episode_0036

News that a high-ranking Red Gate has appeared next to the palace where the emperor resides.

Surrounding guards who were constantly observing the floating high-level artifact reported it to the knight commander as soon as the gate was created, and upon hearing this, the knight commander put aside everything and ran to the emperor to deliver the news.

The expression of Vermon, the emperor of the Peren Empire, began to noticeably harden.

“It’s right next to the palace… That doesn’t make sense. Didn’t you say that the Red Gate phenomenon occurs within a limited range of the vortex?”

“That’s right. However…we have not yet received sufficient information about the Redgate Whirlpool incident, so we cannot determine the reason for this abnormal phenomenon. One thing is certain: you need to evacuate right now.”

“Where?”

Vermon shouted, hitting the ground hard with his foot.

“Are you telling me to leave my palace and run away to somewhere?! You guys stop it. Even if it means everyone dies, stop the monsters from overflowing!”

When Vermon gave the order, the knight commander simply bowed his head without saying a word.

“Of course, we are willing to give up our lives for Your Majesty. However… according to reports from the imperial troops who have left to subdue the Upper Gate, we are not sure whether we can win. We don’t know which of the mutant monsters will appear, and we don’t know what they will do to His Majesty the Emperor…”

The emperor spoke while pointing his sword at the knight commander.

“My enormous gold and silver treasures and countless artifacts are buried in this palace. What will I do if my belongings are stolen while I am away? These are things I have been collecting my whole life. These are items of value that you can’t even imagine.”

“We will protect it. Even if Your Majesty leaves, I will protect it so that no one can take it away. So, Your Majesty, go to a safe place.”

“Shut up!”

Bermon gritted his teeth with a truly angry expression.

“How can I trust lowly trash like you and leave my things behind? People like you who grew up without me are sure to get greedy and steal without me as the owner.”

“Your Majesty…Your Majesty…”

The knight commander looked at Vermon with vain eyes. He nodded and answered without saying anything.

“I understand. We will gather all our forces to fight.”

The leader of the Imperial Knights, Drezar, came out the door and started walking towards the people waiting outside. As the knight commander’s expression darkened noticeably, one of his subordinates asked a question.

“What did His Majesty the Emperor say? Can we help your majesty escape?”

Drezar shook his head and said.

“His Majesty said he would remain here until the end.”

“Why…did you make that decision?”

Drezar looked at his subordinate’s face for a moment, then avoided eye contact and spoke softly.

“It is impossible to abandon the people in this area and run away. He said he couldn’t escape because he was thinking of us.”

“That…such a deep meaning!”

The knights bowed their heads as they looked towards the emperor with eyes full of emotion. Drezar thought to himself as he looked at those who were burning with loyalty.

‘It would be better not to know the truth.’

An emperor who treats the knights who sacrifice their lives to protect him as nothing more than trash or outcasts. To him, the loyalty and sacrifice of these knights in the fight was just a matter of course. Even as he watched the knights collapsing, he realized that he had no troops left to use. It was obvious to think that was the extent of it, and there was no honor whatsoever in this kind of work. But Drezar simply raised his sword and moved forward.

“To protect the empire, raise your sword. Everyone, swear with all your soul. I will never back down.”

“Never! I will not back down!”

Drezhar moved out of the imperial palace like that. Numerous troops waiting outside. There were literally tens of thousands of people covering the entire area. There were too many troops to protect just the emperor. It is obvious that countless people are dying at this very moment, but the emperor has tied up these countless troops solely for his own safety.

Drezar muttered, shaking off his anguish.

“Let’s not think about useless things. Anyway, we don’t have a choice.”

You must follow the fate given to you. If you become a knight, you must obey the orders of the monarch, no matter how foolish he may be. Because the emperor is the rule of the empire and its reason for existence.

Imperial Knight Commander Drezar thought so and headed to the Red Gate.

*

The safe zone where Leos and his party are located. Changes different from before began to occur everywhere here. What is most noticeable is that several large guard posts have been created.

Based on the center of the safe zone, several guard posts began to be built on the outskirts. At first, it was one of the execution team, but later it was made up of ordinary people who drifted and found a safe zone.

Looking at the guard posts that many people had built individually, Faron, the vice-captain of the extermination team, spoke.

“Lacarte. Too many ordinary people are flocking here.”

“Leave it alone. Because they are all people who will help us.”

“…No matter what…”

At first glance, there were many ordinary people who had not trained and wondered how on earth they were able to preserve their lives in this Redgate incident. Although these people were not at a level that the extermination team would be wary of, it was nevertheless a cause for concern that a guard post was being built nearby. However, Lacarte added that it was actually a good thing.

“Centered on interrunners, the story that LEOs are living in the safe zone began to spread.”

“If you’re LEO… aren’t you Leo?”

“Okay, I don’t know if they are Leos… Well, anyway, due to several murder certifications, the idea that Leos are living near the safe zone spread as a theory, and many people came to flock here.”

“Leos has spread that he is in a safe zone, so why are people flocking to him? Shouldn’t you rather run away? It is a monster that kills all of them in an instant even if dozens of people who have received advanced training from the empire attack it.”

“It’s the opposite. What happens to the people Leos has killed so far? These people are called looters by everyone. Only those who were judged to be evil by human standards were saved. So that got people thinking. Leos, who lives in the safe zone, is said to be punishing evil nearby.”

“…That’s why they’re flocking like this.”

“Yes, there is no need to worry about looters, there are no monsters, and there is a huge space of 1km, so people nearby are starting to flock to it with a feeling of gambling. I would have thought that if I hid anyway, I would be discovered by a monster and die, but if I came here and died, it would be the same.”

“How do you know so well?”

“Actually, I didn’t guess, I just asked. Tedre and Theon became friendly with the refugees nearby.”

As Faron looked at the boys in surprise, his older brother Tedre spoke bravely.

“I purposely stayed closer to you. Because we are young, they are not as alert as we think. I keep subtly asking why they came here, what they did, how they were able to survive, and what their tendencies are. Just enough to not arouse suspicion.”

“Great.”

Faron truly thought so. The most important thing in this situation is information. It is possible to kill everyone around you right now, but you never know how Leos will react if you do that.

‘Leos has never killed anyone other than the wicked until now.’

If innocent people are carelessly killed just because of suspicion, and Leos develops animosity toward this, there is no turning back. Therefore, it was important to understand the opponent.

“Please continue to scout in the future. If there are strange people, please tell me.”

“Yes! I will!”

Tedre and Theon were happy that they had helped and quickly ran over to the other refugees. Rakarte looked at the scene and spoke to Faron.

“Paron. Aren’t the refugees over there suspicious?”

“Of course. They may be sent by the Empire, or they may be marauders with impure purposes. It is dangerous to build a guard post this close to the safe zone.”

“I think so too. But this is something you have to endure.”

“Why…you say that?”

“You know, right? A cause is very important.”

“I know enough. I too was sick of seeing the empire commit massacres without justification, so I swore allegiance to you.”

“Yes, sometimes a cause is considered important enough to change one’s beliefs. If they come together one by one, it will become our cause.”

“I don’t know what it means.”

“…Let me make it easier for you. By now, the Empire must have noticed that Leos reside in the central region. Unfortunately, only those who tried to search for Leos were all killed, and we who set out to find Leos were unable to come up with the right results, and a lot of time has already passed.”

“…”

“If this situation continues, there will be a public opinion war in the empire. Just like before, the blame can be placed on Leos.”

“What kind of criticism should be directed at Leos…”

“Former gatekeeper and the only man who can stop the upper-level Red Gate. However, instead of responding to the empire’s call, the man seeks to survive alone by creating a safe zone. That alone is enough to create and incite false information.”

“It was the Empire that kicked out Leos.”

“Yes. The Empire kicked them out. However, they will try to kill Leos socially again in the name of justification. Sometimes the power of a cause is greater than anything else.”

“…Are you saying that the direction of the riots could be towards us?”

“Maybe so. That’s why they need to be there.”

Rakarte smiled and checked the interrunner. There were countless people saying that the central area was safe and that any marauders who approached it would die. It seems that the people who settled here are sharing information one by one.

“The moment the Empire exposes false information, we will immediately refute it. The reason Leos threw himself here was to protect others.”

“Would that… work? I don’t know.”

“It has to be communicated. The moment they start a public opinion war, they will self-destruct. I will make it like that.”

*

Inside the Imperial Secret Service, which has not yet heard the news that the palace was attacked.

After talking all day, Velin came up with one of several strategies to ease the suspicions of Kelthazar, the leader of the Imperial Secret Service, who was suspicious of him.

“Kel’Thazar…I have something to tell you.”

“Hoo… I didn’t expect you to come visit me first after that incident? Say it, Belin.”

Kel’Thazar turned to Velin with interest. Then Belin slowly opened his mouth.

“Now…we need Leos…that’s the priority, right?”

“Yes. That’s a fact everyone knows.”

“There is no report or any information whatsoever. How about using public opinion… to pinpoint Leos’ location based on people’s reports?”

“Using public opinion?”

“… As the Redgate incident spread, Leos threw away people and hid inside the Redgate vortex to survive. A selfish act by the gatekeeper who is the only one who can seal the Red Gate. That alone will make people angry, and countless reports will come pouring in, mainly from interrunners.”

“Hoo…”

Kel’Thazar walked towards Velin as if he was interested. And I talked to her.

“Then do it yourself.”

“Yes…?”

“This means that you should personally shoot Leos in the face. Just like I sent him to prison three years ago.”

“…I understand.”

Belin hesitated for a moment, then opened Distance and started taking video. A sniping video aimed at Leos. In order to turn public opinion around with this, somehow find him and erase his suspicions.

‘I…I have to live…somehow…’

Belin controlled his own mind, recorded the video, and uploaded it to Interrunner.

Several hours later.

‘Why…why on earth is public opinion like this…why…?’

-Tuuk…

Belin dropped Distance to the ground. She looked at the comment window with devastated eyes.

Starting with one comment, everyone started criticizing her.

[LEO: Belin, member of the Imperial Secret Service. When did you pretend not to know about the Redgate Vortex annihilation plan? It’s disgusting to see you pretending to be just now.]