Chapter 152: Grave Part 1

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Abraham recalled the rumors surrounding Johan and Lobelia.

He had succeeded in redirecting attention toward Loki, but what’s done cannot be undone.

It’s true that focusing attention on one side causes the other side to receive less attention.

However, Abraham wasn’t one to be swayed by such obvious misdirection.

He was someone who had to see through such things because of the position he held.

“In the end, even if Lobelia becomes Emperor, she’ll have to step down someday. When that time comes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have her heirs prepared in advance.”

“Huh…?”

In fact, most imperial family members who had passed the Emperor’s trial were already engaged.

Of course, it wasn’t out of emotion; it was political.

To be precise, the Emperor had matched them with people who wouldn’t sway them emotionally, but who could support them once they took the throne.

That bastard Loki ended up devouring the Marquisate the Emperor had provided for him to use…

Because someone like that had abused the system, the Emperor abandoned the practice.

Not that he particularly blamed Loki for it. After all, how one uses the tools they’re given is up to them.

It was simply a lesson the Emperor himself had learned through the experience.

Loki reminded him of himself. More specifically, of his own ruthless side.

In his youth, the Emperor had been passionate and just. But after ascending to the throne, change had been inevitable.

To bring order to a chaotic empire, there were many things he had to give up. It couldn’t be helped.

From then on, the Emperor abandoned justice, love, and friendship….until he became a monster.

And Loki resembled the Emperor who had thrown everything away.

Cold, merciless, and willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

“It’s about time we started thinking of a partner for Lobelia, too. If we impose different standards on her just because of what happened with Loki, wouldn’t that be unfair to her as well?”

“Uh, that…”

“The Damus County, huh… It may be just a small territory on the outskirts, but its history runs long.”

History.

Nowadays, with so few noble houses worthy of the imperial family, that long history was actually an advantage.

The Tales Marquisate had been wiped out, and the Ether Duchy had only daughters.

Bringing in a family with only wealth would make the imperial family look cheap.

In that case, wouldn’t a family with deep roots be a better choice?

What’s more, from Abraham’s point of view, Johan was on Lobelia’s side.

Pairing them off early on would prevent messy problems later.

“So, what do you think?”

It sounded like a question, but it wasn’t.

There was only one answer Johan could give.

How could he possibly refuse the Emperor’s words?

To do something like that, you’d have to be on the level of Duke Ether or the Master of the Magic Tower.

And even then, you’d maybe get to voice an opinion.

But Johan had nothing.

No wealth, no power, no strength.

And certainly no courage to refuse an imperial command.

Thud!

But Johan had a knack for surviving misfortune.

In the middle of the audience with Abraham, he collapsed, slamming his head onto the dining table.

Abraham first thought it was some sort of ploy—

—but then he remembered: Johan had been poisoned.

At the time, he hadn’t stopped him from eating or drinking because, frankly, he wouldn’t have cared if Johan died.

“Check on him.”

Abraham gestured to one of the attendants nearby to examine Johan’s condition.

“He’s in a state of poisoning.”

“Didn’t he say he’d taken an antidote?”

“Well… It seems he probably ingested several antidotes at once. One of them must have been a lucky match that slowed the poison’s progression.”

“So in other words, it wasn’t a perfect antidote.”

“Yes, that’s what I believe.”

“Then we have no choice. Lanius.”

Snap!

At Abraham’s call, a black shadow dropped from the ceiling.

The black knight Lanius, clad head to toe in pitch-black full-body armor, landed surprisingly gracefully despite his large frame and heavy armor.

The attendants watching were all visibly terrified.

Lanius was the Emperor’s right hand and his executioner.

That ominous black armor was no different from the Grim Reaper manifesting in the flesh.

“Shall I kill him?”

“Hmm… No. Just escort him out and see him home safely.”

“Escort him and see him home… So you mean chop him up and dump the body in the sewers. Is he really worth going that far?”

“Lanius, don’t twist my words. I meant it literally, so don’t bother overthinking it with that barely functioning brain of yours.”

“You’re the one who told me to read more books, remember?”

“Did I? Hmm, I don’t recall.”

Lanius lifted the collapsed Johan slightly and opened his eyelids to check his pupils.

“If I take him like this, he’ll be dead before we even arrive. Is it enough just to bring him back, or do you want him alive?”

“Hmm… He’ll need treatment too.”

“Huh? You’re going that far?”

Lanius sounded genuinely surprised by Abraham’s decision.

Coming from Abraham, it was unusually generous.

Honestly, it was strange enough that he hadn’t killed Johan on the spot.

This was a man who had once smashed his own child’s head during a birthday banquet.

Letting someone live in this situation didn’t fit the Abraham they knew.

“I’ve decided not to interfere deeply in the succession process. If I let this boy die here, wouldn’t that be unfair to Lobelia?”

“But that’s something every other imperial went through. If anything, Lobelia’s a bit late to it.”

“Hmm, is that so? Well, Prince Loki was a bit extreme.”

Loki, who devoured and destroyed the family of the noblewoman he was betrothed to—

Even the Emperor had been left speechless by the sheer devastation of that path.

“Then shall I summon a physician for treatment?”

“Do that. Ah, one more thing.”

“Yes? Another task, Your Majesty?”

“First, throw him into Lobelia’s room and have him guarded until he wakes up.”

“What in the world…?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to create a bit of a story. Even if the Damus family has a long history, that alone won’t be enough.”

“Hmm, I don’t quite get it, but understood. I’ll follow Your Majesty’s orders.”

Lanius hoisted Johan over his shoulder.

“Ah, by the way, Your Majesty. Why did you summon this kid in the first place?”

“There was something I needed to check.”

“Have you finished checking?”

“I’m not sure. I just felt it was too soon to kill him based on suspicion alone.”

“Huh…? Ah, so at first, you called him here just to kill him?”

“That’s right.”

If Lobelia hadn’t been there.

If this wouldn’t have looked like meddling in the succession process, he would’ve done it.

“Have you ever heard of the awakened ability called ‘Thought Splitting’?”

“How would I know anything about that? I’m not familiar with such things.”

“There have been six recorded cases in history.”

“Is that a lot or a little?”

“Fairly average.”

“Huh, what?”

“But what we do know is that it’s an extremely difficult ability to handle.”

In all of history, only six people had awakened the ability known as Thought Splitting.

But one of them had never used the ability even once in their lifetime, and the other five had only managed to activate it during a single, dramatic moment. Just for a few seconds.

Most of them went mad and died.

So how could someone still be walking around sane like this? It was hard not to be suspicious.

“And yet, at least in front of me, he showed no sign of using it.”

Abraham had relentlessly pressured Johan and hurled questions at him.

Johan had been busy trying to read his intent, thinking fast, watching the mood….but not once had he shown any sign of activating an ability.

Should he have pushed him closer to death?

Or had Johan known from the start that he couldn’t use the power, and that restraint had kept him sane?

“And so, for now, he lives.”

Suspicion.

Normally, even reaching that stage would be enough reason to kill him.

However, because he was entangled with Lobelia, Abraham decided to grant a temporary reprieve.

Abraham let out a faint chuckle, then gave Lanius a push on the back.

***

Lobelia had returned to the imperial palace early that morning.

Needless to say, it was because of Johan.

However, since the Emperor had instructed her to follow the dress code if she wanted to enter the banquet hall, she had no choice but to go back to her room first.

“What in the world is he thinking…”

She’d heard the rumor that Abraham had dragged Johan to the palace.

Ariel had already been nervously throwing glances her way, so she’d been planning to come to the palace anyway…but she hadn’t expected this.

Could Johan already be dead?

No, Lobelia had a strange kind of faith in him.

Say what you will about Johan, his survival instincts were on par with a cockroach.

Even without strength or intellect, Johan was the kind of person who somehow managed to stay alive through sheer desperation.

Of course, considering who he was up against, this time might truly be a life-or-death crisis.

But Lobelia believed Johan could at least buy himself some time.

Besides, they said it was in the banquet hall… So he might still be talking to him.

He’s got a silver tongue. He wouldn’t have… made a mistake, would he?

Even as she thought this, Lobelia couldn’t help but hesitate.

Come to think of it, when Johan had been dragged in front of Kult, he had cursed her to her face.

A man with just enough cleverness.

Which also meant a man just dumb enough.

Lobelia’s pace quickened.

If another member of the imperial family saw her like this, they’d no doubt start lecturing her about propriety and decorum.

But it only showed how anxious she had become.

Half-running toward her own quarters, Lobelia came to a sudden stop when she spotted a towering knight standing at her door.

“You’re…”

The Black Knight Lanius.

Commander of the Executioner’s Order.

And at the same time, the living proof that such an order even existed.

The Black Knight…. the slaughterer, executioner, grim reaper, and countless other nicknames was standing in front of her door, blocking the way.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m afraid that’s confidential.”

“Even to me, a member of the imperial family?”

“It’s an order from His Majesty.”

“So, it’s confidential, huh?”

Lobelia let out a scoffing laugh.

Lanius’s behavior was conspicuous, and because of that, he was drawing attention.

Servants and officials passing by were sneaking glances. There was no hiding that something was going on.

“But I’d like to go into my room now. Would you mind stepping aside?”

Crackle!

Red currents of electricity began to flicker around Lobelia.

To anyone watching, it was clearly a stance ready for combat.

And yet, Lanius merely yawned and muttered,

“Ah, yes, go right ahead.”

“…Huh?”

He took a single step to the side, moving away from the door while still yawning. He showed no intention of stopping her.

What was that?

Lobelia found Lanius’s behavior strange—

But then again, it was Lanius, so even strange behavior didn’t seem all that unusual.

Who in the imperial court was more unpredictable than him?

Even Emperor Abraham had failed to correct his speech patterns.

The only reasons he was still alive were his absolute loyalty to the emperor, overwhelming strength, and a long record of achievements.

Was he just standing there? Maybe the position didn’t even matter…

As she flung open the door, Lobelia ran through countless thoughts in her mind, but her eyes never left Lanius.

It’s still too soon to let her guard down.

Lanius was eccentric enough to ambush a member of the imperial family.

Lobelia entered the room with every nerve focused entirely on him.

And because of that…

“Johan?”

She only noticed Johan lying on her bed after stepping inside.

Only then did her brain begin to spin furiously.

“Ah.”

Lanius.

He hadn’t exerted any pressure. He was merely there to draw attention.

Opening the door for her to pass… yet staying close enough to keep her on edge.

And because of the attention he drew, countless eyes had gathered here.

Now, all of those eyes were fixed on one thing.

“Come to think of it, weren’t there rumors like that? I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything. Your Highness Lobelia.”

“No….after luring in this many people, how can you just say that…!”

A trap.

Lobelia had fallen cleanly into the trap Abraham had laid.

She could already picture the headlines in the next day’s morning paper.