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    Chapter 231: Faith and Doubt (1)


    A chaotic situation where nothing seems to make sense.


    However, there was onemon thought that came to people’s minds at the moment.


    The knights wielding those golden swords were not in their right minds.


    Although they moved under the pretext of obeying the Emperor’s orders, there was no sense of self in their eyes.


    Among them, the knights were rtively better off.


    The most iprehensible was undoubtedly the Emperor himself.


    Look at his sturdy and robust figure.


    Who would believe that he was a sickly Emperor lying in bed just this morning?


    At this rate, doesn’t it seem like they are being manipted by some unknown force?


    Otherwise, the Emperor’s current state could not be exined.


    “What, what should we do?”


    “But it’s the Emperor’smand! We must go and support immediately!”


    “Well, yes, but…”


    Some knights were at a loss, ncing at each other and expressing various doubts.


    Seeing this, Jereon, who had been observing the situation, approached them.


    “Your swordsck light.”


    Most of the knights who inherited the power of the Holy Sword were either knights of salvation or seasoned veterans belonging to the Emperor’s army.


    Those who did not receive the power were simply ordinary knights whose abilities fell far shortpared to those who did.


    Those who were manifesting the power of the Holy Sword were not only the Emperor’s army and knights of salvation.


    “Hurry back, Jake!”


    “What’s going on, Bama? Why aren’t you following my orders?”


    “Marinel,e to me immediately!”


    Some nobles were screaming orders.


    On the scene, some knights, who apanied the nobles for negotiations, shed swords in a bid to eliminate assassins, prioritizing their lord’smands over even the Emperor’s decree.


    Strictly speaking, they were knights who must prioritize their lord’smand over the Emperor’s.


    For the nobles, seeing knights who should be willing to die at their lord’smand but instead listening to their words was almost maddening.


    Of course, the swords of these knights also shone brightly with the light of the Holy Sword.


    “What are you all doing?”


    One of the knights of salvation, who was engaged inbat with assassins, shouted at the hesitant knights.


    “We are the knights of salvation who purify the evil in thisnd and maintain peace! Shouldn’t we immediately subdue those troublemakers who are obstructing the establishment of a new order?”


    At this, a knight of the Emperor’s army, also spoke up.


    “The Emperor’smand has been given! Why are you hesitating?”


    “But, but just this morning, the Emperor was…”


    “Do not harbor doubts about such things! We just need to believe in the Emperor’s words and follow his orders! Hold your swords with firm conviction, knights!”


    Some knights, moved by those words, who had hesitated for a long time, picked up their swords and rushed forward.


    But even such a sight seemed awkward to Jereon.


    “Was this what you meant by the power of faith?”


    Unquestioning obedience without any doubt.


    In this way, what difference is there between them and dolls?


    Such blind obedience could never be considered a proper order.


    “Jereon, what should we do?”


    His subordinates, who had rushed over after hearing the situation, demanded instructions from him.


    Fortunately, there were still some knights left, including his subordinates, who did not rashly step forward with doubts about the current situation.


    To them, Jereon turned and said,


    “Let’s try an experiment.”


    His mention of an unexpected experiment puzzled the knights.


    “I won’t force you. But from now on, I intend to approach those assassins and fight alongside them. Only those with a mind should follow me.”


    The knights looked at him with disdainful faces.


    “What are you talking about? Fighting alongside assassins? Why would you do such a thing?”


    “Perhaps to maximize the emotions that are rising in your minds?”


    The knights who did not understand blinked their eyes.


    “What we need now is not faith, but doubt. Why do we have to fight those assassins? Why are they doing such things? If we continue to question…”


    Jereon raised his sword with a determined look.


    “We can get closer to the truth of this situation.”


    In his eyes, there was a strong determination to resolve a question that had been buried for decades in this ce.


    * * *


    The knights, unleashing the power of the Holy Sword to its fullest, faced the assassins.


    Without hesitation, Cyan rushed towards Aschel as soon as the battle began.


    Who could think of participating in such a fiercepetition?


    As she knew that she couldn’t intervene in that area, Arin turned her gaze to face her opponent.


    “…”


    Facing Arin with an unwavering gaze was Emperor Dionne.


    Just looking at him made her heart heavy, and her hands holding the sword trembled like a bamboo in the wind.


    Why does such a situation have to happen?


    To have to point a sword at the Emperor, her most beloved and respected figure, her father,


    For Arin, there had never been such a tragedy.


    As if trying to forget that lingering feeling, Arin quickly lifted her head.


    The Emperor is not in his normal state right now.


    Surely, he is being moved by a power artificially injected, rather than his own.


    She had to calm him down before things got worse.


    The only one who could do that role was none other than herself,


    Arin believed without doubt.


    “Watch my back, Ressimus!”


    “Yes, Your Highness!”


    Arin shouted with all her might and rushed straight towards the Emperor.


    -ng!


    It was a sincere strike without a hint of hesitation, but the Emperor effortlessly blocked it.


    Although momentarily surprised by the unexpectedly solid feeling, Arin continued her relentless assault.


    -ng! ng!


    With Ressimus joining forces, they showed a fierce momentum with synchronized attacks, but,


    “….”


    The Emperor countered all their strikes without taking a step back.


    It wasn’t magic or the power of the Holy Sword.


    It was the inherent power the Emperor possessed.


    The Emperor had exceptional skill from the start, being able to withstand a 2-on-1 battle with just swordsmanship alone was a testament to that.


    “What are you doing, Arin?”


    Opening the distance for a moment, the Emperor opened his mouth and asked the bewildered duo.


    “I want to ask you the same! Just this morning, weren’t you lying in bed, gravely ill? Unless you’ve been hiding your strength all this time, how can you show yourself like this?”


    “If I don’t act, the Empire, and even the continent, will be engulfed in chaos. To prevent that, I have no choice but to act. Even if…”


    The Emperor nced at the hand opposite the one holding the sword.


    A sharp trembling despite desperate control.


    It was a kind of symptom showing that he was not in full condition.


    “Even if there is a risk of falling here today…”


    But the Emperor clenched his fist as if to ept it.


    Arin passionately appealed to convince the Emperor.


    “Your Majesty, you are misunderstanding something! They are not beings causing chaos in the continent! Even if you wait a little longer to judge what is the truth…”


    “I don’t have time for that, Arin.”


    The Emperor’s returned answer was truly firm.


    “I don’t have much time left to protect this Empire as the Emperor. That’s why my body has to move first, not my mind.”


    With an unwavering gaze, the Emperor aimed his sword at Arin.


    “So don’t try to persuade me. Even if your beliefs are correct, you must prove them not with words but with actions! If you still want to prove that your beliefs are right, you must show it with your actions! Can you defeat me here, Arin?”


    “…!”


    “Can you take my ce if you defeat me?”


    Arin couldn’t bring herself to answer yes.


    “Unprepared beliefs are nothing more than stubbornness! With such a heart, you can never be the Emperor!”


    With that, the Emperor rushed towards Arin.


    Arin quickly took a defensive stance,


    -ng!


    Unable to withstand the Emperor’s fearsome strength, she was thrown backward in mid-air and fell to the ground.


    “Your Highness!”


    Ressimus hurriedly rushed to her and intercepted the Emperor’s sword.


    Arin rolled two times in the air and quickly got up from the ground.


    ‘Is His Majesty really…?’


    Actually, there was no wrong word to speak of.


    Helping Cyan in the current situation ultimately goes against the will of the royal family and the Empire.


    Thus, Arin had to prove that the act was not wrong.


    Through action, not through clumsy persuasion.


    Since an Emperor should never take anything lightly,


    One must always be prepared to bear everything and sacrifice.


    To say one wants to be an Emperor without even having that in ce,


    It’s nothing more than childish stubbornness.


    Once again, with a determined heart, Arin aimed her sword at the Emperor.


    “His Majesty’s words are correct! Unprepared beliefs are nothing more than stubbornness! So I’ll show you! My prepared belief!”


    Seven years of effort that came running to help Cyan.


    Arin unleashed not the power of the Holy Sword, but all the mana dormant within her.


    -Wheeing


    A silver aura emanated from the sword in response to mana.


    It wasn’t for Cyan’s sake.


    This was not born from a desire to save Cyan, but from Arin’s own desire to be Emperor.


    Now was the time to prove her determination before the Emperor.


    With her preparationsplete, Arin immediately rushed towards the Emperor.


    “….”


    The Emperor, too, prepared to defend himself by manifesting the power of the Holy Sword that had been suppressed for a moment.


    Stay still.


    Do nothing.


    No one had ever shown her a different path.


    Except one person.


    Only Cyan had shown Arin the path to bing an Emperor.


    Whether it was possible or not,


    Arin had relentlessly pursued her first goal.


    The Emperor regarded Arin with admiration, advising her not to overextend herself and to try everything she could.


    But that was just good advice to hear.


    Now, the Emperor spoke not of advice but the harsh reality she must face to be Emperor.


    If she was not prepared even a little bit, she would be struck down by the Emperor’s sword before she could even reach him.


    Knowing this herself,


    Arin poured all she had into wielding her sword towards the Emperor.


    -ng!


    With a clear crack, a single sword shot up into the air.


    The sword fell to the ground without power, and the bright glow gradually faded away.


    “Haa, haa….”


    Arin, having exerted all her strength, breathed heavily.


    In a precarious state where a slight touch could cause her to copse, she struggled desperately using her mental strength.


    The Emperor said nothing.


    All that could be heard was herbored breathing.


    Arin slowly raised her head.


    “….”


    The Emperor was looking down at her with the same unchanged expression as before.


    But there was nothing in his hands.


    In contrast, Arin still held the silver-glowing sword in her hand.


    She had done it.


    She had disarmed the Emperor.


    She had proven her determination to be Emperor to the Emperor.


    The Emperor’s mouth, which had been a straight line, finally curved into a half-moon.


    “Good job, Arin.”


    A brief word that needed no other.


    With that single word,


    -Thud


    The Emperor fell weakly into Arin’s arms.


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