“To be precise, I should ask if we’re needed for assistance.”
Aslan immediately turned the conversation around. Upon this, Ilyena wore an expression of confusion, but Aslan made no particular effort to explain.
“Do you know who I am?”
“…Yes, Lord Aslan. I know well.”
The man known by people as the Emperor’s Assassin.
Called by the Supreme Divinity as the Veteran of Battle.
Aslan’s fame was not limited to the Northern Continent; there was no one in the world who had not heard his name.
Recalling that, a faint trace of apprehension flickered in Ilyena’s eyes.
But considering that her father had died by his hands, it was strangely mild apprehension.
Aslan inwardly smiled at the sight of someone not much different from the game.
From what Aslan knew, the Emperor wasn’t a beloved father.
Rather, Ilyena disliked her father.
The girl, Ilyena, who was a half-sibling to the current Emperor, bore this fact naturally since her mother had been offered to the Supreme Divinity.
Ilyena disliked both her father and the Supreme Divinity—this was how it was in the game.
‘As expected.’
Aslan smiled and spoke.
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“It doesn’t seem like I’ve fallen into a trap…”
While another person might entertain such a possibility, Ilyena well understood the nature of the man standing before her.
After all, the royal family of the Calus Empire had long worshipped the Supreme Divinity. This meant that detailed information about the veteran warrior—and the necessity to memorize it—was readily available.
Ilyena knew very well that the Master of Combat wasn’t the type to fall into traps.
“I’ve come here to help you.”
In light of this situation, Aslan’s words were incomprehensible.
Ilyena, wearing an expression of bewilderment, opened her mouth to question him.
“Do you wish to become the Emperor?”
At Aslan’s unexpected remark, she froze.
A deep sense of doubt clouded her azure eyes.
Even if it were an act, Aslan spoke with certainty.
“Don’t you want to build a mighty empire without relying on the Supreme Divinity?”
“You…”
Ilyena’s rigid expression gradually softened, giving way to astonishment.
Aslan smiled inwardly upon seeing her reaction.
“An emperor who lets martial adepts roam freely in the palace while bowing to the Supreme Divinity—is this truly the right kind of empire?”
“What are you saying…”
“Have you never thought about setting things right?”
As Aslan extended his hand, Ilyena’s astonished gaze followed its movement.
“You must have thought about it. But you gave up, didn’t you? I can guess why. Because you lack power and influence, right?”
Her trembling azure eyes slowly steadied, and finally, she met Aslan’s gaze.
The emotion in her eyes gradually faded until only one remained:
Doubt.
“What do you want?”
With the feeling that he had finally led her where he intended, Aslan smiled loosely.
“Nothing.”
“Pardon?”
When Ilyena questioned him, Aslan erased his smile and replied.
“I’m doing this because I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
“The…right thing?”
Ilyena echoed back in confusion, and she wasn’t the only one reacting. Harold stared blankly at Aslan, and Angie wore an enigmatic expression, the same look she had when they hunted hags and built graves.
Aslan easily grasped the reason: Geladridion was not the world he came from, nor was it a world that shared his moral compass.
A world that didn’t find the existence of an Evil Deity strange, a world that accepted cruel fates without resistance—this was Geladridion. A world where humanity and morality had failed.
“In any case, what’s important now isn’t what I want, but rather what you desire.”
But debating this now would be meaningless.
Beliefs and words unsupported by action were hollow, and there was nothing immediate to demonstrate either.
Aslan cleared his thoughts and looked at the girl, who lowered her gaze in contemplation before replying.
“…If I were to wish for something, could you help me?”
Seeing the earnestness in her eyes, Aslan asked.
“Before that, could you tell me how much you already know?”
“How much…?”
“About the current situation.”
When Aslan calmly responded, Ilyena pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I don’t know the exact situation, but…the martial adepts within the palace are gathering. They’re preparing an ambush. I…thought you were the target of that ambush.”
Ilyena stopped speaking there, seemingly unaware of the reasons or backing behind the ambush, and looked up at Aslan.
“Yes, that’s correct. The ambush is prepared for us. More specifically, it’s prepared for me.”
The title “Veteran of Combat” carried great weight, even more so when compared to titles like “Master of Swords” or “Master of Blunt Weapons.”
To be called a veteran of combat meant being the person who best understood the art of victory among countless masters—a symbol of victory guaranteed by the gods themselves.
But that alone wasn’t enough to warrant being personally summoned to the palace and ambushed by multiple martial adepts.
Ilyena couldn’t understand, and thus she looked at Aslan with confusion.
“Because I’m the chosen steed of the Ancient God.”
At this casual lie, Ilyena’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…The Veteran of Combat, the Emperor’s Assassin, and now the chosen steed of the Ancient God…?”
Her astonishment was tinged with understanding. Ilyena had finally realized the reason for the ambush.
Harold suddenly spoke up, catching her attention late.
“What exactly is the significance of being the chosen steed of the Ancient God to cause such a commotion?”
Ilyena’s azure eyes finally shifted to Harold.
Aslan preemptively addressed her bewildered expression.
“This is my comrade. Harold Crow, a draconic warrior from Belus Alphen. Please feel free to speak openly.”
Though draconic beings often appeared threatening, the girl, accustomed to seeing martial adepts, reacted indifferently.
“Hmm…I see. First of all…we don’t fully understand what the chosen steed of the Ancient God entails. However, we do know that all deities are after it.”
Ilyena gathered her hands and lowered her gaze.
“But according to what we’ve heard, the chosen steed possesses powers beyond human capability and holds something desired by the gods. Though we don’t know exactly what it is, if the gods are after it, it must be significant.”
At this, Angie’s lips twitched slightly.
Ilyena didn’t understand why the girl before her reacted this way, but Angie wore a mix of embarrassment and pride.
‘Does the phrase ‘powers beyond human capability’ sound so appealing?’
Aslan chuckled upon seeing Angie’s suddenly cheerful demeanor.
Regardless, Ilyena continued her explanation and looked at Aslan.
“If Lord Aslan truly is the chosen steed of the Ancient God…then I can understand why they’re going to such lengths. It’s almost tame, really.”
Aslan agreed with her. If he were a deity, he too would have tried everything to acquire the chosen steed of the Ancient God.
This clearly indicated that the gods underestimated Aslan.
After finishing her statement, Ilyena lifted her downcast eyes. She gazed at Aslan and his companions with her azure eyes and asked.
“So, what do you plan to do? You said you’d help me, but I don’t understand how you intend to assist me or how we’ll get out of this situation.”
The girl quickly added,
“Just so you know, taking me hostage won’t solve anything. My value within the palace isn’t particularly high, so if you have a plan, you need to tell me quickly. They’ll arrive soon.”
It seemed she had already considered using herself as a hostage to escape, and she stated this definitively. Aslan neither confirmed nor denied it, nor did he reveal his plan.
He simply raised the corners of his mouth.
“That doesn’t matter.”
Everything was going according to plan.
“The most important factor lies in your will.”
“…Pardon?”
Ilyena’s appearance, pretending not to understand the situation, amused Aslan as he smiled and looked at the girl.
The Calus Empire openly promoted the worship of the Supreme Divinity and had repeatedly expanded its territory violently without hesitation, under the support of the Supreme Divinity.
From the first encounter, it was clear they existed to antagonize players and were marked as hostile forces.
Ilyena was a unique character within the Calus Empire, needing to kill the Emperor twice to ascend to the throne.
She possessed a somewhat benevolent personality, didn’t particularly antagonize players, and showed movements to push away religious influences despite not favoring the gods.
This was how it was in the game.
Through their current conversation, Aslan realized that the girl in front of him wasn’t much different from the one in the game.
That was why Aslan had gone through the trouble of falling into a trap to seek her out—to understand who Ilyena was and, if possible, instill a favorable impression early on.
Having the massive empire of Calus, which had annexed nearly half of the Northern Continent, as a supporter would be advantageous, and even maintaining neutrality would be beneficial.
The problem was her character.
She lacked drive compared to ambition.
The fact that she needed to kill the Emperor twice to ascend the throne clearly demonstrated this.
Therefore, Aslan quietly told the girl whose pupils trembled,
“You already know.”
The girl lacked power and influence. She believed she couldn’t win and thus lived quietly.
Though she occasionally acted out due to her good nature, that was all.
She avoided fighting, believing she had no chance of winning.
Aslan believed what the girl needed were some preparations and advice.
“You cannot achieve victory without fighting.”
“…”
The girl fell silent, looking at Aslan. Realizing she had been caught, she dropped the pretense of ignorance and gripped her dress.
“You might fail. Yes, there’s no guarantee of success. Of course, you might win. You won’t know unless you try. But…”
At that moment, approaching footsteps were heard. The girl startled and turned her head, but Aslan placing a hand on her shoulder brought her gaze back to him.
“You will definitely fail if you don’t fight. Victory will never come to those who don’t fight.”
Ilyena closed her mouth, revealing a mix of emotions as she fell silent.
Aslan removed his hand from her shoulder and looked at the door.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking rang out. In a low voice, ensuring it wouldn’t carry outside, Aslan spoke.
“The situation remains the same. I know it’s a trap. I also know what the Emperor wants and that the martial adepts are waiting for me. I came fully aware of all this.”
“…You willingly walked into a trap…?”
To the girl’s puzzled expression, Aslan smiled gently and lied. He couldn’t say he had come for Ilyena’s sake.
“The martial adepts couldn’t gather fully due to interference from other priests and divine forces. On the other hand, we have me, the Veteran of Combat and the chosen steed of the Ancient God, along with my comrades. They don’t know my methods or what I’m capable of. They have no idea about my true strength.”
Aslan’s gentle smile disappeared, replaced briefly by a cold and weary one.
“There’s nothing easier than fighting an opponent whose every move is exposed.”
“You cannot achieve victory without fighting.” Aslan murmured as he passed Ilyena and approached the door.
“Watch carefully.”
With that, Aslan pushed the door open wide. The startled Cornil Ashuld stiffened at the sudden movement.
“Ah, ahem, Lord Aslan. What a coincidence. His Majesty is looking for you. Please follow me.”
Cornil Ashuld, who had frozen, quickly composed himself and spoke with an arrogant expression.
[Ongoing Main Quest]
[! Audience with the Emperor]
Aslan smirked as the system window obscured the face he wanted to punch.
