Kays Translations

Chapter 23: The Strongest Onmyoji is Forced to Make a Choice

Facing the necromancer and days after annihilating one of their bases, news of the rebellion’s destruction reached us.

The undead soldiers scattered across various locations simultaneously ceased functioning, with no further movements reported.

The reason was unknown.

Was the undead soldier of that girl actually playing a crucial role? Or perhaps, having lost a significant base for producing relay corpses, they abandoned further invasion…

One thing was certain—nothing was clear.

One thing that can be said is that, in the end, before the Imperial Army arrived, the role of the hero came to an end.

We decided to return to the Imperial Capital.

****

Walking alone in the luxurious corridor.

I, who had returned to the imperial capital, was once again visiting the imperial castle.

I was summoned.

By that unnaturally ordinary emperor, Gilzerius Urd Ehrgreif.

Not Amiyu, not Fiona, just me.

Silently advancing through the imperial castle.

Perhaps because the castle is too vast, there is no sign of servants in the corridor.

However…

“……”

I stopped in my tracks.

At the end of the corridor, right in front of me, there stood a figure.

“Hey.”

The person, leaning on a cane, raised their left hand lightly.

“I heard. You were summoned by His Majesty.”

A young man with colored glasses said with a smile.

He was the First Imperial Prince, Hiltzel Urd Ehrgreif.

“…This is, His Highness Hiltzel.”

“It’s fine, I don’t like formalities.”

Hiltzel stopped me as I tried to perform a noble salute.

“On what grounds did His Majesty summon you?”

“Well… I don’t know. I haven’t been told anything.”

I answered, lowering my eyes slightly.

It was true; I hadn’t been informed of anything.

“Hmm?”

Hiltzel looked surprised at my response.

“But it’s strange, isn’t it? Being summoned alone, not with the hero. But… surely, it must be for a pleasant reason. After all, you really managed to quell the rebellion.”

With a gentle smile, Hiltzel said

“When I heard that the rebel forces were actually an army of corpses, and that the rebellion was, in fact, a riot caused by a necromancer acting alone, I was surprised too. However, now that threat is gone, thanks to you. I’m sure there will be a reward for your efforts.”

“No, not at all.”

I quietly shook my head in response.

“We haven’t done anything significant. We just neutralized a part of the army. If the empire hadn’t taken action, the rebellion would have ended simply because the enemy withdrew. Rewards are excessive.”

“You’re humble. That attitude is commendable.”

Hiltzel said with an unchanged smile.

“However… it’s important to acknowledge your achievements. Not just for yourself but also for those who care about you.”

“…”

“Can I ask you something? Seika Lamprogue.”

Hiltzel looked straight at me and asked.

“A report came from one of my subordinates. In one of the fallen cities, traces of some gruesome experiments were found. It’s likely that the enemy necromancer used it as a base. However, there were no signs of the necromancer or undead troops. Instead, there were large-scale destruction marks and an unusually vast barren land.”

“…”

“While it’s not entirely unimaginable that the necromancer caused it… considering the nature of necromancy magic, it’s a bit strange. Setting aside destruction, just manipulating corpses wouldn’t create a complete barren land with no debris. I think the necromancer engaged in battle with someone at their own base… and was defeated. The strange barren land was caused by whoever defeated them.”

“…”

“Could it be you?”

The prince’s question pierced through me.

“Did you do it, Seika Lamprogue?”

I answered, avoiding eye contact.

“I cannot comprehend what you’re talking about.”

“Join my ranks.”

Hiltzel declared.

The young man had already wiped the smile from his face.

I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes hidden behind the dark-colored glasses.

“With me, I can grant you anything. Money, power, anything you desire. In return—lend me your power, Seika Lamprogue.”

“What do you wish from me, Your Highness?”

“The imperial throne.”

The first crown prince answered without hesitation.

“What I desire is just that.”

A heavy, heavy silence fell.

During that time, our gazes continued to intersect.

However, eventually… I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“I cannot do it.”

The answer had already been decided.

“Even if I needed money or power, I would never become your subordinate.”

“Why is that…?”

Hiltzel suddenly stopped speaking.

His gaze followed the faint green light flying before my eyes.

During the day, it was not very noticeable—a faint green light.

It was fireflies.

“In fact, I can use a bit of necromancy myself. It’s a completely different system from that sorcerer’s necromancy, and technically, it’s not even comparable, but…”

In Onmyodo, there is also a technique called “Revenant Resurrection.”

It could be considered a kind of dark and esoteric art, but with a certain level of skill, any sorcerer could use it if they knew the procedure.

“These fireflies are corpses. One might call them necromantic fireflies.”

I casually raised my finger, halting the necromantic fireflies. 

The green light blinked on and off.

“Your Highness. Are you still wearing that necklace?”

“…”

“The pendant resembling fireflies that you wore at the party. If you are wearing it, could you please show it to me once again?”

After a brief silence, Hiltzel slowly pulled out the necklace from under his clothes.

A pendant intricately crafted to resemble fireflies.

At that moment, it was faintly flickering.

As if faithfully reflecting the glowing appearance of the necromantic fireflies.

I began to speak.

“There has always been something I couldn’t understand. It was clear that the necromancer had a collaborator. In that case, how were they communicating? They wouldn’t use easily traceable methods like messengers on fast horses or birds. While depositing letters on animal corpses might be simple, once the enemy knows the collaborator is a necromancer, everyone would think of that method. If the carrier is tracked, everything could be exposed.”

The collaborator is someone with a good knowledge of the Empire’s geography, city information, and has enough power to provide the corpses of valuable monsters, magical beings, and rebels.

Therefore, communication with the necromancer, who acts as the executor, would also be handled cautiously.

“After the matter was settled, I recalled a sense of unease. Your Highness, why did you wear that necklace at the party? You purchased a magical tool, realizing it was ultimately useless for illuminating dark places, so why wear it at a daytime party? Even if you hid it under your clothes, it wouldn’t serve its purpose as a decoration.”

The prince responded with silence.

I continued

“Just in case, I didn’t want anyone to discover it… That’s what I thought. Your Highness, in the western lands, there were many out-of-season fireflies flying around. Similarly around the undead soldiers. I couldn’t be sure if they were truly alive…”

The things that look similar are believed to have the same nature. Humans tend to think in such a way.

Magical thinking forms the basis of spells.

If one could use the corpse with the same face, they could transmit their own necromancy over a long distance.

Illuminating the dead body of a firefly and synchronizing it with another distant corpse… or perhaps, synchronizing it with a magical tool shaped like a firefly, is relatively easy.

“In communication, it only needs to represent zero and one. To be more specific, simply assigning zero to short flashes of light and one to long flashes is sufficient. If it flashes only once, there are two possibilities. If it flashes three times, it can convey eight different pieces of information. With six flashes, it can convey sixty-four pieces of information. Once it becomes this complex, it’s even possible to use individual phonemes and achieve communication through language.”

The principles of yin and yang, with just two binary trigrams, can form the eight trigrams when combined in groups of three, and the sixty-four hexagrams when combined in groups of six.

Using this principle for communication is something anyone could come up with, not just me.

“While it may not convey very lengthy information… as a means of secret communication, it was an excellent method. It’s fast because it doesn’t physically move a long distance, and most importantly, it’s highly confidential. Whether the fireflies flying around are alive or controlled corpses manipulated by a necromancer, it’s impossible for human eyes to discern. Even if a necklace is glowing, if it’s called a magical tool, one would have no choice but to believe. Even if someone is suspicious, it’s highly unlikely they would associate meaning with the flickering of light.”

From the western lands to the imperial capital, setting up death spirit fireflies at regular intervals and placing a magical tool resembling a firefly at the destination is enough to establish covert communication through light.

As the first Prince mentioned, if it’s possible to imbue the fireflies in the necklace with magic to make them glow, then two-way communication is also possible.

Hiltzel remained silent.

I continued.

“Of course, this is just speculation. If it’s completely off the mark, please tell me so. If the glowing of the necklace was just a coincidence linked to the death spirit fireflies, and wearing it during the party was merely a matter of liking the design. If there were others besides me who had the ability to grasp your younger brothers’ rebellion in advance and plot to use them as undead soldiers, please say so. In that case, I apologize for any rudeness and swear never to appear before Your Highness again.”

Hiltzel had maintained silence for a while.

But… eventually, he let out a faint laughter.

“That code, you see, it was actually something I came up with.”

The atmosphere surrounding the prince had changed drastically from just a moment ago, now appearing seemingly calm.

“As for means of communication, I personally thought it would be sufficient if he just handed letters to dead birds. However, that man seems to have some aesthetics, and he protested against using such a dull method. So, I suggested that code. It was a crude code I created in my early years, within the realm of absurd fantasies.”

Hiltzel continued with a self-deprecating smile.

“Even thinking about it now, it’s an embarrassing fantasy. The imperial capital under attack by rioters. Young me, along with my younger brothers, gets captured in a room in the castle. To protect the servants and my brothers, I negotiate persistently with the leader of the rioters while secretly signaling the formidable warriors among his followers. Tap-tap-tap-tap, a combination of two rhythms on the wall, expressing words. In my fantasy, I had adopted 2 to the power of 5, thirty-two combinations. Exploiting the rioters’ vulnerabilities, with my signal, the warriors would rush in. I also wield a sword and fight. All the rioters are defeated. I become a hero. In the imperial square, praised by the people… even with the embarrassment of prefacing it, it’s still embarrassing. This is,”

Hiltzel scratched his cheek, looking somewhat sheepish.

Certainly, it was a childish fantasy expressing a desire to be a hero.

However, understanding powers of two from such a young age and independently creating a code is truly the mark of a prodigy.

“Even so,”

Hiltzel chuckled ironically.

Within his calm demeanor, a subtle edge began to mix.

“To think that the code I created to be praised by the people would end up being used to turn the people into corpses… If the me from back then knew, he would be disappointed, I suppose.”

“Why…”

While almost engulfed by Hiltzel’s atmosphere, I asked.

“Why would you do something like this?”

“For the future of the Empire,”

The prince said with a smile.

“Considering tradition and aptitude, I am the most suitable for the next emperor. However, dissenters from my faction have been increasing, and there seems to be no end to it. Betrayal towards me intensifies the struggle for the throne, an undesirable act that brings chaos to the future. As one responsible for carrying the Empire’s future, I have the duty to mete out punishment to them. Obliterating their territories, politically disgracing them, making them regret their betrayal. It also serves the purpose of preventing further defections beyond the current state… to put it crudely, it’s a lesson.”

“…something like that.”

I involuntarily stumbled over my words.

“For the sake of such a thing… did you sacrifice tens of thousands of people?”

“That’s the difference in perception between rulers and those who are not. Listen, I want you to think about it calmly.”

Hiltzel spoke as if advising.

“It’s just tens of thousands.”

I couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the young man’s words.

“What… do you mean?”

“At the time of the survey four years ago, the population of the entire Empire counted up to eighty-five million.”

As if unaware of my expression, Hiltzel continued.

“Now, four years later, if you include those who were omitted from the survey, the total population probably approaches a hundred million. Do you understand? One hundred million. The vast number of tens of thousands pales in comparison to a hundred million.”

“Still…”

Despite being shocked by the prince’s words, I replied.

“Tens of thousands of people were all alive. To…”

“The luxury of valuing the life of each individual is allowed at most up to the level of a lord.”

Hiltzel said as if rejecting the notion.

“It’s not permitted for rulers. Always forced to make the choice of sacrificing ninety-nine to save a hundred. If you make a mistake, even more people will die. Without the courage to use human lives as sustenance, a country cannot exist.”

Hiltzel’s expression remained steadfast.

It seemed like he truly believed every word he uttered.

Before I realized it, I had taken a step back.

I had never seen such a monster before.

There were tyrants. Monarchs consumed by madness, rulers repeating mismanagement due to excessive desires.

But—never had I known a ruler with such a lucid logic, leading to a conclusion so insane.

“Well, you know… originally, I didn’t plan to go this far.”

Before me, overwhelmed, the young man spoke with a wry smile.

“If His Majesty had promptly decided to dispatch the Imperial Army, my plan was to set a trap, secure forces. Thanks to His Majesty’s constant hesitation and squabbling with the parliament and military officials, we ended up only able to turn feeble civilians into undead soldiers, paying unnecessary sacrifices. But… finally, with this, our forces are ready. We can finally begin.”

Hiltzel wore a calm smile.

With a sense of foreboding, I involuntarily widened my eyes.

“Begin…? What, it should already be over…”

“Not yet. The places ravaged by the undead soldiers were mostly territories of my brothers’ supporters. The punishment for the traitors is just starting now.”

“Nonsense… the undead soldiers should have all lost their power.”

“Those were just distractions. The real force is a selected elite of ten thousand from among the people, carefully chosen, dispersed, and concealed to avoid exposure. With them, we can conquer any city… that’s what he said.”

Hiltzel said with a smirk.

“Even so, there’s only one target— the city of Tenendo in the canyon. Destroy it, and completely overthrow Duke Dalamat, who defected from the faction. Everyone will come to realize the fate of those who betrayed me. That’s how the goal will be achieved.”

I was momentarily speechless.

“To destroy Tenendo…? What are you thinking? The population of that city is not just tens of thousands; it’s on a completely different scale. Countless people will die unlike anything before.”

“Even so, it’s cheap compared to a hundred million.”

Hiltzel’s smile remained unshaken.

Reflexively, I reached for the humanoid figure in my pocket.

“Don’t play around…! Doing something like that.”

“Then, will you swear loyalty to me?”

The hand grabbing the humanoid figure stopped.

Hiltzel continued calmly.

“Even if you kill me, that man won’t stop the invasion. He has already given the orders. But… if you use this magical tool to communicate right now, maybe it can be stopped in time.”

The young man shook the firefly pendant he held in his left hand.

“I don’t mind. If you can get your hands on it, it will be a much greater achievement than just a display. …Seika Lamproge, I respect you for reaching the truth, and I’ll give you a choice.”

Behind the colored glasses, the gaze hidden there pierced through me.

“Whether to spare or kill the people of Tenendo, it’s up to you to decide.”

I… was left speechless, standing there.

There was no viable option.

Even if I sent Kojou now, it wasn’t guaranteed to make it in time. And regardless of whether it did or not, the Empire wouldn’t let someone who could command a dragon go free. Being dragged into the center of the political turmoil was inevitable.

On the other hand, pledging loyalty, even if it was a lie, was too dangerous. I had no idea how this schemer would exploit my pledge.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Hiltzel.

Killing the young man in front of me would be easy. A single bite from Kojou, a gentle stroke of magic, and this frail young man would die.

However, such an act would be meaningless.

No matter how strong I might be, it would be utterly pointless in this situation.

Aligning myself with Hiltzel was out of the question.

This man would use me as a tool in the political game, much like that necromancer.

The fate of such individuals… there was no need to ponder over it.

However—If I refused, tens of thousands, or perhaps even more, would die.

Being the strongest didn’t mean I could save everyone. That’s why I chose to help only those connected to me, discarding the rest as inevitable casualties.

The people of Tenendo were strangers with no connection to me.

But… is it acceptable to discard them?

Not just one or two individuals… but all the innocent people living in a great city, for such reasons.

“I’m not rushing you, but time is limited.”

Maintaining his calm smile, Hiltzel spoke.

“The timing of the execution is left to that man. At this very moment, the people might be under attack.”

“…”

My breath caught.

I was about to speak instinctively—when it happened.

“Hehehe.”

In the corridor, a clear, flute-like laughter echoed.

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