Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 281



Chapter 281 – Sub. Empire, Heart, Shadow

Rustle, rustle.

There is no hesitation in the movement of the quill. If one is painting a grand picture in their mind, the detailed issues can almost be resolved instinctively. The aim is the stability of the empire and a clean transfer of power.

Irid looked out at the world from atop a pile of documents.

In the end, power is about seizing the flow of interests from the top. Even adverse factors can be used to guide people, depending on how they are handled.

Prepare to put the bad into one basket, gather the scattered trust, and attach the departed hearts to others. This was possible because the imperial princes were all in cahoots.

(Though it feels unjust, externally) Irid shifts the floating sentiments caused by his blunder onto the First Princess Elaine, eliminating the losses.

There is something to keep in mind during this process.

“Erase the presence of the ‘Mad Sorcerer.’”

It is essential to minimize the traces he left behind.

“…It’s difficult. Until now, we’ve been able to suppress his reputation, but this commotion occurred in the capital, Your Highness. If we act rashly, it could backfire…”

However, Assistant C showed reluctance.

If the attempt to hide the treasure is discovered, it could instead evoke a strong conviction in the existence of that treasure. If the Second Prince’s intention to conceal information is detected, it will draw attention in the opposite direction.

In response, Irid spoke with conviction.

“It will feel as if the heavens are aiding us.”

“…Pardon?”

“It may be difficult to reveal, but it will be easy to conceal. Do not worry about the backlash; you may proceed.”

“…………”

It was a command that was somewhat incomprehensible, but C complied. Irid’s cleverness did not seem to have dulled, and since the day’s provisions had been completed, there must be some unexplainable rationale behind it.

Of course, curiosity arose. But it was suppressed. Half of the strange tales of the world belonged to the sorcerer, while the other half belonged to the imperial family.

Having curiosity about the secrets of the imperial family is akin to a death wish.

The empire, a nation that occupies the fertile lands of this vast continent and expands its influence day by day, was not one to waver to the point of feeling strange.

The crown prince is always astute. Disasters fade away. In war, victory is achieved.

When public sentiment swells, it eventually subsides; when manpower is lacking, it emerges from somewhere; and a hero to restore order will inevitably appear, one by one.

The boy knight, the current Empire’s foremost sword, was no exception. When the previous “Sword of the Imperial Family” passed away, it was less than a year before the ‘boy knight’ made his appearance.

It was as if the very nation itself was cherished and protected by the goddess.

“…I will do as you wish.”

Thus, C had no choice but to bow his head in acquiescence. The crown prince’s judgment would ultimately be correct, and the history of the Empire would prove it.

Iride, taking a moment’s respite while gazing at the rosemary vase with an inscrutable expression, then brought forth a significant piece of news.

“And, there has been a summons from His Majesty the Emperor. We will meet with His Majesty in a week.”

“…!!”

“Your sister will come, and Sredo will also travel to the capital. Your sister wields her sword far away for the Empire, and Sredo is honing his skills at the academy, so it is only right that I prepare a place for them to stay. Get ready.”

“Yes. I will look for a separate building that is not too far away.”

No.

Iride tapped the parchment with her quill and commanded.

“There has been an unfortunate incident at Crown Hall, causing great harm to the citizens. It would not be wise to waste resources in such times, so prepare only one mansion. I will also stay there. The two of them will understand… that is the premise.”

“…I worry they might interpret it as the royal family’s power waning if we cannot even prepare three buildings.”

“Rather, they will accept it as my blunder… and that I am merely trying to gather the sentiments of commoners to recover from it. There is a reason to have a secret meeting, even if I have to make excuses like this.”

A summons from the Emperor.

In that moment facing the elderly Emperor, Iride had to ask him something.

For a long time, Iride had carefully gathered information. As she secured power and approached the center of authority, the image became clearer, and the sense of unease grew. And this was punctuated by the recent “Fake Mad Sorcerer” incident.

Something exists.

And the clues to that something lie within the royal family.

Thus, discussions among the crown princes were necessary. They needed to gather fragmented clues and sketch a blueprint. The horrific events that took place in Huaihua Palace during their childhood, the abnormal and inhumane upbringing, the shadow of a hand deeply cast over the royal family.

From noble mtl dot com

And… about the name-lost First Prince ▒▒▒ as well.

—

It was after the death of the First Prince.

The First Princess killed the First Prince. That warm and gentle sister poisoned her mental anchor, the First Prince, and took his life. Iride fell into a shock as if the world was crumbling around her.

Even if the entire world turned against her, she had thought that ‘family’ could remain harmonious…

Immediately after, a group stormed into Huaihua Palace. They were agents from the Defense Bureau directly under the elderly Emperor, overturning the entire mansion as they carried out a “record deletion” operation.

“Who are you?! What are you?!”

They did not respond, continuing their work in silence.

—

They brought in paint that reeked of something foul and splattered it across the portrait of the First Prince, erasing his name from all records. The books burned, and memories sank, as if disinfecting the tainted.

But they did not stop there.

“Are you telling me to erase memories…? Who do you think you are!”

“It is the Emperor’s command.”

“Let go, let go of this…!!”

Everyone working in the Painting Palace underwent memory cleansing, and the young prince was no exception. Soon, the name of the First Prince ▒▒▒ could no longer be found anywhere.

Yet, upon reflection, if I were to revisit a page of that sorrowful memory…

Before all these events unfolded, even in those peaceful times.

It seems that, at some point, I began to feel an inexplicable oddness.

I pull out a fragment of the past and chew it over. Young Irid asks the First Prince, who sits in a rocking chair. To him, who had grown unexpectedly mature, more so than anyone else.

“Your name is strange, brother. You’re the only one so unique. Is it because you’re destined to be the Emperor?”

“An interesting thought, but no, Irid. The order is reversed…”

Such a conversation took place.

In other words.

Even young Irid could sense that the name was peculiar.

So perhaps… it is the opposite. It was not originally given differently.

It was once a perfectly normal name, but something had ‘overlaid’ it.

It is a sentence that makes no sense. Even in a continent swirling with all manner of magic and power, such a case feels distinctly out of place. Irid was able to gather information about this anomaly from the boy knight.

“What is the name of the knight?”

“It no longer exists. It was a tainted name, so it has been erased.”

“…If you don’t want to say it, then say it like that.”

“Haha… When you ascend to the throne, you will know that I did not speak falsehoods.”

The boy knight said this and smiled wryly.

Isn’t it strange? The name of the Empire’s greatest sword, considered the most powerful figure across the continent, is not known even by a syllable, and is simply referred to as ‘the boy knight.’

Now, I believe his words.

Irid named this anomaly, or ability, as follows.

‘Name Eater.’

(1) ‘Something’ contaminates a person’s name and changes it to its own.

—

“Irid!”

“Ugh.”

The royal centrifuge spun once more today. Irid, after being held by Elaine, could only plant his feet on the ground after thirty revolutions.

Seeing this, Sredo pondered seriously, trembling slightly, whether he should call someone, thinking that perhaps the imperial succession debate had begun here.

Irid slumped onto the sofa like someone who had just come out of a washing machine, letting out a groan.

“…You never change. Sister, I’ve told you countless times, I’m grown up now.”

“I’m just happy to see you. Did you not miss me, Irid?”

“That’s different. And, I won’t let Sredo experience this either.”

“Oh, no. No… I’m fine.”

Sredo hugged the book he was holding defensively. Elaine, considering whether to spin the third one around twenty times, shifted her focus.

“What book is that?”

“Oh, this is… nothing special.”

Sredo hurriedly tried to hide the book cover with his clothing, but he couldn’t escape Irid’s keen eyes. Irid immediately recognized the book’s identity.

“It’s a book by a gossip columnist about the ‘Blue Rose’ operating in the capital. Did you buy it to understand the political situation? But that book is filled with the author’s biases, so its reliability is quite low. If you want to know more, I can get you a proper report.”

“Ah, yes, thank you… brother.”

In truth, that bias was the point.

The book depicted a fictional romance between a mysterious blue woman roaming Crown Hall in the capital and a heart that had long since concealed its tracks. Sredo had bought it because he found it quite appealing.

However, he lacked both the courage and the need to say, “Brother, I bought it because I like yuri and I’m not particularly interested in the political situation,” so he simply… kept his mouth shut. Generally, silence was the right choice.

Irid turned to Elaine and spoke.

“What’s the situation on the Eastern Front?”

“It’s busy. With Siselle gone, we need to fill the gap, but lately, the movements of the demon race have been unusually aggressive. I barely managed to hold them off and make it here. After I see His Majesty, I need to head back quickly.”

“If you need additional troops or supplies, I’ll see what I can do.”

“I heard Irid almost executed a close aide? I appreciate your concern for your sister, but you should take care of your own matters first.”

Well then, what am I supposed to do when a mad sorcerer’s doppelgänger barges in and starts blasting mind-control beams? Irid grumbled inwardly.

If he brought that up, it would lead to, “Can’t you just level up and beat them down? Or do you still not have proper guards? Should I assign a knight to you, sister?”

He quickly got to the point.

“Do you remember what happened at the Hall of Conversations?”

“……”

“…How could I forget?”

“I am investigating the circumstances of that day. And… I have come to believe that there is a reason behind all the misfortunes we experienced.”

Irid methodically laid out his reasoning.

The residence of the young princes, the Hwaehwa Palace, is anything but normal. The palace attendants were replaced with each cycle, and whenever there was even a hint of affection developing between the princes and the attendants, it was promptly swept away.

As a result, no bond ever took root between the princes and their attendants, and they were forced to spend their childhoods in a state devoid of human connection.

Even the Emperor did not show his face to his own children.

At first, one might think this was a form of discipline meant to cultivate a “heart of steel,” but what if it was something else? What if all of this was a kind of… isolation?

“Isolation from what?”

“That is why I have called you here. Sister, you have been closest to the First Prince… You must have thought a lot about him. So, do you perhaps remember when he began to ‘change’?”

“If you are asking me when he revealed his wickedness, it was a year after meeting His Majesty.”

“No, that is not the point of revelation. I am asking about the time when the name of the First Prince began to feel strange, when he matured beyond his childhood… that period.”

Ileyn, with a stiff expression, pondered before recalling.

“After receiving the ‘Baptism’ from the Dragonheart.”

The princes must undergo a certain rite. They receive blessings from the Dragonheart, which the Empire keeps, and awaken at least one form of genius.

Irid’s administrative skills, Ileyn’s combat sense, and…

The First Prince’s ‘maturity’ also took root after the ‘Baptism.’

In other words.

(2) ‘Something’ sustains the imperial family.

—

The time had come.

The large doors opened, revealing the court.

As the three princes stepped forward cautiously and raised their heads,

An old man sat upon the lavishly adorned golden throne.

His back was hunched, his complexion pale, and he was gaunt, with sunken eyelids that lacked vitality. The old man seemed to suffer from extreme anxiety, frequently trembling his hands, flinching at the slightest breeze. He was afraid of the entire world.

Moreover, the ravages of time were visibly weakening him. Anyone could tell. The Emperor’s death was not far off.

The grand hall, adorned with red silk leading to the golden throne, was empty save for the Emperor himself.

The sunken eyes turned toward the princes. Ileyn stepped forward to pay her respects.

“To meet the Emperor of the Empire…”

“Enough… It seems you have something you wish to ask.”

The Emperor waved his hand, cutting her off.

His murky blue eyes read beyond the surface of the heart. The old Emperor could sense Irid’s resolve. His son had grown, brushing against the secrets of the Empire on his own.

When asked whether that was fortune or misfortune, it was misfortune. A sense of regret filled the Emperor’s eyes. There were truths in the world that were better left unknown.

Yet, the end of his life was approaching, and one among them must ascend to the Emperor’s throne. Therefore, there was no reason to keep his lips sealed.

Sredo trembled slightly, the question discussed in days gone by resting on his lips.

“…Your Majesty, what has consumed the First Prince, my elder brother?”

“God.”

Then Elaine asked.

“Your Majesty, what is it that you fear so deeply?”

“God.”

Irid stood tall, looking directly at the elderly Emperor, and asked.

“Your Majesty, what governs the Empire?”

“God.”

—

There are two gods. In the shadow of the goddess, a colossal black dragon secretly glimmers with its eyes.

He was there with the birth of the Empire, and thus, the ancestors called him the Great Black Dragon. Whether he was the ancestor himself or something born from his grasp remains unknown.

He possesses divine power.

He guides the hearts of men, instigates incomprehensible events, and transforms someone’s life into a mere plaything. Countless heroes who left their names in the annals of history were crafted by his hands.

Do you understand why the protagonists of these heroic tales suffered so painfully and unhappily? It is because a colossal will desired it. And that will cherishes the Empire.

The Empire is his stage and playground. As long as his interest exists, the Empire endures.

The reason no incompetent heirs emerge among the royal lineage, why talents necessary for disaster are born from somewhere, and why the Empire can utter the words of eternal immortality unlike other nations, is because the god bestows his favor.

Yet, the god is malevolent.

That malice tramples and shatters the hearts of men. Since humans cannot oppose the divine, we have no choice but to accept that we were born into this wretched world.

“Are you saying you did not resist!”

Even if one resists, in the end, they will resign themselves.

The tragedy of the royal family repeats with each generation. Just as you have, I too have endured it. The god takes away the names of men and bestows his own, then manipulates them.

“…Just as Your Majesty has, like the First Prince.”

Doubt those around you. He dwells unnoticed, orchestrating ruin. I had to kill my wife and sister with my own hands.

For nearly ten years, I was fortunate to remain at peace. Whether it was mercy or whim, no further tragedies followed. But perhaps, this too is a grand play.

“If it has been ten years of silence, then all things grow old and decay; has it not all perished?”

Surely, a god cannot meet death.

He is hiding somewhere. I perceive it as a mischievous game of hide and seek. I think he could be hiding among you. I have always thought so.

So, heirs of the throne.

I will change the task. My lifespan is not long. The task of the succession contest is not to bleed each other dry in battle, but to find him.

Find and bow your head, seeking mercy. I shall make the one who brings me a token from Him an emperor.

There are countless reasons to submit to the god who manipulates and twists life. Yet, for the emperor of the empire, there is one reason more.

He promised the emperor a single puppet show.

To ascend to the throne means to be free from the entanglements of this fabricated tragedy.

There will be no more nights when my wife chokes the life from my throat. I will not have to confront the reality that the loyal subject I trusted with all my heart was, in fact, his puppet. I will be liberated from the discomfort of realizing that my life is merely a script controlled by someone else…

Rise to the throne. Then,

you shall break free from the puppetry and finally become a dignified human.