Contrary to what was known to the public, the relationship between Chancellor Sullivan and the Empress wasnât the one where theyâd growl to each other whenever they made eye contact.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say that they had no interaction with each other to begin with.
Unlike their subordinates, who kept growling as if they were about to pounce on each other, those twoâs stance toward each other had never changed.
Indifference.
âIf you donât mess with me, I wonât mess with you.â Sometimes, if they were forced to clash with each other, theyâd solve the matter quickly and fairly so that it wouldnât spiral out of control.
Their attitude as the head of their own respective factions played a significant role in preventing any rebellion or big fight from happening despite them effectively splitting the power structure in the Empire into two.
That was whyâŠ
Their current confrontation was a very unusual situation.
â...â
A terrifying silence filled up the room.
Even the highly competent bodyguards, who were present because this was essentially the gathering of two high-ranking state guests, gulped dryly at the tension.
The source of this tense atmosphere was probably Chancellor Sullivan, who was sitting in the center, not even bothering to hide her hostility.
Her eyes, which had been closed for a while, were slowly opened.
âYour Imperial Majesty, why did you do that?â
Her voice was so sharp that it felt as if it could cut through the flesh of the listeners.
One of the people around, feeling the pressure emanating from her, couldnât help but gulp dryly.
âI heard that you ordered the Sword Saint to create a Nullifying Shroud.â
Cecilia the 11th quietly looked at her over the veil hanging around her.
Sullivan also looked at her over the veil with a cold stare.
Her hostility was clear as she seemed ready to start a fight.
Just when everyone in the surroundings thought that the tension-filled silence was going to last longerâŠ
âThough the Nullifying Shroud looks omnipotent at a glance,it isnât a complicated skill to counter.â
A clear voice, as clear as a glass, without any hint of emotion.
â...â
In that instant, Chancellor Sullivan furrowed her brows.
Her eyes turned to the giant who uttered such words.
The Empress' Personal Guard.
A huge sword strapped to his back. The middle-aged man exuded gentlemanly elegance from every inch of his bodyâcontrasting his massive build, two to three heads taller than adult men.
Radu Alexander Varphon.
The Sword Saint of the current era.
He was the most powerful combatant the Empire had. Even Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride were inferior to him.
His prowess was known even outside the Empire, as one of the strongest even among individuals who had gained the title of a Saint, the powerhouses who were regarded as people who had reached the pinnacle of their respective fields.
In the current time when the Fist Saint had lost most of her power due to her limbs getting cut off, it was safe to say that no humans were comparable to him, unless they were at the level of the Master of the Magic Tower or the Pope.
â...I am not asking you, Sir Radu.â
Though the Chancellor responded with a subdued voice, there was no hesitation in his next reply.
âThey only need to walk out of the range of effect. Nothing is preventing them from doing so.â
â...â
Of course she already knew that.
This was the clear reason why despite it being a powerful piece of technology, it had never been used openly in actual battles.
HoweverâŠ
â...As far as I know, they will be disqualified from the ordeal once they get out of the range of the effect. Are you sure you didnât purposely set it up this way?â
âThose who do not want to die will do it. Is there any problem with that?â
â...â
âIf anything, it would be strange if the Hero title doesnât carry such weight. Other countriesâ higher-ups have acknowledged this as well.â
The Sword Saint calmly said while letting out a gentle smile.
â...But this is still too harsh for the participants. Theyâre literally risking their life to face such aââ
âChancellor Sullivan.â
The Sword Saint cut her off with a soft voice.
âYou are being very emotional. Thatâs so uncharacteristic of you.â
â...â
âIndeed, in regards to how humane this method is, I admit that itâs flawed, but in regards to how suitable it is for the ordeal, itâs beyond impeccable. In the first place, if this method was considered problematic, the other countriesâ higher-ups would have prevented it from happening.â
â...â
Obviously,
Her words lacked any persuasive power.
Not only that, she was also getting too emotional over it, not befitting her reputation as the âIron-Blooded Chancellorâ.
However,
...That man definitely.
Would risk his life to give the person called Iliya Krisanax the Hero title.
That was what he had always done.
From the outside, he looked like a trashy playboy, but when one got to know him better, theyâd notice how dedicated he was to people around him. His devotion was so intense that one might find it stupid.
In her memory of the past, he was also like that.
â...â
Sullivan clenched her fists under the table.
She hated how he was thrown into unexpected âvariablesâ.
How his life was being threatened in situations that were beyond her expectations.
Because what she could do in the ordeal became very limited.
The Empress was chosen as the host of the ordeal, so she couldnât just intervene with it willy-nilly.
...I let my guard down.
She didnât expect the Empress to dirty her hand directly like this.
The Empress and that man had nothing to do with each other, so she should have no interest whatsoever with that man.
This kind of thing never happened in the âprevious roundâ she went through too.
Why is she doing this?
It had become the norm for them to read the room and avoid each other as possible whenever they ran into each other.
Probably because they both shared the same interest, to not turn the Empire into a mess through a power struggle. She also knew that the Empress never tried to stand out.
That was why she never expected her to do something like this all of a sudden.
âIs this because of that man, Chancellor?â
â...Excuse me?â
âDowd Campbell.â
The Sword Saint said that out of nowhere, prompting Sullivan to narrow her eyes.
Her head cooled down.
Since they had already known about that, she was able to roughly summative how the situation came to be.
â...Your Imperial Majesty.â
She said in a flat tone.
âSo, you did it on purpose.â
There was a faint hint of anger in her voice.
âWere you thinking of using that man as an excuse to put pressure on me?â
âYou are wrong, Sullivan.â
This time, it wasnât the Sword Saint who replied.
The voice sounded so weak and faint, one needed to concentrate to even hear it.
But undoubtedly, this was the voice of the Empress.
âI did not do this to put pressure on you as there is no reason for me to ruin our relationship. Although, it is true that the reason I came to know about that man is because of how much interest you have towards him.â
â...â
The corners of Sullivanâs eyes twitched.
It had been so long since she heard the Empress speak in her own âvoiceâ.
Considering the curse the woman had, such an occasion was a rarity.
The Curse of Dragonblood.
It was a rare disease that, with an extremely low chance, affected people who inherited the âDragonâ Factor, which was known to be passed down in the Imperial Family.
There was a high chance that the current Empress' insides must have rotted so badly that just by talking with her own voice had already put too much strain on her body.
In other wordsâŠ
She was serious. And to show that seriousness, she went out of her way to use her own voice to speak despite her being in such a condition.
âThe reason I did it is to get a little bit more information about him, as I am in the middle of observing him closely. I will not let anything that you are worried about happen, so you donât need to worry.â
â...What do you mean by watching him closely, Your Imperial Majesty?â
Sullivan asked, her eyes were narrowed still.
Why would the Empress have interest in him?
While it was true that considering what he had done so far, he was a promising talent, even on a continental scale. However, the Empress was already surrounded with competent people. She didnât need to put him in her sight at all.
As Sullivan thought so.
âIt is nothing big. I am just doing it for fun.â
The Empress said jokingly with a smile..
HoweverâŠ
When Sullivan felt the âmoodâ mixed in her words.
And the faint âpresenceâunderneath themâŠ
â...I feel a connection with him. Fate, you can call it that. Iâm doing this for such a lame reason.â
Sullivanâs eyes opened wide in horror.
â...â
She unconsciously covered her mouth.
That was the best she could do to prevent herself from losing her self-control.
Though the feeling was very faint.
Like a weak hunch that sheâd normally be able to forget in a second.
The sensation she felt wasnât something she could forget.
Because it was the same one who had given her the nightmare that made her suffer countless times before.
â...â
She was barely able to suppress the shock that was about to appear in expression as she tried to calm her breathing.
âWhatâs wrong, Sullivan?â
â...Nothing, Your Imperial Majesty.â
She could sense it strongly since she could handle the âDevilâs Aura herself.
Brown.
She blurted out that word as she clenched her trembling fists tightly.
Needless to say, she hated all Devils without exception.
Because in all her encounters, she had never met a Devil who did not harm Dowd Campbell out of their selfishness.
The frequencies were different, but Dowd Campbell was likely to be killed by every Devil at least once.
At least that was what she âhad seenâ.
â...â
HoweverâŠ
Brown was the biggest⊠âexceptionâ.
In a sense, even more so than the Grey Devil.
...So the Empress is the Brown Devilâs Vessel.
This was something she didnât want to even imagine.
Unlike other vessels whom he could endure, avoid, or âhandleâ whenever they approached him out of their selfishness.
This person was the most powerful person in the Empire alongside Sullivan herself.
In other words, she had the strength to destroy everything that he possessed if she willed it.
AndâŠ
If it was really the Brown DevilâŠ
The last master of the Six Thrones that ruled PandemoniumâŠ
The Brown Devil.
The illegitimate child of Angels. The most lowly of the DevilsâŠ
It was the one who had killed Dowd Campbell the most times âin all the wordlinesâ.
â...â
Once again, she was reminded of that sight. ÆĐłeewŃbnovel.com
When Dowd Campbell begged her to kill him.
As the horrific scene flashed across her mind, the Chancellor lowered her face,
Because she did not want to show the other person her pale face.
â...Sullivan? Are you okay?â
EverythingâŠ
Had âhappenedâ because of the Devil inside that woman.
â...â
Sullivan barely managed to repress the killing intent that was about to emerge from her expression.
Right now.
She really wanted to tear that woman apart. To kill her. Break her soul and scatter it everywhere.
HoweverâŠ
It was not the time.
Not yet.
Based on the sign, it would take quite a long time before the first Fragment would be awakened.
Devil Fragments were sensitive to the Vesselâs mental state, so there was no need for her to provoke it and awaken it early.
Since the Devils were immortal, it was impossible to kill them in the first place.
If anything, the one thing she should do first was to âdelayâ that awakening as much as possible.
â...Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I am okay.â
Sullivan calmly answered, without letting out any expression.
Various plans, countermeasures, and schemes ran through her head.
But she didnât need to show that in her face.
Only idiots would ever reveal their true intentions to someone whoâd later become their âenemyâ after all.
HoweverâŠ
â...But, Your Imperial Majesty. If you did it knowing I am coveting him, you need to take responsibility.â
She thought that it would be fine if she were to express this much displeasure.
âResponsibility?â
âIf that man gets hurt even a bit,â
Sullivanâs golden eyes shone.
âYou will have to pay the price, Your Imperial Majesty.â
â...â
As a Chancellor, saying those words to the Empress was beyond mutiny.
But no one in the room stepped in to stop her.
Because they were excellent enough to read the room.
They clearly realized that those two were people who had âbisectedâ the Empire into two.
In other wordsâŠ
If anyone recklessly stepped in and worsened the situationâŠ
Chances were, a huge disaster that could mess up the entire continent would happen.
That was how important the positions those two women possessed.
The wisest thing for them to do was act as if they didnât exist. As long as neither of them got violent, they wouldnât move.
...Who the hell is that punk called Dowd Campbell�!
Though, they were cursing under their breath that these women created such an atmosphere because of a man.
â...Iâve told you, haven't I? You do not have to worry.â
As the people around them were sweating profusely due to the tensionâŠ
The Empress only waved her hand while letting out a bitter smile.
Seeing her gesture, one of the servants who was waiting nearby quickly came with a crystal ball.
âThis is the screen that shows the location of the ordeal. From now on, I will be observing the ordeal through this. If that man gets into any kind of danger, I will dispatch Radu immediately.â freewebnÏvel.cĂžm
The Empress said so while making another hand gesture. While bowing their head, the servant activated the crystal ball.
Soon after, a real-time video was transmitted inside.
And on the screenâŠ
âKill me gently, you bastardsâ!â
In the middle of where the Nullifying Shroud was set up.
Where every kind of ability was nullified.
Dowd Campbell could be seen, rushing into a group of large Demonic Creatures with his bare body.
Yes. Bare body. He took off all his clothes, only wearing his underwear.
â...â
â...â
â...â
Everyone fell into silence.
Nobody could say a word.
Not a single /genesisforsaken