Chapter 244
Translator: Pai_
Due to the incident of the crown prince running away, there was a minor change in the security system of the imperial palace, but considering the scale of the incident, it passed relatively without any major issues.
Regardless of what became of a certain sixteen-year-old boy’s first love.
Afterward, Turan and Meisa slightly reduced the tightly packed schedule they usually pushed through and began to make some room for each other again, much like in the early days of the Empire's founding.
As a bonus, they also spent more time with Luska than before.
“I really am fine, you don’t have to go this far.......”
“We’re doing it because we enjoy it. If it’s not too much trouble, spare some time for us now and then.”
When Meisa playfully pleaded, Luska nodded, embarrassed.
Naturally, since people powerful enough to change the world began to take leisure time, the growth of the Empire slowed slightly.
The sentencing of criminals, the development of new Reclaimed Land, and the handling of administrative tasks were inevitably delayed by a step.
However, that didn’t mean that a rapidly growing nation would suddenly decline or face major issues.
In the first place, the leaders weren’t completely neglecting their duties, and if taking a short rest would cause problems, then the system itself would be flawed, it was only natural.
Turan tried hard to suppress his anxiety about the enemies who could attack at any moment.
‘Right, if we can’t win against an enemy just because we rested a bit, then we wouldn’t be able to win even if we didn’t rest.’
Of course, if the enemy really did show up and they lost by just a hair’s breadth, it would be incredibly devastating.
But in any case, that was a matter for the future.
In the process of paying more attention to his surroundings, Turan also took some time to reconnect with old acquaintances he had recently neglected.
He checked in on the situation of the White Elves operating a small autonomous district in the Frostwind Forest, and for the first time in a while, he met face-to-face with Rida, who was working as the chancellor of the Lavitas region.
She burst into laughter loud enough to shake the world when she heard the news of Luska’s runaway.
“Running away from home, already? That little child? Really...... It’s at times like this that I feel how cruelly fast time passes. I wish I could’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
"Would you like to see him? Luska might want to see his grandmother after so long."
“I’ll take the sentiment, Your Majesty. In my experience, kids who’ve grown up a bit don’t like spending time with the elderly. And if needed, I can always go visit myself.”
Rida advised not to take it too seriously, saying that about half of the grandchildren she raised had run away at least once.
She said that wizards, especially those of noble-level strength, tend to believe they can do anything once they throw themselves into the world with their own power.
Well, Turan had also left Hisaril Hill with somewhat similar thoughts.
Of course, that had been with Keorn’s encouragement.
Afterward, he visited Haram Berk, his former martial arts master, who had recently gained the title of duke and begun ruling over the Ruvan region.
To Ashiz’s uncle and a master of martial arts, Turan had long ago requested an analysis of the technique used by the lion-headed man, but unfortunately, there seemed to be no significant progress.
“More than that, as I mentioned before, I really don’t think this position suits me at all, Your Majesty.”
Even after Turan had ascended the throne, Haram always stuck to formal speech, despite being told he could speak comfortably.
By now, Turan was used to it and didn’t say anything more.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’m a fighter, not a ruler. Even when I attend meetings as a duke, I don’t understand anything, so putting a scarecrow in this seat wouldn’t make much difference.”
Haram’s career had no issues in qualifying him for a duke’s seat.
Originally the captain of the guard for the main Parsha family and Turan’s deputy, he had participated in many important wars, and as a master of martial arts, he had quickly awakened both the Fighter Bloodline and the Berserker Bloodline after the law changes.
But as he said himself, while he was familiar with battle, he was extremely unskilled at ruling others, and he felt burdened by holding such a high position.
To Haram, Turan spoke in a low, persuasive voice.
“A scarecrow wouldn’t have the power to punish wrongdoers.”
Turan spent a fair amount of time persuading Haram that a strong duke was necessary for the people, who were still used to the rule of wizard families.
Still, perhaps it worked better than before when he kept submitting written requests to resign, because in the end, Haram expressed his intention to continue doing his best for as long as he could.
In truth, for Turan, it was far better to place such people in the position of duke.
At least they would not harbor strange ambitions, come up with absurd plans, or embezzle taxes to satisfy their own greed like the former Duke Carmine.
‘Come to think of it, I went out to take a break, but I might’ve actually solved more work instead.......’
Turan pondered what he should do with the free time that would come after finishing his current tasks.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to travel around Earth with Luska.
While thinking about such future plans and processing several administrative matters, Turan suddenly frowned as he sensed something unexpected.
The life of Keorn, the old knight of Aravion who had once determined the course of his first life journey, had just been extinguished.
***
The place where Keorn had lived until the end was a small village located in the southeastern part of Morgen City.
Since Turan had secretly visited and spoken with Keorn a couple of times in the past, it wasn’t difficult for him to locate the place through Spatial Transfer.
Turan first changed his appearance and introduced himself as an old acquaintance of Keorn to the village chief and the town officials.
“Well, it hasn’t even been a few hours since he passed away...... You’re out of luck, young man. If you had come just a bit earlier, you could’ve at least seen his face.”
At the village chief’s words, Turan silently nodded in response.
The chief didn’t seem too pleased with the young man’s stoic demeanor, but since he must have been close to Keorn, he decided to accept it as grief taking its own form.
Afterward, Turan met with the physician who had been closest to Keorn and was able to hear the cause of his death.
"He died of illness."
"A wizard?"
At Turan's question, the doctor nodded as if he had expected it.
Keorn hadn’t revealed to the people here that he was a knight or a fourth-rank wizard, but this physician seemed to have been an exception.
“Normally, wizards don’t fall ill easily, but there are still a few diseases that can weaken or kill them. In Keorn’s case...... it was a disease that caused lumps to grow inside his body. I believe they now call it cancer.”
Cancer.
Keorn’s age was nearing ninety, which would be equivalent to about forty or fifty for an ordinary human, so it was a disease he could very well have developed.
Even though the Empire’s sanitation and public health had improved drastically and average lifespans had increased, there were still plenty of commoners who died at that age.
“Isn’t it an illness that can be easily cured with Healing Magic?”
“Even though there are more wizards than before, the number of third-rank wizards, especially those who have chosen the Healer’s path, is still quite small. I tried persuading him to go to the city and receive treatment, but he refused. Said this must be the signal that it was time to end his life.”
“I see.”
Turan thought that sounded exactly like something Keorn would do.
He had refused Turan’s offer to restore his body to its prime and even extend his lifespan if he wished.
To him, his current life was merely what remained after losing his family in the war.
The only reason he hadn’t taken his own life was because doing so would have felt like a sin against those who had supported him thus far; he had no desire to live long for his own sake.
“Did he leave a will?”
“There were three letters. One for me, one for the village chief concerning the division of his property, and one addressed to someone unknown. Perhaps that last one might be for you.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He said it was written for a shepherd boy from Hisaril Hill. He told me to burn it if no one came to claim it within a year. Could that be you?”
“Yes.”
Turan received the letter from the physician and went to sit on a nearby hill outside the village to read it.
If the physician had secretly read the first page, he would have been shocked.
[To His Majesty, the Great Emperor Turan.
If you are reading this letter, it must mean that my life has come to an end, and that you did not attempt to bring me back to life.
If you have even the slightest thought of doing so, please let me go peacefully. I truly wish to rest now.]
During the hundred or so years I lived as a knight of Aravion, I truly experienced far too much.
I lost my family, gave myself over to hatred, and slaughtered the knights of House Zahar and their collaborators...
It might seem laughable to the nobles who live for centuries, but over the past ninety years, I feel as though I’ve burned away all my emotions, there’s nothing left.
Now that it's too late, I’ll confess something. When I first saw you, I was reminded of my lost family, especially my grandson who was just an infant.
If that child had lived and grown up, he might have been about your age.
It’s the ugly confession of an old knight who felt as though His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire was like his own family.
You asked me once, remember?
Whether I ever regretted teaching you magic and pushing you to leave the hill.
To be honest, there was a brief moment when I did. But not anymore.
Even holed up in this small village, I could very clearly feel that the world was changing.
People no longer starve or tremble in fear of Magical Beast attacks like in the old days.
Every day they hear news from all over the world through the newspaper, enjoy things they never would have encountered before, and spend their time with new amusements.
I once rode something called a train, and it truly was wondrous.
I always felt great pride in the fact that I was able to lend a hand in the birth of a god who changed the world like this and brought greater happiness to everyone.
It’s all thanks to you.
Now, there’s only one thing I fear.
What kind of judgment I will face in the afterlife you created.
I take pride in never having lost my dignity as a knight of Aravion during my life, but I can’t say I never committed things that were wrong as a human being, because of orders.
If that’s my sin, I’ll naturally have to bear it.
One final request. If you do have the power to manipulate the judgment after death, please don’t.
If I’m someone who deserves to be stoned by the people, then let it be so. That way, I can remain proud until the very end.
I don’t know if this qualifies as a request, but it is the last wish of an old knight.
To the shepherd boy of Hisaril Hill, from Keorn.]
Turan folded the letter and let out a long, thin breath.
Fortunately, he was not the Emperor of the Empire at this moment, but the shepherd boy of Hisaril Hill, so he didn’t have to worry about losing face even if he shed tears.
Keorn of Aravion, the first dependable adult Turan had met besides his mother.
Regret that he hadn’t spoken with him once more before his passing and relief that he could at least hear his true feelings through this letter intertwined inside him.
-Turan, why are you crying? Are you sad?
“No. Not really sad... then again, maybe I am sad.”
-Weird.
At Bije’s remark, spoken as if she truly couldn’t understand, Turan burst into laughter.
She was smarter than most people, but always dull when it came to understanding emotions like this.
Still, laughing like this helped ease the sadness a little, so after wiping away his tears, he changed the coordinates and ascended to the boundary of the world.
In an instant, a world filled with a white wall greeted him.
'Now let me see... here it is.'
The inside of the boundary, the afterlife, which had once held only the three gates and the judgment hall, had changed into something much more refined.
There were now passageways and lounges for those entering the afterlife, as well as angels who managed and supervised it.
In the past, there had been a fair number of spirit forms that loitered around without heading straight into judgment, but now, if anyone tried that, the angels would grab them and hurl them straight inside.
Those watching the movements of passing spirit forms noticed Turan's presence and saluted him.
“We greet the great master of the afterlife!”
“Mm.”
The angels of the afterlife were volunteers chosen from among the virtuous spirit forms who had earned the right to enter paradise and had been warriors or soldiers during life.
They worked as the administrators and staff of the afterlife, taking turns enjoying the blessings of paradise.
Naturally, since only those who died after the afterlife was created could be made into angels, the war veterans who had once fought under the name of the old House Parsha could not become angels.
Truly unfortunate.
“I want to find one of the spirit forms that arrived today.”
“Speak, O master of the afterlife.”
“Where is Keorn, the former knight of Aravion?”
At Turan’s words, the one who received the order quickly scanned through the list and nodded.
“Found him, great lord. He is scheduled for judgment soon. Would you like to give instructions on his disposition?”
“Forget the disposition. I’d like to observe the judgment.”
“Understood!”
Shortly after, guided by one of the angels, Turan headed toward one of the many judgment chambers.
There, spirit forms were entering one by one to receive judgment.
[Koashi of House Lavitas.]
[Born a noble of the old era, he possessed a sadistic nature from a young age, pretended to heal people while secretly developing techniques to cause illness, and after the founding of the Empire, continued his actions until he was discovered and executed.]
[13 counts of theft in youth, 5 counts of voyeurism, 5 counts of theft in adulthood, 12 counts of embezzlement.......]
[As a member of Lavitas, he treated 57 people in youth and 1,533 people in adulthood on the orders of his family.]
[Combined result: 1,295 people felt gratitude, 311 considered him an enemy.......]
The judgment didn’t just display numbers, it projected the exact actions the deceased had committed during their life.
By reading the memories contained in the spirit form.
In one scene, Koashi could be seen pleasuring himself while watching people who had once been overjoyed to receive Healing Magic slowly grow sick and die months later, causing an uproar of rage among the observing spirit forms.
[What should the sentence be for this individual?]
“Kill him!”
“To hell with him!”
“Throw him into the most horrific place!”
The spirit forms, their identities erased under the veil of ignorance, passed harsh judgment upon the accused.
Ironically, among them was the accused himself.
In his memory-wiped state, even he believed that he deserved to be cast into hell.
Just before the verdict was delivered, the judge who was about to pass sentence suddenly froze.
[Judgment error.]
[Despite the many who felt gratitude, hell was determined.]
[Analyzing reason.......]
[Hypocrite. Carried out mercy only because it was a family duty, and used it to fulfill sadistic desires.]
[No grounds for leniency.]
With the sound of a gavel, Koashi Lavitas screamed as he fell into hell.
While the crowd cheered, the next person’s turn came.
[Keorn of Aravion.]
[A former knight who served House Aravion faithfully for about 60 years, then wandered hunting Magical Beasts before retiring into seclusion and dying.]
[42 counts of assault in youth, 295 counts of murder in adulthood, 42 counts of theft.......]
[As a member of Aravion, he protected 216 people in adulthood by family orders.]
[After leaving the family, he protected 391 people by his own judgment.]
[Combined result: 21,953 people felt gratitude, 49 considered him an enemy.......]
Unlike the case just before, there was little to criticize in Keorn’s life.
The assaults in youth were part of natural hierarchy-building that occurred among young knight trainees living in group lodgings.
He hadn’t gone out of his way to bully weaker children.
The murders in adulthood were committed under family orders, killing bandits, criminals, or participating in wars against Zahar knights and collaborators, thus, were considered understandable.
The thefts were plundering goods from enemy forces.
In contrast, the number of people he had personally saved and who expressed gratitude was overwhelmingly greater.
He wasn’t a completely faultless or pure person, but one anyone could call “a good man”.
After watching all the projections, the spirit forms spoke in unison.
“To paradise.”
“A man like that should go to paradise.”
“May he receive his due reward.”
Unlike the previous sinner who had fallen screaming into hell, Keorn’s spirit began to rise slowly.
Turan lightly waved his hand as he watched him head toward paradise, where white clouds and blue skies spread endlessly.
May he rest peacefully there and prepare for his next life.
*****
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