Ch.183183. The Second Trial (5)

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In reality, contrary to public perception, Prime Minister Sullivan and the Emperor are not at each other’s throats at the mere sight of one another.

To be precise, it would be most appropriate to say they have absolutely no points of contact with each other.

Unlike their subordinates who growl and try to devour each other from below, the personal attitude these two hold toward each other is remarkably consistent.

Indifference.

If you don’t bother me, I won’t bother you. If conflicts occasionally arise, handle them swiftly, fairly, and with minimal escalation.

This attitude of the power holders plays a significant role in preventing civil wars or major conflicts, despite the power structure being essentially divided within the massive nation of the Empire.

Therefore.

The current situation was an extremely peculiar standoff.

“…”

A terrible silence filled the room.

Given that two such distinguished state guests were gathered, there were exceptionally skilled security personnel present, but even they were swallowing dry saliva due to the tension.

The source of this atmosphere was undoubtedly Prime Minister Sullivan, sitting in the center and radiating a murderous aura around her.

Eventually, after keeping her eyes closed for a while, she slowly opened them.

“What were you thinking when you did this, Your Majesty?”

Her voice carried a coldness that felt like it could cut through flesh.

Someone nearby, feeling the pressure, couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“I heard you ordered the Sword Saint to create a nullification field.”

Cecilia Arc Bailey Diedonné silently gazed at her through the veil hanging nearby.

Sullivan also stared through the veil with a chilling gaze.

The atmosphere was hostile, as if they were about to fight.

Just as the tense silence was about to stretch longer…

“The nullification field may appear to be nearly omnipotent on the surface, but its countermeasures are also quite clear.”

It was a smooth, glass-like voice devoid of any emotion.

“…”

Prime Minister Sullivan’s expression immediately frowned.

Her gaze turned to the large man speaking those words.

The Emperor’s direct bodyguard.

A massive sword strapped to his back. A giant physique two or three heads taller than an adult man, and a middle-aged man exuding gentlemanly dignity that seemed at odds with his size.

Rad Alexander Barfon.

The current Sword Saint.

The Empire’s strongest warrior, before whom even the Grand Duke of Tristan and the Margrave of Kendrid would yield.

Beyond simply being the Empire’s strongest, he was counted among the few at the pinnacle of those who received the title of Saint, the apex of his field.

At a point when Authority had lost most of his prime power after having his limbs severed, he was a monster without peer unless one brought the master of the Demonic Spire or the Pope.

“…I did not ask you, Sir Rad.”

She spoke in a low, subdued voice, but again the answer came without hesitation.

“One simply needs to walk outside the effect range. There are no means to prevent that.”

“…”

She knew that.

It was also the clear answer to why such a powerful technique had never been openly utilized in actual combat despite its power.

But.

“…As I understand it, stepping outside the effect range results in disqualification from the trial. Did you deliberately set it up that way?”

“Those who value their lives would do so. Is there a problem with that?”

“…”

“The weight carried by the title of Hero should be at least that much, if not more. Even the leaders of other countries acknowledge this fact.”

The Sword Saint continued these sentences evenly with a gentle smile.

“…But for participants to risk such a threat is too harsh a measure—”

“Prime Minister Sullivan.”

The Sword Saint interrupted her words with a gentle voice.

“You are being unusually emotional, unlike yourself.”

“…”

“While I may not know about humanitarian aspects, I think there are no flaws in terms of suitability. If it were a problematic method by any standard, the leaders of other countries would have objected as well.”

“…”

Certainly.

What she was doing now lacked sufficient grounds.

It was clearly an emotional response unbecoming of her reputation as the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister.

But.

‘…That man will definitely.’

It was obvious that Elia Krisanax would risk his own life to grasp the title of Hero.

He had always been that way.

Though outwardly he always appeared to be a playboy and trash, looking deeper, he was so devoted to those around him that he seemed foolish.

As clearly remained in her memories from before.

“…”

Sullivan clenched her hand tightly under the table.

Therefore.

She disliked throwing him into an unexpected ‘variable.’

In any way, she disliked Darwood Campbell.

Being in a life-threatening situation that she couldn’t predict.

At least, what she could do in the current progression of this trial was extremely limited.

Once the Emperor had been designated as the trial’s overseer, her methods of intervention became very complicated.

‘…I was careless.’

She never expected the Emperor would directly instigate something like this.

The Emperor had always been thoroughly indifferent to that man. There had never been any reason for them to be entangled.

This had never happened in the ‘previous cycles’ she had experienced.

‘With what intention is she doing this?’

Until now, they had been the type to tactfully avoid each other whenever there might be a collision.

Perhaps it happened because their interests aligned in ‘not wanting to turn the Empire into a mess through power struggles.’ She also knew the Emperor didn’t make efforts to stand out.

In that sense, suddenly doing something like this was completely unexpected.

“Prime Minister, is it because of that man?”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean the man called Darwood Campbell.”

At the Sword Saint’s sudden words, Sullivan’s eyes narrowed.

Then, her reason settled coldly.

If they already knew about it, she could roughly compress how the situation was unfolding.

“…Your Majesty.”

Then, she opened her mouth in a monotone voice.

“You deliberately planned this, didn’t you?”

Her voice contained a hint of anger.

“Were you thinking of putting pressure on me using that man as leverage?”

“You’re wrong, Sullivan.”

This time, it wasn’t the Sword Saint’s voice.

Frail and so faint that one had to concentrate fully to hear it.

But clearly, it was the Emperor speaking directly.

“It was never my intention to pressure you. There’s no reason for our relationship to sour. While it’s true that I became interested in that man because you showed interest in him…”

“…”

Sullivan’s eye twitched slightly.

How long had it been since she had seen the Emperor use her own ‘voice’ to speak?

Considering the constraints on this girl, it could be considered a truly exceptional event.

The Curse of Dragon Blood.

A rare disease that occurs with extremely low probability in those who inherit the ‘dragon’ factor said to flow in the Imperial family.

The current Emperor of the Empire is likely so internally damaged that even producing her own voice puts strain on her body.

In other words.

She must be truly serious about this matter to bring out her voice despite such a condition.

“I simply wish to gather more information about a subject I’m observing carefully. Don’t worry, I’ll ensure nothing happens that would concern you.”

“…What do you mean by observing carefully, Your Majesty?”

Sullivan asked with still-narrowed eyes.

Why would the Emperor be interested in him in the first place?

While Darwood Campbell is certainly a promising talent at the continental level judging by his career so far, he is by no means someone the Emperor, who already has numerous proven individuals around her, would need to focus on intensively.

While thinking this…

“It’s nothing special. Half out of curiosity.”

It was a sentence delivered with a hint of laughter, like a joke.

But.

At those words.

The moment she detected the very faint ‘presence’ underlying them.

“…You could say I felt a fateful connection. Such a trivial reason.”

Sullivan’s eyes widened in shock.

“…”

She unconsciously covered her mouth.

It was her maximum effort not to lose self-control.

Though it was just a tiny feeling.

An intuition so faint that one might forget it the moment it passed.

But it was a sensation she couldn’t forget.

It had given her the nightmare she had ruminated on countless times.

“…”

Calming her rapid breathing, Sullivan barely suppressed the shock threatening to break through her expression.

“What’s wrong, Sullivan?”

“…It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

She too can sense it keenly because she is one who can handle the power of ‘demons.’

‘Brown.’

She mentally repeated the word, clenching her trembling hand tightly.

Of course, she hates all demons.

In all her experiences, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t harm Darwood Campbell for their own arbitrary reasons.

The frequency might differ, but Darwood Campbell has the possibility of experiencing death at least once from every demon.

At least, that’s what she had ‘seen.’

“…”

But.

Brown is the most… ‘exceptional’ existence among them.

In some ways, even more so than the Grey Demon.

‘…The Emperor is the vessel of the Brown Demon.’

It’s a supposition she doesn’t even want to imagine.

Unlike other vessels who, for their own reasons, either refrain from approaching Darwood Campbell, circumvent him, or remain within a level that he can ‘handle.’

This one, along with Sullivan herself, is the Empire’s foremost power holder.

That means she has the foundation to completely destroy that man’s everything just by prioritizing her own emotions.

Moreover.

If it’s that Brown Demon.

The last master of the six thrones ruling Pandemonium.

The Brown Demon.

The bastard child of angels. The most base demon.

If it’s that demon who has killed Darwood Campbell the most in ‘all world lines.’

“…”

Once again, she remembers.

The image of Darwood Campbell begging her to kill him.

At the terrible scene breaking through her consciousness, the Prime Minister quickly lowered her face.

She didn’t want to show her pale face to the other party.

“…Sullivan? Are you alright?”

Everything.

It all ‘happened’ because of the demon this woman harbors.

“…”

Sullivan barely suppressed the murderous intent threatening to break through her expression.

Right now.

She wants to tear the opponent into a thousand pieces. Kill her. Shatter her soul and scatter it everywhere.

But.

Not yet.

Not yet.

With this level of presence, it’s still far from awakening even the first fragment.

Demon fragments are highly sensitive to the mental state of their host vessel. There’s no need to stimulate it and wake it up early.

Considering their near-immortal nature, killing them is impossible to begin with.

Rather, for now, the priority is to ‘delay’ that time as much as possible.

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I’m fine.”

Sullivan answered calmly, wearing her usual expressionless face.

Though in her mind, all sorts of plans, countermeasures, and schemes were writhing.

But it’s not something to show right now.

Revealing one’s intentions to someone who will clearly become an ‘opponent’ later is something only a fool would do.

However.

“…But, Your Majesty. If you did this knowing that I coveted him, you should take some responsibility.”

This much displeasure should be fine to show.

“Responsibility?”

“If that man is harmed even a speck.”

Sullivan’s pupils glowed golden.

“You will have to pay the price, Your Majesty.”

“…”

It would be an insubordination of unimaginable intensity for a Prime Minister to speak to the Emperor this way.

But none of those in the room stepped forward to stop it.

They were excellent personnel.

It meant they clearly understood that this place was occupied by the people who ‘divide’ the Empire.

In other words.

If someone were to step in wrongly and the situation escalated to the worst.

A mess that could plunge the entire continent into chaos would occur.

The two women in this place now are figures of such stature.

Unless one side erupts violently, it would be wisest for them to play the role of invisible people.

‘…Who the hell is this Darwood Campbell…!’

Of course, they were certainly cursing the fact that these two women were creating such an atmosphere over just one man.

“…Didn’t I say there’s no need to worry?”

While those around were sweating profusely from tension.

The Emperor, the actual party involved, merely smiled bitterly and waved her hand.

In sync with that gesture, one of the attendants waiting nearby quickly brought a crystal orb.

“This is a visual screen of the place where the trial is taking place. From now on, we’ll observe directly, and if that man faces any crisis, I’ll immediately dispatch Rad.”

Saying so, the Emperor gestured again, and the attendant bowed and activated the crystal orb.

Soon, a real-time video was transmitted from inside.

And there…

“Kill me gently, you bastards—!!!”

In the middle of the area where the nullification field was laid.

With no abilities at all.

The figure of Darwood Campbell charging at large magical beasts with his bare body.

Moreover, with all his upper and lower garments removed, wearing only a single piece of underwear.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Everyone who saw it fell silent.

No one could utter a word.

No one.

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