Chapter 524
Episode 144. For a Friend (2)
To ordinary citizens, just a few days ago, life had been nothing out of the ordinary.
But now, even they could feel the heavy storm of war sweeping across the entire empire.
Everyone knew the truth: the Emperor’s sword was not aimed at foreign invaders, but at Hailan—the very pillar of the empire.
“I know better than anyone how the empire’s greatest swordmaster has fought for the royal family and the people for so long.”
In the imperial palace square, Emperor Amir Bimant stood atop a massive golden palanquin, looking down at the crowd. The palanquin was carried by about two hundred convicted criminals, all dressed in blood-red burial robes.
The crowd was puzzled by the Emperor’s sudden announcement but dared not show it.
The Emperor declared the purge justified by charges of treason and rebellion.
“You must be wondering exactly what crimes the Sword Sovereign committed. And you may hate me for it—I know you all love Ron Hailan more than you love me.”
The Emperor’s gaze swept slowly over the people.
“As the supreme ruler of this empire, I trusted Ron Hailan, the most loyal vassal. I respected and admired him as a man. I cannot hide my sorrow. But the Sword Sovereign, Ron Hailan, ignored not only my orders but even my earnest pleas, plunging the empire into terror, war, and the brink of destruction.”
With a gesture, two tattered, charred flags unfurled from poles beside the palanquin—the imperial banner and Hailan’s standard.
“You all remember the day the Sword Sovereign’s fortress was attacked. These flags were damaged that day. Now, I will reveal to all the people the cause of that terror. It was… because of one object in Hailan’s possession.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd for the first time since gathering.
The Emperor gave a subtle nod, and a warrior clad in Hailan armor stepped forward.
It was Tion Hailan, Ron Hailan’s second son and the standard-bearer of Hailan.
After the attack on the Sword Sovereign’s fortress, traitors had emerged within Hailan—those who had long been sidelined by Dante and treated as nonentities by Ron Hailan himself.
They had never dared betray Ron before, crushed by his authority, but with the fortress struck and the royal family backing the purge, they saw their chance.
Tion was the first and most active among them to betray Hailan.
“My family possesses a white stone, passed down only from head of house to head of house.”
Tion had originally been unaware of this fact, but the Emperor had revealed it for this occasion. Unlike Hailan, who had kept the secret of the white stone to threaten the world, the Emperor had no qualms about exposing it publicly.
The crowd’s eyes darkened with contempt as they looked at Tion.
No one but a fool could believe he hadn’t betrayed his family out of greed for power, aligning himself with Dante and standing here today.
“It may be hard to believe, but if that white stone can be refined and used, it holds enough power to sustain all the empire’s magical equipment—and could instantly make the empire several times stronger.”
To the crowd, this was an absurd, infuriating claim.
“Boo—!”
They began to jeer at Tion.
As the Emperor had said, Hailan was a family beloved even more than the royal family. Those gathered wanted nothing more than to stone him on the spot.
“Your Majesty.”
Alton Hailan, captain of the imperial guard, met the Emperor’s eyes, ready to suppress the unrest at a moment’s notice.
But the Emperor smiled faintly and ordered him to stand down.
“They’re just voicing their displeasure. Let them vent a little.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor was not afraid of public opinion or worried that the people would rise up in support of Hailan. His speech served two purposes: to expose Hailan’s secret and to show his genuine love for the people in his own way.
He wanted them to speak out, to show their displeasure, to release their anger.
“They have neither the power nor the will to stop me. Though they love Hailan more than me, they would never risk their lives for him. I find their foolish, irritating loyalty endearing and lovable.”
His eyes shone with sincere affection for his people.
“…That said, Your Majesty, you ordered long ago that the white stone be returned to the royal family. ‘Returned’ because the stone was originally entrusted to Hailan by the late Emperor.”
Of course, the royal family had never actually entrusted the stone to Hailan. It was a lie told because the truth was beyond the people’s knowledge.
“Nonsense!”
The crowd’s jeers grew louder.
“But as you can see, Sword Sovereign Ron Hailan has refused to obey Your Majesty’s order. Enemies coveting the stone have even committed acts of terror on imperial soil.”
“Get lost, you filthy traitor!”
“Biological golems and unknown giant monsters threatened the empire—all because of that stone! Yet Hailan refuses to give it up, still greedy. As a member of the family, I know better than anyone that the Sword Sovereign is plotting rebellion with that power.”
Clap!
The Emperor’s sharp clap silenced the angry crowd instantly.
“Tion Hailan’s testimony may seem suspicious. It is sudden and hard to accept. But listen well, my people. If Hailan returns the stone now, I am willing to forgive their incitement of rebellion and treason.”
By this point, the crowd’s anger was mixed with curiosity.
What exactly was this white stone? Did it really exist? And if so, why wouldn’t Hailan hand it over to the royal family?
Such questions were natural.
“I, Amir Bimant, Emperor of the Empire, hereby declare: the purge will cease the moment Hailan returns the stone. But if they refuse to beg for my forgiveness until the end, the Sword Sovereign’s fortress will be reduced to ashes.”
News of the Emperor’s speech spread instantly to the Sword Sovereign’s fortress.
“The Emperor, that bastard…! How dare he treat Hailan like this? White stone? What a joke! No grounds, so he makes up such nonsense? And he calls himself the supreme ruler of the empire!”
“That madman will pay dearly. They think Hailan is weak and silent because they worship the Emperor? They’re dead wrong.”
“The throne will be stained with his blood. The rightful ruler was never Bimant—it was always Hailan. Without Hailan, the empire wouldn’t even exist!”
The warriors gathered in the council chamber shouted in anger.
Most seemed ready to storm the palace and fight immediately.
But beneath their fury, unease was growing.
This unease had begun even before the Emperor’s speech.
“We can’t just sit here. We must strike first! Show that brat what the Sword Sovereign’s dignity means!”
“He’s accusing us of treason, but we’ll show him what real treason looks like. A few traitors have turned, and the Emperor has raised troops, but as long as Lord Ron stands, they’ll all kneel before our blades!”
All eyes turned to the man seated at the head of the room.
Dante Hailan, the young head of the Hailan family.
Dante barely concealed his exhaustion. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging, and his lips dry.
“Hurry, bring Lord Ron…!”
“Where is Lord Ron…?”
The warriors’ anxiety stemmed from one thing: Ron Hailan himself, who had summoned them all here by his mere presence, yet had not appeared before them even once since.
Days had passed since their gathering, and still no sign of Ron.
‘Grandfather…’
Dante now understood Ron’s condition. His illness had worsened rapidly and could no longer be hidden.
Ron was unconscious.
Dante was commanding the Sword Sovereign’s fortress in his stead. But as time passed, the assembled warriors began to doubt whether the Sword Sovereign was truly still standing.
Their doubts grew uncontrollable.
Ron’s absence was tantamount to Hailan’s absence. There were others in the family, but without Ron, the outcome of any war was all too clear.
The pressure and helplessness made Dante nauseous.
He hadn’t slept for days, dizziness clouding his mind, and his body twitched uncontrollably if he lost focus.
‘My weak body makes this even harder…’
Gritting his teeth, Dante met the eyes of the warriors.
He felt he had to tell them the truth.
“…My grandfather is gravely ill and unconscious.”
Dante’s words quieted the angry voices. Those who had suspected it were not shocked, but those hearing it for the first time felt as if struck by a thunderbolt.
“Lord Ron… unconscious? Could it be his injury from that day worsened?”
“W-why are you telling us this now?”
“If Lord Ron is gone, what hope do we have in war…?”
Before Dante could answer, an old knight clicked his tongue and spoke up.
“If Lord Ron is not here, does that mean you won’t fight alongside Hylan? Such shameful words. Without Lord Ron, are the rest of you nothing but worthless scraps? We came here to stand against the emperor’s tyranny, to uphold our friendship with Hylan—not to overthrow the empire led by Lord Ron.”
His name was Shuras Helter, head of the Helter family.
Though Shuras’s words made them uneasy, Dante had no way to ease their fears unless Ron rose from his sickbed.
Even as they prepared to unite firmly, a formidable enemy was approaching, and many warriors couldn’t help but dwell on the cracks caused by Ron’s absence.
“If Lord Ron isn’t here, the war is doomed to fail.”
“If we lose against the emperor, it won’t just be us who die—our kin and followers will be slaughtered mercilessly…”
And once they learned of Ron’s illness, another thought crept into their minds.
“If the white stone the emperor spoke of… really exists?”
“If the emperor’s speech is true, then maybe the best course is to return the stone and end this. Should we even hope that ridiculous tale is real…?”
Silence fell.
Just as someone was about to question the truth of the emperor’s speech, urgent footsteps sounded outside—the commanders were running in.
“Young Master! The emperor’s troop movements have been confirmed. The vanguard will reach Geomhwang Fortress within three hours…!”