Chapter 100

At the duke's command, some of the wizards waiting below the castle walls began to murmur, and the knights on the wall sighed.

“What are you doing?! Don’t just stand there! Arrest those traitors immediately!!!”

“Are you out of your mind?!!!”

Theseus shouted at the duke, his voice rising, but the duke was obstinate. The sudden return of Adelaide had resulted in the destruction of the tower without any gain. Not only had they failed to crush the anti-emperor faction, but the trusted wizard corps had been split in half. Although the destruction of the tower was only temporary, they could use the residual magic it left behind. Thus, this was the only opportunity they had. With the emperor already driven mad by a woman, the moral high ground was on their side. They had to crush the opposition with numbers while the residual magic still lingered.

“Arrest all the traitors!!!”

Some of the soldiers and wizards standing at the castle walls, unable to bear the duke's fervor, hesitantly approached Adelaide and the wizards. Lionel, standing in the wilderness and calmly assessing the situation, took a deep breath and, as if making a decision, shouted loudly.

“Protect the wizards!!”

This was a declaration of direct confrontation against the Duke of Despoina, who had the emperor's backing. It was as shocking to everyone as the sudden appearance of the tower. As everyone was stunned, Lionel raised his voice again.

“How can those who risked their lives to destroy the tower for the empire be traitors?! Royal Guard! Protect the wizards!!”

The knights, who had been stunned, came to their senses and, with fierce eyes, raised their swords and moved in unison to surround and protect Adelaide and the wizards. The royal guard, acting on Lionel Herbert's command rather than the emperor's, moved as if they had been waiting for this moment. This was also a signal that the coup planned for the next day needed to be executed immediately. Theseus secretly confirmed that Elizabeth was safe and quickly scanned the knights waiting nearby. The anti-emperor faction nobles nodded slightly at him. The emperor, shocked by the royal guard's actions, widened his eyes. The Duke of Despoina was equally surprised. Cold sweat trickled down the back of the duke's neck. The soldiers and wizards who had moved forward at the duke's command were at a loss and turned to look at the duke and the emperor. The emperor shouted at the royal guard in anger.

“Royal Guard!!! This is the emperor's command!! Arrest the traitor Lionel Herbert and the wizards immediately!!! If you do this, your sins will be forgiven!!”

The emperor's loud voice echoed through the capital, which had fallen silent. The nobles and knights on the wall looked at the emperor in disbelief. The citizens, looking up at the sky, began to murmur.

“Are you really going to arrest the heroes who destroyed the tower as traitors?”

“Why is destroying the tower considered treason?”

“Haven’t you heard? His Majesty wants to keep the tower intact for his own power!”

The people's gazes were filled with long-suppressed resentment. The capital was beginning to seethe with dark anger. Despite the emperor's command, the royal guard remained unmoved. The Duke of Despoina, who had been cautious due to the proximity of the emperor, struck the wall forcefully and roared.

“Did you see that?! You fools!! They are traitors!!”

“What makes them traitors?”

“What?!”

Theseus took a step toward the emperor. Everyone held their breath as they watched the confrontation between the two. It was a reckless act that risked his life, but someone had to expose the emperor and the duke's misdeeds to the public. Theseus, looking directly at Karl, spoke each word as if chewing them.

“Is it not a traitor who seeks to plunge the entire empire into the depths of hell for personal power!”

His loud voice reached everyone's ears.

“You, fool!!!”

The Duke of Despoina, enraged, lunged at Theseus but was blocked by a knight under Baldur's command.

“Is it not truly a traitor to build towers across the empire at the cost of innocent lives, and to stand idly by and do nothing about it?!”

Theseus' fierce roar echoed as he shouted at the duke.

“Lennox Poitier, what are you doing!! Arrest the traitors immediately!!!”

The emperor also struck the wall and shouted at Lennox.

“Lennox!! Kill the Viscount Herbert first!!!”

Lennox, who had been cautious due to the proximity of the emperor and the duke, turned his amplifier toward the wilderness as if he had been waiting for the command. Adelaide, pushing through the knights, also stepped forward and raised her black sword.

“Brunhild. Construct a defensive barrier on the wall.”

As soon as her short, weighty command ended, magic power surged toward her like iron filings to a magnet. A significant amount of powerful magic also flowed into Lennox Poitier, who stood opposite her. The confrontation between the top-tier strikers was like a clash of lances. Lennox, feeling the immense pressure of his magic being drawn to Adelaide, gritted his teeth. Filled with the intent to instantly kill his opponent, he gathered all the magic he could and launched a surprise attack at Adelaide.

“Adelaide!!!”

A piercing cry echoed from somewhere as a blinding light spread across the wilderness. Even as everyone squeezed their eyes shut, Adelaide, eyes wide open, fiercely swung her amplifier. A golden whip-like magic strand flew out, enveloping Lennox's approaching magic and driving it into the ground. BOOM!!! A deafening sound, as if the sky was splitting, violently shook the earth. The intense tremor and roar caused screams to erupt throughout the capital. The two people's magic created a large scar on the earth and then vanished together.

“Huff, huff.”

Lennox, who had rapidly expended his magic, planted his amplifier on the ground and knelt on one knee, breathing heavily as he looked through the smoky haze. The Duke of Despoina, who had briefly closed his eyes, quickly opened them and clung to the wall. Lennox, though a fool, had a magic power so strong that no one in Ehmont could match him. This time, he must have swept away the thorn in his side, Adelaide, Lionel, and the traitorous wizards. The first thing the elated Duke of Despoina saw was the violently overturned earth. And, unbelievably, through the hazy dust, he saw Adelaide and Lionel standing firmly on the ground.

“He resisted Lennox Poitier’s magic...”

A voice pierced his ears, reminding him of the terrifying reality. Lennox, kneeling and exhausted, and Adelaide, standing calmly with her amplifier, made the outcome of the battle painfully clear. The Duke of Despoina was so stunned that his legs trembled. With Lennox defeated, there was no wizard in Ehmont who could stand against Adelaide. Once the residual magic evaporated, the magic-less wizards would be nothing more than scarecrows before the knights led by Lionel Herbert.

“No...”

Karl, swallowing hard, quickly scanned his surroundings. Already, a group with drawn swords was glaring at him. At that moment, a low voice came from behind the sword-wielding knights.

“August Ulrich Despoina. Karl Ulrich. Step down from the throne and retire.”

The flashing sword tips parted, and Elizabeth, removing her hood, walked past Theseus.

“Everyone, protect the Grand Duke.”

Elizabeth's appearance prompted Theseus to issue a low command to the knights, who quickly checked their positions in case of an emergency. Elizabeth, staring at Karl and the Duke of Despoina, spoke each word with emphasis.

“Karl Ulrich. As the emperor of Ehmont, you have failed in your duties and have no right to sit on the throne! August Ulrich Despoina! You are the true traitor to Ehmont!!”

Her proclamation, as the legitimate heir to the Ehmont royal family, stirred the hearts of those who had been hiding in fear of power.

“Such a wicked one!!”

“Listen, August Ulrich!! For the sins of your past tyranny, using magic to threaten the lives of the empire's citizens, I will hold you accountable. Surrender and face your punishment!”

The emperor, grinding his teeth, lunged at Elizabeth but was immediately blocked by the knights surrounding her.

“Do you dare tell me to step down from the throne?!”

“You have lost all your authority as emperor.”

“I am! The emperor of Ehmont!! My authority is me! How can I lose my authority as emperor?!!”

In response to Karl's anger, Theseus, standing beside Elizabeth, said sarcastically.

“Look around you.”

Karl reflexively turned his gaze. The emperor's eyes, which had been burning with anger, suddenly froze. The color drained from his face, distorted with rage. The cold contempt and burning anger of the Ehmont citizens, regardless of their status, were like arrows directed at him. There was not a trace of respect in the eyes filled with hatred. The Duke of Despoina, shuddering with a sense of crisis, grabbed Karl's arm and pulled him back. The current situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable to them. They could not defeat the opposition by force or by righteousness. But Karl Ulrich was still the emperor of Ehmont. They needed to secure the emperor and hold out until another tower descended near the capital, bringing in the duke's private army.

“Protect His Majesty, quickly!!!”

The pro-emperor faction nobles and some of their soldiers quickly surrounded the emperor and the Duke of Despoina. Elizabeth, looking at the faces of the nobles standing around the emperor, warned them.

“If you step off the sinking ship now, I will show mercy. Think carefully.”

“Shut up, Elizabeth!!! Let's get back to the palace, quickly!!! Bring all the wizards, all of them!!”

As the Duke of Despoina and the emperor quickly withdrew through the escape route secured by the pro-emperor faction, someone shouted from somewhere.

“The emperor must step down!!!”

Instantly, a corpse-like silence descended over the heads of the people. It was a precarious silence, as if they were walking on thin ice. The emperor and the duke, who had been running hard, froze in their tracks. The Duke of Despoina, unsure how to handle the situation, stammered, and someone shouted again.

“The emperor must step down!!!”

It was like a spark to a pot of boiling oil. The anger of those who had lost their homes and families finally found its target.

“The emperor must step down!!!!”

The furious cries of the crowd surged like a tidal wave, shaking the walls and the wilderness. The Duke of Despoina, swaying, looked around with an uneasy gaze, and the emperor, taking a step back, hurriedly began to descend the wall.

“Lennox!!!”

At the duke's desperate cry, Lennox ran to the fleeing emperor and duke.

“What about the other wizards? Why are you the only one coming?!!”

The duke, his voice hoarse, vented his frustration. However, the wizard corps he had painstakingly cultivated seemed to be planning to escape the sinking ship first, standing silently and refusing to move.

“We must go now!”

A nearby noble shouted.

“The emperor must step down!!!”

The surging anger, like a storm, hit the emperor and the duke. Karl, covering his ears, ran like a madman. It was a cowardly sight, devoid of the dignity and authority of an emperor.

“Step down!!!”

The emperor and the Duke of Despoina, along with some nobles, were forced to flee to the palace by the people's cries, locking all the palace gates. ＊ ＊ ＊ As the red sky receded and the cold winter sky mixed with brilliant sunlight, the cold wind paused for a moment. After the emperor and the Duke of Despoina fled, Elizabeth and Theseus gathered the nobles to prepare for a siege. Meanwhile, Brunhild Alexa had gathered the scattered wizard corps. Surprisingly, except for Lennox Poitier, no one followed the emperor. And Adelaide stood alone in the wilderness. Perhaps because she had rushed here, abandoning everything, she was enveloped by an unknown fear. Suddenly, the world darkened, and someone's shadow enveloped her. Lifting her head, she saw a man bathed in light, smiling and extending his hand toward her. The turbulent sea in her heart calmed at his smile.

“Lionel.”

He smiled, his beautiful eyes long and gentle, and whispered affectionately.

“Were you worried about me?”

Lionel thought she would not answer. Pretending not to hear, she would turn her head, her ears turning red. But Adelaide, defying his expectations, looked into his eyes and answered honestly.

“Yes.”

Lionel's mouth tightened at her simple answer. Adelaide, looking at him calmly, expressed her feelings.

“So I came.”

His face filled her golden, radiant eyes. Lionel, overwhelmed by the joy that felt like molten metal pouring through his body, wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her red lips. He asked, his breath hot and heavy.

“Where do you want to go? Gotrop, Ehmont, the Third Kingdom, or the wilderness. Just tell me.”

Your path is my path, and the place you wish to stay is my home. At that moment, Elizabeth ran out of the open gate. The knights parted to make way, and Adelaide and Lionel bowed respectfully to her. Elizabeth, who had been enlightened by this foreigner, hugged Adelaide tightly with all her might. Adelaide, the savior who appeared just before everything was about to fall apart.

Adelaide, startled, widened her eyes and stood there, unsure of what to do. Elizabeth, still hugging her, spoke in a trembling voice.

“Don’t go.”

Elizabeth released her and stepped back, looking into Adelaide's eyes.

“I know it's a lot to ask, but please stay here. I will punish the traitors hiding in the palace and take the throne. Please help me. You are my savior and the savior of Ehmont.”

The warm sunlight shone on the two of them. Adelaide, looking steadily at Elizabeth's determined face, smiled softly.