Chapter 182

“What in the world is going on…?!”

Serpina was momentarily stunned by the unbelievable scene before her eyes but quickly snapped out of it and swiftly dove into the burning manor.

All she could see inside were countless bodies, so many bodies…

Most of them were loyal retainers from influential clans, quite a few of whom Serpina herself knew personally.

And soon enough, she came upon two more familiar corpses.

“Sister Lililoz…? Brother Shudel…???”

Unable to process this unimaginable sight, Serpina heard another familiar voice call out to her.

“Serpina…!!!”

Turning her head toward the voice filled with hatred, she saw Sidemid clutching his bleeding abdomen, glaring at her with darkened eyes.

“Serpina… You… YOU did this to me…!”

No, no Brother. I…

But no words would come out of her frozen mouth.

“You killed me, Serpina!!!”

That’s not true, Brother! I was just following Brother Algord’s orders…

“YOU!!! You killed me, my siblings… Could you have really planned this from the start…!!”

KRAAAKKK!!!

The ceiling began collapsing, cutting off Sidemid’s final scream.

“EEEEEEEK!!!”

Serpina narrowly escaped as another woman’s voice reached her ears.

“Princess! Princess…!!”

“Iria…?!”

Rushing to the source of the voice, Serpina found Iria sitting amidst the corpses, holding onto Algord who was bleeding profusely from all over.

“Serp…ina…”

“Brother Algord! You’re alive?! Why… why is this happening? What in the world is going on?!”

“Using foot soldiers, I lured my siblings here… and killed them all with these hands…”

“…!!!”

“You too brought soldiers… ending up like this… hahk.”

“Sidemid would’ve become a tyrant who’d destroy the empire… It had to be done by my own hands… for the sake of the empire…”

“Brother!!”

“My siblings too… chasing only their own glory, they would’ve inevitably ruined the empire someday… hak!”

Algord weakly lifted his head to look at Serpina. The usually brilliant golden eyes were losing their light.

“Serpina… You were different from the other siblings. Not coveting the imperial throne… truly caring for the empire… I knew everything…”

“I’ll bring soldiers immediately, Brother! We need to stabilize the situation and get treatment…!!”

“It’s too late… I can’t live much longer… I know that much…”

Both Serpina, Algord, and even Iria beside him instinctively knew – this was his final moment.

“There’s no one else, Serpina… Among those who carry Einhardt’s blood, there’s no one else untainted by dirty blood… No one but you… That’s why this unworthy older brother entrusts everything to you…”

“So I ask you… Unite the fractured empire once more… Bring peace back to this continent again…”

After that, there was silence.

“Brother…? Brother Algord…?!”

…He was dead.

Algord had passed away, leaving behind Einhardt’s legacy to her, taking his siblings with him in death.

“…Princess.”

“Iria…?”

“Please honor his final wish.”

Though suddenly asked to become Empress, something Serpina had never imagined, all she felt was confusion.

Still, she quickly assessed the situation. There were lives that needed saving.

“No, Iria, we shouldn’t be doing this here. Let’s go together… !!”

But Serpina froze in place when she saw…

Iria’s legs… were gone.

“I was wrong, Princess…”

Only now did the life fade from her ruby-colored eyes. She had been using superhuman willpower to stay alive until Algord’s last breath.

“Princess. Please… bring peace back to this continent descending into chaos… Rebuild the Unified Empire so my younger brother can rest peacefully… It’s my final request.”

BOOM!!

The mansion was collapsing further. Spending any more time here would surely endanger her own life.

“Iria…”

“Princess, if only I could have become your sister-in-law… I’m sorry… for being so lowly…”

“Iria…!! IRIA!!!”

And with that, Serpina witnessed Iria’s life fade away…

As her world went dark…

When she regained consciousness, what faced her was Einhardt clan’s legacy.

The crown of succession, unwanted yet thrust upon her.

* * *

Yes.

She wore the crown she never wanted.

She suppressed numerous disturbances born from dissatisfaction with the results.

All for rebuilding the Unified Empire.

To continue the legacy of Einhardt thrust upon her.

“There’s no denying you asked about the likelihood of continuous rebellions. To me, who always senses the malevolence directed towards me in the air, it’s not surprising at all that rebels keep rising up.”

Accepting the nickname “tyrant” that now feels like fate, she hardened her heart further.

Taking absolute power as penance for Einhardt’s original sin.

From the moment this burden was placed upon her, whether liked or not, all actions became hers alone.

A puppet swayed by circumstances gaining power was less suitable than someone planning everything meticulously and successfully wiping out opposition.

The sole survivor of the Einhardt family, drenched in the blood of all her siblings, known as the golden-eyed witch.

Thus… Serpina smirked coldly as she blatantly lied to Swoen.

“Of course. I eliminated both the most likely successor Algord and his biggest rival Sidemid with my own hands. Naturally, I’d make enemies. However, with the previous emperor passing without properly naming a successor, having more than one person carrying Einhardt’s blood was dangerous. Though the Era of Chaos began, if it had been delayed further, the empire would’ve undoubtedly disappeared from history.”

Continuing in an unperturbed tone:

“As the youngest with no stake, to ascend the throne I had no choice but to purge. If there are none who follow me, simply killing them all and keeping only those who swear allegiance is simple work indeed. Isn’t it laughably easy? That’s why I cleaned it all up. Because I had to wear the crown.”

It was such a trivial story.

However…

For some reason, Serpina wanted to ask Swen.

“Swoen.”

“Yes.”

“Do you not despise me?”

Swen answered carefully.

“Such an unexpected question.”

“I’m a woman who killed her own flesh and blood with her own hands. All for the sake of becoming Empress. Destroying every foundation because I had none. The one who shattered the empire to take it for myself. With so many rebellions arising, I cannot complain even once.”

Smirking cynically as if mocking the situation, she grinned shamelessly.

“I’ve taken countless lives. Naturally, I receive endless hatred. There’s likely someone around you who harbors resentment towards me. I… had to live this way. Isn’t it strange that you don’t despise me?”

Yes.

Being hated by everyone was familiar. Having inherited Einhardt’s will, she thought no one would ever understand her.

So why was she forcing Swen to answer?

What response was she hoping for?

Swen paused, deep in thought before finally speaking.

“I…”

* * *

“I do not despise you.”

At his answer, Serpina smiled unexpectedly and said:

“You speak such pleasant words, Swoen. As a subject fulfilling his duties admirably, I might commend you.”

Though pretending to be strong while saying this, her attitude was strangely off in various ways.

First, the very reason for bringing this up to him.

Was he trying to say she was this terrible person?

Someone who committed every possible atrocity?

So, was she asking him to despise such a terrible her?

‘No.’

On the surface, it could appear as a ‘loyalty test’ – ‘Would you still serve someone like this?’ But…

There seemed to be a hidden intention she herself wasn’t aware of in her bringing this up.

There was no rational need to bring up such heavy topics now.

Meaning her emotional state must be quite imbalanced.

Naturally, the question arises – why would she be so emotionally affected?

Obviously – because Serpina’s expression looked unbearably sad despite her words.

Eyes never lie no matter what words are spoken.

Until now, my basis for judgment has been my Divinity 100 brain.

It always provides correct answers when asked, within its limited scope. I just need to follow those answers.

Even with patchwork reasoning, ultimately I always end up in a favorable fighting position.

But now,

I’m not judging based on such ‘guaranteed correct predictions.’

My judgment comes from my intuition.

What I simply ‘feel’ is right.

With my own free will, I answered her.

“No. Even if I weren’t serving you, hearing this story directly from you, I wouldn’t despise you.”

“…Why?”

I lowered my head and replied slowly.

“Because I believe in my Lord… in you, Serpina.”

“…!!!!”

Surprised, her pupils dilated as I watched her.

“I apologize if this seems inappropriate, but haven’t I been like this more than once? Please forgive me kindly.”

“Swoen…”

After watching me silently for a long time, Serpina turned and continued walking.

“May you never regret this, Swoen.”

“I won’t regret it. It’s my decision.”

Honestly,

I was thinking perhaps she had ‘just taken on everything’ without needing to.

There were many clues, though circumstantial.

Like the stories she told during our drunken nights together, or how she now lists her sins as if appealing to me.

Her appeals feel like she’s trying to say ‘I didn’t actually do it’ indirectly…

That’s why I gave such an unexpected answer of ‘I believe in you.’

“Having also been lonely, I well understand. Carrying facts you cannot tell anyone, moving forward completely alone, is an excruciatingly lonely endeavor.”

What truth does she hide?

What happened to her?

How did she become the empire’s successor?

And why, through what tragic fate, can she not become the unifying monarch?

While pondering these questions –

“This is the place.”

Serpina stopped and spoke.

Before her lay four nameless graves.

“What is this place…?”

“Just as you see, graves. …The ones buried here are my kin.”

“!!!”

“Algord, Sidemid, Shudel, and Lililoz… My brothers and sister rest here.”

“Is…that so?”

“Do you think it’s pitiful for royal tombs? It couldn’t be helped. Tombs of revered figures become shrines anyway. Hardly anyone besides me knows these graves belong to them. Or rather…”

Serpina smiled faintly at me.

“Now it’s two people, Swoen.”

“…”

“After the bedroom, you’re taking quite a few ‘firsts’ from me.”

Saying this, she chuckled then continued seriously.

“I visit here before and after suppressing rebellions. It’s like asking those who sacrificed their lives to follow your will to take care and remember their loyalty. Though it sounds fancy, it might just be avoiding the weight I must bear.”

After speaking, she slowly turned her head to gaze at the graves then bowed her head in silent prayer. Her golden hair fell to the ground.

Contradictory.

She hides graves of siblings she supposedly killed to rise to the throne?

Considering revered tombs typically become shrines, wouldn’t it be more reasonable to not create graves at all?

Yet, she secretly keeps her siblings’ graves here in a sunny spot, showing them only to me.

What does this mean?

Perhaps she hasn’t truly revealed what she really wants to say to me?

Then what could that story be?

‘No.’

Shaking off the fleeting doubt.

What matters is that she brought me here.

And that she shared something she hadn’t told anyone else.

I clearly remembered the night we spent together.

Though I don’t recall everything said while drunk, I remember my mindset from that time.

I wanted to protect her side. I still do. I want to protect Serpina’s side which seems ready to collapse at any moment.

Let’s focus on that now.

Forget about unifying the continent or why she brought me here to say these things.

Thinking this, my complicated mind cleared.

I slowly closed my eyes beside her, offering silent prayers to the departed who would never hear my question.

What exactly happened to Lady Serpina?

As expected, no answer came, only the quiet wind brushing past my ears.