Budding (3)
“How was today’s lesson?”
In the imperial palace garden, amid the winter-stilled landscape, Julie asked cautiously. Sophien shot her a sidelong glance before replying.
“Not entirely unsatisfactory.”
The emperor had long postponed her knightly training. She claimed it was due to closed-door cultivation, though no one knew what that entailed.
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
Julie swallowed a sigh of relief. Sophien eyed her askance and continued.
“However, your chess skills were unexpectedly competent.”
During a break in training, Julie had played chess with Sophien. Julie’s level was respectable for an amateur, but it was no match for the emperor.
“I had some expectations, given your fiancé.”
“……You mean Professor Deculein?”
Julie’s eyes widened at the unexpected name. Sophien snorted.
“Do you have another fiancé?”
“No, that’s correct.”
“Learn from him. What good is keeping him around otherwise?”
“……”
Julie had no idea of his chess prowess. But for the emperor herself to acknowledge it…
Suddenly, she realized how little she truly knew of him.
“Also, my brother wishes your fiancé’s autograph.”
The emperor held out a book to Julie. It was one of Deculein’s works.
Understanding of Elemental Magic
It was a magic theory tome penned by Deculein, infamous for its brutal difficulty and exorbitant price.
Julie herself had once dipped into her savings to buy it, hoping to understand him better, but she’d barely made it past ten pages.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“He called it overly complex and difficult. Though he added it was just an excuse—relay that too, without omission.”
“……Yes, Your Majesty.”
A knight’s words were never verbose. Sophien seemed irked by it, wrinkling her nose and waving her off.
“You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“From next time, speak at greater length. A training knight instructs me, yes, but soon you’ll be my companion and conversation partner as well.”
“……Companion, Your Majesty?”
Julie’s eyes went wide. The emperor smirked and nodded; Julie took a deep breath to steady her overwhelming emotions.
Hoo— hoo— hoo—
“Enough. Off with you now, my companion.”
“……Yes. It was an honor.”
The emperor departed for the palace with her knight Kairon. Julie bowed deeply to their retreating figures, standing at attention.
“This way, please.”
A maid guided her afterward.
She walked a secluded path in the garden. But the maid soon vanished, replaced by an eunuch.
“Greetings, Lady Julie. I am Jolang.”
“……What is this about?”
Julie eyed him suspiciously. Jolang beamed brightly.
“Might I borrow a moment? There’s a favor I must ask for the palace’s security. The other knights await as well.”
Suspicious as it was, she followed him.
“Right here.”
In a remote annex of the vast, labyrinthine eastern palace wing, Rafel, Syrio, and Gwen waited.
They greeted Julie with ambiguous expressions.
“……Julie’s here?”
Gwen waved. Julie nodded in response and joined them.
Syrio smiled warmly.
“Now we’re all here, Mr. Jolang? What’s this about?”
“Yes.”
Jolang opened his mouth, his tone soft and gentle, face still smiling.
“I have a mission to entrust to you all.”
“A mission?”
“Yes. There’s a monster lurking beneath the palace. The imperial household finds it burdensome, so we’d like to ask you knights to handle it.”
“By imperial decree?”
Rafel’s deep voice pressed.
“Not quite a decree, but our loyalty. Should you succeed, we can report it as a commendation for you knights. Ample rewards will follow, of course.”
“……”
The knights pondered silently.
Soon, Gwen spoke, pointing at Julie.
“If Julie’s in, then he has to be too.”
“He?”
“Deculein.”
Jolang’s expression flickered uncomfortably at the name. Gwen smirked.
Even a palace eunuch who’d seen it all feared the name Deculein.
No wonder—his political acumen was legendary, and his influence only grew by the day.
Even an imperial eunuch couldn’t help but feel daunted.
“Sounds dangerous. At least get your fiancé’s permission first, right?”
Gwen jabbed at Julie. Julie frantically shook her head.
“N-no, it’s fine—”
“Indeed. His practical skills are beyond question.”
Rafel cut her off. Syrio nodded with a silent smile.
“……Hm.”
Jolang looked displeased but soon smiled and nodded.
“Very well. I’ll speak to Duke Yukline as well.”
Gwen was dumbfounded by the reply.
We call everyone by name, but Deculein’s “Duke Yukline.” Family background really is everything…
“Do whatever. Julie? Let’s grab food today.”
Gwen gruffly replied and left the palace with Julie.
“We are still following orders.”
I devised a plan to make contact with them.
But I would show no haste or fluster. No flaw in expression or speech could be exposed.
Duplicity came easier to me than breathing by now. It was ingrained in this personality, this body.
“……Master. Here it is.”
As I pondered countermeasures, Roy brought files. I read through them.
Luxury Hotel Renovation: Black Crain
Future Trade Routes and Plans
Mercenary Band Mission Summary
These were performance reports from my investments. I deployed Understanding to scan their ledgers.
All proceeding without issue.
“Fine. Take them away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Good news, but no time to dwell. I dismissed Roy and considered my reply to them.
……No need to think.
—Master.
A shadowy figure flickered in the study corner. Not flesh, but a magical projection. I regarded it calmly.
My response was almost instinctual.
“Lead the way.”
……No utopia exists in a world of mortals.
Even the continent’s mightiest empire capital harbors light and shadow in equal measure.
The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow—and in the capital’s southeast, ‘Oclan’ lay in decay since the mines closed, a sprawling slum.
Deculein’s former retainer led me underground there. A dank, dripping cave. Clinging moisture shrouded the body; pale lanterns swung precariously.
“We see you, Master.”
Two knelt in the cavern. One man, one woman—siblings, by their similar features.
“Recite it. What was my command?”
I tested them before they could speak.
“No mercy if Ruina sets foot in the capital.”
I eyed them.
No death variables here; their feat of abducting Ruina alone spoke to exceptional skill.
But what did they want? That was the issue.
I continued indifferently.
“Premature.”
“We know.”
Defiance tinged the man’s tone.
“We thought you’d abandoned us. We still suspect as much.”
“Rebellion?”
“No. If you’ve cast us aside and are no longer our master, it wouldn’t even be rebellion.”
“I never abandoned you. Lead on.”
I stated it calmly. They rose; the man led, I followed, the woman at my back.
We reached an empty chamber.
In its vast center, Ruina lay bound. Black hood over her face, shackles on limbs—like a war captive.
“What treatment?”
“Injected with antimagic toxin.”
Antimagic toxin: infamous even in the game, a mage-killer near-stabilizer. Injected, it sealed magic for at least three days.
I scanned their faces.
“Well done.”
The air shifted subtly. They hid it, but not from me.
Discontent.
Thus, I understood one thing.
They sought no mere praise.
“……”
I glared at the battered Ruina. Red haze flickered sharply beside her.
Death variable.
Ruina intended to kill me.
The real problem started now.
I pondered scenarios, seeking the most plausible path.
—I say: Ruina, I saved you. Your kidnappers have no ties to me.
Ruina replies: “I don’t believe you!”
Death variable unresolved.
—I leave without revealing myself, free her.
She’d still suspect me; the siblings too. Variable persists.
—Kill Ruina.
Kyaaah—! Her scream fills the chamber. She vanishes forever, variable gone—but the suspicious siblings hold my weakness eternally.
Worse, I lose positive quests stemming from her later.
Enemy from Deculein’s view, but a clear named good character in the world.
Too great a loss.
“……”
I psychokinetically raised cavern stone into a chair. Personality influence made it elegantly antique.
I sat, methodically weighing options.
The situation was dire, but control remained mine. The command was ultimately Deculein’s.
“Here.”
The man handed me a ledger. I took it silently.
……A hollow laugh crept to my lips as I read.
Deculein was vicious. Astonishingly ruthless.
Beyond vicious—relentlessly obsessive.
“Amusing.”
I had to concede, reading those outrageous clauses.
This death variable couldn’t be resolved peacefully.
Thus…
Ruina drifted in unconscious haze, like naked swimming in endless seas. Nausea surged endlessly.
Time lost meaning.
She endured, burning with rage. She knew who orchestrated this. Only an idiot wouldn’t.
Deculein.
As she bit her tongue, repeating the name—
Shrrk—!
The hood tore free; pain stabbed her eyes. Blocked mouth and ears cleared instantly.
“Huuuugh……!”
Ruina retched, doubling over. Gasping, she spotted polished shoes clinging to the dim floor.
“……”
She looked up slowly.
Immaculate shoes, spotless. Bespoke trousers creased perfectly. Legs crossed at precise angle. Luxe tie clashing with dank air. And……his face.
Her heart plummeted.
Someone stared down. Sharp features shadowed coldly; dull pupils gleamed predatory.
“……You.”
Ruina’s voice trembled. Fear, terror, anxiety—emotions she hated admitting gnawed her weakened mind.
Oppressive weight crushed her.
“Never set foot in the capital again……”
Deculein spoke. Flat, toneless.
“I told you as much. What did you hope to gain by coming?”
Ruina fell silent. Deculein regarded her mockingly.
“I hear you bought property here.”
“……You think you’ll get away with this? I’m the emperor’s—”
“No need for excuses.”
Deculein extended his palm, folding fingers one by one. Five, four, three, two……
“……Magic heritage.”
Ruina said. Deculein’s expression unchanged.
“I’ve demanded its return before. I paid back the loan with interest, yet you ignored it.”
Deculein listened impassively. His face settled, emotionless.
Like a monster.
“True. But consider this.”
He psychokinetically fetched a document.
“Ruina, there’s this thing called ‘compound interest.’ Fifteen years ago, 100 million elne at 20% annual rate.”
A contract from fifteen years past, still binding. He sneered at its terms.
“Total: 1.547 million, 470 thousand, 260 elne.”
“What?”
Simple interest: 400 million. Compound: a staggering 1.547 billion.
Of course, a poison clause.
The contract specified simple, but Yukline hid a ‘special provision’ flipping it to compound for the Macqueen debt.
“Your house still owes 1.147 billion, 72 thousand, 260 elne…… Oh, right. Plus 200 million interest yearly.”
“……”
Ruina’s face went from incredulous to soul-crushed. She spat.
“I’ll sue in imperial court. That’s absurd—”
“Imperial law allows appeals up to ten years post-contract. You didn’t. Besides, this is from the previous reign—current court can’t review officially.”
Deculein inwardly admired his predecessor’s scheme. Beyond this debt, time bombs ticked in Macqueen’s ledgers.
“Foreclosure could start tomorrow.”
Ruina glared. He remained expressionless. The void terrified her.
“You…… No, you’re really……”
He hadn’t freed her. No forgiveness.
He’d waited to shoot her down.
From her peak, to crash in utter despair.
“Speak. I’ll listen.”
Her strength dissolved.
No time for pride.
“……I don’t want to be chief professor. Well, I did once, but the tower professors were pushing me—”
“Irrelevant.”
Ruina pleaded desperately, but Deculein shook his head.
Her heart raced. Mouth parched.
“Then what do you want? For me to die?”
Ruina bit her lip.
But his next words……
Were bizarre.
“Become chief professor.”
Grotesque, even. Ruina blinked in confusion, tears of injustice streaming.
“I’ll become chairman.”
His dull pupils now glowed blue. Intense gaze pierced her.
“Help me from your position. When I’m chairman, I’ll return the heritage, forgive the debt. Even yield chief professor to you.”
Ruina couldn’t fathom his intent.
“But swear a blood oath to me.”
Deculein rose, drafting terms with a fountain pen.
“First: Absolute secrecy on today.”
“……”
Vague pledges like “loyalty” were weak. Specificity amplified breach backlash.
“Second: Uphold this contract for five years.”
He proffered the document. Ruina recoiled.
Nearly master-servant; penalty: mana core destruction.
“This is insane……”
“Still deluded. Next talk in three days.”
“Wait—!”
At his glance, they resealed her eyes, mouth, ears.
Leaving Ruina in darkness, Deculein turned away.
……Task complete, I surveyed the cavern silently.
“If she refuses the oath?”
The man asked. I eyed him.
“Kill her.”
No choice now. Without coercion, she’d kill me.
“……But she won’t refuse. She wants to live.”
◆ Reward Acquired: Shop Currency +2
The alert appeared belatedly.
Not overcome or evaded, but “eliminated”—she’d bent toward the oath, at least.
“You sure?”
“About what?”
“House Macqueen aided in assassinating the previous lord……”
Hm. So that happened.
Macqueen hadn’t just suffered under Yukline.
Unaware till now, I merely shook my head.
“Not Ruina’s doing. She’s current head, but this suffices for guilt by association. Anyway.”
I glanced around.
Too dark, damp, filthy for habitation.
“You’ve been staying here?”
“Yes.”
“You promised us money!”
Suddenly, the silent sister shouted. The brother glared to hush her, but she pressed on.
“Finish the job, pay us, release us!”
“Money.”
“Yes. Vast wealth—”
Slap—!
The sharp sound echoed. Brother struck sister.
“Forgive us.”
I regarded the siblings. Sister sniffled, head bowed; brother glowered at her.
“No matter. Come to my manor first. This place is filthy.”
Exceptional talent. Obvious even to a magnate’s eye.
I wouldn’t let it go.
“From today, I’ll employ you properly. Your promised pay, too.”
The sister’s eyes widened.
“But prior commands are void.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
They knelt hastily.
“Also.”
I looked down, adding final words.
“Don’t resort to hands so often. It lacks dignity.”