Choice

"Worthy of wine brewed by Dionysus. It feels as though one is standing in a vineyard heavy with fruit."

An unfamiliar voice came from beside his ear.

Moriah smelled an overwhelmingly rich aroma of wine, and his entire soul and mind seemed to clear because of it.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar surroundings of his own bedroom.

But he was no longer lying on the bed. Following the scent of wine, he saw Shaya and Sebas sitting in the corner.

One wore a black Grim Reaper's robe, while the other was draped in a black overcoat. Each held a goblet, its rose-red wine gleaming enticingly within. The fragrance must have been coming from those glasses.

It was Sebas who had just spoken. Clearly, he still could not resist the allure of red wine.

Moriah was certain he had never seen either of them before, and judging by their strange attire, they did not look like good people.

Years of surviving several assassination attempts made him cry out loudly.

"Guards! Guards!"

But clearly, no one answered him.

He looked toward his bed and at the solemn-faced people surrounding it. Seemingly still unaware of what had happened, he looked at his son-in-law Fasther and shouted excitedly.

"Fasther! Quickly, mobilize the guards!"

Fasther did not respond, which made Moriah even more agitated. He shouted at the people around him.

"Are all of you blind!? They're right here! Can't you see these two strangers!?"

He turned to look at his daughter, then saw "himself" lying on the bed.

His body was withered like a shriveled cucumber, devoid of all life.

Moriah saw his two daughters lying over his body, weeping bitterly and murmuring something. His earlier memories gradually resurfaced in his mind.

I... died?

Moriah looked at his corpse, then at his own hands, a bewildered expression appearing on his face.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and sharply turned to look at the two people in the corner.

Sebas raised his head to meet Moriah's gaze, the corners of his lips curving into an unreadable smile.

"It seems you've realized it."

He set his goblet on the table beside him, then slowly rose and walked toward Moriah. A bone mask appeared over his face, while his black robe swayed with each step.

At that moment, anyone who saw this scene would know exactly what was walking toward them.

"Moriah Britannia, your time has come. Come with me," Sebas said.

Moriah instinctively stepped back, fear of death and the unknown appearing on his face.

"Wait! Sir, there are still important things I haven't done!"

"Most people in this world do not die when they want to," Sebas said calmly.

"Everyone has regrets before death, but death is fair to everyone. Even if you are an emperor, the same is true.

"Take one last look at your family, then come with me, Moriah. Stop wasting words."

Moriah turned to look at his two weeping daughters and fell silent.

"If you're worried about your missing third daughter, then there's no need."

The voice from the side drew Moriah's attention. He looked toward the other man, who remained seated in his chair, holding the wine bottle as he poured more wine into his empty goblet.

Moriah seemed to think of something and said excitedly, "You know where she is?"

"More or less," Shaya said. "She's merely had some bad luck, but she is free. No one has kidnapped or coerced her. At least for now, she is very safe."

He gently swirled the goblet in his hand, his eyes quietly fixed on the rippling rose-red wine as he murmured softly.

"Perhaps in the future as well."

He raised his head and looked at Moriah, his deep eyes carrying an unreadable thought.

"Compared with her, I think you should worry more about your two daughters. What they will face in the future will be far crueler than anything she will face."

Looking into Shaya's eyes, Moriah's heart sank to the bottom. He continued asking.

"What will they face?"

"War."

Shaya had no intention of concealing it.

"A war that will sweep across the world. Countless lives will be mercilessly taken by the flames of battle.

"The power of this world will also be reshuffled in that war.

"Neither royal power nor imperial power will be able to stay out of it."

"War!?"

This time, Sebas could no longer remain calm. He pressed further.

"Is what you said true?"

Most matters in the human world had nothing to do with the Underworld, but war was different. War meant death, death on a massive scale.

As the population had grown year by year, the number of souls the Underworld could accommodate had already reached its peak.

If a huge number of deaths occurred within a short period, the Underworld's system would undoubtedly face enormous pressure.

Shaya silently raised his glass, took a sip of red wine, and teased, "You may choose not to believe it. Fate will naturally provide the most accurate answer, won't it?"

Sebas's expression gradually turned grave. "I understand. Thank you very much for the warning, Mr. Shaya."

He was not at all surprised that someone could foresee the future. In Greek Mythology, there were many legends concerning prophecy.

A warning?

Shaya raised one eyebrow slightly but said nothing. He merely took another sip of wine, quickly understanding why Sebas had said that.

A great many people would die in war, so it should concern the Underworld.

But he had truly only wanted to answer Moriah's question.

After all, he had no idea how many souls the Underworld could hold.

Moriah also fell into thought at the side. He murmured softly, "The south has always coveted Britannia's territory. After my death, the struggle for imperial power will not be peaceful. Britannia will inevitably fall into chaos. At that time, war is highly possible."

He had actually sensed it as well. That was why he had originally planned to arrange a marriage between Alicia and Ernst. With the military power of the Britannia Empire and the West Fran Empire, no nation in the world could defeat such an alliance.

It would also keep Alicia away from the quagmire of competing for the throne. For Britannia and for her, that had been the best choice.

But Fate never allowed people to have their way.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Sebas. "My lord, judging by your reaction, this war should not be a good thing for you either, should it?"

Sebas came back to himself and looked at Moriah with slight impatience. "No matter what you say, your death cannot be reversed. Stop making pointless struggles."

"I understand. That isn't what I mean." Moriah looked at Sebas pleadingly. "I hope you can do me a favor. I actually have another son outside the imperial palace."

"Oh?"

Shaya asked with interest, "An illegitimate son?"

"No." Moriah shook his head. "An illegitimate child has no right of succession. He is Anya's child, but I sent him out of the palace when he was young. There are people in the palace who can prove his identity.

"Many years ago, Alicia actually had an older brother, but he fell into a lake and drowned when he was three. I have always believed that was no accident.

"So, in order to protect him, even my three daughters did not know of his existence."

He raised his head and looked at the two of them. "Compared to a woman, both the imperial family and the council would prefer for a man to inherit the throne. So although Isabelle is first in the line of succession, she would still face many obstacles in inheriting the throne.

"But if I have a son, the result will be different. He will receive the support of both the imperial family and the council, and he will unquestionably become the new emperor."

Shaya nodded. Europe's circumstances were still different from those in the East. Because of religious institutions, an emperor could only marry one wife. Medical care at the time was underdeveloped, children easily died young, and childbirth itself was not easy.

Thus, women also possessed inheritance rights. Fundamentally, this was because there were too few descendants and religious forces were too powerful, forcing people to accept female succession. Britannia had naturally continued this law.

That did not mean Europe had achieved equality between men and women at that time.

In the past, kings had been puppets of religion, so whether the ruler inheriting the throne was male or female did not truly matter, so long as they supported religion.

But Britannia was not a kingdom. It was an empire even larger than Rome, where imperial power was so strong that it even surpassed divine authority. The situation was different.

This was the inevitable outcome of every hereditary system.

The ruling class of this country would not allow outsiders to divide up their cake.

"I believe Britannia's army is sufficient to defend this nation," Moriah said seriously. "But that is only if Britannia remains stable internally, and my son can bring that stability."

After a pause, he added, "Provided that he lives to inherit the throne."

"You mean I must protect your son as well?" Sebas said unhappily. "Who do you think I am?"

"That is not what I mean." Moriah lowered his head. "I was merely stating the facts."

Sebas fell silent, weighing the benefits and drawbacks.

Shaya also quietly watched Moriah, thoughts turning through his mind.

If the future truly reached the point where he needed to decide Fate, he would need one person, or several people, to bear the Fate he wove...

This child might be a good choice.