The Emperor Has Returned - Chapter 74

Chapter 74 Beloved has appeared(4)

Juan walked out of the cathedral while in possession of Eve’s body.
The cathedral didn’t exist at the time when Juan had been alive, so it took him some time to find his way out of the building.
Still deep into the night, he was worried about potential guards as the sun still hadn’t risen, but he had a guide with him.
“Alright. He’ll show you the way.”
The black priest followed Juan with a distorted face. His hand had already been healed, but the feeling of pain etched into his brain was something would last.
However, the most frightening part was the saintress’s face, who didn’t show any sign of emotion upon breaking his fingers.
“………It’s been a long time. A lot’s changed.”
Juan muttered to himself as he marveled at the large square and buildings next to the cathedral.
Outside of having the imperial palace, the capital didn’t hold any special place in his heart.
But having been so long since he’d last seen the place, he felt a flutter inside even though he was seeing it through someone else’s eyes.
He recalled the countless incidents that he’d gone through in this city. It was difficult to find anywhere that had stayed the same.
“Where’s the palace?”
“Pa., palace? It’s located northwest, not far from here.”
The black priest stuttered. His behaviour gave the impression that he wanted to be relieved but Juan had no intention of letting him go just yet.
Juan promptly headed for the palace.
He couldn’t sustain the connection for too long. The longer he did, it would have a greater strain on his body.
But seeing as he could freely move, he wanted to check on something.
‘What will happen if I find my old corpse.’
Even if he couldn’t transfer into his old body, if he could see it while connected to Eve, something could happen.
And even if nothing happened, he would at least get to see the state of his body.
From what he’d heard, his body hadn’t rotted, nor drained since the day he had been stabbed so if there was any clue to the questions he had, Juan felt like he find them there.
‘Possibly even have a look at the traces that were left on the day I died.’
He also needed to find a way to protect the saintress.
While he couldn’t feel his ‘grace’ from this saintress, most other priests were doused in it.
The amount of mana she had available was slim to none.
Although Juan could adequately control Eve’s body for now, there was a limit to what he could do with Eve’s weak body.
‘With luck, I might find some magic.’
There were many items and potions hidden inside the palace. But he wasn’t sure if it still remained in place. All in all, it wasn’t a bad idea for him to head over the palace.
Just like the black priest had said, the palace didn’t take long to get to.
As he neared towards the palace, several buildings and land that were familiar to him appeared in his sight.
The area around the palace wasn’t too different from the past. It was dark, silent and solemn.
Juan stopped in his track upon reaching the vast open square surrounding the palace.
The buildings around him weren’t tall, nor glamorous but they were impressive without a doubt.
Twelve towers stood around a massive pyramid dome. There were no walls around the palace. The palace was secure enough by simply existing.
Juan looked down at the rocks in the square that made up the floor with runes written into them.
As Juan approached closer, a wall of golden light appeared in front of his eyes, stopping Juan from proceeding.
“Sa, saintress. Perhaps this is your first time seeing it, but this is the famous barrier called ‘the veil of benevolence’. Only those allowed may enter. The barrier is so strong that even one of the six apostates Hamon Helwin, couldn’t leave after taking part in the emperor’s assasination. He was confined inside for 4 days.”
“4 days? What happened after the 4 days?”
“The head of the Helwin family and the emperor’s third child General Dismas managed to enter and cut Hamon’s neck. Still to this day no one but the emperor’s children and few selected imperial guards can enter. Even if it’s General Vares or the Pope, they will not……”
The black priest couldn’t finish his sentence. Juan approached the veil of benevolence and stretched out his arm.
The black priest shook his head knowing any actions were folly but soon found himself wanting to scream.
The golden wall bit by bit cracked and a door opened.
Not once had the priest seen the veil of benevolence open from externally.
Whether it’d be the Pope who’d entirely inherited the emperor’s grace, or the General who was the acting emperor today, they had only managed to enter the palace after the imperial guards had opened the door from inside.
But this saintress had opened the veil of benevolence as if she was simply opening the door to her home.
“Nice to see that it still works.”
Juan let out a sigh of relief. The veil of benevolence could only be opened by injecting a complicated pattern of mana into it.
Because it was impossible to mimic nor replicate what Juan just did, he’d given magic items to his children and a few imperial guards so that could also have access. Juan made it so that only he would be able to get through simply with mana.
“Nothing has changed inside I suppose?”
Juan turned around to ask the black priest. But the priest wasn’t following behind. He was bowing with his head down on the floor just outside the veil.
“What are you doing?”
“Sai, saintress nim. I….I dare think of myself not worthy enough to enter the palace. Only the most noble may enter, and saintress nim has proven herself by personally opening the door. Pl, please give out your punishment for the impious acts I had shown you tonight.”
Every word that came out of the black priest’s mouth smelled of desperation.
The word had spread that the new saintress was extraordinary but still, the Pope held the absolute authority in the church.
The black priests were a private sanction group that specifically only took orders from the Pope.
Being the underling of the Pope, usually the saintress wasn’t much different to him or any other dog of the Pope.
But this saintress was different. She was someone that could open the veil of benevolence with her own power. There hadn’t been a saintress like such in history.
And only a few hours ago the black priest had attempted to taint the saintress. There was nothing else he could do but go to the ground and beg for forgiveness.
“I’ll accept death if that’s what you demand. But if you’d give me a second chance, I’ll serve you to the best of your wishes with my life. With kindness and forgiveness, please consider the emperor’s gra…..”
Feeling no presence, the black priest looked up. There was no one in front of him.
The saintress had long left, and the veil of benevolence had already closed.
Seeing the empty square in front of him, the black priest planted his bottom to the ground in disbelief.
It felt as if he had woken up from a dream.
*****
The palace was the same as when Juan had died.
It was exactly how it looked on the day he said goodbye to his friends before leaving for the northern border.
So much the same that it felt as if his breath still lingered in the air.
At the time, it had been a lively place. A place filled with the sound of gentry, nobility, people employed by Hamon and ragged knights.
But now, it felt like a dead space with heavy air and no sign of life.
A space that has clearly been isolated from the world ever since.
Juan could immediately feel the presence and location of his corpse.
In the center of the palace, where his throne sat.
Juan blankly made his way over as if he’d been bewitched.
His corpse was calling out to him.
‘Kenosis.’
Between impressive giant stone pillars, he saw sculptures and murals, pieces of history that he had accomplished in the past.
The devils, creatures, evil kings, gods that he’d killed and sealed were displayed as art.
They had looked down upon humans with arrogance, but eventually they met death in the hands of the emperor.
The gods decided to erase all humanity.
And in defiance, humanity fought back.
Through that defiance came hope. An emperor rose.
The emperor cut down the gods into pieces, scattering their remains in forests and rivers.
The famous history of the emperor’s slaughter of gods was engraved into the wall as art.
Taking this all in, Juan began to walk with the feeling of being restrained by the neck like a dog.
Who could deny this glory.
Who could give up this power.
Come!
As his accolades on the wall came to an end, Juan was left standing in front of an enormous iron door.
It was where humanity’s saviour, the emperor’s absence was recorded.
Where his eternal rule had begun.
This iron door hadn’t existed when he’d been alive. Juan guessed that it was made when he’d gone into his eternal slumber.
If we were just comparing size, the door was as big as a castle gate.
While Juan was being wary whether the door would even budge, he noticed that not even a speck of dust was on the door for it was kept very clean.
Beyond the iron door, an enormous amount of mana and power was felt. But instead of it being dangerous, this power felt like home. As if would finally get to lie down in his home bed.
The iron door stood in the middle but even so, Juan was left feeling disorientated.
He wanted to enter.
Enter and become one.
Become one with this enormous mana.
Juan looked at his portrait engraved on the iron door. A middle aged man’s solemn face looking down.
For some reason the solemn and authoritative looking face felt unfamiliar.
Something that looked like a black branch was penetrating his heart.
Juan remembered. The day Garad stabbed him, the black knife had been protruding out from his back, his chest pierced.
Garad’s young face filled with despair, looking down at him and the blood flowing out his chest.
Juan suddenly placed his hand on the iron door.
And then.
“Who are you.”
He heard a voice from behind his back. Juan who’d been deep reminiscing about that day got his senses back. Even if he was distracted, Juan was surprised to know that he hadn’t noticed this figure sneak up on him.
Having got his act together, Juan only now noticed that his mana was fast depleting. Sweat formed on his forehead.
Come.
Lets become one.
‘Its wanting to come back together as one again, huh.’
Body and soul, the two were wanting to merge together. If Juan had mindlessly walked in, he would have been sucked inside.
Even now it felt as if he was fighting a current that was sweeping him in. If he didn’t cut his connection with Eve soon, he was unsure what would happen after being swept inside the door.
In his current condition, he wouldn’t be retrieving his lost body but rather help add on to the violent power that was circulating beyond that door.
“I asked who you were.”
At hearing this repeated question, Juan turned and saw a man in ragged attire. In his hand was a bucket and wet cloth. His clothes were in tatters.
‘A Janitor?’
Juan tried to think who this man could be but it was getting difficult to hold the connection with Eve. Even now, his mana was getting sucked into the vortex beyond the iron door.
If he stayed here any longer, he may not even have mana to sustain his current self.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll assume that you’re here with intent to harm the emperor’s resting place.”
The man asked again. Juan didn’t have time for a long talk. He realised that the saintress would be questioned if he returned without saying anything.
Although he’d made the black priest bow in submission, he didn’t know whether he could be trusted.
Before he cut the connection, with his last bit of strength he squeezed out his last words.
“Protect……this woman.”
The man’s eyes widened upon hearing the emperor’s voice come out from the saintress’s mouth. Juan’s connection had ended.