I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 190

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Estate, Imperial Palace.

The Emperor’s eyebrows shot upward.

“Just now, what did you say happened?”

Beoban, a court official who had come to deliver urgent news, bowed his head deeply and spoke restlessly.

“Rifts have appeared in the sky above the southwestern military district of the estate, the Duchy of Raiard, and the northeast adjacent to the Kingdom of Sorad.”

“Rifts, rifts you say!”

The Emperor shot up from his seat.

“Though it may be presumptuous to say, it seems dimensional spaces have opened. We sent someone to the Grand Cathedral thinking the Frater Order might know something…”

The Emperor’s complexion grew increasingly pale.

He strode down from the imperial throne and went to the right end of the central courtyard.

Then he threw open the curtains with a flourish.

At the far end of the hazy, overcast sky, there was a subtle crack.

That bizarre phenomenon, drawing in the surrounding dark clouds in a spiral pattern, was unmistakably a rift.

The Emperor asked in a trembling voice.

“You sent someone?”

“Yes, yes?”

“You sent someone to the Grand Cathedral! I’m asking what happened after that!”

Beoban hastily bowed his head.

“We, we sent someone! But the Order is also busy in the midst of…”

“The Order is busy? Three rifts have appeared in the middle of the Empire’s sky, and there’s something more important than that?!”

“The thing is… Cardinal Paul has gone missing.”

The Emperor’s hand, which had been gripping the curtain tightly, fell away.

He asked back with a bewildered expression.

“At this critical time, Cardinal Paul has disappeared?”

Then, after collecting himself, he looked directly at Beoban.

“Then, then what about Cardinal Michael?”

“Cardinal Michael… was expelled from the Frater Order as of yesterday. Like Cardinal Paul, there’s no way to know where he currently is…”

“What, expelled?!”

The Emperor unconsciously grabbed the back of his neck and staggered.

If rifts had appeared in a previously clear sky, there was only one solution.

Deploy priests with tremendous holy power to conduct sacred rituals and seal the opened dimensional spaces as quickly as possible.

If treatment was delayed, there was no telling what kind of bizarre monsters might pour out through the rifts.

Simon’s face turned pale, then red, then pale again.

“Then what about Lady Tigris?”

Beoban bowed his head.

“We’ve already sent a messenger to Duke Tigris. We told him that cracks have appeared in the Empire, so he should come forward with the Saint as soon as possible to seal the dimensional spaces…”

“Yes, yes! Well done! You also added that it was the Emperor’s command, right?”

“Yes. But the thing is…”

Beoban, who had been restless, squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he prostrated himself flat on the floor and spoke in a crawling voice.

“No, no reply has come.”

“…”

“It’s certain they received the messenger, but no reply has come, which means…”

Ignoring. Or it was likely an expression of intent to disobey orders.

The Emperor gritted his teeth.

Far outside the window, the rift was still rippling.

Simon’s fist clenched with force.

“Summon all the Imperial Army.”

“…”

“And summon the Tigris father and daughter again. Tell them if they don’t show themselves immediately, they’ll be considered traitors and dealt with by imperial decree!”

“Imperial Army! Everyone to positions!”

Southwestern military district.

The space densely packed with training grounds, sparring areas, and various weapon warehouses was bustling with soldiers.

In front of them lined up in formation stood commanders wearing armbands.

“We have gathered here today to protect the estate and Imperial Palace from the rifts!”

At the resounding call, the soldiers raised their spears skyward.

“When rifts deepen, dimensional spaces open! The monsters that can emerge from dimensional spaces will be on a different level from those you’ve seen so far! If you let your guard down, you could lose your lives…”

The spear unit at the very front was focused on the speech, but those in the back were not.

“On a different level…?”

“It has to be. Monsters pouring out of dimensional spaces often don’t even have names, don’t they?”

From the mouths of terrified soldiers, sighs both large and small were already bursting forth.

The commander’s voice continued.

“We will block the monsters even if it costs us our lives, and when the battle ends, His Majesty will bestow great merit upon us…”

“Are there no reinforcements?”

Then someone interrupted the commander’s words.

“Like elite soldiers from the Tigris family providing support, or at least from House Laurent…!”

The commander’s expression turned menacing. Just as he was about to warn the soldier.

“If things go wrong, we’ll just die meaningless deaths!”

A resentful voice burst out from the back.

“Right! How can we face the rift monsters with barely four hundred men!”

This was the reality of the Imperial Army that had been neglected ever since the war ended.

The soldiers who had enjoyed dissolute lives without regular training or proper hierarchy had terrible discipline.

Since the organization was already stagnant from the top, the condition of newly enlisted soldiers was also poor.

“Be quiet—!!”

The commander made a menacing expression and tried to restore order.

However, the discontented voices showed no intention of stopping.

“I’m getting out of here!”

“Me too! It’s better to take my family and get away from the rift area!”

“Hey! Come with us!”

Starting from the back, the soldiers began to fall apart one by one.

The open field instantly became chaos.

“Everyone stop! Stop! Those who disobey orders will be severely punished—!!”

“I don’t care about that, I’m leaving! Everyone get out of the way—!!”

“What! I’m leaving first!”

People crowded at the entrance to the open field, and outcries erupted everywhere.

But the commotion was brief.

Kuguuguung-

Suddenly, an eardrum-splitting roar echoed from the sky.

Everyone who had been moving busily froze and looked up at the sky.

Red light was seeping out from the sky’s rift, which had split even deeper.

At the same time, several barracks shook from the tremendous vibration felt.

Dust fell pattering down from under the pillars supporting the roofs.

The next moment, something enormous revealed its face from within the rift.

“Wh, what…!!”

“Run away—!!”

The first thing visible was two horizontally long lines.

Those wrinkle-like things twitched once, then slowly opened as everyone watched.

Between them, a pair of bright red pupils revealed themselves.

“Dr, dr…”

“Dragon!!”

The horrified people scattered in all directions.

A massive shadow fell over that place.

A being that hadn’t shown itself even once in the thousands of years since ancient times.

Starting with that tremendous creature said to be able to annihilate an entire empire with a single breath, all kinds of darkness began pouring out from the rift.

I looked at the Emperor across from me with a calm expression. Only silence pervaded the Imperial Palace.

“We had quite a good relationship, didn’t we?”

Simon asked in a voice filled with hostility. Instead of answering, I showed him a smile.

“How much I cherished my Lady, and now you do this to me…!!”

Simon’s face turned red and blue, unable to finish his words.

“If not the Lady, who else is there to stop them! I’ve ordered my Pope to prepare the sacred ritual. I’m just asking you to step forward until the preparations are complete!”

This time Simon looked at Father beside me.

“Aleon, you too! Your soldiers must step forward so the Imperial Army can face the demonic beasts! Otherwise…!”

Unable to finish saying that the incompetent Imperial Army was useless,

Unable to say that the southwest of the Empire had already fallen.

Simon clenched his fists tightly.

“This is an order! The nation is in crisis, and if you, one of the Four Ducal Houses, don’t step forward, who will-!!”

He shot up from his seat and slammed his fist on the table with a bang.

“If you don’t step forward, I’ll deal with you by imperial decree! I’ll destroy your house with these two hands myself!”

Unlike the excited Simon, Father had a completely expressionless face.

Father opened his mouth in a very low voice.

“You don’t need to shout like that for me to know you’re desperate.”

Simon’s eyes widened.

“You need my daughter and soldiers’ power. This country has always operated that way anyway.”

Father met Simon’s wavering gaze directly.

“The nation is in crisis…”

“…”

“The situation is critical!”

“…”

“The Imperial Court is in danger-!!”

Simon flinched and his complexion gradually grew pale.

Father’s voice became even colder.

“You’ve used me and my house for so long, saying we must step forward.”

Simon, who had been opening and closing his mouth in confusion, replied in a trembling voice.

“Wh-what kind of words are those, Aleon? I-I am the Emperor of this nation! How, how can you say such treasonous things…!!”

As if greatly shocked, he raised his hand and pointed outside the window.

“Can’t you see the current situation with your own eyes?! In such an urgent moment, you betray my trust?! You swore loyalty to Erbia—!!”

Father let out an icy laugh.

“Don’t be mistaken, Simon. My oath wasn’t for the Empire or for you.”

“…”

“It was for your brother. Jesper.”

Simon’s mouth snapped shut.

Father glared at him and continued.

“Your incompetence and ignorance are fine. After all, it was the Empress and House of Belmart who put you, unqualified as you are, in that position.”

“…Aleon.”

“But if you knew about all of that, then it’s a different story.”

Simon’s body trembled. Father continued speaking.

“It was Cardinal Paul who cursed Kione. It was Grace who sent assassins to kill Hemera.”

“…”

“What I found strange were the deaths of Jesper and Sharlina.”

His red eyes were stained with fury.

“The Inner Palace strictly forbids entry by outsiders. It’s also a place where only royalty can dare to enter.”

“…”

“Yet both of them died in the Inner Palace. So futilely.”

“…”

“I wondered for a very long time who could easily commit such acts.”

Clear demonic energy rippled around Father.

“And I found the answer not long ago.”

Simon, who had been staggering, slowly sank to the floor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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