to the nation, it was a fateful love that found me. That’s why my inadequate self could not handle the loss, and I hurt you. Adela, your mother….”

“Enough.”

“….”

“An apology is not even worth listening to.”

The Emperor looked at Adela with surprised eyes, and I did as well.

No matter how much she had given up, wasn't this the Emperor's apology that she had so longed for all her life?

“You're not, accepting it? The apology.”

“How foolish. Emperor, what use would I have for an apology from the likes of you?”

“I am the Emperor. I am still alive. I can give you everything you want. Anything to fulfill your desire for revenge….”

It was the Emperor who had made Adela, who had joined the succession race late, a strong candidate.

Giving her command over a part of the Emperor's direct Shadow Knights was unprecedented in history.

The Emperor's words that he could give her anything she wanted were by no means an empty boast.

Adela let out a hollow laugh at his ambition.

“Then I ask. What can you give me?”

Before the Emperor could say anything, Adela reached behind her, grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, and pulled me forward.

It seemed rough at a glance, but she had actually grasped me gently, carefully asking for permission before slowly pulling me.

‘…I can’t refuse.’

Normally, I would have snapped at her, asking what she was doing, but now I just followed Adela’s lead.

Because today, I came as the Black Knight.

My face, lowered to match Adela's height, stopped right in front of her.

A place not even 5cm away from her golden eyes.

A blush appeared on Adela's face, and she turned her head towards the Emperor.

Adela declared proudly.

“Emperor, can you give me something more than this man?”

“….”

Her following words left me speechless.

“….”

The Emperor was at a loss for words as well.

“I have decided. To love this man.”

It was Adela’s bombshell declaration.

“Revenge? The desire for revenge?”

A scoff struck the Emperor.

“You old fossil. What era are you even talking about?”

Adela was probably the only person who could use such slang towards the Emperor of the Imperium Empire.

“I have quelled the anger that made me vow to burn down the entire continent. A long time ago, at that. The reason I act to protect the continent is because this man wanted it.”

The Desert Hierophant floating above her head glowed with a golden light.

As if supporting Adela’s will.

“At first, I too tried to use this man, and I insulted him. I took hostages to threaten him, put the black helmet of dishonor on him, and drove him into a corner time and again, ordering impossible victories. And yet, this man always brought me victory.”

This was Adela’s and my narrative.

“He is a man who puts up with all my hysterical tantrums.”

She unabashedly laid out the embarrassing things that followed in front of the Emperor, her ‘father’, with a faint blush.

“For the first time, I was comforted. He took me in when I was dead drunk. For the first time, I drank a tea called coffee. An espresso like the bitterness of life, a café mocha like a happy memory. For the first time, I went to the academy. I attended classes, ate at the cafeteria, and even did something called club activities. For the first time, I went to a festival called the Grand Festival. I did business, made coffee, and even attracted customers by touting.”

As if a daughter who had just started her first romance was boasting to her father.

“This man has given me countless firsts.”

Even if the form was very different.

“And he made me let go of the hand of revenge that led my mind and soul.”

The essence was the same.

“He awakened the emotion of love in me.”

Perhaps this was the first conversation between Adela and the Emperor that could be called ‘communion’.

“Answer me, Emperor. I gave up everything for this man. Are you saying you can give me something more than this man? Truly? Sincerely?”

“….”

The Emperor still had a surprised look in his eyes.

Perhaps he was thinking the same thing as me.

Really… although the form was different, it was the subject of a normal conversation between a daughter and a father.

Soon, the Emperor, on the verge of death, smiled as if he had let go of his lingering attachments.

“…I have made an empty boast. It seems it cannot be done. Something better than that man, I have not seen.”

“…Hmph. Let’s go, Black Knight. I have no more business with that old geezer.”

Adela turned her body.

“We are not children, but adults who can take responsibility for ourselves.”

She turned her back on her father's figure, which might be the last she would see, and boarded the golden box that had guided us here.

“Wait…, Sir Martin.”

It was the Emperor who called out to me as I was about to follow.

When I looked back, I could see the Emperor looking more peaceful than ever before.

“My daughter… it’s a truly shameless request, but please… take good care of her. This heartless father has many sins…, so to you…, please….”

And then he closed his eyes.

He must be tired from the long conversation.

“Martin!”

At Adela’s call, I too boarded the golden box.

Then the box floated up again and drifted through the void of the Golden Mausoleum.

It left the giant golden sculpture in the shape of the current emperor and gradually moved away.

As I quietly watched that scene, I saw Adela standing blankly, staring straight ahead.

“Princess, are you alright with this?”

The startled princess rolled only her eyes to look at me.

“What do you mean?”

The reason she would be lost in thought even with me by her side.

Of course, it was the Emperor.

I often did the same when I had lingering feelings.

“…It might be the last time, you know.”

“Tsk, didn't he say he'll live for another year.”

“He also said it might be a month.”

“….”

Adela gave no answer.

She just stared blankly at the front of the Golden Mausoleum.

I too stood silently by her side.

After all, what Adela had asked for was my company.

The auspicious golden energy, the feelings of all humanity wishing for peace and well-being, float around like particles of light.

The wind blows.

As Adela raises her hand, a speck of gold dust settles on it.

“…Then, what do you want me to do.”

Breaking the silence, Adela glared at me.

“Think about it, Martin. You know very well what that man did to me!”

It was not an act of seeking an answer, but an outburst of frustrated emotions.

“And now he’s on the verge of death! To me, whatever he was, in this country, he’s a wise king who made the lives of countless people better, isn’t he! The bastard is dying without even waiting for my revenge! I wanted to spit in his face and curse him out to my heart’s content! But do you think I don’t know?! The Emperor before me was barely breathing thanks to the power of the Golden Mausoleum, practically a corpse!”

Adela waved her hand roughly in anger.

The gold dust that had settled scattered in all directions.

“A fateful love came to a man who had dedicated himself only to the development of the empire for 100 years! And it was me who killed that fate! So he confined me! He killed my knight Harris and my nanny! And now he suddenly says he’s sorry?! He should have just remained a bad guy until the end! On the verge of death, he says the only lingering regret he has is me!”

An outburst of frustration.

It was an action she would never normally take.

Because Adela had always done whatever she pleased.

She had no hesitation in killing people.

She only killed those who deserved to be killed.

The reason she was so angry now was.

“What do you want me to do?! I! I’ve realized it too! That damn thing called fateful love! If my son or daughter is born and kills you! I’m scared I might do the same!”

‘Wait, isn’t it usually the woman who dies while giving birth…?’

While I was making a silly retort in my head, Adela threw herself into my arms.

Nestled in my large embrace, she reached out her hands like someone hanging from a cliff and wrapped them around my shoulders, my neck.

And then she buried her face in my chest and began to cry.

“What am I…! What am I supposed to do, really…! What should I do…!”

Adela, crying silently.

‘Oh, this….’

As I instinctively tried to step back, Adela held on tight.

By putting strength into the hands wrapped around my neck and shoulders.

“Don’t go.”

“Princess, that’s….”

“Am I….”

Adela, who was about to speak, paused.

To stop her crying.

“…Do I look that stupid? Like someone who doesn't even know that you love a maid girl named Lilac?”

“…!”

“As a matter of fact, the Elidore girl sent word that she was rejected. I expected my turn would come. …But not now.”

The strength embracing me gradually loosened.

“Forget about that, it’s an order. Now… comfort me….”

I couldn’t bring myself to push her away.

‘I guess I have no choice.’

I decided to comfort her by lightly patting her back.

“My head…, stroke my head too.”

“Yes….”

With my other hand, I stroked her head.

The golden box began to head towards the center of the Golden Mausoleum.

In my eyes, I saw a very, very huge golden statue in the distance.

How could I not know.

I had seen him at the Dungeon Tournament.

‘Hero Hamerd.’

His tomb was visible in the distance.

It would be there.

The sword of Hero Hamerd.

The legacy of Hamerd, the representative of humanity chosen by humanity.

The divine relic that I had lamented being unable to obtain in the original story because the passage to the Golden Mausoleum was buried by Adela.

Unfortunately… it seems today is not my chance.

A golden light flashed, and when I opened my eyes, I was not in the Golden Mausoleum but in the Imperium Imperial Palace.

Adela immediately summoned a golden carriage and put me in it.

“…You did well, today.”

Adela did not get on the carriage.

“I also have a lot to think about today. I will be busy from now on. Go back alone today.”

The carriage door closed on its own, and golden sand horses created by her authority pulled the carriage and ran.

The Imperial Palace and Princess Adela slowly grew distant as I headed towards the deep underground waterway.

* * *

The trees are bare.

A cold wind blows, and snow falls little by little.

The continent has fully entered winter.

In the cold winter, the power of ice magic strengthens, and the power of flame magic weakens.

The activity range of monsters such as goblins and orcs narrows, and it is a time when farmers who have finished harvesting go inside to do housework.

However, education does not distinguish between seasons.

Imperium Academy was conducting classes with warm heating magic turned on indoors.

“Now, has everyone understood? There are 17 similar patterns in the correlation between the time distortion rate and the spatial distortion rate of a Time Chaos Dungeon. These are not absolute, but if you memorize them, there will surely be a day when they will be useful….”

The theory class conducted by the Dungeon Studies teacher was very boring.

Perhaps because the weather was cold, there were more indoor classes than outdoor ones.

The protagonist party, Prince Kazaks' faction, Anette, Luri, and all the cadets of Class A were diligently taking notes.

…If summoning a golden hand to take notes counts as taking notes, then Princess Adela was also taking notes.

‘Boring.’

The quality of the class was always excellent.

The problem was with me.

The problem, if there was one, was that due to the ‘Absolute Memory’ and ‘Information Access’ functions from Know-It-All, it was boring content that I already knew everything about.