My Students Regret It After I Retired

78 – Keltazar’s Despair

Leos had first gone to Keltazar’s room.

“…”

Keltazar, bound by ropes, didn’t say anything.

“Open your mouth. Do you think you can live by just staying silent?”

“Kill me instead. Even if you divide and chop my body into hundreds of pieces, I will not tell you anything. I only worked for the Empire. I only burned my body for the sake of our great Emperor, for the infinite glory of our magnificent Empire!”

-CRACK!

Leos broke Keltazar’s arm, but he just laughed and shouted,

“I’m not one of those all-talk-no-action types. Torture me. Tear my flesh, pull out every nail, do whatever you want, I won’t give up a single piece of information about the Empire.”

“Why the hell are you doing this?”

Leos was starting to question his maddened attitude more and more. Keltazar was human, too. There was no way he wasn’t afraid of death. But Leos knew.

It wasn’t that Keltazar wasn’t afraid of death; it was just that betraying the Empire was a harder thing for him to do than dying.

For the Empire, for His Imperial Majesty. Countless people sang praises to the Empire and the Emperor while exploiting others, and Keltazar was one of the worst. He was the type of person who saw any human being as a tool of the Empire. But ironically, that tool included himself.

-GURGLE

Leos grabbed Keltazar’s head and began pouring mana into it. As a different kind of energy began tearing through his head, Keltazar couldn’t help but scream.

“What’s the room that the Emperor usually stays in like? If you just tell me that much, I’ll let you live.”

“I will…not…give…any information to the enemy… Kill…kill me! Long live…the great Emperor…”

-WHOOSH!

Leos threw Keltazar away. Keltazar stumbled, but still charged towards Leos. But he had no energy, and with his hands bound, there was nothing he could do to Leos.

“You rebel scum who has risen against the Empire deserves to die. You, who obstruct the path of the great Emperor…”

Leos felt a sense of dread seeing Keltazar, tears of blood streaming down his face, charging at him. He had been like this since the first time they met. Defending the Emperor, praising the Emperor, viewing the Emperor as the Empire itself and throwing his whole life at it. He had thought it was hypocrisy. He had thought things would change when it was his turn to be seen as a tool.

But Keltazar’s madness was truly genuine. And that’s why questions started to form in Leos’ mind.

-CRACK

He crushed Keltazar’s ankle once again, but this time Keltazar didn’t scream. Instead, he suddenly slammed his head into the ground and began to beg.

“The Empire needs your power. Your power to seal the higher Red Gate is desperately needed. Your abilities will be of great help on the path of the great Emperor. If you are going to live for so long anyway, dedicate yourself to the Empire. That power granted by the gods, that brilliant power bestowed by the great one for the benefit of the Empire, use it for His Majesty!”

Leos slowly walked towards Keltazar, then bent down and looked at him.

“Why do you worship the Emperor so much?”

“Because there’s no reason not to. He is the sage king who led the Empire through its glorious golden age, the hope of the Empire… the future itself.”

“I heard he was once called by such names. But what about now? That sage king you praised has become a tyrant, committing all sorts of garbage acts.”

“His deviations are but temporary; a sage king always returns to his rightful place. All that the lowly can do is trust without question. I believe in His Majesty, the great Emperor, who will once again lead the glorious Empire. We are tools. Tools to be used for his glory.”

“Then is death acceptable? If you smash your own head here and die right now, I might consider not killing the Emperor.”

“Really?”

“Does the question matter? You’ll die by my hand even if you just stand still. Whether you believe it or not is your choice.”

-THUD!

-THUD!

-CRASH!

Keltazar instantly slammed his head into the ground, shouting repeatedly.

“Your Majesty! Great Emperor!”

“Long live the Emperor!”

Leos, with a face full of disgust, watched Keltazar, who was smashing his head into the ground with all his might. At this rate, he’d be dead before he hit the ground a few more times. Leos pulled Keltazar away, stopping his actions.

Even death wouldn’t be a punishment for him. He’d just think he died serving the Emperor. He’d even consider it an honor. Therefore, it was necessary to steal his hope.

“The Emperor you worship so much is a puppet.”

“No matter how much you slander, I won’t believe such words.”

“Those who used the shield during our first engagement, weren’t they strange? And the Royal Guard who turned back after encountering Benedict in the last battle, weren’t they strange too?”

Leos whispered, looking into Keltazar’s eyes.

“Your eyes are wavering. You suspected it, didn’t you? That a separate power exists within the Empire. And that these forces might possess enough power to toy with the Empire. Yes… you must have known. Those who have the ability to create such shields without artifacts. If such people existed within the Empire, the Emperor would have placed them by his side long ago, and wouldn’t have sent even one to the Shadow Unit. Then, there’s only one conclusion – there are forces that the Emperor doesn’t know of. And they wield tremendous power.”

“Don’t slander him. His Imperial Majesty is unshaken by anyone.”

“There’s an organization called the Celestial Assembly. Many of the Emperor’s direct subordinates belong to it. The Celestial Assembly is manipulating the Emperor like a puppet. Their actions are decided by the will of the Celestial Assembly’s leader, and even their lives are in his hands. Ultimately, besides breathing and eating, they can’t do anything they want. Even the Emperor you revere so much is just a doll moved by them.”

“Don’t talk such bullshit!”

Keltazar, agitated, lunged at Leos, but with his broken leg he couldn’t move properly. Keltazar, foaming at the mouth, howled at Leos. The fact that Keltazar, who had shown no emotional fluctuation until now, is so enraged probably means that he himself was already doubting.

That the Emperor might really be a puppet.

The Emperor, whom he thought of as the empire’s glorious future, the empire itself, was just a doll manipulated by someone else. For Keltazar, there could be no tragedy more devastating. Perhaps, more terrifying than death to him is the acceptance and acknowledgement of this truth.

“That can’t be…it can’t be…it…it can’t be…?”

Keltazar mumbled, then lost his mind and screamed. Because Leos had laid out before him the information he’d compiled on the members of the Celestial Assembly. A list of suspects, and the actions they’d taken. Information gathered by the Execution Squad members.

From Leos’s perspective, it was hard to confirm its truth, but Keltazar, who was well-versed in the politics of the empire, could surely see the inconsistencies in this list, which detailed their actions and suspicious points.

Sure enough, Keltazar’s complexion quickly began to turn pale.

“Ah…His Imperial Majesty…there are evil forces trying to harm His Imperial Majesty. The Empire…our Empire is going to collapse like this. The brilliant glory…that once-in-a-lifetime moment of splendor will never return…”

Keltazar muttered, tears of blood streaming down his face. A mad killing intent and energy began to surge from his entire body. Mana was gathering and dispersing in his heart in an erratic rhythm.

‘What is this…?’

Leos felt an energy from Keltazar similar to his own. More precisely, he felt the energy of the five swords resonating.

“The Celestial Assembly…must be eliminated…His Imperial Majesty…how dare they…Ah…Your Majesty…the future of our empire…”

His frantic shouts and explosive energy. Leos thought that maybe…just maybe, Keltazar might also awaken his ability.

‘Is he dangerous? Or can I exploit him?’

It was certain that he was dangerous. Keltazar was like a spring, unpredictable. But one thing was certain: the guy’s fanatic praise for the Emperor was genuine. In the current situation, it was certain that Keltazar wanted the leader of the Celestial Assembly dead more than anyone else.

‘The scale of the Celestial Assembly is bigger than I thought.’

Essentially, they were people with abilities. Just among the Royal Knights alone, it was estimated that there were over 20 ability users. It was unrealistic to confront them with only a few hundred soldiers. At least, even if it was risky, if he could use an ability user as a tool, it was a risk worth taking.

“Keltasar. If you want to kill them and save the Emperor, think carefully. I intend to use you based on your actions. Just as you used me like a tool, I will use you as a tool to eradicate the Cheonsang Association.”

“How dare you!”

“Think about it. Being used like a tool by me might actually be the path to saving the Emperor. What do you think will happen if we just leave those Cheonsang b*stards alone?”

“…”

Keltasar trembled, bowing his head and muttering.

“Use me. Tear away at my flesh and body if you must, just please let me kill them. Please, let me kill them until a blade pierces my body and I can no longer move. I beg you. You can use me like a tool and then discard me, it’s fine. As long as I can kill the b*stards who are trying to drag His Majesty into the abyss…!”

Looking into Keltasar’s eyes, Leos replied.

“Then prove your worth. If you’re useful, I’ll even use you as a meat shield for the Cheonsang Association b*stards. Keep in mind. You have to be of value. In your current state, you’re not even worth using as a tool.”

A hot energy began to surge from Keltasar’s body.

Leos guessed it was a process similar to the Power Awakening he had experienced. However, he didn’t mention it openly. He simply spoke once more as he walked towards the exit.

“This is your last chance to be used as the Emperor’s tool. Whether you do something useless, or even get a chance, is up to you to judge.”

*

Leos left Keltasar’s room then and there. It was actually a good thing. If he could really use Keltasar, he could gladly use him as a shield to block enemy swords and bullets.

Rather than just cutting his throat to kill him. Making him block even a single enemy sword or bullet before dying was far more efficient.

‘Crazy b*stard. I just can’t understand him. To be so devoted to some Emperor. What the hell was he like in the past? No, it doesn’t really matter. How great could a piece of trash be in the past?’

That was the only way Leos could describe Keltasar. There were many crazy people around him, but Keltasar was the craziest of them all.

Leos composed himself. And moved to the last room.

With a creaking sound, Leos stepped into the dark room. There, without saying a word, sat a girl kneeling, her face visible.

Sirna. She looked at Leos without saying a word, just as she had when they first met. A few moments of silence passed, then Leos, unable to bear it any longer, spoke.

“Don’t you have anything to say? You’re suspected of being a member of the Dark Shadows.”

“…I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t an excuse that she wasn’t a Shadow Unit member, but words she had never spoken until now spilled from her lips. As if she had practiced thousands of times for this moment, she opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“For not believing in you… I’m so sorry…”

Leo stared at the ceiling silently. And after a moment, he asked Sirna.

“If you have anything you want to say, say it. Today might be your last.”