Branches sur les deux mains - Chapitre 23

Chapitre 23 – Death’s Handshake

The story that a master of Shinsu had come to the palace quickly spread like a wildfire.

After the assassination of Archmage Pell, the House of Iver gradually met its demise. Many people cheered, believing their savior had returned, and there were those also who had their doubts on the master of Shinsu.

“Is it real?"

“Isn’t she pretending to be the master of Shinsu after seeing Pell?"

“Masters of Shinsu must not appear so often.”

En réalité, The Great Mage Pell, the master of the Gods, emerged in the West for the first time in 400 années. It has been about ten years since Pell’s death, but it was too soon for another master to suddenly appear.

“Your Majesty brought it. Refrain from speaking. If you don’t want your throat to be sliced.”

The chief maid, Dia, strictly monitored the conversations in the palace. pourtant, it was not possible to completely suppress every rumor.

"Votre Majesté, the Duke of Lowood, is asking for an audience.”

Nabel welcomed the fourth guest today, plissant les yeux. The Duke of Lowood was apparently related to the Miltan family. The House of Lowood was among the families in the Western Continent that did not lose its power despite the fall of the House of Iver and when the Miltan Imperial came into supremacy.

Plutôt, the Miltan family lived with the Duke of Lowood, who then sold information on Iver. En réalité, Nabel was chased by the knights of the Duke of Lowood prior to his voyage to the East. Although he was only a child, Nabel vividly remembered that family’s words.

“Tell him to come in.”

But there was no evidence yet.

When Nabel took over the throne of the Emperor, before anything else, he made sure to be aware of the thoughts of those around him. He was different from the former Emperor Iver, who despised the ability to read thoughts with a touch.

Most of those Nabel remembered disliked such power. It was not just because some of the former emperors of the Iver Imperial had been betrayed or had led themselves to death by blind faith in their ability.

They abhorred the despicable thoughts of the people they touched. They wanted to live comfortably in trust.

But there was no one to believe in the world. The same was true for couples sharing a bed together. Par conséquent, the late emperors of the House of Iver suffered from extreme human distrust.

The conjunctive quality painted on the Iver family was a conception. They no longer wanted to reach out to people, traumatized by their own ability.

But Nabel was different. Nabel actively used the ability. Depuis, identifying traitors had become a simple task.

It hadn’t yet been a year since the term ‘death’s handshake’ was coined into existence. There had been dozens of people whose hands shook with his, and more than a half of them had died.

Since Iver’s abilities were not known, people only assumed Nabel was a bright young man. pourtant, the Duke of Lowood was one of the few who escaped Nabel’s ‘death’s handshake’, who was suspected of betrayal. pourtant, it was not simple to acquire evidence.

As a sleaze who had maintained his power despite the rise and fall of kingdoms, the Duke of Lowood eradicated all possible proofs of his betrayal before the Emperor could do so.

D'où, there was nothing Nabel could do yet.

"Je te vois, Votre Majesté."

The wealthy Duke of Lowood appeared before Nabel, et s'inclina. But Nabel knew there was no respect underneath his gesture. The Duke of Lowood seemed to disregard the young emperor. The ability to read thoughts sometimes revealed even the smallest things.

“You’ve been to the East Continent recently. You don’t know how anxious we were because you didn’t tell us.”

The corner of Nabel’s mouth curled and a dry chuckle slipped from his lips. “I appreciate your concern.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. The Duke of Lowood, who was now in his sixties, bowed his grayed hair once more. “You were always wise, so I believed you would come back safely… Recently, rumors of a woman of unknown identity were heard in the palace, and I was worried.”

Nabel narrowed his eyes. Rumors that Ronée was a master of Shinsu had already spread throughout the city. Those who wanted to reinstate the Miltan Imperial had become anxious.

“The identity is unclear?"

Nabel’s low voice made the Duke of Lowood pause. But soon he laughed and continued speaking.

"…Oui, there are rumors that she is a master of the gods, mais en fait, it is not known until she climbs to the top of the tower. It seems that there are still impure people, so I am concerned about the safety of His Majesty, so please do not be angry.”

There was no need to hold his hand, the intention of the Duke of Lowood was evident. The top of the palace, the ninth floor, was the tallest building in the Western Empire. It was said it was a place that could reach the gods.

And the alleged masters of Shinsu were to be tested there. The late Archmage Pell was no exception.

The trial was none other than jumping off the tower.