Chapter 69 Rebuild(1)

Translator: BaeBae Editor: BaeBae

The hospital ward was filled with the smell of death and agony.

It was as expected consdiering the ward was located in a city that had just gone through a battle.

Juan snuggly pulled up his mask over his nose then began his search for someone.

Civilians, soldiers and knights were all groaning.

It was the same everywhere else in Hiveden. Often coined ‘the lawless city’, while it was full of violent people, surprisingly there weren’t many people looting and pillaging after the war had ended.

Most bonded together to find the injured and help restore order in the city.

The White crow knights were doing the same.

Seen as slaughters, while there wasn’t anyone that was sending good natured gazes at them as they passed, the people largely overlooked it. Both parties had gone through a traumatic experience that made such quarrels seem pointless.

Amongst the elderies, there weren’t many that had ever seen a god, even if it was an incarnation.

While it was surprising to have seen a god of death incarnate, the fact there was a being that had the strength to eliminate it was even more surprising.

People largely kept quiet, but everyone was whispering the same name between each other.

That ‘the emperor’ had returned.

That he came to fulfil the promise that he’d do so when the empire was at risk.

Amongst the soldiers, Juan finally found the person he had been looking for.

Dilmond.

Full of cuts everywhere on his body, Dilmond was lying face down due to the burns he’d gotten on his back.

Although it seemed that the bandage around his body was being frequently changed, the sheer number of patients in the ward made it seemingly difficult to get proper attention.

But he was still alive.

“Dilmond.”

Juan went up to him and began rechanging the bandage on him. Noticing someone beside him, Dilmond opened his eyes.

“What, who......Juan.”

“You almost sound disappointed....Funny, I don’t feel sorry for you all of a sudden. Anyways, how did you know it was me?”

“Anya already told me that you would look different. Though I didn’t know it was to this degree....But, more importantly, I see that you’re still alive.”

“That’s what I want to say... Although looking at your injuries, I guess it’s too early to be relieved.”

“It’s nothing. Scratches and burns. If I were to die to something like this, I would’ve already died a long time ago. Compared to when Lars Raude nim fought Vares Valte, this is.....”

Dilmond hesitated. It appeared Lars’s name had made him falter.

Dilmond looked at Juan who was silently rechanging his bandage and asked.

“Did Lars nim not survive?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure.”

Juan took out the essence from his pocket that was left behind when Nigrato had perished.

The constant swirling sphere of darkness looked to be of liquid texture, but also gas as well.

“This is Nigrato’s essence. But upon studying it more carefully, I can’t feel any presence of him in here. It’s safe to see this thing as a highly concentrated mana. I don’t know how something like this is possible....but thinking back, this isn’t the first of its kind.”

“There’s another one?”

“Mananen Maclir’s heart.”

Dilmond stared directly at Juan. Juan put away the ball of darkness back into his pocket.

“Yes. Till his final moments, Lars tried to replicate something similar to Mananen Maclir’s heart. And having some success doing so. So I think he did something similar to Nigrato’s essence as well. Problem is that I’m not sure how this works. It’s not like Mananen Maclir’s heart where you absorb it into your body.”

“If Lars nim left it behind, then surely it’s for a good reason. By the way, how did commander nim die? I heard stories from people but didn’t want to believe it.”

“Right at the end, Lars’s consciousness came back. And he asked me to end it.”

“Is that all? What Anya told me was of complete disbelief.”

Juan already guessed what Dilmond was about to say.

He briefly considered avoiding answering but Juan knew from looking at Dilmond’s stare that he wasn’t going to let this go easily. Juan shrugged his shoulders.

“And what’s your thought on it?”

“Half and half. I did already presume you were something related to the emperor, possibly an incarnation but I never thought that you’d be the emperor himself. Because you’re....”

“Weak?”

“A brat.”

Juan laughed out loud. Dilmond joined in before shaking his head.

“Anya doesn’t have a single doubt that you’re the emperor.”

“In all honesty, I’m not sure either, Dilmond. Not a long while ago, I didn’t know how or why I needed to prove and persuade everyone that I am the emperor. But as time went on, the more I realised that maybe it was me that didn’t know much about who the emperor is. Everyday, the title ‘emperor’ becomes more distant and unfamiliar in my eyes.”

“Maybe that’s just....”

“A brat that’s growing up. Anyways, now I know that I can’t just be the emperor simply because I was the emperor in the past. Dilmond, for what reason do you think Lars tried to restore Mananen Maclir’s heart?”

It wasn’t to attain power. He didn’t want to become as strong as the emperor.

What Lars wanted to make was not a source of overwhelming power.

He wanted to make the emperor.

He hoped for a being that could save, lead, and herd the people together.

He wanted a back that he could rely on.

“Then suddenly, a person appeared in my mind. Someone that has made it clear that they’ll never acknowledge me as the emperor.”

Sina Solbein.

Even after Juan had shown her his power, Sina hadn’t come looking for him.

But he knew that she was alive. Just as Sina was able to know what condition Juan was in.

There was only one reason why Sina hadn’t come looking for Juan.

It mattered not whether Juan did or didn’t have the emperor’s power. Sina just simply found it difficult to acknowledge Juan as the emperor.

Dilmond who was quietly looking at Juan, stretched out his hand. His rugged thick palm slid through Juan’s hair.

Showing off his teeth as he gave a wide smile, Dilmond spoke.

“Looking at you be concerned and thoughtful suggests maybe you aren’t just a brat.”

“........”

“If you ask me, I don’t know. I only got to see the emperor a few times. But no matter how you looked or how you acted, Lars nim accepted and acknowledged you. I know that deep inside, I find you trustworthy. But above all that, I trust Lars nim’s judgment.”

Dilmond grinned as he whispered.

“And at the very least, someone who delves in such thoughts makes them seem like an emperor all the more so.”

*****

The Hugin knights still based their operations in Hiveden’s underground.historical

Juan clicked his tongue at seeing the mossy walls and mold formed in the corners.

This kind of setting where the Hugin knights operated under, contributed to the negative rumours surrounding their name.

But Anya had no intention of moving their headquarters just yet.

“The mood in the city is neither good or bad.”

“Wasn’t it us that stopped the White crow knights from slaughtering and also halt Nigrato’s rise?”

“While the first point stands true, it’s not like we weren’t involved with Nigrato’s summoning. I know it’s unfair but the fact there is extensive damage to the city caused by undeads hasn’t made us popular considering its widely known that we’re associated with undeads.”

Anya sighed.

When the darkness surrounded the city, there had been many people that had received aid from the Hugin knights.

And also from the White crow knights. There were many people that remembered Sina and Vice commander Camille in particular.

“Anyways, there are a lot of complicated emotions going around. Some are resenting and some are thankful. But there’s one thing in common. That everyone’s more sympathetic having survived this battle. And that it was the emperor that saved them!”

Anya stretched out her chest proudly as she pointed at Juan. Camille, who was silently listening on, flinched as she opened her eyes wide and looked at Juan.

With a slightly irritated face, Juan’s hand moved to his forehead.

“About that, I’d appreciate it if you’d just continued calling me Juan.”

“Yes, Juan!”

“Are you not even going to ask why.”

“Being the emperor, I’m sure the decision was made with your highness’s thoughtful consideration.”

Juan felt as if he was falling further into a deep pit. Anyways, because of Anya he was free from having to explain his reasoning, so all was good.

Juan felt the short brief glances, coming from Camille.

Having been a knight of the White crow order, the only reason why she’d come to the headquarters of the Hugin knights was because she’d given up her position as a Paladin.

“I believe your name is Camille. I heard there’s other Paladins that are also wanting to relieve themselves of their position.”

“Yes....”

Camille was looking at Juan with a complicated expression. Camille had felt the emperor’s presence when Nigrato was eradicated by a bright light.

The other knights in the White crow order had felt it too.

Although there were gossips, Juan’s identity wasn’t well known by anyone else except the Hugin knights.

‘I knew there was someone behind it but really, that young kid?’

Camille wore a skeptical look. Which was a perfectly normal reaction to have as Anya’s take on this was uncommon.

“Can I ask why you decided to quit being a Paladin? I know that being a Paladin has grand merits like status and power.”

“......That day, when your highness brought out your power to sink the enemy, we all fell skeptic. That we had been fighting the wrong enemy till now. Although Lars was a servant of the god of death...”

Precisely at this moment, Anya gripped her stiletto tightly. Juan grabbed her hand.

Anya blankly looked at Camille.

At Juan’s nod, Camille continued.

“The truth is that the Hugin knights did everything they could to defeat the god of death. There are no shortages of witnesses. And the emperor fought, aided not by Paladins nor priests but Hugin knights. Seeing this, many of us started to question and have doubts. I was no different.”

“Not a reason to stop being a Paladin is it.”

“The White crow knights will not be able to function as a Paladin order. Our numbers have drastically fallen and furthermore Ethan Ethil kyung.....is missing. But the most important factor is belief without doubt. We have begun to doubt what it means to be a Paladin. There’s not a single Paladin knight that would have doubted the moment they saw that flash of light.”

A being that caught the attention of the people, made everyone look back at themselves and alter their futures. That was who appeared in front of Camille.

Juan still felt complicated inside but one thing was for sure.

“Then, can I assume that you aren’t and will not be our enemy?”

“That I can promise, your highness. However, if you’re asking to join the Hugin knights....I’ll have to decline. Myself and the other knights still haven’t made terms of the whole situation yet. Plus there are other things that require our attention.”

“Other things?”

Camille whispered after glancing at her surroundings.

“We plan to help those that we mercilessly slaughtered in this city for the rest of our lives. I don’t know how they will greet us but considering the number of times I’ve tarnished your highness’s name, this is just the start in our act to answer for our sins.”

Juan was satisfied with that. It wasn’t important where Camille and the White crow knights were intending to stay.

While it would be a big help if they’d joined the Hugin knights, several decades of resentment with the Hugin knights wasn’t going to allow it.

While this wasn’t to be taken lightly, Juan was fine with them not getting in their way.

Then, Anya spoke to Camille with a serious expression.

“Ms Camille, in that case can I ask a favour....”

“Favour? What?”

“How about blaming this whole incident on Ethan?”