IYAMD 116

IYAMD 116

Marsilia headed toward the Mage Tower with Jaha and Serez. Upon seeing him in front of the tower, the mages gathered with wary looks, and among them, an elderly man stepped forward, standing tall.

“Are you the Master of the Mage Tower?”

“Yes.”

“You probably already know who I am without me having to say it.” The old man gave a sly smile as his gaze swept over Serez standing behind him, then turned sharply toward Marsilia.

“This old master of the Mage Tower greets His Majesty the Emperor?”

Marsilia furrowed his eyebrows and, with a slight tilt of his head, stated his purpose.

“I will now place the Mage Tower under the royal family’s jurisdiction. Your privileges have already lasted too long, and I will no longer tolerate incompetent parasites.” The mages muttered angrily, but with a single motion from Marsilia, their mouths were sealed, and he continued.

“I did not come here to ask for your cooperation. Choose now. Those who do not wish to follow me may step forward. If you are curious about the strength of a Sword Master, who are said to be the strongest in the Empire, I am more than willing to show you.”

As Marsilia drew his sword, a strange silence fell among the mages. They all felt a strange tension as he pointed the sword towards the tower master, whose lips quivered in anger.

“If you choose to follow me, I will treat you as royal mages. However, there will naturally be distinctions based on ability. I will only keep those with talent and offer the rest a chance to leave. Choose: You have two options: live under me, or die here.”

Among the murmuring mages, a voice of dissent broke through.

“This cannot be! Master, how have we defended this place!” Marsilia smirked, then looked back and nodded toward his companion.

“Jaha, show them. You know, the thing…that flies in the sky.”

With a quiet whisper and a flick of his finger, Jaha grumbled softly as he stepped forward.

At the same moment that the sword was drawn, golden, intangible swords filled the sky, swirling in a frenzy like a flock of birds. The shimmering afterimage of the blades cut through the air, causing gasps of fear among the mages.

Marsilia looked at the scene, then sheathed his sword and crossed his arms.

“Is it difficult to decide? In that case, let me make it easier for you.”

Marsilia gathered his aura in one hand and moved it swiftly. With that, the elderly man’s head tilted at an odd angle and fell to the ground. Marsilia kicked the severed head aside, ignoring the blood splattering on his face, and spoke with a cold expression.

“Now, is it easier? If so, kneel. You are not worthy to look me in the eye.”

Marsilia was not interested in wasting time. He planned to behead anyone who refused to kneel and return to the palace. Building a new Mage Tower might take more time, but he had no intention of dragging those who resisted. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time. There was a mountain of things to do, and solving new problems meant he had to work faster than ever.

The mages, one by one, began kneeling before the Emperor’s cold gaze.

Though a few still resisted, their necks were cut down by Jaha’s swords in the air. With that, Marsilia had reclaimed the MageTower.

Faster and more peacefully than expected.

…

The news of the Mage Tower’s surrender spread quickly. A special bulletin, influenced slightly by Serez, was distributed across the capital within half a day.

Additionally, Marsilia gathered all the citizens of the capital into the plaza, the same one where the victory ceremony had been held.

Having achieved the feat of slaying a dragon, the Emperor had not only reclaimed the lost imperial palace with a small force but also absorbed the Mage Tower into his rule. As the citizens of the capital heard of the Emperor’s accomplishments, they gathered in the plaza, filled with excitement.

It took quite a while for everyone to gather, but no one complained. As dusk fell, the Emperor stood on the podium, his cloak fluttering.

Just as the citizens opened their mouths to cheer, the Emperor raised his hand. A deathly silence settled over the plaza.

The Emperor’s eyes calmly scanned the crowd. With his broad shoulders confidently set, his gaze reached from one end of the plaza to the other.

Someone swallowed nervously, and the sound of swallowing rippled through the crowd like a wave. Finally, the Emperor spoke in a clear voice.

“Hear me, my people. Yesterday, the Goddess’ oracle came, and I stand here to deliver it as her representative.”

Jaha watched the man’s back intently. The man who had gathered the citizens with nothing but his voice now captivated thousands of people with his presence.

When the Emperor mentioned the Goddess departing, the citizens murmured with confusion. Some covered their mouths in shock, while others clasped their hands together and called out the Goddess’ name.

But the one who silenced them was none other than Marsilia. He quietly raised one hand and surveyed the crowd. Then he spoke.

“For long years, we have been sheltered in the cradle of the Goddess. It is now time for us to break free from that cradle and become independent. Just as a child leaves the protection of their parents to live on their own, we too must walk as individuals, no longer under the Goddess’ wings.”

Though the Emperor’s voice was not loud, it reached the ears of every person in the plaza. He paused and, with a slightly agitated voice, continued.

“Therefore, do not mourn, do not anger, and do not fear. The Goddess will continue to watch over us, and as her representative, I will walk with you. You must trust and follow me.”

Marsilia paused to take a deep breath. When he spoke again, he wore a faint smile.

“Nothing will change from what it has been. [Read on]I, the strongest Emperor in history, promise this: the threats you face will fall before my sword, and my shield will protect you. So, my people, live your lives without worry.”

Marsilia extended his hand, unleashing his divine power. The plaza was filled with a soft, shimmering light that fell like leaves. The divine power gathered, spreading over the entire capital.

The citizens marveled at the divine power and cheered his name in rapture.

Jaha watched the divine power fall, then shifted his gaze back to the man’s back. He smirked slightly.

“What a fraud.”

The man who had cried like a child last night was nowhere to be found. In just half a day, he had returned as a firm emperor, using the cards he could play to move the crowd and lead them to his side. His skill in turning the situation around could almost be called a scam. Jaha, who had been unable to sleep until dawn from worry the previous night, clicked his tongue and laughed in disbelief.

Taking it a step further, Marsilia declared a brief festival for that evening, just for a day. All the pubs and restaurants in the capital would serve food and drink in the emperor’s name. Of course, Jaha was the only one who knew how busy Serez and Emileo were with this task.

Even now, standing behind the emperor, Serez who was still suffering whispered curses towards the emperor. Jaha decided to quietly ignore Serez’s words. He had seen how tirelessly Serez and the palace officials had worked to deliver the emperor’s decree to every store in the capital in just a few hours.

Moreover, after reporting the matter to the temple, Serez had gone back and ​stolen content​forth between the imperial palace and the temple several times to coordinate the message. To Jaha, the fact that Serez didn’t immediately draw his sword on the emperor was enough to prove his loyalty.

Thus, Jaha fully understood the curses. He too thought that if he had to serve such a superior, he’d have to curse them well.

…

As time hurried by, on the eve of the banquet, when the feeling of reassurance had begun to settle, the joy in Jaha’s heart suddenly disappeared. It was the holiday, and they had once again been doing it since early afternoon.

Jaha, as if trying to comfort Marsilia, did not refuse his requests, and Marsilia, wanting to suppress his anxiety, relentlessly pressed Jaha.

The matters that had started in the afternoon continued even as night fell. By the time the room darkened in the deep of night, Marsilia noticed something unusual as he gazed at Jaha, who had tilted his head in his usual way.

When he suddenly stopped, Jaha straightened his head and scanned Marsilia’s face with his gaze.

“Mar?”

Hearing the breathless voice split between gasps, the world before Read onhim seemed to go dark. Marsilia covered his eyes with his palm and lowered his head.

The curse, which even the goddess had said could not be undone, had finally manifested. Perhaps it would pass quietly, Marsilia had hoped, hiding his anxious heart. But why did misfortune always arrive at such a perfect moment?

His shoulders trembled. Though he didn’t show it, it was the thing Marsilia feared the most. He hadn’t yet fully processed the things the goddess had told him. He couldn’t tell anyone about it. Marsilia clutched his churning heart and gasped for air, feeling something press against his chest, making it hard to breathe.

His chest tightened so painfully that it was almost unbearable, filled with despair, pain, and anger. If only the words engraved upon it had vanished, Marsilia might have felt less desperate.

Remembering his father, who had gone mad carrying the goddess’ burden alone, Marsilia hunched his back. His father had missed his mother so much, not knowing that it was a divine trick, that he had eventually gone mad.

The thought that he might become like his father scared him. He feared becoming like him, living unable to die. Marsilia trembled with anxiety. He feared that Jaha might not want to be his partner anymore. And if Jaha said he wanted to leave, Marsilia would have no reason to hold him back.

Marsilia suddenly realized that his mistrust toward Jaha still lingered. And that realization tortured him even more. Guilt and distrust for Jaha boiled within his chest, tangled with anger towards the Archduke who had caused this situation and resentment towards the goddess, who had started it all.