Chapter 72
Meanwhile in the Imperial Palace of Alucina.
In the Emperor’s secret audience chamber — where lanterns remained lit even during the day due to the lack of sunlight — two men bowed their heads in silence.
“The current Otherworlder seems to be targeting the Tower Lord.”
“Is that true? What is Edin doing?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has been staying close to the Otherworlder each day, but… it’s been confirmed that the Otherworlder is going around asking about the Tower Lord’s whereabouts.”
“Pathetic fool. Can’t even manage that properly… Wasn’t it the same last year?!”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Bang—
The Emperor rose from the throne with a loud slam. Edin had to be chosen for the final offering. Only then would additional life force flow into him. That was the nature of the contract made that night.
On a night when a strange stillness clung to the air, the Emperor suddenly woke from his sleep. Alone, he stepped out onto the balcony.
The empire stretched out before him — the same familiar view he had seen his whole life. Yet, a subtle sense of wrongness crept over him.
‘Has the empire always looked like this…?’
A strange thought struck him.
The scenery of the Empire had always remained unchanged. There were seasonal shifts, yes, but beyond that, everything was always as it had been. The moon’s place in the sky at night, the shapes of the clouds… they never changed.
And yet, tonight, the moon was red.
‘The moon…? Has it ever been red before?’
It was only then that the Emperor realized that this was the first time in his life he had seen a red moon.
And in that moment, the landscape before him rippled. From the crimson moon, a single line extended straight downward, carving through the sky like a blade.
A split opened along that line.
And from the rift, something shadow-like oozed forth.
‘A person…? No. That can’t be a person.’
The Emperor felt a chill of terror down his spine.
It was a presence — something wearing bizarre garments, exuding quiet authority. With a calm, unnervingly composed voice, it spoke:
‘There’s no need to be alarmed. I am not your enemy. If you accept my proposal, I can promise you eternal life. What do you say?’
The figure never properly introduced itself. Yet the Emperor knew instinctively that this was a being from another world. And it had a power he himself could never obtain.
‘What are you…!’
‘It is not a difficult task. If you accept my proposal, then every year — at the same time — a girl from another world will appear here, in the Alucina Empire.’
‘A girl… from another world?’
‘Yes. All you must do is entertain her. Win her heart, that’s all.’
The Emperor sat dumbstruck. The sorcerer continued, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather:
‘In exchange for gaining her heart, you will be granted a portion of her lifespan.’
It sounded like a dream—something out of a fairy tale. And yet…
‘For this to work, we will need the cooperation of several individuals: the Tower Lord, the Commander of the Knights, the High Priest… and of course, the Crown Prince. Ah, but not the firstborn. The second prince would be more suitable. He matches the image I have in mind.’
The sorcerer knew everything, even the private details of the imperial princes. The Emperor felt a deep, creeping fear.
‘You want me to include my own sons in this contract? Besides, the Crown Prince has already been chosen. How could I simply…’
‘You can disinherit the current one and raise your second son in his place. That will suffice.’
‘How dare you…!’
The emperor shouted, feeling humiliated. But the sorcerer from another world showed no reaction.
‘If your son is chosen in the end, Your Majesty will receive additional life force. However, if you prefer to exclude him, that is fine. I have other candidates in mind. Is there a northern duke with black hair?’
‘Ah, no. I will include him. But..’
The problem was not with his son, but with the Tower Lord. How could he involve that proud man in this game?
‘The Tower Lord… It might be difficult.’
‘That won’t do. The Tower Lord is essential to this contract.’
‘…But he is not someone who would willingly follow my orders.’
‘In that case, grant him whatever he desires to make him participate. If that is impossible, this contract is void.’
‘Then I will find a way to make him participate.’
Thus, the emperor secretly drafted a contract with the sorcerer from another world. In order to draw the Tower Lord into the deal, he even recognized the autonomy of the Mage Tower. However, that arrogant Tower Lord firmly declared that while he would take responsibility for managing the gate, he would not actively engage in this game.
… But that was fine. As long as Edin was chosen in the end, the emperor would achieve his goal. Yet, why did it seem that the sorcerer from another world kept favoring that man?
The more this happened, the more his anger toward his son and the Tower Lord grew. The desire for eternal life only fueled it further.
“Is there no way?”
“After reviewing the contract, we believe there might be one method.”
“What is it?!”
“Send theTower Lord away during this period.”
“What…?! How could that be possible?”
“There is no clause in the contract stating that the participants must remain in Alucina. If we send him far away, the otherworlders will naturally lose interest in the Tower Lord since he will be out of sight.”
“…But will he accept that?”
The two men exchanged glances at the emperor’s words. They looked confident.
“As Your Majesty knows, Sherfied seems cold-blooded, but he is unyielding when it comes to saving the weak. We can use that to our advantage.”
“…I see… Do you have something in mind?”
“It’s already been prepared. Just give the command.”
“Implement it immediately.”
“We shall obey.”
The two men bowed their heads. The emperor smiled with satisfaction. If that arrogant Tower Lord was out of the picture, Edin would have a chance.
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