NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 32
In this fleeting encounter, the player gets a taste of what kind of personality the NPC Emperor of the Empire possesses.
He utterly detests tedious tasks, harbors an extreme hatred for monsters or demons that pose a threat to humans, and wields one of the mightiest forces in the Empire.
And one last thing.
“I was genuinely impressed by your recent actions. I shall personally commend you.”
This is a human who would commit the most heinous acts without flinching an eye, all to satisfy his curiosity and prove a point.
That’s the Emperor of the Empire.
‘That was close.’
I wiped my damp palm on my pant leg. My hand was still trembling slightly. Staring at the deep wound on the sword sheath, I half-consciously realized I had almost died a moment ago.
To be honest, the other half of me still felt dazed, as if I couldn’t quite grasp the reality of it.
Through the black uniform, I could see Aurora, frozen like a statue with her mouth agape, making a shocked expression. The confusion she shared with Kaiquilia when she questioned me was nowhere to be found.
Contrary to the stone-faced Aurora or my knees buckling slightly, the one who caused this mayhem, Kaiquilia, looked completely unfazed.
In fact, she seemed a bit pleased.
“That was an attack that even the Knights of the Imperial Palace would have been fully prepared to respond to, yet you managed to block it in such an unprepared state. I have never encountered someone like you before.”
The Emperor, returning the sword made of light to its original form, glared at me with a signature sharp and chilling smile.
Blocking it while being completely unprepared, huh?
Since I had kept my guard up from the moment I arrived and began to converse, that statement was a lie. With the situation predicting every move he would make, there was no moment I could afford to neglect my defenses.
The reason the Emperor had one of the highest difficulties among all the bosses in Brightest Darkness 4 was none other than his incredibly swift attacks, which had no wind-up or follow-through.
Among players, it was commonly referred to as “a pattern that tests the limits of human reaction speed.”
There was no lead-up or follow-up, and the motions were minuscule, barely even having any preliminary actions. Such attacks would randomly mix in between the patterns.
What if you can’t defend? You get hit and die from continuous attacks. If you can’t parry? You’ll die from combat fatigue. If you keep your distance? Due to the Emperor’s specific healing field, the boss battle drags on indefinitely.
The easiest way to tackle it was to wield a large shield or a super large shield, cast enhancement magic on the shield, and simply raise your guard whenever you sensed an attack coming.
‘If I really have to deal with something like that as a boss here… damn, just imagining it is horrifying.’
The reason the Emperor suddenly put me through such a trial was ridiculous.
If he dropped something associated with a demon, it meant that monster was exceptionally strong, and he wanted to witness the prowess of a knight who single-handedly defeated it firsthand?
‘Besides, if I don’t block, I die.’
In Vanilla, if you fail to react and get hit by that attack, you’re left with exactly 1 health and barely survive. Apparently, the Emperor carefully controls the distance so that the blade doesn’t dig in deep enough to kill the protagonist.
But in Darkest Light Mod, you just die. You either grit your teeth and react, or you die and end the event—those are your only choices.
“Aunty, what on earth was that just now…?”
Aurora’s voice trembled softly.
“I was testing the skill of a knight who single-handedly dealt with a monster that spewed forth a Book Inhabited by a Demon. Had you failed, my suspicions would have deepened, but it seems you are indeed a capable human, so I shall let it pass. What are you doing? Go help him up.”
Kaiquilia gestured to Aurora. Aurora hurried to me.
“Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt or injured anywhere?”
“……I’m fine. My limbs are still a bit shaky though. And if I had taken that hit, I would have died, not just been hurt or injured.”
“How on earth did you block that? All I saw was a flash, then Aunty had her sword out and you were bouncing away here.”
“I don’t know either, so don’t ask me.”
I gave Aurora a reassuring gesture to indicate I was okay while standing up alone. Her grasp around my arm tightened.
As we returned to the spot, Kaiquilia stared at me with a subtly rising smirk.
“You have talent. If you hone that talent, you’ll become an excellent knight. I’m looking forward to your growth.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
At first glance, it seemed like a light comment, but the weight of its underlying meaning was anything but trivial. Just seeing Aurora, who had been supporting me, flinch in surprise was enough to understand that.
Praise for talent and the expectation of growth coming from the pinnacle of the Empire’s might was not something to be taken lightly.
Considering the actions the player might take later, it was a remarkably precise statement as well.
“Aurora.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“That will do. Lead the way.”
“Understood.”
The command was abrupt, but it was clear where I was being led. Aurora bowed her head and released my hand.
“You too, follow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kaiquilia spoke without turning to look at me.
There was no right to refuse.
“I see you must be overflowing with pent-up frustrations. I can understand that well.”
“No, I, that’s…”
Iris stammered, her face showing serious panic as she sweated profusely. Behind her stood Lize, Erica, and Claudia, also maintaining their rigid postures.
The four of them wore a rare and vividly panicked expression. It would make sense, given that the Emperor caught them treating the lord like a punching bag.
Before arriving at the basement, the Knight Commanders had been mercilessly beating up the lord. In the midst of that, the basement hadn’t collapsed, so one could say they had at least retained some semblance of control.
The issue was, the Emperor had witnessed the lord being pummeled in all manner of ways.
‘If it’s the Emperor’s personality, that should really be a genuine understanding and not just sarcasm.’
Iris, Lize, Erica, and Claudia seemed unable to accept that notion.
In fact, it was completely rational. That was what the Emperor had said. How many people would be capable of interpreting it straightforwardly? Naturally, they would assume there was something more behind those words.
“…….”
Having been beaten down by four powerful knights for hours, the lord’s state on the ground resembled that of when I had stabbed him with my Blessed Dagger and left him to rot, not much different at all.
Perhaps sensing the divine power radiating from the Holy Sword, the lord was trying to wriggle his limbs in an attempt to distance himself from Kaiquilia.
“Indeed, is that a demon that was once my brother?”
“Yes! It is, Your Majesty!”
Iris responded promptly, standing at attention with a sharp voice. Kaiquilia passed by the knights standing stiffly at her sides and slowly approached the demon.
‘Ugh, the expression and the atmosphere just don’t match at all.’
By just looking at her expression, one would expect a chilling and deadly vibe, but the attire completely contradicted that feeling. The knights on either side were clad in white sleeveless tops and dolphin shorts.
Moreover, the Emperor’s uniform was such that her upper body prominently displayed her chest and lingerie, while her skirt was so short it barely concealed her backside, even having garter belts strapped on her thighs.
Anyone seeing her would think she was a cosplayer portraying the Emperor, not the Emperor herself.
Above all, like several other female NPCs, her butt hugged tightly by the fitted uniform skirt wiggled suggestively with every step she took, as if to say, “Look at this!”
Can’t someone do something about that motion?
“…….”
Whether I thought that or not, having approached right in front of the lord, Kaiquilia remained silent and stared impassively at him.
Soon, a very faint murmur escaped her lips.
“Is that what happened?”
‘……What does that mean?’
This was a sight I had never seen in the game, so I had no clue about the intent behind those words.
At this point, comparing this event to the game was futile given how much the process had been twisted. At least the overall flow seemed to match, so I could only speculate that the results would likely follow suit.
The Emperor’s personality had deviated drastically from that of the original NPC, as did all four Knight Commanders.
“It’s time to end this. You pitiful thing.”
Light began to gather in Kaiquilia’s right hand, soon changing into the form of the Holy Sword. As divine power rivaling that of the sun manifested nearby, the demon thrashed about in desperation, trying to retreat.
Of course, it was a fruitless endeavor. The Holy Sword easily pierced the lord’s body, and the demon let out a gradually fading scream of “Kiiiiiieee…,” eventually ceasing all movement.
Compared to all the misdeeds he had committed, it was quite an anticlimactic end.
Kaiquilia left the Holy Sword embedded in the lord’s body and pulled out a blue vial from her waist, pouring it onto the corpse. The blue liquid started to gather on the floor, forming a magic circle.
Once the magic circle was complete, it shot a small beam of light up to the ceiling, and the lord’s body began to be teleported somewhere. Where the light beam faded, an empty space remained.
Kaiquilia, who had been watching that scene impassively, finally spoke up.
“Where is the book he was using?”
“It has been carefully stored in a makeshift warehouse.”
“I shall retrieve it, so prepare it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Aurora bowed her head slightly before ascending the stairs first.
“And before we go, there’s one more thing to do. Iris Commander.”
“Yes! Your Majesty!”
“Stay here. The rest of you leave.”
At those words, Iris flinched.
The others wore puzzled expressions. However, it was impossible not to obey the Emperor’s command. We ascended the stairs, leaving Iris and Kaiquilia in the basement.
This too was a development I had never witnessed in the game.
In the now-deserted basement, the Emperor’s characteristic emotionless and chilling golden gaze fixed on Iris. Iris stood frozen, maintaining her position.
Her expression was rigid and hard.
A silence hung heavily in the air, pressing down on us. It felt as though the air filling the space had gained weight. Iris struggled to keep her slumping shoulders straight.
“I shall give you a command.”
“Whatever it is, I shall obey!”
Kaiquilia paused for a moment, tapping her finger on her arm, before her golden pupils sparked with light as she spoke.
“Tell me everything you know about that New Knight.”