TYND 12

TL: Motokare

The emperor groaned, clutching his forehead in pain, the captain of the Imperial Guards quickly stepped forward, offering him a headache pill and a bottle of water. He swallowed the pill and exhaled a heavy sigh. 

Harrié bit down on his lower lip, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

Does he think we’re heartless enough to feel nothing about experimenting on children…?!

PLEIN mages aren’t people who were devoid of conscience. But for the mages, there was something greater at stake—a higher cause. If the sacrifice could save many, then their consciences could be set aside—temporarily. 

Just then, the entire room’s attention snapped to a sudden movement. Theon had risen from his seat, holding Rothy with one arm. For him, it was simply easier to lift the child who was still clutching his sleeve. But to the watching mages, it was something altogether different—a display of possessiveness over the living magic stone from the archduke, one that seemed to defy even the emperor’s authority. 

He’s a Northerner through and through. Once something’s in his grasp, he’ll never let go……

Theon sat back down, settling Rothy onto his solid thighs. The child was as stiff as a board, his fingers still gripping Theon’s sleeve with a white-knuckled hold. Meanwhile, Theon’s muscular arm was wrapped around Rothy’s waist, holding him close in an awkward embrace that neither seemed willing to break. 

The scene struck a peculiar chord in the room, a mixture of discomfort and unspoken questions hanging in the air. 

“Lord Yolone’s final words were, ‘I will carry all the sins with me’. Doesn’t that imply he didn’t wish for the research to continue?” Theon said bluntly. 

Harrié collected himself at Theon’s remark and swiftly rebutted, 

“If Lord Yolone didn’t want his experiments to continue, then why did he leave behind his research journal? Why didn’t he just burn them?”

“Have you deciphered the entire journal?” Theon’s tone was cold, unrelenting. 

“How can you be so sure it contains the secrets of the magic stone research when you’ve only translated a few pages?”

“Those first few pages explicitly describe how he found the magic stone and named it Rothy. It’s obvious where the rest of the research leads.” 

“If he really wanted the research to continue, he would’ve entrusted his findings to someone before his death rather than leaving behind cryptic notes.” 

Harrié bristled, ready to argue further. 

“Your Grace, you’re a knight, not a mage. You don’t understand the way tower mages think. They are… for a lack of better word, significantly lacking in the social skills required to communicate their findings to others.”

“Enough! Do you realise who you’re bickering in front of?”

The emperor’s voice cut through the rising tension like a knife, irritation clear in his tone. A scuffle between the archduke and anyone else was already borderline insubordinate, but to do so in the emperor’s presence was beyond disrespectful. At once, Harrié lowered his head in submission. 

“I’ll give this matter some more thought over the next few days. Harrié, I won’t approach this solely from a humanitarian standpoint, so don’t be so impatient. Just wait.”

“……Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

For now, he’d have no choice but to back down.

Faye Tilte’s human experiments were deemed even more abominable than dark magic. To push further would only cause the others to doubt his devotion to Seará. But even if the emperor decided against continuing the research into the living magic stone today, there was always the possibility of reversing that decision in the future. 

All I need to do is to create a situation where he has no choice but to change his mind.

“And as for you, Archduke,” the emperor turned to Theon. 

“I dislike giving orders to a man who’s scheduled to leave the capital tomorrow, but I can’t risk more people becoming aware of this situation. So, you’ll have to search the Magic Tower one last time. If there are any remnants of Faye’s experiments, report them to me immediately. And if you find any children’s remains… we should at least hold a memorial service for them.”

“I’ll extend my departure by two days.”

This meant delaying his return to the North by just a day. 

“Only two days?”

Theon merely raised an eyebrow in response. 

“You’re really a heartless man. Look how much Rothy relies on you.”

The child, still awkwardly nestled against Theon’s solid frame, flinched as if struck, curling in on himself like a guilty criminal. The emperor’s gaze softened with pity. 

The Black Lion Knights, all hailing from the frigid North, were unlike their emotionless liege. They were suffering greatly from homesickness. Some had been away for over a year, others as long as five. They’d all eagerly awaited their return, only for it to be abruptly postponed. It was a situation ripe for complaints, but while there were playful grumbles, not one of them dared to defy Theon. 

“Well, well… if it’s the will of our archduke, there must be a deeper reason behind it.”

The loyalty they held for Theon was unshakeable. Even if their return was delayed by another year, they’d follow his commands without question. 

In Araxys, where the constant battles with the offspring of Maton were the norm, every noble house maintained its own order of knights. Archduke Crowe and Archduke Les each commanded hundreds of knights, but the Black Lion Knights of Falsen counted only fifty-three. However, they were hailed as the most formidable knight order in the empire’s history. 

Knights who wielded aura were classified into four ranks based on their prowess: Aura User, Aura Consumer^[1], Aura Controller, and finally the Aura Master. 

An Aura user was equivalent to five ordinary knights, an Aura Consumer to ten, an Aura Controller to a hundred, and an Aura Master was said to match the strength of a thousand regular knights. Even reaching the level of Aura User was considered an impressive feat, but every single one of the fifty-three Black Lion Knights were Aura Controllers. 

Furthermore, the lord they served was one of the only three Aura Masters in the entire empire, solidifying their reputation as the empire’s most elite knights in existence. Their combat prowess was so overwhelming that they even surpassed the strength of the emperor’s personal guards. It was fortunate that every one of these knights had sworn an oath of loyalty to the emperor. If even one had not, they’d have been the first target of elimination after the war. 

Yet, for all their magnificence…… 

“We’ve searched the entire day and still found nothing. At this point, I’m starting to think there really is no hidden chamber.”

“No, it just shows how exceptional Yolone Sirin’s magic was.”

“Come on, all of us are Aura Controllers. If we can’t sense it, and even His Grace hasn’t found anything, it’s pretty clear there’s no secret chamber.”

“It’s already been confirmed that one exists. Quit grumbling and keep searching.”

“Yessir.”

At the knight-captain’s firm order, the vice-captain resumed climbing the tower’s stairs. By now, night had already crept in, and though these were men who’d once dominated the battlefield and delayed their long-awaited return home to spend the entire day combing the tower, they found no sign of the elusive laboratory. The archmage had hidden it well, perhaps too well. 

“Your Grace, the preparations are complete,” Zey called out to Theon who was inspecting the outer wall of the tower. When he gave no acknowledgement, Zey let out a quiet sigh. 

“Your Grace, the Holy Priest’s waiting for you. This is by the emperor’s command.”

“Continue the search……”

“Yessir.”

Leaving the search in Zey’s capable hand, Theon made his way to the chapel inside the imperial palace. Every soul in Araxys worshipped Seará. To say that ninety-nine percent of the population were followers of Seará wouldn’t be an exaggeration. However, Theon was one of the rare one percent in Araxys who didn’t believe in Seará. He’d doubted whether Seará was truly protecting Araxys, and the emperor always lamented this. Not for Theon, but for Seará. 

How tragic it is that a person living by Seará’s grace can’t appreciate the blessing given to him… This won’t do. I’ll have to instil some faith in you, even if it’s by force.

And so, the emperor had made it his mission to ‘guide’ Theon toward faith. Every time he prayed, he insisted Theon joined him in the devotions. 

This time was no exception……

“Before you leave the capital, offer a prayer to Seará. You’ve never prayed in a proper chapel, have you? Who knows, perhaps a prayer in the right place might get an answer from Seará. I’ll let the Holy Priest know in advance. And remember, this is an imperial order. Don’t even think about refusing.”

And so, by the emperor’s decree, Theon found himself heading to the chapel. 

The vaulted ceiling painted with the myth of creation, the pillars etched with cradles of the gods, the pristine white walls and meticulously arranged artefacts…… 

For a devout believer, stepping into the chapel would’ve been moved to tears simply by stepping into the chapel, but Theon walked through the cloisters with the same dry, indifferent expression as always.  

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

Inside the chapel, the Holy Priest—the highest-ranking cleric—stood waiting for him. 

Theon approached and knelt before the statue of Seará. The Holy Priest then handed him a vial of holy water. It’d been nearly a decade since Theon had come into contact with holy water, having only ever visited makeshift chapels on the battlefield. He drank a small portion of the holy water and used the remainder to cleanse his hands. Water dripped onto his wristwatch, but he paid it no mind; it’d never once malfunctioned, despite years of harsh conditions. One of the priests opened the wooden door on the far left, gesturing for him to step inside. The prayer room was barely the size of a small cell, barely large enough to accommodate his large frame, leaving the priest momentarily flustered. 

“Your Grace, we can prepare a larger prayer chamber if you prefer.”

“No need. This will do.” 

“Are you certain, Your Grace?”

“It’s perfect.”

“Very well, Your Grace. May your dreams be blessed.”

Theon intended to pray as briefly as possible and leave, which was why he hadn’t wanted to change rooms. As the priest exited, the door closed with a soft click, leaving him in solitude. 

Moonlight spilled gently through the narrow window, casting a pale glow across the cramped chamber. Without a second thought, Theon picked up the small statue of Seará that was in the room. The statue was smooth and polished, its surface unmarred despite having passed through countless hands. Such was the purifying power of the holy water. Theon pressed the statue to his forehead and closed his eyes. 

A prayer……

What prayer could he possibly offer to Seará?

What value lies in praying to a god who mightn’t even watch over them?