Do Your Own Revolution

#039.

“You’ve come, Eugene.”

“I heard it was an important matter, but it ended quicker than expected.”

As I stepped out of the train, two people were waiting for me.

One was Keiren.

And the other was the one who delivered the letter to me, Andrei Leonhardt.

Despite meeting for the first time today, there was no awkwardness between the two.

No, far from awkward…

“I’ve heard what Major General Keiren had to say. I’ll speak to His Majesty the Emperor, and we’ll arrange a meeting later.”

“Thank you. Then the remaining matters through correspondence…”

“Let’s do that.”

Watching them shake hands and converse amicably, anyone could see they were villains plotting something.

‘Even though he said hostility towards the family wouldn’t start for several more years… Has he already started laying the groundwork?’

It seemed Keiren was planning to keep the emperor at his back.

Come to think of it, in the original game, Keiren appeared as part of the imperial army, not as a magic noble.

No, was it the emperor’s side that reached out first?

I couldn’t tell.

The emperor was a character who would meet his death before the main story began.

What kind of personality he had was completely unknown.

“By the way, I didn’t expect Lord Andrei to come personally. And to think Eugene saved His Majesty’s life…”

Keiren trailed off as he looked my way.

He seemed quite surprised that I had managed to save both the emperor and Mari in such a short time.

“I just blocked something that was flying towards us. I didn’t know His Majesty’s carriage was behind.”

Looking at me as I deflected, Andrei furrowed his brow.

His eyes said, ‘That doesn’t seem right,’ ‘Anyone could see it was intentional.’

Oh, shut up and just go along with it.

If you’re so upset, you should have saved the emperor yourself.

“…There’s no need for such modesty. Whether by chance or not, the fact remains that you saved His Majesty’s life.”

With those words, Andrei gestured, and an imperial knight who had been waiting opened the rear door of the car.

A luxurious automobile with gold decorations on its black body.

As I sank into the plush seat alongside Andrei, the car that carried me immediately glided towards the imperial palace.

After driving through the upper city where the imperial capital was located for quite some time, and then riding the elevator at the palace entrance for another long while…

‘We’ve arrived.’

At a dizzying height where the entire capital could be seen below.

With numerous airships flying beneath our feet, and a massive iron gate blocking my view.

I had arrived at the heart of the empire.

***

Inside the imperial palace.

Even as I followed the guard’s guidance, my eyes were busy taking in every corner of the palace.

‘Seeing it so intact feels strange somehow.’

In the original game, entering the palace happened in the very last part of the story.

The palace was already engulfed in flames, and the imperial army remnants, centered around the crown prince, had laid gas traps and other hazards everywhere.

Therefore, the Kalhyram Palace that appeared in the game had a desperate atmosphere rather than a magnificent one.

It was burning while containing all the glorious history of the empire.

“This way.”

Finally, reaching the end of a corridor with red carpet, guards who saluted Andrei opened the doors.

To think the monster would personally open the boss room door.

With that thought, I entered the room, and there was a truly familiar face.

‘Imperial Emperor, Friedrich Franz Kalhyram.’

The master of the empire who should have died was gazing at me with deeply sunken eyes.

“I am honored to be in Your Majesty’s presence.”

One cannot raise their head in the emperor’s presence.

As I slowly bowed according to protocol, the emperor who had been watching gestured to Andrei.

“I wish to speak with him alone. Please leave with the guards.”

“Pardon?”

Andrei was startled by the emperor’s words.

To not have even the Knight Order Commander, let alone the guards.

“I ask this of you, Andrei. This matter is that important.”

However, with the emperor himself insisting so strongly, Andrei couldn’t say anything more.

He could only look at me with disbelieving eyes.

“I shall obey your command.”

After Andrei left with the guards, the emperor who had been sitting at his desk slowly rose and approached me.

“Raise your head.”

I immediately raised my head at the emperor’s command.

The face of an enlightened old man who had weathered all of life’s turbulent periods was looking at me.

“Yes. So you are Eugene.”

The emperor’s gaze fell on my eyes.

After carefully observing my pupils, the emperor formed a faint smile on his face.

“Do you know why I called you here?”

“It is because I had the honor of protecting Your Majesty’s precious life with my humble magical power.”

“No, that’s wrong.”

Of course not.

If it was about giving rewards, he could have done it through Andrei easily.

Nevertheless, the reason why the emperor wanted to meet me personally.

That was…

“The reason I called you is to question you.”

At the word ‘question,’ I immediately responded.

“If it is something I know, I will answer anything.”

“Good, then I shall ask.”

After briefly choosing his words while looking at me with my head bowed, the emperor spoke in a leisurely tone.

“Eugene Lorentz. What was your reason for pulling me from my predetermined death?”

“……”

“Why did the revolutionary hero who would burn the empire save me?”

Predetermined death. And revolutionary hero.

Hearing these two keywords, I was certain.

‘What appeared in the original story was true.’

I recalled the original content of [Revolution Empire].

In the very last part of the main story.

When the protagonist and companions entered the burning palace, they came upon the study where Emperor Friedrich had resided.

What could be found there were numerous books the emperor had written during his lifetime.

Before entering the boss room, players could search the bookshelf and read the contents of these books.

[Year — Month — Day. With my death, the signal flare of revolution illuminates the sky.]

[Year — Month — Day. Elcidore Castle is engulfed in flames, and the corrupt mage’s head is severed by the angry mob.]

[Year — Month — Day. The empire’s flag falls to the ground, and those bearing the Red Wings dominate the empire.]

[Year — Month — Day. The hero who has served his purpose is discarded, and the Red Wings become tools of the republic.]

[Year — Month — Day. The empire falls, and the republic’s exploitation reaches its peak.]

[Year — Month — Day. The vanished Black Sun reveals itself once again.]

[Year — Month — Day. The Great Rupture spreads across all lands, and the otherworldly hordes…]

What was written in Friedrich’s books were the player’s past actions.

And sentences hinting at this game’s ending, along with what would happen afterward.

Records left by the late emperor who died at the prologue.

Though players only realized the outcome of this revolution then…

[Ominous records left by the late emperor. No, is it a curse? It’s chilling. Let’s not worry about it.]

Our protagonist Eugene doesn’t believe these records and rushes to the center of the palace for the final boss battle.

No. Perhaps it wasn’t that he didn’t believe, but that he didn’t want to believe.

‘Even now, I really don’t understand.’

After delivering such an amazing story for Part 1, why did they destroy the story at the end?

Why? Because the story writer suddenly got delusions of grandeur, that’s why.

What? A predictable happy ending doesn’t match their aesthetics?

Then they shouldn’t have made Part 1’s story so good in the first place.

‘…Let’s stop. I might die from anger again.’

What if I wake up in front of the Ishimura after dying again?

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