abcnovels
Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Chapter 100 – Death Penalty (2)
Even though I’ve never been to the Meeke Principality, and have no significant ties to that place, an explanation that accounts for my bitchiness came to mind.
“Master! Is this how you connect the dots?”
“That just looks like you’re drawing polka dots in the air.”
“Oh.”
The face that flashed in my mind unexpectedly was Harun.
“……Master.”
“……?”
At the same time, Trevor tilted his head in confusion.
“I learned swordsmanship not from the Great Hero, but from the retired master of the Great Hero.”
“……!”
Trevor’s eyes widened in shock.
Of course, the only one I could call my master, that murderer, never reached out to me again after he got married.
Specifically, after his first child was born.
‘If my talent had been passed down, that murderer would’ve set his sights on Andy too.’
The Heaven Splitting Sword is undoubtedly a brilliant form of swordsmanship.
At least when it comes to the techniques. However, the downsides were equally terrible. It constantly leads the user into madness.
“Th-The commander’s master is still alive?”
Trevor asked in disbelief.
These guys already knew about the ‘existence’ of my master, but that’s about all they knew.
I never went into detail about him. In the first place, there was no reason for them to know more.
‘Did he even think of me as his student? He was just a man who taught a crazy sword technique to a child who wasn’t even ten years old for his own selfish desires.’
I shook off the thoughts and muttered quietly.
“Heaven Splitting Sword.”
“……!”
Just the mention of those three words caused shock to spread across Trevor’s face.
“If you were close to the Great Hero, you should recognize this sword technique.”
I raised my sword high with one hand, the blade seemingly reaching toward the sky.
This left my entire body exposed. A stance focused purely on offense, completely abandoning defense. This reckless posture was the initial form of the Heaven Splitting Sword.
“H-How……?”
“I’ve heard that hiding 30% of one’s true power was the key to surviving on the battlefield…… But the Heaven Splitting Sword was said to be the most secretive of secrets, even among the Great Hero’s closest aides. Apart from his five subordinates, no one was ever shown this technique, and those who witnessed it met their ends.”
It wasn’t that I purposely kept it hidden. If I had, I wouldn’t have used it against those masked bastards before. I just never felt the need to use it until now.
Besides, it always left me feeling uneasy.
“S-So, the commander’s master really is alive?”
Trevor’s bold demeanor had finally softened.
“Are you aware that the Heaven Splitting Sword is a technique that leads its user to ruin?”
“I believe…… I’ve heard that somewhere before.”
Trevor’s tone had subtly shifted from informal to respectful.
“Of course, I too was constantly tested by my master. I had to prove that I was worthy of learning his swordsmanship.”
“Wait. Please hold on for a second.”
Trevor waved his hand, still looking bewildered. These were all things he must have heard from me before, though it seemed he was still uncertain.
“So, the Heaven Splitting Sword aside, how could the commander’s master know about my sword techniques? Even if it’s him, there’s no way he would know about Falling Blossoms……”
“The Great Hero was constantly studying his subordinates’ swordsmanship to make them stronger. He probably received some advice from my master in that process.”
Once the conversation started flowing, the words came to me smoothly, like water. Of course, what I just said was a lie.
The only reason their swordsmanship developed was thanks to my own genius.
‘I never had the intention to give that murderer any credit, but……’
Well, he’s probably dead now, so it doesn’t matter. If he were still alive, he’d be over 100 years old by now, and that’s just too horrifying to think about.
Anyway, despite being a murderer, I’ll admit that he was skilled.
“I’m not speaking on behalf of the Great Hero, so don’t take this too personally.”
“……”
“But how unreliable must his subordinates have been for him to seek help from his old master?”
I continued my own defense.
“In the end, though, the Five Heroes ended up ruling the continent……”
“I never thought of it that way. No one knows the Great Hero better than I do.”
“……Well, I’m glad you understand.”
“I’m convinced for now.”
A smirk spread across my face.
“But for some reason, something about your words…… I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something still feels off……”
This guy always gets picky at the worst times.
“Whatever. I’ve said everything I need to say. Believing it is up to you.”
“……”
“More importantly, isn’t this the main point?”
I continued to speak with my sword still pointed toward the sky.
“One must serve their master as they would serve their parents. Though I’ve never met him, and though he died before I was born, the Great Hero is practically my brother, having shared the same master as me.”
“……By that, you mean……”
“I mean, I have to avenge my brother. That’s the only way I can repay the debt I owe to our master.”
Even as I said it, I felt a wave of nausea rise inside me. That insane master would probably be rolling in his grave, laughing, if he could see what I was doing now.
“Anyway, I’m going to destroy the emperor who killed my brother.”
“……!”
“So now, give me a straight answer. Trevor, the Swordsman of Illusions, did you betray my brother?”
Finally, Trevor’s face twisted in agony.
“How could……I? Betray the Great Hero? That’s absurd……”
“History tells the story, doesn’t it? You alone have been living as a nobleman for ten years.”
“……”
Trevor remained silent for a long time before he finally spoke.
“……On the day the Great Hero died, we were each summoned to different locations. It was an imperial order, so we couldn’t refuse.”
“And that’s when you received the terrible news?”
“……Of course, I couldn’t believe it. The current emperor packaged it as a tragedy caused by his father’s greed and envy, and praised the Great Hero as the savior of the nation, who sacrificed his life for the country……”
Trevor gazed up at the sky in silence.
“……Lions give birth to lion cubs. The emperor’s statement back then didn’t make sense in many ways.”
This much, I had somewhat expected. The problem lies in what followed.
“Not just me, but all of our comrades had doubts. Especially Bastion, who stormed the imperial palace, shouting that our lord’s death was nonsense. He didn’t realize it might have been the emperor’s intention and, like a fool, couldn’t control his temper……”
“He must have thought he was justified in his outburst.”
“……It wasn’t entirely without meaning. In the end, he managed to escape with one of the young princes as a hostage.”
A young prince……
“Are you referring to the current emperor’s youngest brother?”
“……!”
Trevor made a surprised face.
“This is something not even recorded in history……”
“The emperor’s greed is well-known. No one would be surprised if he orchestrated his own brother’s kidnapping.”
“……That’s exactly what happened. The emperor wanted to monopolize his power.”
So that’s it. That must have been the real reason the emperor let Bastion flee so far away.
“Though it was maddening, I tried my best to stay calm. I didn’t want to be manipulated by the emperor any longer.”
“Go on.”
“By process of elimination, I ruled out Bastion since he was already being pursued…… The next one I suspected was Urha.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at that.
“I heard that story too. You sold out the righteous ‘Swordsman of the Waves’ to save your own skin, didn’t you?”
“……I wish that were the truth.”
Trevor’s expression twisted in genuine anguish.
“Our other comrades didn’t know…… but I did.”
“Know what?”
“That Urha was two-faced. Everyone was being deceived by him.”
“……”
Trevor continued.
“They say that even if you can fathom the depth of water, you cannot fathom a person’s heart…… That’s why the betrayal stung even more. At one point, I thought I was especially close to him, even considering sharing a peaceful life after retirement……”
“Give me proof. Just from what you’ve said, I’m not convinced the ‘Swordsman of the Waves’ was the traitor.”
“……During the Empire’s Unification War, there was only one battle in the east that we lost. We were preparing for a flanking maneuver, but for some reason, the enemy had already completely figured out our strategy. As you know, the result was a disaster.”
“So, you’re saying that Urha leaked the information? How can you be sure?”
Trevor’s face hardened.
“……Because I saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“The night before the operation, late into the night, I saw Urha meeting with an outsider.”
“An outsider?”
“I’m certain. It was a face I had never seen before. Later, I wondered if I had imagined it. After the war ended, I checked every body I could, even going through corpses……”
Trevor’s face twisted in pain, remembering that time.
“……But back then, I let it slide. It was the will of our lord. Besides, I didn’t want to keep doubting a friend before such an important battle.”
“If that’s true, your suspicion was justified.”
“That was my mistake. My doubts gave the emperor another reason to eliminate one of our comrades.”
“So, Urha wasn’t the traitor? Then what was that meeting with the outsider?”
“……I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? You call that an answer?”
“I’m the one suffering the most! Me!”
Trevor suddenly clutched his hair, pulling at it.
“I’m the most confused! I was certain Urha was a traitor…… but after I reported him and the emperor swiftly got rid of him, how could I keep doubting him?”
“……”
My gaze naturally darkened.
‘In the end…… the emperor destroyed these men without lifting a finger.’
At the very least, the current emperor was sharper than his father.
“If Urha wasn’t the traitor…… how could I ever face him in death?”
The more I listened, the more furious I became. Was it because of this fool’s stupidity?
No.
‘……Emperor, you bastard……’
In hindsight, it’s clear that the emperor had planned this internal strife from the very beginning.
‘……Trevor. My suspicion of you isn’t entirely gone yet.’
I gestured for him to continue.
“When I saw Urha running around the capital like a mad dog…… I swore to myself. If he really was a traitor, I had to find undeniable proof.”
“So, did you find anything?”
“In the end, all I could do was continue the process of elimination. Afterward, I started watching Raven, and one day, I saw him willingly submit to the emperor, even creating that wretched Poison Palace.”
I nodded slightly.
“So you swore allegiance to the emperor? To stay by his side?”
“The Poison Palace is in the heart of the imperial palace. To come and go without suspicion, I needed at least the title of marquis. So I worked like a dog for 10 long years to gain his trust.”
When a lie grows too long, cracks appear.
I paid close attention to each word he spoke. Raven had been the emperor’s willing slave for 10 years. Trevor had been cast aside as a traitor about 10 years ago, too.
So, everything roughly aligns.
‘At the very least, he’s not lying.’
I sighed lightly.
“A knight’s revenge is never too late, even after 10 years. That was all that kept me going.”
“They say Raven built the Poison Palace because of the Great Hero’s daughter, right?”
Trevor’s face twisted again.
“……I only learned of that later. I didn’t even know our lord had another child.”
Well, he’d spent his entire life on the battlefield with me. News would’ve been slow. Moreover, even I didn’t know of it.
“Since Raven kept it a secret, the misunderstanding deepened. I can understand why he made that decision at the time. After what happened to the lord’s son, Andy, no one could trust anyone anymore. Like me……”
“……Then how did Raven find out about the daughter? He spent his life on the battlefield alongside you.”
“I heard he received a message from the lord’s family shortly after arriving in the capital. Raven was the best expert on poison I’ve ever known, as well as on medicine.”
“Medicine? Why?”
“……For the mother. The lord’s wife and daughter were both born frail. The lord’s wife passed away from illness just before he returned. The family requested Raven’s help so that the lord could meet his daughter healthy.”
I unknowingly closed my eyes.
“By the time I learned that truth 10 years later, Raven was also ruled out by my process of elimination.”
“So, after all this, are you saying Zion is the traitor?”
“……I don’t know. No, I don’t care anymore.”
“……”
I stared silently at Trevor. His body swayed as if he might collapse at any moment, his voice trembling.
“Isn’t…… it obvious? I already lost a dear friend because of my foolish suspicions. For over 10 years, I doubted comrades who were like family.”
“……”
“How could I…… now go to another friend and repeat the same thing?”
Trevor’s eyes gleamed with bitterness.
“I’m exhausted. My soul is completely worn out.”
“……You’re saying things unlike you.”
“The more exhausted I became, the more my hatred grew. This was all the emperor’s doing. After earning his trust and becoming a marquis, I resolved to kill him.”
“And that’s how you ended up being caught and punished.”
“The emperor…… suspected me for 10 years, even as he pretended to trust me.”
When Trevor finished speaking, his face looked hollow.
“In any case, my story ends there.”
“……”
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s the same for me. Whether you believe me or not, this is the truth……”
“I’ll believe you.”
“……!”
Trevor flinched at my words.
“You’ll…… believe me?”
“I’ll believe you because if I didn’t, your life would be too pitiful.”
“……”
Trevor’s face crumpled in despair once more.
“Ha…… To think that both apprentices would be so similar. Your words are sharp, just like our commander……”
“Of course, you could still be deceiving me. But if that’s the case, I have more reason to let you live.”
“……What do you mean?”
“Because if you did something so vile, then ‘death’ is too easy a revenge, isn’t it? You’d just be released from all this pain.”
“……”
Bitterness spread across Trevor’s face, as if he understood but found the truth unpalatable.
“Well…… I suppose you’re right.”
“So, live.”
“……!”
I slowly reached out my hand toward him.
“I’ll still think of you as a traitor.”
“……Your Highness……?”
“So don’t even think about revenge. Besides, how would you manage that with a body like yours?”
“……!”
Trevor’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll have better days ahead of you in the future.”
Yes.
One day, I’ll tear this hellhole apart.
“As long as you stay alive.”
***