Chapter 41 - The Same Kind

Ferda had a dream.

It was not a vague and jumbled sequence, but a dream of reminiscence based on his memories.

Something that had happened to Ferda at some point in time.

However, it was so trivial that he had simply left it neglected in the far reaches of his memory.

The scenery of that trivial memory began on a balcony.

Beyond the balcony, black smoke was rising from all over the inside of the Empire's walls.

The bomb that the Empire had been harboring had finally exploded, and the march of rebellion was taking place everywhere.

There was a woman watching all of it.

The woman was standing on the balcony railing, looking down at it like someone who had lost her mind.

Just like a woman of tragic fate.

["The Empire is burning. So very brightly..."]

Ferda quietly stared at the woman.

["Are you happy now?"]

A question directed at Ferda.

It was mixed with resentment, as if this had all happened because of Ferda.

Ferda let out a scoff at her sheer audacity.

["They are dying because of you, Olivia Arken. If you had not stepped forward, they wouldn't have had to suffer like that."]

Olivia Arken.

The greatest beauty in the Empire, and a devout believer of Altes.

She, who was called the crystallization of purity, was the very mastermind who had thrust a blade into the Empire.

If she had not led it, there would have been no screams echoing inside the massive castle walls.

["I thought it would succeed."]

She spoke in a faint voice.

["If I lured out my second brother and incited the people... Yes, it was something that could easily have been done. If that had happened, the rebellion would have ended effortlessly."]

She turned her head.

With blue eyes and blonde hair, Olivia Arken was smiling brightly.

["But... an absurd man like you destroyed the balance."]

However, unlike that bright smile, bright red stains had settled on her face.

It was blood.

It was not Olivia's blood.

It was the blood of the owner of this room, the 1st Prince, who was lying dead on the bed with his pants awkwardly pulled down.

He had met his end by the dagger held in her hand.

The 1st Prince had died by Olivia's hands.

Since the 2nd Prince had become a traitor, he would be publicly executed if this rebellion failed.

And Olivia...

Would not die.

["Instead, I will become His Majesty the Emperor's plaything. I'll be put up in some cheap auction house, using my body as a hostage to secure loyalty."]

Just like my lovely older sister did.

Olivia muttered so quietly it couldn't be heard.

["So I will make a proposal."]

Olivia held out her hand.

The tight-fitting silk glove was beyond stained red; it was dripping bright red blood.

["Before I am put up in such a filthy auction house... would you like to hold me?"]

Ferda did not reply.

He wasn't conflicted; it just wasn't even worth answering.

Olivia, who had been holding her hand out for a long time, gave up.

["As expected, you... hate me, don't you?"]

She was right.

Ferda hated Olivia.

He had felt it clearly when he first saw her, and every time they crossed paths.

["What is the reason?"]

That emotion was not created from Ferda forcing out hatred or built upon something like jealousy.

["You are similar to me."]

It was a disgust born from a sense of being the same kind.

Ferda hated the Rosnova family that had driven him out.

And Olivia hated her own blood relatives.

Her life, which so closely resembled his own, brought out a feeling of repulsion in Ferda.

Perhaps from that moment, Ferda might have unconsciously realized that he was in the wrong.

["I see. Because we are the same, are we doomed to run in parallel worlds forever?"]

Olivia resigned herself.

Even so, the smile that had settled on her face did not fade.

That smile was Olivia's mask.

A thick mask created to hide the grudge and murderous intent forged through even more years than Ferda had endured.

It was something that would never shatter, even in the moment of her death.

["It's a shame. I thought it would be fine if it was you."]

Her smile contorted sadly.

["Truly."]

Olivia's body tilted backward.

She threw her body down toward the burning Empire below.

* * *

When Ferda opened his eyes again, an unfamiliar and ornate ceiling welcomed him.

As he tilted his head, the sight of the imperial palace entered his vision.

Along with the royal guards lining the walls and a commander-level knight.

"Oh my, you've woken up?"

A sweet voice greeted Ferda.

The blonde woman closed the book she was reading and offered a smile.

Olivia Arken.

Befitting the greatest beauty in the Empire, just her smile made it seem as if dozens of bouquets of flowers were wrapping around her.

Ferda raised his body and asked her.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Hmm, it's been about 3 hours."

"3 hours..."

It was strange.

For having been out for only 3 hours, his body felt far too refreshed.

He had never once felt this way when receiving treatment from Luri.

"By any chance, is this your first time receiving treatment from our Order of Altes?"

"Yes."

"Fufu, I thought so. The priests within the imperial palace are all bishop-level figures. When they heal using His light, you can move as if you've gained a brand-new body."

"I see."

The reason he marveled at it was because, in his previous life, Ferda had never once entrusted his treatment to someone else.

He trusted no one; he would rather die than let someone lay their hands on his body.

'So this is why a priest's healing is considered the best.'

He wondered what it would be like to bring a resident priest like this into the castle.

"According to the reports from the rescue teams..."

Olivia shifted the topic to the sealed warehouse.

"It stated that the magical investigator, Mr. Yuren, was dead and that you, the Regent, were heavily injured."

"Yes."

"I don't know the exact details, but they said a grimoire of ice illusions was found on Yuren's body, and his skin color had changed—a trait that occurs in Marbas's contractors. Did he succumb to a demon's temptation?"

Ferda nodded his head.

"That's right."

"I see... To think an investigator would fall for a demon's lure... You were lucky to survive."

Olivia gave a profound look and gently placed her hand on Ferda's hand.

Ferda quietly looked down at her hand.

Even though Ferda's hand was small, unbecoming of a son from a knightly family, her hand was even slenderer and smaller.

"Just as you said, the magical investigator Yuren was corrupted and attacked me."

Ferda lifted his eyes and looked at her.

"However, the cause and effect are wrong."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He didn't attack me because he was corrupted. He intended to kill me from the start, and he didn't hesitate to even embrace corruption to do so."

"Umm... Are you saying he meant to kill the Regent from the very beginning?"

Her eyes wavered as if she was struggling to understand.

But Ferda knew.

That she already fully understood this situation.

Because the only one who desired this was Olivia.

"Yes. He let me into the sealed warehouse to attack me in the first place."

"Why?"

"To kill me. So he could create an excuse that he had to kill me because I failed to resist the temptations of the sealed warehouse."

At those words, Olivia's eyes went wide.

"To kill a person... To commit such a cruel act? What could he possibly gain from killing the Regent?"

"Who knows."

Ferda smiled softly and asked her.

"Would you kindly enlighten me?"

Olivia's face stiffened for a moment.

Their blue eyes stared at each other for a long while.

It was more than just meeting each other's gaze; they were waging a battle within those eyes, probing each other's intentions.

While silently staring at each other for a long time, Olivia raised her hand.

"Knight Captain."

"Yes."

"May I have a private conversation for a moment? I wish for us to be alone."

"Alone... you say?"

"Yes. Just the two of us."

The Knight Captain made a troubled expression.

Olivia looked at the Knight Captain with moist, pleading eyes.

"Please?"

Seeing those eyes, the Knight Captain blushed as if possessed and nodded his head.

"Understood. We will do as the Princess wishes."

"Thank you, truly..."

The royal guards stationed in the room filed out in a swarm.

The blue eyes that had held moisture toward the Knight Captain blinked once.

In that instant, the flower of the Empire, the crystallization of purity, vanished all at once.

"You think..."

Olivia's buoyant voice sank surprisingly low.

She transformed so drastically that even Ferda instinctively felt goosebumps.

"You think I was the one who instigated Yuren to assassinate the Regent?"

She was a perceptive woman.

It wasn't merely a prejudice born of her reputation; she was genuinely brilliant.

Ferda had expected her to naturally bicker and vaguely gloss over it.

Yet in this situation where the fuse was practically lit, she gave Ferda the optimal answer.

For him, who had planned to demand accountability and overturn everything, he had ironically been struck back.

"This is my first time conversing with someone like this. Especially a man."

"So, will you tell me, Princess?"

Ferda heavily emphasized his tone in a sarcastic manner.

Olivia no longer smiled foolishly either.

"First off, it is true that I have a connection with Yuren. He did a lot of things for me."

A magical investigator could freely enter and exit the sealed warehouse.

Forbidden magic, dark magic, and dangerous information were stored there.

Among that information were things that could be considered the Empire's shameful secrets and weaknesses.

"But if I say that Yuren's actions were an aberration caused by excessive loyalty... will you believe my words?"

"I was on the verge of death just a moment ago."

As if he would believe that.

Olivia calmly nodded her head.

"I once spoke with him about this. About what could deal a massive blow to this Empire, or more precisely, what could shake the Emperor's authority. How we could..."

She smiled gently, like a young girl harboring a long-held dream.

It was an expression that welled up from her purest emotions.

"...kill the Emperor."

If it had been an ordinary person, they would have felt a chill at her seemingly twisted expression of emotion.

However, Ferda sympathized with her.

There was a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Yes, using the Grand Duchess was one of the scenarios I had in mind. She was already deeply disappointed in the Arken family once, wasn't she? If she were to be disappointed one more time, it would be hard for the Emperor to survive even if he bowed his head."

"Then it would be perfect if I died."

"Not at all."

She subtly leaned her face forward.

A delicate, unobtrusive perfume wafted over like her natural scent.

"And even now, facing you like this, I am convinced that plan was wrong."

"How so?"

"Because you hate me, Regent."

Her insight, veiled beneath the charming fullness under her eyes, shone brightly blue.

"I can feel it. That you despise me from deep within. From the very first moment we met. Not that you hate showing your emotions like a child, but that you genuinely hate me..."

She smiled radiantly.

"You must not like pure women, do you? Women who are a bit empty-headed and can't do anything on their own. Men always seemed to fall head over heels for women like that, though."

Ferda did not answer.

Olivia pulled her face back, as if she hadn't particularly wanted an answer either.

"There are plenty of people willing to bend over backwards to please me. But there is no one who actually looks at me for who I am."

Ferda hated her.

That was why he did not fall for her gestures or conversational skills, stubbornly seeing her exactly as she was.

"I need someone like that. A partner, not a slave."

"A slave would be more convenient, wouldn't it?"

"To me, Yuren was a slave. A slave's excessive loyalty always causes problems. They often get ahead of themselves, trying to please me by doing things they weren't even ordered to do."

Olivia sighed as if her head ached.

"Some local noble sold all his property to bring me a million roses, just to prove himself."

The romantic of the century.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know. I had him executed right away, before I even asked for his name."

And the most pathetic bastard.

"I don't want someone who sells their castle and sells their territory's people into slavery just because they want me. They're ultimately useless when it comes to my true goal."

On the surface, it sounded as if she were speaking for the sake of the commoners.

But Ferda knew.

Olivia would incite a rebellion that would cause many people to be killed and injured.

"And yet you tried to cultivate the Empire's Dark Mages?"

"Oh my, were you suspecting me of that too?"

She blinked while covering her mouth.

Of course.

Because she was someone who wished for the Empire to fall.

"Hmm... I feel a bit hurt hearing you say that. In that case, it can't be helped. I just have to show you how sincere I am, right?"

She dropped her head toward her hand, which was resting on Ferda's hand.

Mana circulated from Olivia's body.

As the mana circulated, she skillfully gathered it along her right arm.

At that moment, something astonishing happened.

Ferda could clearly see the evidence.

A white, glowing crest was engraved on the back of her hand.

"Do you know what this is?"

"... It's a holy mark."

A god's holy mark.

When a believer of the Order makes an absolute vow, the god bestows a blessing that grants the bearer immense power.

Because it grants such immense power, it is not given lightly, but is instead manifested based on intense desire and qualification.

"This is a crest called the Vow of Vengeance. According to the doctrines of Altes, vengeance is not to be directed at those beneath the light, but rather against those who fulfill their selfish desires and go against the will of the light."

The targets of her protection were the commoners.

And the targets of her vengeance were the Emperor and her brothers.

Those words were, in essence, proof that she had no connection to Dark Mages either.

If she had roped in a Dark Mage, her holy mark would never shine that brightly.

"There are so many agitators being framed as Dark Mages these days that the essence of it has blurred, but Dark Mages are pest-like scum. I don't even want to use them."

"I see."

"And if I had wanted the imperial family to fall, I wouldn't have used a shallow trick like employing Dark Mages. Letting Dark Mages run wild would only hurt the citizens, and if the citizens get hurt, it would only strengthen the Emperor's power."

Olivia fiddled with her lips as she laid out her theories.

"If there is someone who benefits from Dark Mages entering the picture... it would likely be my second brother."

"You mean the 2nd Prince."

"Yes. He is the one who most desires the military to be strengthened. The reason he goes on subjugation campaigns is also to gather more military forces. Just by raising the necessity of external forces entering, there will be no way to stop him from bringing the connections he's made inside."

Listening to Olivia, Ferda was once again amazed by the depth of her thoughts.

Even though he knew she wasn't as foolish as she looked, it still surprised him.

He also felt certain that if he hadn't been lingering around the Empire, she truly would have killed the Emperor.

"Anyway, to prove it, I will use my power to ensure you aren't held responsible for Yuren's death. I will also take care of the books that were lost during your battle. As long as I keep proving myself like this going forward, won't that be enough?"

As expected, this woman already knew.

The fact that Ferda had also approached the sealed warehouse because he had an ulterior motive.

"Does someone bearing a holy mark simply let a potential Dark Mage go?"

"Oh my? The God of Light, Altes, prefers certainty over suspicion. Since we don't even know how it leaked, recklessly doubting the Regent, who devotes himself to the subjects, goes against the doctrine."

In other words, she was saying she simply wouldn't dig into it.

"So please, could you cooperate with me going forward?"

Olivia Arken proposed.

"I know that the local lords do not like the Emperor's actions. Among them, the neglected far east has a particularly deep rift. I believe the Regent feels the same way. If you cooperate with me, I, Olivia Arken, will throw my weight behind support and a voice for the far east."

Strength entered their overlapped hands.

A sensuous allure was added to her face.

"I am sure we can be good partners, or perhaps even more."

The light of temptation deepened.

He could understand, just a little, why men were so helpless against women.

Even knowing that this was a calculated act, she naturally drew out a man's instincts.

"Understood. Then I will be the one to use my power this time."

"Thank you. But... use your power?"

At the same time as Olivia's question, the hallway began to grow noisy.

"Intruder alert! A Level 1 alarm has been issued! Everyone, enter combat readiness!"

'They got here fast.'

Ferda pulled his hand out from beneath Olivia's and got up from the bed.