"Kill Abel..."
As expected, Julius opposed Abel.
Zeke thought for a moment, then looked at Julius and said,
"From the start, the consul could simply revoke the Prince-Electorʼs guarantee of Abelʼs imperial bloodline. Then the Imperial Army could be mobilized to take him down." Julius shook his head at those words.
"Rom has already fallen into their hands. It would be pointless." Zeke frowned at Julius's response.
"Fallen into their hands? Are you referring to Abel and Siemens?"
Julius shook his head and slowly opened his mouth, terror in his eyes.
"Wicked demons... have seized Rom."
Zeke stroked his chin as he heard Julius's words.
"Demons have seized Rom... Is that a metaphorical expression?" Julius sprang to his feet at the question.
"No! Literal demons! Demons have appeared!"
Julius's eyes were wild with agitation, bloodshot and flushed red.
From his intense reaction, Zeke realized something.
'Demonkind have appeared in Rom.ʼ
Narak and Siemens had been using artificial Blood Tear Stones to summon demonkind into the Phenomenal World.
As the situation had changed rapidly, they might have pushed Abel forward to summon the demonkind and seize control of Rom.
Julius slumped back into his seat, his body trembling.
As the Grand Marshal who commanded the entire Rom Empire's army and as consul, he was utterly gripped by fear.
Zeke asked Julius,
"No matter what, they wouldnʼt harm the consul. Why fear Abel so much?" Julius lifted his head at Zeke's words and clutched it with both hands.
"Their definition of 'no harmʼ is completely different from what humans like us understand... Unspeakable horrors are unfolding in Rom right now." Seeing Julius start to slip back into panic, Zeke clapped his hands sharply.
Clap!
The loud sound snapped Julius back to attention, and he looked at Zeke.
Zeke said to him,
"I understand the situation. I have a few questions, so if you could answer them, that would be helpful."
Julius nodded at Zeke's words.
"The Second Prince Leo and Fourth Prince Carus are guests in my camp. Could one of them be elevated to Emperor to drive out Abel?" Julius bit his nails, trembling at Zeke's question.
He pushed down the terror of Abel in his mind and pondered the possibilities.
Soon, Julius nodded.
"I-if the Second Prince and Fourth Prince join forces, we could even pull in those who declared neutrality."
Originally, the Fourth Prince Carus had been on the side of the First Prince, who was the top heir.
That was why Julius had used Abel to brainwash the Fourth Prince Carus and bring him to his side, hoping to sway the First Prince's forces as well.
But Zeke's intervention had exiled the Fourth Prince to Midland, so while he succeeded in confining the First Prince, he couldn't fully sway his followers.
However, if the Second Prince and Fourth Prince allied, it would be possible to draw in not only Julius's existing forces but also the former First Prince's faction.
Zeke nodded at those words.
"Iʼd like to know which of the Thirteen Legions have sided with Abel." Julius clawed at his hair before slowly speaking.
"The Gemini Palace, Taurus Palace, Cancer Palace, and Capricorn Palace have turned." Zeke frowned at that.
'Twins, bull, crab, goat. Not a good combination.ʼ
Having fought the Empire and the continent in his previous life, Zeke knew the characteristics of the Thirteen Legions and the abilities of their commanders.
The most troublesome had been the Knight Order of the Sagyeon Palace, led by Morgan Buffon, but fortunately, he had already died by Zeke's hand.
But there was another headache just as bad.
'The Knight of the Capricorn Palace. Azmun Barrios.ʼ
If Morgan Buffon was a strategist, Azmun was closer to a sly schemer.
He was accustomed to manipulating people from the shadows, using unexpected tricks and psychological ploys to achieve his goals.
Compared to Azmun, even Carlito, the vice captain of the Scorpius Palace, seemed straightforward.
Moreover, unlike Morgan, Azmun had reached the level of red knight, making him exceptional as a knight as well.
In his previous life, Morgan had become consul instead of Azmun because Azmun had clashed with Julius after the continental war, sparking a civil war, only to die at Abel's hands.
But in this life, due to Zeke's interventions that changed various circumstances, Azmun had sided with Abel to oust Julius and claim the position for himself.
Deep in thought, Zeke looked at Julius and said,
"What about the Empireʼs black knights? No reaction from them?" Julius shook his head.
"Nothing yet. From the black knightsʼ perspective, as long as theyʼre not touched, it doesnʼt matter who becomes Emperor or if the Empire falls apart..."
"Even if the Second Prince and Fourth Prince step forward, the black knights wonʼt move?"
Julius nodded and spoke.
"If another kingdom or Draker leads troops to invade Rom, then they would act. But right now, itʼs strictly a civil war, so the black knights see no reason to intervene."
Because Julius had guaranteed Abel's Prince-Elector bloodline, Siemens's involvement was also treated as part of the civil war.
But Zeke responded immediately, finding it hard to accept.
"Earlier you mentioned demons. Even with those Demon Realm creatures ravaging and massacring Rom, the black knights wonʼt intervene just because itʼs a civil war? Thatʼs hard to understand."
Julius shook his head vigorously.
"I donʼt know about Draker, but the Empireʼs black knights mostly hold titles of marquis or higher. Even as consul and Grand Marshal, I canʼt arbitrarily conscript or command them. They have the authority to refuse orders from the Emperor and the Council of Elders."
Zeke looked at Julius and said upon hearing that,
"That means, conversely, if the black knights intervene in the civil war, Abelʼs side has no justification to stop them."
Julius frowned at those words.
"Thatʼs true, but... the black knights absolutely wonʼt move. Unless theyʼre directly threatened..."
As he spoke, Julius flinched and looked at Zeke.
"You plan to provoke Abel into threatening them to draw the black knights into the civil war?"
Julius was quick to grasp Zeke's plan.
Zeke looked at him and replied,
"Abel, driven mad, is carrying out massacres without restraint. Thereʼs no guarantee he wonʼt touch the black knights."
At Zeke's words, a bit more life returned to Julius's face than before.
"As you say, if Abel targets even one black knight... the situation would completely reverse."
Zeke leaned back, crossed his legs, and looked at Julius as he spoke.
"Will you join hands with us to drive Abel and the Siemens rabble out of Rom? Or will you cower in fear and enjoy power under Abel as you are now?" Julius recalled the mad figure of Abel.
Emperor Nero had been mad too, but he hadn't committed such overt atrocities like Abel.
'If I leave Abel as is, sooner or later Iʼll just become their prey.ʼ Julius thought briefly and nodded.
"Help me. Save the Empire from their clutches." Zeke nodded at Julius's words.
"Good. Letʼs work together for the peace and safety of the Empire." Zeke extended his hand toward Julius.
Julius hesitated before grasping Zeke's hand.
As the two shook hands to conclude the meeting—
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, Julius began trembling violently.
Black smoke rose from his mouth and nose, and the hand gripping Zeke's wouldn't let go.
"Ughhh!"
Julius writhed in agony.
Zeke felt something wriggling beneath the skin of the arm holding his hand.
"Urgh!"
In an instant, something burst through Julius's skin from his arm.
Splat!
A grotesque tentacle formed from a mass of crimson blood lunged toward Zeke.
As the sharp teeth on the tentacle aimed to pierce Zeke's eye, a brilliant light erupted from his body.
Screeech—
The tentacle recoiled in panic from the light of Zeke's Sacred Radiance Technique.
In that moment, Zeke seized the tentacle and immediately infused it with the power of the Sacred Radiance Technique.
Sizzle—
The tentacle, touched by the light of the Sacred Radiance Technique, spewed black smoke and dissolved.
Zeke quickly donned Agamemnon's Mask.
At that moment, tentacles burst through Julius's skin from all over his body.
"Gah!"
Julius, unable to regain his senses, let out a dying gasp.
Zeke grabbed his hand and invoked the power of purification.
Whoooong—
A golden aura filled the entire room.
The tentacles charging at Zeke vanished into dust in an instant.
The problem was Julius.
His internal organs, where the tentacles had hidden, were a complete mess, and he seemed on the verge of death.
Zeke immediately cast a healing buff on Julius.
Whoooong—
Thanks to the healing Zeke applied, his damaged organs began to recover, and Julius finally regained his senses.
"Gahhh!"
But soon after, the seeds of the tentacles hidden in his body began to stir again.
Before the tentacles could emerge once more, Zeke held Julius's body and poured a stronger power of purification into him.
Whoooong—
The golden aura flowed into Julius's body.
Inside him, the power of purification clashed with the Demon Realm parasites.
"Grrraaah!"
The parasites devoured Julius's organs, desperately trying to escape the purification.
But Zeke kept applying the healing buff to restore Julius.
Thousands of parasite seeds tore at Julius's body, attempting to multiply, but the purification was stronger.
The seeds tormenting Julius's body struggled futilely before gradually dissolving upon contact with the purification.
"Kraaah!"
The collapsed Julius vomited black blood from his mouth.
His blood contained numerous white eggs that looked like parasite seeds, wriggling like maggots.
The eggs that hadn't died yet squirmed.
Seeing the eggs, Julius recoiled in horror after spitting the blood.
"Hah, hah... W-what in the world..."
Zeke eradicated the surviving eggs with purification and approached Julius, who was leaning against the wall.
He grabbed his shoulder and said calmly,
"Bear with the pain. If even one survives, it'll be a headache." Kindly, he tore Julius's sleeve and stuffed it into his mouth.
Zeke unleashed an even stronger purification, completely eliminating the last remnants of the parasites in his body.
Julius writhed in torment before finally losing consciousness.
Zeke released him only after confirming the parasites were cleanly gone from his body.
'Vicious bastards. I suspected as much, but to think they planted something like this in Julius too.ʼ
Siemens and Narak were the types to do exactly that.
Zeke's eyes sharpened as he thought of them.
'If they know Julius came here for a secret meeting, they wonʼt let it slide.ʼ At that moment, Muhammad burst into the secure chamber.
"S-Sir Zeke!"
He gasped, covering his mouth in shock at the sight of Julius slumped against the wall.
Zeke shook his head at Muhammad.
"Julius is fine, so donʼt worry. Whatʼs the matter?"
Muhammad wiped his cold sweat and, barely composing himself, spoke.
"Monsters are pouring out from a suddenly appeared portal!"