Chapter 286: Reist's Tragedy (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

The 4th Imperial Prince Reist's popularity was soaring sky-high.

Looks that had grown even more handsome, thanks to Jinwoo's subtle little touch-ups.

Elegant movements.

A voice that seemed to pull listeners in.

And on top of it all, a slightly sorrowful narrative armored in loyalty to the Empire.

The Reist of today was beloved by everyone, young and old, man and woman, a true icon of the age. It was no exaggeration to call him the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's first superstar, or even its first idol.

Jinwoo fell into thought for a moment, then declined the car that had been prepared and ordered a different vehicle brought around. It was a military vehicle, the kind used for a commander's troop inspection, an open-top car with no roof.

"Let's make a loop around before we go in."

"But the security concerns..."

Nasko, called the finest knight in the Empire, objected, but Jinwoo shook his head and pressed on.

"The people here are all citizens of the Sanctuary, chosen by the Empire. What danger could there possibly be?"

"Your Highness..."

"And with you guarding me, I'll be safer still. Isn't that right?"

Jinwoo said this as he laid a hand on Nasko's shoulder.

As he let a faint pressure radiate outward, the dignity of a sovereign flowed from him. Nasko, the escort knights around her, and the elite noble-born commanders were deeply moved by the sight of Jinwoo, and loyalty welled up in them of its own accord.

Some even thought he seemed far closer to an emperor than the masters they themselves served.

"Yes! I will guard you without fail!"

Nasko, moved that Jinwoo trusted her so, swore to herself that she would protect him no matter what.

Jinwoo rode through the city for a while as if on parade. In his eyes, the Empire's citizens, steeped in wicked deeds, were worth less than insects, but he smiled gently and waved to them all the same.

The sight of him was the very image of a benevolent ruler.

If he had not renounced his right of imperial succession, the order of succession would surely have shifted dramatically. The imperial family members and high nobles, each serving different masters, watched Jinwoo, thought exactly that, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness the Prince!"

"He looked at me!"

"Kyaaa!"

When Jinwoo raised his bracelet, shimmering with light, the gathered crowds did the same. Some spread their hands open, in a gesture that looked a little like a rather dangerous salute.

'Well..., honestly, it's not all that different.'

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire was far more vicious than that.

It had annihilated countless dimensions, so the number of its victims far exceeded the grains of sand on a beach.

Jinwoo paraded around like that for a while, then stepped down in front of an enormous building that looked like a castle. It was the assembly building responsible for administration within the Sanctuary.

When the Emperor in the imperial palace set out a general direction, policies were researched here. The plans and policies for invading countless dimensions had been crafted in this place, and were still being crafted now.

'All the talent of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire gathers here.'

The brightest minds gathered from across the vast Kalsus Dimensional Empire were all assembled in this place. High officials holding key posts within the Sanctuary, along with promising talents with bright futures, had all come together.

The reason was the 'Sanctuary Central Council'.

Held once every five years, the Sanctuary Central Council was a meeting that every citizen of the Empire watched closely. All of the Empire's important policies were decided at this time, and accounts were settled every five years.

Members of the imperial family who held rights of succession were barred from attending, since they could twist the direction of policy. Even so, all of them sent close aides to scheme from behind the scenes.

All for the sake of climbing the ranks.

Jinwoo had renounced his right of succession, and thanks to his merit in creating RL and warning of the danger approaching the Empire, he had received an invitation. On top of that, he had been asked to give the speech that was practically the main event.

The speech was to be broadcast through the bracelets across the Sanctuary and even beyond the dimensional barrier. Those without bracelets could listen by radio.

Upon arriving at the assembly, Jinwoo was escorted to a VIP room.

All he had to do was rest until the council began, but many people came calling. They were officials belonging to various factions, and every one of them strove to get into Jinwoo's good graces.

They had even prepared enormous bribes, but Jinwoo refused them with a smile.

"I must decline. Use it for RL  instead. That is what serves the Empire."

"Y-Your Highness..."

At Jinwoo's words, the high official trembled, as if ashamed of his own hands still holding the bribe.

When Nasko, Scharnhilde's knights, and Kaljest's knights glared at him with murderous eyes, the high official's face turned deathly pale and he fled the room as if running for his life.

And with that, the situation was more or less settled.

'Time to get started.'

Now came the buildup!

Jinwoo flicked his finger.

At that, Marquis Alontro, the man called the next Chancellor, and the officials who followed him knocked on the door. They were all well known as a faction loyal to the Crown Prince, and they were also active as close associates within RL.

Madness could be read in Marquis Alontro's eyes. His body was already filled with mosquitoes, larvae, and Evil Life Forms, and without realizing it, he was acting according to Jinwoo's will.

The officials who came with him were the same. Every one of them had spots on their skin, large and small, like insect bites. They believed they were acting of their own volition, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Marquis Alontro was brazen.

He tried to get straight to business without observing even the basic courtesy owed to an imperial prince.

"How insolent. Show proper respect to His Highness Reist."

When Nasko said this with a scowl, Marquis Alontro sneered at her.

"I have come as part of a negotiating delegation. I carry the will of the one upon whom the most brilliant light shines, second only to His Majesty the Emperor within the Sanctuary, and so I cannot kneel before a prince who holds no right of succession."

"How dare you...!"

SHING!

Nasko moved to draw her sword, but Jinwoo raised his hand to stop her. Not only Marquis Alontro but the officials as well held their heads high and stiff. They acted as if they themselves were the Crown Prince.

The knights watching the scene felt extreme fury, even harboring killing intent, but Jinwoo greeted the visitors with a benevolent smile.

"Well then, you've come a long way. State your business."

When Jinwoo spoke in a gentle tone, the knights suppressed their bloodlust and fixed their eyes on Marquis Alontro and his party.

"I will be direct. Transfer the management rights of RL to His Highness the Crown Prince, and offer Reist World up to the imperial household. Now that RL has become the center of the Empire, it must be managed from the Empire's center."

"Is that the Crown Prince's will?"

"It is."

Marquis Alontro said so, but in truth, it was not the Crown Prince's will at all.

The Crown Prince was astonishingly empty-headed. He had no clear ambitions, nor was he wise. According to all the information Jinwoo had gathered so far, he was simply an ordinary villain of the kind found anywhere.

Unable to bear it any longer, Nasko radiated fierce killing intent as she glared at Marquis Alontro. But Marquis Alontro did not react to her bloodlust in the slightest, even wearing a leisurely smile.

"Should you happen to meet with some unfortunate accident, all rights will be transferred to His Highness the Crown Prince, first in the line of succession."

No one in the Empire's history had ever spoken to an imperial prince this way. Nasko strode right up to Marquis Alontro and glared at him.

"You dare threaten him!"

"Of course not. I am merely informing him of the facts."

"You bastard..."

Nasko was Scharnhilde's knight, yet she seemed, if anything, more loyal to Jinwoo.

"Hahaha!"

"Heh heh heh!"

The officials openly let their laughter spill out.

The mosquito larvae had burrowed all the way into their brains, and the scene was playing out exactly as Jinwoo intended. From their perspective, it was not an act but reality itself, so nothing about it felt staged.

Even the most sharp-eyed knights were fooled instantly.

There were many witnesses.

Scharnhilde's and Kaljest's knights, those under Jinwoo's command, and even the servants of other factions all stood before the door.

Jinwoo calmly continued the buildup.

"That would be the case if I left no will. How kind of you to worry about my safety. I suppose I had best take care of myself, then."

Jinwoo rose from his seat.

"The demons are trying to crawl out of Arkia. The various dimensions we are currently invading have also fallen into their hands. My wish is to eliminate the demons through RL and the Authority System, and bring peace to the Kalsus Dimensional Empire."

Jinwoo's words entranced everyone.

Even Marquis Alontro and the officials under the larvae's control faltered for a moment.

"RL needs time right now. Tell him to wait until the Authority System stabilizes and countermeasures against the demons are ready."

"Hmph...!"

Marquis Alontro made no effort to hide his displeasure. He even clicked his tongue and shook his head before rising from his seat.

"I sincerely wish Your Highness a long and healthy life."

Marquis Alontro said this without bowing his head, then turned on his heel and walked out.

"...Shall I kill him?"

"Let him be. Isn't it a blessing, rather, to have such a foolish servant on their side?"

"Wise words indeed."

"Still, something is strange. There's nothing to gain from being so openly hostile."

"I will look into it separately."

Nasko and the knights marveled at Jinwoo's generous heart and wisdom. Jinwoo nodded, stepped out of the VIP room, and entered the assembly hall.

The interior was immense. At its center stood a podium for delivering speeches, surrounded by countless chairs and tables. The hall was large enough to seat every high-ranking official in the Empire.

The arrangement of the seats and desks was almost reminiscent of a colosseum.

This space was sacred ground that only the chosen could enter. Only knights of imperial blood stood inside the doors, while all other forces waited outside.

'Not a bad view.'

The grand interior was quite a sight in its own way.

The Chancellor, who always remained at the Emperor's side, had not come, but every minister-level figure beneath him was present.

A full 8,888 officials had gathered in one place. All of them were the most exalted and exceptional individuals of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

When Jinwoo took his seat, everyone who had arrived before him sat down as well.

The council began, led by the ministers of each field. The talk was technical and rather dull, but it gave him an excellent understanding of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's internal affairs.

'They really are a brilliant bunch.'

That was why this colossal empire ran so smoothly despite being packed with empty-headed nobles. Of course, there was plenty of pageantry and empty formality, which made it tedious.

'Guess people nod off no matter where they are.'

He could see people nodding off here and there.

Jinwoo let out a small chuckle and looked around.

Security was airtight, meticulous enough that not even the tiniest insect could approach.

In the Sanctuary, on Planet 10 no less, there was almost no being that could break through the layered ranks of soldiers and knights and the many devices installed in the building to reach this place.

Unfortunately, the enemy of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire was already inside.

Jinwoo tapped his fingers on the desk.

Marquis Alontro flinched, then began shifting around as if his body were uncomfortable. Those beside him were the same. They started frantically scratching at the spots on their faces and bodies.

The time came for Jinwoo to give his speech and present his agenda.

Jinwoo rose from his seat and walked slowly up to the podium.

The moment he stepped onto the podium, the bracelets glimmered and the broadcast began. The bracelet served not only for online payments but as a personal phone as well. By now, the Empire's citizens could not even imagine life without their bracelets.

It had taken root, deep and firm, in the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

Among the citizens, it had come to be called the 'Nation-Saving Bracelet'.

"Radiant citizens of the Sanctuary, faithful servants of the Empire! Beware the peace you enjoy today!"

At Jinwoo's forceful words, even those who had been dozing jolted awake in surprise.

"The peace you enjoy is a lie. An illusion. A trap tightening around our throats. We are nothing but livestock fattening on feed, waiting for the day of our slaughter."

Murmur, murmur!

As Jinwoo's radical words rang out, a stir spread through the hall.

"Our great Empire has fallen into grave crisis. The Dimensional Predators have seized the west of the dimensional realm, and the demons have stolen our dimensions, grown in power, and are surging toward the Empire. You will have seen it through RL. The demons, the monsters of evil, and the shadow of a wicked Evil God that surpasses even the Dimensional Predators...!"

That's right.

Arsilan is coming for every last one of you.

It has already reached the place you call the Sanctuary, and it has dug a trap from which there is no escape.

"Demons do not die. They are immortal. Burst their heads, gouge out their hearts, burn them to death with light, and still they revive with a smile. Unlike the Dimensional Predators, the very concept of death does not apply to them. And their numbers are vast beyond measure."

Heroes do not die.

Their souls dwell with the chief god of Arsilan, and as long as Arsilan exists, they can return to life without end.

Every person here had experienced the demons' immortality secondhand through RL.

"And so we must unite! We must band together as one and resist! Imperial family, nobles, commoners, and soldiers alike must carry the light of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire in their hearts and march forward!"

The power of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire was so immense that even Arsilan could not withstand it. If they united and stood against Arsilan, the cost in sacrifice would be enormous.

But it was already far too late.

The seeds of division had been planted deep within their souls, and those seeds had already sprouted.

"Rise, all of you! Awaken! Unite! Fight back! For the Kalsus Dimensional Empire!"

As Jinwoo thrust his arm into the air, light streamed from his bracelet.

It was as if it were showing them the beautiful future of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

Jinwoo paused for a moment.

The brief silence that followed set everyone on edge.

Some swallowed hard, while others clenched their fists tight to contain their excitement.

Jinwoo nodded, lowered his hand, and struck his chest twice.

"As long as your souls remain whole, the Kalsus Dimensional Empire will be victorious."

The souls of every citizen of the Empire were defective goods.

They were as unsightly as pottery crushed in the kiln, and as fragile as boats folded from paper.

Clap, clap, clap!

Everyone who had heard Jinwoo's speech sprang up from their seats and applauded. Swept up in the fervor, they all thrust their arms into the air.

The applause went on and on.

Having finished his speech, Jinwoo looked toward Marquis Alontro. Only Marquis Alontro and those around him remained seated, staring blankly at Jinwoo.

Their eyes were clouded with a murky light, and their bodies kept twitching as if they suffered from tics.

It was the signal that preparations were complete.

The moment Jinwoo opened his mouth, the applause stopped all at once.

"After long effort, I have uncovered the demons' weakness and the power behind them. I will reveal everything here and now. First, then..."

THOOM!

At the sudden crash that rang out, Jinwoo stopped speaking.

Marquis Alontro had staggered to his feet and knocked over his desk.

The instant everyone turned to look, Marquis Alontro, who had been hunched over, lifted his head and glared at Jinwoo.

Drip, drip, driiip!

Tears of blood streamed down from Marquis Alontro's dead eyes.

"A-are you all right?"

"What is going on...!"

"Wh-what?!"

The spots on Marquis Alontro's face burst open, and things like legged leeches came pouring out.

"Gu-guaaargh! N-n-no...! No! No! Save me...!"

Marquis Alontro's body began to swell.

Only when he had inflated like a balloon, on the very verge of bursting, did he fully regain his senses.

Marquis Alontro's eyes met those of Jinwoo, standing at the podium.

He tried desperately to point at Jinwoo, but he could not move his balloon-swollen body.

A slow grin!

Jinwoo gave him a small smile, just for him to see.

Only when Marquis Alontro's face swelled so large that it sank into his body did the eyes of those around him widen, their expressions twisting into horror.

It was the moment everyone was about to scream.

KABOOOOOM!

Marquis Alontro's body exploded outright, and the countless Evil Life Forms inside him came spewing out. They resembled mosquitoes, snakes, earthworms, leeches, centipedes, and spiders.

In an instant, they swarmed over the high officials nearby.

The officials clutched at their bitten flesh and shrieked.

BOOM! KABOOM!

Every official who had come with Marquis Alontro met the exact same end.

The exploded Marquis Alontro became a Skeleton Knight, and the officials became skeletons.

They were the very monsters from RL.

In the Sanctuary that no one had believed could ever be breached, in the sacred assembly hall, hell unfolded.

The tragedy was only beginning.

*****

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