‘Was it self-abuse?’
Tears of blood flowed from Laonzena's eyes.
Tears flowed from the overflowing sadness, but because her body was so twisted, they were mixed with blood.
Looking at that figure, Victoria read the background of the path Laonzena had taken after Ulysses' death.
Self-abuse, Laonzena has been abusing herself up until now.
"You probably couldn't forgive yourself. Besides, Laonjena, this woman, despite her strong body, is incredibly weak-hearted. Rather than overcoming, you're more likely to be swayed."
Unlike her father, Constantin von Bavaria, who returned to the Holy See during his adolescence after wandering with her, Victoria continued to travel the continent.
It was for no other reason. It was because he felt guilty about his mother, who gave birth to him and died of weakness around the time the ego was being created.
And that choice was a very Victorian one. Having possessed a strong mentality since her reckless youth, Victoria chose to find a way out through self-reflection rather than relying on others.
By making such efforts and finding answers, I was able to build a certain sense of self even though I was only 21 years old.
That strong mentality is the difference between Laonzena and Victoria.
"But was it a vague sense of obligation that kept him in the Sophist's clutches until the very end? And was it to uncover Archduke Antoine's intentions?"
Laonzena eventually realized that she had caused Ulysses' death and dishonor.
But her confusion was not the end, but the beginning.
He felt sorry and guilty towards his teacher, and he couldn't decide whether Antoine de Sel Oblain had given him the elixir to target Ulysses or if it was an unexpected accident.
[When the Master ended his life as a swordsman, the Sophist was on the verge of collapse. I wanted to prevent that. That's why I transformed him into the Sophist he is today.]
Laonzena, whose mind was almost shattered, stammered incoherently.
After the disgraceful death of Ulysses, the Sophists naturally began to disintegrate.
This was because there was a strong opposition from the outside that the armed group led by the Sword Demon should not be left alone, and internally, there was a division as the illusion of Ulysses, whom they had looked up to, was shattered.
‘The last thing my teacher asked of me was to become a sophist...’
Laonzena couldn't accept the situation.
What was Ulysses' last wish for Laonzena? To take care of the Sophists.
The driving force behind Laonzena's life, who had almost lost her mind, was actually the support of an organization called the Sophists.
I will make the Sophists the best, and I will make them a noble sword sect, following the original intention of the teacher.
Laonzena's goal was to keep the Sophists alive and on the verge of destruction due to severe cracks both externally and internally.
"How pathetic. It's a poor rationalization. In the end, you're just fixating on it to avoid your own responsibility and mistakes."
Victoria, who was listening to Laonzena's confession that wasn't really a confession,
But this time, without changing his expression, he hurled venomous words that flew like a dagger.
Because she has such genuine respect for him that she even owned Ulysses' sword before becoming a Sword Master.
And the Sophists of the Sword School can be said to be his legacy, which contains the philosophy of Ulysses.
Greeny, for whatever reason, the current outcome is not interpreted favorably in Victoria's eyes.
“Shut up! What do you know? You’re just a jerk!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Laonzena threw a tantrum, pounding the floor roughly.
“Ugh...! You... What do you know...”
But that was all.
Even I thought about it myself, it was such a poor response that I was ashamed to face my teacher.
As more than ten years passed and I learned the full story, the shame and regret grew even greater.
"So that's where the story ends up. Why, why did Archduke Antoine destroy the Sword Saint Ulysses? You've figured that out through your interactions with Archduke Antoine, haven't you?"
Victoria also became increasingly curious about what information Laonzena had learned.
It turns out that the swordsman Ulysses Schneider wasn't a madman obsessed with strength, as the world knows.
As Victoria admired him, interest in the possibility was bound to grow even more.
That is why, from the very beginning of today's meeting, I wanted to find out why Laonzena had been fanning the flames, the truth about Antoine, and why Victoria's own mother, Adrian, was involved.
‘Damn, should I say this or not?’
Eugene Schneider, who told Marianne the contents of the letter Vivienne sent.
After that, he seemed to hesitate quite a bit, as if he had something to say.
‘The person the imperial family designated as a threat was none other than Archduke Antoine.’
The reason is that the person threatening Louis XVI's life is Antoine de Seljael Obléan, who made him emperor.
How could one say that to Marianne de Seléléan, wife of Archduke Antoine?
"There's no way Vivienne would lie to me. If so, wouldn't there have been conflicts between the royal family and Archduke Antoine?"
It's not only incredible that the royal family is feeling threatened by someone, but it's also incredible that they've made that structure known to Vivian, who has an uneasy relationship with the royal family.
It was difficult enough to just accept it, but when Antoine, who had the full trust of the royal family, was the one posing the threat, Eugene's mind became complicated and he quickly started to roll the dice.
"It could be that he's trying to resolve that conflict in the midst of the current chaos. In Louis XVI's eyes, Vivienne's wealth and the Knights Templar might have been worth a shot."
While caring for Vivian, Eugene unknowingly learned a lot about the political intrigues of the empire.
Even now, he no longer sees Antoine as a Kaiser with a thoroughgoing chivalric mindset like he used to.
In that case, even if Louis XVI was established by Antoine and Antoine took power with the full support of the imperial family, it is difficult to say for sure what kind of conflict would have arisen between the two.
If that were the case, I think Eugene Schneider himself would try to deal with the sudden chaos that is happening now as a package of chaos.
And for that to be possible, it will require the power of a new force,
Vivienne, who not only continued to be successful in national affairs but also possessed considerable influence, would likely have been well-received by Louis XVI.
"Eugene, is there anything else in the letter that's confusing you beyond what you just told this mother? It seems to me that is."
As expected, Mamang Marianne, who loved Eugene Schneider so much, immediately noticed Eugene's mood as he was thinking while keeping his expression under control.
“Um... That, that’s right, Mother...”
"It's okay. Go ahead. This mother is ready to make a rational judgment on anything you say."
If it was just a minor issue, I would have tried to cover it up by putting on a good show and promised to deal with it later.
But if what Vivian said is true, we need to start taking concrete action immediately.
As such, Eugene Schneider hesitated and scratched his head slightly at Marianne's words.
When the infinitely kind Mamang Marianne came across this sight, she tried to comfort her adopted son Eugene by embracing him.
“The imperial family, feeling threatened, is trying to keep the Grand Duke in check??”
Marianne was shocked when she finally heard the specifics of how things were going from Eugene Schneider.
“As I said earlier, the head of the Pieta family is the Pierre family, so I don’t think this information is completely false.”
Looking at Marianne like that, Eugene carefully explained further.
When the story of Vivienne came up a few days ago, Eugene didn't tell Marianne that she was from the Pierre family and Alexis's daughter.
Even though the Obleans were unaware of Antoine's actions toward the Pierre family, Archduchess Marianne may have been aware.
However, since the reliability of the source of the information was more important than anything else, Eugene had already informed Marianne that the owner of the upper part of the Pieta was Alexis Saint-Pierre's daughter.
"Yes... Vivienne Saint-Pierre, I've had a close relationship with that child. She's not the type of person to lie."
Marianne nodded thoughtfully, her expression becoming more thoughtful.
"Still, it's hard to take this information at face value, right, Mother? Even the Pieta's top leader said something along the lines of a similar request coming in."
When I actually took it out, I felt that Eugene was facing a controversial size that was even more difficult to handle.
Eugene, who is having a hard time thinking that he should approach this more carefully,
"No. Assuming Vivian's information is accurate, we should prepare for further action. The Archduke's relationship with Louis XV is more than enough."
However, contrary to Eugene Schneider's expectations, Marianne accepted the conflict between the royal family and Antoine as a fait accompli.
"What's that? Mother's gaze just now? It's as if she's been waiting for it, filled with confirmation...!"
It was a reaction that would have left Eugene Schneider feeling embarrassed.
[While researching the elixir, I discovered something unexpected. It was something that happened before Ulysses Schneider became active in the Imperial Knights, during his time as a warrior.]
In order to maintain the Sophist Order, Laonzena chose to transform it into an esoteric religion.
At the heart of the project was the elixir that drove Ulysses wild, and Laonzena began independent research, separate from Antoine, who had cut off the supply of the elixir.
The smuggling of Sophists, as experienced by Thomas of the Red Fox Mercenaries, began to take hold with the start of this project.
[That guy not only traveled to the Empire, but also to the northern snowfield of Iskandar. He didn't just stay for a while; he wandered around, touching many strange things. It was then that he obtained the poisonous plant that created the elixir, the so-called Demon God's Snow Flower.]
The story of the fallen Sword Saint Ulysses Schneider resonated deeply with the demon race. It was thus easy for Laonzena to roam Iskandal under the banner of a esoteric sophist.
Thanks to this, the unknown activities of Antoine de Sel Oblain during his military training were obtained.
"Why? This is too deep and far-reaching for a simple purpose of broadening one's horizons."
The life of a wandering swordsman seeking to understand the path of the sword is diverse.
However, the Inspector class is entirely a symbol of the human race, and it is unheard of for Victorians to find a breakthrough in the culture of the Demon Race.
[You seem to have a vague idea. I felt the same way. But then I learned about the legend of the Demon King who received the grace of the Demon God, and through that legend, I learned what Antoine was trying to do. Then I understood.]
Shhh...!
When talking about Ulysses, Laonzena had a look of despair, but when she started talking about Antoine's suspicious behavior, her face became distorted with madness again.
[Antoine wants to kill the Demon King who was born with the grace of the Demon God and summon the Goddess.]
Afterwards, she said the same thing as the ancient demon priestess Anastasia.
[And through that goddess, you are trying to resurrect your mother, Adrian von Bayern.]
Not only that, he went one step further and detonated a nuclear bomb that would shatter Victoria's poker face.