Chapter 181

“Huh…?”

If it was the Felviorla Academy, it was an educational institution where Gernard, one of the men usually connected to her, served as the headmaster.

And currently, the person holding command over the imperial army was… her younger brother Sidemid.

What this fact implied was painfully simple.

‘Of course not…!!’

An irrevocable event had already occurred.

* * *

“Huff… Huff.”

Serpina hurriedly rushed towards the mansion where Sidemid resided.

‘It’s a lie…!’

It’s a lie.

Even if her second brother lusted for the emperor’s throne, there was no way he could have committed an act akin to slaughtering civilians.

A mere civilian who hadn’t expressed any opinions or support was eliminated solely because they were labeled as ‘pro-Algord,’ and not just that individual—his entire academy, including innocent students and professors, was massacred. Could such madness truly have happened?

It was impossible to believe. More precisely, she didn’t want to believe in something like that.

There must be some kind of mistake, she clung to this faint hope as she continued running, and before she knew it, she found herself standing in front of the mansion’s gate.

Creak!

She violently pushed open the door and began searching the interior of the mansion for Sidemid.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—it didn’t take long to find him.

“Sidemid-niisan!”

“…What is it? Serpina. What do you want?”

Shimmering blonde hair, with eyes dark as night. The man sitting at the desk in the study, surrounded by stacks of wine bottles, drinking aimlessly, was none other than Sidemid von Einhardt, the one who raised the banner against Algord’s reign.

Had he not been drinking, he might have looked like a proper gentleman, but now, he only exuded a haggard appearance.

“Is that… true?”

“What about what?”

“Felviorla Academy… Surely you didn’t really…!”

“…”

Sidemid silently poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all in one go.

Gulp, gulp.

He then roughly slammed the wineglass back onto the table and said,

“Did you come here just to tell me this trivial story?”

“Trivial?! How dare you…!”

“I thought maybe you’ve finally realized the situation and wanted to join my side. Though even if you did, it wouldn’t help much. If you don’t have anything else to say, get out. Unless you want to see something unpleasant.”

“Nii-san, please answer my question! About Felviorla Academy…!”

“So what!”

Bang!

The sound of his fist hitting the table silenced Serpina momentarily.

“I did it. Why?”

“How could you…!”

An imperial army assault, or rather, a one-sided massacre.

“You know who that old fool of a dean was, right? While everyone acknowledged me, he was a pitiful old man clinging to outdated traditions.”

Sidemid continued speaking, like a floodgate had burst open.

As if determined not to give Serpina a chance to speak.

“Everyone follows me! Why wouldn’t Algord secure his share in such a situation? Most of the powerful nobles are on my side! Meanwhile, those foolish ones babbling nonsense about neutrality while everyone else supports me—it’s natural to eliminate them! Besides, it’s not really neutrality. Considering that old bastard’s tendencies, there’s always the possibility he might stab us in the back!”

Being neither the eldest son nor having sufficient justification, Sidemid’s greatest advantage in challenging Algord was the overwhelming support from influential nobles.

The very reason he was given authority over the imperial army was also due to the backing of noble families across various territories.

Algord was a rational man. Strict about reward and punishment, he was someone who emphasized the importance of strengthening imperial power since the days their father was alive. To him, “powerful families” were obstacles to royal authority. He was a hardliner who argued that any meritorious family should kneel under the imperial family.

In contrast, Sidemid was relatively conciliatory. A more political figure compared to his elder brother would be an apt evaluation. He generously recognized titles and rights of the nobility, which became the primary driving force behind many nobles supporting the second son Sidemid instead of the eldest son Algord during a time when the heir wasn’t yet decided. Excluding Serpina, whose age differed significantly, most of her brothers tended to follow Sidemid over Algord, who seemed somewhat rigid.

“Forget it! There’s hardly any time left! I’ve made a decision for the sake of this empire! This isn’t something you, who have no responsibility or authority, should be questioning!”

Huff, huff…

Sidemid, who seemed to be fervently defending himself to someone invisible, panted heavily. Serpina looked at him with tear-filled eyes, pleading.

“Nii-san, why… why did you do such a thing?! What wrong did those people commit…?”

Even if we concede a hundred times that the academy’s dean could be killed—though it’s something that absolutely shouldn’t happen—still, wiping out all the students and professors at the academy was nothing short of lunacy, wasn’t it?

There were children of noble families there too. Even if we assume that the influence of the pro-Algord dean might reach them, what possible reason could justify their wrongful deaths without them expressing any opinions?

Sidemid shouted as if his actions bore no fault.

“Be quiet! There’s no other way! In order to prevent that stupid older brother from inheriting the throne, it’s necessary to eliminate forces that could become seeds of unrest!”

“But… killing people meaninglessly like this… someone destined to be emperor shouldn’t act this way!”

At that moment.

Sidemid stood up from his seat and walked toward Serpina.

Then—

Smack!

—delivered a harsh slap across the face of Serpina, who had been about to speak.

“…Don’t talk nonsense beyond your station. Do you understand?”

“Nii-san…!!!”

“Do you think anything will change because I did this? Never. Everyone is on my side. I hold the military power, and the favor of many nobles is with me. I won’t let the empire be stolen from under my nose by an older brother who has nothing going for him except being born earlier!”

“That kind of…”

“I have nothing more to say to you, so leave already. Out of familial blood ties, I’ll spare your life. Your help isn’t needed either. It’s best if you stay quiet.”

Serpina swallowed back tears threatening to fall.

The slap didn’t matter; wounds heal with time.

But… what saddened her most was the realization that things could never be reversed.

Countless people had died.

With lives lost, there was no longer any way to resolve matters through dialogue.

‘Why…?’

Why did it come to this?

After all that effort, why couldn’t anything be resolved?

Because I lacked strength? Because I had no political foundation? Or simply because I’m incompetent?

No, even before that—

How exactly did Nii-san learn about the intentions of the dean of Felviorla Academy?

The dean wouldn’t have publicly announced such matters. At least regarding issues related to the crown prince, if he had mentioned anything, she should have known as well.

At that moment.

“…!!!”

On her way out, she encountered Shutaedel and Lililrose.

Seeing Shutaedel’s face reminded her—he was responsible for overseeing the empire’s academies.

“Sutaedel-niisan… surely…?”

“…I have nothing to say to you.”

“Nii-san, did you tell him? That the dean mentioned such things—”

At that moment.

A voice cutting off her words came not from the hesitant Shutaedel but from Lililrose, Serpina’s only sister.

“Go back, Serpina. The empire needs reform. With Algord-niisan’s methods, divisions will only accelerate. Both Shutaedel and I agree with Sidemid-niisan.”

“Onee-sama…!!”

“…Let’s go.”

Watching Shutaedel and Lililrose’s retreating backs, Serpina collapsed onto the ground, feeling utterly drained.

One undeniable fact remained—

There was nothing she could do in this situation.

* * *

As Sidemid had confidently proclaimed, the massacre briefly became a hot topic but quickly turned into a taboo subject.

Even though several families were wiped out, nothing significant happened. So-called prestigious families were still far weaker compared to the real power brokers in central politics.

Among the nobility, opposition to Algord was stronger than expected. If it weren’t for the legitimacy supporting him, he would have been overtaken by Sidemid long ago.

During this time, Serpina… remained confined alone in her bedroom.

Paralyzed by despair over her inability to change anything, she couldn’t muster the energy to do anything.

How many days had passed?

“Princess Serpina… Crown Prince Algord requests your presence.”

“…”

Why does he seek me now?

If he asks me to “take his side” again, I’ll flatly refuse and retreat back into my room.

However.

What came out of Algord’s mouth was… shockingly unbelievable.

“He intends to… relinquish the throne?”

“Yes. I plan to hand over the position of crown prince to Sidemid.”

“Nii-san…”

Algord let out a bitter laugh, keeping his head bowed as he muttered.

“People around me keep dying just for following me. As crown prince, I can do nothing. The nobles despise me, and with only the capital defense troops and mercenaries under my control, I can’t respond properly. If I continue to sit here uselessly, more people will die.”

“Therefore, I’ll step down. Sidemid is, broadly speaking, a member of the Einhardt family. Even if he becomes the next emperor… the empire can endure, can’t it?”

“…”

“Serpina. Go tell him. We’ll hold the crown prince succession ceremony, so please stop this.”

Faced with the resigned muttering of Algord, Serpina couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

His expression was so sorrowful that she couldn’t even ask how he felt to make such a decision.

“Really?! Is that true?”

Completely deflated, Algord was the exact opposite of Sidemid, who gleefully exclaimed upon hearing the news.

“So you’ve finally stopped clinging stubbornly to empty justification. Understood. Let’s set the date immediately. Finally, I can deliver a crushing blow to traitors like Orlando and Walnut.”

Would things really be fine with Sidemid becoming emperor?

He was the mastermind behind the brutal massacre.

If the empire allows someone who committed such atrocities to ascend the throne merely because of a “struggle for the crown prince position,” then what reason does this empire have to continue existing?

—While indulging in such audacious thoughts inappropriate for a member of the imperial family, one day, Serpina, summoned by Algord, tilted her head in confusion.

“Are you asking me to bring Uncle?”

“Yes. A letter came from Uncle Kyle, who had been in hiding. He wishes to attend the coronation ceremony and says it would be nice if someone went to meet him at Hail Castle.”

“Why doesn’t he come directly…?”

“You know how stubborn Uncle is, right?”

“True…”

Kyle von Einhardt.

The younger brother of her father, he had quietly spent his days away from the fray of the crown prince conflict until recently.

Even though he was a leisurely figure who stayed far from power struggles even when her father was alive, his support for Algord in this situation could undoubtedly provide significant strength, purely due to their shared lineage.

“So, it would be great if you could fetch him.”

“Doing so might delay the coronation ceremony…”

“We can return within a day using a carriage.”

Hail Castle was located in a secluded area not far from the bridge leading to Einhardt Castle.

Somehow, it struck her that consulting Uncle about what to do next could prove helpful.

“Understood.”

Thus, she set off for Hail Castle aboard a carriage without delay.

It certainly didn’t take long.

However.

Something else was amiss.

“Master Kyle? I haven’t seen him…”

“What?”

“Yes… If he had come here, wouldn’t he have informed us? Master Kyle hasn’t arrived here.”

“I heard he sent a letter to Brother Algord.”

“I apologize, Princess, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. How could I deceive you, Princess?”

Bowing awkwardly, the castle lord left Serpina deep in thought.

‘What is this? Did Uncle actually send a letter but not come? Why? Although he’s frivolous, he’s not someone to pull pointless stunts. If not that…’

If it wasn’t Uncle Kyle’s doing, there was only one explanation.

‘…Brother Algord lied…?’

Serpina rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

‘Why would he lie…?’

Lies always have a reason, especially such a troublesome one.

What did Brother Algord gain from this lie? Obviously, nothing.

At most, it meant I left Einhardt Castle.

And the moment she thought that—

Thud, thud!

‘Could it be… leaving Einhardt Castle was the purpose itself?’

Her heart started racing suddenly.

Driven by the unmistakable anxiety enveloping her.

Without wasting another moment, Serpina rushed back to the carriage and headed straight for Einhardt Castle.

*

And what greeted her upon arrival was—

‘……!!!!’

—the sight of the grand Einhardt family mansion engulfed in flames, carrying with it the rise and fall of the imperial family.