From the emperor's lips flowed a story Caron had never heard before. Not even in his previous life, when he had lived as Cain Latorre, had this truth been revealed to him. "There is demon blood in the imperial bloodline," the emperor stated. It was a shocking confession—the secret of the Karien family. "Though a long time has passed and the blood has thinned, the power of that demonic lineage still lingers in our veins," the emperor continued. "...Where did it originate?" Caron asked. "The first emperor was half-human, half-demon," the emperor explained. And so began a tale of immense length. The first emperor, Cardan Karien, had been born of a demon father. He had betrayed his demonic kin and sided with humanity. Caron recalled the official history he had once read in ancient tomes that stated Cardan Karien, through unmatched magical power, had laid the foundation of the empire. And alongside Rael Leston, he had driven the demons from the continent in the Great War three hundred years ago. That was the version recorded in history books. The Orias Empire had been born at the end of that war, forged from chaos and conflict. With his overwhelming magic, the first emperor had restored order to the continent and extended a hand to the heroes who had fought at his side. The very first house to receive that hand was none other than the Ducal Family of Leston, Rael Leston's line. But the truth differed from the records. "The first emperor forged a pact with your ancestor, Rael Leston," the emperor said. "If the imperial line fell into the hands of the demons, it would be the duty of the Ducal Family of Leston to end it. That was the covenant made between our families." "I didn't know," Caron admitted quietly. "Of course not. It was a vow shared only between the emperor and the head of the Ducal Family of Leston. You wouldn't have heard of it until you took that seat yourself," the emperor explained. In other words, it was a secret passed only between the sovereign and the head. Caron thought of Rael Leston's character. He wasn't the kind of man to easily form alliances with one who bore demonic blood. He wondered why he had chosen to leave that risk behind. ...He chose the lesser evil. Is that it? Caron thought. He deduced the answer with little difficulty. The continent, at the time, had been ravaged by war against demonkind. Rael Leston had likely lacked the strength to face yet another battle, this time against Cardan Karien himself. And more than that, Rael Leston had walked alongside the first emperor for many years. Cardan Karien had also been a hero of the Great War against the demons. "I've heard that the first emperor was a dear friend of my ancestor," Caron said. "That is true," the emperor confirmed. If Cardan Karien had truly been half-demon, then Rael had to have known the truth. Which meant Rael Leston had knowingly permitted the descendants of a half-demon to rule the empire. "He knew everything... and still chose what he did," Caron murmured. His thoughts were tangled in a storm. The Ducal Family of Leston had always upheld the creed of eradicating monsters from this world. Leaving the Karien line untouched went against everything Rael seemed to represent. The emperor suddenly coughed, then took a sip from the glass of water at his side. Looking back at Caron, he said again, "No one knows the full details of what happened. But one thing is certain. All these decisions were made after those two heroes encountered the Demon King of Havoc." The Demon King of Havoc was the most powerful of all Demon Kings, and the one cloaked in the deepest mystery. One day, Caron knew that Havoc was the enemy he would have to reach. He wondered what it meant that the first emperor and his first ancestor had reached Havoc once already. His mind spun with unanswered questions. Caron wondered what they'd seen in that place, and what they'd witnessed that led them to make such incomprehensible choices. He also wondered why, of all times, he was being told such things at this very moment. "Why are you telling me all of this, Your Majesty?" he asked. Caron wondered why the emperor had revealed the ancient pact between their families. Dozens of questions raced through his mind. In response, the emperor slowly reached out his frail hand and gently placed it on the back of Caron's. "You severed the crown prince's head," he said quietly. "The ancient covenant... It shall be fulfilled by your hand. The Grand Duke must have known that as well. That's why he sent you to me." The secret that demonic blood flowed through the imperial line—Caron finally understood why the emperor had accepted his son's death so calmly. And yet, one thought still tugged at his mind. The Malevolent Emperor was the Demon King of Havoc. He wondered if the Malevolent Emperor had been born a Demon King, or if he'd risen to that throne. Even after learning something new, the truth only bred more questions. While Caron's expression twisted with contemplation, the emperor spoke again in a low voice. "There is something I would ask of you." "Command me, Your Majesty," Caron replied, straightening his back. "If something happens again... I want you to wield your blade without hesitation once again," the emperor said. His tone was firm and unyielding, as if he believed such a day would come again in the distant future. Caron looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Are you asking me to start another rebellion?" "The Crown Prince is dead," the emperor said. "I will have to name another of my sons as the heir. But no matter who takes that place, none will be free from this cursed blood. If the next emperor makes the same horrifying choice... then I ask you to end our bloodline yourself." The emperor was asking for rebellion. Whatever conversation had once passed between Rael and Cardan, Caron couldn't know. But clearly, there had been a reason why Rael had allowed Cardan's descendants to remain. Because of that, Caron withheld judgment. There was still much he needed to ask Gratia, the Guardian Dragon. If this had been Rael's decision, then Gratia could know something more. The emperor slowly rose from his chair and returned to his bed. Sitting on the edge, he let out a weary sigh. "I can feel my life reaching its end," he murmured. "And yet, there's still so much left for me to do before I die." Fatigue lined his face. His voice tinged with sadness, he added, "You may go for today." He had worn a mask of indifference until now, but in the end, he was still a father. Today, the emperor had lost his son. And he had given the order himself to have his son executed. To pretend it didn't affect him would be a lie. Caron slowly raised his head and looked at the emperor. Then, with deep formality, he bowed and said, "Then, I will take my leave." Caron turned and began walking toward the door. However, just as he reached it, a soft voice came from behind him. "...I heard you're close with Revelio. What do you think of him becoming the emperor?" Caron shrugged and answered, "That's not for me to decide, Your Majesty. That's your burden to carry." "You always speak the truth," the emperor said. "I usually ramble nonsense," Caron said with a faint smirk. "But even a broken clock is right once a day." And with that, Caron left the emperor's chambers. The emperor simply stared at the door Caron had walked through, silently and for a long time. After the magic circle connecting Azureocean Castle and the Imperial Palace was activated, elite troops from the Ducal Family of Leston began pouring into the palace at remarkable speed. The forces of the Imperial Guards, the Royal Guards, and the Ducal Family of Leston swiftly began to suppress the chaos within the palace. Another key factor had been the emperor regaining consciousness. With the full cooperation of high-ranking mages dispatched from the Magic Tower, those who had been concealing their dark mana were uncovered throughout the palace. "For the glory of our great emperor!" "Fools! You will all pay for your sins someday!" Though the Revanchists who had infiltrated the palace resisted fiercely, their fate was sealed the moment Halo himself arrived on the scene. "By order of His Majesty, tear those demons limb from limb for daring to set foot in the palace!" Halo commanded. While Halo took direct command of the troops, Caron stood at the palace gates, welcoming his cousins. "Hugo, Leon, Leo," he said as he spread his arms and greeted them warmly. Leon immediately stepped forward, eyes narrowing as she inspected him. She frowned as she spotted the blood still seeping down his back. She asked, "Caron, you... You haven't been treated yet?" "I took an elixir, so don't worry, Leon. The opponent was a tough one. It's just taking time to heal," Caron said. "I heard the Grand Duke arrived as well. Shouldn't you go and rest?" Leon said. "The palace is huge. I couldn't just let my cousins get lost wandering around, so I came out to greet you myself," Caron replied, then turned his gaze to the man standing behind his cousins. It was Prince Revelio, the emperor's sixth son. "Welcome home, Revelio," Caron said with an easy smile. Revelio forced a weak smile in return. Then he asked in a low voice, "...And my brother?" He was sharp. He'd already suspected that the Crown Prince was involved in the conspiracy. Caron silently held his gaze, then slowly gave a nod and said, "It's over. We're just clearing out the remnants now." That was enough for Revelio to understand. He bit his lip and nodded solemnly, then said, "So... It ended ." "His Majesty has awakened too. That was your doing, wasn't it?" Caron asked. "I was lucky enough to obtain the Dew of the World Tree," Revelio answered. Recently, under Foina's leadership, Caligo had significantly expanded its relations with the Southern Great Forest. Foina, herself an elf from the Southern Great Forest, appeared to be maintaining a favorable relationship with the Regent. In any case, it was thanks to Revelio presenting the emperor with the Dew of the World Tree that the situation had been resolved so swiftly. It was no exaggeration to say that he'd played a crucial role in settling the crisis. Caron paused, unsure what to say next. He didn't know whether to offer words of comfort, or congratulate Revelio on his achievement. "I've hated our family my whole life," Revelio murmured. "Especially Iorn. He always looked at me as if I was something filthy." He let out a bitter chuckle and continued, "But today, I just feel sorry for him. Who's to blame for all this, I wonder?" He gave Caron a weary smile as he said, "Father must be waiting for me." "Most likely," Caron said. "Can I go see him now?" Revelio asked. Caron gave a small nod, then turned to Luke, who stood nearby. He asked, "Sir Luke, would you escort Prince Revelio to His Majesty?" The emperor was no doubt waiting for him as well. At Caron's request, Luke, the vice-commander of the Imperial Guards, gave a slow nod. "It's our duty to serve the imperial bloodline. In fact, the Commander gave strict orders on this matter." The Commander of the Imperial Guards, Lahart, was currently assisting Halo in rooting out the Revanchists within the palace. It was, one could say, a historic joint operation between the Oceanwolf Knight Order and the Imperial Guards. Revelio stepped toward Caron, his voice quiet but firm. "Caron, what kind of choice do you want me to make?" The position of Crown Prince now sat vacant. Although the emperor had awakened from his sickbed, it was clear that his final moments were drawing near. The Dew of the World Tree had merely bought him a bit more time. A new Crown Prince had to be named—and for now, Revelio was the strongest candidate. He stood backed by the Ducal Family of Leston and, more importantly, was the only member of the royal family to have earned any merit during this crisis. But Caron, his face unreadable, replied with a shrug, "That's entirely up to you. If you want to do it, do it. If you don't, don't. It's simple, isn't it?" "...That sounds just like you," Revelio said with a faint smile. "That's life. Do as your heart tells you. Weren't you going to become unfilial?" Caron asked. "If I became the emperor just to destroy the royal house myself, that would be unfilial behavior in its purest form," Revelio answered. "No other royal would dare say such things inside the palace, Revelio. Only you," Caron said. "Thanks for the advice. I'll see you later," Revelio replied. He gave Caron a light pat on the back and headed off toward the emperor's chambers, with Sir Luke accompanying him. Caron stood silently, watching Revelio's figure grow smaller in the distance. Then he turned his gaze to the palace gates. Through the venerable, time-worn entrance, another wave of elite soldiers was marching in. They were knights, and their armor bore the symbol of an eagle, declaring their affiliation clearly. They served the Ducal Family of Salmon, one of the true powers of the empire, alongside the Ducal Family of Leston and the House of Diaz. At the head of the eagle-crested troops sat an old man on horseback, staring down at Caron. The red-tinged eagle emblem on his chest plate shimmered under the sunlight. "So, you must be Caron Leston," the old man said. Caron bowed respectfully and replied, "It's an honor to meet you. I am Caron Leston." It was precisely because of this man that Caron had rushed to the palace. The Duke of Salmon was no less ambitious than any other noble. He was no doubt looking to use this upheaval to expand his influence. But Caron knew exactly how to deal with men like him. "Grrrrrrr," Caron growled. "What are you doing, Caron?" Leo asked, watching with a puzzled expression. "Leo, someone's trying to stick their spoon into the meal we cooked. What do we do when that happens?" Caron asked. "We stop them," Leo answered. "Exactly. That's what I'm doing right now. Grrrrrrrrr," Caron said. He bared his fangs toward the Duke of Salmon without hesitation. There would be no scraps handed out to latecomers.