NOVEL NEXT My Daddy Hides His Power
Chapter 242
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A day of fierce battle. In the Imperial Palace, military conference hall. Commander Cheshire Libre opened the door and entered. All the ability users waiting held their breath as he looked straight ahead, focusing solely on the Emperor seated at the head of the table. “Your servant, Cheshire Libre, has returned.” “Yeah, thank you for your hard work.” Chesire raised his head, which had been bowed, and absentmindedly scanned the conference table. Half of the seats were empty. “Are these all the troops the Corps Commander is sending out?” “Ah, no.” The Emperor, Nicholas, smiled and waved his hand. “The Paladin Commander, as expected, refused the deployment order, but the rest have chosen to join in this glorious endeavor. However, I already dispatched four armies, including the Deputy Commander and the Wizard Commander, last night.” “….” He changed the deployment plan without consultation. But Cheshire wasn’t flustered. He was just surprised. “On the day of the expedition, we might not have all our forces.” It was as Joseph, the strategist, had predicted. “Moving a high-ranking force like the Dos all at once is an enormous burden. The Emperor is in a position where he must consider many variables, so there is a high probability that half of the army will be deployed separately.” “So don’t panic if your troops are dispersed. We will take action in advance.” Cheshire bowed his head again. The Emperor approached with a smile and patted his shoulder encouragingly. “You may leave now.” * * * Duke Rubinstein’s residence. Despite it being the day of a decisive battle, where much blood would be shed, the morning was peaceful. Warm spring sunlight streamed through the window. Enoch Rubinstein turned his eyes to the mirror and looked at himself quietly. Silver armor and blue cloak. It was contradictory that the Imperial Army and the Paladin would stage a rebellion. A man who had wielded his sword hundreds of times as an ability user of the Empire, a soldier, and a servant of Primera. However, today. Finally, his sword would reach the neck of the tyrant, now tainted with corruption. “Are you ready?” Enoch’s head turned. It was his father, Nordic Rubinstein. His father, whose appearance had not faded, also stood there, looking like a knight who had walked the battlefield in the old days. “Yes.” Enoch picked up the sword that was placed on one side of the room. The sword, still bloodless, shone sharply. “Even if it costs you your life, never fail.” Enoch nodded at his father’s voice. “Yes.” The man’s blue eyes, thirsty from long-held desires, shone with a fierce intensity. “I will definitely succeed.” * * * The capital, the Seraph Temple. A terrible war that would bring countless bloodshed and innocent sacrifices was about to begin. ‘God, please.’ The priest, Zadkiel Teroth, prayed a little with wet eyes from worry. ‘Please watch over this land so that it may not be stained with innocent blood.’ * * * The Duke of Libre’s residence. Axion Libre took up his sword in full armor for the first time in a long while since his retirement. “Hey, Uncle! Wait, wait! You’re misunderstanding something!” Suddenly, Axion laughed as he remembered his first meeting with Lilith when she was a child. The past of bringing his comrade Enoch and his daughter Lilith with him lingered in the man’s heart as a deep sense of guilt. In the end, the fight and long wait that had tormented everyone had begun. “Let’s end it.” He was indifferent to life and death. To alleviate the lingering sense of guilt in his heart, he planned to throw himself into everything. * * * The headquarters of the <Red Hawk>, the information guild. Rico, who had gathered the action team to provide support, was barefaced without a mask. “Today is the day.” The days of sharpening his sword to bring down the castle of the tyrant ruler. “When it’s all over, we will be the ones standing on the corpses of demons.” Finally, the end of that long wait, It was time to take the sweet fruit. * * * Mercenary Guild, <Lilith’s Wild Dogs>. At the end of the armed mercenaries lined up on both sides of the road, stood the guild leader, Jemian Traha. “Do not retreat, no matter what happens. We have a duty to ensure that not a single innocent person is slaughtered.” “Yes, brother!” “I will fight with my life!” Jemian smiled with satisfaction, putting on her armor and recalling the face of someone from her long memories. “She’s not even a human being….” “How can a commoner be a human being?” Bruce Chambers. “If it weren’t for our princess, I might have been brainwashed by your damn indoctrinated values.” The enduring grudge that had begun during their days in the training center persisted even as Bruce served in the Empire’s elite army—continuing through countless battles in which Jemian fought as a mercenary. “Let’s see the end today.” Jemian smiled in excitement. * * * The Capital. Armed Imperial soldiers lined up outdoors for the deployment ceremony. “Everyone, line up!” As the Emperor’s aide raised his voice and gave the order, the troops lined up in formation all fell to their knees. Cheshire quietly lifted his head. As he stood before the Emperor, the scenery of the capital was engraved into his eyes one by one. The magnificent imperial palace. The central temple. Even the Wizard Tower in the distance. Unlike the long-standing traditions, the outdoor deployment ceremony held in the heart of the capital was the Emperor’s performance. A performance to package the ugly war of aggression… A performance designed to package it as a great undertaking, a rightful duty of the ability users, and the will of the deity Primera. “My subjects who will accomplish the great cause and bring glory to this empire in the end.” Next to the emperor who was declaring, the high priest bowed his head and held out the sacred object. The Sword of Judgment. The Emperor received the sword from the high priest and bestowed it upon the kneeling Cheshire. Cheshire bowed his head and let out a small sneer. The sacred artifact prepared by the deity, Primera. It was a sword given to take away the power of the absolute being that had been corrupted into something ugly. It was the key to narrow the gap between himself and Enoch, a weapon destined to ultimately strike down his master. “May the protection of Primera be upon my faithful subject who carries the fate of the empire on his back.” Cheshire stood up, accepting the sword. “Bring me victory.” A satisfied smile appeared on the Emperor’s face. “I offer this brilliant victory to the great Primera.” “A brilliant victory!” Following the commander, the mighty shouts of the Imperial troops echoed throughout the capital. Imperial Calendar 1786, May 18. It was the beginning of the war. * * * Wizard Tower, Oscar’s office. I pressed my face against the window and watched the deployment ceremony, taking in everything, including the sight of the Imperial Army departing. ‘My vision turned completely white.’ Cold sweat trickled down. My heart raced so much that it felt like it might burst out of my chest. ‘What should I do…’ It was a day I had been waiting for. When that day finally arrived, anxiety overshadowed my expectations. I wished time would stop. “Haa, whoo.” My vision blurred, so I raised my hand to rub my eyes. Sweat that had formed was now smeared on my skin. “Huh?” At that moment, someone grabbed my waist from behind and lifted me up. “…Master?” It was Oscar. I looked back, bewildered, while still being held by him. “Lilith Rubinstein.” “Yes?” “From now on, I’m going to kidnap you.” “….” “You can’t go anywhere!” “W, wow.” I pretended to be surprised. “Kidnapping? That’s so scary. What should I do? It’s so scary.” Oscar raised one eyebrow as if he was dumbfounded as he watched me speak dryly. “Excuse me, can you at least say that with a scary expression?” “Do I not look scary? I’m really, really scared. What should I do? If I get kidnapped by the genius Lord of the Wizard Tower, there’s no way I could escape. Even my dad won’t be able to save me.” “Haa, what nonsense.” Oscar snickered. I was supposed to be held captive in the Wizard Tower from now on. The Emperor came to Oscar himself and told him to take me hostage. “Hey.” Oscar whispered in a low voice in my tense ear. “Don’t be scared.” “….” “Your father will do well. And so will your boyfriend. You’ve raised him well, after all.” “….” “So don’t worry.” Trying to reassure me, Oscar smiled gently. Only then did my heart, which had been racing madly from anxiety, gradually find its calm. “Yes!” Yeah, now everything is over. The world will be peaceful, and I will be free. I will be able to dream only happy dreams without worry. “Master, Master. You promised me, right? After the business is done, we’ll go look for a house together!” “That damn house talk.” “Hehe.” After laughing for a while, I grabbed Oscar’s arms, which were tightly wrapped around my waist, and asked. “But Master, aren’t you tired? Holding me in such an uncomfortable position… like this, lifting me up?” “Mhm. Not tired at all? You know my muscles, right?” Ah. As Oscar spoke, sweat was dripping down his forehead. “But.” He quickly put me down as if he had brought up the subject. “You’ve been eating well, and now you’ve become surprisingly heavy. You need to lose some weight!” “What are you talking about? That’s not true! Why are you blaming my weight when you’re the weak one, Master?” “What are you saying? Me? Can’t you hear the roar of my bulging muscles that this flimsy piece of cloth can’t contain?” “I can’t hear a single thing, though?” Oscar frowned and glared at me, then turned around and teased me in a mean voice. “Mhm, no~ You’re a pig~” I followed him closely, refusing to back down, and shot back at him. “No~ Master is weak~” “Mhm, no~” “Mhm, neither am I~” “Shut up, you brat!” “Ack!” * * * Emperor, Nicholas’s room. The Emperor stood leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window. The Imperial Army, who had finished their departure ceremony, left and the capital was quiet. A ridiculously warm spring day. A peaceful land. My country… As he awaited the joyful news of the continent’s unification, the Emperor had only one final task left to complete. “The weather is really nice.” My castle that I would build firmly. ‘Today, I will finally be able to cut this tenacious string, Enoch.’ The last task was to eliminate the being that threatened him. “Without delay, and start burning the worms that are crawling in my castle.” And then, the order was given. Imperial Calendar 1786, May 18. It was the beginning of the massacre of commoners in the capital.
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