I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 131

"Then Leo, Luke, you’ll come with me to the palace."

It was Luke who had proposed the plan, and Leo was also a key player in the investigation team. In fact, Leo was the highest-ranking soldier in the group after Theo.

The matter at hand was of national importance, and infiltrating Welharun through the delegation to gather evidence was a very sensitive issue. Therefore, it was only fitting that the key members of the team would go together to persuade the Emperor.

"Me too?"

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Leo accepted this naturally, but Luke, on the other hand, looked somewhat reluctant, as though he didn’t quite understand the reasoning.

"You came up with the plan, didn’t you? What? You’re not keen on it?"

"No, it's not that."

In the end, Luke nodded, seemingly resigned. He figured that if he expressed his reluctance about meeting the Emperor, Theo wouldn’t listen to him anyway.

A while later, the Emperor sent word that Theo’s audience had been granted. The three of them now stood at the entrance to the palace, undergoing a thorough body search.

"This place always makes me nervous, doesn't it? You feel it too, right, Luke?"

"I don’t know."

Luke answered nonchalantly. He might have felt some tension, as Leo said, but it wasn’t a place to get too worked up about; after all, it was just a palace where people lived.

In fact, aside from the Supreme Commander, even someone as high-ranking as a division commander didn’t get to visit the palace often. When Luke was a soldier, he had barely visited the place, and usually only when he had accomplished something significant like leading a successful military campaign or monster hunt. If you wanted to see the Emperor, you’d have to accomplish something big.

The palace guards finished searching Leo and moved on to Luke. As the guards searched his body, Theo, who had finished the process earlier, started to grow restless, his eyes following Luke’s movements.

Each time the guards’ hands touched Luke, Theo flinched.

"That should be enough."

Finally, when the guards began to adjust Luke’s waistband, Theo could no longer hold it in and spoke up. The guard, somewhat startled by the Supreme Commander’s voice, stepped back to give Luke space. Leo covered his mouth with his hand as he looked at Theo.

The three of them successfully entered the palace, and following the guidance of the Emperor’s assistant, they made their way to the audience chamber. As they walked down the hallway, Luke absentmindedly examined the various works of art on display, wondering how much they cost.

"Please wait here for a moment."

The assistant stopped in front of the huge doors and entered alone.

"As you know, His Majesty is a very temperamental person. Our goal is to get his approval for this operation."

Theo’s words were immediately understood by the others, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and both Luke and Leo nodded in agreement. Soon after, the assistant returned and gestured for them to enter. The doors opened, revealing the Emperor himself.

The room inside was vast, resembling a grand ballroom. Luke hadn’t been here in a while, and as he walked through the room, he couldn't help but glance around at the grandeur.

The open space stretched toward the far end, where only the Emperor could sit. At the top of a set of finely crafted stairs was an elaborately decorated throne. That was the seat of the Emperor, reserved solely for him.

"We pay our respects to His Majesty, the Emperor."

The three of them bowed together to the person sitting in the chair. Cedric, the Emperor, smiled widely and slowly stood up.

"It seems clear that the Empire’s army chooses its leaders based on their faces. You all are radiating with energy."

Cedric laughed heartily, and Luke muttered inwardly, wondering if it was alright for the Emperor to be so flippant.

"How do you see it, Commander Redrick?"

"While they may have impressive faces, all of the soldiers serving Hainern have steadfast determination," Theo replied smoothly, prompting another hearty laugh from Cedric. Luke couldn’t help but admire Theo’s eloquence.

"Well, well, it’s been a long time, Commander Luke. Or should I call you an assistant now?"

"It’s been a long time, Your Majesty."

Luke acknowledged that Cedric knew well that he was now involved as an assistant. Theo had included it in the report when he formed the investigation team.

When Luke had been brought in as an assistant, he had worried that Cedric might not accept him, but those worries turned out to be unfounded. Cedric didn’t bring up the issue at all.

"Isn’t it funny how things work out? Two people who once competed for the commander’s position are now serving the Empire side by side."

The two of them bowed their heads silently.

"Now, tell me why you’ve come. I hope it’s a worthwhile discussion."

Cedric’s words carried a sharp undertone. He had given up his precious time to meet them, so he expected something valuable in return.

"Your Majesty, we have come to seek your approval for an operation aimed at finding evidence of Welharun's secret alliance," Theo said.

"Directly to me? Hm..." Cedric stroked his chin as he carefully considered Theo's words.

"So, what is this operation? I will listen first, and then I’ll decide."

Theo exchanged glances with Luke. Luke then stepped forward and began to explain the operation that he had been thinking about.

"We plan to infiltrate the delegation and capture the evidence directly..."

At those words, Cedric remained silent, and the three of them held their breath. To carry out this operation, they needed the Emperor's approval.

"It’s an interesting approach. You want to use the same method as Welharun? I like it. It suits my tastes," Cedric said with another hearty laugh, but Leo, Luke, and Theo didn’t speak just yet.

"But what happens if it fails?"

The atmosphere in the room changed in an instant. The once bright smile on Cedric’s face, which had reminded them of the morning sun, now felt strangely cold and hard like a frozen lake in winter. Despite his smile, the air had turned frigid and tense.

"If it fails, have you thought about the consequences? In this matter, the most important thing is who betrayed the alliance first, and who is to blame for that betrayal. According to the information we’ve gathered, all evidence points to Welharun. But if things go wrong, the blame could fall on us."

"Yes," Theo replied without hesitation. Leo clenched his fists anxiously, knowing Cedric would raise these points. Despite his outwardly easygoing nature, the Emperor was extremely shrewd when it came to matters of strategy.

"May I speak?" Luke suddenly asked.

Cedric nodded graciously.

"I believe every operation carries risk. There is no such thing as a perfect plan," Luke said.

Cedric blinked but didn’t speak. He seemed to be waiting for Luke to continue.

"But the higher the risk, the greater the potential reward. If this operation succeeds and we manage to find solid evidence of Welharun’s secret alliance, the benefits for the Empire will be immense."

"So, what you’re saying is, despite the risks, you want permission for this operation because of the potential rewards?" Cedric asked, still smiling but with a touch of sharpness.

"Yes."

"Do you have confidence in your success?"

The Emperor’s voice was heavy, though his tone seemed soft and gentle. The weight of his words, however, was undeniable.

"The army will not fail to protect the Empire."

Luke’s response was firm and resolute. Theo and Leo, as well as Cedric, all looked at him in surprise.

Those words were reminiscent of something the first Emperor had said when he established the Empire’s army. It was a phrase that had been passed down through the generations, a reminder that the army’s duty was to protect the Empire at all costs.

"Failure is not an option," Luke added simply.

Theo followed up, "The Empire’s army is strong."

Luke’s words resonated deeply with Theo, and Leo bowed his head as well, supporting the request for approval.

A moment of silence hung in the air, and it was Cedric who broke it.