Five Time Regressor Walks the King’s Path - Chapter 52
Chapter 52
“Alright.”
The week of training seemed to be working since Rush was no longer tense.
Satisfied, I put on my armor to appear as Knight Chang-Sung. Rush carefully opened his mouth as he watched my back.
“Chun-Sung.”
“Yeah, what?”
When I lifted my helmet after putting my armor on and gave Rush a questioning look, he couldn’t find the words as his mouth opened and closed.
I tiled my head after staring at him for a minute and Rush turned his face away, hesitating as he spoke quietly.
“…What about an empress? I was wondering what to do about that.”
An empress. Come to think of it, he’d never even dated a girl.
Poor fellow.
“When you become the emperor, you can decide that. I don’t plan on worrying about it.”
“Then…”
Rush hurriedly turned to me, his eyes more serious than ever before.
After looking into those eyes, I soon recognized the intent and slowly began to frown.
This punk…
“Do you want to die?”
“Right, sorry.”
Seeing Rush giving a brief apology, I finished donning my helmet.
I needed to clear this damned Floor already.
I might be like this now, but I’m a man.
If more guys started to get involved with me, I felt like I’d vomit. Irritably, I opened the door and left.
After that, I led the depressed Rush alongside No. 10 and set foot in the capital, Hwangsung.
Like that, we made our appearance in the capital and nobody could block the way ahead thanks to the army generals supporting us going ahead.
Over the past week, I had continued to win over generals while training Rush.
The army was still damaged by the aristocracy’s struggle for power.
At this rate, the war would likely continue and turn into a war of attrition, so the empire surrounded by enemies would be slowly weakened by the continued offensive.
This fact was recognized by all the generals and they were discussing their grievances together every day.
At that point, we showed them Rush to break the current situation.
The emperor’s bloodline, a hidden card brought out by the one who continued to invest in the army, Baron Andrew.
In a situation where it was almost certain the emperor was dead and all his blood relatives should’ve been successfully ended, Andrew’s hidden card was nothing but good news for the generals.
Andrew promised the generals.
This country would win the war.
And that victory would be brought about by the new emperor.
* * *
Through a large window, a white light poured down and welcomed a new era.
Bathed in the light was a huge round table where the aristocrats who controlled this country sat.
From dukes to barons, they held many kinds of titles. Their eyes were drawn to us, appearing with the generals, and they soon wore a painful look.
“Rush Gratia, the one who will rise to the throne, has made their entrance. Why is everyone firmly holding their heads up high?
A general with the rank of marquis gave the aristocrats a scolding and flames rose from their eyes.
“I greet the presence of His Majesty.”
But before they could say anything, someone among the aristocrats moved.
The aristocrats who were supposed to support us in advance were quick to lower their heads, calling Rush the emperor. The aristocrats who hadn’t yet crossed over to our side ground their teeth witnessing this.
However, if they didn’t bow their heads here, their positions would be in trouble because they would be ignoring the emperor.
They were aware of this fact and tried to follow suit and bow down.
“Aha, the presence of His Majesty the Emperor? That’s a very rude thing to say.”
At that moment, an aristocrat slyly opened his mouth.
Soon, everyone’s eyes had turned to him. He slowly rose from his seat with a smile.
The man with the deeply white beard was Duke Rosiane and his words raised eyebrows among the generals.
“A rude thing to say? What does that mean, Duke Rosiane? Are you trying to oppose the ascension to the throne by Rush Gratia, the bearer of the imperial bloodline?”
“General, you must be misunderstanding.”
He scolded the general while wearing a broad smile.
As soon as everyone’s faces were colored with doubt, he approached the throne and stroked it, continuing.
“How could you say something like that when His Majesty has yet to pass on? If His Majesty isn’t dead, then isn’t this simply rebellion?”
“His Majesty is alive? What are…”
“His Majesty has been sick in bed, so the throne has been vacant. But now he’s feeling better. Therefore, His Majesty will rule again without issue.”
The moment he finished speaking, as if waiting for this moment, the emperor’s waiting room next to the throne opened.
A room that would never open if the emperor had died.
As soon as it opened, everyone’s eyes were drawn to it.
A strong smell of death pierced the tip of my nose.
However, it seemed I was the only one that caught the scent. Everyone’s eyes remained glued to the door.
Soon the quiet hall began to fill with the sound of footsteps.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
Someone shouted in astonishment, their voice breaking the silence. The aristocrats belatedly came to their senses and hurriedly bowed their heads.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you all.”
The throne… The emperor stood there.
Two years ago, the emperor had disappeared due to illness and had not appeared to any of the aristocrats. Now, though, he seemed to be in good condition.
“The empire must’ve been thrown into disarray while I was sick, but don’t worry. Now, I shall once again reign.”
His mouth opened and the bodies of the generals standing behind me stiffened.
Their eyes began to shake violently as they, having just supported Rush, became drenched in cold sweat.
The emperor who they thought had perished had appeared, so how would Rush’s existence be evaluated?
It was obvious.
It would be the biggest headache that shouldn’t have happened.
He would be a sinner who rebelled against the empire in order to take the throne for himself.
“Your Majesty, wicked individuals said you had died. The immediate royal families were all trying to devour the country while thinking you had passed. They deserve severe punishment.”
Duke Rosiane delivered words that would put an end to the lives of the generals who supported Rush.
The emperor’s eyes turned to the generals, frozen on the spot and unable to utter a sound.
No. 10, in the guise of Baron Andrew, also had a blank look as they were unable to keep up with the situation.
I turned to look at Rush, and he was looking at the emperor.
With the emperor’s appearance, despite being quickly reduced to a sinner, he looked straight at the emperor.
There was no doubt in Rush’s eyes.
Having come to this position, he was confident that he would become the emperor.
I liked those eyes more than expected.
‘Yeah, Rush. You’re going to be emperor, because I made it that way.’
The corners of my mouth lifted into a deep smile.
“I see. Six Bladeworks.”
Having heard everything the duke said, the emperor spoke.
With a single call, six swordsmen appeared in front of the emperor. He gave the pillars that guarded the empire an order.
“Kill those wicked men.”
“Yes.”
In response, the Six Bladeworks turned toward us in a restraining motion.
All six of them were at least at the level of a Sword Master.
Only one among them, Gilbert, looked at me while biting his lip.
As soon as aura emerged from their bodies, even the generals with years of experience began to fall one by one.
The aristocrats who didn’t take kindly to us looked at the situation with great interest while those who stood on our side wore looks of despair, as if the world was ending.
I removed my helmet and threw it to the floor before this round table where joy and sorrow were divided.
Roll.
The aristocrats’ attention slowly focused on me as the sound of the rolling helmet broke apart the atmosphere. Then I split my armor with the Heavenly Star Sword.
Among the six Sword Masters, one was actually a Grand Sword Master.
If I fought against that level of opponent, armor was just a nuisance.
“W-Woman?”
“Knight Chang-Sung is a woman?”
After removing my helmet and cutting away my armor, my figure was revealed, which caused a stir among the aristocrats.
But they soon quieted down as if they’d decided to not care whether I was a man or woman.
The aristocrats looked at me, thinking a mercenary who couldn’t even use aura wouldn’t be able to do anything against the Six Bladeworks.
“Rush.”
“Yeah.”
Rush, having properly entered emperor mode, answered with a voice infused with aura.
I shouted to show off, looking ahead with a dark line drawn around my mouth.
“You’re the emperor! You’re the man who will ascend to the throne of this country! From now, the path you walk is a bloody road! Will you still walk? Are you going to become the emperor? Will you change this country?”
My wild cry filled the room.
My voice echoed and swept through everyone’s ears, and soon after, Rush’s voice rang out.
“Rush Gratia, this body will be the emperor of the empire.”
As soon as his shout woke the hall, the Six Bladeworks drew their blades.
They rushed in without hesitation. Their aura spread out and I stood before them as a knight guarding Rush.
My eyes flashed as the mana that had been sleeping deep within my body for a long time rapidly gathered in my fingertips.
Spark.
A flash of lightning, and then the sound of thunder came.
From my body came an explosion of aura that nobody here could fathom.
“What?”
The eyes of those who tried to cut me, the Six Bladeworks, opened wide.
Once they saw a person who’d reached the end of the state that they couldn’t even begin to reach, astonishment colored their emotion-filled eyes.
“I am Knight Chang-Sung, the first sword of the empire, here to protect the emperor.”
Lightning settled on my raised sword.
The surroundings began to darken, as if even the world itself was blinded by fear in the face of the sword’s aura. All the poor aristocrats collapsed.
The Six Bladeworks forced their swords toward me and pushed their aura to the limit for their attack.
But it wasn’t enough to stop me.
Drip.
As soon as the sound of water droplets falling reached my ears.
My sword moved.
And the world was swallowed by the light.
Ninth Form—
Lightning Strike.
Silence.
At the end of the outstretched sword, the Six Bladeworks were swept away and collapsed as if to announce their ending.
In front of me, only two of them stood bearing their swords.
First was Gilbert. The only one to notice my last attack and made the choice to defend himself.
But, of course, he was a mess and all he could do was breathe.
“You’re the only one among them who wasn’t careless, Count Gilbert.”
“…The others weren’t careless, their best was just different.”
“That’s carelessness. Your attacks can’t always reach your opponent.”
Having said so, I patted him on the shoulder and walked past him.
“Tian.”
As I did, he excitedly called my name.
Since I didn’t stop at his call, Gilbert let out an impatient exclamation.
“From… the beginning! Were you able to use it, from the beginning?”
I didn’t look back at him, only giving him a brief answer.
“Yes.”
“…Sorry. I guess… I wouldn’t have been able to handle you…”
He collapsed with a final bitter smile.
I then made eye contact with the other who had endured the attack without collapsing.
His face was over halfway crushed, but another face was visible through the hideous wound.
“You must be No. 1.”
Immediately, aura rose once again from the sword of No. 1, his face ripped off.
The aura was definitely that of a Grand Sword Master.
As the head of the Numbers, he was hiding within the empire’s pride, the Six Bladeworks.
While possessing abilities that were far beyond that of the Six Bladeworks.
