Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 453



Only Noblemtl

453. Kaya’s Breath (2)

Before the fall of Ortona, Greta was born into a commoner family in the capital city of Brindisi. Perhaps thanks to her hard-working parents, her family was not in great poverty from an early age.

Thanks to this, instead of being forced to work early like other children, she was able to find the time to open a book. She also had enough talent to be selected as an academy scholarship student with just a little effort.

-Well done, Greta! I’m sure you’ll get a good job once you graduate from the academy!

-Now our family will be able to get some relief!

On the day she entered the academy, leaving her parents behind who were so happy, she met Prince Benicio and General Gael for the first time. Two people who would change not only her life, but also the fate of the country.

-You’re the commoner who received the scholarship? Welcome to the school! I believe you will be a solid talent who will support Ortona in the future! So what do you think? Why not join our solid group that discusses Ortona’s future day and night?

Prince Benicio, with his dreamy, clear eyes. And-

-You said Greta? You don’t need to take the prince’s words to heart yet. You’re a freshman who just entered the university. So for now, you should focus on your studies, and you can also look for a better club that will help you in the future.

-Wait a minute, Gael! Are you interfering with the recruitment of new students right now?

– But isn’t it true? Even if the prince leaves him alone, this friend’s future is bright. The noble families will compete to take him to a high position, and even if he just becomes a palace administrator, he will be able to rise to a fairly high position.

A senior with a thoughtful gaze and a presence greater than that of Prince Benicio.

-So don’t pay attention to the prince’s eloquent words and just make the choice that’s best for you, Greta.

-Hey, hey! Gael! Are you really doing this?

Gael Bertran. From the day she met the man she admired so much, Greta’s life became entirely for him.

She wanted to follow the direction he was looking, and feel his passion. She wanted to become his hands and feet and follow his every move for as long as she could. Every action and every word he said seemed to her like a more sacred doctrine than the sermons of a priest.

In this way, Greta’s life was caught up in a turbulent time. She lost her parents, who had a simple dream of living comfortably in their later years thanks to their successful daughter, to the royalists, and yet she carried out her duties as a staff member of the republican party until the very end.

Now, after so long, Greta often wondered: Did she really have the values ​​of the Republic in mind at the time? Or was she simply captivated by the brilliance of Gael Bertran, the great hero who would bring a new wind to Ortona?

-Actually, you don’t have to be the spiritual leader of the Republican Party. Just… help this guy live the rest of his life properly.

That day, as he left Prince Benicio and his party in the hands of the mercenary group, General Gael gave Greta this last request. The reason he was secretly taking Benicio, a key figure in the Republican Party, away was only because he was supposed to become the leading spirit that would support the Republican Party in the future.

But the giant tree that had been supporting the front line alone for a long time finally revealed its heavy true feelings to her at the very end.

-Tell them that there is no need to deliberately take on the impossible goal of rebuilding the country in this era.

-warlord……!

-And you too, Greta. Stop trying to be a ghost of a republic and start living for yourself from now on.

But the life she truly wanted was one that fulfilled Gael Bertran’s will. And so, even after his death, Greta is still trying to carry on his will.

That was also the reason why he worked hard and rose to a high position in the guild. To look after Prince Benicio, the close friend whom General Gael wanted to protect more than anyone else. And to rebuild Ortona, the homeland that Gael loved more than anything.

‘however…….’

Ironically, the future of Ortona, who must carry out General Gael’s will, is asking her this.

“Surely not, Guild Master. Have you finally decided to completely turn your back on the Empire… on His Majesty the Holy Emperor?”

Looking at No. 21, who seemed to be betrayed, Greta suddenly let out a bitter smile. Does that child even know what kind of expression she is making right now?

“… That’s a really new question, No. 21. We didn’t join the guild for the Empire in the first place, did we?”

“That’s true, but… … .”

“And wasn’t it the same for you? The reason you stayed by the Holy Emperor’s side was to take his head off whenever you had the chance and avenge Ortona.”

“… … .”

Number 21 keeps his mouth shut and makes a slightly complicated expression.

“And let me be clear. What I’m doing right now is not at all against the will of the Holy Emperor. The guild has handed over the entire information network of the North to the Free Underground, but that doesn’t mean they’ve completely given up on managing it. Therefore, my involvement in Benicio-sama’s activities is nothing more than a matter of coordinating forces that I, as the guild leader, am supposed to do.”

“… But I don’t think you will report properly to His Majesty about that ‘tuning’.”

“Haha, what a naive question, No. 21. Do you really think that Seonghwang doesn’t know what I’m doing?”

Greta looked at the stiff, frozen face of Number 21, who was holding a grin.

“It was none other than myself, the Holy Emperor, who appointed me as the guild master.”

There was no way the Holy Emperor didn’t know about Greta’s origins. Wasn’t he the one who had persuaded the Astros mercenary group, who were planning to head south in the first place, to pull Prince Benicio and his party out of the civil war?

“And he gave the guild relatively free rein in its activities. Consider how he separated the ‘Monkey Watchtower’, which managed the royal family’s information, from the guild and made it a part of the Central Intelligence Agency.”

Yes. Greta was convinced that Sung-hwang had drawn a line between himself and the Guild through that incident. So it must have been expected of him that she would occasionally engage in anti-imperial activities.

It was not an unfounded speculation. If there had been no tacit permission from the Holy Emperor, would the Free Underground have been able to expand its influence in such a short period of time?

“So don’t worry, No. 21. This Greta hasn’t crossed the line of no return yet.”

“… … .”

“And I, as the current leader of the guild, am only here to help a guild member who is in trouble.”

Greta slowly raised her arm and pointed somewhere beyond the cabin.

Number 21 focused his eyes as much as possible in the direction she had pointed. And soon he noticed a small wagon pulled by a pair of mules standing in a field a little way away.

“If you understand, I recommend that you get on that and leave Terre right now.”

“Why?”

“I heard that Lord Benishio already knows that you are the Emperor’s exclusive informant. Then, wouldn’t he be able to guess who you are guarding now that you have left the Imperial Palace?”

And the situation will be the same for the northern assassination group, ‘Kaya’s Breath’, which is currently under Benicio’s personal command.

“I don’t want a big commotion between Nana Benicio and the two groups. I just want to maintain the balance of power and steadily lay the foundation for the reconstruction of Ortona.”

As Greta spoke up to that point, her eyes quickly darkened.

“But I can’t guarantee that you’ll think that way in ‘Kaya’s Breath’.”

“… … !”

* * *

Number 21 ran like crazy towards the inn.

‘Damn it! I shouldn’t have left that person’s side even for a moment!’

I let my guard down for a moment because I was accompanied by the high-ranking knight, Masain, and the princes with outstanding military power. I thought that after spending a day safely at the inn, I would be able to get a carriage and leave this place safely.

But he had to realize that Prince Mores had already attracted too much attention from them.

‘Senior No. 13, who was supposed to be by the prince’s side, was nowhere to be seen all day. I should have thought that was strange a long time ago!’

Number 21, who had already thought of the worst possibilities in his head, was praying earnestly in his heart without realizing it.

‘Please, please stay safe until I arrive, Your Majesty!’

But when No. 21, who had become lost in thought, arrived at the inn, what unfolded before his eyes was an unexpected sight.

Three assassins rolling on the floor, groaning in muffled voices-

“… … !”

A neat boy looking down at them with an indifferent gaze.

“You’re late.”

The boy, Prince Mores, slowly turned around. The boy’s eyes, facing the pale moon, shone coldly as if they were a pair of small moons.

“If you’re going to escort someone, pay attention and do it properly.”

Even just by eyeballing it, the assassins’ skills didn’t seem that bad. But the young prince had them at his feet so naturally.

Number 21 asked, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart.

“Could it be that you are the one who made the assassins do this?”

“huh.”

“All of them, all by yourself?”

“Do you think that’s too much? It’s okay. I didn’t beat them enough to kill them, though. If I were to carelessly end their lives, my father wouldn’t be very happy about it.”

Only then did No. 21 realize that the sly prince had been aware of the Emperor’s true identity from the beginning.

“Tch-!”

It was at that very moment that the assassins who had been crawling on the floor suddenly stood up and flew in one direction.

They jumped over the rooftops and disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

“… … !”

As No. 21 hurriedly tried to run after them, Prince Mores lightly raised one arm to stop him.

“Just leave it alone.”

“Yes? But-”

“I was planning on sending it anyway.”

As No. 21 blankly blinked, Prince Mores kindly explained.

“I waited to see when they would attempt suicide, but they’ve been persistently looking for a chance to escape since a while ago. In other words, if I just leave this place, doesn’t that mean there’s a way to survive?”

“…yes?”

“You, you look quite smart, but you really can’t understand what I’m saying.”

However, when No. 21 did not understand, Prince Mores furrowed his brow as if he was displeased.

“That means there are other reliable groups nearby. People who we think are enough to wipe out our group.”

“…yes?”

“Even if you are tortured into revealing some information, I am confident that you will silence all of us here today.”

The face of No. 21, who had been pondering the prince’s words for a moment, gradually turned pale.

“Huh?”

“Well, for an informant from the Monkey Watchtower, he’s quite a brash guy.”

Prince Mores shook his head and sharpened his sword.

“No, wait a minute, Your Majesty! If that’s true, then isn’t this really a big problem?!”

“It’s okay. There’s a way.”

WHEEK-!

At the sight of the nutcracker being lightly shaken and blood being sprayed, No. 21 suddenly felt a strange sense of foreboding.

‘I always thought they were just father and son who didn’t look alike at all… … .’

The current appearance of Prince Mores reminded him of the mercenary he had once admired and followed deep in his heart. A boy full of extraordinary and wonderful things, like a hero from a myth.

“So what I’m saying is, I’m going to follow those guys from now on.”

“…yes?”

When No. 21 didn’t understand right away and asked again, the prince clicked his tongue with a blank expression.

“Tch! So what are you going to do? Are you going to come with me?”

“yes?”

Number 21, who asked again with a dumbfounded face, had to ask again in shock.

“Huh?”

Are you in your right mind right now?

At that completely unplanned suggestion, No. 21 quickly erased the thought from his head.

Well then! How could that worldly bastard resemble His Majesty the Holy Emperor even a little?