346th Chapter
He crossed the line—too far.
Ray committed the most grave sin that shook the very foundation of the Empire.
From the start, concealing the existence of a child born into royal blood was already tantamount to treason.
Not only did Ray stop there; he went further by stealing away the Dragonheart of the royal family and hiding it to sustain the life of the concealed royal.
At that point, no matter how convincing an excuse might be attached, Ray was undoubtedly a traitor who must be severely punished.
“…”
Even if there were no ties to treason… Lea’s existence could never be tolerated.
Would the royal family now acknowledge and accept a royal descendant who had been deliberately hidden from them?
Creating such a precedent would not benefit the Empire or the Emperor at all—it would only diminish the authority of the royal family.
Of course, it was possible for the Emperor to extend mercy to Lea as a member of the royal family, even at the cost of some losses.
This would only be feasible if the Emperor’s legitimacy was firmly established. But that wasn’t the case here.
The current Emperor wielded strong influence across the continent, yet his legitimacy clearly had flaws.
In the future, when the Emperor’s influence weakens, this could become a significant weakness someone might exploit.
Moreover, the one who sought to protect Lea was none other than “Ray.”
Who is Ray? A hero recorded in the history of the Empire as the greatest, having achieved enough merit by the age of twenty to be etched in history.
With Ray’s lifespan nearly at its end, the Emperor chose not to suppress him but instead to elevate him publicly.
The Emperor awarded him the Medal of Imperial Protection and formally entrusted him with Moros.
And the person Ray protected—a royal relative and kin—was Lea.
Such symbolism carried enough weight to even overshadow the blemish of being born to a lowly courtesan.
If Lea were brought into the royal family, she might not pose an immediate threat.
However, she had all the conditions necessary to later become a tool to shake the Emperor or cause chaos and fractures within the Empire.
Letting her live out of mere compassion would simply be madness.
“…”
Crack!
Ernst clenched his fist while lost in thought, causing the edge of the table to crumble under his grip.
Ernst knew well that Ray had not plotted any rebellion.
He could easily predict the foolish and painful deliberation Ray must have gone through before making the ridiculous decision to save Lea on the day she was born—all because of his misguided sense of loyalty.
Ray likely sacrificed himself to avoid deceiving or saddening the woman he called mother.
“…”
Emotionally, Ernst did not wish to oppose Ray, nor did he want to do so pragmatically.
Killing Ray wouldn’t be difficult, but the backlash from such an act would not be trivial.
Besides, Ray’s life was already nearing its end anyway.
It seemed simplest to wait for Ray to die naturally, then quietly eliminate Lea afterward.
Once Ray passed, they could stage an unfortunate accident, remove Lea, and recover the Dragonheart—all neatly wrapped up.
“…”
But choosing this option was impossible.
To avoid raising Ray’s suspicions, the royal family needed to provide the Dragonheart to Ray.
However, if Ray somehow heard Jimy’s testimony about the attack—if he learned that Ernst and Lea had met face-to-face, or if Ray began to suspect that Ernst might have discovered Lea’s existence—how would Ray react?
Ernst had already seen what Ray prioritized and how decisive he could be.
Ray was not the type to silently worry and pass away peacefully if he suspected the Empire had discovered Lea.
Based on Ray’s actions thus far, it was clear he would attempt to find a solution head-on.
For Ray, another plausible course of action would involve gathering his people and retreating to the southern region of the Empire.
Despite his broken body and inability to wield a sword properly, Ray’s symbolic value remained immense.
If Ray fled south and allied with Alexander, one of the greatest contributors to the Demon Realm expedition, things would spiral out of control.
Anthonyus, the owner of the Sacred Sword, might take a neutral stance or mediate between both sides—but either way, the Empire would soon fragment.
“…”
Certainly, even if Ray fled south, the likelihood of escalating into full-scale civil war wasn’t high.
Neither Alexander nor the Holy Order would risk an all-out conflict with the Empire.
Shaking the Empire with a royal bastard wouldn’t create a favorable impression either, and internal resistance would surely arise.
Thus, after Ray’s death, factions led by Anthonyus and the Holy Order in the south would have little reason to escalate tensions over protecting Lea.
Most likely, they would negotiate with the royal family, offering something in exchange for handing Lea back.
Whether the situation was resolved smoothly through negotiation or deteriorated into chaos leading to a massive civil war, the prestige of the Empire and the royal family would suffer irreparable damage.
There were other options, like withholding the Dragonheart and using it as bait to drag things out—but there were too many variables involved.
“…”
The moment Ray decided to hide Lea from the royal family, any compromise became impossible.
Trust could no longer be built, and given the entanglement with the Empire, suspicion would only grow and twist further.
Even if the Emperor made the absurd offer to accept Lea into the royal family, Ray could never trust such a proposal.
Even if the Emperor genuinely extended such an offer, Ray would never believe it—and the Emperor wouldn’t expect Ray to blindly follow either.
Both the Emperor and Ray knew each other well enough to recognize they weren’t fools.
Eventually, endless suspicion would lead to an inevitable explosion.
Therefore, all seeds of unrest and conflict must be thoroughly eliminated.
If Ray must die, anyone related to him by blood or strong ties must also be eradicated completely.
Though killing Ray and his associates wouldn’t be difficult, such a decision would come at great cost to the Empire.
They would lose promising talents like Johanna, allies of Ray, and the political burden would be enormous regardless of justification.
That’s why the Emperor and Ernst gave Ray one last chance.
Even if there were no practical reasons, Ernst alone would have granted Ray this final opportunity.
“One person…”
Ernst stood up alone and muttered softly.
“Just one person… will suffice.”
All Ray had to do was bring Lea’s head.
By personally severing Lea’s head, Ray would not only cut off the root of instability but also demonstrate his regret for his mistakes and prove his loyalty to the Empire.
In return, the Empire would cover up Ray’s transgressions and forever celebrate him as a great hero.
This was an exceptionally merciful measure compared to the gravity of Ray’s crimes and his final chance.
However, should Ray reject the Emperor’s mercy…
Everyone Ray loved would die.
Lea’s head would be displayed in the square as proof of Ray’s crime, and others would be dismembered and scattered beyond recognition.
Ray’s chances of breaking through the encirclement with Lea and escaping the Imperial Capital were nonexistent.
The Emperor had already gathered additional forces in anticipation of potential betrayal among the expeditionary army.
Even assuming the absurd scenario where Ernst helped Ray escape, their chances would still be nil.
The triumphal ceremony, which should have been filled with glory, would turn into a horrifying purge.
Still, Ernst believed without doubt that all these worries and tensions would resolve themselves quickly.
Soon, Ray would proudly present Lea’s severed head.
Then the Emperor would conclude this cruel game and proceed with the triumphal ceremony, allowing Ray to be celebrated as the Empire’s hero amidst everyone’s cheers.
All it took was one head.
Could Ray truly love his younger sister?
Impossible. He had only spared her life out of pity for his mother. To him, she was likely a thorn in his side.
Even if Ray felt sympathy for his sister, there was no way he would choose her over the life of his unborn child and those he loved.
He shouldn’t make such a choice.
Clang!
Ernst left the office, gripping his sword tightly.
As he walked toward the Imperial Palace, Ernst whispered to himself in a low voice:
“I believe you will make the right choice.”
One person was all it took.
*
Guided by Adoya, Ray walked down the empty street.
His body wobbled uncontrollably, and his back and chest ached especially badly.
Ray no longer had the strength or time to prepare anything new.
Thus, he thought himself lucky to have been given this final chance to rectify his mistakes.
Looking back, he realized he had suffered unnecessarily due to excessive ambition.
His stubbornness had only added unnecessary burdens, eating away at his own vitality.
Still, Ray had achieved most of what he set out to accomplish and now had a chance to correct the twisted situation.
As Ray approached the mansion, his lighthearted smile suddenly hardened.
Just then, Lea, who was waiting outside the mansion with Bella, spotted Ray and shouted excitedly:
“Big Brother is here!!!!”
Lea ran straight toward Ray, her face beaming with joy.
Recently, Lea had experienced countless unsettling changes: moving environments, a gloomy atmosphere due to everyone worrying about Ray, and even an attack that caused her to faint.
Lea believed that all her anxieties and misfortunes would vanish once Ray returned.
Finally, her long-awaited big brother was back.
Seeing the scarf she had gifted him still around his neck, Lea felt proud and ran even faster.
Watching Lea run toward him with such radiant happiness, Ray tightened his grip.
First Vow (6)
