Chapter 8: Evil God’s Filth

Alexia closed the lid of the Box in her hand.

“So you’re saying someone discarded this Box in front of the Imperial Capital gates? Hmm, wait, let me rephrase. It mysteriously appeared there out of nowhere, and the guarding Imperial Guard noticed nothing?”

“…To answer Her Majesty, that’s correct.”

Below the throne, a soldier knelt on the ground, voice trembling.

Alexia waved her hand casually, her voice floating down.

“Execute them. Along with all the Imperial Guard who saw this Box.”

The soldier jerked his head up.

The words ‘Spare me’ hadn’t even left his lips before a Blood Knight at his side struck him unconscious and dragged him out of the Palace like a chick.

“All these people will be recorded as fallen in battle. They are not guilty, but honored.”

Then, Alexia rose from the throne.

“I’m tired. All of you, leave.”

The maids and Blood Knights in the Palace withdrew in order.

When the Palace was empty and the doors tightly shut, Alexia opened the Box clutched tightly to her chest.

Inside was a woman’s Head, covered in complex, mysterious black patterns.

From the blurred but still recognizable face, it was clear that this was the Countess of Pandas.

Her features retained the beauty they held in life, but the eyes, once filled with warmth and vitality, were now hollow and dead, as if telling a tragic story known to none.

Black lines, like vines, twisted across her skin, giving off a strange and unsettling aura.

At this moment, the Head was tainted by the Chaos of the evil god.

This was the reason Alexia ordered the execution of all Imperial Guard who had seen the Box.

She could not ensure that ordinary mortals could withstand the corruption.

Even a fleeting glance might have left them tainted by Chaos, silently turning them into minions of the evil god.

For their own good and for safety, they had to die.

Alexia lifted her hand and gently stroked the Head, chanting a sacred prayer to dispel the filth.

Before becoming the Empress of the Empire, Alexia never imagined she would one day sit on the highest throne.

She was neither the First in Line to the Throne nor the most outstanding among the princes and princesses, and had no interest in the throne.

In fact, because her interests lay far from the succession, her father, the Predecessor King, saw her as impossible to inherit.

Few knew that her original dream was to become a traveler as free as the wind.

To that end, she buried herself in the study of tedious geography and history, planning her Travel Route for when she came of age.

She looked forward to adulthood each day, and diligently trained her body and studied Magic, preparing for the dangers of travel.

After all, journeys are filled with risks, and she worried that talking reason would get her nowhere.

Though she showed no particular talent in physical ability, in the field of Magic, she was undeniably outstanding.

Her Magic Tutor often praised her, saying that if she devoted herself fully to Magic, she would make a name for herself in the world.

Alexia only nodded perfunctorily.

It was a bright path, but not her calling.

However, before she could leave the Imperial Capital, a series of events shook the Empire, forcing her to set aside her own dreams.

The Predecessor King grew tyrannical and incompetent, his misrule plunging the Empire’s order into Chaos.

Princes and princesses who tried to advise him were labeled traitors, stripped of their Royal Name, exiled to the frontier, or executed on the spot.

Some tried to seize power, but even old, the Predecessor King remained vigilant and merciless.

In the end, few suitable heirs remained in the royal family.

After rounds of Purge, Alexia unexpectedly became the leading candidate for succession.

Yet she had no faction to support her claim.

Helpless, she was forced to take less honorable measures.

After completely cleansing the filth from the Box, Alexia returned to the throne and held the Box tightly.

She sat quietly, eyes fixed on the tightly shut Palace doors.

Two hours later, a figure clad in purple and gold entered from outside.

As Simon stepped into the Palace and saw Alexia on the throne, he froze.

The gloom on her face and the empty hall made it clear she was in a foul mood.

“Your Majesty?”

He asked cautiously.

“Come here, Simon.”

Alexia’s voice was cold as ice.

At that, Simon realized Alexia was truly furious.

He walked forward, glancing at the Box in her arms.

It was clear her anger was tied to the Box.

When Simon reached her side, Alexia suddenly stood, drew Simon’s sword, and pressed it to his neck with one hand.

“Is this how you handle things? Letting the corpse of the Countess of Pandas be defiled?!”

Simon was dumbfounded.

“What?”

He had clearly let the Countess of Pandas go. He hadn’t killed her.

Alexia shoved the Box toward him.

“Do I need to teach you, step by step, how to handle things after a murder?”

Simon opened the Box.

Seeing the Head inside, he immediately understood the source of Alexia’s rage.

It wasn’t just her.

He, too, burned with anger.

He had released the Countess of Pandas, and failing to protect her led to her death.

That alone was his responsibility, but for her corpse to be used after death was an even graver failure.

Such acts were vile in any land.

“Someone retrieved the Head of the Countess of Pandas, brought it to the gates of the Imperial Capital, and infused it with the filth of an evil god.”

Alexia’s eyes glinted with murderous intent.

“Simon, listen. I don’t care who did this. Even if it was an evil god itself, I want you to find them for me.”

She slowly returned Simon’s sword to its sheath.

“At all costs, crush the filth that defiled the Countess of Pandas to dust.

And bring back her body.

When things are settled between me and Pandas, I want her to rest in peace.”

It was true that the eradication of the Pandas family had been her order, but that did not include desecrating the remains.

Once a person dies, grudges should fade.

There was no need to vent on a corpse; proper burial sufficed.

Simon struck his chest with his right hand and bowed his head.

“Even without your command, Your Majesty, I would pursue this to the end.”

“From this moment, until the truth is revealed, the Imperial Capital will remain at level three alert…”

“If someone wants to play with me, then I will play along.”