Children of the Holy Emperor Chapter 111

§ 111. Monster Task Force (4)

“It’s nice to remember the times when we were very young and we would fight, claiming that we were older brothers, but this time we are arguing in a completely incomprehensible way. “Is that some kind of game?”

Seongjin narrowed his eyes at Masain’s words and glanced at Logan.

You pretended to be an adult all by yourself, but then you got into a fight like that with little Mores?

Logan’s face turned a little red.

“Why are you fighting each other to become Jibril’s grandfather? Actually, you both know that you are younger than her, right? Even if it looks like that, Ms. Djibril is an adult who has already graduated from the academy.”

“No, that’s, um… … .”

“I never thought I would be asking Prince Logan to pay for his night.”

Logan lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Seongjin, who was looking at this with a sad expression, was suddenly overcome by a strange feeling.

Lord Martha, why are you only saying this to Logan?

Masain then responded with a sour expression.

“Well, I didn’t expect such an unreasonable thing from you.”

“… … ?”

“You’ve never paid for a night’s sleep, right?”

Seongjin’s mouth dropped open.

Sir Martha, you were with Francis, and Francis moved!

The carriage quietly headed towards the outskirts of the imperial palace in silence.

* * *

The place where Astley Bettcher and Jonathan MacAlpin were receiving treatment was a medical center run by the imperial family. The two people were isolated in a room in a far corner of a large medical center building.

Since they were still prisoners, there was a guard standing at the entrance, but since they were young students, they did not seem to be watching with their eyes turned on.

The guard stood blankly in a bored manner, but when Seongjin and his group approached, he corrected his posture and opened the door to the hospital room.

“… Lowering! “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again!”

Upon entering the hospital room, a boy recognized Seongjin’s face and shouted with a bright smile on his face. He was a boy who looked a bit round and smart, but this was definitely the first person Seongjin had seen.

Who the hell are you!

When he got up from the bed and staggered towards him, Seongjin, startled, went out of the room and came back. Is this definitely the right place?

The boy’s face, which was full of joy, quickly became glum and his eyebrows drooped.

“It’s me, Jonathan. Still, didn’t you call me your old friend?”

what?

“… Jonathan? Jonathan MacAlpin?”

“Yes, sir.”

Jonathan MacAlpin. The link between Mores and the Black Prophets gathering.

And, perhaps, an accomplice who may have helped support Mores’ subversive organization behind the scenes.

He was a chubby, plump guy when he was suffering in the courthouse not long ago, but what happened to him in the past few days?

No matter how much the plague doctors suffered and had their blood drawn, is it possible for a person to become thin in such a short period of time? The volume has completely decreased, as if the body has been cut off in chunks?

“… “Isn’t that what you want to say?”

Logan said from behind, looking a little puzzled.

No, whatever. This side was caught up in an auror storm, and there were various other circumstances!

Seongjin smiled awkwardly, trying hard to hide his embarrassed expression.

“Hey, Jonathan. You don’t know? “I was worried because I heard he was sick for a long time, but now I think it was all for nothing.”

“This is all thanks to you. You found that parasite, right? Thanks to this, I was able to escape the scary bloodletting treatment.”

Jonathan trembled.

This guy is more relieved to have escaped the bloodletting treatment than to have recovered from the Gray Plague. Lyora Plague Society, what have you done?

“okay. “But I’m glad you look okay now.”

“Haha, actually, I think my health is improving because my body is much lighter than before the plague.”

Jonathan scratched his cheek with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“The problem is Astley… … .”

When Jonathan turned his head to one side of the room, the eyes of the group followed him.

Astley Becher.

Another victim of the Gray Plague was sitting on a small bed in the corner of the room.

His condition was quite different from that of Jonathan, who seemed energetic, but he was sitting blankly staring into space, as if he had lost his mind. He had lost so much weight in just a few days that his skin and bones looked old.

“Why is he doing that?”

“It’s been like that ever since I came to my senses. He doesn’t open his mouth at all. “I barely have to scoop up meals to eat them.”

“Is it because I haven’t recovered yet?”

Jonathan shook his head with a dark face in response to Masain’s question.

“From what the congressman said, it seems like there are lasting aftereffects. “It seems that as the gray plague progresses, people’s hair will eventually be irreversibly damaged.”

Irreversible sequelae.

[It’s a bad decision, Lee Seong-jin.]

‘okay. ‘I thought so.’

Just looking at Director Bruno, didn’t the number of burn crystals increase for a while even after the eggs were removed? Even though it was said that they were delayed in becoming conscious, they were also unable to completely avoid making decisions.

Seongjin soon received a detailed explanation from the Demon King about the condition of the two people.

Jonathan can see a few small flame crystals in his head, but he seems to have been lucky enough to avoid a fatal location. However, in Astley’s case, it is said that quite a lot of decisions are distributed mainly to the frontal lobe.

“Actually, that friend was interrogated earlier than me. “I guess it’s because I’ve been exposed to parasites for a longer period of time.”

While listening to Jonathan’s explanation with one ear, Seongjin slowly approached Astley.

He didn’t notice at all when someone came next to him, and he just stared quietly into the corner of the room with wide eyes.

“… Astley.”

“… … .”

They don’t even recognize me when I call them.

Seongjin felt a little sad, remembering his brilliant appearance while passionately denouncing the absurdity of the empire during the meeting of the Black Prophets. He lost a valuable young talent.

Considering that all the people who suffered from the Gray Plague eventually die, I feel like I saved my life by extracting the eggs even if it was too late. But is it really okay to say that something that is just breathing is alive?

As Seongjin looked at him in silence, Logan took a step forward and opened his mouth.

“So, did you say Jonathan? It’s really unfortunate what happened to your friend, but since it’s come to this, I think I should ask you some questions. “Can you cooperate with the task force’s investigation?”

“Ro, Prince Logan? Why are you two together… … .”

Jonathan, who only then recognized Logan, forgot to show proper courtesy and looked at Seongjin and Logan’s faces alternately with wide eyes.

It’s a face that clearly shows the question of why the two are together. It seems that the rumor of discord between the 2nd and 3rd princes was famous.

“It’s the same monster task force.”

“Oh, yeah… … .”

When Seongjin shrugged his shoulders and answered, Jonathan nodded with an uncertain expression.

And they were finally able to hear relatively detailed information from Jonathan about what happened at the Heresy Tribunal.

“I was beaten like crazy. “What was really scary was that the interrogators didn’t ask any questions and started by beating me.”

Jonathan’s face was a little pale as he spoke about what happened, as if the fear from the interrogation had still not subsided.

According to his explanation, Astley and Jonathan seemed to have been the main targets of the Inquisition from the beginning. Kenneth Diggory, the mastermind of the incident, was seriously injured and receiving treatment at the time, and the other three people had relatively high-ranking officials.

So the two were imprisoned in a prison full of other prisoners.

There were mainly prisoners brought there on suspicion of devil worship, and they were already in a state of complete disrepair from severe torture.

And everyone was drooling, looking into space as if they had lost their minds.

“Now that I think about it, I think they all had the Gray Plague. “It was a dark prison, but you could clearly see that their complexions were not normal, and more importantly, no one was sane.”

Jonathan, who at the time thought it was all because of the interrogator’s torture, said he felt like he was going out of his mind from fear just thinking about what would happen to him in the future.

Then Astley Bettcher was dragged out, and soon his screams began to be heard.

Jonathan, who had said that, looked at Astley, who was squatting in the corner for a moment, with somewhat pitiful eyes.

“After some time, he returned to prison completely unconscious. “I think the parasite had already been planted at that time, but since I was taken away right away, I wasn’t in the mood to take a closer look at him.”

And Jonathan, who was dragged away one after another, was beaten with sticks as soon as he arrived in front of the interrogator.

The interrogator didn’t ask anything, but before he knew it, Jonathan was squeezing out all his tears and snot and pouring out everything he could say.

“In the process, maybe… What you did… Well, sponsorship… … .”

Jonathan suddenly stopped speaking and glanced at Seongjin.

“No, that help…” As for… “I think I’ve probably said it all.”

“… … .”

“Sorry, sorry, sir! I was aware that I had to keep quiet, but at that time… … .”

Seeing the guy with his head down and even tears in his eyes, I don’t even feel like blaming him.

No, it’s like this crazy heresy court. How could you hit a child so ignorantly that a bright young student would be so shocked?

“I never want to go there again. So, you can’t tell me how relieved I was when I heard about the accident.”

Jonathan shed a small tear, took a breath, and raised his head.

“That is why I am even more grateful to Prince Mores. You saved my life after betraying your trust. And above all, when he captured the monster, he completely destroyed the Heresy Tribunal. How can I repay this favor? … .”

“… uh?”

I can feel Logan and Masain’s gaze next to me.

what? why? what?

Wait a minute, you must be mistaken. I didn’t break it!

No, why does even Lord Masain look at me like that? You were there that day, right?

It was right then. A strange voice rang out from behind them.

“Prince Mores… … .”

A voice that seems to be slightly cracked, yet has the power to strangely attract those around it.

When Seongjin and the group looked back, they saw Asley Bettcher, who had been sitting blankly just a moment ago, turning his head towards them.

His eyes, which were out of focus, are now staring straight at Seongjin with clear hostility.

“Asley! “Are you awake?”

Jonathan smiled and tried to approach, but Seongjin quickly raised his hand to stop him.

Although they had known each other for only a short time, Seongjin sensed a distinct sense of alienation from Astley.

Those eyes definitely don’t belong to Astley Bettcher!

Logan also seemed to have felt something, putting his hand on Arjuna’s waist and blocking the group’s path. Astley glanced at Logan and then glared at Seongjin again.

“Yes, you are the one who made the Heresy Tribunal like that… … .”

As a result of the fierce hostility emanating from Astley, the air pressure in the hospital room instantly became heavy, as if it had risen significantly. Even for a moment, a strange yellow glow seemed to pass through his eyes.

What on earth is happening now?

At that time, the Demon King suddenly spoke to Seongjin.

[It’s a channel, Seongjin Lee! It’s quite unstable, but someone opened a channel through that kid!]

‘… channel?’

Seongjin’s complexion changed.

For some reason, I thought it might not be Arrange. Although they carefully conveyed their intentions through Director Bruno, they have not yet attempted to contact Seongjin directly.

But, knowing that Gray Plague patients have flame crystals, they use these for channeling?

then.

‘He was involved in the Gray Plague incident, or perhaps he was the culprit who brought the monsters to Delcross!’

Asley quietly followed with his eyes as Seongjin put his hand to the nutcracker with a hard look on his face. Then, in a dreary voice, she opens her mouth to him again.

“You ruined everything. “What are you?”

“… I?”

“Yes, the Guardian’s new horse. Do you know whose stage and whose hands you are playing?”

“… … .”

“Foolish!”

Astley raised the corners of his mouth and made a strange expression, as if he was smiling.

And then one day.

I flinched and trembled as if I had been electrocuted by something.

Then he suddenly started shouting to himself into the empty air.

“It’s really catching up with you! “These little guys!”

“… … ?”

“Same goes for you guys! “Do you know who you are helping now?”

Seongjin and the others were looking at him with puzzled faces, but now Astley stood up from his bed unsteadily and started pointing a pointer alone in the empty air!

“go away!”

“Do not disturb!”

“go away!”

“Still, these guys!”

It was as if he was in a fight with himself, shouting and answering alone. He was truly crazy.

“How long are you going to keep doing this!”

“Get the hell out of the imperial palace, you bastard!”

“Get away from the imperial palace, you wicked bastard!”

“… … ?”

Seongjin blinked for a moment.

uh?

This strangely similar repetitive tone of voice, does it seem somehow familiar?

fantasy,