Chapter 89
The current emperor’s name was Yuri Accretia.
He was regarded as the emperor who ushered in an era of stability for the empire. Under Yuri Accretia’s rule, the empire expanded and grew without major conflicts.
Even when there were localized clashes with Bellato or Corite forces, Yuri skillfully resolved tensions through diplomacy. Furthermore, he discreetly opened the black market, allowing some of Bellato and Corite technology and resources to flow in.
With the empire’s tacit approval, traces of Bellato and Corite influence seeped into its foundations.
As I listened to Kinuan’s explanation, I asked a question.
“Wouldn’t opening up lead to seeds of discord and conflict?”
“But without openness, there can be no progress. The reason our Accretia Empire surpassed the other sibling nations and gained the most superior engineering technology… is because we accepted extraterrestrial science and technology before Bellato and Corite did.”
I flinched. The empire rejected extraterrestrials. It was nearly impossible to find them within imperial borders. Only a few alien species, those deemed ‘useful,’ were granted residency permits or permanent stay rights.
‘And yet, this empire was the first to accept extraterrestrial technology?’
Kinuan saw my expression and chuckled.
“It’s an event from the distant past. A past so long that we’d have to die and be reborn at least ten times over to bridge that gap. In any case, the empire doesn’t blindly reject change. You should know that.”
Something came to mind.
“…I once met Director Jin Gaw at a banquet. I heard he engages in technological exchanges with the Bellato Federation.”
“You’ve seen him yourself, so you know—Director Jin is an unusual kind of person. He fits in better with Bellato than with the empire. That’s why he’s in charge of technological exchanges with them.”
“He was such a unique figure that I wondered how he even managed to survive within the empire all this time.”
“Haha, isn’t the answer obvious? Irregular, Luka.”
That’s right. There was only one answer.
“He must have been exceptionally talented—enough to overshadow any personality flaws or weaknesses.”
“An irreplaceable individual isn’t easily cast aside, no matter the organization.”
“Like you, Instructor?”
I shot back sharply.
“You’ve already grasped the secret to my survival. As expected, you’re exceptional.”
Kinuan only smiled smoothly and let it slide.
Click, click.
Our footsteps echoed through the hallway.
I had entered a building whose name I didn’t even know. But from the simple yet grand golden decorations, I could tell this place was one of the imperial family’s private estates.
Creak.
I scanned the corner of the hallway. The camera that had been operating just moments ago suddenly went still and drooped. It was the source of the unease I had felt since earlier.
‘At some point, all the surveillance equipment stopped functioning.’
It seemed that the empire’s surveillance system had been paralyzed around Kinuan. His movements weren’t recorded anywhere.
“Luka, this is the privilege of an Overseer. You’ll be able to have it soon as well. No imperial agency can track or monitor me. Any electronic device connected to the empire’s network will ignore me, even if it sees me.”
That was why Kinuan could maintain such a secretive existence. It was only natural that even the Imperial Guard had failed to investigate his tracks.
“A literal ghost of the empire. But if an Overseer were to turn traitor, who would be able to handle them?”
“There must be someone we don’t know about—someone whose role is to execute a traitorous Overseer. You understand by now, don’t you? No one, except His Majesty the Emperor, can see the entirety of the empire. That includes me.”
Even the Overseer’s sight was narrow. We weren’t omniscient beings. We were merely one of the Emperor’s many eyes.
I was crushed under an overwhelming sense of pressure, thinking at high speed. My sensory functions were even starting to dull.
The perfectly straight hallway seemed to warp before my eyes. I barely managed to walk straight, suppressing my dizziness.
‘Soon, I will meet the Emperor.’
I would rather be thrown into the middle of a battlefield swarming with enemies. That would have been easier. I was used to fighting against overwhelming odds with little chance of victory.
For the past four years, I had learned how to fight.
But the Emperor was not someone to be fought and defeated. He was an absolute being to whom I had to offer blind loyalty, someone for whom I was expected to lay down my life without hesitation, no matter how absurd the command or request.
“Luka, try to relax a little. Even if you display a seditious attitude or make a mistake here, you won’t die immediately.”
Kinuan teased me. If I were in his position, I’d probably act the same way. There weren’t many chances to look down on and toy with someone like me.
“…That makes it even more unsettling.”
If I couldn’t grasp the Emperor’s intentions, I would be left trembling, constantly wondering whether I was to be spared or executed.
Step.
Kinuan came to a halt in front of a door. The golden embossing of the Accretia Empire’s emblem, shaped like an eye staring straight ahead, was engraved upon it.
The emblem of Akies Victima was also an eye-shaped symbol, but its presence carried an entirely different weight.
If the emblem of Akies Victima was an eye that stole glances from the side, the emblem of the Accretia Empire was an eye that bore down on its target with an oppressive force.
Kinuan placed his palm at the center of the imperial emblem.
“Luka, if you can’t trust yourself, then trust me. I judged that you were someone fit to become an Overseer. For today, don’t believe in your own abilities—believe in the depth of my insight.”
Kinuan was an extraordinary person. A monster, in a way different from Hemillas. He saw through everything and never lost his composure, no matter the situation.
…And such a man had chosen me.
For the first time today, I felt like I had received genuinely helpful advice. The turmoil in my mind cooled as if ice had been dropped into it.
“Thank you, Instructor.”
I nodded, steadying my breath. The panic that had blurred my vision cleared.
Creak.
Kinuan opened the door. I walked forward without raising my head, my gaze fixed on the floor.
Thud!
Kinuan, who had stepped in ahead, knelt in reverence. I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
I only focused on the words I had rehearsed hundreds of times, repeating them in my mind. The words I had drilled into myself finally left my lips.
“Lukaus Custoria greets His Majesty Yuri Accretia, leader of the people and guardian of the empire.”
I did not lift my head. Even my unseen soul was bowed in submission as I waited for the Emperor’s words.
“It is good to see you, child.”
The Emperor’s first words were shockingly gentle—so much so that it felt like a reward for all my past struggles.
There wasn’t a single imperial citizen who didn’t know the Emperor’s face. His sculptures and portraits were scattered throughout the empire.
Even at the orphanage where I had grown up, there had been portraits of past emperors. Among them, the largest had been of the first Emperor, Dino Accretia, and the current Emperor, Yuri Accretia.
I knew Yuri Accretia’s features well. I could paint his portrait purely from memory.
“Raise your head.”
I had glimpsed the Emperor from afar before, separated by frosted glass. But now, I was only a dozen meters away from the ruler of the empire. This was my first time facing him directly.
I lifted my head.
‘Yuri Accretia.’
The Emperor sat upon an ornate throne, and beside him stood a familiar-looking man.
‘The Crimson Crown Prince, Francec Accretia.’
In principle, information about imperial family members who had not entered public office was classified.
However, the Crown Prince, as the designated heir, was widely known to the public. No matter how legitimate one’s bloodline or claim to the throne, even the most loyal subjects would struggle to accept a complete stranger suddenly declaring themselves Emperor.
That was why the Crown Prince assisted the Emperor from an early age, accumulating achievements and merits of his own.
I hadn’t expected the Crimson Crown Prince to be here with the Emperor. He was always dressed in red, earning him that nickname. It was likely a political act—a way to make himself easily recognizable to the people.
Before me, I could see only two figures: the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
However…
As I stepped into the room, I felt an unsettling sense of foreignness. There were at least two or three guards stationed somewhere—behind the pillars, behind the curtains, or perhaps even outside the window.
‘By principle, the Emperor’s security is the duty of the Imperial Guard.’
But the ones caught in my sensory net were not Imperial Guardsmen.
On the surface, the Imperial Guard was the military unit closest to the Emperor. In official settings, the Emperor was always accompanied by them.
‘In situations like this… he would bring bodyguards with unofficial titles.’
To put it in a somewhat embarrassing way, they were the Emperor’s shadow guard.
Did Hemillas know about their existence?
I was a member of the Imperial Guard myself. A bitter feeling welled up inside me. There was a force closer to the Emperor than we were.
A small doubt crept into my mind.
‘The Emperor and the Crown Prince aside… is it really acceptable for those guards to know about the rank and duties of an Overseer?’
Suddenly, the Emperor laughed.
“Haha, how endearing, Luka. They can neither see nor hear without my permission. I mean that in a very literal sense, so you need not worry.”
He spoke as if he had read my thoughts. His words and demeanor were strangely disarming, tempting me to let my guard down.
True to his title as the Crimson Crown Prince, Francec was dressed in red today as well. He regarded me with a confident smile.
“So, you’re the next Overseer. Just as Kinuan has spent many years with my father… you and I will be spending a great deal of time together.”
If I lived as an Overseer of the empire, I would inevitably spend an extensive amount of time with Francec. He was aware of that as well, which was why he addressed me so warmly.
…How was I supposed to respond? Every moment felt like torture.
“Thank you, Your Highness. From now on…”
Before I could finish my sentence, Francec stepped forward. He leaned in and patted my shoulder.
“Enough with the formalities! I know very well that you’re not the type to flatter your superiors. What I expect from you is steadfast loyalty and exceptional ability. I don’t care about your curt attitude or occasional slip of the tongue. If you wish, you can speak to me as rudely as my nanny does. She never stops nagging about my habits or my affairs with women. I swear right here—I will listen to your words just as I do hers.”
Francec was a popular Crown Prince among imperial citizens. Those who admired the imperial family from afar naturally liked him. Now that I had met him in person, I understood why.
‘A man of easy charm.’
The kind of person anyone could find appealing.
“Francec, have you gotten a good look at the boy who will one day be your attendant and Overseer?”
The Emperor’s voice came from behind Francec.
Francec smiled broadly and spread his arms wide, then placed one hand on his chest in a show of respect.
“Seeing him in person, I like him even more. It makes me eager to ascend the throne.”
“I still have a long way to go, Francec.”
A lighthearted exchange. It almost sounded like an ordinary conversation between father and son.
To think that the figures standing at the cold heart of the empire could speak so warmly and familiarly with one another… There was even a hint of genuine warmth in their voices.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Even the Crown Prince cannot interfere with an Overseer’s duties.”
Francec disappeared through the rear door. At the same time, the presence that had surrounded the room also vanished.
“Prince Francec is as spirited as ever,” Kinuan remarked.
“Well, I think I raised him well. Thanks to that, he’s grown into a man beloved by all. He’s also grown just enough to serve as a proper trigger. His death will turn everything upside down.”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard.
‘Trigger? Death?’
The warmth that had briefly filled my chest vanished in an instant. The stark contrast in temperature made my heart feel like it was about to shatter.
“When the time comes, I will carry out my orders.”
What the hell were they talking about?
They were speaking as if Crown Prince Francec were nothing more than a tool for some grander purpose.
…The Emperor and Kinuan were discussing Francec’s disposal—his eventual consumption.
“Do not waver, Luka. The real Crown Prince is someone else.”
Kinuan turned to look at me. I couldn’t hide my reaction. They must have expected me to be shaken.
This cursed empire… No matter how deep I peered into it, I could never see its bottom.