CHAPTER 73 #8
Some of them instinctively kept their distance, while others tried to ignore the sensation and continued walking.
Rassia, however, remained completely unfazed.
She didn't even seem to notice the effect her presence was having on everyone behind her.
Nasa loob na ng Imperial Office sina Rassia at Lurtheron. Tahimik na nagsara ang pinto sa kanilang likuran, leaving the two of them alone inside the room.
Samantala, sa labas ng Imperial Office, magkaharap ang Imperial Knights at Mysarea Knights. Matalim ang kanilang mga tingin sa isa't isa, each side silently observing the other.
Sa kabilang banda, sina Caspian at Dazro ay tahimik na nagpalitan ng makahulugang tingin.
Si Rassia ang nakaupo sa mismong upuan na karaniwang inuupuan ni Lurtheron sa loob ng Imperial Office. Bumuntong-hininga na lamang si Lurtheron at umiling bago tuluyang umupo sa upuan na kaharap nito.
"You caused my knights to get injured, and some of them... seem to be in critical condition. You say you have no intention of causing trouble, and yet you arrived at my palace with an army, defeated my knights, burned the Imperial banner, and sat upon my throne as though it belonged to you.
You have already made your presence known, Rassia. My knights were only doing their duty. They were protecting the throne. And yet, you didn't hesitate to overpower them."
Matalim ang kaniyang tingin kay Rassia.
"So tell me... how can you say that you came here without the intention of causing trouble when almost everything you have done since entering this palace has been an act of provocation?"
Saglit siyang natahimik bago muling nagsalita.
"So what exactly do you want from me?"
Bahagyang ngumiti si Rassia habang tahimik na pinagmamasdan si Lurtheron. Hindi man lamang siya natinag sa kaniyang mga sinabi.
"You make it sound as though I came here looking for a fight."
Bahagya siyang sumandal sa upuan, her expression remaining calm.
"I didn't attack your knights first, Lurtheron. They pointed their weapons at me. They surrounded my people. They tried to stop me from reaching the throne. What did you expect me to do? Stand there quietly and let them attack me?"
Bahagyang umangat ang kaniyang kilay.
"And as for the Imperial banner..." saglit siyang napailing. "That wasn't an accident. I burned it because I don't recognize the symbol above that throne."
"What's your main goal, Rassia?" malamig na tanong ni Lurtheron habang nakatitig sa kaniya.
"Alam kong ikaw ang nasa likod ng lahat simula nang magpakita ka. You are the reason why the people have become so furious with the Crown. You are the one who caused them to gather outside the Imperial Palace and even at the Holy Cathedral.
You are the one who appeared at the exact moment when the Crown was already beginning to lose the people's trust."
"I simply gave the people their voices, Lurtheron. Ang kanilang karapatang magsalita na matagal mong ipinagkait, kasama ng Holy Cathedral. Maayos ang kalagayan ng mga mamamayan noong nakaupo pa ang iyong ama, but when you finally took the throne...
nagsimula silang magdusa dahil sa mga batas na ipinatupad ninyo na hindi makatarungan. You are unfit for the throne, Lurtheron. And I am here to take Erenhal Sartorias from you."
Sandaling natahimik si Rassia. Hindi siya agad nagsalita, allowing her words to settle in the room as she continued to stare directly at Lurtheron.
Then, with the same calmness in her voice, she continued.
"Bend the knee to me, Lurtheron. Step down from your position, and I will become the Empress of Erenhal Sartorias. There will be no war. Walang mga inosenteng madadamay. I don't want the people of this empire to suffer because of a conflict between us. Step down willingly, and I promise you,
no innocent lives will be lost."
Napataas ang kilay ni Lurtheron at bahagyang ngumisi. Hindi siya makapaniwala na ganoon lamang kadali para kay Rassia na sabihin iyon.
"I am the Emperor of this Empire. Whether you believe I deserve this position or not, I was chosen to sit upon that throne, and I have a responsibility to the people who still depend on this Crown.
I cannot simply abandon that responsibility because you have returned and decided that you have a greater claim."
Tumalim ang kaniyang tingin kay Rassia.
"As for the laws, they were made under the authority of the Holy Cathedral. Hindi namin intensyong saktan ang mga mamamayan. We simply followed the will of the Great Goddess, and as the Emperor,
it is my duty to uphold her will and protect the empire according to the laws that have been entrusted to us."
Napailing si Rassia at napahawak sa kaniyang sentido. For a moment, she simply stared at Lurtheron, as though she had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. Hindi niya na napigilan ang sarili na mapatawa.
"Hindi ka pa rin nagbabago, Lurtheron. You are still a lunatic who believes that you are the instrument of the Great Goddess."
Bahagya siyang ngumisi habang nakatitig sa kaniya.
"After everything that has happened, you still believe that every cruel decision you make is justified simply because you convinced yourself that it is the will of the Great Goddess."
"Before I sat upon the throne, I never wanted the throne. But as I grew older, Rassia, I began to see the people. I saw how they prayed only when there was nothing left on the table, how they begged the Great Goddess for help when they had nowhere else to turn.
No one prayed to the Great Goddess with a truthful heart. Everyone simply prayed because they wanted to be saved."
Nanatiling blangko ang kaniyang mga mata habang tahimik na nakatingin kay Rassia.
"My only purpose is to bring the people closer to the Great Goddess."
Napataas ang kilay ni Rassia habang tahimik na nakikinig kay Lurtheron.
Wala akong magagawa kung ganito kakitid ang utak ni Lurtheron. With that angelic face of his, no one would even think that he is evil disguised as a saint.
Nagawa niya pang hatulan ng kamatayan ang sarili niyang mga kapatid dahil lamang sa paniniwala niyang ang mga bampira ay hindi kabilang sa mundong ito. How narrow-minded can he be?
"Isa kang puta, Lurtheron."
Nabigla si Lurtheron sa tawag sa kaniya ni Rassia. He didn't understand the word, but judging from Rassia's tone, he could tell that she had just insulted him. Bahagya siyang napakunot-noo habang tahimik na pinagmamasdan ang babae sa kaniyang harapan.
"Banal ka lang sa harap ng Dakilang Diyosa. Ngunit sa likod ng banal mong imahe, you're nothing more than a hypocrite who hides your cruelty behind her name."
Pinagmasdan ni Rassia ang kabuuan ni Lurtheron. Nakasuot siya ng puting royal attire, with a silver cross necklace resting against his chest, while his face remained calm and composed as though nothing Rassia said could shake him.
"I am willing to be an open sinner than a false saint."
Tahimik lamang na nakatitig si Lurtheron kay Rassia.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The difference between them was almost impossible to ignore.
Lurtheron stood dressed in white, carrying the image of a holy and righteous Emperor, while Rassia stood before him in black, looking like the very opposite of everything he claimed to represent.
"Kung tunay ngang mabuti ang Dakilang Diyosa, hindi niya hahayaang mangyari ang mga ginagawa mo sa mga mamamayan. If she truly cared about them, she wouldn't need someone like you to force them to worship her. If she truly is the Great Goddess you claim her to be,
then she would never ask you to hurt innocent people in her name."
Napatawa nang mahina si Lurtheron at umiling.
Same as Rassia, he realized that this conversation would not end anytime soon.
Sa kaniyang pananaw, masyadong makitid ang pag-iisip ni Rassia upang maunawaan ang kaniyang paniniwala, and no matter how many times he explained his purpose, she would only continue questioning everything he believed in.
There is no point in continuing this argument...
"Wala nang dahilan upang ipagpatuloy pa natin ang pag-uusap na ito. Wala akong balak bumaba sa aking trono. I will not surrender the position I was entrusted with, especially not because you have returned and decided that you are the rightful ruler. If you want this throne, Rassia,
then you will have to find another way to claim it." Lurtheron said.
Tumayo na si Lurtheron upang tuluyang umalis, ngunit natigilan siya nang muling magsalita si Rassia.
"My, my... alam mong may paraan akong makuha ang trono, Lurtheron. Do you really want me to declare war and let countless people die? I don't want that either. I simply want you to bend the knee to me, and there will be no problem.
Lalo na't naniniwala akong mas mapamumunuan ko nang maayos ang imperyong ito kaysa sa iyo... when the threat finally appears."
Muling napatingin si Lurtheron kay Rassia nang marinig ang huling sinabi nito.
Threat?
Ang tinutukoy ba niya ay ang tinutukoy ng piguryang na sa aking panaginip?
"What do you mean?" mariin niyang tanong.
Pinagsiklop lamang ni Rassia ang kaniyang mga kamay habang dahan-dahan siyang tumingin sa malaking bintana ng opisina. Mula roon, malinaw na tanaw ang mga ilaw ng kabisera na kumikislap sa ilalim ng madilim na kalangitan.
"The demons."
Muling tumingin si Rassia kay Lurtheron.
"Have you heard of the myths? The demon, Erishkigal. She's older than the previous Demon King, Dakkodas. Meaning... she is not just merely a demon. Her power is comparable to the gods. She's so powerful that the gods sealed her here in Arcadeya."
Saglit na tumahimik si Rassia bago muling nagsalita, this time with a more serious expression.
"And she... I believe she awakened a long time ago. At malakas ang kutob ko na siya ang dahilan kung bakit may mga nawawalang tao rito sa Sartores. Hindi na dapat tayong mag-aksaya pa ng panahon, Lurtheron."
Lurtheron fell silent.