Episode 85: Long Live the Emperor (4)

Swinging the katana to defeat the former Baron Chandler felt exhilarating, but this was even more vivid.

Is it because I personally killed them? Is this sensation what Gith-Za-Rai referred to as absorption efficiency?

[You have absorbed Throwing Spear Lv. 1.]

[You have absorbed Tracking Lv. 1.]

[You have absorbed Spearmanship Lv. 1.]

[The absorbed abilities will be applied after digestion.]

[You ended their lives directly. Digestion speed increased by 400%.]

[Digesting absorbed abilities.

Time until digestion completion: 5:59:59.

Skills are growing.]

Additional messages appeared below.

[Would you like to check your current digesting abilities? Yes/No]

Yes.

[Iaijutsu Lv. 1]

[21:34:41 remaining]

[Eastern Language Lv. 1]

The abilities I absorbed from Baron Chandler appeared. The word "digestion" had a comical undertone to it. After all, I had no stomach.

Was the message designed without considering species traits? The messages must have been written with humans in mind.

Gith-Za-Rai winked at me. "Did you enjoy your meal?"

"I lack a tongue to taste anything," I answered dryly.

"Words are just tools we borrow. Now, how about we plan an even more nutritious feast?"

Her words made me uneasy.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Killing the emperor, of course."

I hoped she was joking.

Gith-Za-Rai added, "It's perfectly safe. Don't be scared."

Safe?

Perhaps she was a reliable narrator. Everything she displayed so far had been extraordinary—so powerful that it almost felt misaligned with reality. However, no matter how I looked at it, her statements were absurd.

"Are you leaving the others in the cave behind?" I asked.

"Of course not. I've already given them orders. They'll move on their own. Just follow me."

I thought of the dense array of bones.

Impressive, but can they handle the imperial guards? Can they face the wizards?

This was beyond my imagination, yet I couldn't help but feel it would be difficult.

Clatter!

The Onyx Ring activated, and a powerful, irresistible force pulled me toward Gith-Za-Rai. This time, the distance was set to less than a meter, pressing me close to her.

***

Clop, clop, clop.

Two elderly men dressed in purple robes rode their horses slowly. Among the Wizards of Azure, the purple robe symbolized immunity and extraterritoriality, inspiring both fear and reverence. It commanded others to bow before it. These two figures of awe and terror found no trace of magical traps on the imperial roadway.

Only one path from Erast to Yublam was wide enough for the emperor's eight-horse carriage to pass, so a thorough pre-inspection was essential. The elderly wizards concluded their investigation.

The taller wizard said, "No signs of prepared magic. This area is remarkably clean. Even the scanning devices picked up nothing."

"Shall I cast a spell, just to be sure?" the hunched elder suggested.

The taller wizard stroked his white beard before extending a hand. Without a staff or incantation, he cast a spell into the air.

Crackle!

A small lightning bolt sparked from his fingertips, crackling against his flesh as if it were harmless.

The elder remained unscathed. With a flick of his hand, he casually released the energy. The sizzling lightning bolt flashed and shot forward, striking the ground.

Boom!

The earth beside the road caved in a foot deep, sending scorched dirt and grass flying, burning the surrounding vegetation black. The wizard displayed overwhelming power from what seemed like a playful gesture.

If he uses that against humans...

With a simple flick, he could annihilate an entire battalion. No reagents, scrolls, or magic circles were necessary, not even a staff.

So this is a Wizard of Azure!

In contrast to my astonishment, the elder magician seemed unimpressed.

He pursed his lower lip in dissatisfaction. "

Hmm.

As expected from the weak magic of the south. This area is particularly lacking in power."

The other wizard agreed. "Indeed. Arcane energy isn't pooling well here. Magical attacks are unlikely. Let the guards handle minor threats."

"With the carriage's strong anti-magic defenses and such low magical interference here, we can safely rule out magical sniping. Let's move on. Our work here is done."

The two elders turned their horses around and left. We watched from a distant hill, hidden under the shade of a large tree still bearing green leaves. The wizards didn't even glance in our direction because we were far enough away to avoid notice, but it felt strange.

Is there some kind of barrier?

Standing on the hill like a malevolent deity, Gith-Za-Rai coldly remarked, "They're all idiots."

I tilted my head in confusion at her harsh critique. "The tower's wizards?"

"

Oh?

You recognize them?"

"They performed magic without reagents or circles. They must be Wizards of Azure."

The Wizards of Azure could dwarf most humans with their presence alone, but Gith-Za-Rai dismissed them casually. "Exactly. That's why they're idiots. There's only one real mage among them."

Given what I knew about her so far, I could easily guess who she meant.

"You must be talking about yourself," I said.

Gith-Za-Rai puffed her cheeks slightly before exhaling and firmly shaking her head.

"No. I'm a necromancer."

Gith-Za-Rai shrugged her pale, bone-covered shoulders and continued, "If not for

her,

I wouldn't be doing this kind of unnecessary service. I would've just dug up all the burial grounds and taken everything. No one would be able to stop me anyway."

I was surprised to hear that someone could hinder her.

"Who is this person?" I asked.

"There's a lunatic who keeps changing names. Someone should just stick her and turn her into a corpse. Then I could

kindly

take care of her..." her voice trailed off.

There was a tone to her words that made me hesitant to press further, so I let it go and turned my attention forward. I watched as the wizards turned their horses and rode away.

"What is it they're not seeing?"

Gith-Za-Rai didn't respond, but her icy gaze carried a distinct contempt as she observed the wizards.

Did she set up a magical trap somewhere?

Their reconnaissance wasn't the end. After the wizards left, knights arrived, conducting a much more thorough search. They prodded the ground and searched the bushes along the road. If I had been hiding nearby, I would've undoubtedly been discovered. Their meticulous approach starkly contrasted the wizards' casual lightning strike.

"They're putting in real effort," I noted.

"Effort... for what?" Gith-Za-Rai mocked.

"To find those we killed earlier. They were outer scouts, marked for tracking. And these so-called smart ones didn't even realize it. How adorable."

Gith-Za-Rai raised her skeletal eyebrows and slightly pulled her lower lip inward, looking amused. Her expression was playful, almost mocking.

I rattled in surprise. "Then shouldn't they be combing the entire area? Why are they stopping at this?"

If scouts went missing, it would surely trigger an alarm. Yet the knights, despite their serious expressions, stopped short of what I thought was necessary.

"Maybe I just don't understand humans," I murmured, confused.

"It's less important," she said plainly.

"Less important? What do you mean?"

"The emperor travels on a set path at a set time. That's much more important than missing scouts."

Her explanation made little sense to me.

Gith-Za-Rai continued, "This isn't even a direct route. Do you think they'll cancel the schedule because three scouts sent to the outskirts are missing? The one who reports it will lose their head. They're not even proper knights—just recruits who can't use aura properly."

"..."

"If they report it, there will definitely be trouble. If they don't, maybe there won't be." Gith-Za-Rai muttered softly, almost to herself, "Well, it's a bit sloppy. However, my job is just to kill

him

. What happens afterward..."

Her words were cryptic. I quietly observed the knights. Some returned, while others remained stationed along the main road.

"What's our next move?" I asked.

"Nothing much. We just wait for the emperor to show up, then kill him. That's it."

Her casual tone left me speechless once more. She spoke as if she possessed the power to overturn life and death.

"If you're doubtful, we can play the rib game," she said with a mischievous smile.

"The... rib game?"

Gith-Za-Rai placed her skeletal hand over my chest. "It's simple. I'll break one of your ribs, one at a time—success, failure, success—until only the last rib remains. Whatever you say then must be true."

Her suggestion was absurd.

"Let's just assume success, shall we?" I replied dryly.

I was sure she would fail and I'd end up dying with her, but I had no desire to start breaking ribs in advance.

Hours passed as the sun rose high and began its slow descent.

"Oh, here they come," she said suddenly.

Looking toward the road, I saw a procession with warhorses with ash-gray manes and full plate-armored knights. They were leading the way for the emperor's carriage.

"What a ridiculous sight," Gith-Za-Rai scoffed.

"Ridiculous?" I asked.

"They're clearing the road as if someone is waiting in the middle of it. Are they hallucinating or something?"

The road was clean. Not a single person or even a rat could be seen.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"It's true... there's no one here," I agreed.

"Exactly. Who would show up here? The emperor's guards are funded by taxes, but for us common folk, he's just someone who takes our money. Who's going to come out and shout ‘Long live the Emperor?’"

"

Hmm..

."

The guards rode ahead with their horses trotting steadily.

Impressive.

My eyes were drawn to the emperor's carriage in the center of the procession—a massive, ornate carriage pulled by eight horses. The carriage gleamed with intricate patterns layered upon one another.

Those who disliked grandeur and extravagance would have to admit its magnificence.

Even Gith-Za-Rai seemed impressed. "It's my first time seeing it in person... There's a lot of lost knowledge here."

"Lost knowledge?"

"The entire thing is inscribed with ancient arcane symbols. Most spells won't even work anywhere near it."

"So magic won't work?"

If that was true, the idea of assassinating the emperor seemed even more absurd.

How could anyone succeed without magic?

Gith-Za-Rai probably just wanted to see the emperor's procession. I reassured myself that everything she'd said so far had to be a joke, but then doubt crept back in.

Then why did she die?

Her death was a certainty—a future I had already lived. It had to happen. Based on the current timeline, this was when it should occur. I couldn't make sense of it.

The elite imperial guards scanned the surroundings as the emperor's procession drew closer. The convoy consisted of only about a hundred members, modest for a royal tour. However, each member was undoubtedly a handpicked elite. Among them, the two wizards in purple robes whom I had seen earlier stood out. Even a local lord's army wouldn't stand a chance against their power.

Another figure caught my attention—a knight in a unique full plate armor riding slightly behind the vanguard.

Who is that?