Chapter 72

Around that time, the merchant ship that had left Gottrop arrived at the port of Echmont after about a month. "…Have we arrived? …Huh? Arrived… Ugh."

A man with a bear-like build, his face pale, clung to the ship's railing and bowed his head. Cain, standing beside him, clicked his tongue and patted Gibelin's broad back. "Ugh… I’m dying… I feel like I’m going to die…."

"We’ve arrived."

A moment later, as the ship docked with a jolt, Gibelin, without bothering with his luggage, rushed off like an angry bull, pushing through the crowd. What kind of luggage did he have so much of…? Cain, with a cold gaze, looked down at the luggage Gibelin had left behind, then picked up both his and Gibelin's belongings and skillfully made his way through the crowd. Thanks to his beautiful face that defied gender boundaries and his mysterious aura, Cain Knox was a well-known figure on the merchant ship. People whispered as they watched his silver hair softly flutter in the sea breeze. "He’s a man, you know? I saw him a few days ago wearing only a shirt, and it was clear he wasn’t a woman."

"Yeah, just looking at his face, you can’t tell if he’s a man or a woman, but look at those shoulders. They’re not ordinary."

"Wow… I didn’t know someone like that existed…"

Even when Cain disembarked, Gibelin was sprawled on the ground, muttering that the earth was still moving and suffering. After a month of seasickness, Gibelin was unrecognizably haggard, his face pale and drenched in cold sweat. Cain sighed and looked around. He wanted to leave for the capital of Echmont right away, but given Gibelin’s condition, it seemed impossible. "Get up. If you don’t, I’ll leave you here."

"Ugh… Carry me…"

"You’re crazy. How can I carry you? Follow me."

"Such a heartless guy…"

"I’ve taken care of you for a month."

Cain spoke harshly and quickly walked away, and the prostrate Gibelin, looking like a corpse, slowly got up and followed him. Despite his harsh words, Cain carried Gibelin’s luggage and occasionally checked to see if he was following. "Let’s go…"

The two soon disappeared into the bustling crowd. ＊ ＊ ＊ When the empress entered the meeting hall, all the ministers, who had been chatting in small groups, froze as if doused with cold water. A tense attendant guided her to her seat. The Grand Duke, Duke Baldur, and Marquis Herbert followed her in one by one. The pressure of their entrance was so intense that even Despoina Duke and Renox, who had been waiting, felt it. Before Adele sat down, she scanned the ministers, and the nobles, who had been staring at her blankly, all stood up to greet her. The nobles in Despoina Duke’s camp also rose awkwardly, glancing at Despoina Duke. Adele smiled gently and spoke softly. "It’s good to see you all. Please, take your seats."

Just as she was about to sit down, the door opened again, and the emperor entered. Karl looked at the high seat as soon as he stepped into the meeting hall. Among the ministers who were standing up, he saw the elegant figure of the empress. His gaze slid to her left. After the Grand Duke and Duke Baldur… Lionel Herbert. At that moment, the emperor’s heart felt like a river that was overflowing, yet he couldn’t avoid the person he was looking at. As he walked to the high seat, the emperor looked at the empress, who was staring at him with a cold expression. He was spending sleepless nights because of her, and it made him feel both hurt and angry that she looked as if not a hair was out of place. 'During my trip to Bueta, I observed that the two of them seemed very close. Oh, more than just close? I told you, didn’t I? Marquis Herbert stayed by the empress’s side throughout my stay at the marquis’s residence. And the empress, as soon as she woke up, looked for him, they said.'

Karl’s brows furrowed as if he could hear Despoina Duke’s whisper again. Despoina Duke had personally informed him that Lionel Baldur had become Marquis Herbert and added, 'Duke Baldur must have certainly asked Lionel Baldur to resign from his position as advisor. Why? Because he had achieved his goal! But at this point, Lionel Baldur inherits the title of Marquis Herbert? Doesn’t that mean he intends to protect the empress without having to consider the Baldur family’s stance, entirely on his own terms?'

Karl took a deep breath and glared at Lionel. "Marquis Herbert. After delaying for so long, you suddenly inherit the title."

Despite the emperor’s growl, Lionel’s expression remained unchanged. He merely bowed politely. As the emperor sat down and turned his head, his eyes met Despoina Duke’s, who was looking at him. Despoina Duke gave a meaningful nod. Karl tried hard to calm his turbulent heart. The meeting soon began. Adele sharply observed the ministers in silence, and Elizaveta, reading the flow of the meeting, subtly brought up the topic. "By the way, I wonder if the Calvin barony is doing well. I heard that Barons Barutolt and Orlean are holding off the monster’s advance in the middle ground, but how long can they hold out…?"

Despoina Duke frowned reflexively at her words and was about to say something when Lionel spoke first. "The appearance of gargoyles has been officially confirmed, and the tower in the Calvin barony is currently estimated to be a major one, classified as a level 3."

Renox stood up and countered with the same excuse as before, but Lionel, looking at Renox with a disillusioned expression, pushed back by presenting a document. "This is proof that Baron Barutolt personally confirmed the gargoyle’s corpse. He identified the gargoyle’s characteristic hook-shaped beak and the horn between its eyebrows."

Despite this, Renox insisted that the tower in the Calvin barony was nothing significant. Elizaveta, watching this, shouted in frustration. "Stop being unreasonable!"

Intimidated by her sharp gaze, Renox opened his mouth and looked at Despoina Duke for help. Elizaveta immediately turned to Despoina Duke and raised her voice. "Duke Despoina! What do you think about such unreasonable claims by the Count of Poitiers?!"

"Unreasonable claims? What is wrong with what he said?"

As they raised their voices, the meeting was at a standstill again. As the meaningless debate dragged on, Adele suddenly spoke. "Do you know what surprised me the most when I came to Echmont?"

She slowly scanned the ministers and finally looked at the emperor. "The slums."

Adele turned her head to Despoina Duke. "The massive slums in the capital, and the fact that they are widespread throughout the empire, were simply unbelievable."

"The royal family hasn’t been idle! We provide food to each slum every year!"

"Is it enough to just throw food at them?! It’s not a fundamental solution, is it?"

Lionel raised his voice in support of the empress, and Despoina Duke’s face turned red with anger. Lionel looked at the emperor and said, "The way to eradicate the slums in the empire is to destroy the towers built in the empire, Your Majesty."

Several ministers also spoke up to the emperor. "That’s right. The towers built in the empire must be destroyed, as was done in Bueta."

"The people who have flooded into the slums can’t even pay taxes, causing a huge blow to the imperial economy. Moreover, they become breeding grounds for various crimes. Why, Your Majesty, do you leave the towers as they are?!"

Faced with the ministers’ complaints, Karl clenched his teeth. "Enough!! The towers are being destroyed systematically."

"That’s not true."

Tessius, who had been silent, immediately countered the emperor’s words. "If it’s systematic, why was the tower in the Calvin barony neglected while the tower in the Bueta marquisate was destroyed?"

"The tower in Bueta was larger!"

"It’s not just about the size of the tower. The attitude towards the two territories was completely different. Is there a secret criterion for destroying the towers that we don’t know about?"

Tessius’s sharp criticism made Despoina Duke’s neck veins bulge. "Criterion?! How dare you speak such nonsense to His Majesty the Emperor?!"

"It’s a reasonable suspicion."

Karl clenched his fists and breathed heavily, growling at Tessius. "I, as the emperor of the Echmont Empire, treat all territories fairly. Duke Baldur, keep your place."

Elizaveta stood up, watching the confrontation between the emperor and the Grand Duke. "The refugees flooding into the Grand Duchy are like a vast, deep sea. I have no choice but to punish them for stealing to survive and setting fires in the forests to avoid the cold. But one day, a boy said to me, ‘Don’t they give you food in prison?’"

"…"

"What’s most important now is to clearly and swiftly destroy the towers. The problem is that the method of destroying the towers is not proper."

"…Are you saying I’m wrong?"

In response to Karl’s deeply probing question, Elizaveta answered without hesitation. "Yes."

As soon as she said that, Despoina Duke threw his cane and shouted. "Elizaveta Ulrich!!!"

"Duke Despoina!! Stop hiding behind the emperor to satisfy your selfish desires!!"

Elizaveta’s sharp words made Despoina Duke clutch his neck and tremble, and the nobles raised their voices, turning the meeting hall into chaos. The emperor, watching this, spoke to Adele. "Is this what you wanted?"

Adele turned to look at him. The emperor was staring at Adele with bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to kill her. "Did you want to bury me in the gutter?"

"You misunderstand. I’m just raising a legitimate question and asking you not to delay what should be done."

"Are you not showing disrespect to me, the emperor, by criticizing me in front of so many ministers?!"

"…"

Adele was at a loss for words. "If it’s not showing disrespect to the emperor, then what is it to point out your mistakes in front of so many ministers?"

Adele felt disillusioned with the emperor, who was acting like a child throwing a tantrum. She frowned and clenched her fists. "It’s not showing disrespect to the emperor, but begging you to properly take care of the country!"

When the empress, unable to contain herself, stood up, the noisy meeting hall fell silent. The empress, breathing heavily, said, "The towers throughout the empire can be destroyed within two years if we decide to do so."

"…!!"

Gasps were heard from all around, some in joy, others in despair. "Can you take responsibility for that?"

Karl spat out, and Adele straightened her shoulders and declared, "I was the founder and chief of the Gottrop Tower Resistance Headquarters."

"!!"

Everyone in the meeting hall, forgetting to breathe, stared at Adele in shock. "I managed all the mages in Gottrop and assigned them to various regions based on terrain and population. When I left, there wasn’t a single tower in Gottrop, and it remains that way. If you doubt it, send someone to verify it in Gottrop."

Renox, trembling at Adele’s words, looked at Despoina Duke, but the duke could only stare at the empress with a stunned face. Adele took a step back, looked at the emperor, and said clearly, "There’s no reason not to destroy the tower in the Calvin barony. Please entrust it to me, Your Majesty."

Lionel, watching this, also gave a heavy nod of agreement. "The House of Herbert will actively support and assist the empress’s proposal."

Following him, Elizaveta, Tessius, and several other ministers voiced their support for the empress. The heavy weight of their support rolled towards the empress, and Karl wondered if he could stop the flood with his whole body. He hated Adele, who was looking down at him with a condescending gaze. 'Do you have to hold power in your hands by making me miserable?'

Adele, facing Karl, felt the distance between them grow even further. Just then, an urgent report was delivered. All eyes turned to the emperor. "What is it?"

Unable to contain himself, Despoina Duke asked, and after a moment of silence, the emperor spoke. "Baron Calvin has conveyed his intention to completely abandon his territory."

"Ha…"

Adele sighed and looked up. Thinking of the old baron with his white hair, she felt a surge of anger beyond disappointment. In the end, the empress, after glaring at the letter in the emperor’s hand, turned and left the meeting hall, followed by Elizaveta. A desolate silence fell over the meeting hall. ＊ ＊ ＊ After the meeting, Despoina Duke requested a private audience with the emperor. During the silence, the duke tried hard to suppress his intense emotions by drinking cold water. Karl, who had been slowly replaying Adele’s words, spoke first. "What about actively destroying the towers?"

"No!"

"The empress has declared that all towers can be destroyed within two years. How can we stop this trend? Soon, the ministers will swarm together, rallying around the empress!"

Despoina Duke, sensing the emperor’s wavering resolve, deliberately put on a pained expression and touched on the emperor’s sore spot. "Why do I keep the towers intact? Isn’t it all for the emperor’s authority?"

"…"

"Your Majesty, look at today. When the foundation of the towers was shaken, how did the ministers treat you?"

Karl turned his head reflexively and said, "Enough."

"These proud and self-respecting men will only bow to you if the towers are there. You’ve done well so far. The problem is the empress."

Despoina Duke, who had manipulated Karl’s surroundings since his childhood, constantly chipped away at his self-esteem. 'Look, he’s belittling you because of your background.' 'Did you see his gaze? He’s ignoring you.'

Despoina Duke, always brainwashing the emperor, spoke in a low, firm voice. "The empress must be eliminated."