Chapter 264

Chapter 265. Victory is Just a Side Dish (2)

An unprecedented tension filled House Sephira. Daat, who had escaped from the royal palace, had informed the elders of the existence of the Family War.

All soldiers on missions or dispatched had been ordered to return, and the family’s security had been tightened.

Not stopping there, Daat requested Panir to hold a meeting to gather strategies for the Family War. However, Panir, for some reason, glared at Daat and spoke.

“I’ve already taken measures based on what happened in the royal palace and the Family War. I agree that a meeting is necessary, as you requested. But before that, I have something to ask you.”

“That sounds like a tricky question. Well, go ahead.”

“How on earth did you find out about the Family War, and how did you escape from the royal palace? No matter how talented Keter is, it seems impossible. Can’t you share the secret?”

“Grandfather. Do you really need to cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs? Can’t you just be satisfied with getting the golden eggs for free?”

“I’m worried that the golden eggs weren’t laid but stolen from somewhere. If it’s the latter, our House Sephira will bear the brunt of it.”

“Hmm, Elder. As far as I know, Sephira has always trusted Keter despite the risks. Why are you suddenly asking me to reveal secrets?”

“This is not just a Family War; it’s a war that determines the fate of our family. The scale of what Keter has done so far is beyond what can be explained by being smart, quick-witted, or lucky.”

Panir took a firm stance, insisting on an answer. The atmosphere was serious, but Daat responded lightly.

“Just trust me.”

“…….”

“If you really can’t stand it anymore, let me know. When that time comes, I’ll leave without any hard feelings, taking only what I need.”

“What…?!”

When Daat spoke the same words Keter might have, Panir was taken aback. He had expected Daat to be more accommodating.

But Daat was as ruthless as Keter. It wasn’t an empty threat; he was prepared to abandon House Sephira if necessary.

‘With the power I have, there’s no reason to stay in a family that holds me back.’

The option of sharing the secret of regression wasn’t even considered.

‘Even Keter, who vouched for me, didn’t reveal the secret of regression. It’s that dangerous. It’s not something you can share just because we’re family.’

At the very least, Daat had no intention of telling anyone about regression. But that didn’t mean he would ignore what Keter had set in motion.

‘I need to take care of the future information that Keter couldn’t focus on. That’s my role, something only I can do.’

Daat shook his head at Panir, as if to say it was difficult.

“…I’d like to say that coldly, but Sephira is like home to me, and Elder Panir is someone I can trust… You’ll keep the secret, right?”

“Of course. Do I look like someone who can’t keep a secret?”

“You’re curious about how Keter found out about the Family War, right?”

“For now, yes.”

‘Actually, Keter knows the future because he regressed.’ That was the truth, but Daat lied.

“Prince Rakan told him.”

“Ra-!”

“Shh, listen. Here’s what happened. Right after Keter became the Southern Palace, Prince Rakan’s proxy secretly contacted him. That’s when Keter learned about the Family War. He was told that Sephira would fall because of the Family War, and if he wanted to prevent it, he should become Rakan’s subordinate.”

“What?!”

“It was more of a threat than an offer. You know Keter’s personality, right? You’d think he’d refuse, but at the time, he said he’d consider it.”

“I would have done the same. If he refused outright, they wouldn’t have let him go to protect the secret of the Family War.”

Seeing Panir create his own narrative, Daat smiled with satisfaction.

“Keter bought time by saying he’d give an answer once the family summons was issued and he arrived at the royal palace. Meanwhile, he secretly began preparing for the Family War. Of course, he couldn’t tell Sephira. If Sephira started preparing, Rakan would notice. That would put Keter in danger, and Sephira would be in even more trouble.”

“Hmm, so Keter had such circumstances.”

“The reason we escaped the royal palace is because Keter and I are competent. You can admit that, right?”

“…To some extent, I can admit that.”

“I’ve told you all the secrets. Now you understand why we kept the knowledge of the Family War hidden.”

Panir, though not entirely convinced, nodded in partial understanding.

“I’m sorry for not trusting you. But given the situation, I had to press the matter.”

“I understand. It’s a matter of thousands, tens of thousands of lives.”

“By the way, are there any other secrets-”

“Even if there are, I can’t tell you. You just found out why.”

“Hmm……!”

“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, shall we start the meeting? No need to be too tense. We’ve already prepared a surefire strategy for Sephira’s victory.”

“Huh, your confidence is no less than Keter’s.”

“If I want to stand by Keter’s side, this is the bare minimum.”

Thus, the meeting presided over by Panir began. Everyone continued with passionate anger, but they felt an unfilled void. The elders thought it was due to the absence of the family head and Sephira’s bloodline.

The eldest son, Hisop, was imprisoned in the royal palace. The second son, Mail, attended the meeting but remained silent, his face filled with anguish.

Moreover, Anis and Taragon had left for the front lines, so the meeting was essentially attended only by the elders.

Although the meeting continued under the leadership of the veteran Panir, everyone seemed to lack energy.

“Lord Keter has returned!”

At this news, the elders’ expressions brightened, and Mail, who had been in anguish, finally spoke.

“Finally!”

* * *

As soon as he returned, Keter joined the meeting and waved off those who wanted to greet him.

“Let’s skip the greetings. How’s the family atmosphere, Brother Mail?”

“Calmer than expected. Everyone seems to accept that what’s coming has come.”

“Any direct or indirect attacks?”

“Not that I’ve noticed. But maybe it’s just me.”

Mail looked around at the elders. They all shook their heads, testifying that they hadn’t noticed any such signs.

“That’s a good start. By the way, is everyone ready?”

“If it’s about war preparations, we’ve been ready for a while. We can start anytime.”

The Captain of the Constellation Knight Order spoke confidently, but Keter shook his head.

“Our opponents are not clearly defined monsters or foreign armies aiming for our territory. They are fellow citizens of the Lilian Kingdom, whom we once considered allies. Are you prepared to shoot arrows without hesitation into their hearts and foreheads?”

“……!”

“You seem to be misunderstanding. The Family War is not a friendly match to determine who’s stronger. There’s no shaking hands and laughing after it’s over. The losing side will disappear. Not only that, but if you’ve noticed, this Family War is essentially an attempt to finish off Sephira.”

“Even if they dislike Sephira, there’s no reason to be so vicious, right? This isn’t directed at you, Lord Keter.”

One of the elders cautiously asked. Keter clicked his tongue.

“Right now, all the noble families except Sephira are insisting that ‘a noble family must be a sword family.’ They say that noble families outside the sword families are nonsense. The only reason this dissatisfaction was suppressed was because Queen Lilian… strongly implied that she favored Sephira. But now, there’s no need to hold back, so they’re desperate to eliminate Sephira. Do you understand what I’m saying? If we approach this with a half-hearted defensive mindset, the name Sephira will disappear.”

Keter’s firm and strong argument caused a stir among the elders. Until now, they had only thought about ‘defending’ against the Family War, not considering anything beyond that.

At that moment, Elder Leganon, who had been quietly listening, spoke.

“Keter, are you saying that we, Sephira, must actively respond?”

“Responding is a given. We must fight to reclaim Sephira’s dignity. Only then will Sephira survive.”

“Hmm, Keter. I hope I’m misunderstanding, but your words sound like you’re saying Sephira must ‘secede’ from the Lilian Kingdom.”

“If that’s what it takes for Sephira to survive, then yes.”

“……!”

“You all look like I’ve crossed a line, but you don’t understand the reality. Frankly, if Queen Lilian were to say, ‘I’m sick of Sephira. Go die on the guillotine,’ would you obey out of loyalty?”

“That’s…….”

“If it’s Queen Lilian’s command…….”

The elders hesitated, murmuring that they might have to obey out of loyalty.

At that moment, Keter realized something.

‘Ah, right. Lilian, that woman who charmed the entire kingdom.’

Those who know of Lilian’s existence fall in love with her. Who in this world would wish misfortune on someone in love?

Especially since Lilian strengthens and sustains her influence by spreading her charm during the annual ‘festival’ where she conducts her harvest.

Sephira, being a frugal family, rarely participates in the festival, yet more than half of them would willingly die if Lilian ordered it.

‘If Sephira is like this, other families are no different.’

Keter had never faced Lilian directly or fought her, but he could feel her power anew.

‘Even in my past life, I felt it. The fanatical love for Lilian transcends loyalty and even blood ties. If I were to clumsily try to kill Lilian, I might end up facing the entire kingdom’s population of tens of millions.’

Unlike in his past life, Sephira had escaped from crisis and grown. Though the Family War loomed as another mountain, it was nothing compared to the wall that was Lilian.

‘I’ve grown much stronger than in my past life and have even obtained clues to the perfect Ain, but…….’

Right after reincarnating, he thought that if he obtained the perfect Ain and became an 8-star Irregular, he might be able to kill the queen.

But now, he was certain that even 8 stars wouldn’t be enough.

‘The 8-star realm is merely the minimum required to kill a god.’

The unknown 9-star realm. Or perhaps the power of the Five Great Treasures in the 8-star realm would be necessary to stand a chance.

‘Of course, this is assuming a one-on-one fight with the queen.’

To face Lilian as the queen, even that might not be enough. No, more preparation would be needed.

‘At the very least, I’m doing all this to avoid that.’

He would eliminate as much of the army that would fight for Lilian as possible. He would strengthen Sephira’s forces to stand against her.

‘I also need to find a way to break Lilian’s control. It’d be pointless to build up Sephira only for it to become Lilian’s puppet.’

Thinking about doing all this alone would have been frustrating, but he had Maknun. A trustworthy, capable subordinate, comrade, friend, and family.

‘Well, the Sephira brothers are doing well, but they can’t compare to Maknun.’

Shaking his head to escape his endless thoughts, Keter changed the subject.

“If it’s the queen’s command, we might have to obey. But what if it’s the command of Princes Rukan and Rakan?”

When he shifted the subject from Lilian to the princes, the elders snapped out of it as if nothing had happened.

“Even if it’s the princes, we won’t obey a command to commit suicide just because their feelings are hurt.”

“If the princes try to destroy Sephira, we’ll have no choice but to fight back.”

The atmosphere suggested that all the elders shared the same opinion. Keter and Maknun exchanged glances.

‘As expected, Lilian’s charm only affects her. It doesn’t extend to her children.’

‘Then we don’t have to worry about the charm for now.’

Having resolved the potential variable of ‘Does Lilian’s charm affect her children?’, Keter felt more at ease. At least Sephira was in a state where they could fight, and if they could fight, he was confident they wouldn’t lose.

“Keter. There’s one thing I’m worried about. It’s about Brother Hisop.”

At that moment, Mail spoke with a worried expression, and the other elders’ faces darkened.

“It’s fortunate that you all escaped safely, but I heard Hisop is imprisoned in the royal palace. If we unexpectedly counterattack and start pushing back in the Family War, I’m worried they might use Hisop as leverage.”

Seeing the other elders agree, Maknun suddenly recalled memories from Requer.

One day, a puppy Keter had cherished was kidnapped, and Keter told the kidnappers:

“Tear it apart, boil it, do whatever you want. But know this: whatever you do to my puppy, I’ll do the same to you.”

The kidnappers, in defiance, dismembered the puppy and sent it back to Keter, who kept his word. He dismembered the kidnappers and displayed them.

‘It wouldn’t have been different even if it were a person.’

Once, a man who often hung out with Keter was kidnapped, and the kidnappers demanded 10,000 gold from Keter, who naturally scoffed.

“If you wanted to hang out with me, you should’ve been prepared to die. Why should I spend my money to save someone stupid enough to get kidnapped and drag me down?”

Keter ignored the hostage’s safety and turned the organization that crossed him into ‘bugs.’

From then on, no one dared to kidnap anyone close to Keter. They knew it was pointless.

‘If it were the Keter I knew, he’d say, ‘Hisop? He’s not even my real brother, why should I care?’ and ignore it… but.’

The Keter Maknun remembered was from before his reincarnation, a year ago.

The Keter before him now was different. He had experienced the future and seemed to have ‘affection’ for Sephira.

‘Keter has changed. He’s become more human.’

This ‘affection’ might become a weakness for Keter, who had no gaps due to his inhumanity.

‘But he won’t be held back by it.’

He might grieve and rage, but he won’t stop. That’s the kind of person Keter was.

“If it’s about Hisop, there’s no need to worry.”

Keter declared firmly.

The elders frowned. His statement sounded like ‘It’s none of my business.’

“Grandfather Panir. Let’s have a family dinner tonight. By the way, prepare five chairs, not four.”

Currently, the Sephira family has only four members: Leganon, Panir, Mail, and Keter.

But why prepare five chairs?

“Could it be?”

Panir stood up abruptly, and Keter smiled in response.

“Yes, he’ll be back tonight.”

Keter had anticipated Hisop’s imprisonment and had already taken measures.

At the same time, the Lilian royal palace was in chaos. It was natural, given that the Family War had begun, but it wasn’t just that.

The crown prince was waiting at the main gate for someone. Those who witnessed this were shocked.

“Who on earth is he waiting for? He’s never even greeted the lord when he arrived.”

“Is the emperor of the empire coming?”

Crown Prince Rukan had never once gone out to greet anyone in the kingdom. Whoever could make him come out to greet them, everyone held their breath and watched.

Zzzzzzzzz!

A rainbow-colored portal opened in the royal palace.

From it emerged a figure no one had expected, a completely unexpected person.