Chapter 99 – Asylum

The silence was brief.

“You’ve arrived without delay.”

As if it were a promised appearance.

Kaiser seemed to welcome Rashid, who had come.

Kaiser pointed his index finger at him and smiled mischievously.

“I told you we would be the same.”

Rashid, who did not receive this situation pleasantly, decided not to step forward and just watch the two from afar.

Because persuasion was not his domain anyway.

Instead, looking at the Commander of the Imperial Guard’s head thrown on the floor, he thought.

‘You must die. There is no reason for you to live, since you desire the resurrection of the imperial family more than anyone else.’

From now on, it was Kaiser’s time.

“Now then! Let us wrap this matter up.”

Kaiser, completely unconcerned with the Empress’s angry gaze, broke the ice.

“It is still not too late. This is truly the very last chance.”

The outside was noisy, and Rashid stood guarding the entrance of the audience chamber.

Now, there was no one to interfere with the affairs here.

“Now, I must stand in front of the angry masses with either you or this signed charter. This is something that neither I nor you can disobey, just like fate.”

Her gaze fell upon a certain document he was holding.

“It is the Great Charter. A promise that even the Emperor is placed under the sacred imperial law. If you sign here, I intend to seat you on the imperial throne eternally as promised. However, as I said, it will be a purely nominal position. State affairs will leave your hands from now on and be handled primarily by the Council. The moment you approve this, the practical number one in this country will be the Prime Minister, not you. The Council will appoint him, he will oversee the cabinet, and finally, you will only give formal approval.”

“…”

She did not answer, but her eyes were still fixed on the document he proposed.

“Of course, I know that this is also not a good ending from your perspective. But you will have no choice. If you do not sign here, I will personally drag you to the front of the guillotine. Then the history of the imperial family that has continued for a thousand years will come to an end tonight. Along with your severed head.”

Kaiser’s words, or rather, threats, continued.

“I trust you know well which is better without me having to explain it. I have no intention of explaining it until my mouth hurts either.”

“Why…”

she asked in a low voice.

“Are you giving me a chance?”

Kaiser did not forget to take out the Elixir of Blindness as well.

“Ah, I almost forgot. You will have to drink this too. It is an elixir received from the Witch, and if you drink it, you will be blinded for the time being. Then the power of authority will also grow quiet. This is also a condition to keep you alive. If you approve the Great Charter and drink this along with it.”

Kaiser showed a quite serious attitude, unlike before.

“I promise you. I will personally seat you on the Emperor’s throne.”

“…”

Her gaze now shifted to him.

Because she had not received an answer to the question she asked earlier.

“What is this for? Would it not be better for this position… to just disappear instead?”

Kaiser showed a self-mocking smile.

“In many ways, that would be better. Everyone is trying to stop me. Asking why I am pulling such a crazy stunt. In fact, saying that I respect you and the imperial family is also a flat-out lie.”

Since he knew she possessed the power of authority,

Kaiser gave up on formal persuasion.

Instead, he poured his sincerity into it.

“I want only one thing. That you, who are absolutely destined to die in this situation, absurdly survive. I am a person who finds small amusement in such things. It is strange, isn’t it? What kind of person is like this? But there are all sorts of people in the world.”

His words continued.

“And you are not completely unnecessary. The world after the revolution will belong to the military. In that world, you will be a source of strength to me. I have no doubt that if you support me, the vampire nobles will naturally support me as well.”

“Betrayal is not even in your thoughts. What do you trust to be so confident?”

“Ultimately, if you support someone, it will be either me or the military. Surely you do not plan to support the military, who might have killed your younger brother? That won’t be the case either.”

She tightly clenched her slender hands.

There were many who might have targeted her brother, but there was no backing as certain as the military.

“Were they… the culprits?”

“I do not know that either. But in all likelihood, they were the culprits. Why? They did not hesitate to join us. And after today, the real power in the Empire will be them, not me. Therefore, considering various circumstances, the culprits must be them.”

She cast a questioning look.

“Then how are you going to seat me in this position? Will I even be able to remain seated?”

They were the ones who killed the young Emperor by poisoning.

Would they leave her alive?

Furthermore, her who possessed authority?

Kaiser responded as if it were natural.

“Of course, I must win the fight against them. Thus, I trust you will support me unconditionally. Only then will you be able to return to that position.”

“…”

Kaiser pushed the Great Charter before her, and after hesitating for a while, she reluctantly signed it.

Practically, there was no other choice.

If she did not sign, she would be dragged to the guillotine and executed, and the mission to protect the imperial family would also end just like that.

Afterward, she held the Elixir of Blindness he handed over in her hand.

Before wetting her throat with it, she asked.

“Do you want to hear me say thank you?”

Just like saying sorry,

thanking someone was also a taboo for her, but she did not seem to mind.

“Not really. Express your thanks to the Inquisitor over there instead of me. Honestly, even if you signed here, you would have died by the military. I trust you know the reason well without me explaining it.”

Her gaze was now directed toward the Inquisitor, who had approached within close proximity.

“You must drink that for me to leave. How long are you going to make me wait?”

She drank the elixir, and Kaiser, having confirmed it, wore a faint smile on his lips.

“Confirmed.”

Kaiser bade farewell, holding the Great Charter she had signed.

“We will be on the same side from now on. Although we won’t see each other’s faces for the time being, I hope to see you again in the future. Well, I must go now to appease the angry masses.”

Kaiser faced Rashid.

“I leave the rest to you.”

Rashid shook his head openly.

To help with such a crazy stunt.

However, he thought it had its own meaning.

‘I always suspected. That he might betray us someday.’

But.

He did not think a person who knows romance would do that.

Thus, although Rashid had not spoken of it until now, inwardly he thought that if he pulled off the crazy stunt of keeping the Emperor alive,

he might obscurely trust him.

‘Though I will blow one of my all-stats for this.’

If he could resolve both the Empress of Blood and Kaiser, the two villains of Lazarus, with this,

he thought that wouldn’t be bad either.

At any rate, growing stronger was ultimately to stop the villains.

“Just join the Club.”

“Yes, of course I will join the Club. Since you pester me so much to join, I have no choice either.”

“And the Blood Sword of the Founding. I’m counting on you.”

“You certainly ask for all sorts of things. Understood. I will secure it.”

The spot where Kaiser departed.

Rashid stood silently in front of her, who had gone blind.

Fumbling along the armrest of the throne, she asked toward the front.

“Are you in front of me?”

“…”

Rashid, who was looking at her with a complex gaze, spoke in a low voice.

“Keeping you alive is actually not what I desired.”

While Kaiser happened to reveal his true feelings,

Rashid was speaking his true mind from the very start.

“Because in many ways, it is better for me if you disappear. It is cleaner that way.”

She directed her gaze toward where the voice was heard.

“…”

She was able to realize one fact.

The vanguard of the revolution and the hateful Inquisitor.

Both had lost their respect for her, the Emperor, from some point.

It might be because she was already a finished Emperor, but

she recalled what Rina had said in the past and asked him.

“Are you… also a Player?”

Rashid showed a bitter smile instead of an answer.

“Do you ask such a thing to me, an Inquisitor? It is a foolish question.”

Though he answered so, she could be sure.

That he was someone who had a completely different texture from everyone else.

“I did not know a Player… was so close by.”

One thing was certain.

She did not view him as human.

That is, a non-human existence.

“I heard Players act knowing the upcoming future. Then it must be the same for you and him. Just as she did.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Don’t you act knowing everything? If so, why are you keeping me alive? I understand the intention of him who leads the party well. Then what on earth is your intention as an Inquisitor?”

Rashid did not answer that question.

Instead, he led the way.

“Let’s go. If we are late, we won’t be able to escape this place.”

He grabbed her wrist and led her.

It was just when they came down from the throne like that.

The two Heroes clashing violently outside had entered the audience chamber before long under Ryden’s will.

“Your Majesty!”

They were uninvited guests.

‘Right. I forgot about that guy.’

If they killed the Emperor,

they would inevitably end up as enemies with Ryden.

Did Kaiser consider even that?

‘He must have. The same goes for me too.’

“Let’s go.”

Following Ryden, Varasha also revealed herself.

“Inquisitor!”

Varasha seemed displeased with Rashid, who was taking the Emperor to some random place.

The confrontation between the two loosened, and their gazes shot toward him.

Rashid spoke directly to Ryden.

“Her Majesty has approved the Great Charter. She promised us to lay down all power.”

Ryden showed a bewildered expression.

“And Her Majesty has chosen political asylum with the Order. I trust you know the reason well without me explaining it.”

Ryden, having understood the situation, was relieved, but she who was confronting him was different.

From her perspective.

The Emperor was an unnecessary future trouble in the new era.

“Inquisitor. Is that… the Party Representative’s will?”

“Yes, it is his will and”

Rashid continued speaking toward her.

“it is also my will.”

Now, the situation was reversed.

Varasha targeted Rashid, and Ryden blocked her way.

A switch of offense and defense.

“Inquisitor! I entrust Her Majesty to you!”

Under Ryden’s reliable protection.

Rashid led her without a word.

“Let’s go. Sir Ryden will handle the affairs here.”

The golden knight chased fiercely, but the white knight soon blocked her overwhelmingly.

The clash between the two continued, and Rashid was able to leisurely bring her to his vehicle parked outside the imperial palace.

Karl bowed his head to them.

“I was waiting for you.”

“Was there any trouble?”

“No, none so far.”

“Let’s go. There is no good in delaying.”

Rashid sat in the back seat with her, and his official vehicle began to leisurely slip out of the imperial palace occupied by the rioters.

There were no fearless rioters targeting the Inquisitor’s vehicle inside the imperial palace, but they were briefly stopped at the exit of the palace by the armed revolutionary army.

However, everything had been negotiated.

The Commander of the Revolutionary Guard, who was guarding the entrance, checked the owner of the vehicle and opened the path immediately.

This was because there had been a word from the Party Representative.

Once they safely escaped the imperial palace like that,

she asked in a low voice.

“Do you want to hear me say thank you?”

At that question,

Rashid only repeated the same answer as Kaiser.

“You can express your thanks to that fellow. If he had not been confident about soothing the angry masses, Your Majesty would have finished on the guillotine, not by the military.”