episode_0319

“Why is that? If we can’t question Grand Duchess Marianne and Professor Charlotte, then Great Swordsman Eugene shouldn’t be either, right?”

The new Emperor Vivian, who attended the Sacred Empire Council, stood on the Emperor’s platform and raised her voice as if she could not understand.

As she had declared before the Empire’s people, Vivian intended to place Eugene Schneider under the Imperial Family, granting him a position to confront the Demon King’s army.

After that decision, she informed the Sacred Empire of her decision.

This is because the support of the Sacred Empire is needed because it is a matter related to monsters and the Demon King’s army, not a general dispute.

Whether or not she receives support from the Sacred Empire will also greatly affect uniting a large number of the Empire’s people who follow the Sacred Empire.

Since the Sacred Empire had already decided to implicitly side with Marianne and Charlotte of the Antoine family, which had become a family of traitors,

Vivian thought that Eugene Schneider would pass smoothly through the Council.

However, what came back was the Sacred Empire Council’s request for avoidance.

“That’s right, Your Majesty. Our Sacred Empire side had to protect former Bishop Marianne and current Chief Bishop Charlotte, so we accepted Your Majesty’s opinion. But recently, we have been hearing unusual stories.”

The Chairman of the Council answered Vivian’s unacceptable reaction in a low voice.

“Unusual stories!?”

Vivian, who was extremely nervous, retorted as if telling him to tell her quickly.

“The story that Great Swordsman Eugene’s biological father is Sword Demon Ulysses Schneider.”

The content of the unusual story brought up by the Chairman of the Sacred Empire Council was truly shocking.

That which the Oublian family had tried so hard to hide,

It was Eugene Schneider’s birth secret.

“!!!!?????”

The reason why Vivian showed such a sharp appearance as just now is because she did not expect the Sacred Empire side to say something like this.

In other words, she thought that there was no reason to object, but they were nitpicking as if they were acting stubborn.

When the name of Eugene Schneider’s biological father, Ulysses Schneider, was mentioned, she paused and became speechless.

“So Your Majesty was also aware of that fact?”

It was a look that was clearly hit right on the mark.

Therefore, the Chairman of the Council asked Emperor Vivian as if to confirm.

“……”

Then, Vivian is silent for a moment.

“Yes. I was aware.”

This is because if she admits here that she did not know, Eugene Schneider will be extremely disadvantaged.

“But how did the Sacred Empire find out about that fact?”

Vivian nodded slowly and then looked back at the Chairman of the Council and raised a question.

“That is an internal matter of our Sacred Empire. We have no obligation to tell Your Majesty about the internal situation.”

However, the Chairman of the Council defended himself by using the authority of the Goddess of Light, which was not so inferior even when compared to the Emperor’s authority.

Of course, in peacetime, the Emperor could have engaged in a tug-of-war to his advantage through more options.

However, because it is not just a war, but a problem in which the help of the Sacred Empire is extremely required, the positions of both sides’ statements can be said to be at almost the same level.

‘Was this Antoine’s confidence?’

However, even if the Sacred Empire side did not talk separately, Emperor Vivian could figure out where the story about Eugene’s background had seeped in through their attitude.

Antoine Ingo, who has maintained the position of the Empire’s de facto highest authority for over 10 years,

He also has considerable friendly forces within the Sacred Empire.

Eugene’s information was spread to the Council by them,

Of course, Antoine was labeled as a traitor, so it became hush-hush, but there was no problem at all in him playing the role of a windcatcher.

“Yes, I fully acknowledge that the Goddess of Light must label the corrupted Sword Saint Ulysses as an adulterer.”

Having finished grasping the situation, Vivian immediately began to clean up.

The Goddess of Light and Ulysses did not have a good relationship even before Ulysses became a Sword Demon, that is, during his Sword Saint days.

This is because Ulysses’ philosophy and actions had a strong flavor of a different culture.

Of course, they tried to make a certain compromise by carrying out projects such as the Paramis Sky Garden and Enclema Demon God’s Eclipse Zone together, but from a fundamental perspective, the Sacred Empire continuously looked at Ulysses with displeasure.

Since he became a Sword Demon, how determined would the Sacred Empire be to brand him as an adulterer?

“However, at the time, Great Swordsman Eugene was only about 10 years old. It is not right to judge him by imposing guilt by association. Doesn’t the teachings of the Goddess of Light Council say that guilt by association should not be applied to minors under the age of 15!”

Vivian had a basis for defending Eugene Schneider in her own way.

Anyway, as a young lady from a great aristocratic family, she had studied the teachings and scriptures of the Goddess of Light Council a lot since she was young with her brilliant mind.

During ancient times on the continent, enormous heresy trials were rampant, and in order to alleviate the aftermath, the teachings of the Goddess of Light created a certain buffer in the implementation of guilt by association.

Emperor Vivian took it out and tried to protect Eugene.

“Our Sacred Empire is not trying to impose such guilt by association on Great Swordsman Eugene. It is because it is considered that a very real threat and a situation that tarnishes the honor of the Sacred Empire may be created.”

However, the Chairman of the Council did not show any signs of bending their will.

“It is unimaginable to imagine that an Empire’s hero, who has been approved by the Sacred Empire that serves the main god, suddenly turns into a Sword Demon and runs wild. No matter how much guilt by association cannot be applied, isn’t it the case that the truth has not been revealed as to why Ulysses Schneider became such a ferocious Sword Demon?”

And what they put forward as a justification for such an unbending attitude was that the possibility that Eugene Schneider might also turn into a Sword Demon could not be ignored.

There were groups who wanted a proper investigation into the truth after Ulysses Schneider’s death,

One of them was the Sacred Empire of the Goddess of Light Council.

It was to properly preserve Ulysses Schneider as an adulterer.

However, at the time, Antoine covered it up by pressing down with his enormous power.

At that time, the Sacred Empire did not like Antoine’s actions, but 10 years later, they are using it as a basis for protecting their own safety.

“There is nothing to worry about! This Emperor Vivian will guarantee it! As the Emperor of the Empire, how would I try to put Great Swordsman Eugene at the forefront without considering such a thing!”

It was clear that it was a category that could be tenaciously clung to if one wanted to drag things out.

Because it was such an effective justification, Vivian requested that they trust her, staking the Emperor’s name.

“Also, the information being conveyed here is not everything, Your Majesty. Of course, this is only a matter of raising suspicions, but…”

The Chairman of the Council seemed to have one more thing to tell Vivian.

“What else is it?”

Then Vivian carefully induces the other person’s answer,

“There is suspicion that Great Swordsman Eugene may be of mixed Demon race descent.”

What the Chairman of the Council told her was something that would have a considerable impact.

“That is absurd! Great Swordsman Eugene is of mixed Demon race descent! Even though it is the Sacred Empire that has no choice but to be careful, please maintain the minimum level of courtesy! That is an insult to this Emperor who has given Great Swordsman Eugene an important position!”

Mixed Demon race descent, because the perception of Demon races and monsters is extremely bad at the moment, it was more difficult for Emperor Vivian to shield than the keyword of traitor.

Therefore, she used the fact that it was difficult to confirm even if suspicion was raised and pushed for an absurd operation.

“Calm down, Your Majesty… Our Council is not saying these things to insult Your Majesty, but…!”

“That’s enough! If the Goddess of Light takes such a position, we will proceed with the work independently of the Imperial Family!”

Due to the young Emperor’s fiery momentum, the elders of the Council could not advance the story about Eugene’s mixed Demon race descent any further and began to clean up.

“Grand Duke Antoine was confident. Since they are friendly forces to the Sacred Empire side, it will be difficult for the Imperial Family to draw a sword.”

Vivian finished the meeting with the Council and began a countermeasures meeting with Eugene Schneider’s party.

Eugene, who heard the situation of the Council from Vivian, nodded calmly and sympathized with the difficult current situation.

“I’m sorry, Sir Eugene… I wanted to make Sir Eugene a hero supported by both the Imperial Family and the Sacred Empire…”

Emperor Vivian, who told Eugene Schneider everything, was sullen.

This is because Eugene will become a half-baked hero in the current state.

She really wanted to put her beloved man on an airplane, but she failed.

“What are you talking about! I, Eugene Schneider, am extremely moved by how relentlessly you have opposed them for me, Your Majesty!”

Eugene Schneider, with a playful expression, embraced the Emperor at the love-filled love of his lord.

“If this happens, it will eventually become difficult to draw active help from the Sacred Empire… No matter how hard we try to keep the corrupted Warrior and the Sacred Empire away from each other… That will make Sir Eugene’s shoulders heavier…”

However, Vivian could not fully enjoy that comfort.

The Goddess of Light Council is also aware of the problematic nature of Warrior Antoine. However, the Sacred Empire, which is an extremely political group, had the potential to compromise with Antoine even while disregarding that negativity.

Antoine was also aiming for that and made a public Warrior coming-out,

Vivian tried to block that possibility by putting Eugene Schneider forward.

As a result, she managed to prevent the Sacred Empire from actively harboring other intentions, but she failed to make them cooperative with the Empire.

“The situation of the Sacred Empire, this mother’s heart is also heavy, Eugene…”

Marianne, who was leaving the conference room with Eugene after finishing the meeting with the Emperor, sighed quietly.

“If I had become a Saintess, I could have stood above the Council and fully supported you…”

The existence that has absolute authority in the Goddess of Light Council enough to neutralize the Council’s consensus system is the Saintess.

The structure is that if the Saintess decides and declares that path, the Sacred Empire officially follows it unconditionally.

Marianne has never regretted giving up the path of the Saintess, but she regrets it now that her son is blocked by the authority of the Council.

“Haha! If my mother had become a Saintess, it would have been difficult for me to have the same relationship with her as now. The current relationship with my mother is so precious to me.”

“It is comforting to hear you say that, but…”

“I mean it. So don’t have such regrets.”

Rubbing…! Rubbing…! Rubbing…!

What could be more heartbreaking than a parent’s feeling of not being able to help their child?

Eugene Schneider, who felt Marianne’s heart breaking, massaged her shoulders and reminded her that he was just happy and cherished the two people’s mother-son relationship.

But at that moment,

“Great Swordsman Eugene! A guest has come to visit the Great Swordsman!”

David, who is in charge of the guard unit, rushed to Eugene Schneider and informed him that a guest had come.