The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 141

The Hero’s Revelation of a Traitor.

Though tension filled the conference hall, the nobles couldn’t hide their bewilderment at Gideon’s sudden accusation.

“How could this be? Lord Gideon, a traitor…?”

“N-No way. Lord Gideon has led the Carmen Knights for decades! He’s a pillar of the Carmen Empire!”

The fact that the Hero had received a revelation and found the Demonic Cultist in the Vanessa Kingdom delegation was well known.

But Gideon Garcia, the Carmen Knight Commander who represented the Allied Forces, as a traitor? It was hard to accept, even with the Hero’s word.

“…”

Of course, the most bewildered was Gideon himself.

He was the commander of the Knights who had defended the Empire for decades. As a noble, he had steadily risen through the ranks to become the Carmen Knight Commander.

‘A revelation…’ Gideon analyzed the situation calmly, not panicking at Rael’s sudden declaration.

‘The possibility of a revelation, something that hasn’t occurred in hundreds of years, happening twice in such a short time is low.’

Rael had said he received a revelation when he suddenly attacked the Vanessa Kingdom delegation.

However, Gaia’s [the main deity in this world] revelations are not easily given.

Of course, the situation has changed with the appearance of the Saintess and the Hero.

The possibility of two revelations is not impossible.

But even so…

‘There’s no way that crazy bastard would stay still.’

Gideon calmly turned his head.

The priests of the Gaia Order contorted their faces as soon as they heard the Hero and Saintess had received revelations.

In their minds, Gideon was already equated with the Demon King.

However, Pope Chunma, sitting at the center of the Gaia Order, was observing the situation with a blank expression even as the Order’s Saintess and Hero proclaimed their revelations.

Gideon knew the Pope better than anyone.

If he had received a revelation, he would have denounced Gideon before the Saintess and Hero.

They didn’t even consider the possibility that the Pope hadn’t heard the revelation.

If even the Pope hadn’t heard the revelation, it would be better to think of it as a hallucination.

‘The revelation is likely a lie.’

Gideon quickly grasped the situation.

He had tried to kill Rael, and Rael was aware of it.

Perhaps he had gathered information centered around the Second Princess or Grand Duke Eric and realized that Gideon was targeting him.

‘But even if it’s a lie, the atmosphere has already been swayed.’

Gideon frowned as he looked around.

The Gaia Order is a religion that influences the entire continent.

People are convinced of the war with the demons simply because the Saintess and Hero have appeared, and this meeting is part of that.

That means the Hero and Saintess have great authority.

And now, the Saintess and Hero, who stopped the Demonic Cult, pointed to Gideon, saying they had received a revelation.

No matter how much of a Carmen Knight Commander Gideon was, he couldn’t get out of this situation unscathed.

“Could it be that Lord Gideon…?”

“It’s hard to believe, but Gaia’s revelation can’t be a lie, can it?”

“There may have been a misunderstanding. Revelations are originally the words of God. Interpreting them is up to humans, isn’t it?”

Should it be called fortunate?

Gideon’s reputation, built over decades as the Carmen Knight Commander, was quite bright.

More than half of the nobles in the hall still believed in him.

“Hero, are you saying that the main god Gaia called me a traitor?”

Gideon took a step forward.

“Yes. It is the revelation of the main god Gaia.”

Rael confidently straightened his shoulders.

‘Main god Gaia, please forgive this lying lamb.’

Behind him, Saintess Cecilia was praying with her eyes closed.

She was atoning to Gaia, but to others, it just looked like she was focusing on the revelation.

“Does revelation mean you heard Gaia’s voice? I’ve heard that revelations can vary depending on who interprets them.”

“There is no possibility that I misunderstood the revelation. The main god Gaia clearly pointed to you. Gideon Garcia.”

Buzz-

[T, This damn Hero! Don’t invoke Gaia’s name!]

The Holy Sword Saint expressed its anger, but the Holy Sword’s anger was just divine power.

Rael raised the shining Holy Sword high.

The divine power emanating from the Holy Sword overwhelmed the hall and captivated the nobles’ attention.

“It seems there are still those who cannot accept reality. Don’t worry. For those people, I have prepared evidence that he committed treason.”

At the same time as Rael’s words.

Toc- Toc-

Second Princess Uriel walked out from the Carmen Empire’s side.

She, exuding the dignity and grace of royalty, spoke clearly to the nobles.

“My name is Uriel von Grandia, Second Princess of the Carmen Empire. I will now reveal Gideon’s act of treason in this place. Lord Belen, please come forward.”

“… Yes.”

A man walked out from behind Uriel.

The former 1st Division Commander of the Carmen Knights.

It was Belen.

Gideon frowned as soon as he saw his face.

“Greetings. I am Belen, the 4th Division Commander of the Carmen Knights. I stand here to testify to the treasonous acts of my former superior, Commander Gideon.”

The hall began to stir at Belen’s appearance.

Belen’s defeat against Rael in the Yongbong Tournament had diminished people’s interest in him, but he was still a man who was called the Empire’s best prospect just a year ago.

His words, having risen to the position of 1st Division Commander of the Carmen Knights, carried quite a bit of weight.

“Commander Gideon has conducted several unplanned surprise drills, and each time, demons have invaded the Imperial Capital. It’s as if he made the Carmen Knights participate in the Allied Forces’ training for the sake of the demons’ terror.”

“I, Uriel, will vouch for Belen’s words. I also have related materials.”

All of them are materials investigated by Bacchus and Tusin.

As soon as Belen finished speaking, the Rein Knights distributed the materials to the nobles.

“H-However, why would Lord Gideon betray the Empire…?”

“Lord Gideon has no reason to kill the Hero and Saintess, does he? They are the heroes of the Gaia Order and the strength of the Empire.”

The nobles were still dubious.

Even with the Gaia Order’s revelation, they wanted more solid evidence.

Belen continued to speak immediately.

“Before Lord Rael was appointed as the Hero, Lord Gideon tried to kill the Hero in the Yongbong Tournament. I also have evidence of that.”

Swish.

Belen drew his sword.

Belen’s sword, the only one in the world that only the elite of the Carmen Knights can receive.

When he brought the sword to the floor of the hall, the solid marble began to melt like ice cream.

“This is the Solitude of the Four Dragons. It is an extremely poisonous substance that can only be obtained from the corpses of extinct dragons, something that an ordinary knight like me can never obtain. The commander gave me this poison himself the day before the match with Lord Rael in the Yongbong Tournament.”

“I have received confirmation from the Blue Magic Tower Master that it is indeed the Solitude of the Four Dragons. Furthermore, I was told that all of this poison is stored in the Imperial Family’s vault. It is a colorless and odorless poison that only the Magic Tower Master or the Carmen Knight Commander would be able to recognize.”

The nobles’ eyes widened at Uriel’s following words.

Originally, colorless, odorless, and tasteless poisons are so expensive that they are priceless.

However, if it is a poison made from the corpses of dragons that have already become extinct on the continent, the words that only the Knight Commander can obtain it carry weight.

“Lord Gideon tried to kill the Hero…?”

“I’ve certainly heard that he used his full power against the Hero during the sparring match.”

The nobles began to whisper among themselves.

Rael raised the Holy Sword as he watched the scene.

“Lord Gideon, do you have anything left to say?”

Rael smiled confidently.

‘If you tried to kill someone, you should be prepared to die too.’

These are the things Rael had prepared to bring him down.

No matter how much of a Gideon he is, he will not be able to avoid the evidence that comes with Gaia’s revelation.

“…”

Gideon looked around once more.

Not everyone still believed in Gideon.

However, most of the nobles were looking at Gideon suspiciously.

The situation was completely different from a little while ago when about half of them believed in him.

‘Rael… Certainly, your strength is not just your martial power. Amazing.’

For a commoner to stand out in a few months, become the Order’s Hero, and drive himself, who ruled the Empire, into this corner.

He even felt a hint of respect for the Hero before him.

‘But there is no perfect evidence.’

A resolute will was etched in Gideon’s eyes.

He had not given up yet.

Demons invading the empty space of the Carmen Knights? That is, in some ways, a natural occurrence.

Belen’s testimony? That is also not something with solid evidence.

All Rael brought was not perfect evidence.

However, the problem is that it is impossible to logically lead the situation due to the special nature of the revelation.

‘There is no way to prove his false revelation.’

There is no way to refute the unilateral claim that he received a revelation.

That is how unreasonable a revelation is.

Being able to bring down the opponent even without proper evidence.

That was the power of religion.

So now, Gideon had to rely on authority too.

On par with the Gaia Order.

No, perhaps someone above it.

“Your Majesty.”

Gideon cleared his throat and turned around.

A resolute will was in his eyes.

He turned his body towards the direction where the imperial family was seated and placed his hand on his chest.

“Please grant me the opportunity to prove my innocence.”

To Gideon’s words.

The Emperor, who had been looking down at the hall, looked at him.

“Gideon. What opportunity are you asking for?”

The air in the conference hall froze instantly.

A silence fell where even the nobles’ breaths could be heard, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on the Emperor.

It felt like someone was swallowing hard.

“I do not have any material evidence to refute the Order’s claims.”

Gideon walked forward and knelt down.

His armor clattered against the cold marble floor.

He looked around once, then placed his hand on his chest.

“However, I would like to ask those who doubt me: Where did the blood I shed at the forefront of the great war against the demons go? What of the days when I couldn’t close my eyes for a month due to the monster attacks in the eastern part of the Empire? Doesn’t everyone here know that?”

The nobles flinched at Gideon’s words.

Certainly, his words could not be denied.

Gideon, who fought against the demons more than anyone else, a traitor?

Swish-

He didn’t end there.

Gideon pierced through the seams of his armor with magic.

The proud Carmen Knights’ armor peeled off to the sides, revealing his flesh.

Numerous scars, engraved from the battles with demons, were etched on his body.

“These scars engraved on my body are proof of my loyalty to the Empire. My entire life has been for the Empire. There is no evidence, no excuses. I am only proving my sincerity as a knight. Your Majesty. Please believe me.”

With Gideon’s words.

The hall was enveloped in silence.

The nobles swallowed hard and watched the situation.

Before they knew it, this seemed to be a power struggle between the Gaia Order and the thousand-year-old Carmen Empire.

‘What will happen?’

‘Everything depends on the Emperor’s choice.’

The Emperor of the Thousand-Year Empire.

Leopold von Grandia.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the Emperor.

The Emperor’s expression seemed weary and profound.

After a long silence, the Emperor slowly opened his mouth.

“Gideon, there is no doubt about your loyalty. However, the revelation of Gaia cannot simply be denied either.”

Leopold looked at Rael.

The Hero who received Gaia’s revelation was fiddling with the Holy Sword as if waiting for his words.

“The meeting will be temporarily suspended. The Empire will believe and follow the Order’s revelation. However, if the Carmen Knights Commander has committed treason, the Empire needs to confirm it before the Order does.”

The nobles nodded at Leopold’s words.

The Empire did not stand against the Order.

However, those words were the same as saying that they would work to restore Gideon’s honor.

“Hero, will you allow it?”

Leopold looked at Rael.

He spoke confidently even in front of the Emperor.

“If Sir Gideon does not run away, I will follow Your Majesty’s command.”

“Do not worry. Gideon will never run away.”

Rael decided to step back for a moment.

He couldn’t antagonize the Emperor yet.

That’s why he didn’t use the word ‘imperial order’ when cornering Gideon.

‘Either way, the Emperor will die soon.’

According to the original story, the Emperor will die before the founding ceremony next year.

The demonic energy felt from him was unsettling, but he didn’t want to touch the Emperor until then.

He was going to die soon anyway.

“Now, let’s suspend the meeting for a while.”

With Leopold’s words, the meeting was temporarily suspended.

Even while suspending the meeting, he quietly looked at Rael.

*

After the meeting was temporarily suspended.

Gideon gnashed his lips and came to the Order’s reception room.

“Celestial Demon [likely a title for a high-ranking member of the Gaia Order]. What are you trying to do?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sir Gideon.”

“Are you going to pretend you don’t know again? Ha. Celestial Demon, you better think carefully.”

Gideon distorted his face as he looked at the Pope in front of him.

In an instant, his position as the Carmen Knights Commander, which he had built up for decades, became precarious.

He couldn’t just let this go.

“Celestial Demon, you didn’t receive a revelation. Am I wrong?”

“Gaia-men [followers of Gaia]. That’s right. But what’s the problem with that? Gaia may have only given revelations to the Hero and the Saintess.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Gideon scoffed.

The Celestial Demon was a human who risked his life for the Gaia Order.

If the situation where only he didn’t receive a revelation was true, there was no way he would be so calm.

“Celestial Demon, so, are you going to keep still? The holy ground on the border of the Empire… Don’t think I don’t know that secret, do you?”

The holy ground of the Gaia Order.

Gideon knew the ugly secret of that place.

“…Gaia-men.”

The Pope made a sign of the cross, avoiding Gideon’s eyes.

Gideon continued, seeing his reaction.

“Cover this up somehow. A mistake. A misunderstanding. You can do it.”

Gideon was the Carmen Knights Commander.

Even if he cleaned up the mess now, his past glory wouldn’t return as it was, but he couldn’t give up everything.

He risked his life for the Empire.

He couldn’t die without changing anything.

“I’m not asking for something difficult. Just guarantee that the revelation was wrong. No other evidence can bring me down.”

The Carmen Knights Commander was such a position.

Unless he pointed a sword at the Emperor, Gideon’s position was solid.

“If you are confident in front of Gaia, I can give you a chance.”

“A chance?”

“A sacred trial in the name of Gaia.”

“…Sacred trial?”

Gideon recalled a name buried in his memory.

The sacred trial was a system in which a holy knight who received Gaia’s order directly judged a criminal.

It was originally a system where a criminal fought against the Order’s holy knight to prove his purity.

The Gaia Order’s duel, believing that if the criminal was really wronged, Gaia would not abandon him.

Of course, there was no way a mere criminal could fight and win against a holy knight, so to put it simply, it was just an execution.

“If you are really more righteous and innocent than the Order’s Hero, if the Hero really sold Gaia’s name… God Gaia would not abandon you who applied for the sacred trial, would she?”

The Celestial Demon also had doubts about this situation.

If the revelation given to the Hero and the Saintess was true, there was no reason for the Hero Rael to run away.

Divine grace will be given to those with a righteous cause.

That was also the word of Gaia.

Gaia will surely give strength to the righteous.

“Sacred trial…”

Gideon recalled Rael’s swordsmanship that had wounded him.

Certainly, his talent was so great that Gideon was afraid.

A talented swordsman who could quickly narrow the gap of decades received the Holy Sword and even obtained divine power.

He must have become much stronger than before.

‘But still… yes. Rather, it’s because it’s now…’

Rael will become stronger tomorrow than today.

There was no chance to face such a monstrous guy except now.

“You’re right. If Gaia really gave a revelation to the Hero…”

“Yes. There’s no way the Hero can lose. Gaia will give him strength.”

The Pope smiled faintly.

If Rael really received the revelation, Gaia would surely give strength to the Hero.

‘But if not…’

No one can ever be forgiven for selling Gaia’s name.

The eyes of Pope Celestial Demon sank coldly.