Chapter 15: The Elder Council - (1)

The gargoyle that had stood guard for centuries suddenly fell.

And standing in its place—was the woman destined to become the Empire’s next Empress.

An event so improbable it was almost absurd.

Naturally, chaos broke out.

The Grand Assembly Hall was temporarily shut down, and the Royal Guard scoured every inch of the building to protect the key figures present.

Attendants whispered amongst themselves, calling it an ominous sign—or even a curse from the Cult.

After all, it was too perfect to be dismissed as mere coincidence.

“The Elder Council has been postponed.”

Two hours after the commotion, the steward finally spoke, his expression grim.

His hands were clasped behind his back, but his trembling triple chin betrayed his unease with every word he uttered.

“Of course, the session hasn’t been entirely canceled. We plan to reconvene tomorrow morning.”

“That’s understandable.”

Too many resources had already been spent to halt the Elder Council now.

This assembly, convened after decades, was to determine the next emperor—cancellation was not an option.

“For now, according to Lautrec, there were no signs of intrusion from outside. Rowan is currently analyzing the fallen statue. We’ll soon know whether this was a coincidence… or a calculated inevitability.”

It was the testimony of a knight with overwhelming spirit-based tracking ability and a mage who personally constructed the Grand Assembly Hall’s protective barrier. It had to be the truth.

Most importantly, Act I involved no outside enemies—no cults, no foreign agents.

Only internal strife and palace conspiracies.

That was the true main plotline.

“How is Her Highness doing?”

“I don’t know. No one’s been allowed inside.”

The steward gestured with his chin toward a room behind him.

It was being guarded like a fortress.

The chamber prepared inside the Assembly Hall for Lincia. Reinforced with layers of magical defense and physical alarms, it was virtually impregnable—even for the most elite assassins.

…At least, that’s what Rowan had said. So it should be fine.

“She must be deeply shaken.”

“As expected.”

She had narrowly escaped death. Had I not intervened in time, she’d have been flattened like a dried fish.

For someone like Lincia, still so inexperienced, it must’ve been a massive shock.

Honestly, if I didn’t have prior knowledge from the game, I probably would’ve panicked too.

I had to check on her. Make sure she wasn’t too stressed.

I slowly approached the door and knocked.

No response.

I knocked again and spoke.

“It’s Freud.”

There was a moment of silence.

“……Come in.”

Then a quiet voice slipped through the crack in the door.

I turned the unlocked knob and stepped into the room.

Inside were Lincia and Melina. Lincia was staring blankly at a spot on the ceiling, clearly spaced out, while Melina fidgeted anxiously by her side.

“Your Highness.”

“……Sir Freud.”

Our eyes met. A spark of life flickered in her previously unfocused gaze.

“It seems someone out there wants me dead.”

She tried to sound detached, but her voice clearly trembled with fear.

Someone was trying to kill her.

Of course, Lincia had likely considered the possibility. But knowing something and facing it in reality were two entirely different things.

“N-no! This was just a coincidence! That’s all!”

“Right. A coincidence… carefully orchestrated to look like an accident.”

“Your Highness!”

Melina desperately tried to calm her, but it was no use.

She glanced at me and whispered urgently,

“Say something—anything! Reassure her!”

I shrugged, then knelt on one knee before Lincia, aligning my gaze with hers as she sat.

I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to be cruel.

“……Someone is targeting Your Highness’s life.”

“What are you saying?!”

Melina cried out in protest.

But Lincia slowly turned her eyes away, her voice flat and dry.

“That much is clear.”

“This won’t be the last attempt.”

“I’m sure.”

“But there’s no need to worry.”

I placed a hand on my chest.

“I will protect you. No matter what.”

The knowledge I gained from playing the game—if I used it well, I could shield Lincia from harm.

I wasn’t just any player.

I was the supreme pervert who had collected every single bad ending in Raising the Empress.

Maybe she felt my resolve.

Lincia slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her usual gleam had returned.

“More than a hundred comforting words from others… Sir Freud, your one sentence is what finally makes me feel safe.”

She smiled softly.

“I wonder why. You feel like someone with great power.”

“That’s too much praise, Your Highness.”

Truly, it was.

I let out a breath of relief as I checked her status.

Her stress hadn’t risen.

Maybe it was because I raised her Willpower stat. Or maybe I helped, or maybe… she was just always this composed.

Looks like I wasn’t the only one who grew stronger after the tragedy of Founding Day.

That was good. Normally, this part of the game was where her stress level spiked.

I gave Lincia a respectful bow and left the room.

I’d barely walked a few steps past the door when I heard a sharp voice behind me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

I turned around to find Melina, glaring fiercely with her brows furrowed deep.

“Her Highness is fragile right now. You should be comforting her—not piling on more fear!”

“I couldn’t lie to her.”

What was the point of offering false hope, when the truth would come crashing down anyway?

More importantly, Lincia already knew the reality of her situation.

But Melina wasn’t satisfied. She stomped her foot in frustration.

“So what is your real goal, huh?”

“Goal?”

“Are you trying to win Her Highness’s favor? Playing the role of the perfect knight?”

Her voice was deadly serious.

She wasn’t just lashing out in anger—she truly meant it.

I didn’t respond right away, and Melina must’ve thought she had me cornered. She pressed on.

“I’ve heard plenty about you. Freud Escoval, the Mad Dog! You’re after her body, or money, or glory—right?”

“……”

“Don’t think I can’t see through you. Do you know how many lowlifes like you approach my mistress every year? Our family has served House Airen for over a century. I myself have served the imperial family for over thirty years. I’ve seen your kind more times than I can count.”

“No, I—”

“You’re all the same.”

Crack.

It sounded like someone was grinding their teeth.

“I know exactly what your intentions are. But for now, since Her Highness trusts you—and you did save her life—I’m letting it go.”

“……”

“She’s already under immense emotional pressure. So please, don’t say anything that might make it worse.”

Her final words were half a plea.

“I’ve served Lady Lincia since she was a newborn. That’s why I know her better than anyone. She’s still just a girl. She never even got to enjoy the privileges most people my age grew up with.”

Melina sank to the floor.

“Why does the world insist on placing its fate on someone like her? That burden belongs to someone stronger. If I’m being honest… right now, I just want to take Her Highness and run away—past the borders, far from all of this.”

Watching her made my chest feel tight.

It was hard to meet her gaze.

Every word she spat was filled with unfiltered sincerity.

“You’re mistaken.”

“Liar!”

Which made it even harder to understand.

Why, then, was she one of the main culprits in the bad ending?

Why did she end up poisoning the Empress’s tea?

“I should go.”

I stood up abruptly.

Any more conversation, and I felt like I’d lose all sense of truth.

Besides, nothing I said would’ve convinced her.

She called after me, but I ignored it and kept walking.

****

As I wandered the hallways of the Grand Assembly Hall, my thoughts swirled.

“This doesn’t make sense.”

Even after playing Raising the Empress hundreds of times, I never noticed anything off.

But now that I was actually inside this world, I couldn’t ignore the discrepancies anymore.

The people I’d met—main characters of the game—were nothing like their in-game counterparts.

The composed knight Freud was a belligerent brute.

The scheming villainess Melina was a fiercely loyal handmaiden.

And Lincia… she wasn’t just some naive child.

Every little difference was throwing me off.

“Ugh, this is driving me insane.”

I groaned and clutched my head.

I was supposed to use my game knowledge to survive—but instead, I was getting buried in it.

At this point, I couldn’t even brag about being reincarnated into a game.

Not that it’s something worth bragging about anyway.

After a long moment, I noticed Rowan and Millia approaching from down the corridor.

Their faces were grim.

Rowan was the first to speak. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small case.

“We found this embedded in the broken part of the statue.”

A gem, darkened and stone-like.

I instantly recognized it. It looked exactly like one of the item icons from Raising the Empress.

“A Spellstone.”

“Exactly. Someone used this to rapidly corrode the statue. It activates when exposed to strong light—specifically, when the door opens. It was meant to fall at that exact moment.”

With a serious expression, Rowan held the Spellstone under a nearby candelabrum.

Wuuuuuum.

The stone glowed a sinister red.

Millia frowned at the eerie glow.

“Is there any way to trace who used it?”

She asked, and I shook my head.

It’s a magical item designed for sabotage—shouldn’t it at least leave a trail?

Rowan lowered his head in shame.

“We tried… but failed. It’s protected by a powerful anti-tracking spell.”

Useless.

All those fancy security measures? If this was an inside job, they were worthless. And we couldn’t even trace the culprit?

No wonder Rowan doesn’t show up after Act 1.

“The caster must be an exceptionally skilled mage. Likely more powerful than me. And I’m sure… they’re still inside this hall.”

That did narrow it down.

There weren’t many high-level mages in the Elder Council.

In fact, only one person fit the bill.

Edwin Faylid.

Chairman of the Elder Council.

An Elder Elf who’s helped uphold the Empire for over two centuries.

And the boss of Act 1.

No doubt he was the one who brought down that statue. The Spellstone confirmed it.

But knowing who the villain was didn’t mean I could just storm in and arrest him.

Accuse the Elder Council’s Chairman without hard evidence? I’d be jailed for treason.

And I didn’t stand a chance against Edwin’s power—or that of his followers.

No, I had to play the long game.

His first assassination attempt had failed. From here on, he’d likely prolong the Council sessions and try again.

My job was to protect Lincia, wait for Edwin to slip up, and expose his plot to the world.

That was the proper route.

Even in the game, the story unfolded this way.

No need to act rashly.

I looked over at Rowan.

He wasn’t the most reliable ally, but in terms of magical skill, I had no better option right now.

“Rowan. The culprit probably planted more of these Spellstones around the hall. Can you find them?”

“Hmm…”

He hesitated, but didn’t say no.

It would be difficult—but doable.

“Millia.”

I turned to her.

The moment I looked her way, she stood up straight like a cadet awaiting orders.

Kind of looked like I was some old-school boot-camp sergeant.

Oh well.

I walked up to Millia and gently took her arm.

“Care to join me for a stroll? Let’s get some fresh air.”

“Wh-what?!”

Millia yelped, eyes wide as saucers.

What? What’s with that reaction?

She darted her gaze around nervously, then lowered her head and glanced up at me with a strangely bashful expression.

“U-um… why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’?”

We’re going to look for evidence, obviously.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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