Chapter 297: Chapter 296: Levantin Empire (5)

Sometimes, silence conveys more meaning.

This is because a person’s thoughts are not a single, consistent thing.

Many thoughts simply swirl around in one’s head, often making no sense or being hard to articulate.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

However, the moment you refine these thoughts into language, the story changes.

Everything except what’s spoken is forcibly trimmed away, converging into a single uttered point.

Thus, language is sharp, like a sword that cuts away everything other than itself.

In contrast, what about silence? Nonverbal expression… that is, the mass of unrefined thoughts, is extremely blunt.

Yet, it is heavy.

If ignored, it holds no meaning, but once paid attention to, the multitude of implied meanings weighs heavily on its surroundings.

Yes, just like Havel right now.

Carla’s bold declaration that she was happiest beside me, having become someone who could no longer live without me.

With such an unapologetically assertive statement, Havel looked in my direction with a stiff motion.

He said nothing, only looked, but the emotions in his gaze came through clearly.

Shock, disbelief, anger, lamentation, gratitude, and finally, self-loathing.

As a presence that was already vividly clear, the intensity of his emotions felt equally vivid, like a roller coaster.

This is probably why people don’t regard silence as mere calmness. Just because nothing is heard doesn’t mean nothing is felt.

Though Havel was only looking this way, saying so much without words… he was a Swordmaster.

And if nothing else, as someone exceptionally skilled with the blade, it wasn’t long before he cut through the swirling thoughts, shaping them into a single phrase.

“…I see.”

A nod.

Among countless choices, that was Havel’s conclusion.

“In the end, it would be foolish for someone like me, who did nothing, to now say anything.”

His voice carried a deep regret. Honestly, part of me thought, ‘What gives you the right to be all sad and whiny?’

But in this case, it’s less about Havel and more about the need to be wary of Fiona’s ability, which even a Swordmaster couldn’t easily counter.

With nothing but her wits and eloquence, she managed to infiltrate the heart of the empire and manipulate events from behind the scenes, despite having no divine power except for her blessing related to disguise.

After all, she destroyed entire families, even those with a vigilant Archmage watching over them; keeping a Swordmaster occupied momentarily wasn’t difficult for her.

Havel was strong, but more than that, he was deeply entangled in the empire.

The situation was convoluted in many ways, but Carla, as if indifferent to all of this, kept a bright smile as she spoke.

“So… does that mean you’re willing to help us, Sir Havel?”

“Is there something you want from me?”

“Yes! Soon, our master will have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, won’t he?”

“I suppose. After all, my original orders were to guide the Saintess’s party before His Majesty.”

Havel’s eyebrow twitched at the word “Master,” but he nodded quietly.

Facing Havel, Carla asked in a serious tone.

“Just once.”

“Hm?”

“Even just once is enough, but please support our Master in front of His Majesty. That’s all we need.”

As Havel struggled to nod, Carla met his gaze directly and continued.

“I’m asking you, please.”

“Understood.”

At the mere mention of “asking,” Havel promptly agreed.

It wasn’t hard to guess what he thought of when Carla mentioned her request. Perhaps this time, he thought…

After agreeing so quickly, he looked a bit sheepish as he turned to Helena.

“My apologies. Due to my personal matters, I may have been rude to you, Saintess.”

“It’s all right. No matter Carla’s background, she is someone who will someday become part of the family surrounding Brother Yandel. What concerns my sister concerns me as well.”

“You say… family?”

With a puzzled expression, Havel looked back and forth between Carla, Helena, and me, then seemed to understand, his mouth hanging slightly open.

And Carla, oblivious to whether Havel was shocked or not, focused on something she deemed far more important as she rubbed her forehead against my shoulder.

“Master! I did well, didn’t I? I did well, right? Give me a reward! A reward!”

“Uh, yes…”

To gently distance the ever-pressing Carla, I stroked her platinum-blonde crown softly.

“Ehehe.”

Carla savored my touch with a blissful expression.

Havel’s expression grew even more complex at this sight… but it seemed like I was the only one who noticed or cared about it.

Although some incidents occurred along the way, we eventually arrived safely at the Imperial Palace.

The palace looked far too foreboding for a place that housed the Emperor, who ruled over half the Eurelia Continent.

High walls loomed, with magic cannons embedded between them. Inactive for now, thirty-meter-tall golems were stationed at regular intervals, with layers upon layers of magic protecting everything.

At best, it was a fortress; at worst, it was no different from a demon king’s castle.

Such was the Imperial Palace before us.

I’d heard that during the War of the Gods, it was treated as a primary stronghold and modified repeatedly into a war fortress.

The outer walls we passed through were newly erected to accommodate the growing number of residents after the war ended.

Seeing it up close, it’s truly overwhelming. Its fierce exterior surely matched its impressive defensive capabilities.

A single misstep could mean even transcendents like Swordmasters, Archmages, and Saints would fall like flies.

It’s said that even the legendary dragon species—known to reach transcendence merely by breathing—went extinct here.

In that absurd war, where gods descended in their true forms to cleave mountains and dredge the seas, this fortress was never taken.

…Well, if left alone for a few years, Apostle Fiona would probably destroy it all from within.

As I shrugged, the doors of the tightly closed palace began to open, recognizing Havel’s face.

Screeeech.

Usually, a door of this size wouldn’t be opened just for a few people coming and going. People normally pass through a smaller gate nearby.

But we were no ordinary people—we were the Saintess and her entourage, no less. They’d already assigned us a Swordmaster as our guide, so the main gate was only fitting.

Even though I knew this logically, seeing such massive palace doors open before me filled me with awe.

“Wow…”

“This is… magnificent.”

Elisha and I couldn’t take our eyes off the opening doors, but the reactions around us were strangely subdued.

It’s understandable for Havel, who’s likely seen this countless times, but why the others…?

Noticing my curiosity, Iona came over and whispered.

“We’re not seeing this for the first time, you know. Both Iris and I have grown tired of it, and Carla probably saw this a few times when she entered the palace as a child.”

“Oh.”

Right, only Elisha, who grew up among elves until she turned twenty, and I, who rarely left the Academy, were seeing this sight for the first time.

I chuckled at the thought of how everyone here wasn’t exactly “normal” as we passed through the towering palace gates.

The height was so immense that it made me feel like a dwarf.

How do they even open and close doors like this? They seem to be made of solid metal, and the thickness is considerable.

My question was soon answered.

Standing on either side were two golems, identical to those stationed outside, clutching thick chains instead of weapons.

So… aside from their colossal size, the structure was similar to other gates? Too heavy for human strength, so golems were used instead?

“This is precisely the kind of thing that calls for magic, isn’t it?”

I muttered without realizing it. Iris, who had fallen slightly behind, caught up and answered.

“They deliberately made it difficult to open.”

“Hm?”

“Even a simple weight-reduction or friction-reduction spell would make the gate far easier to move. You could even enchant the entire gate to open on its own. But what is the gate’s purpose? It’s not for convenience but defense.”

“…If I can open it easily, so can the enemy.”

“Exactly. While there are chains to pull it open from the inside, there’s nothing outside.”

Opening that gate with pure physical strength alone?

I guarantee it would be impossible, no matter how many ogres or cyclopes—beings known as living siege weapons—tried.

Even if they pushed from behind, the one at the front would likely be crushed before the gate even moved.

And usually, gates are the weakest points of a fortress.

In other words, it would take someone, at least at the Apostle level, to even attempt breaching the Imperial Palace.

Meanwhile, the countless magic cannons embedded in the walls were certainly not just for decoration.

More importantly, there’s Havel, the Swordmaster, stationed in the palace.

Unless an Evil God descends directly, trying to invade here is basically futile.

…Now I understand why Fiona chose to infiltrate.

If the fortress can’t be broken from the outside, it’s better to dismantle it from within. And she’s surprisingly close to succeeding.

Of course, I don’t intend to let that happen.

I clenched my fist lightly, steeling myself.

“Ouch, that hurts!”

Iris, who had been holding my hand subtly, whimpered in pain, and I quickly released my grip.