Chapter 44. Entering the Imperial Palace

Late at night, at Azureocean Castle...

Knock, knock.

"Duke Halo, it's Zerath," Zerath said.

"Come on in," Halo responded.

Zerath opened the door to the office and stepped inside. In the office, Halo sat in his chair, swirling the glass of his liquor.

"I've sent the official request to the Imperial Guards. I told them that the duke's grandsons had requested a duel with them, and they gladly accepted," Zerath explained.

"Well done. Come sit down," Halo said.

"Yes, sir," Zerath replied, then carefully took a seat. He accepted the glass Halo handed him. The soft sound of liquor being poured filled the room as Halo filled the glass halfway with amber-colored liquor.

"Caron is an unpredictable one, isn't he?" Halo remarked.

"It seems like he has found someone that caught his interest," Zerath replied.

"Interest?"

"Yes, he asked me if I knew about Amy Altura. I believe I mentioned her to you once before."

"Yes, I remember."

"She's an apprentice of the Imperial Guards. She's so talented that I once tried to recruit her for the Oceanwolf Knight Order."

"You did?"

"It seems lYoung Master Caron also shared my thoughts. He's always had a good eye for people."

Zerath briefly recalled his past encounter with Amy Altura. She had left an impression on him. She was a determined young woman who'd once told him that she admired Cain Latorre above all others. He had promised her ample support if she joined the Oceanwolf Knight Order, but she had chosen to remain with the Imperial Guards.

"Amy is unique. Her admiration for Cain Latorre is immense," Zerath continued.

"Cain... That's a name that brings back memories. She's quite the unusual young knight. The Imperial Guards hardly speak of Cain these days, don't they?" Halo asked.

"Well, it's probably a part of history they want to erase. If you hadn't intervened, Sir Cain would've been recorded as one of the greatest villains of our time," Zerath replied.

Halo nodded slowly and agreed, "Yes, that's true."

"Didn't you also want to protect your friend's name from being tarnished?" Zerath asked.

Halo let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head. He said, "You've got it all wrong."

"...What do you mean?" Zerath asked.

"Cain... He wanted to be forgotten. He wanted to leave no trace, and just die there in complete obscurity," Halo explained.

Halo's thoughts drifted back to the past, to the day he had ended his friend's life. He could still recall Cain's expression in that final moment, devoid of any regret, as if even death didn't move him. It was a memory Halo still carried with a mix of sorrow and bitterness.

"It was my own way of getting revenge on that damned fool," he continued.

Cain had made a selfish choice, so Halo had wanted to get back at him in some way. So, instead of letting Cain be forgotten, he'd made sure people remembered his name. He'd left behind traces of Cain in history. It had been fifty years since Cain's death, and yet his name was still recorded in the annals of history.

"Then the reason you helped restore the Imperial Guards was also...?" Zerath trailed off, trying to piece things together.

After the fall of the Malevolent Emperor, one of the things Halo had spearheaded was the restoration of the Imperial Guards, which had been all but wiped out.

"One of the Imperial Guards wanted to succeed Cain. That idiot... If he hadn't died, that would have been his role," Halo said.

Halo's smile was tinged with bitterness. Official history recorded that the Imperial Guards had been wiped out that day, but that wasn't true. Many of the final group that defended the Malevolent Emperor had survived, including some who had fought Halo directly. They had lived because Halo had chosen to not take their lives.

It was from these survivors that Halo had rebuilt the Imperial Guards, preserving the legacy of a man who had wished to leave none. Thus, the Imperial Guards' unique swordsmanship, the Imperial Sword, was able to be passed down to future generations. And their mana technique, Loyalty Arts, had been passed down as well.

"I had secretly hoped for someone to rise and carry on Cain's legacy," Halo said.

But the Imperial Guards had quickly degenerated. They had aligned themselves with political factions, and now they were divided, fighting amongst themselves. This wasn't the vision Halo had hoped for, but he no longer involved himself with them. Cain wouldn't have wanted him to exercise influence over the Imperial Guards.

"Perhaps that's why Young Master Caron became interested in Lady Amy," Zerath suggested. "Caron has always shown a particular interest in Sir Cain, hasn't he?"

"Well, he is Fayle's son. Fayle also liked Cain from a young age," Halo remarked.

Halo recalled a time when he had summoned Caron's old tutor, Professor Ulysses, and asked about Caron's interests. Professor Ulysses had told him that Caron had been deeply captivated by Cain's legacy. That had been a point of pride for Halo.

"When two people share the same interests, they're bound to grow close," Halo noted.

"That's true," Zerath agreed.

"Have you looked into the Altura family?" Halo asked.

"They're a noble family from the countryside. The only notable detail is that they changed their family name about fifty years ago," Zerath answered.

"What was their original name?" Halo asked again.

"Acht. They were originally the Acht family," Zerath replied.

Halo's eyes lit up at the name. He nodded with a bitter smile as he remarked, "Acht... There was a peculiar man from that family fifty years ago."

Kerra Acht was one of the last members of the Imperial Guards who had defended the palace alongside Cain. Halo could still picture the man's face as he'd charged at him, fully prepared to die.

"Could she be a relative of his?" Halo murmured quietly to himself.

"It seems the family changed their name after the fall of the Malevolent Emperor," Halo said. "No doubt they wanted to sever any connection to those events."

"Do you know the Acht family?" Zerath asked.

"We crossed paths briefly," Halo answered.

It was amusing that fifty years later, a descendant of that family would emerge, following in Cain's footsteps. Most people wanted to forget his name, and yet here was a young woman honoring it. That thought endeared her to Halo.

"Keep an eye on her, and if there's an opportunity to help, don't hesitate," Halo instructed.

Zerath's expression grew tense and he replied, "...The Imperial Guards might object."

"Helping a young knight who respects my friend is a natural course of action. Who would dare challenge my goodwill? Any objections from them can be crushed with force," Halo replied firmly.

He intended to do as he pleased. That was the right he had as a strong individual. And that was the attitude the Leston family intended to send from now on.

"It's time to send a warning to the cowards of the capital," Halo continued.

The period of mercy the glorious Leston family had extended to the empire was now over. He refilled his glass, anticipating what his youngest grandson would accomplish in the capital. Caron, that clever and cunning boy, had likely already figured out his grandfather's intentions.

"Go ahead, Caron. Show me what you're capable of," Halo murmured.

He decided he would watch how far his youngest grandson could go.

***

The second morning in the capital dawned for Caron and his group.

Gyle's mansion had been hustling since early morning, and Caron was unable to escape the butlers.

"The sleeve of his shirt is wrinkled! Go iron it again!" a butler called out.

"The brooch! It needs more shine," another butler said.

"Oh, the wristwatch! And fix the young master's hair again!" a busy butler shouted.

It was a relentless two hours of chaos.

At last, the preparations for entering the Imperial Palace were finished. Caron, who looked utterly drained, let out a deep sigh. He remarked, "I'd rather swing my sword a thousand times. Don't you agree, Leo?"

"...For once, we're on the same page. I agree with you," Leo replied.

"What's so special about the palace anyway?" Caron muttered.

He had wanted to enter the palace wearing just a plain black suit, but that idea had been swiftly vetoed by his grandmother. Instead, he had to adorn himself with the Azure Wolves brooch, the symbol of the Leston family, along with several other extravagant accessories.

The result was an unnecessarily flamboyant and thoroughly uncomfortable outfit. Caron fiddled with the wristwatch wrapped around his wrist before remarking, "Well, at least I like this one."

It was a top-tier wristwatch crafted from mana stones and gold. By far, it was his favorite among the many accessories he wore.

As Caron continued to take a look at his accessories, Leo called out nervously, "Caron."

"What?" Caron responded.

"Am I the only one feeling nervous? We're about to meet His Majesty the emperor," Leo said.

Though most of his power had been stripped away, the emperor was still the supreme ruler of the empire. He was the most noble figure in the empire, someone whom commoners would likely never meet in their entire lives. Considering that, Leo's reaction wasn't surprising. Anyone would be nervous when meeting the emperor for the first time.

However, Caron didn't feel any particular emotion. He replied, "The emperor is also just a person. Why are you nervous? No need to stress about it, Leo."

"You say that as if it's not your first time meeting His Majesty," Leo remarked.

"Something like that," Caron responded.

Of course, that had been in his previous life. He had even served as the emperor's personal guard back then.

Leo could only shake his head at Caron's nonchalance. It wasn't the first time he found his cousin difficult to understand, so he decided not to dwell on it.

As Caron and Leo were talking in the room while waiting, someone knocked on the door and entered. It was Hugo.

"The carriage from the palace has arrived. Are you both ready to go?" Hugo asked.

The emperor had only invited Caron and Leo, so Hugo wasn't joining them on their visit to the palace today. No matter how prestigious the Leston family was, without prior permission, no one could set foot in the Imperial Palace. Anyone entering unapproved would be committing treason.

"Yes, Hugo," Caron responded as he casually tapped the hilt of Guillotine, which hung at his waist. "I even polished the blade, just in case."

"...Was that really necessary?" Hugo asked.

"We could get ambushed at the palace. You never know," Caron said.

"That's a bit of a scary joke, Caron." Hugo sighed.

Typically, no one was allowed to bring weapons into the palace. However, there was one exception, and it was for the Leston family. As the descendants of the heroes who had once saved the empire from demonic forces, they were granted this unique privilege.

"You won't need to draw it, so don't worry," Hugo reassured him.

"Try not to get bored without us, Hugo," Caron teased.

"...Alright, let's go," Hugo said.

Caron and Leo followed Hugo out to the courtyard, where an opulent carriage sent from the palace awaited them, lavishly adorned with platinum decorations. Calling it a carriage was a stretch, though. A mana engine created by the Imperial Magic Tower stood where horses should have been.

Standing beside the carriage was a middle-aged man dressed in formal attire. He said with a bow, "It is an honor to serve you. I am Karls, a second-class official from the Imperial Household. My duty today is to escort Young Master Leo Leston and Young Master Caron Leston to the palace." He continued, "This automobile has been gifted to you by His Majesty. You may use it during your stay in the capital."

"They're calling it a automobile now?" Caron asked with mild interest.

"Yes, that's right. This automobile is enchanted, so if you put in your destination, it will take you wherever you wish," Karls explained.

It seemed similar to the automobile used by the Sixth Prince, Revelio, though his was slightly larger and even more extravagant. Times had certainly changed. Comparing the current level of civilization to that of fifty years ago, the differences were staggering.

Caron nodded lightly and turned to Gyle, who had come out to see them off. He said, "We'll be back soon, Grandfather."

Gyle smiled and nodded in response, then said, "Be careful. And always mind your manners in the palace."

"I'll keep that in mind," Caron replied.

The farewell wasn't long. Caron also exchanged a brief goodbye with Hugo before he and Leo climbed into the automobile.

Whoosh.

A low hum resonated as the mana engine started, and soon, the automobile began to move. Caron leaned back against the cushions and gazed out the window.

As the automobile sped along, it soon merged onto the main road leading directly to the palace. Then, a sudden wave of loud cheers erupted from outside the window.

"Oh! It's the young masters of the Leston family!" someone cried out.

"Wow!" another exclaimed.

"The young heroes who defeated the enemies of the empire!" one of the citizens shouted.

It was as if the citizens had been waiting for them. They were throwing flower petals and shouting with joy, as if welcoming triumphant war heroes.

"Hmm. This is a bit embarrassing," Leo muttered, his cheeks slightly flushed. "It wasn't like this yesterday when we were out in the city. Right, Caron?"

Caron chuckled and replied, "His Majesty is using us to show the power of the royal family."

The underlying motives were all too obvious.

But Leo looked confused, asking, "Wait, what? How so?"

"Things aren't the way they were in the past, when relations were at their worst. The Leston family stands behind the emperor. It's a warning to the nobles who want to seize control of the throne. Although... I'm sure the emperor has his own motives," Caron explained.

His gaze shifted to the capital's citizens, who waved and cheered for him.

Even if the emperor is just a puppet, it seems he still has some sense of what's going on,

he thought.

Before long, the towering outer walls of the palace came into view. Technically, it wasn't the palace itself, but the outer fortress that surrounded it, separating the palace from the rest of the capital. The walls were fortified with layers of high-level magic, forming an impenetrable barrier.

Caron let out a small breath and said quietly, "Get ready to feel nervous, Leo."

"Huh?" Leo asked.

"Once we pass through those walls, we'll be in the Imperial Palace. It's... Well..." Caron trailed off.

It was a place where countless lives had bled out across the ground.

More accurately...

"Our family once crossed the walls," Caron explained.

It was the battlefield from fifty years ago where a terrible tragedy had taken place; the place where the ancestors of the ducal family and countless others had shed their blood, a site where dreadful tragedy now lay dormant.

"Beyond those walls, no one will welcome us," Caron added.

"Oh..." Leo responded. He stared at the outer walls with a complicated facial expression.

The two young wolves of the Leston family stepped into the battlefield of their family's past.