George III froze, staring at William I in shock, unsure if he was stunned by his ancestor's words or the fact that he could still smile in such a situation.
"…I don't understand. If you knew a powerful entity was preventing this, why not stop our plans to avoid provoking them?" George III asked, his shock giving way to confusion as he looked at William I.
"In fairy tales, there must always be a villain, and we are that villain," William I said calmly, meeting George III's gaze. "Many things can't be undone by stopping now. We've long played the role of the wicked. If we don't see it through, how can they become heroes?"
As a Sequence 1, William I could uncover much when he set his mind to it. He knew more than most and understood the intentions of the entity uniting the gods.
That entity didn't want the Augustus family to turn back... it wanted them slain as the dragon, paving the way for a thorough societal transformation.
William I saw this and chose to play along.
Not for any grand cause, but to seek survival in death.
George III was genuinely perplexed, unable to fathom his ancestor's reasoning.
Was this about sacrificing themselves for others?
"No, only this way can the innocent Augustus members, those uninvolved in these schemes, have a better chance at survival," William I said, reading George III's confusion. But he had no time to coddle his inept descendant. Turning to a certain direction, he asked, "Are you satisfied with the ending I've offered for this story?"
"…I must say, this is unexpected. Truly, no one who becomes an angel is a fool... except maybe Lil' Amon," Alaric said, stepping out from the shadows with a smile. He had arrived to deal with the Augustus family at the revolution's onset but hadn't anticipated this conversation.
"Good day, sir. How should I address you?" William I asked, glancing at Alaric before quickly lowering his eyes, as if scalded.
"You may call me Lucifer," Alaric replied with a smile. "Or Helel, if you prefer."
William I showed little surprise, as if he'd suspected as much. He bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty Helel, I understand your will. You seek a complete transformation of this society. I have no intention... or ability... to oppose you."
"The Augustus family will fully cooperate with Your Majesty's actions, including sending guilty family members to the guillotine. I only ask that you spare those who have committed no crimes, granting them a chance to live as ordinary people. They know nothing of these plots and have done no wrong."
Having witnessed the War of the Four Emperors, William I knew the fate that befell dethroned royals. The once-mighty Tudor family was nearly extinct in its direct line, and Solomon, once ruler of the Northern Continent, was reduced to the King of the Five Seas.
The Augustus family faced an even grimmer fate.
William I wished to prevent this but couldn't oppose Alaric, so he chose to seek life in death.
"…I'm not bloodthirsty. Those Augustus members who've committed no crimes can live as ordinary people. I can promise no one will hunt them," Alaric said, smiling. He had no intention of wiping out the Augustus family entirely.
After all, he wasn't afraid of a restoration, and not every Augustus was guilty. Take the prince from the original story, scapegoated despite being unaware of the Black Emperor plot... guilty, perhaps, but not deserving of death.
"…Thank you for your mercy," William I said, visibly relieved.
Alaric studied him with interest, then asked, "And you, William? Are you truly content to exit as the villain?"
William I fell silent, his hands clenching so tightly that blood dripped from them.
With a self-deprecating smile, he said, "I'm not content."
He looked up at Alaric, a sudden smile crossing his face. "So I'd like to trade my actions for a chance at survival."
Alaric raised an eyebrow. True to his principle of utilizing resources, he was often lenient with those willing to reform. He'd spared Sia and members of the Rose School for similar reasons.
Characteristics were no match for useful people, and Alaric was always kinder to valuable tools.
Under these circumstances, if William I genuinely repented and atoned for past sins, Alaric had no strong desire to kill him.
He wasn't that righteous.
"So, what have you done?" Alaric asked, intrigued, sensing William I's "action" wasn't merely allowing events to unfold.
"If I'm not mistaken, the War Angel follows you," William I said without hesitation. "You know the Demoness Sect has been our ally… Perhaps you'd be interested in crippling them?"
Alaric raised an eyebrow. William I had hit the mark. If there was an organization Alaric particularly despised, the Demoness Sect was high on the list.
And as for the Primordial Demoness, that lunatic had been on his blacklist for ages.
"I'm indeed interested," Alaric said, nodding with a smile. "But is it wise to betray your allies like this? Aren't you worried it'll lower my opinion of you?"
William I faltered, then took a deep breath. "That assumes they were true allies."
Some things became clear only after investigation. William I had begun to suspect the Primordial Demoness never truly wanted a Black Emperor to emerge.
The Demoness Sect's alliance might have been a ruse from the start, designed to swindle Conqueror characteristics.
A flicker of resentment and satisfaction crossed William I's eyes.
Alaric studied him for a moment, reading his emotions, and smiled. "I won't kill you, but from now on, you must atone for every sin you've committed. Until your debts are paid, if you commit another crime or try to flee, there'll be no second chance."
"Of course, if you're lucky, you might retain some consciousness as a Sealed Artifact," Alaric added, his smile radiant.
William I shivered, bowing his head. "…Your will is my will."
Alaric smiled, his gaze shifting to George III, who seemed about to speak. Before he could, Alaric said with a smile, "Prepare the guillotine. I hope the story of George III and the guillotine endures in history books for generations."
Some people Alaric would give a chance; others, he wouldn't.
He admitted his double standards, his capriciousness. That was just who he was.
***
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