Chapter 17

One of the common misunderstandings among users is to mistake Belius for a fierce general type character just by his appearance.

Of course, Belius did have a muscular body.

It was so firm that it looked like a rock.

But according to the lore, those muscles were survival-type muscles that developed naturally as he struggled to survive on the battlefield.

I don't know if the term survival-type muscles is even valid.

In any case, that's what the lore says.

However, Belius was actually an intelligence-type character.

To be precise, his intelligence stat was high, and his power stat was also high.

This was the reason Belius became the mid-boss of the Nike faction, a Wailing Wall for newbies, and a cutter for seasoned players.

He beat the player with tactics, with stratagems, with traps.

He beat them from the front, and he didn't miss the empty flanks, beating them thoroughly.

On top of that, his high power stat made him resistant to assassination, and his high loyalty made him immune to bribery.

He was worthy of being called a model for others.

So there was no way a good word would come out from the receiving end.

It was so bad that the user community even said that the final boss, Isak, was easier to deal with.

But conversely, it also meant that he was the number one character they wanted to recruit.

Because if he was on your side, he would feel as reliable as a hearty bowl of soup and rice.

I pinned my hopes on that as well.

A person with such abilities would realize what I was implying, right?

Indeed, Belius noticed the strangeness and looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“……What on earth is Zeta plotting?”

***

“Haha.”

A slightly bitter laugh escaped me.

It wasn't because the answer I expected came out.

It's just,

Because I was once again reminded of how pathetic my status was.

People couldn't even imagine that I was leading the situation.

They just saw the retired Snow Elf soldiers and linked them to Zeta.

Even while talking to me, they only regarded me as someone's representative.

They couldn't think that I had joined hands with Zeta.

That was my current situation.

Well, it wasn't wrong either.

Who would think that a troublemaking royal with no right of succession was leading the situation?

It was actually a good thing.

Because I could move in the shadows without arousing people's suspicion, without being doubted, without anyone knowing.

Let's play along for a while.

For a while.

Until the day I surprise the world.

“You're finally looking at me now.”

“Damn it. I was almost completely fooled. To think Zeta would plot something like this. Of course.”

I hid my inner thoughts and said with a smile.

Belius was so frustrated that he slapped his own knee.

Thwack!

He hit a human body, but it sounded like hitting a rock.

I once again resolved not to get close to Belius.

“So, what on earth is this? What happened while I was unaware?”

“I believe you have a rough idea. But before I explain, I must correct one misunderstanding.”

“What is it?”

“The person who planned this is not Zeta. It is His late Majesty, the Emperor. That is the very reason I am moving myself.”

I inflated the matter.

So that it couldn't be easily resolved.

I borrowed the Emperor's name.

So that they wouldn't easily doubt it.

Using a famous person's name to secure authority was a widely used method since ancient times.

And authority was what I lacked the most right now but needed the most.

Indeed, mentioning the ‘high and mighty’ was effective.

Belius' face became even more serious.

“His Majesty?”

“It is a time when the throne is being transferred. His Majesty was worried. To the point of preparing countermeasures in advance.”

“Hmm.”

“Placing you, Commander, at Modera Fortress was also part of that. Of course, you must have considered your assignment to Modera Fortress a demotion.”

Belius flinched.

Seeing him react like someone caught cursing behind someone's back, it seems he really did curse.

I decided to pretend I didn't know.

“In fact, that was not His Majesty the Emperor's true intention. It was to prepare for the event of an unforeseen incident in the Imperial Capital.”

“Is that so?”

“If a rebellion were to occur, wouldn't the troops stationed near the Imperial Capital be the most dangerous? Therefore, His Majesty wanted to leave the most trustworthy person behind.”

“But isn't the Royal Guard in the Imperial Capital? They should be enough.”

“The Royal Guard is an elite unit, but they are small in number. You, Commander, are not unaware of the advantage of numbers.”

Of course, the Emperor died without any such thoughts.

But I wasn't thoughtless enough to say that truthfully.

No conscience? I have to live too.

Look at that. Even Belius is tempted.

When persuading people, you have to tell them what they want to hear.

Besides, what I said wasn't wrong either.

When power is transferred from a predecessor to a successor, that is precisely when power is at its most vulnerable.

Because a vacuum is created in the chain of command.

It seems trivial, but it's surprisingly fatal.

Then and now, there are more than a few ambitious people who aim for this vulnerability.

It's no wonder that so many acts of treason occurred during times of succession.

Even in the modern era, where that vacuum is minimized by specifying it in legal articles, it's impossible to prevent coups from happening.

How much worse was it now, in a state where the emperor had passed away and his successor was absent?

“You're certainly right. I was so focused on my pension that I missed that point.”

“Pension?”

“There's something like that.”

What did I just hear?

I looked at him with questioning eyes, but Belius didn't want to continue that topic.

It seems I have one more thing to look into later.

I exchanged a glance with Theo.

Theo nodded.

Afterward, Belius spoke.

“Leon, seeing that you've kidnapped the Count of Apollia, the person plotting treason must be Duke Isak, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Who on earth is the successor that a man as loyal to the empire as Duke Isak would commit treason?”

Isak's reputation seemed to be quite good.

Seeing that everyone didn't doubt the rebellion part.

But I shook my head.

“I cannot tell you that right now, but you will find out soon. The Senate's announcement is just around the corner.”

“Well, no matter how much I think about it, I don't understand the reason for starting a rebellion so drastically. But... that's not what's important right now.”

“That is correct. What's important now is the Empire.”

I said, putting force into each and every word.

“And right now, the fate of the Empire is like a candle in the wind. To set this situation right, you are absolutely necessary.”

Belius asked back.

“You need me?”

“Yes.”

At that, Belius' gaze changed.

I, who was focused on Belius more than anyone, recognized the emotion in his eyes.

His eyes, once filled with anger and suspicion, now held only fatigue.

A fatigue accumulated over the years, forming layer by layer.

Belius, suppressed by it, spoke.

“I still remember what happened 40 years ago.”

“……?”

“Back then, too, Michael suddenly came to find me. I was led by that damn fellow's hand and joined the army. And now his nephew is doing the exact same thing. Can't fool blood, I guess?”

“……”

I looked at Belius, who was reminiscing about the past.

His eyes were not on the present, but on a past I did not know.

Belius, who had seemed as solid as a rock, suddenly seemed to have regained his age and become an old man.

Why all of a sudden?

It was a bewildering change.

Since I couldn't understand Belius' reaction, I simply kept silent.

However, that silence was accompanied by fear.

All sorts of thoughts raced through my head.

─ Did something go wrong? I prepared a logic to persuade him as much as possible by inferring from the clues Nilion gave me.

─ Did Nilion lie? No. Nilion wasn't in a state to do that, and he couldn't have deceived me.

─ Then why is he acting like that?

No matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing wrong, which made the current situation even more terrifying.

I waited for Belius to open his mouth, fearing what he was thinking.

And just as it was Belius who plunged me into fear, it was also Belius who saved me from my questions.

Belius opened his mouth.

“I didn't think anyone needed me anymore. Not since Michael stuck me here....”

***

Belius is an office worker on the verge of retirement.

At that, he's in a state of being on the verge of being kicked out of the company he dedicated his life to overnight.

He's a bit old, but his body, mind, and abilities are all fine.

He wants to do more as long as he can.

But suddenly, the company tells him to go his separate way.

At this point, if the words ‘How much have I done for you!’ don't come out, he's not just Belius but Saint Belius.

And since Belius was not a saint, all this dissatisfaction was directed at the emperor.

Because although the ones who provided the cause of the problem were the nobles, the one who ordered the demotion was ultimately the emperor.

That's how people are.

They can't always act rationally.

There's a reason for the old saying that the sister-in-law who stops you is more hateful.

On top of that, the sense of betrayal and disappointment Belius felt towards the emperor also played a part.

The reason Nilion was able to recruit Belius in was also because he exploited this gap.

However, in this timeline, thanks to Leon's timely intervention, the birth of the Nike faction's mid-boss Belius did not happen.

Because, Leon had awakened Belius' desire.

***

“……So there's still work for me to do.”

「Trait Activated: Descendant of a Demon Even a dry, old tree has one task left. To burn itself」

The moment that voice echoed in my ear, Belius' demeanor changed.

A hot flame shot up from his deeply sunken eyes.

At the same time, Belius' body, which had shriveled like an old man's, regained its vitality.

The overflowing spirit was so great that even Ryuba and Theo, who were standing beside him, were startled.

He was truly the Belius I knew from .

“I don't know what more I can do, but if the times still want me, I must willingly answer. That will be this old soldier's final mission.”

“Of course, that would be my pleasure.”

When I answered with a smile, Belius looked back at me.

“But before that, I have one question.”

“If it's something I can answer, I'll answer whatever it is.”

“I understand well that you are moving to carry out the Emperor's plan. But what is your role in that plan?”

“My role……, you ask?”

“Are you the new successor to the throne? Or are you just a simple secret messenger?”

At those words, I felt a slight thrill.

For the first time, Belius had taken an interest in my role, which no one had cared about.

Whether it was because he sensed something strange, or simply out of curiosity, Belius was the first person to show such interest in me.

Of course, there was no such thing.

This entire situation was fabricated by me to survive.

Moreover, fate had not decided anything yet.

So at this moment, there was only one thing I could say.

“I do not know that either.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

Belius raised the corner of his mouth.

It was an ominous smile.

“The way you talk so obnoxiously is a spitting image of the Emperor. The Emperor always used to say that if you just follow him, everything will be solved. It did turn out that way, though.”

“……”

“Even the habit of frowning when you hear something you don't like is the same. You're actually the Emperor's son, aren't you? Who is your mother? Tell me honestly, just between us.”

No.

I didn't want to be told I resembled the Emperor in these aspects.

“Let's talk about that later, and let's get to business first.”

“Tch, changing the subject.”

“You must have many connections in the military, Commander?”

“Of course, I have enough.”

Enough? For a statement from someone who once stood at the pinnacle of the military, it was a bit subtle.

But it wasn't incomprehensible.

Belius was of commoner birth.

Meaning, he was not part of the mainstream within the military.

Originally, the professions of ‘fighters’ like warriors and soldiers were considered the jobs of nobles.

The term Noblesse Oblige didn't come out of nowhere.

So, whether he received the Emperor's protection or achieved some great feat, Belius was bound to be ostracized within the military simply because he was a commoner.

Because he wasn't mainstream.

Because he wasn't from a prestigious noble family.

Because he was just a commoner.

In the ancient and medieval societies where everything revolved around connections, that reason alone was enough to be ostracized.

But right now, every little bit counted.

I had to gather as much as I could.

“Then, Commander, please contact the military figures near the Imperial Capital.”

“What should I say?”

“A suitable hint will be enough. Something like, don't let just anyone into the barracks, or don't leave your post carelessly. They should get the message.”

“Alright. I will do so. That much is not difficult.”

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