Chapter 27 - A Scream
The chapel within the Imperial Palace grounds.
Some of the Empire’s most exalted presences had gathered here.
The Emperor, his direct lineage and Imperial family members residing in the capital. As well as the cardinal overseeing the Imperial City diocese and several Court ministers.
Figures of such lofty stature that the term ‘privileged class’ seemed inadequate.
Even for crimes, they would face sanctions through consensus amongst the powerful rather than legal procedures, their minor transgressions generally overlooked.
And in one corner sat the powers from beyond the capital as well.
The patriarchs and representatives of influential families like the Arknight Duchy, which ruled over territories second only to the Imperial Demesne, maintained a vigil here since the Codana crash began.
It was exceedingly rare for the Imperial family, nobility, and Church to be represented in a single gathering.
“…Was such an elaborate setting truly necessary?”
“Not since our brother’s – no, His Late Majesty’s accession has there been a precedent. But the current situation can hardly be treated as a discreet Imperial family matter, can it?”
“Aigo, what prompted such drastic actions? Tch.”
Only the Emperor’s close relatives could afford such muttered asides – the rest regarded a single individual with grave expressions.
Unkempt hair and deep shadows beneath his eyes. Feigning illness with intermittent, forced coughs as if he wished to appear frail.
The Second Prince himself.
Sitting uncomfortably on a chairless seat, rolling his eyes about – his very demeanor was no better than a condemned criminal awaiting execution.
Until recently, few could have foreseen the Second Prince’s precipitous fall from grace.
Quite the opposite, in fact – the Second Prince had enjoyed a favorable reputation both within and beyond the capital, holding a meaningful lead in the succession race.
While openly discussing the next reign was taboo given the Emperor’s robust health, the political circles had increasingly favored the Second Prince’s prospects.
All thanks to the remarkably astute moves he had displayed prior to the market crash.
While the hero Kun Hei-jin’s attitude leaves much to be desired, and his abilities and character pale compared to past heroes, the Goddess must have had her reasons for sending him as the Demon King’s fated adversary.
It was the Second Prince who had staunchly defended the initially reviled Kun Hei-jin upon his summoning.
One could argue that siding with the hero was only natural, as he could not simply be ‘returned.’ But at the time, it had been a somewhat adventurous judgement, given the prevailing skepticism that Kun Hei-jin would fail to defeat even a single Demon Lord.
I am aware that Codanas are being discreetly traded due to the hero’s improving reputation, leading to market distortions. In that case, would it not be better to establish an official exchange for secure trading? This is the hero’s suggestion.
It was also the Second Prince who had collaborated with the hero to establish the Codana exchange.
Finally providing Codanas with an official market pricing mechanism, no longer at the whims of those engaging in private deals. Unifying the previously fragmented pricing, while curtailing the controversies arising from individual transactions.
And his most pivotal contribution:
The hero has promised me that he will not personally profit from Codanas. He claims the initial funds raised from their issuance are sufficient. However, he welcomes the Empire’s nobles investing in Codanas.
It was the Second Prince who had prevented the very issuer, the hero himself, from trading Codanas – officially prohibiting the hero’s exchange access from that point onwards.
This allayed investors’ greatest fear, as only the hero knew the exact Codana supply and production method.
Steadily accumulating such achievements, the Second Prince had expanded his support base.
Truthfully, he had merely served as the hero Kun Hei-jin’s sponsor and spokesman.
But in an era swept by the Codana frenzy, proximity to the hero was the ultimate asset – many nobles viewed the Second Prince as a lucrative conduit by virtue of his close ties alone.
Yet now, all those very accomplishments had become his shackles instead.
“Your Highness. When did you become aware of the hero’s false report? I implore you, do not claim it was after proposing the off-market deal to our Church Empire.”
The cardinal desperately pressed the Second Prince, who already appeared half-broken in spirit.
“There are rumors that after the crash, Your Highness attempted to dispatch agents to the exchange to divest your remaining Codana holdings. Please clarify.”
The Minister of Justice even invoked unsubstantiated hearsay to attack the Second Prince – in fact, over half the questioning originated from him.
The Second Prince glanced hopefully towards the Emperor, but his father was no longer a source of refuge.
‘Somehow, I must survive.’
The Second Prince grasped at his rapidly fraying sanity. Utterly exhausted from his failed attempt to scapegoat Eric, costing him nights of sleep.
Under the pretext of this truth-finding inquiry, he now faced a barrage of difficult questions.
With the Emperor present, no overtly harsh language was used, but the probing questions carried a palpable undercurrent of hostility.
How could he possibly escape this predicament?
The specter of disinheritance, expulsion from the palace, potentially denied any noble title despite being an Imperial Prince – coupled with the threat of financial ruin.
…Should he shift all blame onto the hero instead?
It was an option he had contemplated.
‘But…the hero is an irreplaceable existence. For all I know, while we erred together, I alone may face the consequences.’
Unlike the hero, the Second Prince was not indispensable – other princes and princesses existed.
But the hero was a singular entity.
Unless he perished or defected, no new hero would manifest. Even in death, the Goddess would not immediately summon a replacement.
True, if his severed finger became known, expectations for the hero would plummet. But complete repudiation seemed unlikely – could they truly execute the Goddess’s personally summoned champion?
Then he would have to persevere through his own strength. The Second Prince steadied himself and faced forward.
First, he needed to dispel the suspicion of his involvement in the false report controversy.
Forcing an exaggerated shrug, the Second Prince addressed the overtly combative Minister of Justice:
“Minister, you keep implying the false report was factual, but that very premise is mistaken. The hero never filed a false report.”
“What did you just say?”
“Not a false report. At worst, an unintentionally inaccurate one, if you must split hairs.”
“……”
Though the Minister’s face contorted, the Second Prince feigned composure as he presented his hastily concocted rationale:
“Even before the lizardman tribe joined the Demon King’s forces, we frequently clashed with their kind. While their appearances and physiques vary by tribe… they share one commonality. You are aware of it, are you not?”
“…Which is?”
“Their tendency to feign death when in peril. Any seasoned adventurer or knight would know this fact.”
The lie that the Humanoid Lord defeated by the hero had merely feigned death to escape.
Unsurprisingly, this elicited incredulous reactions from the nobles present, many letting out scornful laughs despite the Emperor’s presence.
“Preposterous drivel, speaking of Demon Lords as if domesticated pets.”
“Thanatosis? That’s a mere theoretical concept. How many have truly witnessed it in reality?”
Yet the Second Prince pressed on, undeterred. The more brazenly he argued, the more time he could buy.
“Did you not receive reports that the Humanoid Lord was grievously wounded while intervening to save his kin? The hero simply judged Leoneo to be truly dead.”
“…So you claim the hero neglected to even verify if the Humanoid Lord had perished?”
“Yes. The hero was negligent, he admitted as much with remorseful candor shortly after the controversy erupted.”
Around this point, people began shaking their heads in seeming disbelief.
Nonetheless, the Second Prince, judging his logic to have gained some traction, decided to escalate his offensive.
“It was an exceedingly unusual situation. Leoneo was an existence impervious to holy knights’ divine powers. You must acknowledge that despite the Church Empire’s entire elite holy knights order being annihilated, the hero persevered undaunted to secure victory over the Humanoid Lord.”
“……”
“I understand if the circumstances appear questionable… But I assure you, neither the hero nor I were aware the Humanoid Lord still lived. The hero’s brief disappearance from the capital was likely out of concern over potential unnecessary misunderstandings.”
The Second Prince fell silent after his arduous defense, believing he had acquitted himself well.
Certainly, he had not truly escaped this crisis. But at the very least, he could provoke a debate over the veracity of his claims.
Or so he had thought.
For the attendees in the chapel now regarded him with expressions of utter consternation. Unable to fathom their bewildered reactions, the Second Prince swallowed hard.
The silence was finally broken a moment later.
“Ann…ihilated…?”
The previously dazed cardinal suddenly exclaimed “No!” as he began smacking his ears violently with his palms.
As if wishing to expel the words he had just heard, preferring to treat them as unheard – that was how it seemed, at least.
“Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!”
The aged cardinal’s anguished scream echoed throughout the solemn chapel.
At this juncture, attempting to restrain him would have been appropriate. But regrettably, the others present were in no better condition themselves.
“So you are saying that by the time the Humanoid Lord’s survival was revealed… you were together with the hero? And the hero fled the capital shortly after the ensuing chaos…?”
It was only upon hearing the quavering query from the Minister of Justice that the Second Prince realized he had revealed everything.
Excluding his severed finger and the pseudonymous trading from the market’s inception, but that seemed a minor consolation now.
“Ah.”
A short gasp escaped the Second Prince’s lips.
Simultaneously, the Minister of Justice collapsed limply where he sat, while the elderly cardinal, who had been smacking his ears as he screamed, now dissolved into unrestrained sobbing.
One noble who had remained seated quietly suddenly let out a “Puhit” sound before erupting into raucous laughter, tears streaming down his face.
The Emperor had his eyes tightly shut, while even the First Prince, who had managed a composed demeanor until now, could only regard his younger brother with an expression of utter disbelief.
For a while, the chapel resounded with wails, laughter, sighs, and groans of anguish.
In this utterly chaotic atmosphere, a few subsequent questions managed to continue. Unsurprisingly, there was no reversal of fortune – the truth-finding inquiry concluded amidst an air of utter devastation.
Thereafter, three punitive measures were imposed upon the Second Prince.