Chapter 205: Look up


    When I arrived at Leos room, he was depressedly sitting on his chair.


    Beside him, Elna is looking at such Leo with a sad expression.


    Al


    How is he holding up?


    He has been like that since he woke up.


    He looked like he lost everything. It was as if his soul already left his body.


    The upright Leo always has his back straight. However, he is currently facing down as he sits in his small chair. Even I dont know what he is looking at.


    LeoAl is here you know?


    ..


    Leo doesnt react to Elnas words.


    Seeing his appearance, I let out a sigh.


    He ispletely down.


    It couldnt be helped. Leo just proposed to Leticia. Whatever her reply was, at that point, Leticia was the most important person in Leos world.


    He must have vowed to protect her no matter what happens. The moment he resolved himself for that, everything came crashing down before he knew it.


    It cant be helped. There is nothing he could do.


    Normally that would be the case.


    However, there are people that are allowed to think like that and those that are not.


    Leo is thetter.


    Snap out of it already. Do you have enough time to be like that? The battle is yet toe. You are fighting for the throne after all.


    the throne.I dont care about something like that anymore


    I see.


    Leo murmured without looking at me.


    He doesnt care about anything anymore. That is what he is saying.


    .


    Thats why I clenched my right hand and hit him in the face as hard as I could.


    Al!?


    Leo falls from his chair and hits the table. The sound of the items on the table fell to the floor echoing throughout the room.


    I frown at the pain running through my fist. It was a rare chance that I hit someone without the back up of any magic so I hit him as hard as my physical ability allowed. I wonder if I got any fracture from it.


    But that is something I couldnt care less about right now.


    Can you say that to the people who have died for you? Do you know how many people lost their lives because they believe that you can create a better Empire?


    It cant be helped since the person I love died.


    It cant be helped since my important person died.


    There are those who are allowed to say that and those who are not.


    The Imperial Family is thetter. Especially those who seek the throne. No matter what, we must not give up. No matter how desperate you feel, you have to shake it off and raise up again.


    However, after he got knocked down, Leo doesnt move.


    Stop itI..am not strong as Nii-san.


    I am strong? Thats not it. It is you who are weak.


    .the person important to me died.are you saying that being sad about it is a weakness?


    Sadness is not a weakness. Giving up is. There is no answer for you down there. A person who fights for the seat of the Emperor must be able to say [Even so] and stands back up.


    something like the throneI dont care about it anymore..I didnt fight for it for myself.I fought for it because I wanted to protect the people around mebut.the person I want to protect the most is already deadbut [even so], do I still have to continue to protect the people around me?


    The sound of the broken man with his heartbroken reached my ears.


    Right now, even if I tell him that Leticia might still be alive, he wouldnt be able to get up.


    I know it. After all, Leo is kind.


    If he stands up, he will be afraid of losing someone again.


    The more obsessed you are to protect someone, the greater the despair you will feel once you lose them.


    However, if you do not stand up, you can not protect anyone.


    Im scared of losing someone again..I dont want to feel this sadness anymorethose are the self-preserving instinct of a human. After all, our heart is not strong enough. But you know, if you stay like that you will not be able to protect anyone. No matter how many times you say that you already have nothing lefta person is never truly alone.


    Around 13 years ago.


    It was the first time I learned of my mothers illness. No matter which doctor came to treat her, they all gave up.


    To find a way to cure that disease, I have read many books. In the process, I learned about my great-grandfather who was obsessed with ancient magic. After my investigation, I discovered a secret room that only those who have the aptitude for ancient magic could open.


    I searched the secret room and released my great-grandfather who was sealed in a book and learned ancient magic from him.


    Up until now, I wonder if there is a time I put in so much effort to do something.


    Approximately 2 yearster, I have mastered a certain level of ancient magic and tried to cure my mother with the healing barrier.


    However, there was no effect. In the face of my mothers disease, ancient magic was useless.


    There was a barrier in my mothers room that made her condition gradually grow worse. I could destroy it but the barriers purpose was only to elerate the disease that already exists in her body.


    It was a disease that Mother originally carried and there is nothing I can do about it.


    I wanted to die. It was the time where I poured my utmost effort to save my mother who epted a good for nothing like me. I wanted to die because I realized that all my effort was meaningless.


    I stopped caring about everything. I thought that my effort was worthless. I despaired because even after I went so far, I still couldnt save my mother.


    It would be fine as long as I can save my mother. I wanted her to always be there to watch over me.


    I locked myself in my room and cried while cursing the feeling of helplessness I felt.


    If I can not save her then what meaning does my power have?


    I have no motivation to keep looking forward.


    Even so..I still have Leo.


    He didnt ask me anything when he brought me food and stayed with me. We only had our childish conversation with each other.


    I allowed my little brother to do that much for me-thats why I thought that I must not give up. I had to look up.


    That was when I realized that if I decided to stop, I can only sit back and watch as my important family disappears.


    After that, I searched the continent for legendary medicines. The medicines that I dont know whether if they exist or not couldnt be obtained with a straightforward method.


    Even if I be the Emperor, Im sure that I can not obtain them.


    But there was one possibility.


    Because of the professional nature of an adventurer who is likely to encounter the unknown, I decided that bing one would provide me with the highest chance to find it.


    The ingredients from the monsters of legend and phantom beasts, because of their rarity, many of them were thought to be able to be used to create medicines.


    Power would be required to subdue them but fortunately, I possessed that power.


    In fact, roaming around the world would increase my chance to find them but at the time, the Empire just lost the Crown Prince and dark clouds were hanging over the Empire.


    Leo was down. The crime rate went up and he said that as a member of the Imperial Family, he must do something about it.


    Thats why I wore the donned and became Silver, the SS-rank adventurer. While reigning supreme in the Imperial Capital, I continued to protect the Empire while searching for the faint hope of a cure.


    There is no point in giving up. If you only look up, there are a lot of things for you to see.


    The light of possibilities mighte into view. You would realize that you are not alone. You will be able to see the people you want to protect, the people you want to save, and see the important things around you. You will realize that you can still protect and save those people.


    I protected the Empire because of my love for my mother and the younger brother that I want to save.


    The ancient magic that I thought was worthless began to shine. Everything I thought was irrelevant became colorful.


    Look up. Even if it seems like you have lost everything, you are not alone. You decided to be the Emperor to protect the things that are mattered to you right? Are you not trying to be the Emperor that thinks of the people? You do not want to deny all the tragedies that happened in the Empire dont you?


    ..I.am a man that couldnt even protect the person I lovea guy like me cant protect the Empiresomeone like me shouldnt be the emperor..!! I am not good enough to be one!


    Then you should aim to be good enough from now on. If you dont want to be scared of losing someone, if you dont want to cry anymore then protect them all. A guy who thought that he lost everything and fell to the depth despair is strong. After all, that person would never want to feel something like that ever again. Im sure that was how the emperors of the past became so strong. They faced their sadness and overcame it by protecting everything so that they have to feel the same sadness anymore.


    ..BUT I.!!


    No matter what you say, I will keep saying this. Look up. Look at me. You are not alone. We are twins. Weve been together since we were born. The thing that you cant protect, I will protect it. Instead, you protect what I cant protect. We will make up for each other and keep moving forward. If you stopped in your tracks then I can not move forward either.


    Nii-san


    Leo slowly looked up.


    The face wet with tears of his is surely the same expression I had on that day.


    I offered my still aching right hand to Leo.


    Leo reached out for my hand but his hand stopped halfway through. However, with a determined look, Leo grabbed my hand.


    I am suitable to be an emperor..that was what Leticia told me..for her sakeI will be the Emperorthat way


    As expected of Leticia. She does say something good. You can use those words to thank herter.


    Saying so, I pulled Leo up.


    Hearing my words, Leos eyes opened wide.


    Eh?


    She is still alive. The dead body in her room is a fake. This is an abduction fabricated as murder.


    No..but


    If you look closely at it, you should notice it too. Well, I am here to notice what you couldnt right.


    Saying so, I grin.


    However, from my side, my ear is being pulled by someone.


    Al? Do you care to exin?


    Ouch Oww!? Stop that! Elna!


    You know that Saint Leticia is still alive!? You knew that and put up all those acts!? Give it back! The tears I shed for the brotherly love earlier!!


    AHH! ITS JUST A THEORY ALRIGHT! Theres no point in saying it while Leo was down anyway right!?


    Then lead with that! He would recover much earlier right!? Your personality is just rotten, you know!?


    I was only being considerate in my own way..!


    Shut up! That was too roundabout!


    After she said that, Elna kept on pulling my ear.


    While I thought that my ear would get ripped off just like that, Leos mutter reached my ears.


    I see..she is still alive.


    If my theory is correct that is. Even so, you can not be relieved yet. She is probably in the hands of a criminal organization right now. Actually, she is currently in a big crisis you know.


    But she is still alive..if so, I can still save her. Right?


    Exactly. For the time being, we have to convince Father of this. I need your power for that.


    Sorry, but can I leave that to you? I will go save her.


    Saying so, Leo grabbed his sword and rushed out of the room.


    I and Elna ended up staring nkly as he left.


    Eh? Has he gone mad?


    I wonderwell, he probably has the means to find her.


    How? You are not saying that it is the power of love or something like that right?


    Well, if he can find her with that then it would be good though.


    But will it be fine if Leo went out to find Leticia-sama? You need him right?


    Well, I will do something about it. I think that I will need to borrow your help for that though.


    Obviously. It would bring shame to the imperial knights if we just let someone get away after doing something like that in the castle. Most importantly..they hurt my childhood friend. That alone is worth all my effort. I will rip them to pieces no matter where they escape to!


    So scary.


    Not only Leos, the culprit this time also touched on Elnas reverse scale huh.


    Well, the ones who are angry are not just them though.


    They harmed the person my younger brother love.


    They better prepare to face the consequence.


    Alright, lets chase after him.


    Right.if he really went mad then we would better bring him back after all.


    Saying so, I and Elna chase after Leo.