Chapter 69 – Release

If she did not communicate, or if he rejected her proposal, she intended to use the guards to eliminate him.

There was the Count’s incident, but she also viewed his attitude of defending Kaiser as a sufficient threat to the imperial family.

But he made the proposal first.

To abolish the Council first.

“You are asking for a truly difficult favor. Abolishing the Council…… if that were possible, we would have done it long ago.”

“I know it is not an easy task. But that is the order of things. Kaiser comes later. Is that not so?”

He was shifting the responsibility regarding Kaiser onto her.

He was speaking as if he held all the decision-making power.

He was more clever than he looked.

She showed a gentle smile.

“There is no lie in what you just said, correct?”

“Is there any reason for me to tell a lie? Coming all the way here.”

She fell into thought.

It was indeed not an issue that could be decided easily.

Abolishing the Council.

If it were possible, they would have done it in the past.

“I will need some time to think.”

“Then, until you make a decision, I will keep Kaiser with me. This will actually be better. Is it not surely better for me to keep him than to have him hide in some random place?”

“By the way, you are wearing something interesting.”

Today, there were two options she could take when meeting him.

One was physical elimination, and the other was the manifestation of her authority.

But he was already blocking one of them.

Rashid smiled, caressing his monocle.

“Are you talking about this?”

“It was like that in the past. They said those who feared His Majesty’s authority hid behind such toys.”

The Emperor’s authority.

It was a power that compelled everything through a demonic eye.

Rashid brought up the topic of the authority.

“I have heard a similar story. Supposedly, the Emperors generation after generation possessed the power of a demonic eye that forced absolute obedience. I heard that no one with flowing blood could ever disobey that command. No wonder it was even called an authority.”

“Unfortunately, I do not possess such power.”

“There is no harm in being careful. Who knows if Your Highness might possess that power by some chance?”

“I said I do not have it.”

“Is that so?”

Rashid knew that she was lying.

Why? If the fact that she possessed the authority were to become known, it would cause great chaos.

From her perspective of defending and supporting the current young Emperor, it would not be a very welcome thing.

Rashid said casually.

“Nothing is as precious as family sharing the same blood. I dare say I understand Your Highness’s position in supporting the young Emperor.”

“The preciousness of family…… For someone who says such things, you do not seem to have a family?”

“Did you even do a background check on me?”

“Yes, because I need to know who my opponent is.”

“My information has been sold so much that I don’t really care. But it is a pity. There is no one to threaten other than me.”

“Is there anyone more fearsome than a person with no one to protect? Since they have nothing to lose.”

“That sounds somehow relatable. Though it probably doesn’t apply to me.”

Since there was nothing more to talk about.

She wanted to end the meeting.

“I have heard enough. I will contact you separately regarding the Council once a decision is made. Until then, please take good care of Kaiser. Ah, keep this in mind.”

Her crimson eyes sank coldly.

It was a solemn warning delivered without a smile or expression.

“If you release Kaiser before then, there will be no amicable conversation like today. I will repay you in a different way then.”

“Is that a warning?”

“Let’s call it the imperial family’s generosity. In any case, you are an Inquisitor of the Holy Order, so I am giving you a chance at least once.”

Rashid laughed silently.

There were several meanings behind it, but he did not bother to express them in words.

* * *

On the way back to the Inquisition Bureau.

Sitting in the back seat, she recalled what had happened earlier and spoke.

“You have great audacity. You must have felt it too, Chief Inquisitor, but the atmosphere was extremely bad. The guards would have moved at Her Highness’s whim.”

To ease the tension, Ryden had chattered quite noisily.

However, the confrontation between the armed guards and her was a silent cold war itself.

Rashid did not deny it.

“She must have intended to strike if necessary. Killing an Inquisitor is something the current imperial family can easily endure.”

Although the imperial family had fallen as far as it could, they still had that level of power left.

“Even so, you went to see her anyway?”

Rashid turned his gaze to her.

“She isn’t foolish enough to openly execute an Inquisitor she invited. I knew that she would let us go if we at least showed a lukewarm attitude. Although this opportunity will only be once.”

“So you met her on purpose?”

“Right. If I didn’t meet her, she would have acted differently. At least we bought some time.”

The Empress of Blood.

She was not for him to handle.

Although it was he who had dealt with all the villains so far, this time, it was Kaiser’s turn.

Originally, only he could handle this matter anyway.

‘I’ll have to wait and see if he can do well.’

Rashid thought about her.

Yennifer Crimsonrose.

The Lazarus Villain who would become the lover of all players and the Empress of Blood.

‘She is certainly my type, but unfortunately, I cannot protect her. This is reality.’

If things proceeded normally.

Her head would be severed by Kaiser.

‘Aside from that.’

Rashid unconsciously became aware of her sitting next to him.

‘Does she know about me?’

The probability was quite high.

But it was a mystery why she was staying still.

‘Is she trying to gather more evidence? Or is she waiting for an opportunity?’

Sensing his gaze, she cast a light glance.

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes? Do you have something to say?”

“No, just. By any chance, did the Director call you separately?”

“He did call me recently.”

“Was there no talk of promotion? The credit for capturing your brother is not a small one, is it?”

“There was.”

“There was?”

“Yes, there was. But I requested him to put it on hold for a while.”

“What is the reason? Isn’t a promotion a good thing?”

She spoke bluntly.

“I requested to put it on hold for the time being because I thought you would kick me out, Chief Inquisitor. That is correct in my thoughts, is it not?”

It was correct, but.

Why?

“Do you like being under me that much?”

“I am thinking that I still have a lot to learn.”

“A lot to learn, is it…….”

Even if he didn’t know.

It was clear that she was trying not to give him an excuse.

* * *

A few days later.

Rashid headed to the underground facility where Kaiser was confined.

He was splayed out in a comfortable manner.

Since visits were permitted indefinitely, there was no inconvenience in handling the party’s affairs, and private food came in almost every day, so there was no lack of food.

Still, because he was confined, his sleeping quarters and freedom were restricted, but since his life was threatened by the Empire and the imperial family, this was actually the safest space in the world.

“You are here.”

Kaiser also recognized that it was about time to go outside.

“You have it easy.”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Rashid returned the demon eye suppressor he had borrowed from him.

“I went and met that woman. She probably intended to eliminate me, but I coaxed her well. I said I would deal with you when she abolishes the Council.”

Kaiser laughed.

“You wouldn’t actually deal with me then, would you?”

“You will get out of here before then. I intended to kick you out today.”

“My. You’ve made an enemy because of me?”

“I was already prepared for it. In any case, the person I chose was not that woman, but you.”

Rashid had the clerics release him, who was confined in the detention facility.

“Let’s go outside.”

The two went outside the Inquisition Bureau and sat at an outdoor table of a nearby cafe.

“Ah, the outside air is really nice. I never knew before that being friends with an Inquisitor was such a happy thing.”

“Quiet. I have contacted your subordinates, so they will arrive here soon. Let’s just stay until then.”

“It is the bloody purge soon.”

“Right. That’s why I am releasing you. Only when you are released will the bloody purge proceed as scheduled.”

The bloody purge was the trigger.

The trigger for the Golden Age Party to grow explosively.

“From now on, it is your job. This is as far as I will help you.”

“More than that, what happened to that woman? The player. If you don’t clean it up, I have to.”

“That player woman…… is dead.”

“Did you kill her?”

“No, I didn’t particularly intend to. It seems she clung to my subordinate and was ended by her instead.”

Kaiser also wore a quite surprised expression.

“Was she done in by the Dark Blood Ghost Executioner?”

“Yes, she told me so. That she cleaned it up.”

Kaiser fell into thought.

He could vaguely guess the reason why she, as a player, had clung to the Dark Blood Ghost Executioner.

“She must have intended to eliminate you through that woman. Then that means she knows about you…… but it is a bit strange. Why did it turn out like that? Normally…… you should have been targeted?”

“You know more about my subordinate than I do, don’t you? I don’t know as much as you do.”

Kaiser shook his head.

“Not anymore. How much could I possibly know? Even if I did, you, who hang around with her, would know better.”

“I still don’t know. At least it seems that woman knows I am a player.”

“What? Were you caught? No, that woman must have already told her.”

“She must have told her. But there is no way to ask. You know, don’t you? That woman is someone who will kill by any means if she gets an excuse. That was the reason she became an Inquisitor in the first place.”

“Otherwise…… just ask her outright.”

“Are you crazy? Surely that wasn’t said out of a sane mind?”

“Ah…… I see. You wouldn’t be able to ask.”

“For now, I am keeping an eye on her. She is a woman who is impossible to understand.”

“I think similarly. But normally, she would be aiming for you.”

“I know. It’s confusing because she doesn’t look like that.”

“Still, be careful. The woman I know really kills everyone she catches. I have never seen anyone survive after getting caught. She was very famous.”

There was a vehicle quietly approaching near them.

It was his vehicle.

“It’s already here.”

“Thank you so much this time. If there is a way to help next time, I will definitely help. One should naturally repay a favor, shouldn’t they?”

“Forget it, just handle that woman well. If you fail, I am next.”

Standing up from his seat, Kaiser became lost in sentiment for a moment.

The lover of all players.

It was the same for him.

“I have dreamed of such a dream before. A dream of keeping her alive as my lover. Instead of killing her in the square where hundreds of thousands are watching, keeping her alive as if playing with the public. I believe that if it’s the current me, it would probably be possible.”

After a short silence, his words continued again.

“And then sending her back to the principality, which is unnecessary. So that when everything is over, she can naturally become my lover.”

A very comfortable romance indeed.

“You wouldn’t actually do that, would you?”

“It’s just a dream. Anyway, thank you. I will take care of her. You can rest easy this time.”

Kaiser left.

Rashid watched him leave blankly and stood up from his seat.

‘I won’t be stepping up in a big way, but. I am curious how it will end.’

Would he really keep her alive like in his dream?

It was not for him to get involved, but that was also a curious matter.