Chapter 514

After the Gate incident was resolved, Eren asked Tanawa and Bertholdt to kill him. "I can't do that," Bertholdt replied. "There must be another way, Eren." Of course, neither of them had any intention of fulfilling Eren's request. Eren should remain a symbol of hope for humanity, not just for the reconstruction of humanity after the Gate incident. Bertholdt said he would find a way to restore Eren to his original state, even if it meant gathering all the remaining power of the Great Divine Faith and performing a purification ritual. He didn't think Eren had to die like that. Bertholdt arranged a meeting with the high priests and paladins of the Great Divine Faith who were currently inspecting the base. "The hero has been possessed by a spirit?" "We don't know the details, but it has been confirmed that the spirit is consuming the hero's ego. We need to gather all the priests and perform a purification ritual immediately." Bertholdt didn't mention that Eren had voluntarily accepted those spirits. There was no need to talk about it. This place, the strongest army of humanity, has a large number of priests and paladins from the Holy Order. They gathered the power of the Great Divine Faith to purify the spirits that were attached to Eren's body and soul. Regardless of whether it was possible or not, they had to try. "Do we really need to do this?" "What do you mean?" Bertholdt narrowed his eyes at the words of the Alz Order's high priest. "If those spirits are at a level that even the hero can't handle, and eventually his ego disappears. Doesn't that mean he is reborn as a more suitable person as a hero? " This time it was the Tu'an Order's high priest who spoke. He was positive about the situation where the hero, who served the god of purity, was being consumed by impure spirits. "I heard that the hero has awakened new power and become even stronger than before. If that's the case, it's because the power of the spirits attached to the hero has been added. If the hero has become stronger, where is the better thing for humanity than that?" Bertholdt gritted his teeth at the Alz Order's comment. The relics of Tu'an and Alz chose the demon king. Therefore, the position of the two orders is very bad compared to the position of other orders. It is natural for the masses to turn away from the two orders, and priests and paladins have to eat humble pie even in this base. The high priests of the Tu'an and Alz orders are the ones who want the demon king to die the most. Because only when the demon king dies and disappears, can they dream of rebuilding the order. It is true that the newly emerging religion, the Hero Order, is currently gaining the most support, but it is also true that the gods of the two relics that chose the hero, Mentsis and Shalum, are gaining a lot of support from the public. The religion of the god of courage, Literr, is unrelated to both the demon king and the hero, but at least there is no harm in the situation. Therefore, the more the demon king gains power, the more support the Literr and Mentsis orders receive. In any case, it is an ironic situation that the high priests of the Alz and Tu'an orders, who can only dream of rebuilding their order if the demon king dies, are hoping for his death despite their god choosing him. They believe that it would be better if the hero Eren Artorius only had the shell of hatred towards the demon king left. Similarly, the high priests of the other three orders also hope for the demon king's death. The demon king must die and the hero must lose his symbolic role for the false religion of the Hero Order to disappear. Only then can the Great Divine Faith regain its leadership in the continent's faith. The high priests of the Great Divine Faith were hoping for the demon king's death. "Don't you know what the demon king intended?" Above all, they belonged to a very small group of people who knew the truth about the Gate incident. The high priests of the Great Divine Faith were there when they interrogated the demon king Reinhardt. Therefore, they knew that the hero Eren Artorius was a being who could not truly kill the demon king. The hero is a being who cannot fulfill the wish of defeating the demon king. However, the situation has changed. The hero's ego, which could not hate the demon king, will disappear, and when the spirits embedded in Eren's soul take over, the hero will be able to do what he truly needs to do. The high priests of the Great Divine Faith were hoping for the demon king's death because they knew the truth about the Gate incident. The situation is inevitable and may be good for humanity. The high priests of the Hero Order and the other three orders hope for the demon king's death. The survival fight cannot distinguish between good and evil. The high priests of the Hero Order and the Great Divine Faith were not truly following their gods. The true cause of all problems is complex, but the Gradias royal family has a significant share of the blame. The demon king's death is better for humanity, and if he must die, it is better for the hero to kill him. Hope and despair are both useless concepts in saving or killing people. However, despair actually kills humans, and hope actually saves them.

For that hope, only two people.

Reinhardt and Ellen Artorius.

Is it okay for them to fall into such a miserable despair?

For the survival and reconstruction of humanity, is it right for those two to bear all the despair of others?

One disappears, and one loses their life.

Both are idols.

The idol of hope, the hero.

The idol of despair, the demon king.

Sacrificing both idols to achieve the reconstruction of humanity and the Hero Order through false hope is the right decision as an emperor.

There are no more survivors.

The area near the headquarters barracks has been abandoned, and all the high priests have left, leaving only Tanya and Berthus.

"Tanya."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I thought I had the qualities of an emperor."

"......"

"I thought that even though I couldn't become the greatest emperor in history, there would be no one like me in my time."

Berthus smirked.

"When Charlotte came back alive, I drew quite a few pictures in my head."

"If it's a picture...?"

"A picture of me becoming emperor."

Berthus looked up at the distant sky.

The blue sky was clear and clean as if it didn't know the tragedies of the world.

Even though there was the sound of cooking and soldiers' marching on the ground.

And even though funerals for soldiers who died were being held without rest.

The sky didn't know about it.

"When Charlotte came back, I felt a lot of crisis. The emperor is not elected by the support of the masses, but it cannot be ignored. The position of the princess who returned after suffering from being captured by the demon king has tremendous influence."

Charlotte de Gradiaus, who came back alive, was a very strong competitor for Berthus.

"I even thought that I might be taken away if I made some kind of trick and followed the temple, even the royal class."

"...Is that so?"

"But then."

Berthus chuckled.

"Lagan Artorius's younger sister is in the same class as me."

If Charlotte had not come back alive, Ellen would have been a name that meant nothing to Berthus.

But because Charlotte was alive, Berthus needed a symbol that could threaten Charlotte's political position.

Savioline Tanya seemed to know what Berthus was talking about.

"The way for Ellen Artorius and me to get married. That was one of my plans."

"I see..."

A strategic marriage.

Moreover, if the other party is the hero's younger sister, they could have a clear political position.

"But, it seems like I'm just a stone rolling on the roadside."

It's not like he's being ignored.

But he didn't pay much attention to it. Ellen Artorius was someone who was indifferent to everyone equally. "I also had political needs, but I had no personal interest in it, and it was a necessary method only when the situation was unfavorable. It didn't mean much." However, she started hanging out with Reinhardt, who had no talent and was from a poor background. Berthus reveals his plan for a strategic marriage with Ellen to secure his political position. The two idols, Reinhardt and Ellen, were drawn to each other for no reason. Berthus feels like he's just a stone rolling on the roadside and is not being given much attention. The emperor believes that sacrificing both idols to achieve the reconstruction of humanity and the Hero Order through false hope is the right decision. "When I found out Reinhardt was the Demon King, the best thing to do was not to trust him. There were too many lies, and believing in the Demon King at that time would have been madness. ...That was the best decision I could make with reason. But the best decision at that time has now become the worst. The best decision that could be made with reason at that time remains unchanged even now. It was a situation where we could not trust the Demon King, so we did not. But that choice brought about the worst phenomenon in the world. The best choice led to the worst result, and the Gate Incident is responsible for many people who did not make that choice. Is it a stretch to think that leaving Ellen alone now is the best choice that could lead to the worst later? ...Yes, it is a stretch. Tanan did not answer, but Berthus could tell from his expression that he knew. There was a time when the best decision led to the worst result. Therefore, not choosing the best now because it could lead to the worst later is just a stretch. Berthus now knows that the best decision at the moment could lead to the worst result later, so there is no such thing as the best or worst. There is only choice. "I can't just leave those two alone like this." Berthus couldn't leave Ellen alone like this. It's not because he believes it will be the best later. It's just a story of choosing to do so because he wants to. It's the quality of an emperor. That's why Berthus now thinks he doesn't have it."