My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 47Vol 2.

The emperor, momentarily lost in his memories, shook his head and tried to regain his composure as he continued speaking.

"Wait, let's at least talk first. You do realize, don’t you? If you kill me here without a second thought, you’ll be losing a valuable hostage."

He knew he couldn't defeat us alone, so he was trying to stall for time through conversation. It was likely his way of holding us back until reinforcements arrived.

Regardless, we also needed to speak with him—to uncover the path to the underground chamber and the artifact tied to the contract magic. Since our objectives aligned in that regard, I decided to engage in the conversation.

"Talk, huh...? Well then, do you have anything you'd like to ask us?"

"Why have you come this far? Did you come to break the contract magic?"

"You’re well aware, I see. It’s a relief that even Your Majesty acknowledges how unjust this contract has been since its inception."

I spoke with a mocking tone, and the emperor’s brows furrowed even further.

"...The contract magic is a necessary evil for the survival of this empire!"

"Ah, but we are not subjects of the Adolph Empire, are we? ...No, of course not. Well then, tell me, how does it feel to have maintained a fragile peace at the cost of countless sacrifices over the years?"

The emperor fell silent for a moment before finally speaking again.

"You misunderstand—I’m not someone who enjoys enforcing the contract magic. I’ve always known that it was cruel to the hetero sapiens."

"......"

"When I was crown prince, I toured the Border Defense Army, and afterward, my father, the late emperor, revealed the truth to me. Back then, I was a naive boy who still believed in a ruler’s sense of justice. It was a shocking revelation."

Ah. So, when he had suddenly visited our unit, he must not have known the hidden truth behind the forced conscription of hetero sapiens.

"But now, I understand that contract magic was the best possible choice for the empire and its people. Our ancestors may have conquered the hetero sapiens, but they lacked the means to control them. If the governance system kept collapsing due to repeated rebellions, the empire’s citizens would suffer as well. Binding the hetero sapiens to the borders and diluting their bloodline over generations was the only viable solution."

"And how exactly was that the best solution? If they couldn’t even control the hetero sapiens, why did they choose to rule over them in the first place?"

"It was the fate of the nation. Expanding the empire’s territory was the key to improving the lives of its citizens. By subjugating the smaller factions around us, we became the strongest power on the continent—it was the right decision."

"You never even saw us as human beings."

My eyes locked with the emperor’s in the air, and now we were firmly engaged in a battle of words, neither of us backing down.

"You wouldn’t understand, but this was the best decision a ruler could make! Even if it may seem unethical, if I were the emperor of that era, I would have made the same choice. A ruler’s priority must always be their nation!"

"Then why have you continued to uphold contract magic all this time? Isn’t the blood diluted enough by now?"

"Because the existence of the hetero sapiens serves to unite the empire."

"Oh, so that’s why you’ve ostracized us?"

"But I did my best! I acknowledged the integration of hetero sapiens into the empire and took appropriate measures. I reduced your military service time and planned to gradually decrease the number of conscripts selected through contract magic! That’s why I sought a new enemy—hence, the war against the Kingdom of Butein."

The emperor truly believed he had granted us his benevolence.

"Even if you cannot understand it, the best course of action for a ruler governing not only the hetero sapiens but the entire empire was to utilize them in the Border Defense Army."

"Yes, and I will never understand you for as long as I live."

I fell silent, then smoothly pulled a bomb-shaped object from my coat.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

April had entrusted me with this black magic artifact, abandoning even her own safety to do so. It was a hallucinogenic incense—when activated, it would induce a drunken state and make the target spill the truth without resistance.

"A bomb?"

The emperor reacted immediately, but I had already thrown it into the room.

Boom—!

Thick smoke billowed out, briefly obscuring my vision before settling down. When the air cleared, the emperor was left coughing violently, the remnants of the smoke swirling around him. I looked down at him.

"So, where is the artifact that controls the contract magic?"

"Do you think I’d actually tell you?"

But he didn’t spill the truth. ...What was going on?

As my expression faltered in confusion, the emperor smirked mockingly and added,

"You clearly have some kind of plan—you’re stalling for time instead of immediately demanding answers about the contract magic. But unfortunately for you, black magic doesn’t work in this room."

Behind me, I ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ heard Victim whisper in a hushed tone.

"It’s true. The magic is completely sealed off."

"Can you disable it?"

"I'm working on it. Just buy me a little more time."

I swiftly stepped in front of Victim to shield him, then shot Winter a glance, silently asking if he had any ideas. Winter nodded, adjusting his grip on his sword before stepping forward.

"If you have the courage, face me in a duel."

"Hah, and lose in an obvious defeat? What kind of trick are you trying to pull?"

The emperor wasn’t falling for our tactics so easily.

But I knew that he couldn’t completely refuse this challenge either. After all, he also needed to stall for time until his reinforcements arrived.

‘As long as I can come up with a convincing reason, I can lure him into a duel.’

I racked my brain, searching for the perfect excuse.

"We already have Your Majesty as a hostage, and we can torture you at any time to extract the information about breaking the contract magic. However, if you win, we will ensure a more humane treatment."

"T-Torture?"

The emperor’s pupils trembled as if he had never even considered such a possibility. Well, of course. A man raised in luxury would never have imagined himself subjected to something as brutal as torture.

"And if you lose?"

"Then we’ll just proceed with the torture as planned."

The emperor’s expression twisted in sheer disbelief.

"That means you’re going to torture me regardless, doesn’t it?!"

As he growled in anger, his face suddenly stiffened, as though he had realized something.

"But you gain nothing from a duel with me. Why insist on it? You’re obviously hiding something."

"Ah, that’s...."

There was no real need to make up an excuse. Because—

"There’s an unfinished duel."

Winter, sensing his moment, stepped forward.

"You...."

"When Your Majesty visited our unit eight years ago, I was the soldier who fought you in a duel. Do you remember? Back then, I wasn’t able to fight with all my strength. It’s something that has weighed on me ever since, so I’d like to finish that duel now."

Winter lied effortlessly, his expression composed.

The emperor seemed to recognize him, letting out a small sigh as he looked into Winter’s cold gaze.

"...Yes. I was naive back then. So you’re that soldier."

The emperor rose from his seat and adjusted his grip on his sword. He strode toward Winter with determined steps.

"Fine. If that’s the reason behind your request...."

Boom—!

He struck the ground with his sword, a blatant provocation.

"I accept your challenge."

Before the words had even fully left his mouth, Winter lunged at the emperor with his sword.

Clang—! Clang—!

Their swords collided with sharp, ringing echoes. I observed the fight unfold before me and muttered under my breath in admiration.

"Wow...."

Winter wasn’t using aura at all. Even without it, he completely dominated the duel. His swordsmanship was on a completely different level.

The emperor seemed to realize this as well, his face flushing with humiliation.

"Urgh...!"

He twisted his body, spinning to avoid Winter’s blade as it aimed for a vital point, but Winter was faster. With a swift step, he brought his sword right back to the emperor’s throat.

It had barely been a few minutes, yet the outcome had already been decided. An overwhelming victory for Winter.

"Yes. If we had finished our duel back then, it would have ended just like this."

The emperor ground his teeth and glared at Winter in pure frustration. Then, he turned his head and bellowed toward the outside.

"Have the reinforcements not arrived yet?!"

But the only response was the continued cacophony of battle—shouts, the roar of burning aura, and the clash of metal.

‘Aquila is holding them off well.’

Still, I had no idea how long he could withstand the onslaught of soldiers. We needed to finish this quickly.

Just then, Victim whispered behind me.

"The magic suppression has been lifted. The hallucinogenic incense should take effect now."

Winter still had his sword pressed against the emperor’s neck. I casually strolled over with a cheerful smile.

"Your Majesty, the magic suppression is gone."

"What?! What are you talking about—?!"

His face contorted in shock, and he quickly turned to glance at Victim.

"A black magician...?! No, that’s impossible! We exterminated them!"

Indeed, the imperial army had dedicated immense effort to eradicating black magicians.

However, the emperor had overlooked one fact—we had once been part of a special task force dedicated to hunting them. Which meant we had access to remnants of black magic that the empire had failed to eliminate.

I pulled out another bomb from my coat. It was the second one, a replica that Victim had crafted based on April’s original.

I threw it once again.

Boom—!

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Smoke filled the room once more.

"Urgh, so this was why you stalled for time...."

The emperor clamped his mouth shut, but the effects of the incense had surely begun to take hold.

I knew because I could feel it too. Words bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill out on their own.

Smiling sweetly, I leaned in and asked,

"Your Majesty, do you know why we’re here?"

"Treason, obviously!"

At last, I could say the words I had been waiting for.

"No, Your Majesty. This is a revolution."