" Rise "
Blade raised his head upon hearing this and looked at the Emperor—a middle-aged man whose presence was as heavy as a mountain.
Unlike other men his age, whose hair dulled with time, his silver hair remained glossy and radiant. This was Emperor Juander, the ruler of the Saharan Empire and the strongest NPC on the surface.
"I have heard what happened," the Emperor began, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.
"To think, Dive was a Yatan Servant all along," the Emperor said.
Blade added, "I don't know who this Dive is, but the one I killed was Dark Bus. He was probably disguising himself as Dive."
A notification rang in Blade's mind.
[Empress Marie's impression of you has increased.]
The Emperor observed him carefully before asking, "Did he say anything about why he was working as a spy under Asmophel?" Though the Emperor already knew the answer, he wanted to test Blade.
"Hmm, he mentioned his three-year plan to cause chaos in the empire, gathering enough dark magic from the suffering and despair to summon a great demon. He also aimed to eliminate the Red Knights like Piaro and others , using Asmophel ," Blade explained.
Emperor then looked at Zayn, who added, "He's telling the truth. We were all there when it happened. Lord Saint took him down with just his Golden Ray, and he also cast Purification on Asmophel to free him."
"Hah... is that so, what that traitor said?" the Emperor asked, his voice growing cold.
Zayn hesitated before speaking, glancing at Empress Marie, whose sharp gaze was fixed on him.
"That... He said it was under Empress Marie's guidance. She wanted her position strengthened, so she aided the previous Empress death while Dark Bus used her to Eliminate the Red Knights," Zayn finally said.
As he spoke, Prince Edan looked at him coldly. "So, you are the one spreading lies," he accused, aiming to eliminate him swiftly.
Rumors had already spread about Empress Marie's involvement.
I can't let Mother die, or how will I become Emperor? Prince Edan's thoughts betrayed his self-interest.
Just as he was about to strike, a bolt of lightning materialized in front of Blade and kicked him away.
It was Kyle, the youngest Pillar of the Saharan Empire. "The interrogation is still ongoing," he said coldly before returning to his seat.
No one questioned him, as he was favored by the Emperor himself—even after kicking an Imperial prince.
Prince Edan, after stabilizing himself, was about to yell when the Emperor stopped him.
"Return to your place," the Emperor's voice echoed through the hall, halting Edan in his tracks. Gritting his teeth, the prince lowered his head and returned to his seat.
"You, speak. If your words are without proof, you will be imprisoned for eternity," the Emperor commanded.
Blade gulped, realizing that if his answer failed to satisfy the Emperor, he might not be able to play Satisfy anymore.
"I have proof," Blade declared with confidence.
Duke Limit narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
"Empress Marie conspired with the Yatan Church to kill Empress Aria," Blade continued, braving the suffocating pressure that was now filling the room.
The tension was expected. The Emperor had loved Empress Aria deeply, and her poisoning and death had remained an unsolved mystery.
"You have five seconds to present your proof," the Emperor stated.
Blade nodded and held up a document. "This is the record of transactions between Empress Marie and the Yatan Church," he explained.
"I obtained it after defeating a Yatan Servant who had been controlling Asmophel like a puppet under Empress Marie's orders," he added, revealing the corpse of Dark Bus.
After the battle, he had searched Asmophel's mansion and found the documents in Dark Bus's room—where he had been disguising himself as Dive.
Once again, Kyle stood up, took the paper from Blade, and presented it to the Emperor, while also inspecting Dark Bus's body himself.
The Emperor read the document, his anger surging. Clenching the paper tightly, he commanded, "Drag this woman to the Abyss!"
Empress Marie, who had remained silent all this time due to the overwhelming pressure, was finally released from its hold. She gasped for air before desperately protesting, "I am innocent! He must have forged those documents!"
She staggered forward, pleading, but the Emperor merely cast a cold gaze upon her. His thoughts were clouded—first by guilt over Empress Aria, the woman he had loved yet failed to save, and then by regret over his friend Piaro, whom he had betrayed. He had ordered Piaro's execution and the slaughter of his entire family, only to later realize his terrible mistake.
Now, as the weight of his past sins bore down on him, his eyes darkened with resolve. "Take her away," he ordered once more.
Black Knights nodded as they grabbed her and began to drag her away amidst her faliling.
"Curse you, you bastard!!" Empress Marie's screams echoed through the hall as she was dragged away.
The Emperor turned his gaze toward Blade and spoke solemnly, "You have done a great service to the Empire...."
However, before the tension could settle, a Duke suddenly interjected, "I don't think this weakling might have even done anything"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake. The Emperor's cold stare locked onto him, and a terrifying pressure weighed down on his body. He felt as though his very life was slipping from his grasp.
"Did you just interrupt me?" the Emperor asked, his voice like a blade cutting through the air.
Kyle, the Emperor's most trusted right-hand man, turned his sharp gaze toward the trembling Duke Diworth.
Feeling the piercing intensity of their stares, Duke Diworth immediately fell to his knees. "I have sinned, Your Majesty! Please forgive me!"
Under normal circumstances, Emperor Juander might have overlooked such a mistake. But right now, his rage was at its peak.
"If you make a mistake, you must pay for it," the Emperor declared.
Without hesitation, he gestured, and in an instant, a crimson light flashed. The next moment, Duke Diworth collapsed to the ground, clutching his lower face—his jaw had been severed cleanly.
"You will no longer speak without thinking," the Emperor stated coldly.
Kyle silently noted the Emperor's command and signalled for the guards. Without a word, Duke Diworth was dragged away from the throne room, leaving behind only a trail of blood.
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