Chapter 8
Chapter: 8
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 008
>Chapter Title: Audience with the Holy Emperor (3)
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>Seongjin sat in his seat, glaring at the Holy Emperor in silence for a while. It was a show of his determination to gauge the man's intentions as best he could.
To his son, it was an insolence beyond measure, but the Holy Emperor seemed unperturbed as he lifted the teacup placed before him.
His face, gazing motionless into the tea without drinking, was utterly impassive, making Seongjin momentarily doubt whether the man before him even possessed emotions.
The silence between them broke when the Holy Emperor set the teacup down on the table with a clink.
"Don't you hear it? Didn't you used to enjoy these?"
"……."
What? He wasn't suspicious of me?
Seongjin hesitated, then cautiously addressed him.
"...Father?"
"Yes, Mores."
In that instant, all tension drained from him. He'd been working himself up alone, but the other man truly seemed to have no ulterior motives.
'It's a bit suspicious, but he's at least treating me like his son, right?'
Feeling a whatever-happens-will-happen resignation, Seongjin picked up a cookie from before him.
The man seemed like he'd keep glancing if he didn't eat, and it would be a shame to waste the spread.
Crunch crunch.
"……!"
It was tastier than expected?
Was his body, stripped of fat from days of dieting, craving sugar? Or had Seongjin unknowingly shared Mores' original tastes?
For decades on a devastated Earth invaded by monsters, he'd subsisted mainly on preserved rations. The desserts, infused with the soul of an imperial chef, were more than enough to captivate his jaded palate.
Seongjin sampled various desserts with admiration, trying them by type. Meanwhile, the Holy Emperor watched him wordlessly, occasionally sipping his tea—but judging by how the level barely dropped, he didn't seem to enjoy it much.
Only then could Seongjin leisurely observe the Holy Emperor more closely.
'He looks young and gentle at first glance.'
Yet those subtly chilling eyes prevented him from seeming entirely youthful. And in truth, he probably wasn't that young. Edith had once mentioned that aura users slowed their aging upon reaching a certain realm.
So just how strong was he? Even to Seongjin, battle-hardened over decades, it wasn't easy to judge.
With Edith or the Pearl Palace resident knights, he was confident he could hold his own without aura, as long as they regained some stamina. Absorbing a magic beast's essence would make crushing them a given.
But the Holy Emperor was ambiguous. He didn't exude any overwhelming presence, yet probing for openings felt strangely uncomfortable.
Above all, Seongjin's instincts, honed by long years of combat, kept ringing alarm bells toward the Holy Emperor.
'This means he's strong enough that even I can't gauge him properly, right?'
Best not to provoke him. Seongjin resolved himself.
Awkward father-son conversation followed.
"So, how have you been?"
"Well... I've been training my stamina, and thought I'd lose some weight while at it."
"Good thinking. I hear you've been going to the training grounds lately?"
"Yes. I'm starting with light exercise and gradually increasing the time."
"Overdoing it can be harmful."
"I know. Once my body adjusts, I can ramp up intensity but shorten sessions. That way, I'd have time to read books too, right?"
"Books?"
A glint appeared in the Holy Emperor's eyes.
It was the first meaningful change Seongjin had read on the man's emotionless face, after even doubting if he was human.
Oh ho. This topic lands well. No parent dislikes hearing their child studies, after all.
Feeling more at ease, Seongjin began rambling freely.
"Um... I've been so ignorant—no, I've avoided books all my life, haven't I?"
The Demon King said as much, so it must be true. Fortunately, the Holy Emperor showed no reaction.
"……."
"Then, after nearly dying, I started rethinking life. Philosophical questions keep popping up. Why live? What's life for? Things like that."
"Philosophy."
"Yes. And I'm curious about religion too. Death, the afterlife, gods, souls—I want to know about them."
The Holy Emperor tilted his head.
"You've taken an interest in such things? I recall you chased out your theology teacher first."
No, Mores just ditched every class regardless of subject.
"About that, Your Holiness—no, Father. I have a real question."
"A question?"
"Yes. Do you believe in souls? Well, as Holy Emperor, you must... No, rather, can you see people's souls with your eyes?"
"……."
It was an impulsive question. With the odd certainty that the Holy Emperor wouldn't harm him right now, Seongjin's curiosity had slipped its leash.
At the same time, it pierced the most fundamental doubt.
What Seongjin had worried about from the start, and still suspected toward the Holy Emperor.
The Holy Emperor answered straightforwardly.
"My eyes can indeed see souls clearly. Even without that, a priest who believes in the Lord naturally doesn't doubt their existence. As a prince of the Holy Empire, you mustn't harbor such doubts."
"Then, what do souls look like?"
"The same as they were in life. Souls remain influenced by the body until the moment of death."
Seongjin swallowed hard. Then.
"What about... my soul's appearance?"
This time, the Holy Emperor didn't answer immediately.
"...Why ask that suddenly?"
"Well, I've lived so dissolutely until now, I was just curious if my soul is as fat as I am...."
Even he knew it was nonsense, but Seongjin pressed on boldly.
The Holy Emperor gazed at him inscrutably for a moment before speaking.
"To confirm that, your soul would need to leave your body first. Do you want to die?"
"……."
No, he strikes when you're off guard.
My bad....
The audience passed more quickly than expected.
Seongjin hadn't been particularly sociable in his previous life either, yet strangely, words flowed smoothly before the Holy Emperor, as if his tongue were oiled.
Was I always this talkative? He marveled at himself even mid-conversation.
Compared to treating the Holy Emperor like a final boss and staying on edge, this was quick adaptation. Perhaps it stemmed from the relief of the constant life threat vanishing.
"...So I'm doing floor exercises, and suddenly Edith comes rushing in, freaking out. She thought I'd flipped over and couldn't get up."
"Is that so."
"Whenever I try lifting something for arm workouts, she comes running like she knows—thinks I'll throw whatever's in my hand."
"I see."
"By the way, this tea is really good. I haven't drunk much, but compared to the Melbourne tea Edith brewed once, the aroma is great. That was like bile juice."
"This tea is Melbourne too...."
"...Pardon?"
The Holy Emperor turned out more conversational than expected, listening silently even to Seongjin's trivial chatter. His reactions weren't animated, of course.
Perhaps that's why 'Father' rolled off the tongue smoothly, despite the man likely being young enough to be his son.
"So, I'd like to learn aura. But I don't know where to start."
He even made this request at the end.
With his father as the realm's top power and seemingly a strong aura user, it'd be foolish not to seize the chance.
"Aura, hmm...."
The Holy Emperor stroked his chin, lost in thought.
"Usually, one trains swordsmanship or spearmanship first. There are unique aura cultivation methods tailored to those arts, and the more proficient you become, the freer your control over aura."
"Ah, separate cultivation methods!"
"Yes. The basics of aura are those methods. Of course, once you reach a certain level, the distinctions become meaningless. Aura flows naturally where your mind wills."
"Then, I should start with swordsmanship and the cultivation method...."
Huh?
Seongjin nodded, then grew puzzled.
Isn't this guy an aura user? Why's he speaking so vaguely, like secondhand knowledge?
"I heard you use aura too, Father. How did you start?"
At Seongjin's question, the Holy Emperor rubbed his chin with his hand.
Hm? He looks a bit troubled now?
Watching closely, he could even read the expressionless man a little.
"That is... I don't clearly remember how I began. I wielded the sword habitually, and later my master told me it was aura."
"...Pardon?"
Seongjin's jaw dropped.
Wow, so the genius who used aura like breathing since childhood was this guy.
"Come to think of it, you seemed to enjoy sword lessons as a child, even if not studies. But no matter how much you trained, you never grasped the feel for aura."
"Er, uh...."
"Losing interest in swordsmanship too when effort yielded no results."
"I see...."
Sudden pity for Mores welled up like a tide.
At least one thing he stuck to, yet no talent there either. Poor guy.
Seongjin's thoughts grew complicated. Being Mores' body, if innately insensitive to aura, the path would be rough.
"Is it really that hard? I thought with practice, I could learn somehow...."
The Holy Emperor shook his head.
"In the end, it's a matter of time and effort. Some take longer to first sense aura, but master it faster than others. Moreover...."
He paused, gazing steadily at Seongjin's face, then said something unexpected.
"...You now seem like it wouldn't be so difficult."
* * *
In the carriage back to the Pearl Palace, Seongjin lounged against the cushions, feeling smug.
A bit tired, but today's audience had been quite fruitful.
Head steward Louis teared up.
"It's been years since Your Highnesses spent such harmonious time together...."
Making a dignified old man this happy—now that's proper elder respect.
Moreover, to Seongjin's request to resume sword lessons, the Holy Emperor had firmly agreed.
"I'll send a suitable instructor to the Pearl Palace soon."
And the biggest win: no more exorcism worries! Hooray!
Thrashing joyfully in his massive frame rocked the carriage hard.
"Your Highness! What is it? Are you alright?"
At the coachman's shout from outside, Seongjin hastily straightened and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, nothing! I just slipped in my seat. Pay it no mind!"
[Well done. Are you a child? Truly embarrassing in front of others.]
The hitherto silent Demon King finally spoke. Seongjin replied gladly.
'That's why I do it alone. Anyway, you okay? You've been quiet.'
[The shock to my soul was too great. I needed time to recover.]
Vivid trembling conveyed through. It must've been serious.
[Your palace was terrifying, brimming with divine power. I thought I'd be crushed to death. If the divine power hadn't been blocked then, if even a bit later, I would've....]
Divine power blocked?
Seongjin had a guess: when the Holy Emperor placed a hand on his head. That's when he did something.
[I don't know what trick he pulled, but now a barrier surrounds our souls.]
'...Barrier?'
[It seems to completely block divine power and spiritual energy. Now, even those with divine power nearby don't sting like before. Only....]
The Demon King hesitated, then continued in a deflated voice.
[Only, I can't interfere with other souls anymore.]
Wait, that means....
[Yes, exactly.]
A sigh-like tremor followed.
[Soul detection doesn't work now. I tried on the coachman and guards just now—nothing.]
So his one useful ability vanishes. Now he's truly demon realm trash.
The Demon King snapped indignantly.
[But now I can separate from this body and move some distance? Don't treat me like trash!]
From lie detector to short-range navigator, then?
'Regrettable, but....'
Seongjin readjusted his seat and gazed out the window. Twilight fell, Pearl Palace's ivory walls appearing in the distance.
Just days away, yet it felt cozily like home. Strange.
'For now, take solace in surviving. The Holy Emperor was decent, and we're both safe now.'
But the Demon King thought differently.
[What? Decent? Safe? Wow, you naive human. Ignorance turns your head to flower fields....]
Sudden thick, black dread surged from the quivering soul, leaving Seongjin speechless.
[You wouldn't know. Can't without soul-to-soul contact.]
'……?'
[That's... a monster. How can such a thing exist in this world?]
'Hey, monster....'
[Not a monster? Even I, great Demon King of Gehenna, can't gauge its limits—think it's ordinary human?]
That bad?
But he was relatively kind, counseled well, spared the Demon King....
The Demon King scoffed.
[Hah! You think that monster doesn't know your identity? Why spare you then? An evil spirit hijacking his son's body?]
'Evil spirit's a bit harsh. Cursing others, or...? Rampaging, possessing wildly! That's more like it....'
Wait, I am an evil spirit.
Ignoring Seongjin's epiphany, the Demon King unleashed a torrent.
[Suppose we vanished. Mores' body dies, right? So he leaves the eyesore be for now! And you—how'd you find a real son's soul? The possessing evil spirit knows best? No other leads, so keep us close for surveillance! Get it?]
'Hey, calm down....'
Seongjin wasn't entirely comfortable with the Holy Emperor's goodwill either. But he'd felt a brief father-son bond.
Of course, he didn't share that. The Demon King was beyond agitated, now sniffling.
[Scary. He's too scary....]
While soothing the whimpering Demon King, Seongjin's carriage entered the Pearl Palace.
Dusk had settled around them.
That evening, an official visiting with Edith announced the visitor restriction on the Pearl Palace partially lifted as of today.