‘If I remember correctly... he was one of those noble faction rats pretending to be a moderate.’

Even as he hesitated, the moment he spoke up, one by one others like him began murmuring along. In short, their nonsense boiled down to things like how the Crown Prince was still young and should be given more understanding, or how the Emperor and Empress were being too harsh.

The likes of Kironne la Diarca or the other figures from the Four Great Dukedoms remained silent, while these insignificant nobodies grew noisy. It was because they were weaklings who had never been close to House Diarca. They had clung to the noble faction until now, sucking sweet nectar from it, and out of habit, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) they defaulted to shielding Kachian.

‘But...’

What if even calling in these fools was part of Emperor Keillusa’s calculations?

As Yuder’s cold gaze fixed on the nobles, Emperor Keillusa opened his mouth with calm composure.

“The Empress and I are being too harsh, you say. Is that truly what everyone believes?”

This wasn’t an official court, so attendees were relatively free to express their thoughts. Offering candid opinions or voicing agreement to the Emperor was one of the privileges granted to those present in the Room of Truth.

A moment of silence passed. Then, amidst the crowd exchanging glances, someone raised their hand and spoke.

“Your Majesty has made no remarks tainted by personal resentment toward the Crown Prince. Why then would this be considered too harsh? I, for one, wish to hear the full results of the investigation.”

Despite his youthful face, his words were calm and measured. It was none other than Revlin Shan Apeto.

‘I was a bit surprised to see him earlier.’

Revlin had confidently entered the chamber among the other nobles. Draped in a long coat over his Cavalry uniform, the boy wore a necklace bearing the crest of House Apeto around his neck.

It meant he had come at the Emperor’s invitation, representing House Apeto. Given the situation, there hadn’t been a chance for formal greetings, but the weight of conviction he must’ve carried to come and sit here was palpable.

‘He’s grown quite a bit taller since then, too.’

Just as the atmosphere froze from Revlin’s words, someone else spoke again.

“The investigation process... must proceed in order... The Crown Prince’s time to speak has already ended... and to my judgment, all the evidence presented so far appears to be legitimate, so there is no reason to halt the proceedings midway...”

This time, it was the Chief of the Royal Court Mages. His robe was drawn deep over his face, obscuring his features, but it was clear from his voice that he was of considerable age.

The current Mage Chief was, in a way, one of the individuals closest to the Imperial family. He was well known for never voicing political opinions. In Yuder’s previous life, after Emperor Keillusa’s death, he had retired to the Pearl Tower and perished in its collapse. Publicly, he had a reputation for neutrality. So when such a figure lent his voice to support Revlin’s words, the moderates were noticeably shaken.

The final blow came from an elder priest dispatched by the Grand Temple at the Pope’s behest.

“Ahem... If His Highness the Crown Prince is truly so wounded, would it not be proper for him to first listen to all further statements and then present any new counter-evidence?”

As Yuder listened to that pretentious voice, he thought to himself—

‘It’s over.’

The Grand Temple, for all its talk of neutrality, had never once moved properly during all the turmoil of the Imperial House’s decline. Even they had now added their voice, and Kironne la Diarca still kept his mouth shut. No one dared speak further. Even those who had previously defended the Crown Prince now kept silent, some looking dazed, others beginning to sense something ominous.

Emperor Keillusa didn’t even glance at the frozen Kachian as he nodded lightly.

“We’ll proceed, taking into account these opinions. Resume the testimony where it was cut off.”

“As you command.”

The one who had been interrupted earlier bowed in acknowledgment. Kachian stood there blankly, face not just pale, but ashen. The Emperor didn’t even bother telling him to sit.

The testimony that had been interrupted now resumed.

“The residents of Gwanaman Village, upon seeing the Crown Prince’s portrait, said the person in the picture was a boy who once lived in their village. It wasn’t just one or two—most of them said the same thing, which the knights found unusual and recorded in their report.”

“Wouldn’t that simply be because the Crown Prince stayed there for recuperation as a child?”

The Empress, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. Then, the fourth person stepped forward. He unfolded a paper that had been placed face down on his tray, prompting soft exclamations from the gallery.

“Ha...”

“Mmm...”

It was an old painting. Done with a charcoal pen and cheap watercolors, it depicted a young boy with black-dyed hair, smiling in the arms of an adult man.

Though his hair was black, the boy unmistakably resembled Kachian la Orr. The resemblance was so exact that denying it would require claiming he had an identical twin.

And the man holding the boy shared identical features with Kachian as well. His face overflowed with love and affection for the boy. In stark contrast, the boy wore a sullen expression. The two were dressed like ordinary commoners, without a trace of nobility.

“There’s a lake in Gwanaman Village that draws many tourists. Because of that, there were local painters catering to visitors. This is a family portrait commissioned long ago by a boy who once lived there and his father, painted by one such artist.”

“Why did the painter still have the painting?”

“After that family left the village under unclear circumstances, their house was abandoned and later demolished by the lord’s order. The painter confessed that he’d secretly taken the painting before the demolition because it was one of his personal favorites.”

As proof that he was indeed the artist, he submitted several leftover sketches from the time he worked on the piece. Though the compositions and poses differed, they clearly depicted the same subjects. These were now held up for all to see.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the painting. Kachian’s face had gone utterly dark.

The attendant holding the painting spoke slowly in a flat voice.

“Several residents identified the boy in this picture by the name ‘Kachian.’”

“......”

The nobles behind Kachian stared at the back of his head in disbelief. Even Kironne raised his eyebrows, clearly taken aback.

The testimony continued.

“We found records of tax payments made by the family that lived in that village. Curiously, there are no birth records or residency files. Investigations suggest that someone deliberately damaged the documents several years ago.”

“Tampering with or losing the Imperial citizen registry is among the gravest of crimes.”

The Emperor muttered slowly.

“That is correct. However, we’ve also requested investigators from the Cavalry, so we should be able to identify the culprit and learn the full story soon.”

“This matter only reached me upon my return to the capital yesterday, but I’ll approve the deployment immediately upon returning.”

If anyone was going to chime in at a moment like this, it would be Kishiar. Yuder watched him readily offer his approval with a light smirk—and then glanced at Kachian, whose face looked like dirt.

That soiled expression, the choked breathing, the bloodshot eyes spinning with frantic thoughts... none of it stirred anything in Yuder.

In fact, Kiolle la Diarca, with his mouth agape in pure astonishment in the back row, was starting to seem far more interesting.

The nobles were beginning to buzz. Amid the rising whispers, the name “Duke Diarca” came up repeatedly. The Emperor raised his hand to quell the noise.

“Silence.”

“......”

“This is, understandably, a shocking matter. But... very well. According to the Crown Prince, this may also be forged evidence.”

Kachian’s breathing grew noticeably rougher.

“Which is why I now intend to bring forward the accuser—the one who requested our help to catch the one who hired those mercenaries and defended Gwanaman Village.”

“Your Majesty!”

Kachian cried out in a hoarse voice. Emperor Keillusa raised his hand again.

The rear doors opened, and a single figure appeared.

Clad in her Cavalry uniform just like Revlin, it was none other than Marin. She stepped forward calmly, standing with her back to Kachian la Orr, facing the Emperor and Empress. Her Cavalry salute was flawless, and her voice followed suit—steady and composed.

“I greet the Sun and Dawn of the Empire.”

She then cast a brief glance at Yuder and Kishiar, a faint smile curving her lips. In her eyes, Yuder saw the emotions swirling just beneath the surface. The most powerful and immediate of them all—radiant joy, brimming so fiercely it seemed ready to burst.

A completely different light from the one she had when leading the Red Field Rebellion, long ago.