Chapter 196: The Bird That Breaks the Egg

The first time Javier truly became aware of his world was when he met Aiden.

Aiden.

Adrian Lune Wyvern Arsio.

A man who bore the name “Wyvern” which meant “Why were you born?”. A person whose very birth was a stain on the imperial family.

Because of that, he had to tread more carefully than anyone else within the imperial household, and in the end, he was cast out into exile without ever wielding any real power.

And Javier.

His life hadn’t been much different.

His mother was a woman from the Outer Lands. She had entered the imperial court with no background or connections whatsoever.

Naturally, wherever she went, enemies were everywhere.

So it was no surprise that Beneth had such high expectations of Javier.

But for Javier, who had been timid by nature, those expectations were a crushing burden.

And hating himself for seeing them as a burden, he ended up wounding himself emotionally.

And when these two people, both scarred in their own ways, finally met—

Javier had been happy to see Aiden again, his childhood friend.

But more than that, he had wanted comfort from someone whose situation mirrored his own.

But how can someone be so bright?

Yet Aiden wasn’t dark like him. He didn’t look at the world with exhaustion or bitterness.

And the reason became clear soon enough.

A mage with black hair tied up and silver-blue eyes.

He was Aiden’s emotional anchor.

“When I first joined the mercenary group, the one who helped me was senior.”

Back then, when he was still clumsy and inexperienced—

Aiden had learned everything from Jun, from A to Z.

There wasn’t much to teach about swordsmanship, but Jun had taught him things like how to position himself with other teammates depending on the situation, what to watch out for within Blackout, and so on.

Even before the mercenary group was annihilated, Jun had never hesitated to give advice to Aiden, who always listened well and followed his lead.

“And… when the group was wiped out, it was that senior who saved me.”

As Aiden spoke of Jun with eyes full of admiration, he seemed to shine.

There was a time, however brief, when Javier felt jealous.

Why hadn’t he ever had someone like that?

Then, suddenly, he realized something.

No.

Aiden hadn’t changed because he met Jun.

He had broken down the walls he’d built around himself and stepped out into the world and that was how he came to meet Jun.

And me? What about me…?

His mother. Beneth.

Ah… his poor, pitiful mother.

He thought of her before his own situation.

And so, he turned away from his own emotions.

He had no choice but to.

To Javier, who both longed for and feared the outside world, his mother’s presence was the most certain form of defense.

So, while lamenting his own circumstances, he convinced himself that it was his duty to carry the burden for his mother’s sake and for the sake of the many Outers who relied on her.

Once again, he wore a mask and tried to ease his exhausted mind and body through conversations with Aiden.

That was enough. Or so he told himself.

But then, once again, something from the outside came knocking on his cradle.

Commander Ginovan.

The commander of the Voltain Ore Field in the third level. An area often referred to as a promotion wasteland, or even an exile.

At first, Javier simply thought he was a straightforward man.

Hadn’t he risked his life to save both the eldest prince and himself?

Still, it wasn’t as if his presence had made any real impact on Javier’s emotionally desolate state.

After all, even the imperial knights were prepared to lay down their lives for a greater cause.

However—

The day Javier learned of Ginovan’s circumstances, his entire view of life was turned upside down.

It was a day when everything was still busy due to the aftermath of the Poison Master incident.

Even so, with nothing else to do, Javier had decided to check in on Ginovan’s condition and headed to his room.

That’s when he heard voices from inside.

– The night I got the news of my parents’ deaths, I stood on the training field and made a vow. That one day, I would bring honor to my family’s name with this sword.

It was a man’s solemn vow.

When he heard those words, Javier felt a strange sense of comfort.

So there are others in this world who live clinging to inescapable goals, just like me.

But Ginovan’s next words shattered that thought entirely.

– My goal was noble, but my methods were wrong. If I had truly pursued the sword alone, then whether I was a knight, a mercenary, or even just a wandering swordsman, it wouldn’t have mattered.

The shock that hit Javier could only be described as lightning-striking.

It felt as if someone had forcibly grabbed his head and made him face the truth.

Because of that, he stayed frozen outside the door until the conversation ended and when he heard Jun coming out, he panicked and ran off.

From that moment on, Javier began to look into who Ginovan was, and the more he learned about the man’s life, the harder it was to pull himself out of the shock.

The means… were wrong?

Until now, Javier had never once doubted his mother’s words. He hadn’t even had the courage to do so.

But this was the first time the seed of “doubt” had been planted in him.

Mother wants to change the lives of the Outers.

She had been the hope of all Outers, so young and beautiful. That must be the reason she had become so sharp and merciless.

And to achieve that goal, Javier had to sit on the imperial throne… no matter what.

That had always been his unshakable belief.

But… was there really no other way?

Was that truly the only path?

Once the doubt began to sprout, it began to overturn his once narrow life completely.

Dozens, even hundreds of times a day, he would reflect on his own circumstances and wonder, “Isn’t there something I could change?”

He agonized, analyzed, and pondered.

But each time, the shadow of his mother pressed down on his shoulders once again.

How could it not?

After all, look at the life Beneth had lived to place Javier on the throne.

Would she change now, just because of what he said?

He was afraid.

Afraid of how his mother’s gaze might change. Afraid even to imagine himself standing in front of her.

Ah… I’m such a weak creature.

He couldn’t arrive at a single clear answer, nor could he fully believe in the doubt he held.

It felt like his self-worth was crumbling.

He even began to wonder, “Am I really someone fit to sit on the emperor’s throne?”

And whenever those thoughts arose, without fail, he would think of his mother. And that made it all the more miserable. That he had no choice but to take that throne.

All of it tangled messily together, and he sank deeper and deeper into thought.

I should ask.

He wanted to ask someone.

More precisely, he wanted to open up about how he was feeling to someone….anyone.

Perhaps because he hoped that someone would take care of him before he fell apart completely.

And at the end of that hope stood none other than the mage.

Jun.

Aiden and Ginovan had both found change in their lives and peace of mind after meeting him.

Javier believed that he was the only one who could change him.

***

“That’s why… I came to see you that day.”

“…I see.”

Back to the present.

Javier had suddenly come to visit the hospital room.

There, with Aiden present, he laid bare all the worries and struggles he had been carrying.

As if confessing before a god. As if unloading the sins he had borne.

To an outsider, the scene would’ve seemed absurd.

Here he was, pouring out his psychological burdens in front of two people lying injured from battle.

Had he been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have said such things in front of patients.

“……”

But Javier’s expression, twisted in torment, looked even more painful than those of Jun and Aiden, who lay in the hospital beds.

That was how cornered he was, mentally.

Jun and Aiden both understood.

No, honestly, I’m just glad he came and opened up like this. I’m truly grateful.

Jun even felt thankful.

To him, Javier had always been like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment.

Sure, Javier had somewhat escaped the influence of the Cheongcheon Sect for now.

But still, the sect likely still viewed him as ripe for the picking.

And with Beneth still lurking in the background, there was no room to fully let his guard down.

Yet now, Javier had come….not to just anyone but to him and Aiden, to share his concerns.

That, in itself, was a major shift. And for Jun, it was the moment when Javier’s threat level dropped significantly in his mind.

“To begin with… just as you thought, there are ways to help the Outers, even without taking the throne.”

“Is that… really true?”

“Yes. To be honest, just sitting on the throne doesn’t mean you’ll be able to solve everything.”

The Empire is vast.

To call it simply “vast” wouldn’t be enough.

It is the first nation to unify all of humanity.

Naturally, its domain isn’t just continental. It spans the entire world.

And in a nation like that, how many problems do you think there are?

And do you really think all those problems can be solved one by one through the Emperor?

Absolutely not.

“The Empire has gone through countless trials and errors, making every effort to address such issues.”

One result of that is the existence of the nobility.

Nobles aren’t simply people who sit in their positions, relying on their bloodline and barking orders at those beneath them.

Well, sure, there are people like that. But most of them don’t last long before losing their noble status.

“That’s how influential the nobles of the Empire truly are.”

“But most of the nobles I’ve seen were…”

“Haha… Sir Javier, there’s a saying from my hometown.”

“What is it?”

“If you plant beans, beans will grow. If you plant red beans, red beans will grow.”

“Hmm…?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure if it fits this situation, but nobles tied to the Imperial Family naturally focus on imperial matters. However, if you look beyond that, you’ll find there are many nobles who carry their own responsibilities, even if they’re unrelated to imperial affairs.”

Not all nobles are focused solely on imperial politics.

And the Imperial Family doesn’t expect that from them, either.

In fact, most nobles who live far from the capital are practically independent and have little to no connection with the Imperial Family.

“They handle issues on their own terms, based on their own circumstances, and develop a sense of self-reliance.”

“Self-reliance…”

At first glance, developing self-reliance within the only unified nation, the Empire, might seem like an act of rebellion.

But surprisingly, the Empire keeps its control over such people to a minimum.

That too is something made possible by its history.

Excessive control often leads to backlash, and statistics show that when left alone, people often handle things well enough without interference, making it beneficial both administratively and practically.

“Yes. And Sir Javier, it’s something you can do as well.”

“Me…?”

“Yes. Raise your social standing. It doesn’t necessarily have to be by becoming Emperor. In fact, think of it the other way. Even if you were to sit on the throne, Sir Javier, would you truly be able to focus solely on the Outers?”

“That’s… no, I wouldn’t.”

Just look at his father. Didn’t he go through countless hardships trying to bring the people of Blackout or the Outers on the surface into the Empire?

And yet, the reason his plan took decades to unfold was precisely because the role of Emperor doesn’t allow one to focus on a single matter.

“If anything, there are likely many other ways. And more importantly… Sir Javier, you already know the answer.”

“If you mean an answer…”

“Velles. There’s a reason you approached him, isn’t there? The mage from the Laness Magic Tower.”

“…..!!!”

At that moment, Javier stared at Jun with wide, startled eyes. Like a rabbit caught off guard.

He hadn’t thought anyone would notice.

But the mage before him had seen right through it, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.