* * *

“You’ve got guts. And balls. They say there’s a difference between bold and reckless, and you were bold.”

There was no trace of criticism in Derek’s tone, but Cadel couldn’t help but feel a twinge of trepidation, whether it was because his future depended on the man in front of him, or because of the grim atmosphere of this unused basement.

The captain of the Emperor’s guard blindfolded him with a cloth while leading him to the basement. This kept him in a state of fear the entire trip. When the cloth was lowered, he wondered how he should react if what he saw was the gallows.

Luckily, there were no gallows, but it was still a space where it would not be surprising if the Emperor took his life at any moment.

「Analyzing recorded achievements. It will take 10 minutes until the quest results are available.」

Cadel took a slow breath as he studied the system window that popped up in the corner of his vision. He’d preferred to face the Emperor after seeing the results of his quest, but now there was nowhere to run.

“I didn’t want to just sit in prison and wither away.”

“If you had just run away and left the Empire, you could have lived a long life. Why did you come back?”

“If I had hoped for a long life, I would not have set foot in the Empire in the first place.”

There was a resolute determination that seemed disturbing to Derek in his eyes. He quietly looked into Cadel’s brown eyes that shimmered in the torchlight.

“Why have you returned? Why have you defended the Empire? There is no one here to defend you anymore.”

“……I wanted to come back.”

“Are you saying whim is the reason?”

“I wanted to come back to the Empire and get a chance.”

“……A chance.”

For Cadel, all of these actions were nothing more than the ‘will to live’. The Emperor’s existence, the family’s karma, they were all just a backdrop to a story that was unfolding, so there was no heart in it.

But now, more than ever, he wanted to understand ‘Cadel Lytos’.

Why did Cadel Lytos in the game visit the Empire? He said he came to live, to see the end of the story, but he was not Cadel Lytos.

He tried to gauge ‘Cadel Lytos’ true feelings, even though he had never experienced it, and tried to act like him. Cadel knelt down on one knee on the cold stone floor as if to show respect and looked at Derek with a determined face.

“Give Lytos a chance, Your Majesty, to defend the Empire once again.”

Was it because the remarks that came out of Cadel’s mouth were unexpected? Derek’s hardened eyes briefly trembled. He looked away from Cadel, who was kneeling, and suddenly let out a laugh.

“Returning to defend the country that wiped out your family? That’s sloppy. You really think I can believe that?”

“Your Majesty is the one who killed my grandparents, parents, and brothers.”

“Yes. I ordered that. How dare the person who protects me attempt to assassinate the Imperial family? That betrayal could not be paid for by any price.”

“Yes. So it’s not the Empire.”

“……What?”

“The Empire has never killed my flesh and blood. Your Majesty rules the Empire, but you cannot bend its myriad wills to your will. The Empire is yours, but at the same time not yours.”

That’s a pretty cocky thing to say.

His voice was chuckling, but his expression was cold. However, Cadel was undeterred.

“Just as the Empire is not Your Majesty, one Jenga Lytos cannot be the entire Lytos. His will and wishes do not represent all of Lytos.”

“But you share the same blood.”

“Your Majesty, since we are of the same blood, do you think we have the same intentions?”

“If I say yes, how do you answer that?”

“I would reply that it would be okay since I’m only a half-blood.”

He was brash. He was cocky and confident, and despite his seemingly fearlessness, there was a deep conviction in his demeanor. Derek didn’t know if Cadel was telling the truth, but he did know that he was not fooling around.

All the more so.

Derek let out a sigh that sounded more like a groan and smoothed the wall of the basement.

“Do you know where this is?”

“……Isn’t it the Imperial Palace’s basement?”

“This is where Jenga Lytos died. I killed him with my own hands. Since his death, no one has entered this basement. ……Even me.”

Where the Emperor killed Jenga Lytos.

Hearing that, the already dreary air sank even more eerily. But Cadel did not tremble. Even if the Emperor had said that he brought Cadel here to kill him like Jenga Lytos, he would tremble no more.

Because.

「Performance analysis complete! Quest results are derived based on an 87% chance of success.」

「Congratulations! You have completed the main quest ‘The Beginning of the Invasion’!」

「A new title [Guardian of the Gate] has been acquired.」

「Attribute points increased by 10.」

「You have obtained the rare item [Demon Bone Powder (Small)].」

「The requirements for the main quest ‘Knight of the Empire’ have been fulfilled. Follow the Emperor’s orders and perform the Knighting Ceremony.」

The Emperor would not kill Cadel Lytos.

Derek clenched his sagging hands into fists, as if mulling over the lingering memories of the past. His gaze was fixed on Cadel, but it was not Cadel he saw in it.

He was silent for a long moment before he spoke.

“What do you want to get out of this?”

The eyes that had become cloudy became bright again. The initial solemnity in his voice was gone, and there was even a strange sense of anticipation in his voice.

When Cadel didn’t have a straight answer, Derek asked again.

“It’s not just about protecting the Empire. You wouldn’t have risked your life to defend the Empire, so scrape your insides and lay them before me.”

He had thoroughly scraped away his inner thoughts, and all that remained was the ‘need to survive’. He could not tell the truth, however, that he had come to become a hero of the world through the fierce battle against the demons that lay ahead.

Unless the other person was a special being like Hyron, it was very risky to carelessly reveal information about the future.

In the end, once again, he was forced to infer a plausible answer from the sum total of what he knew about Cadel Lytos.

“Broken family, shattered honor. Allow me to restore it.”

“……You want to see the comeback of the Lytos.”

“I’ll do anything to expiate my sins. I’ll wander the battlefields for the rest of my life if you ask me to. I’m a pretty good magician for a half-blood, so I’m sure I can be of use, please use me.”

The first goal of Cadel in the game was to become a hero. His second was to raise up his fallen family, so his search for the Empire was closely tied to his love for his family.

Derek nodded slightly as if he knew he’d picked the right answer.

“I hear you played a big role in this battle. I’m sure you’ll come in handy. ……However.”

Lytos was a traitor to the Empire, and the moment the existence of his surviving bloodline rose to the surface of the Empire, not only Cadel, but also the Emperor who appointed him would be in the spotlight.

Not only that, but the Imperial family could have been made a laughing stock for reaching out to a family that had threatened them. Authority lost was hard to rebuild.

It was a delicate matter. There was only one way for Cadel to live, but Derek had dozens of ways and reasons to deal with him. Even if it became a little noisy, there would be less regret if he got rid of Cadel in advance.

But as Cadel had known, Derek didn’t choose his death.

“Only after you have proven your loyalty will you speak of the name Lytos. I don’t think you need to hide the name Cadel, but that’s it. It’s up to me to decide whether or not to paint the House of Lytos into your background. You say you’ve returned to defend the Empire, and I can’t argue with that.”

“If so…….”

“Become my knight and carry out your mission. I will give you grueling missions and put you in danger again and again.”

A vague longing hovered above his dark, jet-black eyes. Derek met Cadel’s unwavering gaze and breathed out a secret promise.

“If you make it through, I’ll give it back to you. Your broken family, your shattered honor.”