Chapter 134: Practical Combat 3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Practical Combat 3
"Now then, shall we talk about Betzdo’s location?"
The Pushover clapped his hands, the sharp sound cutting through the heavy atmosphere.
Sepia looked at Loki, her eyes filled with newfound resolve.
She had been curious from the start. How did this man know the location of Betzdo—a place she hadn't been able to find no matter how desperately she searched?
"I know you're worried. But it’s time for you to be happy, Sepia. I understand your anxiety, but I’m here too. Even if you fall into danger, I will protect you."
At first, Sepia thought he was speaking to her.
"So, you don't need to worry too much."
But as he continued, she realized his words weren't actually directed at her.
"Sepia has already made up her mind. You’ve been by her side all along, watching the effort she’s put in, haven't you?"
Since Loki and herself were the only ones present, Sepia spoke up, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Pushover, who are you talking to...?"
"So, now."
Loki cut her off. He spoke to the only entities who had witnessed every tragedy that had befallen the village—the only ones currently capable of tracking Betzdo’s location.
"It’s time to tell me. Where is Betzdo right now?"
From beginning to end, Loki’s gaze remained fixed firmly on the spirits.
* * *
There was one nation that no alliance of kingdoms on the continent could defeat.
The sole empire of the continent, recognized by all: the Croa Empire.
And there was one man who sat at its absolute pinnacle.
The man who stood at the highest point of the entire continent.
He was the one who had cleaned up the massive mess left behind by the former Emperor—the one who had executed his predecessor to save a declining, or rather, already ruined empire and led it toward even greater prosperity.
He was the man who commanded the Freya family, masters of the sword, and the Adelian family, masters of magic, as his left and right hands.
The Emperor of the Croa Empire.
Casten Leonhart.
That great Emperor was currently frowning at the mountain of documents piled high on his desk.
When am I going to finish all of this? Even if I focus entirely on the task, it’ll take at least three hours.
"Sigh..."
Normally, this was the time he would dump such paperwork onto the Prime Minister and spend his time idling with the Empress. However, the Prime Minister had not come to work for two days.
"I shouldn't have given the Prime Minister a vacation. Should I call him back now?"
The Emperor’s eyes and hands moved rapidly as he processed the documents, but his mind was filled with regret over his decision to grant the leave.
Two days ago, the Prime Minister had declared that if he wasn't going to be allowed to retire, he should at least be given a vacation.
Normally, the Emperor would have said something like, "I’m struggling too, so let’s just endure and work a little harder"—the kind of "black company" rhetoric Loki would have despised—but...
Recently, the Prime Minister had acquired a powerful weapon to use in negotiations.
Loki. A boy who was initially summoned because of the potential he showed during the entrance ceremony, but who had somehow officially become the Emperor's true disciple.
That caused quite a lot of trouble.
Loki wasn't the only one whose life became complicated after becoming the Emperor's disciple.
The Emperor had faced his own share of annoying situations.
People started by asking exactly when he had begun teaching the boy, then subtly moved on to boasting about their own children.
He swings a sword well. She’s brilliant. He’s already hunting magic beasts. No one said it directly, but their desire to have their own children taken in as disciples was transparent.
However, the person who had the most to say about the existence of a disciple was the Prime Minister.
It wasn't that the Prime Minister had asked for his own child to be accepted.
I would have preferred that...
"Did you dump all this work on me just so you could teach a disciple? Even though you won't permit my retirement! Fine, then I’ll raise a young disciple of my own! Wouldn't a disciple I trained be more useful than an old man like me?"
Judging by the thunderous volume of his voice back then, the man could easily work for another ten, no, twenty years.
It was a blessing for the Empire.
And it seemed the Prime Minister had misunderstood something.
The Emperor hadn't dumped work on him specifically to teach Loki. He had been dumping work on the Prime Minister long before Loki ever came along.
I sent him on vacation for now, but...
Actually trying to handle the Prime Minister's workload himself was giving him a massive headache.
It wasn't particularly difficult; it was just the sheer volume that was soul-crushing.
Furthermore, there were documents that couldn't be handed off to lower officials due to security concerns.
"Next time, I should give him money instead of a vacation. And more herbal tonics."
"Your Majesty! What I want isn't money or fame, it's retirement!"
Ignoring the Prime Minister's imagined screams echoing in his head, the Emperor continued processing the documents.
All while considering the Prime Minister's health, of course.
"Perhaps if he rests well during this vacation, he’ll be able to work even longer."
Even a machine needs to be oiled occasionally to last.
Thinking thoughts that would make the Prime Minister wail in despair, the Emperor worked through the papers.
He had no intention of letting the Prime Minister retire yet.
One Prime Minister was far more useful than a dozen mediocre officials.
As long as I sit on the throne, retirement is a pipe dream for him. Indeed.
The stack of papers on the desk dwindled with every movement of the Emperor's hand.
Just as the overwhelming mountain of documents was finally getting low—
Click.
Someone opened the door and entered without permission.
If it had been any other servant entering the Emperor's room unannounced, they would have been fired on the spot.
However, the corners of the Emperor's mouth, which had been set in a weary line, curled upward upon seeing the intruder.
"Empress."
His eyes, which had been fixed on the paperwork, turned toward her.
The Empress looked into the Emperor's eyes and gave him a bright smile.
"Your Majesty, am I interrupting?"
"No, of course not. I was just about to take a break anyway."
The Empress glanced at the pile of processed documents versus the remaining ones. Although he had finished far more than what was left, there was still a significant amount.
"The Prime Minister is on vacation, so you're working hard, Your Majesty. Hoho, that's why I told you to dump the work in moderation. No matter how much you like me."
"I could have worked diligently if I hadn't announced him as my disciple."
"But you announced it because you liked him, didn't you?"
The boy had discovered his secret, possessed talent, and even had the skill to take down a necromancer alone.
If he were an ordinary disciple, the Emperor would have casually agreed with the Empress, but...
"Above all, Yerika seems to like him quite a bit. On my way here, it looked like she’s been on the phone with him this whole time."
The Emperor's smile, which had been steady while looking at the Empress, began to waver.
The Empress giggled at the sight.
Her lovely husband always showed such entertaining reactions whenever it came to their daughter.
"How cute. Honestly, there’s no one else you like besides that boy, is there?"
"............"
The Emperor remained silent.
It was because the Empress was right.
His daughter was precious, kind, and beautiful.
Compared to his perfect daughter, no man was good enough, but...
If he had to choose one, he would choose Loki.
Of course, the boy was still severely lacking.
As the Emperor tried his best to deny it, the Empress continued.
"Besides, even you were surprised by the artifacts that boy gave Yerika, weren't you?"
On the day Loki was announced as his disciple at the Disciplinary Board, their daughter had returned late that night and bragged about it with a silly grin.
"Father, Mother, look at this! The Clown gave these all to me as presents! Hehe."
Beaming, their daughter had pulled out numerous artifacts.
Among them were items whose value couldn't even be measured.
More than wondering how he had obtained such treasures, the Emperor was genuinely shocked that he had given them all to his daughter without asking for anything in return.
No two artifacts were the same, but they were all focused on protective shields or evasion. It was clear what his intentions were.
"Now that it's known he's your disciple, there will surely be families trying to arrange marriage proposals. Won't Yerika be sad then?"
Just as the Emperor was pondering the Empress's words—
Ring. Ri-ring.
A communication device chimed.
Checking it, he saw it wasn't the device used for official business, but his personal one.
The number of people connected to this device, excluding family, could be counted on one hand.
"The timing is impeccable."
The Empress tilted her head at the Emperor's reaction.
"Who is it?"
"My disciple. Come to think of it, you've never met him, Empress. Would you like to hear his voice at least?"
The Empress shook her head.
"No. For the first time, I want to see his face properly rather than just hearing a voice through a device."
With that, the Empress gave the Emperor a light kiss on the cheek and left. Once she was gone, the Emperor answered the call.
[I greet the Great Sun of the Empire. Today, thanks to Your Majesty's grace—]
"Sigh..."
Hearing the boy, who usually gave simple greetings, speak with such exaggerated formality made the Emperor feel a sudden surge of anxiety.
"Any contact from other kingdoms?"
[None anymore. I suppose I'm becoming a has-been.]
"Tomorrow is the weekend, so stop by. I'll give you a lesson for the first time in a while."
[I'm busy tomorrow.]
"With what?"
[I'm going to catch a necromancer.]
The voice was as nonchalant as if he were saying he was going out for a quick meal.
The Emperor's eyes drifted toward the nearly finished paperwork.
"............"
Should he just call the Prime Minister back?