Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Imperial Command (2)
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Returning to my private room, I gaze at the letter Sullivan delivered with narrowed eyes.
Let me recall a bit.
Even though she's connected to the empire's top brass, the nation where Eliya has the strongest ties, opportunities for her to set foot in the imperial palace in the main story of Sera aren't all that frequent.
The emperor himself is far more deeply entangled with Elnor than with Eliya, and the way he appears in the main story isn't exactly pleasant.
As I've said countless times, his biggest role in the scenario is shattering Elnor's mental state.
In that sense, if you think about it.
He's closer to an enemy. Cecilia XI is.
In the game, the villain assigned to Eliya was the prime minister, but the one who puts Elnor on the express train to hell is this guy.
"...But why summon me at this timing?"
I mutter that as I lie down on the bed.
The letter states that I'm being called to the imperial palace to be commended for my remarkable achievements during the hero selection trials.
'The content itself is strange.'
If he wanted to summon someone, it should have been Eliya, not me.
The event itself is the 'hero selection.' The focus should be on the hero candidates, not the supporting attendant.
Yet the emperor specifically named me in the letter, which means we have business with you, so put any thoughts of running away out of your mind.
"..."
Something smells off.
From the start, he's been showing continuous interest in me, and summoning me right before the final trial is suspicious too.
No wonder the prime minister tried to stop me, saying something might happen.
But even so.
[Are you going?]
"...I have to."
Not going would cause even bigger problems.
Sullivan gritted his teeth and pleaded with me not to go, but compared to sparking a civil war or whatever because of me, it's better to stick my head into enemy territory even if it's ominous.
"Caliban."
[Yeah.]
"...What are the anticipated threats?"
Caliban, who had fallen silent at my words, soon let out a chuckle before responding.
[You're asking about threats in the imperial palace to the Imperial Guard, who swore loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor?]
It's a line that makes me snort with laughter too.
Strictly speaking, he's right.
The Guardian is technically part of the Imperial Guard as well.
But.
"It's a den of demons in there."
That's exactly why he's the most suitable person to ask.
Having seen it from the closest vantage point, he knows its ugliness better than anyone.
As I've mentioned a few times, the empire is the strongest among the three hegemonic nations in terms of pure power. There's a reason it's the protagonist faction in Sera.
Yet the reason the three nations maintain a delicate balance is simple.
'...The leadership is a total mess.'
Setting aside whether the Holy Emperor has any morality, the Holy Kingdom at least handles things cleanly with iron-fisted rule.
Here, the top brass holds most of the power, yet it's the most chaotic and rotten.
What a ridiculous balance patch.
[...The elder-level great nobles are the problem. The Tristan Ducal House and Kendrid Margrave are at least decent, but stay away from and don't meet any of the others. They're like vipers.]
Even Caliban spits out exactly what I'm thinking.
I listen with an inward sigh, and the words continue.
[His Majesty himself... is a good man. Gentle. Some call him weak, but that's just the scavengers who want to pull him down and fatten their own bellies.]
As those thoughts cross my mind, Caliban continues in a matter-of-fact tone.
[But even a man like that has one area where he dives in without regard for anything.]
"...I think I know what it is."
It's probably something any imperial citizen has heard of at least once.
No one would say it outright, but everyone knows about the horrific curse surrounding the imperial family, who claim to be 'descendants of dragons.'
[He'll do anything to survive. His interest in you is probably related to that.]
"..."
I get what he's saying.
Dragon blood.
The curse derived from it.
It's similar yet different from the curse of severance eating away at Yuria's body.
While Yuria shortens her lifespan by touching the cursed object known as the Severer, the emperor's issue stems from human flesh being unable to accept the 'dragon' blood flowing through his entire body.
Dragons, called the purest mana lifeforms, are among the strongest races in the Sera worldview.
A Dragon Emperor at the pinnacle of that race could even rival a vessel with three fragments-
[...Doesn't make the demons seem that scary anymore?]
"What?"
[I mean, there seem to be more beings that can match them than I thought. That speech sorcerer from before, this Dragon Emperor guy—why are there so many that can go toe-to-toe?]
I give a wry smile at Caliban's question.
"...You could think that way."
I turn my gaze to the window.
My private room is on a high floor, and thanks to that, I can faintly see the void zone beyond the barrier Chi Cheon-sa spread out.
"In the end, the vessel and fragments are just for gathering demonic power in one place. Not the 'true demon' itself."
[What?]
"The demon's completion happens when the vessel with three fragments connects to the demon's 'true body' in the void zone. It's not over just by gathering the three fragments."
And the moment that completion occurs.
No joke, the world ends right then.
That's also why I'm keeping a close eye on Peynol at the current point.
He's the one closest to the world-exploding ending scenario right now.
That's why there are quite a few beings that can match demons despite them being the strongest—because their completion is still far off.
[...How do you know all these concepts? You're a weird guy every time I see you.]
"...Stuff like that exists."
I brush it off vaguely and sink back into thought.
'Dragon blood curse, huh...'
Certainly, as Caliban said, the emperor is a gentle man. If he's showing this much inexplicable interest, that must be the closest reason.
"..."
Even so, it still doesn't make sense.
No matter how eye-catching feats I've pulled off, I'm still just a student from a viscount house. There's no reason for the continent's top powerhouses like the prime minister and emperor to fixate on me this much.
"...I don't know."
I'll find out once I go.
Things have never gone the way I want anyway.
Just respond accordingly to the situation.
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"..."
"..."
The prime minister's gaze stings.
Inside the carriage heading into the imperial palace, cold sweat forms as Sullivan glares at me with narrowed eyes from across the seat.
True to a luxurious carriage fit for the prime minister, the interior space is spacious, yet the air inside feels suffocatingly heavy.
"..."
"..."
The silence drags on like that for a while.
The prime minister breaks it first.
"...You don't have to be so wary of me."
The prime minister sighs deeply and speaks.
"I figured this would happen anyway."
"...Pardon?"
"You've consistently been the type to sacrifice yourself for others. There aren't many who embody self-sacrifice like you do."
"...Thank you."
I'm at a loss with such overwhelming praise.
Am I really that great...?
"But."
As I smile awkwardly, the prime minister continues with a firm expression.
"...In the imperial palace, you'll definitely need my help. If anything happens, don't hesitate to rely on me."
"..."
Honestly, if it gets really dangerous, I planned to do that anyway.
But it hits me anew.
Isn't this guy's affinity toward me way too high?
We've only met recently, but every time he looks at me, his gaze drips with honey, like a newlywed couple.
-Please don't leave my side.
I recall the words the prime minister said while trying to dissuade me before entering the palace.
'...The wording is weird.'
Don't leave my side.
It's as if we're already in a 'close' relationship from before.
There's been this off feeling from the start.
The experiences I have with him and the ones he has with me are completely different.
As if he knows a side of 'me' that I don't.
"By the way, that's unexpected."
As I mull over those thoughts, the prime minister leans his head slightly toward me.
An amused smile, uncharacteristic of him, plays on his face.
"I thought you'd definitely bring the Tristan Duchess if you were heading to the palace, but you left her behind and came with me instead."
"..."
That's because if I stick the emperor and Elnor together, who knows what will happen.
As I've said countless times, he's the trigger that breaks Elnor's mental state. Unlike with Gideon, there's no reason to mend things between them.
"...I just thought visiting the palace with you would be much better, for various reasons."
"..."
The prime minister falls silent at my words.
He closes his mouth and looks at me for a moment.
Straight on.
With wide eyes.
"..."
What.
Did I say something wrong?
As I'm thinking that.
"...That."
The prime minister leans his head a bit closer toward me.
The smile on his face deepens. A slight flush colors his cheeks.
"Does that mean you rely on me more than the Tristan Duchess?"
"..."
"After all, I'm sturdier than that green, virgin boy, aren't I? That's what you think too, right, Dawood?"
No, I never said it that harshly.
Please hold back on lines that would get me split in half if Elnor heard them.
I'm forcing a smile while sweating inwardly when the carriage starts slowing down.
Must mean we've arrived at the palace.
"...Haa."
I sigh and step out of the carriage immediately.
A magnificent building looms before me, so grand that even craning my neck back all the way, I can't see the top.
"..."
I'm overwhelmed.
Even for me, with memories of a society built on concrete and steel still fresh, I've never seen a building this massive, luxurious, and majestic.
'...And this was all built for one person.'
Of course, it symbolizes national prestige as a state guesthouse, but its primary purpose as the 'emperor's home' is public knowledge.
And right beside me is someone who can play power games on equal footing with the owner of this place.
It really sinks in just how monstrously powerful the prime minister and emperor are.
Including my past and present lives, they're from a completely different world than me.
Say what you will, I'm ultimately just a noble's son from a baron's house—
"..."
Ah, a viscount now.
'...I wonder if Father's doing well.'
I tossed the viscount territory I got to my father and ignored it, but I should check on things when I go back during break.
"Dawood of the Campbell Viscount House. Correct?"
As I step down and look around, a voice suddenly calls out.
Turning my head, a bear-like man is looking down at me. A massive sword befitting his stature is slung across his back.
A memorable face.
Rad Alexander Barfon.
The Sword Saint of the modern era.
"..."
This is ridiculous.
In terms of martial prowess, he's one of the top handful on the entire continent.
For someone like him to come out just to greet a mere viscount house student like me?
"...What business do you have here, Lord Rad?"
Sullivan asks in a stiff voice the moment he sees him.
"Escort duty, Prime Minister Sullivan. By His Majesty's direct order."
"..."
Sullivan's eyes narrow. His furrowed brow shows he's extremely displeased.
"...This is his first time in the palace. He's probably fatigued from the journey, so let's schedule for tomorrow."
"..."
Strictly speaking, that's not true.
Thanks to the spatial transfer crystal for long-distance travel, the actual time spent was just an hour or two.
It's Sullivan openly growling not to mess with him unnecessarily, but the Sword Saint doesn't blink and responds smoothly.
"However, His Majesty wishes to see this man today. You can treat it as an imperial command."
"..."
Sullivan's expression sours even more.
He's clearly upset at the other side coming on strong.
"...It's evening now. Even for the imperial family, summoning a guest at this hour after inviting him is discourteous. It's common sense to prepare lodgings and let him rest—"
This time, his voice lowers into a genuine growl.
It's laced with 'don't play games and get lost,' but.
A calm response comes again.
"No need to worry about that."
It's a nonchalant tone.
One that doesn't suit what follows.
"Just have him spend the night in His Majesty's bedroom."
"..."
Pardon?
W-what.
What did he say?
"...W-where did you say?"
"His sleeping chambers. The place with a bed for sleeping."
"..."
"His Majesty wishes to spend the night with you, Dawood Campbell."
Sullivan's mouth drops open.
Mine does too.
"..."
No way.
Right after arriving, seriously?
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