There had never been a contract in this world that bound only one side.
A sacrifice bound both the great being and the one making the sacrifice. Either party would be punished for breaking it.
Then who was the other party to the Crown's contract?
The emperor had to abide by [Justice], but what did the nobles who elevated him have to abide by?
Elliot abruptly raised his head and looked at Crawford.
[Tyrant].
Crawford noticed Elliot's gaze but made no other move. He merely gave him a calm, slight nod, his eyes full of meaning.
It was like the brief stillness before a storm. Dark clouds already loomed overhead, with faint thunder rumbling in the distance.
As though lightning had streaked across the sky, Elliot understood everything in an instant.
There had to be some secret contract between the nobles and the emperor. The emperor had to abide by [Justice], and the nobles must have requirements of their own.
This had to be extremely important and secret; otherwise, the Old Butler would have warned him long ago. It was probably passed down only by word of mouth between successive family heads and emperors. Even heirs could not learn of it before succeeding!
No, it might well go a level deeper. This matter itself was a [Secret History], inaccessible to anyone uninvolved!
Perhaps it was all connected to that Throne-the Empire's most deeply buried secret!
And the noble family heads...
Elliot looked around at the Sacred Blood Nobles present, the corners of his mouth gradually lifting.
These accomplices of Tobias had not become family heads through normal investiture in the first place. They might even have defied the current family heads, then borrowed power from the future to stand here.
In other words, they might know absolutely nothing about this!