Heavenly Castle

Chapter 76 – Taiki’s judgement

【Taiki】

「Looks like he is in trouble… That Aifa-san.」

Just when I thought that Aifa and others finally showed up on the screen, isn’t he about to die?

First, they rampage inside the castle, then Aifa gets caught, then Ditzen and Yuri are fighting alongside some strangers, being far away from the scene I can’t make sense of this mess.

「Is this going to be okay?」

When I, suppressing my disturbance, commented on the view displayed on the screen, Ayla, who until now was fidgeting by my side while nervously stealing glances at me, opened her mouth unable to endure it further.

「E-Err……! I was relieved that Taiki-sama sent additional golems, but why did you have to send General Violette with them…」

「Ah, Violette-san? Well, she said she will persuade the Emperor, so just in case. Though there is not much hope with how things are at the moment.」

When I replied, Ayla raised her eyebrows and looked at me with upturned eyes. She is acting very cutely.

「But… If the proposition from General Violette turns out to be a lie, it would increase the number of the emperor’s followers…」

「Ah, that’s fine. I sent reinforcements in case Violette-san turns against us.」

「Reinforcements…?」

Taking a look at Ayla who tilted her head to the side, I operate the image on the right screen. The image changed from the outskirts of the castle to the sky with countless black shadows floating in it.

It’s an image of a hundred flying robots. The image is from a farsight camera that is following behind the last robot was projected on the screen. Violette was riding on the back of a robot in the first row of that group.

「T-This is…」

Just in case I respond to Ayla who turned speechless after muttering that.

「I think we will somehow manage even if Violette turns hostile.」

「I think so as well.」

Ayla responded in an astonished tone.

【Mea】

I was extremely pissed.

I was trembling from anger seeing the Emperor of Blau Empire for the first time.

I heard that the Emperor captured the elves and took them out of the forest. That alone felt absolutely unforgivable for me, but now he also made other countries target the elves.

As a guardian entrusted with the mission of protecting the shrine, I secretly felt a sense of kinship with elves when I heard that they are living in the forest protecting the spirit tree.

If there was a young elf of a close age I would like to become friends. Such were my thoughts.

Therefore, I can say that the words spoken by the Emperor were the most infuriating thing for me. On top of that, he even claimed that he will continue his aggression.

It’s something that Baltic and Torraine were saying, but for war you need soldiers. Then, people from poor towns and villages will be taken as soldiers, and sometimes slave hunting is performed.

And the people from a defeated country are often killed or become slaves.

For us, who almost became slaves despite living in its territory, the Empire clearly was the enemy.

And the boss of those enemies is now saying that he will continue waging war. For me, there is no bigger villain.

「…Since you are Taiki-sama’s golem, you can do it?」

When I whispered so, Schnee, who stood next to me, groaned in a low voice and shook her head.

「…You mustn’t. The orders from Taiki-sama were only to save the elf. Since Aifa’s life is at stake, you can’t do anything reckless.」

「But…」

I held back from saying – at this rate.

Because Schnee knew that as well, furrowing her eyebrows, creating a distinct wrinkle between them, she was carefully observing the surroundings.

Since the golems went on a thorough rampage, the soldiers and magicians were wary and didn’t dare to make a move. But if they knew that we can’t fight back, we’ll get caught right away.

Whatever you think, we can’t allow that.

However, as long as Aifa is caught, we cannot act.

As I thought that, in a peripheral vision I saw that the elf person called Fiatora started to act.

Her voice was quiet, but it surely was a magical incantation.

「Wha, Fiatora-dono?!」

Ditzen’s confused voice resounded, but Fiatora, being in the middle of chant, did not reply.

The soldiers, who held Aifa, put on guard, and magicians in the rear began chanting right away.

「Aifa will die!」

Schnee reflexively shouted. Then, a man wearing a luxurious armor who was behind Fiatora opened his mouth.

「…I’m sorry for Aifa, but we have no other choice. For the sake of the elves, neighboring countries, and the Empire… Emperor Konigs Blau must get off stage here. Aifa, in the end, you were swayed around by our country and lost your life to it.」

「Don’t mind it. If my death can save my family, there is no problem.」

The man spoke with Aifa and reached understanding, but for us, this won’t fly.

I’m all for the Empire to change, but the part about Aifa dying is no good.

「Aifa’s death is a problem for us!」

Schnee objects, to which I show my approval.

Then, Yuri-sama gave us a troubled smile.

「Ah, it might’ve been better not to say that…」

At the same time as she said that, the soldiers that held swords at Aifa’s neck shouted.

「Only that elf and Schwarz can act!」

「You bastards don’t move an inch! His head will roll!」

That was the signal, and soldiers rushed to Fiatora. She also attacked with magic, but two of enemy magicians acted together to successfully counterspell her.

As the situation instantly took a turn for the worse, Ditzen and Yuri-sama turned to us.

「Looks like we are in trouble. Did you get any additional instructions?」

Even in such a situation, Yuri talked in a soft and relaxed tone. In contrast to her, Ditzen, covered in a cold sweat, pointed to the battlefield and asked.

「It’s impossible already! With Taiki-sama’s golems we might manage somehow, so let’s go all in and fight!」

Schnee frowned upon hearing Ditzen’s words.

「And what would you do if I said you mustn’t?」

「No, but at this rate, we obviously will be annihilated …」

While the two were arguing, the Emperor, sitting farther inside the room, looked at us with a happy face.

「You there. Did you say Taiki’s golem now? It is the same name as the king of the heavenly country that formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Azul. Surely you wouldn’t claim that is a coincidence?」

With those words the emperor stood up. Looking closely, one of his legs looked like a stick, but he stood like he was pretty used to it.

「Golems from the flying island… They say that in the previous battle our golems didn’t have a chance against them, now I see how.」

As he said that, the emperor’s smile grew even wider.

「Those golems, I want them. But even if I take them, it will take time to research means of controlling them… So the spirit tree comes first after all.」

The emperor mumbled something to himself, and then, the moment he raised his head and was about to speak, a shattering impact shook the hall.

The windows were destroyed one after another, the walls creaked and fragments of stones and wood rained down.

「Seize Schwartz and elf! Hurry up!」

Before it was clear what is going on, the Emperor shouted something and then the yells of the soldiers resounded.

As Schwartz and Fiatora paused in their movements among that confusion, they were quickly suppressed and had swords pointed at their faces.

「…What do we do.」

Should I stay still, should I save Aifa and Fiatora, or maybe I should go for the Emperor?

I made an effort to prevent the words 「too late」from surfacing in my head. And as I was going through my confused mind, trying to come up with a measure that I can use in this situation, a voice, that I already heard somewhere, resounded through the room.

「Oh my, oh my… Aren’t you quite occupied? Oh, and that is with many gentlemen from Royal Court Magicians division assembled together, what a sorry display…」

A voice came from one of the destroyed windows, along with Taiki-sama’s golem.

The one who appeared there was Violette, the Empire’s general, who was supposed to be up in the sky.

With a bold smile, Violette slowly surveyed the room.

Author: If you use a robot, reaching the Empire’s capital from the Heavenly Castle will take only ten minutes. We promise a comfortable air travel