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Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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"."The Commander narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening.
Elias glanced at him briefly.
Thats a fair reaction, Elias thought.
His tone had changed.
The Commander had chosen to attack him based on his noble birth, so Elias couldnt let that angle stand unchallenged.
I know Im different, and I have no intention of hiding it.
It was better to admit that than to stubbornly insist, I understand you all perfectly. If he denied it, their attacks would continue to land. But if he acknowledged his own nature, those attacks would lose their power.
After all, no one here was unaware of the fact that he was a noble.
At that moment, the Commanders gaze sharpened further, boring into Elias.
So youve been deliberately avoiding anything tied to nobility, and now you pull this?
Was he trying to appeal to the bourgeoisie?
That might work outside, but in the Catacomb, there werent many bourgeois. Those with wealth avoided detection by supporting local minor nobles or registering themselves as distant relatives.
Elias interrupted the silence, speaking again.
"So let me make this clear. Just because Ive lived a life rejected by the Emperor doesnt mean I claim to understand yours."
"."
"But my goals align with yours."
At that moment, angry shouts erupted from the square.
"Ridiculous nonsense!" "Kill him already! Why waste time listening?!"
Elias smiled faintly, as if hed expected this reaction.
The Commander infused his voice with magic and pushed Elias back down to the ground.
"How fascinating. Now that youre famous as a hero who hunts Pleroma, you think harboring animosity toward them is enough to say, Our goals are the same?"
"."
"Pleroma is evil to you, is it not? But whats your basis for that?"
"They kill the innocent for their own gain. Whats not evil about that?"
"Exactly. And youthose who harvest magic from us to stockpile it in your treasuryare the truest form of evil to us. While you may see Pleroma as your one and only enemy, we dont share that view."
Hmm.
So this was his plan from the beginningcountering by pointing out that the nobility on the surface were even worse than Pleroma. To reject the notion that they needed to abide by the morality instilled in them by their oppressors.
Not bad.
It was in human nature to seek binary divisions, as if they couldnt function without them. In this case, Pleroma would gradually slip away from the role of ultimate evil, replaced by the surface nobles.
From what Ive heard, Muller himself was anti-Pleroma.
He mustve shelved his personal opinions to craft this line of argument.
Well, this was getting interesting.
Elias listened to the Commanders words, a strange sense of satisfaction creeping in.
"You fear being ambushed by Pleromas 100,000 followers scattered in places you cant even find. But you have a system to hunt them down, and 100 million Imperial citizens to grieve and rage on your behalf. We, on the other hand, live as if the entire Empires population is one giant secret police force watching us."
"."
"So, of course, to us, you are a greater evil than Pleroma. Now, can you still say our goals align?"
"No."
Eliass firm, unhesitant reply rang through the square, amplified by magic.
The square, caught off guard by the unpredictable exchange, fell silent for a moment before someone shouted in frustration.
"Are you kidding?! Stop playing games and just kill him already!"
Ignoring the outburst, Elias spoke again, his voice cold and steady.
"When did I ever say that we share goals because of Pleroma? Ive never claimed that defeating Pleroma is my ultimate aim."
"Then what shared sentiment could possibly exist between us? Dont twist the truth in this situation"
"Youre mistaken. My enemy isnt Pleroma. Its the Emperor and the Federal Council."
Elias cut off the Commander, his words laced with a faint, chilling smile.
"."
The square fell deathly silent, as if someone had poured cold water over the crowd.
Countless wide eyes turned toward Elias.
Surveying the motionless square, Elias shifted his gaze to the stunned Commander.
"Why are you so surprised? Isnt that the reason youre wasting time talking to me, despite how many here are eager for my death?"
Elias continued with a smirk, his tone sharper now.
"Youre planning to hand me over to the Imperial Court, arent you? My uncle, always looking for a chance to undermine me, would use that opportunity to abandon any hardline policies against the Catacomb and soften his stance. That way, youd gain security by selling me off. Isnt that right?"
"."
"Dont try to deny it. Im only repeating what one of your subordinates already told me."
The square buzzed with murmurs and restless energy.
It wasnt that they were outraged by the lack of ethics in selling Elias to the Emperor. No, the crowd simply hadnt fully grasped the situation yet.
The Commander raised his hand quickly, speaking louder to regain control.
"Youre well-informed. The plan has indeed changed. Elias Hohenzollern is Friedrichs greatest political rival. Delivering him to the Emperor serves the purpose of justice far better than killing him and ensures the Catacombs safety."
With that, the Commander turned his gaze to Elias.
"Your nonsensical diversions are exhausting. We dont have time for this. Now, its time for Marianne Baum to testify about you."
"!"
Eliass head shot up in alarm.
The fact that they were bringing Marianne Baum was a problem in itself, but that wasnt the only issue. I could feel a shift in the flow of magic, something different from before.
The moment Elias channeled his magic to create a barrier, the mages surrounding him simultaneously aimed their wands at him.
[Nunc est bibendum.]
Guh!
Eliass vision went black for an instant, only to return moments later.
He clutched at his chest in a panic. Bright red letters began scrawling themselves across the back of his hand, glowing faintly.
Catching his breath, Elias glanced at the glowing letters and let out a wry laugh.
The spell is crude, but youre calling my words exhausting?
No, it wasnt exhaustion.
They had caught on to the fact that I was steering the crowd toward my desired outcome.
Still, this wasnt an immediate crisis, so Elias decided to let it slidefor now.
Ill give you five minutes, the Commander declared. Use them to apologize to the citizens of the Catacomb.
Elias actually welcomed the delay. He suspected the situation would shift in his favor soon enough.
His earlier claim, My enemy isnt Pleroma, but the Emperor and the Federal Council, had momentarily quieted the crowd. Now they were starting to listen more intently.
No ne had ever imagined Elias Hohenzollern, a noble mage, would seek to challenge the Empire rather than live comfortably by leveraging popular support.
This is good, but its a bit disappointing.
The fact that my lifelong goalkilling my unclehasnt been properly advertised yet? What a shame.
Still, they resorted to using curse magic as an excuse to silence me.
Even so, I guess they thought outright gagging me would look bad.
Elias adjusted his posture with some difficulty and began speaking.
What are your goals? To live on the surface without fearing for your lives, like other citizens?
Thats not enough, the Commander retorted. Well make up for all the time weve lost.
Good attitude. I feel the same way.
The Commander raised an eyebrow.
When this is all over, youll do as you see fit. Youll probably gain a lot from it. The Empires newspapers will suddenly stop justifying mass murder and begin sympathizing with the Catacomb. Meanwhile, Nikolaus and I will somehow become the most shameless people in existence.
Elias chuckled softly and raised his head. His palms were slick with sweat.
Yes, I have options. Its true that I can choose between a 5-pel gin and a 500,000-pel bottle of wine. I dont deny that. If I said I felt guilty for all the privileges Ive enjoyed at the expense of the masses, would that make you feel better?
Not at all. Even if you said that, youd still be enjoying your wealth. Whats the point?
Then if I were to be cast out of the Imperial Court and live in the slums, sharing your past and present circumstances, would that ease your mind?
.
It wouldnt.
There were countless nobles deserving punishment. Seeing one of them fall wouldnt bring any particular satisfaction.
It wouldnt, would it? The root problem is too vast, and instead of addressing it, you blindly crush whatevers within reach and call it justice.
.
Its the same with you. Do you want to bow to the Emperor and gain a few months of peace? Do you want to surrender to a doomed path, becoming like Pleroma, just to feel a fleeting sense of safety?
The murmurs of the crowd were now lost on Elias. He wasnt in a state to hear them.
If thats what you want, then go ahead. But I wont.
You have no authority to dictate the Catacombs course of action. Whatever method we choose is beyond your understanding
I already told you I dont fully understand you, Elias interrupted. But the reverse is true as well. I wont claim that your lives of hardship make my privileges inherently evil, but
Despite his pale face, glistening with cold sweat, Elias spoke with unwavering confidence.
If youre going to say I shouldnt presume to understand others, then you shouldnt utter definitive judgments about others either.
.
The Commander stared down at Elias without a word.
Words spilled out of Eliass mouth like a torrent.
I know what it feels like to be condemned for something you were born into. Ever since I can remembera memory clouded by magicIve been viewed as my uncles rival. In a world where the one who should protect me tries to crush me, Ive never once believed this world operates rationally. Can you really say I wouldnt understand your plight? Isnt your situation the same as mine?
The atmosphere of the square was impossible to read.
Elias himself wasnt sure if maintaining this insufferable tone was having the desired effect.
Someone outside the circle kept shouting, but Elias could no longer hear it. The curse magic was starting to seep into his core.
Coming here in disguise wasnt just for my own safety. I knew it would endanger you too. And yet, I had no choice but to come.
If Muller truly had ties to Pleroma, then
Perhaps Luca had come to the same conclusion. After all, seeing how these vigilantes acted, failing to make this connection would be strange.
Time was running out. Elias decided to take a gamble and speak as if his assumption was correct.
The Emperor intends to use Pleroma as an excuse to deal with this place. And yet, you still consider allying with Pleroma? Did you ever stop to wonder why Nikolaus and I came here in the first place? I doubt you ever thought Id be on your side. I get that, but
This was it. The endgame.
Elias summoned the last of his strength and raised his voice.
I swear, I didnt come here to harm you. I came to stop the Emperor.
At that moment, the vigilantes standing to the left and right of the Commander suddenly aimed their wands at him.
Eliass half-lidded eyes shot open wide in shock.
Before he could grasp what was happening, the light in his vision disappeared entirely.
***
Weve succeeded, Lichthofen murmured, standing before the spatial magic he had cast.
