Chapter 366
“Please kill Abel…”
As expected, Julius was in opposition to Abel.
After thinking briefly, Zeke spoke to Julius.
“Originally, the regent could just withdraw the guarantee of the blood lineage of the Elector Prince who qualified as royal family. Then we could mobilize the imperial army to strike at him.”
Julius shook his head at those words.
“It’s useless since Rom has already fallen into their hands.”
Zeke frowned at Julius’s words.
“Fallen into their hands? You mean Abel and Jiemens?”
Julius shook his head and slowly opened his mouth, filled with terror.
“Evil demons… have taken over Rom.”
Zeke stroked his chin after hearing Julius’s words.
“Demons taking over Rom… is that a metaphor?”
Julius jumped up from his seat at those words.
“No! I mean literally demons! Demons have appeared!”
Julius’s bloodshot eyes turned red with excitement.
Zeke realized something from his violent reaction.
‘Did demon-kind appear in Rom?’
The Abyss and Jiemens were working on summoning demons to the physical realm using artificial blood stones.
With the situation changing rapidly, they might have put Abel forward and summoned demons to take over Rom.
Julius collapsed back into his seat, his body trembling.
As Grand General with command over the entire Rom Imperial Army and Regent, he was so gripped by fear that he hardly looked the part.
Zeke asked Julius.
“Even so, they wouldn’t harm the Regent, so why are you so afraid of Abel?”
Julius raised his head at Zeke’s words and clutched his head.
“Their standard of ‘not harming’ is completely different from us humans… Unimaginably terrible things are happening in Rom right now.”
Seeing Julius falling into panic again, Zeke clapped his hands.
CLAP!
At the loud sound of Zeke’s clap, Julius snapped back to his senses and looked at him.
He said to Julius.
“I understand the situation. I have a few questions, and I’d appreciate answers to them.”
Julius nodded at Zeke’s words.
“Second Prince Leo and Fourth Prince Carus are guests in my camp. Would it be possible to put one of them forward as Emperor to drive out Abel?”
At Zeke’s words, Julius bit his nails and trembled.
He deliberately pushed back the fear of Abel in his mind and considered the possibility.
Soon Julius nodded.
“I-if the Second and Fourth Prince step forward together, we could draw in even those who claimed neutrality.”
Originally, Fourth Prince Carus was on the First Prince’s side, who was first in line for succession.
So Julius had planned to use Abel to brainwash Fourth Prince Carus to draw him to his side and bring the First Prince’s forces to his side.
However, when Zeke intervened and had the Fourth Prince seek exile in Midland, they succeeded in confining the First Prince but couldn’t draw in his following forces.
But if the Second and Fourth Princes joined hands, it would be possible to draw in not only Julius’s existing forces but also the former First Prince’s forces.
Zeke nodded at those words.
“I’d like to know which forces among the 13 Legions have turned to Abel’s side.”
Julius pulled at his hair before slowly opening his mouth.
“The Twin Palace, Golden Bull Palace, Crab Palace, and Goat Palace have turned.”
Zeke frowned at those words.
‘Gemini, Taurus, Cancer, and Capricorn. Not a good combination.’
Having fought the Continental War against the Imperial Army in his previous life, Zeke knew all the characteristics of the 13 Legions and the abilities of their commanders.
The most troublesome was the Lion Palace’s knights led by Morgan Buffon, but fortunately he had already died by Zeke’s hand.
However, there was one more group as troublesome as the Lion Palace.
‘The Goat Palace’s knight. Azmund Varios.’
While Morgan Buffon was a strategist, Azmund was closer to a sinister schemer.
He was skilled at manipulating people from behind the scenes and achieving his goals through unexpected schemes and machinations.
Calito, who was the vice commander of the Scorpion Palace, could be considered more honorable compared to Azmund.
Moreover, unlike Morgan, Azmund had reached the level of Red Knight, making him an excellent knight in terms of capability.
The reason Morgan became Regent instead of Azmund in the previous life was because he died by Abel’s hand after starting a civil war while opposing Julius after the Continental War ended.
But in this life, with various circumstances changing due to Zeke’s intervention, it seemed Azmund had sided with Abel to drive out Julius and take that position for himself.
After pondering, Zeke spoke to Julius.
“Are the empire’s Black Knights showing no reaction?”
Julius shook his head at those words.
“There’s been no particular word yet. From the Black Knights’ perspective, as long as they aren’t touched, they don’t care who becomes Emperor or if the empire is destroyed…”
“The Black Knights won’t move even if the Second and Fourth Princes step forward?”
Julius nodded and opened his mouth.
“If other kingdoms or Draker lead armies to invade Rom, then they would step forward. But right now, strictly speaking, it’s a civil war situation, so the Black Knights think it’s not a situation for them to step in.”
Because of Julius’s guarantee that Abel had the blood of the Elector Prince, even Jiemens’ intervention was treated as civil war.
But Zeke immediately retorted as if finding it hard to accept.
“Those demons you mentioned earlier. It’s hard to understand that the Black Knights won’t intervene solely because it’s a civil war when such beings from the demon realm are ravaging and massacring Rom.”
Julius shook his head.
“I don’t know about Draker, but most of the empire’s Black Knights hold ranks of Marquis or higher. Even though I’m the Regent and Grand General, I’m not in a position to freely conscript them or give them orders. They have the authority to refuse orders from the Emperor and Senate.”
Zeke heard those words and spoke while looking at Julius.
“In other words, this means that even if the Black Knights intervene in the civil war, Abel’s side would have no justification to stop them.”
Julius frowned at those words.
“That may be true… but the Black Knights will never move. Unless there is a threat to themselves…”
Julius, who was speaking, suddenly startled and looked at Zeke.
“Are you thinking of leading Abel to threaten them and drawing them into the civil war situation?”
Julius certainly had quick judgment of the situation.
Zeke opened his mouth while looking at him.
“Abel, who is filled with madness, is carrying out massacres indiscriminately. There’s no guarantee he won’t touch the Black Knights either.”
At Zeke’s words, Julius’s face showed more life than before.
“As you say, if Abel touches even one of the Black Knights… the situation would completely reverse.”
Zeke leaned back, crossed his legs, and spoke while looking at Julius.
“Will you join hands with us and drive Abel and Jiemens’ group out of Rom? Or will you continue to enjoy power under Abel while trembling in fear?”
Julius recalled Abel’s madness-filled appearance.
Emperor Nero was also mad, but he didn’t openly do crazy things as much as Abel.
‘If I leave Abel like this, eventually I’ll just become food for those guys.’
Julius thought briefly and nodded.
“Help me. Save the Empire from his clutches.”
Zeke nodded at Julius’s words.
“Good. Let’s work together for the peace and well-being of the Empire.”
Zeke extended his hand toward Julius.
Julius hesitated but soon grasped Zeke’s hand.
It was just as the two were about to conclude their meeting with a handshake.
“URGH…”
Suddenly Julius began to shake violently.
Black smoke rose from his mouth and nose, and his hand that was holding Zeke’s gripped tightly and wouldn’t let go.
“URRRGH!”
Julius writhed in pain.
Something could be felt wriggling under the skin of the arm that was holding Zeke’s hand.
“UNGH!”
Suddenly something burst out through Julius’s skin from his arm.
SWOOSH!
A grotesque tentacle made of bright red blood rushed toward Zeke.
Just as the sharp teeth protruding from the tentacle were about to pierce Zeke’s eyes, a bright light burst from his body.
KEEEEEK!
The tentacle retreated in confusion at the light of sacred power that Zeke emitted.
At that moment, Zeke grabbed the tentacle and immediately injected the power of sacred light.
TSTSTSTS!
The tentacle touched by the sacred light emitted black smoke and vanished.
Zeke immediately put on Agamemnon’s mask.
At that time, tentacles burst out through the skin all over Julius’s body.
“KUHEK!”
Julius made a dying sound and couldn’t regain his senses.
Zeke grabbed Julius’s hand and raised the power of purification.
WOOOONG!
Golden aura filled the entire room.
The tentacles rushing toward Zeke instantly vanished and scattered into powder.
The problem was Julius.
The internal organs where the tentacles had been hiding were all damaged, and it seemed he would die at any moment.
Zeke immediately cast a healing buff on Julius.
WOOOONG!
Thanks to the healing that Zeke cast, the damaged organs recovered and Julius was barely able to regain consciousness.
“KUHEEOGH!”
But before long, the tentacle seeds hiding in his body began to activate again.
Before the tentacles could burst out again, Zeke grabbed Julius’s body and strongly infused the power of purification.
WOONGWOONGWOONG!
Golden aura flowed into Julius’s body.
The power of purification and the demonic parasites began to fight inside his body.
“KUEOGH!”
The parasites tried to escape from the purification power while tearing at Julius’s internal organs.
But Zeke continued to cast healing buffs to restore Julius.
The parasitic seeds, numbering over thousands, tried to ignite while tearing at Julius’s body, but the power of purification was stronger.
The seeds that were struggling while tormenting Julius’s body eventually touched the purification power and gradually vanished.
“KUEEK!”
The collapsed Julius vomited black blood from his mouth.
Inside the blood he spat out were white eggs that appeared to be parasitic seeds.
The eggs that hadn’t died yet wriggled like larvae.
Julius, who had spat out the blood, saw those eggs and backed away in horror.
“HUK, HUK… Wh-what is this…?”
Zeke eliminated all the surviving eggs with purification power and approached Julius who was leaning against the wall.
Then he grabbed his shoulder and calmly said.
“Bear with the pain. If even one survives, it’ll be troublesome.”
He kindly tore Julius’s sleeve and put it in his mouth.
Zeke emitted an even stronger purification power than before and completely eliminated the last parasite remaining in his body.
Julius writhed in pain before losing consciousness.
Zeke only let him go after confirming that the parasites in his body were completely gone.
‘Vicious bastards. I suspected it but to think they really implanted such things in Julius’s body too.’
Jiemens and the Abyss were exactly the type to do such things and more.
Zeke’s eyes sharpened as he thought of them.
‘If they know that Julius came here for a secret meeting, they definitely won’t let this slide.’
At that moment, Muhammad hurriedly entered the secure guest room.
“S-Sir Zeke!”
He was startled upon seeing Julius collapsed against the wall and covered his mouth.
Zeke shook his head while looking at Muhammad.
“Julius is fine, so don’t worry. But what’s the matter?”
Muhammad wiped his cold sweat and barely calmed down before speaking.
“M-monsters are pouring out from portals that suddenly appeared!”
