Chapter 168

Previously,

In contrast to Gale’s palace, which was dark to welcome the intruder, Mariv’s quarters were bright as always. That night was no exception. The only difference was that instead of sitting at his desk as usual, he was lying on the couch, merely counting time.

Creak.

“Your Highness. Are you not sleeping tonight as well?”

Mariv’s aide, Paal, asked cautiously. It had already been several days. Although he never got enough sleep even normally, these days it had gone too far. His superior was becoming increasingly irritable, sharp-tongued, and often lost in a daze.

“…I took a nap during the day.”

“It was only for a brief moment. Your judgment will become clouded.”

“Yes. It seems so. Since I want to chase you out right this instant.”

Heh, the escaping laughter held no strength at all. As Mariv gestured with his chin toward the tea cup that had grown cold, Paal sat across from him and took out a stimulant.

“If something erupts in this state, you won’t be able to handle it properly.”

“My patience is reaching its limit. Shut up and just report.”

“…I was told that all the lights in His Highness Gale’s residence have been turned off.”

“…All of them?”

“Yes. Without a single one left on.”

At the aide’s report, the drowsiness that had been creeping in instantly vanished. Mariv held the stimulant in his mouth and lifted his head. He felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

“Anywhere else might be fine, but that shouldn’t be happening in Gale’s palace. Any movements?”

“None.”

The Haman family had completed the mana armor, and the troop movements of the nobles who had been in contact with Gale were suspicious. Days filled with tension, as if they could launch surprise attacks on each other at any moment. Gale, like Mariv, would also be cautious at night, so how could he have turned off all the lights?

“…If you close your eyes, you can’t avoid a flying blade. You won’t even know who threw the knife. Give the order to assemble.”

“Will you be alright?”

Paal did not move his feet despite the order. The lights in the residence had merely been turned off. If they moved hastily, it could put Mariv in a difficult position instead. If it was a signal flare, they had to move faster than anyone else, but running out beforehand would be a false start. Moreover, wasn’t his superior’s judgment currently impaired due to lack of sleep?

“What if it’s a trap laid by His Highness Gale?”

“Even if it’s a trap, would it be a hole big enough for all in the palace to fall into?”

Sensing movement, the head chamberlain approached and tidied up Mariv’s majesty. Mariv willingly received the touch while muttering. His gaze toward Paal was growing increasingly murderous. A silent urging to carry out the order.

“If the departure is delayed because of you, will you take responsibility?”

“…My apologies.”

Tadak tadak!

The aide had no choice but to run out to gather their forces.

In the quiet office, Mariv looked at his own eyes in the mirror and thought of Gale. They didn’t resemble each other in the slightest, but this much proved that they were brothers.

‘Gale. The day has finally come, hasn’t it.’

He couldn’t even remember when it started. It was an ill fate inherited from their respective mothers, a destiny that had taken root from the womb.

Mariv felt his heart pounding. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the stimulant or the excitement of being able to end Gale. Or perhaps it was the tension before the operation.

But what mattered was that this feeling wasn’t so bad.

“Your Highness, everyone inside the palace has gathered, centered around Minister Taiha. The nobles from outside will enter the palace as soon as the message reaches them.”

Mariv went out after receiving Paal’s report. It was a time when the moon still shone brightly. Those who had been enduring the night with him on his orders had assembled and were waiting in front of the palace.

Taiha, the Minister of Imperial Defense, approached Mariv and whispered.

“There was an intruder in His Highness Gale’s residence.”

Minister Taiha, who often engaged in arguments with Wesleigh. It was thought that he would not be able to serve consecutive terms, but after the New Year’s greetings meeting, he miraculously managed to be reappointed. It was because the next Minister of Imperial Defense was particularly close to Wesleigh.

“I thought as much.”

Turning off all the lights in the palace was probably to welcome the intruder. A grim smile appeared on Mariv’s lips.

“Our side offered to handle the intruder, but we were initially refused.”

“What is there to interrogate? They will call my name. It’s Gale’s own ploy. Minister Taiha. Focus on securing the intruder. Under the pretext of security, seal off Gale’s palace.”

“But there’s a strange aspect to this.”

Mariv’s eyebrows furrowed. As if urging him to quickly say what it was.

“His Highness Gale’s condition is no joke. He was carried to the infirmary with severe bleeding, and I heard all the doctors on duty are currently gathered to stop the bleeding.”

Mariv’s steps, which had been striding along, came to a halt. Based on the situation or any other aspect, wasn’t it clear that Gale had orchestrated this himself to secure justification? But his condition was like that?

“Are you certain?”

“My subordinate personally reported it.”

Mariv stopped and looked up at the fluttering banners. The circumstances were certainly clear. Something must have gone wrong in the process. Mariv suddenly thought of a child.

‘Ian.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A child whose intentions could not be guessed even an inch. He had ordered him to kill Gale, but he didn’t think Ian would carry it out as instructed.

In fact, back then at the tribunal when he couldn’t finish off Gale. Mariv felt Ian was not a piece on the chessboard, but a participant sitting beside it.

‘Was it Ian’s doing? Did he approach Gale with a self-directed ploy as bait and attempt to eliminate him?’

“His Highness Mariv. What should we do?”

As their lord, who should be moving quickly, remained still, Paal asked worriedly. At that moment, a cold wind blew fiercely. Mariv’s long hair fluttered, and the thoughts that had been intricately entangled in his mind vanished with the wind.

“Follow me.”

Chuk.

Paal, Minister Taiha, high-ranking officials from each department, and even the knights and soldiers. They all followed closely behind Mariv, who took the lead, walking swiftly. The torches they held increased one by one.

A huge stream of light dividing the Imperial Palace.

A wave that changes history.

“We’re going to His Majesty the Emperor’s quarters.”

“We’re going to His Majesty the Emperor’s quarters!”

“Seal off Gale’s palace and prohibit the Haman family from entering the Imperial Palace.”

Whenever Mariv gave an order, the subordinates following him on either side split off, and the regular guards were in a flurry, not knowing what to do, making way for them. Something unusual was happening, but they seemed utterly clueless about what was going on.

Chuk.

“Your Highness Mariv. What is the meaning of this?”

Mariv, who had arrived at the Emperor’s palace. The one who stopped him was Beors, one of the captains of the Imperial Guard. Normally, he would not have interfered with Mariv’s entry, but wasn’t the atmosphere too menacing? What were those gathered behind him, and what was the sword firmly attached to Mariv’s waist?

“I have come to see His Majesty the Emperor.”

“That is not possible. It is too late at night, and I absolutely cannot allow it in this situation.”

He was resolute. Protecting the Emperor’s well-being was his duty. Mariv muttered, feeling his anger gradually rising.

“Beors. If I can’t see His Majesty the Emperor right now, his well-being will truly be in danger.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

The ‘seal’ that symbolizes the Emperor’s authority and decides all matters, big and small, in Bariel.

If Mariv couldn’t obtain it before sunrise, or more precisely, before the intruder and Mariv were officially connected, he would have no choice but to take truly drastic measures.

“Beors. Step aside.”

“Goodness, Riama!”

A woman appeared from behind Mariv. It was Riama, one of the three captains. At the sudden appearance of his colleague, Beors reflexively grabbed the hilt of his sword.

“His Highness Mariv does not intend to harm His Majesty the Emperor. He merely has business to attend to. If you stand in the way now, we will have no choice but to behead you.”

“…We? Did you say ‘we’ just now?”

“Please step aside. No harm will come to His Majesty the Emperor at all. I guarantee it. His Highness Mariv, please speak.”

The power of the three captains was known to everyone in the Imperial Palace. Jeirutt, who had clashed with Beric, Beors, and Riama. No one could handle these three individuals alone.

“I swear. A son has come to see his father. If you wish, you may naturally accompany us.”

Mariv smiled and raised both hands. Although he couldn’t overpower them, there was a will to break through if necessary. If the captains were to cross swords, the extent of the damage would be unimaginable.

‘Above all, with Jeirutt absent now, if I’m also gone…’

It would be as if there was no one to protect His Majesty the Emperor right by his side. Having finished his calculations, Beors slowly released his grip on the sword.

“Only Your Highness Mariv should disarm and enter.”

“I will. If you promise not to harm me.”

“Look at the situation, Your Highness. Who would harm whom?”

Mariv signaled everyone to wait and brushed past Beors. Beors glared at Riama and then immediately followed the prince.

Tadak tadak!

The two disappeared into the darkness. Mariv’s forces looked up at the fully brightened sky and frowned. A new history was being written on this morning.

***

“His Majesty the Emperor handed over the seal to His Highness Mariv? That’s absurd!”

“Why do you think it’s absurd? The evidence is right here.”

“Don’t you know the significance of handing over the seal?”

“I am currently the only heir to His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty’s health has deteriorated to the point where he cannot oversee state affairs. It is regrettable, but I am saying that I will take the seal in his stead. I don’t understand why you are raising your voice like this.”

“Your Highness Mariv!”

The grand conference hall was in chaos. Naturally so, as Mariv had suddenly secured the Emperor’s seal and declared that he would assume its authority. The officials were all shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Allow us to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor!”

“I deny the request. His health is in a very precarious state.”

“Is that truly the case, Your Highness? Right now—”

“Are you saying that I have imprisoned my father?”

At Mariv’s words, an official couldn’t finish his sentence. If it was perceived as an insult to the Imperial Family, it would undoubtedly be a loss. Everyone murmured, feeling perplexed and not knowing what to do about this situation.

“An intruder infiltrated Gale’s residence overnight. His Majesty has collapsed, and this is an unprecedented crisis in Bariel’s history. Those who amplify the chaos should be prepared for the consequences.”

With Mariv’s words, the atmosphere gradually subsided.

This was a coup. Undoubtedly, it was treason and a plot against the throne. Mariv proudly caressed the seal and called Ian.

“Does the Minister of Magic agree with this?”

“Your Highness.”

“The entry and security of the Imperial Palace fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic, but I don’t understand how an intruder infiltrated Gale’s residence. It seems the Minister of Magic would also have something to report regarding this matter.”

It meant to explain the intruder.

Ian felt a throbbing pain in his head as he looked at the glistening golden seal.

Putting everything else aside…

‘Indeed, the seal is not the one I know.’

It was definitely different from the one used when he was the Emperor. He had also felt it when receiving the lord’s appointment letter at the border, but the seals from 100 years before and after were clearly different.

‘Why?’

As if urging Ian’s answer, Mariv tapped the seal.

That’s when it happened.

Kwang-!

The roar coming from outside. Everyone flinched and turned around.

Gale was entering the conference hall with a sword in his hand.

Covered in blood, not knowing whose it was.