NOVEL WEB Chapter 211
Chapter 211
Yan quickly recognized the identity of the knight rushing towards him.
‘Vice-Captain of the Blazing Knights, Yorden.’
A troublesome figure.
A knight with unwavering loyalty, willing to jump into fire if commanded by the Sun Duke.
And another notable trait:
‘He holds a near-fanatical belief in chivalry.’
In Yorden’s view, chivalry meant nothing but loyalty.
The battlefield, tense and on the brink of explosion, fell silent at Yorden’s shout.
Even the Sun Duke, sensing the shift, sheathed his sword, Ifrit.
“What is it, Vice-Captain?”
Yorden, having reached the Sun Duke’s side, glanced at Yan and Theo.
Then, kneeling on one knee before the Sun Duke, he shouted.
“I ask that you hear their story.”
“What?”
The Sun Duke frowned.
He couldn’t understand why Yorden, who always followed orders without question, was acting this way.
Yorden glanced at the groaning Cruel lying on the ground and continued.
“A knight who serves with such loyalty would never commit such acts. If there is a misunderstanding, it must be corrected.”
“……”
The Sun Duke stared at Yorden, then at the wounded Cruel he had brought.
Blood was oozing from various wounds, and his limbs were twisted in unnatural angles, indicating the fierce battle he had endured.
Yorden valued ‘justice’ and ‘loyalty’ highly.
For him to defend someone he fought against piqued the Sun Duke’s curiosity.
Merriott, who appeared behind the Sun Duke, supported Yorden’s opinion.
“I agree with Yorden. We should hear them out before deciding their fate.”
With his cherished knights speaking up, the Sun Duke had no choice but to reconsider.
“Follow me.”
He turned and walked towards the barrier.
Yan and Theo, surprised by the Sun Duke’s change of heart, exchanged astonished glances.
Especially Yan, who knew how resolute the Sun Duke could be, was deeply shocked.
He glanced at the fallen Cruel and smirked.
‘Never expected things to turn out this way.’
It was truly unexpected.
The knights of Armena causing a commotion had resolved the situation.
Had they followed the original plan, it would have been quite troublesome.
Yorden spoke in a stern voice.
“Be grateful for having such a knight. If I hadn’t seen this young knight’s resolve and determination, I wouldn’t have defended you.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Yan bowed respectfully to Yorden.
At that moment, Merriott, who had been watching, shouted.
“Is this the time for this? Hurry and follow the Lord!”
At his scolding, Yan and Theo quickly followed.
* * *
The Sun Duke walked towards the mansion.
Yan and Theo followed in silence, matching the Sun Duke’s pace.
They arrived at the mansion after a brisk walk.
The Sun Duke, Yan, and Theo ascended the stairs and headed to the office.
Creak.
The Sun Duke opened the door and turned his head.
“You wait outside.”
“…Yes.”
Theo nodded and stepped out, leaving Yan alone with the Sun Duke in a suffocating silence.
Swish.
The Sun Duke quietly sat at the head of the table and closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Yan took a seat opposite him.
After a long moment of contemplation, the Sun Duke opened his eyes and asked,
“So, you’re not part of the revolution army?”
Yan looked at him and shook his head.
“I am part of the revolution army.”
“…You are? That’s different from what you said earlier.”
“I never said I wasn’t part of the revolution army.”
The Sun Duke frowned.
He distinctly remembered Yan denying his affiliation with the revolution army.
Sensing the Sun Duke’s confusion, Yan quickly clarified.
“I am the enemy of the leader, but I am not unrelated to the revolution army.”
“What?”
“My father was the former supreme commander who organized the revolution army.”
Yan said, placing a photo on the table.
The photo showed several people, including Damian, and one person who looked strikingly similar to Yan.
It was clear that in about ten years, Yan would resemble this person closely.
“Huh.”
The Sun Duke let out a dry laugh after seeing the photo.
He had thought Yan joined the revolution army, but it turned out he was born into it.
“Then I suppose I must execute you.”
“You will regret it.”
“Regret it? Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you think that?”
Yan smiled.
“Without me, the southern territories will suffer near destruction. How many people will die in the south during that time?”
The Sun Duke chuckled.
Yan’s words seemed utterly ridiculous.
“Are you saying the empire will lose to those rebels without you?”
“Yes. I am certain of it.”
Yan’s confident expression made the Sun Duke’s face subtly change.
He didn’t know Yan well, but recalling the last banquet, Yan didn’t seem like someone who would lie.
‘Or maybe he’s lying to save his life.’
But he had to ask.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because of the force behind the revolution army.”
“Force? Are you talking about the Eastern Duke who reported your identity?”
The Sun Duke tilted his head.
If the reason for losing to the revolution army was the Eastern Duke’s influence, it didn’t make sense.
This was the south.
His influence here far surpassed that of the Eastern Duke.
So, the idea that the south would lose because of the Eastern Duke was absurd.
Yan shook his head.
“It’s not him. He’s just a pawn.”
“…?”
“The Emperor.”
“…!”
“He is the one behind the revolution army.”
The Sun Duke’s eyes widened.
He never expected Yan to point to the ruler of the empire as the mastermind.
* * *
Upon hearing the identity of the mastermind, Duke Juda couldn’t believe his ears.
“Did I hear that correctly?”
“You heard it right.”
“His Majesty the Emperor is behind the revolutionaries?”
“Yes.”
Duke Juda let out a disbelieving chuckle and leaned back deeply in his chair.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Why would I lie about something that would be immediately discovered?”
Duke Juda glanced at Yan’s eyes.
They were clear and unwavering.
Having seen many people, Duke Juda knew that those with such eyes usually spoke the truth.
Which made it even harder to understand.
“Why would His Majesty do something that harms himself?”
“Because he has a reason.”
“And you know that reason?”
“Yes.”
“If there’s even a hint of falsehood, you can forget about a peaceful death.”
He was talking about the Emperor.
If it wasn’t true, he would spend his life in agony.
Despite Duke Juda’s warning, Yan’s pupils did not waver.
“Speak.”
“The current Emperor is not the person you know.”
“…?”
Duke Juda frowned at the unexpected words.
Not the Emperor he knew?
He couldn’t grasp what was being said.
“Do you mean someone is impersonating him?”
“Something like that. To be precise, someone else has taken over His Majesty’s body.”
“That’s impossible.”
Duke Juda cut him off.
There had been many studies on transplanting souls into other bodies, but none had ever succeeded.
But Yan shook his head.
“There is a reason those studies failed.”
“A reason they failed?”
“Yes, they all failed because the Emperor intervened.”
“Are you joking? Those studies have been conducted for a long time, even before the current Emperor was born.”
“I know.”
“What are you…”
Duke Juda’s words trailed off.
A terrifying thought crossed his mind.
He looked at Yan with eyes full of disbelief.
“No way.”
“Yes, the previous Emperor, and the one before that, have all been the same soul.”
Bang!
Duke Juda slammed the table as if to break it.
He glared at Yan with blazing eyes.
“What nonsense are you spouting!”
“Since the founding of the Caballan Empire, there has only been one Emperor.”
“What on earth…!”
“All the Emperors have been one person, Bahamut Caballan, the founder.”
The shocking information continued.
“The Dragon’s Art was created by the founder to easily transfer his soul into his descendants’ bodies. Those who know it well call it a ‘mold’.”
Duke Juda’s eyes widened at those words.
At that moment, past memories flooded his mind.
“Mother, why won’t you let me learn the Dragon’s Art?”
“I can’t tell you. But you must never learn it!”
His mother had forbidden him from learning the Dragon’s Art, the greatest secret of the Empire.
“Jun! I will become the Emperor and create a nation loved by the people. So help me!”
“Duke Juda Caballan, report on the events in the south.”
The Emperor, who used to call him by a nickname, became formal as soon as he ascended the throne.
At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but over time, he felt a clear sense of incongruity.
He didn’t delve deeply into it because he didn’t think it was important.
But the answer had just come out of Yan’s mouth.
“So you’re saying His Majesty is… the great hero and founder of the Empire, Bahamut Caballan from a thousand years ago?”
“Yes.”
Yan answered without a hint of hesitation, and Duke Juda closed his eyes.
‘Mother, you knew this all along.’
That’s why she was so adamant about him not learning the Dragon’s Art.
‘Clark, you who wanted to create a good country for the people, you must no longer be in this world.’
And the place where you should be has been taken by someone else.
‘But.’
Public and private matters must be clearly distinguished.
As someone who stood above others, he believed in the importance of the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
Duke Juda opened his eyes.
“Your words are surprising, but… having the founder, a great hero from the past, directly rule isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means there won’t be any tyrants or incompetent rulers.”
The founder who brought humanity out of the dark ages and into a golden era.
When the Caballan Empire was founded, it achieved great prosperity, and as a result, humans no longer feared other races.
So, even if the founder took over his descendants’ bodies to rule directly, not much would change.
The descendants whose bodies were taken would resent it, but the people might see him as a great king who sacrificed his kin for their sake.
Yan shook his head.
“If that were the case, my father wouldn’t have organized the revolutionaries.”
“…That means.”
“Yes.”
Yan looked straight at Duke Juda and spoke.
“The founder has gone mad.”