He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 230

Became the Greatest Crazy Emperor of All Time – Episode 230

“That won’t do. It sounds like you’re saying you’ll die in my place.”

“I’m saying I’ll take the risk, not that I’ll die!”

Isn’t that the same thing?

Of course, Lustra wasn’t just speaking out of a sense of sacrifice.

If we weren’t going to give up and run away, it was better for Lustra to enter the spring and break the bond between it and Pestras than for me to jump in.

There was no clear way for me to stop Pestras if I jumped in.

“There’s no time, Your Majesty. You have to decide!”

“…I understand. While I and Vostok draw attention, aim for the spring. Vostok, let’s go!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Unfortunately, there was no time to argue. Immediately, Vostok and I rushed back toward Pestras.

“Remember, we have to draw attention until Lustra succeeds!”

“I’ll take the attacks. Your Majesty, counterattack!”

Whooooosh! Bang!

Before the words were even finished, Pestras’s massive arm slammed down on Vostok.

Vostok let the attack slide by turning his body into a red mist. Attacks such as poison needles and flesh thorns followed, but he avoided them all.

“Over here, Pestras.”

-Heh heh, you and that blood-sucking mosquito are a great match, Emperor.

In the meantime, I spread my wings and flew. Pestras, who had grown like a tumor on the giant heart, spoke mockingly, but I mercilessly slashed at the heart.

Splash!

Dark red blood spurted from the heart that had been cut by the blade.

But even that blood soon took on the shape of a person and screamed in agony.

On the other hand, Pestras spoke as if he had not been harmed at all.

-Emperor, do you trust your people?

“Why are you suddenly saying something so absurd?”

It wasn’t as if we had the leisure to talk, but I responded to give Lustra, who had entered the spring while Vostok and I were fighting, time.

-It’s simple, Emperor. Do you believe that the people you lead will not betray you when you or your empire are at its most vulnerable?

“That’s a meaningless question.”

Slash!

Of course, just because I was responding didn’t mean the fight had stopped.

Murderous attacks were still flying at me and Vostok. Conversely, Vostok took the attacks and dodged, and I used the opportunity to counterattack.

But even so, Pestras was still unharmed, and he continued the mocking conversation.

-Do you trust your people so much that you won’t even consider the question?

“What if I do?”

-That would be truly foolish.

Clang! Slash!

I knocked away the giant arm he swung as if to sweep us away. I rushed to the heart again and cut off Pestras’s neck that had grown on the heart.

But even as his head flew off, Pestras laughed unpleasantly.

-You won’t be any different. You or your empire will be betrayed by the people you trust someday.

“I won’t listen to such baseless curses!”

Thud!

I stomped on his severed head and crushed it. But Pestras was easily regenerated.

-Foolish, that’s not how you guys can win…

“Now!”

At that moment, Lustra emerged from the spring.

Surrounded by a blue shield, she was holding a translucent core.

I could feel the power of life emanating from that core. It seemed to be the core containing the bond between the spring and Pestras.

Stab-!

The moment Lustra gave the signal, I pierced Pestras’s body like lightning, impaling his massive heart.

-Kuh, Keuheuh… Finally, at last….

Was the bond broken, or at least weakened? Pestras couldn’t regenerate from this attack.

But instead of being flustered, he seemed pleased.

-Hwa, Emperor… you… must see… what choices the humans you want to protect… can make….

He stretched out his trembling arm, and soon it touched my hand.

Then, the memory within the spring was transmitted to me through the last remaining bond.

I finally understood what he was trying to say.

* * *

The memory of the spring was exactly as Pestras had described.

The races of this planet were born from the spring, and they praised the miracle of the spring.

But the races, each with their own talents, did not dwell on the spring. They soon left the spring.

But the weak race, humans, relied on the spring. Even in the distant future, humans in the distant primordial era were at a level where it was difficult to survive threats without it.

Fortunately, the spring was merciful. It showed mercy to humans as if it were endless.

The humans loved the spring, and the spring loved the humans as well.

As if to symbolize it, I was looking at a woman and a man.

I didn’t know who the woman was, but I definitely recognized the man.

He was Pestras in the old days.

“I was her partner and the keeper of the spring, a priest who served the spring and an apostle who conveyed her grace to the people.”

“Pestras.”

In the memory, Pestras looked more pious than he could ever be in reality.

However, a deep hatred could be seen in his eyes.

“She loved humans even though she received nothing from them. She loved not only them but also me.”

“……”

As he said, in the memory, the atmosphere surrounding Pestras and the woman with purity – probably the spring of life transformed into a human – was unusual.

Of course, I don’t know exactly what the relationship was like. However, it was enough to guess that it was not an ordinary relationship.

But that was the seed of misfortune. The grace of the spring, which seemed infinite, was soon depleted by the even more infinite human desire.

And I could hear the answer to the question Pestras asked me.

“She, who had lost her power, began to get sick. Even in the midst of that, she tried to leave on her own so as not to harm humans. But humans didn’t wait.”

As the spring became ill and the miracle of healing disappeared, the human society that depended on the spring fell into great chaos.

The disease did not spread more severely, but what was more frightening than the disease was the fear and despair of losing something to rely on.

And what solved it was that irrational madness.

-The goddess of the spring has abandoned us. We must kill her and take her power to survive.

The kings of the time chose to find a scapegoat to quell the chaos.

They chose as a scapegoat the object that had bestowed grace on them for a long time.

The humans who had fallen into fear and despair did not have the ability to discern its reason.

Soon, the incarnation of the spring was murdered, the temples and relics were looted, and all the priests were either killed or raped.

Pestras was also dying. In his eyes, he saw the woman he loved murdered and her body being violated by people.

“Do you understand, Emperor? This is not just the past. The human race you want to lead has an indelible original sin. Their foolishness is that original sin.”

Pestras was laughing proudly even though he was defeated and killed.

He was convinced that I would walk the same path.

Rather, he was laughing happily as if he had already taken his long revenge and had nothing more to desire.

That would be the case. This cursed land was probably the land of the humans who committed that great sin.

If the humans of the empire were also their descendants, then the word original sin was not wrong.

“Even so, are you going to protect your people?”

So he could confidently sneer, certain that the choice I was making would be a foolish one.

“Of course, I will.”

But I had no hesitation in returning the same answer.

“As you said, humans are foolish enough to be called original sin.”

They endlessly commit sins, repeat mistakes, and are an unbelievable race.

“But the opposite is also possible.”

It is also possible for humans to agonize over and repent of sins.

It is also human to make mistakes but learn from them.

It is unbelievable, but that is why humans want to trust each other even more.

They are foolish, weak, and petty, but because of that, they yearn for wisdom and become wise, try to become strong, and are more passionate than anyone else.

So humans are ugly but beautiful. They are beings to be hated and loved at the same time.

“So I won’t give up on them, not as long as I am the Emperor.”

If I were just an ordinary person, I might have hated and despised them too.

I probably would have lived such a pessimistic life.

But a leader shouldn’t do that. An emperor shouldn’t do that.

That’s why I will always give the same answer, at any time.

“Hoo, hooheeheehee… Foolish. Foolish. But that’s why you are the Emperor of humans.”

“Yes, laugh as much as you want. You have the right to. But you have your right, and I have my duty.”

Those who are trampled have the right to take revenge.

Those who must lead have the duty to move forward.

When those two conflict, only one will remain in the end.

“As the Emperor of the Empire, I apologize to you on behalf of humanity. But at the same time, I will now liberate the sinners of humanity who are suffering because of you.”

Swish-

I drew Silver Rose. Silver Rose, wrapped in a sacred light, looked sad today.

No, only a commoner reflected in that sword looked sad.

“I believe you will fail.”

“That belief will not come true.”

“Believe that if you want. But I believe in myself. That’s why I will give you, your people, the same test.”

I could see what his test was.

The spring of life that was created in the Imperial Territory.

That’s a fake that Pestras recreated. In fact, it’s a trap that scatters death and disease instead of life if you waste its power, not the spring of life.

At first, I thought he was going to spread the disease directly with it.

But now I see that wasn’t his plan. What would trigger it was none other than human desire.

If the people of the Empire indulge in, rely on, and waste the power of that spring, as the ancient people did, and do not reflect on it, the same disaster will probably be repeated.

“Will your people, your descendants, make a wise choice?”

“……”

I couldn’t dare to answer that question.

As he said, the kings or people of my descendants may abuse it. It is common for the teachings and taboos of the previous generation to be forgotten and broken.

But I didn’t deny it either. Rather than arguing with him, I honestly admitted it.

Time will prove who is right.

“You can watch it directly from hell, Pestras.”

“I’ll gladly do that.”

Slash!

I cut off Pestras’s head with those words.

He was smiling victoriously until the moment he died.