I lifted my head and looked into the distance.
The sun was tearing from the base, scattering crimson light one last time across the world.
The deep blue swirled around the coiled barbed wire, before the traces of the day vanished.
A metallic fence rose dangerously, surrounding the entire area. Beyond it, there were watchtowers installed.
The imperial guard, wearing tall fur hats, maintained a solemn and rigorous posture of alertness.
Apart from those artificial elements, everything around was prairie.
There weren’t many curves, and the crests of the hills were gentle. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I had come to England or Mongolia.
Step, step.
I was climbing a hill. More precisely, following a middle-aged man.
‘That man is the current emperor.’
For the ruler of the western world, he had a surprisingly simple appearance.
I thought he’d be wearing a crown adorned with jewels, but he looked more like a handsome guy you might run into on the street.
Although, of course, his aura was different. His gaze conveyed a kind of deep emptiness. But it wasn’t the same emptiness as Kojima’s, the Absolute Archer, when he was alive.
Kojima’s emptiness came from the loss of his wife. The emperor seemed to have been born with that expression.
A baby who doesn’t even cry in the cradle, just stares at the hanging mobile with an empty gaze.
I don’t know who gave him the nickname “Mechanical Emperor,” but it suits him perfectly.
‘…By the way.’
Suddenly I looked back. The taillights of the limousine were blinking in the distance.
‘Victoria didn’t look good.’
Victoria didn’t join this walk. Not only did she look unwell, but the emperor had requested a private conversation.
— Among adults, there are matters that must be discussed in confidence.
I agreed without protest.
Just before, Victoria had spoken directly to her father. I, Kang Geom-Ma, at least have some common sense.
Rustle, rustle.
After walking for a while, I made a meaningless comment.
“The security measures are impressive. If even an insect gets in, the alarms must go off.”
“That’s right,” the emperor replied indifferently, without taking his eyes off the front.
It didn’t bother me that he used informal language either. After all, he’s the emperor.
No matter how superior my actual status may be, in the world he holds the highest position.
‘Even if I saved the world, it doesn’t change the fact I come from the lower class.’
The class system is the foundation of this world.
‘And he’s the apex predator.’
So I asked him.
“Is it okay to let a stranger like me into such an important place?”
“You’ve got a good sense of humor, Heavenly Sword.”
…Sense of humor?
“Is there any place in this world where you couldn’t enter? Even the Demon World ended up at your feet.
That measure is only effective against the other heroes. We never planned to stop you with it.”
“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that this place is important to the Victoria royal family. I’m honored, though I don’t know why I was brought here.”
“…”
In England, besides the cuisine, they don’t have much to boast about. I suppose they’re trying to give this pile of stones some tourist value.
‘If I remember correctly, in Miracle Blessing M this was an artifact. But since it wasn’t mentioned when I collected memory fragments, I didn’t have it in mind.’
The emperor gave me an indifferent look, then sighed.
“If it were just a pile of stones, do you think we’d post so many guards? Everything has its reason.”
Could he read minds with the Blessing of the Owl?
“I had no disrespectful intentions.”
“Thinking is free. What’s problematic is speaking without thinking. But you, despite your youth, speak very cautiously. Perhaps it’s because of the position you hold. Anyway, someone like me can’t understand the heart of someone like you.”
“It makes me nervous when you praise me this much before anything’s happened. In stories, that’s always a death flag.”
“I understand. Then, follow me.”
The emperor and I continued walking in silence toward the center of Stonehenge. I couldn’t help but admire the view.
‘Oh.’
From afar it looked like a giant had tossed stones randomly, but up close you could see a certain order. They weren’t simply arranged in a circle, but in perfectly aligned rows and columns.
“This way.”
The emperor called to me. He was standing on a round stone slab in the center. It was large enough for four men to stand on tightly.
Step.
I obediently stepped into the emperor’s area. It was time to get to the point.
“The reason I called you is Auditore.”
It seemed we were thinking the same thing; no introduction was needed.
“So Auditore was just an excuse.”
“It’s the best way to deceive the public—target the enemy’s ally.”
A true master of political games.
‘The issue of expelling Auditore from the empire…’
I had heard that news just yesterday. And it was Japan’s Prime Minister, Saki Hina, who told me in secret.
“…Did you leak the information on purpose?”
“Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a trap to lure you. I just thought you’d hear about it eventually.”
The emperor slowed his pace and turned to look at me. He finally deigned to face me.
“You have a good tongue for comebacks.”
“I haven’t wasted my years, after all.”
In soul age, I’m older than him.
“We’ve arrived.”
The emperor stepped aside. When the wind barrier faded, a strong gust blew through.
Fwoooosh.
When it cleared, a vast plain appeared. In the center, a group of menhirs stood upright irregularly. And that alone, but the scene was surprisingly striking.
“Stonehenge, huh?”
Ah, this…
‘Though I think Korean dolmens are more impressive.’
The emperor added an explanation.
“With this, my personal assessment of Japan has improved. I didn’t expect them to obtain the information so quickly. The current Prime Minister is as competent as the last.”
“I’d say she’s even better than her predecessor.”
“That depends on perspective. In any case, the expulsion of Auditore has strong justification. They intend to do it in the name of the imperial family.”
“If that’s the case…”
I slid back the edge of my coat. I clearly displayed Murasame and the EX-rank sashimi, while issuing a warning.
“Then you’d better be ready to face me.”
The emperor let out a hoarse laugh.
“This is the first time in my life someone has threatened me. Thank you for giving me such a refreshing experience, Heavenly Sword. I know you’re a man of great resolve. You keep your word and cut down without mercy anyone who stands in your way. I’m sure just a few of your slashes would be enough to end the Victoria imperial bloodline.”
“That won’t happen.”
“It will happen.”
The emperor touched his temple with his index finger and tapped it lightly.
“My daughter already said it. When I die, it will be as if the imperial bloodline were extinguished.”
“And to protect yourself, you destroyed your family’s ancestral legacy? I can’t understand the reasoning behind that decision. Nor do I want to.”
One thing, however, was clear to me—this man was not like the politicians I’d known so far.
When a human feels fear, their emotions overflow. Even knowing that getting angry is useless, they scream desperately to survive. And even so, that desperation only shortens their life.
And the emperor? His breathing was steady. Not the slightest change.
‘I could slit his throat with a single slash, like a fish.’
‘But I can’t do it.’
This man was pressuring me with words alone. The title of emperor was just a formality. Even if it weren’t, this man would still make me sweat cold down my back.
‘Let’s talk.’
I covered myself again with the coat. The emperor let out an open laugh.
“Hahahahaha! That was a good joke.”
And apparently, he had an ace up his sleeve. What the hell was it?
‘At least throw a tantrum or something!’
A confrontation like this made no strategic sense in the long run. It was then that…
“I’ll show you.”
‘Can he really read minds?’
“I’ll show you the value of my existence.”
The emperor gave a light stomp.
Thud!
The sound was deep. Instantly, the surrounding stones began to emit a fluorescent glow.
I opened my eyes wide they were engraved with runic letters.
“The Blessing of the Owl is the key.”
The runes peeled off from the surface of the stones like stickers. They floated in the air. Spinning, furiously.
Wuuuuuuuung.
As if they wanted to dissolve their cohesion, they scattered. The letters floated. A ceiling made of words gleamed above our heads, as if replacing the constellations.
“The key that opens the Infinite Library.”
I tilted my neck so much it hurt, captivated by the sight. It looked like a massive pit covered in words from every direction.
Click.
The emperor bent his index finger toward the air.
Chwarurururuk.
My vision rippled. The vocabulary, the words that compose the universe, the language of humanity, gathered in the form of books and entered his hand.
“No matter how much paper rots over time, these kinds of ruins can accompany humanity for centuries. So don’t worry about what Victoria said. When she becomes empress, she’ll understand what I meant.”
“So the imperial family’s heritage didn’t disappear, then.”
“Exactly. It was merely stored in another form.”
The emperor flipped through the book with expert hands.
“After reviewing the entire library, I estimate I could find about 9,631 reasons to erase the Auditore from this world. Just selecting a thousand would be enough for the world to accept my judgment. Meanwhile, you, for all your accumulated merits, could lose the trust you’ve built.”
“It’s been a while since I received a threat like that.”
“A fair exchange for both sides.”
The emperor closed the book. The cave made of words spread out again. It might have had a soundproofing function, because not a single noise from outside could be heard.
“To speak plainly, I want the Heavenly Sword to become an ally of the imperial family.”
“Then you shouldn’t be threatening me.”
“An emperor cannot bow to anyone. Not even you are the exception. This is not a choice.”
I clicked my tongue.
“Let’s hear it. Using the Auditore purge as an excuse, what is it that you really want from me?”
Be cautious, Kang Geom-Ma.
“Just in case, I can get you Daiso sashimi in industrial quantities.”
“What’s Daiso?”
These higher-ups…
“I’ll get straight to the point. Do you know the source of the empire’s financial power?”
“The East India Company, isn’t it?”
The first joint-stock corporation in the world. In the original Earth, it vanished from history after being nationalized in the 17th century, following the revolution.
But this is the world of Miracle Blessing M.
In this society with a rigid class system, “revolution” or “republic” are almost empty concepts.
That’s why the East India Company, led by the British imperial family, still stands strong today. More than strong, it’s the largest multinational in the world. Trade, finance, private funds… There’s no sector they don’t touch.
Its market capitalization is 109,035 trillion won—better not look further or I’ll get depressed.
“You know? When you have too much money, you can’t even use it.”
No, I don’t know.
“Everything seems trivial. You can get everything, you can take everything. But that’s a tower of gold my ancestors built step by step, not my own achievement. Don’t you think?”
“Depends on the perspective.”
“No.”
The emperor suddenly brought his face close.
Shit!
That startled me. I almost slit the neck of the guy worth 11,000,000,000,000,000 won.
“When people hear “Heavenly Sword,” they immediately think of your face.”
The 11-quadrillion guy said, eyes wide open.
“You’ve surpassed the feats of the Sword Master Siegfried von Nibelung, even the founding hero.”
“I understand you want to write a new story, but what does that have to do with me?”
The emperor took a deep breath and stepped back. His somber gaze expelled the madness from his pupils. He replied.
“I’ve seen your feats.”
“…I see…”
“Humanity is indebted to you. But perhaps because of that, the Parsy catastrophe brought with it another crucial task for humanity.”
“…?”
“I had already noticed that mana flows in the real world. And that the incident was related to that.”
What the hell?
“How do you know all that?”
“The answer to the present lies in the past. Even if it’s not the solution, the clues are in retrospection.”
Wow. The Blessing of the Owl is a broken power.
Now I understand why in Kkomuwiki they highlighted it alongside the [Blessing of the Spirit of the Sword] of the Sword Master.
With feigned calm, I asked him.
“The imperial family chose not to intervene in this incident. Don’t you think you lack the authority to tell me anything?”
“I’m not talking about whether the family intervened or not. I’m talking about what came out of it. I already said it—the real world has mana. Now I’m the one asking. If a hero’s favor and mana meet, what substance is generated?”
“Subspace.”
In that moment, I understood what the emperor really wanted. In case I had any doubts, he confirmed it with a silent gesture.
“The East India Company wants to extract raw material from subspace.”
I’ve dealt with crazies like this before. That’s why this made me shudder even more.
Saki Kojima. Though there’s a difference.
The Absolute Archer did it out of acknowledgment of his limits and passed the torch to Ryozo.
But the emperor wants to fully enjoy the fruits of merit. Even if he has to destroy the foundation his ancestors built.
To me, this one is more despicable. Kojima, at least, ruled well.
The emperor planned to use every resource at his disposal out of greed. Even the monstrous capital of the East India Company.
“We’re going to research it and distribute subspace to the public. Then, when people use subspace, they’ll think of me—not the founding hero.”
As he spoke, the emperor closed the book. The cave of letters and the volume turned into particles and dispersed. The Infinite Library disappeared, leaving only the pile of stones and the two figures.
“And that…?”
Amid the sounds of nocturnal insects, I opened my mouth.
“Do you think it’ll be as easy as it sounds?”
“Precisely because it’s not easy, it’s worth trying. I only ask that you don’t interfere with my plans. If you do that, not only will the Auditore be eliminated without resistance, but I’ll also provide you materials to strengthen your equipment. I can even give you part of the East India Company’s shares. Through the G.M. Foundation.”
Just 1% equals 100,000,000,000 won. This guy is completely insane.
“That… you’d already figured it out too?”
“When knowledge accumulates, it becomes wisdom.”
The emperor took a breath and continued.
“When wisdom accumulates, it approaches truth.”
***
‘I’m exhausted.’
I returned to the limousine feeling like my soul had been violated. Thankfully, I didn’t have to share a seat with the emperor.
“Um…”
As soon as I slumped into the seat, Victoria couldn’t hold back and spoke to me.
“What did you talk about with His Majesty…?”
Maybe she thought she was overstepping, because she bit her lip after saying it.
I thought about telling her but let it go. There were too many things too difficult to explain to a teenager.
I can’t tell her the content, but!
I suppose I can share my impression. After carefully choosing my words, I told Victoria.
“Your father, Princess.”
Victoria straightened up and paid attention.
“Yes.”
“He’s insane.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve grown up well under a father like that, Princess. If it were me, I’d have stabbed him several times already. But don’t worry. I already put some pressure on him.”
“Cough, cough!”
With the dry cough, the limousine window trembled slightly.
____
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