Lord Of Doom!Reincarnated Into a Novel as the Strongest Side Character-Chapter 58: The Emperor!

Gojin hummed with his hands behind his head, using his neck as a makeshift pillow. Kenji and Sakura trailed behind him, engrossed in their poetry books—two volumes of ancient texts they had stacked together, relics from a bygone era.

"So, we will have to find a—"

Suddenly, a throng of people rushed past them in a hurry, sprinting toward the market center, their expressions a mix of surprise and excitement as they exchanged hushed whispers.

The three exchanged glances and instinctively followed the crowd without a word.

Arriving at the market center, they witnessed a scene of reverence: people clearing a path and bowing deeply as someone entered through the city gates.

A convoy of soldiers, clad in ornate armor, led the way, the imperial palace’s flag fluttering in the breeze. The Emperor’s palanquin followed, carried by servants dressed in rich silks. The palanquin was adorned with dragon carvings and golden embellishments, reflecting the sunlight.

As the procession moved, two commoners whispered to each other, their voices were barely audible above the rustle of the crowd.

"Do you think he even cares about us? Just a puppet on a throne," one murmured.

"Right? He’s just hiding behind his guards, afraid of the real world," the other replied.

In an instant, the soldiers heard them, and before anyone could react, the two were seized and executed on the spot, their bodies falling lifeless to the ground. The crowd kept quiet, the atmosphere turning tense with fear and awe - no one dared to raise their heads.

Gojin, Kenji, and Sakura instinctively joined the throng, bowing low, their heads touching the ground. Gojin grinned to himself, hoping for a chance encounter with the Emperor—another opportunity for profit as exorcists. He suspected the Emperor was a spiritual coward, given his history and the capital’s move from Nara to Heian-kyo.

Minutes later, the Emperor and his convoy passed, moving deeper into the city on their way to the imperial palace.

As the last of the soldiers disappeared from view, the crowd stood up, returning to their daily routines while murmuring about the spectacle they had just witnessed.

Gojin, Kenji, and Sakura began to converse among themselves.

"Did you see that!? They didn’t hesitate." Kenji said, furiously.

"Just goes to show how fragile life is under his rule." Sakura added, her voice was low.

Gojin shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Well, at least it’s a reminder that they should be careful with their words. But who knows? Maybe we’ll find a way to profit from this whole thing since our arrival."

As the crowd dispersed, soldiers began to clear away the bodies. They dragged the lifeless forms to the outskirts of the market, where a small pit had been hastily dug.

The bodies were tossed in, covered with dirt and debris.

The soldiers exchanged a few words, their expressions were stoic, as they returned to their posts. The gruesome act served as a grim reminder of the Emperor’s power.

The fujiwara clan rules in this era. What a political twist. - Gojin thought.

***

Inside an Investigation room - under the city’s dungeon.

The pawn shop owner was bound to a wooden chair, large ropes tightly securing his arms and legs. Stripped of his clothing, he was left in only a tattered white garment, his long white hair now loose and disheveled. Two soldiers stood nearby, gripping tall and heavy wooden batons, ready to smash his legs and ribs—all part of the cruel little... torture.

The dungeon was dimly lit, with damp stone walls. Fire stands were lit around the room, glowing with low pressure infused and brightening up the room.

A woman entered through the heavy wooden door, a sheathed katana in her hand. Dressed in comfortable battle attire that exuded authority, she resembled an army general. Her silky black hair framed a striking face. The soldiers slightly bowed to her before turning their attention back to the captive.

"Selling humans to a malicious demon? And you dare call yourself a human? Your crimes are beyond forgiveness—too numerous to count. You will have no say in your guilt. By tomorrow’s noon, you shall be beheaded at the capital’s market!"

The woman declared, her voice was unwavering as she gestured for the soldiers to begin the ruthless beating. The human body contains 206 bones, and each one would feel the weight of their brutality.

In a frantic blur, he stammered:

"I have people you might be interested in—Exorcists! They’re in the city right now, moving about. They were the ones who brought me in! Please, don’t kill me or my family!"

She paused, contemplating his words. But her resolve remained firm.

"I don’t know why you disclosed that information; it won’t save you or your family. All your four generations, including you, will be executed. Don’t waste your tears and pleas—save them for tomorrow."

With that, she exited the room, her expression was impassive.

The soldiers began their brutal assault, swinging the heavy wood with merciless precision. After the tenth strike, blood soaked his tattered garment, three set of bones nestled in the mid leg region were now shattered, and his flesh began to tear.

He cried out in pain, his cries echoing through the cold dungeon.

***

Reikishi sat in the temple, praying as he bowed several times. The second-years followed behind him, mirroring his movements in perfect sync.

A few minutes later, they completed the nembutsu, a traditional prayer technique that focused on mindfulness and devotion.

With his back still to them, he spoke:

"Any updates on that loose demon?"

Kaito replied, "No, we’ve been on stakeout in both villages, but there’s still no sign of it."

For the past two weeks, before Kenji, Gojin, and Sakura arrived in this era, they had been searching for a demon that had slipped past their blades. It had killed three soul reapers and one exorcist in mere seconds and was classified as a Grade 1 Radiant demon. Since then, it had vanished from their radar.

The fallen exorcist and soul reapers had ventured out from the hidden village for leisure, only to be reported dead hours later. They managed to recover the bodies, but the demon was nowhere to be found. By analyzing the damage inflicted and the nature of the struggles, they had determined the demon’s rank. Two weeks had passed since the search began.

"It’s quite amusing how these demons appear out of nowhere, wreak havoc, and then vanish back to where they came from. Well, send a message bird to the three."

The five of them nodded, keeping their heads bowed as they stepped out of the temple, walking in reverse.

...

"I wonder how those three are doing beyond the mountains. The Gojin one can surely survive alone if it all depends on intelligence and strength, but for strength only, the three will do well, right, Kaito?" Ren asked, cuddling his tool tightly to his chest.

Kaito didn’t respond to the question. Instead, he commanded:

"Continue with the stakeout. I’ll send the message."

The four halted while Kaito walked toward the hidden village to get the message bird.

"I think he’s been having a hard time, so I can’t blame him." Hana said in a low tone.

The other three responded in unison: Suki, Yumi, and Ren, "Yeah, we know, Hana! We’re also going through a hard time—working overnight and not getting any sleep."

Yumi gestured emphatically, spelling it out for Hana:

"WE’RE ALSO FATIGUED!"

Hana shrugged, seemingly unfazed by their complaints.

They groaned and ran off to the site where they had been staking out, which was Kurama Village. Hana quickly followed behind them.

Couple of minutes later, Kaito found himself in a small room with a birdcage at the front. Beside it was a table that held an inkstone, a brush, and many sheets of white paper. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

A wooden chair was positioned at the table, where Kaito sat down.

He began writing: A loose demon, likely a grade 1 radiant according to investigations, has killed four members of the hidden village in seconds. We’ve been searching for a while, so this message is to notify you about the demon in case you encounter it. Also, Reikishi and Sensei send their greetings and ask about the status of your mission. Good day; you should have all arrived in the Capital City by now.

Kaito sighed as he finished, dropping the brush back onto the inkstone. He rolled the paper and tied it with a tiny piece of rope. Then, he uncaged the bird and whispered a word into its ear before tying the rope around one of its thin legs, securing the message for flight.

Note: A bird’s ear is simply referred to as an "ear." However, birds do not have external ears like mammals. Instead, they have small openings on the sides of their heads, covered by feathers. These openings lead to the ear canal.

He opened the window, and the bird escaped into the open air, ready to deliver its message and return with either a reply or back to its cage....

"No matter how far a bird flies, it will always return to its cage."

Kaito watched as the bird glided through the sky, its movements unrestrained as it soared higher. The sunlight moved over its feathers like water, and the clouds loomed above, tearing apart for the sun.

***

"Huh!? What are we doing in...."