Chapter 324: The Emperor of Blood and Iron’s Perspective 1
Of course he’s fucking around…!
Kang Chul-In realized that he had fallen into a trap when the Ectoplasm Oversuit enveloped his body. He tried to gather all his mana to resist.
It’s futile.
You bastard…!
As long as you have the Ectoplasm Oversuit on, you have to witness my memories.
…?
Judging from your personality, you won’t ever listen to me. Thus, I had to resort to such trickery. Blame it on your own shitty temper, you scum.
The pot was calling the kettle black. Who was telling Kang Chul-In that his personality is atrocious?
Don’t worry.
Crazy bastard… you think I will buy that?
You shall see. Well then, hope you learn something from this experience. Ah, just to add...
…?
Beings that share the same soul can’t possess each other’s body, in case you are worried that I will take control of your body...
What a joke.
...!
You taking over my body? That’s the shittiest thing I’ve ever heard.
What a temper...
The Emperor of Blood and Iron blurred his sentence, as if he was too tired to respond.
Anyways, judge for yourself. A present is a present...
Shut the fuck up!
I shall excuse myself then… ahem...
That was the end. The Emperor of Blood and Iron’s voice could no longer be heard.
This is…!
Kang Chul-In could feel some sort of ‘memory’ flowing into his brain. The emperor’s memories… pieces of archaic information from a thousand years ago were being delivered to him.
***
“Kya~!” Arshelly, my daughter, smiled at me.
Cute.
I finally realized what ‘happiness’ was, as I observed my daughter. What is it about this small being, this infant, that makes me so happy? Is it just because she is my blood-kin? No, that’s not it. The blood that runs in my veins is that of the Aurangzeb family, the most notorious and contaminated family on this continent.
That was the reality for royals. It was the destiny of an Aurangzeb to deem even his parents, spouse and children as political enemies and cut their heads off. I was no exception. I rose to the throne by killing my father, Saturnus, the Emperor of Lunacy and Darkness.
I could be seen as a traitor... scum who murdered his father. That was my very nature. No euphemism, such as restoring the order, could mask it.
Of course, I have no regrets. Saturnus is the enemy who killed my mothers, brothers and my one true mother. How could I regret killing such a man? I dreamt of being such scum since young, and I am proud to have brought it to fruition.
However...
“Kyaaa…!”
To be honest, I’m afraid. In the future, if I become corrupted with power, or if I can’t suppress my surging lunacy... If such a day comes… will I point my sword at this baby who is smiling so brightly at me – my daughter, Arshelly? Just like how my ancestors did?
“Phew.” I couldn’t hold back my sigh. Humans are bound to be corrupted, and I’m no exception. This throne, this power that rules over this vast continent, may corrupt me one day. No, even if I remain uncorrupted, a power struggle between me and my children can happen at any time.
This baby, Arshelly, may challenge me for the throne in the future.
“…Damn it.” I bit my lower lip in frustration, and a bloody scent filled my nose. That brought me back to reality somewhat. Why am I worrying about a power struggle with my own baby daughter, which may or may not even happen in the distant future?
To feel threatened by a baby girl... Is that the lunacy of the imperial throne? O possibly the instinct of an Aurangzeb, the inheritor of dirty blood?
“No.” I turned around in response to a voice from behind my back. “You will never do that. Neither will my daughter.”
There… my most beloved woman was smiling at me. The Empress and the mother to my daughter, as well as my wife, ‘Brynhildr Freyja Norn Arondight’.
“It’s a pointless worry.”
“...”
“Although it’s an inevitable thought.”
“Inevitable?”
“Because that has been the history of the Aurangzeb family.”
“...!”
“So you did harbor such bad thoughts.”
I had the chills. I felt naked and exposed.
“That’s not it.”
“What’s not?”
“...”
“You were thinking that you could become corrupt and that our daughter would point her sword at you in the future, weren’t you?”
I had nothing to say.
What even...
I feared nothing but my wife. My wife always read my mind, and I lied whenever she did to evade the situation.
As a result...
“Dear, you need some scolding.” I always lost. “How could you harbor such bad thoughts?”
“That’s not it...”
“Oh really?”
“...”
“Of course, I don’t believe that you truly feared you and our daughter’s corruption.”
“Honestly...”
“No.” Brynhildr shook his head. “You grew up listening to your ancestors’ wrongdoings, so it’s not surprising for you to think that way.”
“I-Is that so?”
“It’d be weirder if you weren’t worried.”
“… I see.”
“But don’t worry.”
“...?”
“You are stronger than any of the previous emperors who ruled this empire. And so is your wife.”
“...!”
“If you become corrupt, then I will teach you a good lesson. If our daughter becomes corrupt, then we can guide her to the correct path together, couldn’t we?”
“Ah?” What she said made sense. “T-That’s true...”
“Also.”
“...?”
“Are you that weak to fear your wife and daughter?”
“Weak?”
“If you can’t even look after your own family, then you should stop being the emperor and go fish some Leviathan in the northern archipelago. Don’t you think so?”
She was right. I didn’t even realize that this primitive emotion known as fear was inducing my defense instincts and bloodthirst. In the end, my ancestors (including my father) might have been weaklings, as aptly termed by my wife...
“Also, you are...”
“...?”
“An extremely lazy person.”
“...”
“I know that the only reason you remain on the throne is because you don’t have an heir. Aren’t you thinking that being an emperor is cumbersome and tiring?”
What insight. Yes, I found being an emperor quite troublesome… all the time. I just wanted to be a retiree.
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