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Chapter 191: The Miracle Healer (5)
The history of humanity is long, and countless nations have risen and fallen over the ages.
Among them, the Calderan Empire boasts one of the longest legacies.
While most countries fail to last even a hundred years, the Empire was now nearing its millennial mark.
So, what was the secret to its longevity?
If anyone were to ask, Oscar could answer without a moment’s hesitation:
‘It’s the power of the Imperial Family.
No matter how absolute a ruler's power may be, every emperor is ultimately judged by history.
A wise and virtuous monarch, a ruthless tyrant, a mad king...
Time doesn’t leave behind just names—it leaves behind judgments.
And now, Emperor Ludwig de Calderan was already being hailed as a wise ruler.
A reign led by reason over emotion, with a calm and measured hand—never excessive, never lacking.
Truly, he left little to be desired in the eyes of those who would call him a wise sovereign.
“I come before His Majesty the Emperor.”
Entering the Emperor’s office, Oscar immediately knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
“Rise.”
As he straightened his posture, the familiar figure of the Emperor—his “uncle”—came into view.
Time had clearly brought him into the latter years of life.
Though he had trained in swordsmanship and magic, he had not reached great mastery—his body had clearly aged naturally.
His wrinkles had deepened, and he had lost significant weight, making him appear far from robust.
‘But…’
His eyes.
Those firm, resolute eyes that Oscar remembered had not changed one bit.
“This is the first time we’re meeting face-to-face, isn’t it?”
“Yes, previously we only spoke via communication orb.”
“Right... Hmm?”
The Emperor’s expression shifted slightly, reacting to what seemed like a magical message from Andre.
“Level six, you say? But hasn’t it only been just over a month since the Night of Mages?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It’s already remarkable for a Level 1 mage to reach Level 3 in a month.
But for a Level 4 to become a Level 6 in that same span?
Even the Emperor couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief.
“A true prodigy.”
“All thanks to Your Majesty’s blessing.”
Indeed, without the gift of the World Tree's Fruit, reaching Level 6 would have been a mere dream.
The well-timed flattery brought a slight smile to the Emperor’s lips—no one dislikes being credited for a generous gift.
“But it was still your skill that created the opportunity and seized it when it came.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“Do not rest on your laurels. Become a star that shines for the White Tower, and even the Empire.”
“I will remember this, Your Majesty.”
After that warm exchange, the Emperor shifted the conversation with a more serious tone.
“I heard there was quite a disturbance in the capital. What happened?”
“I apologize for causing trouble. But when one sees vermin on sacred land blessed by holy light, one cannot ignore them.”
Vermin.
A harsh word to speak before the Emperor—implying just how abominable these enemies were.
The Emperor’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
“I’d like to hear more. What kind of vermin are we talking about?”
“They were servants of the Black Fingers.”
The Emperor’s gaze darkened.
Having grown up under the stern discipline of the royal family, he had long since honed his calmness over decades.
But even he could not remain indifferent at the mention of the Black Fingers—a name capable of disturbing even the most tranquil heart.
“Andre.”
“I hear you, Your Majesty.”
“Confirm his words. Do not overlook even the smallest piece of information.”
“As you command.”
Andre’s mana flickered as he closed his eyes.
He was likely issuing commands via the Message spell.
Then, lifting his head, Andre looked directly at Oscar.
“Your Majesty, I have a question for Oscar.”
With a nod of approval from the Emperor, Andre began:
“Do you remember the conversation we had in the hallway?”
“Of course.”
It had only been a few minutes, after all.
Even days later, he’d be able to recall it word for word.
“As you said, if the demonic ones truly intend to hide, it's nearly impossible to locate them. Yet you found their hideout right after the attack on the clinic. How?”
A fair question.
From Andre’s perspective, it could easily appear as if Oscar had known the location beforehand.
“To begin with, my mana detection abilities are exceptionally keen.”
Oscar turned to Andre and asked:
“You just used a Message spell, correct?”
“Yes, but anyone nearby could sense that.”
“True. But here’s what I’m really saying…”
Oscar trailed off for a moment—and suddenly, his aura of detection swept across the area.
Its sheer range was enough to engulf the entire Imperial Palace.
After completing some mental calculations, Oscar smiled.
“From where you’re standing now: 802 meters to the right, 132 meters behind, and 14 meters underground—you sent your message to someone in that location. At present, I detect 27 distinct magical signatures there: eight Level 5 mages, seventeen at Level 6, and two at Level 7.”
“...!”
Startled, Andre instantly surged with mana and contacted someone else.
Moments later, he looked back at Oscar in disbelief.
“H-How could you possibly know that?”
“As I said, my mana sensing is quite advanced.”
“That’s not something you can brush off with a simple statement like that! Do you even realize how many layers of interference magic are wrapped around this palace!?”
As Andre's voice rose in shock, Oscar simply smiled without replying.
Eventually, the Emperor broke the silence.
“Remarkable. So you found their hideout this way as well?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. More precisely, I tracked faint traces of mana clinging to the terrorist and followed them to the source.”
For now, the matter regarding the Wind Archive was thoroughly concealed.
Uncle Emperor would surely know about it if it were mentioned.
‘He will undoubtedly suspect my true identity.’
Having already revealed his identity to Sasha, he didn’t want to hide it from the emperor as well.
But he still couldn’t be sure of the emperor’s true intentions.
‘It’s already been 20 years since I died. The human heart is a mystery.’
Revealing his identity was a double-edged sword.
If it succeeded—like with Sasha—he could gain unwavering support in every aspect.
But if even a little went wrong, he could cross a river he could never return from.
In short, after 20 years, he needed to observe more carefully what kind of person the emperor had become.
Anyway, the situation wasn’t so urgent that he needed to reveal his identity right now.
"Were there any other hideouts?"
"No. As far as I could detect, that was the only one."
"Hmm."
The emperor didn’t seem pleased that demons had been breathing easily within the capital.
But without a method to root them out, there was little choice.
Even he wouldn't have discovered the hideout without the Wind Archive and the terrorist.
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At that moment, Andre’s expression suddenly darkened.
"What is it?"
"……After bringing a bishop from the Magic Department to inspect, they found traces of demonic energy on both individuals."
That confirmed it—they were demons.
The emperor let out a soft groan and asked,
"The Holy Shield of El Terra is supposed to protect the entire capital. Has it been breached?"
"It seems the Church is quite flustered as well and has decided to investigate that first."
Then Oscar spoke carefully.
"The Holy Shield likely hasn’t been compromised."
"What? Then how could demons act so freely in this land?"
"Their demonic energy was a bit different from any I’ve faced before. Meaning…"
"…you’re saying the demonic energy was modified to bypass the Holy Shield?"
"That’s the most likely possibility."
Andre bit his lip slightly.
Just as they worked hard to eliminate demons and demonic beings,
It was clear the enemy was equally committed to destroying the empire.
That realization made the young man beside him feel different.
‘If Oscar Crucian hadn’t visited the capital…’
They might never have discovered the presence of the demons,
and that, in any form, would’ve led to danger.
Andre expressed sincere gratitude.
"It’s fortunate you happened to visit the capital. You’ve done a great deed."
"Not at all."
It wasn’t time to be surprised yet.
Oscar revealed in full the reason for his visit to the capital.
Upon hearing everything, the emperor’s brows twitched.
"An informant within the imperial family… That’s the first I’ve heard of it. But why did you keep it a secret from me?"
"Of course, neither I nor Sir Walker doubted Your Majesty. However, we judged there was a possibility the report might be intercepted."
Thus, Operation Ghost was carried out by only two people, in complete secrecy—even from the emperor.
Thanks to that, the operation was a success.
Oscar drew forth his magic, and the air split open—spitting out a man.
"Neil Brion, sir."
"…Wh-where am I?"
As he looked around and spotted the emperor, his eyes trembled violently.
"L-Ludwig…"
"You scoundrel! How dare you utter His Majesty’s name so casually!"
Andre’s magical force instantly restrained him.
"Guh!"
"Your Majesty, please issue your orders."
"Extract every bit of information possible."
"As you command."
Andre left the room with Neil Brion to carry out his mission.
The emperor then looked at Oscar with a noticeably softer gaze.
"I owe you a great debt for this matter."
"Not at all. I merely did what I should as a subject of the empire."
"Hmm. As the sovereign of a nation, I cannot let this debt go unacknowledged."
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again.
"Is there anything you wish for?"
"…If it’s not an imposition, may I tell you after the White Night Festival?"
"The White Night Festival?"
Emperor Ludwig glanced at the calendar on his desk.
The fact that Oscar specifically mentioned the soon-approaching festival meant he likely planned to make some kind of announcement there.
‘There were reports that the dwarf tribes had settled in Sirin—perhaps it's related to that.’
If so, it was likely to involve dwarven weaponry.
The emperor, considering a few advantages that might arise from that, nodded in approval.
"Then let me know what you want at that time."
"Thank you."
"Ah, and…" cough
Just as the emperor was about to say something more,
He began coughing lightly—but his expression quickly twisted.
"Cough, cough!"
With the worsening cough, dark blood spilled from his mouth.
"Your Majesty?"
"I-I'm fine."
He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, trying to calm himself,
But to Oscar, he didn’t look fine at all.
Above all, the blackened blood meant something was seriously wrong.
‘If it's Uncle Emperor, he must’ve already received treatment from the finest healers and even the archbishop.’
In other words, any normal illness would’ve been cured long ago.
Which meant one of two possibilities:
‘Either it hasn’t been discovered yet…’
Or it has been discovered, but it’s untreatable.
Realizing this, Oscar spoke up.
"If it’s not too forward… may I examine Your Majesty’s condition myself?"
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[Translator - Night]
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