Chapter 411: The Eccentric(2)
Chapter 411: The Eccentric(2)
I will post the illustration of Kate in the announcements!
*
I stared blankly at the middle-aged man who had appeared without a sound. I hadn't even dreamed that someone could approach right behind me like an assassin.
Part of it was because Mari and I were chatting so excitedly that we didn't notice, but the main reason was that the man before us hadn't given off even the slightest presence.
Moreover, he wasn't alone. Standing tall beside him was a knight with a heavy, imposing aura.
Though he wore plain clothes instead of armor, the sword strapped to his waist made it immediately obvious that he was a bodyguard.
"Well? What do you say?"
"Uh..."
I stared vacantly at the middle-aged man who had just cracked a joke that didn't quite feel like a joke while smiling gently.
If Iker, whom I met last time, resembled Thor, the man in front of me was closer to a bearded Captain America.
That didn't mean he had a wild, unkempt beard like some mountain hermit; rather, it was neatly trimmed, enhancing his dignified and sophisticated charm.
Furthermore, the beard only made him look older; in reality, he had almost no wrinkles, making him look quite young.
And his clothes...
Even his attire was far from ordinary. It wasn't a standard formal suit but something closer to a uniform, complete with a red cloak.
His appearance made it clear to anyone that he was a person of high status. Moreover, his hair and beard shimmered like gold as they caught the light.
After locking eyes with his blue orbs for a moment, I turned my gaze toward Mari with a sense of growing suspicion.
As soon as Mari saw my expression, she gave a playful smirk, then quietly offered a greeting with a soft smile.
She held the ends of her dress and performed a graceful curtsy—the etiquette reserved for someone of higher rank than herself.
"It is an honor to meet the Sky of the Empire."
The moment I heard her respectful greeting, my intuition was confirmed. As expected, the man before me was exactly who I thought he was.
When addressing Leort or Lina in an official capacity, they were called the 'Suns' of the Empire, but Mari had just referred to him as the 'Sky.'
In other words, he was someone with a rank higher than the Crown Prince and the Princess. There was only one such person.
The Emperor of the Minerva Empire, Berit Urmi Jacklith Minerva.
"Ah! The—the Empire's...!"
"That is enough. I am the one who should be showing you courtesy, so is there any need for such formality?"
Just as I was about to offer a formal greeting in my flustered state, the Emperor, Berit, waved his hand and immediately stopped me.
As I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, Mari let out a few giggles beside me.
I was utterly bewildered, unable to grasp the situation at all. Why was the Emperor, of all people, here?
"So, what is your answer?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked if you would bring him back to life if I were to kneel."
With my head still spinning, Berit threw out another joke that didn't feel like a joke. It only served to fluster me further.
The Emperor kneeling. Not only would that be the ultimate humiliation, but it would also be a disgrace recorded in history.
And yet, he was willing to kneel just to save a fictional character. The sense of cognitive dissonance was overwhelming.
I knew the supporters of the Jin-Lily couple were far more numerous than expected, but I never imagined the Emperor himself would be one of them.
No, wait. Regardless of that, it's not something to kneel over.
There was only one way to resolve this awkward situation. I hurriedly shifted my gaze toward the guard knight standing beside the Emperor.
I had heard that an Emperor's guard knight usually shared a bond that stretched back to the distant past—a relationship forged in absolute trust.
As expected, the moment the guard knight caught my desperate look, he cleared his throat and spoke in a solemn voice.
"Your Majesty. Please refrain from speaking of kneeling. Even if the opponent is Xenon, it is not something Your Majesty should kneel for."
"And yet, a Holy War could be declared with a single word from this man? Do you believe the Minerva Empire could withstand a pincer attack from Helium and Savior?"
"That is a separate matter. I am simply asking you to refrain from kneeling. Even without that, are there not many other options?"
"Hmph. Tsk, tsk."
When the guard knight laid out nothing but cold, hard facts, Berit merely clicked his tongue and didn't scold him further.
I felt a bit dazed watching them. It was clear their relationship was deep, but it seemed far removed from typical imperial solemnity.
Then, he looked at me and spoke with a lingering smile.
"Then, how about something other than kneeling?"
"Your Majesty."
"Fine, fine. I shall stop."
Berit let out a hearty laugh and cleared his throat, perhaps to loosen his vocal cords.
Then, in a voice that was calm and gentle yet carried a certain weight, he formally introduced himself to me.
"As you likely know, I am..."
"We."
The guard knight corrected him again from the side. This time, it was about his choice of pronouns.
Berit clicked his tongue again and corrected his speech.
"We are the Emperor who rules the Minerva Empire, Berit Urmi Jacklith Minerva. It is an honor to meet Xenon."
"I—I am Isaac Ducard Maishal. It is an honor to meet the Sky of the Empire."
I hurriedly returned the greeting with proper etiquette. It was an impressive meeting in many ways.
At the same time, a question arose. For what reason had Berit come to the garden?
We hadn't told anyone we were coming here. Only Adelia, who was staying in the guest room, knew.
Berit likely knew I had come to the Imperial Palace, but regardless, this meeting felt truly coincidental.
"Red hair and golden eyes, just like the son of Lord Maishal should have. You truly suit the Lady of Rekilis well."
"I—I am honored."
I expressed my gratitude with the utmost politeness. He was harder to deal with than any leader I had met so far.
I already had a friendship with Arwen, and Descal was a Demon who treated me as a benefactor.
But in Berit's case, this was our first meeting without any such prior connection, so I had no choice but to be formal.
Lina's political marriage partner? That was merely a guess, and we hadn't even discussed it properly yet.
In other words, for now, he was someone I needed to impress as much as possible.
"Have you been well? It seems you brought him here knowing I would come this way."
After receiving my greeting, Berit looked at Mari and asked pointedly. At his words, I also looked at her.
Mari gave a mischievous smile and nodded, answering Berit's question.
"Yes, that's right. Your Majesty comes to the garden whenever you have a spare moment, don't you?"
"Don't tell me you..."
"Isn't a chance meeting like this nice?"
When I asked her in disbelief, Mari stuck out her tongue and made a cheeky face. It seemed she had calculated everything.
While I let out a hollow laugh at her audacity, Berit also chuckled heartily and spoke in a refined tone.
"Your playfulness has grown quite a bit since I last saw you. I suppose that means you've found more peace of mind."
"Yes. I've met a truly wonderful man, after all."
As she said that, Mari clung tightly to my arm. I could feel her soft touch through my sleeve.
Regardless of that, her bold display of affection in front of the Emperor was quite embarrassing.
However, Berit only laughed and didn't show any signs of discomfort.
It seemed they either had a close personal friendship, or Mari knew his personality very well.
"Indeed. It is the best time of one's life. I don't know about Lina, but that fellow Leort needs to hurry up and find his own match."
"Oh? Did Lina already tell you?"
"She did not, but if I lacked even that much intuition, I wouldn't have been able to keep this throne."
Berit said this while looking at me. He seemed to have already guessed that Lina would be coming to me through a political marriage.
I felt unnecessarily apologetic and self-conscious. Sensing the mood, I cautiously asked a question.
"......Are you alright with that?"
"With what? You were expecting it too, weren't you? If you were ugly, I would have been truly worried. It is a great relief that the opposite is true."
"..."
I wanted to say more, but his way of speaking strangely left me speechless. It was as if he was signaling that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
I remembered Lina telling me to keep my wits about me because it was easy to get swept up in his pace right before we headed to the palace.
Indeed, one doesn't become Emperor for nothing; I couldn't afford to let my guard down when it came to conversation.
The only saving grace was that he seemed to have a favorable opinion of me. Furthermore, his very first words to me were a question about Xenon's Life.
"Let us not just stand here; let's walk a bit. Since this is your first time here, I shall show you a particularly good spot."
"Are you going fishing?"
"Ah. Come to think of it, you would know, Mari."
And so, a strange accompaniment began between Mari, myself, and Emperor Berit.
Since Berit's words and actions were quite eccentric in many ways, it was difficult to let my guard down.
If I were to lose focus for even a second, I might be left defenseless against a sudden, piercing question.
"By the way, is it a foregone conclusion that Jin will die?"
Just like now. We hadn't even walked a few steps before he threw out that question.
I flinched for a moment but immediately regained my composure. Since it was a question I had already anticipated, I could handle it easily.
"If you heard our conversation just now, you should be able to predict it."
"So he dies."
Despite his certain tone, I didn't react hastily. Adding unnecessary details might lead the conversation in an odd direction.
At my quiet response, Berit stared at me for a moment before looking forward again.
For the record, Berit was leading the way, Mari and I were behind him, and the guard knight was following at the very back.
"It is truly a shame. He was the character We liked most."
"What aspect of him did Your Majesty like the most?"
"I enjoyed seeing him steadfastly overcome desperate situations. Although I am far removed from a life of adventure, the story was so vivid that I could immerse myself in it."
"I am truly honored."
Using words that didn't roll easily off my tongue made me feel awkward. But I couldn't exactly speak informally to the Emperor, could I?
Besides, he was someone who might become my father-in-law in the future; speaking carelessly could lead to disaster.
I had to make the best impression possible. Even though Berit was showing a somewhat eccentric side, I couldn't let my guard down for even a second.
"Have you ever gone fishing?"
"No, I haven't."
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to learn this time. You will find it enjoyable."
I knew fishing took a very long time. Given the current state of affairs, shouldn't he be tending to his duties?
Just as that thought was swirling in my head, the guard knight behind us spoke up in a low voice, as if he had read my mind.
Though his voice was low, it was clear and articulate enough to be heard perfectly.
"Your Majesty. Regrettably, your break time is fifteen minutes. The country is currently in great turmoil, so please exercise restraint."
"Haha. My good man. I am building a friendship with a man who might become my son-in-law; is even that too much?"
"Yes."
"..."
Faced with such a resolute answer, even Berit seemed to have nothing to say and kept his mouth shut. Instead, he merely clicked his tongue out of habit.
Despite his words, he knew it well too—the fact that the Minerva Empire was currently being shaken.
With incidents related to Demon worshippers occurring one after another, the Empire's prestige was being chipped away in heaps.
In such a situation, it would be quite a headache if the Emperor were to be absent from his post.
"It cannot be helped. Xenon... no, Isaac."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"It will be boring while I fish, so let us talk."
"Understood."
No matter how I looked at it, he was far from the typical solemnity of an Emperor. It felt rude to say, but he was closer to a carefree idler who had transcended worldly concerns.
Of course, that was only in terms of his behavior. Even if his conduct was a bit unique, his appearance was unmistakably that of an Emperor.
By the way, does he not have any siblings?
I was slightly curious about this. Royalty has a duty to maintain the bloodline by producing many descendants.
It was a bit puzzling that Berit only had two children, and I had never heard any news of him having siblings.
However, I had to consider the possibility that he was an only child. Unless I was someone involved in politics, there were clear limits to what I could learn from newspapers.
"Oh, right. How is Lord Maishal doing?"
While I was lost in thought for a moment, Berit turned his head slightly and asked me. It wasn't about me, but my father.
I was surprised by his words, which suggested a connection with my father of all people, but I had to answer.
After filtering my thoughts to prevent any strange words from slipping out, I answered in a positive tone.
"Yes. He is doing well without any issues."
"Has he never mentioned anything related to Us?"
"......Not even once?"
I ended up answering with a question because of the bothersome nature of his inquiry. Berit nodded once and spoke while looking straight ahead.
"I should meet with Lord Maishal once, but it keeps being delayed."
"......Did something happen?"
"Something did happen. But since I am the one who owes him a debt, you don't need to worry too much."
Saying that only makes me worry more. What on earth did he do?
"If you are curious, I shall tell you while we fish. Knowing Lord Maishal's personality, he likely hasn't told you a thing about what he did. What do you say?"
"I don't mind—"
"In exchange for saving Jin."
"..."
This man.
