A frail voice answered; it was the Elder.
The Elder was a beautiful girl of Eastern European descent.
Ah... so that was it.
I’d always wondered why the Imperial family wasn't Japanese-looking when so many of the high-ranking nobles were. I’d figured it was just the development team’s weird obsession with Eastern European lolis, but no—they were the descendants of the Fairy’s clones.
"Fairy, are you there?"
"I’m here!"
As she spoke, the Fairy manifested, but for some reason, she was covered in low-polygon textures that looked like something out of a shojo manga drawn by a primary schooler.
Lose the face. It’s making me nervous.
"The sheer number of things wrong with this is staggering!"
"Ehehe~♪ I’ll change back now."
Once she returned to her usual form, the resemblance was undeniable.
"Fairy... so Imperial Princess Luna... my original... is in there..."
The Elder looked toward me as she spoke.
"Yeah, she’s doing fine."
"Ho-ho-ho... What a cruel tale. To carve up a young girl while she still lived..."
The electric bed hummed to life, and the Elder sat up. Her body was emaciated, her skin stretched thin over bone, and she was covered in tubes.
"Mitsusada... come to think of it, he was a pitiful child..."
"That’s my father’s real name."
So Maro’s real name was Mitsusada. I felt like that was the single most useless piece of information I’d ever received.
"The lifelong ambition of his father, Anthony, was the revival of a Japanese Imperial family. The boy was born for that purpose alone."
Every time I heard a new story about the Imperial family, the same thought occurred: How can these people be so damn evil?
Looking at Wifey or my brothers-in-law, they weren't this insane. Even Walter, for all his flaws, was a creature you could actually talk to.
"Mitsusada obeyed his father’s commands. He murdered his brothers and ascended as Emperor. Ah... how tragic. All it brought him was a life of solitude."
Personally, I thought the brothers who got murdered had it a lot worse.
"It was Anthony’s doing... he intended to use cloning to grant Mitsusada eternal life."
On the surface, it sounded like some grand, tragic epic, but if you really thought about it, the guy was just a hardcore Japanese-supremacist bigot. Seriously, was every single person in this family completely out of their minds?
"But he failed... right?"
Maro had died a perfectly normal death, after all.
"A clone escaped."
They had learned absolutely nothing from the Jester breeding program. They just kept making the same damn mistakes over and over.
"One of the escapees executed Anthony. Mitsusada barely survived... he suffered wounds to his face and refused to appear in public without heavy makeup thereafter..."
Right. So the grandfather got taken out, and Maro got facial scars and became 'Maro.'
"And yet, those scars have long since healed. They aren't even visible now."
You mean they’re gone?!
I really didn't think Maro-chan was cut out for the immortality business. If you’re going to do it, you need to be at the level where you’re still trying to Initial D-it on a stretcher while your neck is snapped. I, for one, would absolutely hate to be immortal.
"Wait, Elder! I never heard anything about this!" Wifey interjected.
"It is no different from Cyrus striking down his father. The history of the Imperial family is filled with things that can never see the light of day."
"So, uh, what about the Grand Chamberlain? Kanto Gonzaemon? What happened to him?"
"It’s Kotaro Nakazato, Captain," Amada-chi corrected.
I’d completely forgotten the guy's name already. But surely the Grand Chamberlain wasn't the one who killed the old man, right?
"He was one of those who escaped. A bomb had been planted in the clones' stomachs. They were supposed to detonate unless a deactivation code was entered every twenty-four hours..."
"The Empire really has no chill, does it?"
Every single thing they did was the work of a monster, and it always came back to bite them in the ass later. Luna, Maro, and even his father.
"They lacked human hearts... both Anthony and Mitsusada. They were born as rulers, and because of that, they never learned how to be human. How truly pitiable..."
"No, I’m pretty sure the clones they victimized are the pitiable ones," I couldn't help but snap back.
In my mind, both the old man and Maro deserved exactly what they got.
"Having no heart is one thing, but you have to accept the consequences of your actions."
Wifey froze at my words. However, Melissa, who had been silent until now, let out a laugh.
"I’m with the Captain! That’s my man for you!"
"N-no... I... I also think the Lord Groom is right."
Wifey, having finished her reboot, agreed with me. They were monsters, but they were still her parents, so I guess it took a second to process.
Then, someone else burst out into hysterical laughter.
"Gyahahahaha! Exactly! I knew I liked you, Leo-kun!!"
The Fairy was rolling around, kicking her legs in the air. Apparently, I’d hit her funny bone. Whatever, I’d just leave her to it.
"Amada-san, the enemy is a clone. He killed the original and took his place. Since then, he’s been working as the Grand Chamberlain, pulling the strings to destroy the Empire... sound about right?"
I finally saw the big picture. The Grand Chamberlain was currently on the Revolution Scenario route.
As someone who’d become a real soldier, I’d always thought, Man, the original story makes revolutions look so easy. There’s no way you could actually pull that off. But if the Empire’s internal affairs were this fundamentally rotten, they actually had a shot.
"He’s probably in contact with the underground... no, wait. The Grand Chamberlain was probably the one who created the underground organization. This is just a guess, but I’ll bet he’s cooperating with the Zork, too."
The Revolution Route was essentially just a Domination Route for the Zork. A total Bad End. I’d wondered why they seemed to be learning about humans from such a weird angle, but their teacher was the underground organization.
"You are Veronica’s groom, are you not?"
"Leo Kamishiro. A descendant of the Jesters you lot created in your labs."
"I see. So you are the one who will set me free... Take my hand, Jester."
I did as she asked and grasped the Elder’s hand.
"I give you my all. I am weary of living... even though my body has reached its limit, I cannot die. A legendary biological weapon... a Jester should be able to master this power..."
Suddenly, power surged into my body.
What the hell is this?!
Information flooded my brain. Immortality? No! What is this power?!
It was a healer! And not just some basic priest—this was on a whole different level! The Elder had been a max-level healer!
"It is a power that can twist even death itself. Jester, claim your victory. Uphold your justice. Destroy. Create."
Light erupted from beneath my feet.
Hey, hold on! I’m not the 'Warrior of Light' type! Besides, I’m not the protagonist! Stop messing with me!
"HRAAAAAAAAH!!"
I put everything I had into a shout, and the light vanished.
"I leave... the Empire... in your hands..."
The life faded from the Elder’s hand.
"E-Elder!"
The women of the Inner Palace gathered around, weeping. Part of it was grief, but they also seemed relieved that she had finally been released from her long, agonizing existence.
Amada was on his knees, hands on the floor.
"Captain... what am I supposed to do now..."
I patted Amada on the shoulder. I felt for the guy. He’d probably figured that even if he heard the truth, it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle. Instead, he’d just been hit with enough high-treason secrets to get him executed ten times over. His life was basically over.
I knew the feeling. I was in the same boat.
"Don't sweat it♪"
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaan!!"
And just like that, another poor soul had tumbled onto the fast track to promotion—a path paved with instant-death events.
Don't worry, buddy. I’m the type who looks out for his comrades. As long as we survive, we’re good. (Mental shutdown initiated.)
For now, I decided to focus on mourning the Elder.