Chapter 208: Kuruela the Fallen Angel 3
“Why? Am I not allowed to offer myself? If it's the Hero King, his stature should be worthy enough for my hand. After stopping the catastrophe/great disaster, his popularity will increase even more than now,” Eleonora implored.
“Hmmm…”
“I will sway the Hero King to give allegiance to the Imperial Family’s side. Father, I know that you also don’t approve of the priests of the Holy Pope’s Office. To keep them in check, appealing to and controlling the Hero King is essential,” Eleanora pleaded, as she knelt before Tiberius.
It was an unthinkable situation from such a headstrong daughter.
Tiberius looked embarrassed.
‘No matter how dire of a situation I’m in, Eleanora is still the next successor in line to the throne…’
The Holy Aperia Empire was unique in that the person recognized by the Holy Sword, Ertia, would be designated as the next Emperor. Up to now, the legitimate, immediate successor of the Imperial Family became the next Emperor, regardless of whether it was a man or a woman.
Of course, in terms of the actual ratio, the chances of a princess being chosen was quite small.
So, when Eleonora picked Ertia, the Holy Sword from Solomon’s Hall, and when the sword accepted her, everyone was surprised.
Anyway, she was the child who would succeed him in the future.
Thus, he had to decide very carefully who she should marry.
‘I have to talk to Granver.’
Swordmaster Granver was a loyal imperial servant who had protected the imperial family since the time of the preceding Emperor and Eleanora’s current mentor.
Tiberius soothed Eleanor and calmed her down before walking her out of his office. He then called Granvert to come into his office.
“You called, your Majesty,” Granvert politely greeted.
“Have you heard the rumors? There’s a rumor that there will soon be a great cataclysm that will destroy the Empire.”
“It sounds like Pope Ignatius’ schemes to agitate the public, but I think there is a need to be careful.”
As a man devoted to the imperial family, he did not immediately believe what came out from the Holy Pope’s Office.
Tiberius coughed and spoke again with a serious expression.
“As a result of some investigation, it seems that it is not an agitation but factual news. The Holy Lady of Prophecy actually said that this event would come.”
“… Then, shall we call upon the Paladins to return to the Empire? There are currently only two Paladins in the Empire.”
Hildegard, Paladin of Flurry.
Ishrei, the Paladin of Freezing.
Both were credited with defeating the Demon King who had been targeting the Empire a while ago.
(Of course, in the case of who took care of Amon, it was actually Woohyuk, but officially, it was stated that Hildegard expelled Amon.)
The two Paladins themselves were already considered a formidable power. However, Tiberius didn’t feel relieved or assured, as Eleanora’s warning from earlier echoed in his mind.
“Of course, they should be enough, under normal circumstances. However, two Paladins alone are probably not enough to prevent a catastrophe/disaster-level event, at least, according to what the Prophecy Saintess said.”
“… It is dangerous to abandon the northern front right now. We and the elves will take a fatal blow.”
In addition to the Kazak Tribe led by the Thorn Queen, Alice, the Allied Forces of the Demon Kings were also stationed in the Enoa Kingdom.
Most of their ranks were low, but the total number of Demon Kings was quite high, so the five Paladins in the Northern Front were struggling to maintain the front.
If they came back to prevent the expected catastrophe/disaster, the Demonic forces would be able to take control of the Northern Front and come down to the south.
Not only that, but the relationship with the Elven race would also fatally deteriorate, which would lead to serious diplomatic problems in the future.
Since the Grand Duke’s territories were taken over by the Demons, it was not an exaggeration to say that the Principality of Croix was now Elven country.
As Granver raised his concerns, Tiberius quickly spoke, as if he had waited for this moment,
“Then, how about attracting a Hero King? He fought and defeated the three Demon Kings who invaded the Rhine Kingdom, and also killed the Lich Lord, who had recently raised power in the Norton Kingdom. It would be difficult for Hugo, the Paladin Commander, to achieve that level of achievement.”
“… If that person was to help then it would surely be of great help. It is a bit upsetting and annoying that he seems to be close to the Holy Pope’s Office.”
“So, we’ll have to pull him towards us by mobilizing an appropriate contribution.”
“What kind of a contribution?”
“I am going to give him one of my daughters. Who do you think would be good?”
Tiberius’ turned his current concerns into a question.
Granver looked at a loss as he saw the Emperor waiting for his answer.
‘His Majesty is weighing the political value of the Hero King based on my answer. As it is a serious matter, I have to think carefully.’
The marriage alliance would become both a foothold and a shackle.
Moreover, as Princess Eleanora was publicly recognized as the next successor, it was very important to deeply consider who she chose as her spouse.
If he misbehaved and caused controversy, he would give the Holy Pope’s Office an excuse to take over political power and essentially rule the Empire.
‘However, at the moment, it’s hard to find anyone comparable to the Hero King.’
If it was a peaceful era, someone like the Hero King would never be considered.
However, the current Eeth continent was devastated by the Demonic force attacks, and chaos ensued throughout the lands.
At this time, who else was a monarch who fought against these evil forces and continued winning, battle after battle?
Looking at his achievements so far, he was truly an absolute hero.
The main question was, what kind of ambition did he have?
Anyone who would disrupt the Empire’s rule in the future would prefer not to form a marriage alliance in the first place.
After agonizing over the pros and cons, Granver carefully opened his mouth to speak,
“Your Majesty, no matter which daughter you send to the Hero King, it will be interpreted the same way. Thus, how about calling the Hero King and letting him choose himself? Of course, your Majesty will make the final decision.”
“Hmm… so you’re saying we should take a look at what kind of person he is.”
“Yes, your Majesty. It is not possible to hand over the imperial princess to a person who is one-sided or who’s priorities do not align with the Empire’s.”
“That’s a good idea. Then, why don’t you go to the Hero King as an official messenger? If the Pope’s officials know, they may try to stir the pot, so this must be done in secrecy.”
“Please entrust me,” Granver stated as he politely bowed his head.
As he turned to leave, his gray eyes shone sharply.
‘I wanted to meet you at least once someday, so this will be a good occasion to meet you.’
He had often heard the ominous rumors about the Hero King in the public salons.
The opportunity to find out the authenticity of those rumors was given unexpectedly from the Emperor himself.
Curious about the identity of Woohyuk, Granver hurriedly walked out of the estate.
***
They were inside a reception room that was decorated with Valkyrie statues in the Holy Pope’s Office.
Granver was facing a black-haired, black-eyed young man with a stern expression.
‘Is this the Hero King?’
Unlike his youthful appearance, Woohyuk’s eyes were as sharp as those of a seasoned warrior on the battlefield.
Seeing that Saintess Maria and Valkyrie Brynhildr were standing at attention next to him, he felt assured that the young man in front of him was the Hero King.
Granver didn’t feel the ominous, evil energy swirling around the Hero King as the rumors in the city had popularly circulated.
‘He’s already been called into the Holy Pope’s Office.’
If he didn’t hear the news from a priest on the way here, he would have continued walking in vain all the way to the Rhine Kingdom.
Anyway, he must somehow convince the Hero King to come to the Imperial Palace at the order of Emperor Tiberius.
However, the situation became a little complicated, so he wasn’t sure what to do.
As Granver continued to be silent, Woohyuk, who couldn’t stand the silence anymore, started to speak,
“Why did you seek me, Sword Master Grandver?”
Of course, Woohyuk knew very well who the other person was.
It was because he was one of the people who perplexed him when he struck the Holy Aperia Empire in the past.
Even though he was a white-haired old man, Granver was strong enough to give Woohyuk quite a headache in the battlefield.
As Woohyuk looked at him warily, Granver raised his head and spoke with a determined expression,
“I’d like to give you one suggestion, Hero King.”
He decided that it would be better to talk about the main point directly.
Woohyuk nodded and offered Granver a seat.
“Let’s hear it then. It must have been hard for you to get here. Have a seat.”
“Thank you for your consideration. The reason I came to meet you…”
Granver explained the reason for his visit.
After listening to his words to the end, Woohyuk made a stupefied expression,
“Emperor Tiberius wants to form a marriage alliance with me?”
“As it is an era of confusion, we must unite together to minimize damage. We will be able to overcome the catastrophe/disaster of this time if we unite together.”
“You’re definitely not wrong. I accept the offer.”
“That is a smart choice. Then when would you like to visit the Empire to finalize the arrangement?”
“Now that my work in the Holy Pope’s Office is over, I’ll go with you to the Imperial Palace together.”
Their dialogue passed by in a flash, especially for something as noteworthy and complex as a marriage alliance.
This was the case because Woohyuk had already grasped Tiberius’ intentions through Eleanora.
When it was time to start their expedition, Sieg whispered to Woohyuk,
[Even the Sword Master isn’t able to recognize your true identity. Aris’ Hextech abilities are really admirable.]
[I commissioned her to work on it. As soon as it was completed, Catsy delivered it quickly.]
The two were wearing Aris’ newest invention, the Unholy Trickster.
It was an artifact that hid the magic that exuded from one’s body by wrapping one’s body tightly with divine power.
The idea was taken from Irene, a chimera made by remodeling the body of a saint.
Anyway, Unholy Trickster was an essential item for Woohyuk, who had to frequently appear in public functions in the future.
He had to endure some pain because of the divine power that covered his whole body, but he had no other complaints.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of the party’s steps in the corridor continued to resonate.
Granver turned back and spoke to Woohyuk.
“By the way, which of the three princesses does the Hero King have in mind? All of them are still virgins, so you can marry at any time as long as you decide on a partner…”
“I’ll make a decision after meeting them in person.”
There was no need to reveal his intentions now.
Having spent so much time with the imperial family, Granver had developed an excellent political sixth sense. Thus, Woohyuk had to be careful so as not to be caught trying to use Eleonora to acquire the Empire.
When Woohyuk refrained from speaking, Helena, who had been silent and bored to death, opened her mouth to speak,
“A man likes a woman with a pretty face and a nice body. Isn’t that right, Granver?”
“… It’s hard to deny. However, it is not a good idea to generalize too much because the definition of beauty varies from person to person.”
“So, who did the great Granver marry? You won’t say that you lived single until you reached such an old age, right?”
“…”
When the topic of his wife came out, Granver’s expression hardened.
He then sighed and calmly answered Helena’s questions.
“My wife was burned to death a long time ago. She was burned at the stake by God of Light priests for being a pagan.”
“Oh my… I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you had such a past…”
At this moment, Helena, the Witch of Annihilation, was confused about what to do and apologized sincerely.
However, Granver just shook his head casually and continued on,
“It’s all in the past now. The time to seek personal revenge has already passed as well.”
After his wife’s death, Granver went to the Empire’s greatest swordsman and practiced harshly every day.
Thanks to his outstanding talent, he reached the level of Sword Master in 30 years.
All those involved in the death of his wife were killed by his hands.
When Granver’s turbulent personal story ended, Woohyuk spoke aloud,
“I didn’t know there was such a personal anecdote. I have a good feeling about you. If there’s a chance later, why don’t you teach swordsmanship to my vassals?”
“Well… alright.”
Granver nodded as if the request was not a very big thing.
He couldn’t even dream that Woohyuk was redrawing his larger, outsized plan of dominance.
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