The Deal Begins
"If that was the case, then there was nothing to be done about it."
"······."
The Emperor said with a smile.
"And the one who escalated things back then was you, wasn't it? Even I never expected you'd go that far. Everything exceeded my imagination."
That much was true. The Emperor had left the entire tournament in Leon's hands.
Anyone below Master rank was fair game, he'd declared. Knights should come prepared to lose. Leon, thoroughly fired up at the time, had relentlessly provoked every warrior of renown. The one who'd jacked the stakes of defeat to insane levels had been him.
The Emperor added,
"I'm not saying you did anything wrong. On the contrary, you performed beyond my expectations. It's just that the picture I'd painted was more along the lines of you thrashing your peers and revealing yourself as an upper-rank Expert."
Leon was privately startled.
So the Emperor had known even then that he'd reached upper Expert. It had only been two days since he'd advanced.
"I've digressed a little, but at any rate, that was one major reason. And I took a liking to your temperament as well. As I said earlier — shrewd, yet never excessive, and you keep what ought to be kept. You're rather just, too. As long as you have the capacity for it, you could become a hero anytime you wished. Someone who only looks out for himself would never throw himself into unprofitable causes like that."
"······."
Leon wondered just how much of his track record the Emperor had read to arrive at such an assessment.
He didn't think the word "just" suited him particularly well. The number-one motive behind his actions had always been fun.
But the Emperor's evaluation wasn't entirely off the mark.
Helping others when he had the room to spare — that much was true.
Even going to rescue Celia in the Siruntel Demonic Realm had been because he'd judged the demonic beasts there posed no real threat. He hadn't gone prepared to stake his life.
Granted, he'd nearly died to the high-ranking demon that arrived afterward. But that had clearly been a variable.
He'd never dreamed Valcansus's subordinates would show up. With Mazias dead, he'd assumed no demons would come.
In any case, Leon was someone who valued himself above all else. He was no Lyman, ready to sacrifice himself for others.
But neither was he the type to let innocents die simply because it was a hassle. If anything, he tended to help when he could.
There was nothing unusual about this temperament. It was thoroughly ordinary. Most people gladly help others when they have the leeway, and look after themselves when things get hard.
What set Leon apart from ordinary people was simply that he found his fun in different places — and that he pursued that pleasure with fanatical intensity.
That was likely where the Emperor had misread him: assuming Leon had thrown himself into every incident and accident not for the fun of it, but to save people.
"On top of that, your lack of hesitation is an advantage. You're nothing like those nobles who grew up without ever getting their hands dirty. Cruelty. Boldness. Madness. You already possess every quality of a war hero, fully formed."
"I'm not that kind of person."
"Ruthless enough to burn five noble houses that opposed you to the ground."
······!
The ambush landed so casually that Leon nearly lost control of his expression.
This was definitely a probe. Even the Emperor couldn't possibly know about that. He might have his suspicions, but hard evidence would be impossible to come by.
So all he had to do was deny it.
"I'm not sure what Your Majesty is referring to."
The Emperor pointed at Leon as if he'd expected exactly that.
"Haha. Honestly, whether you did it or not makes no difference to me. Those houses were shady to begin with. As long as you don't get caught, it's fine. So let's move on."
Leon answered with silence.
"So."
The Emperor's eyes gleamed.
"I wonder if I need to keep talking myself hoarse. Feeling any inclination to play the hero?"
"Pardon? Wasn't this an imperial decree either way? I figured I just had to do it."
"I'd prefer to simply tell you what needs doing and leave it at that. But are you the type to do something just because someone forces you? From where I sit, you're the sort who'd let an imperial decree go in one ear and out the other. If your heart isn't in it, you'd go through the motions and half-ass the whole thing."
"Wow······."
Leon was deeply impressed by the Emperor's insight. This was a man who could set up a fortune-telling mat on a street corner and make a killing.
"And I don't particularly care for that approach. At the very least, a person should know what they're doing and why, if you want any real efficiency out of them. Of course, well······ there are plenty of people better handled as tools."
"May I ask what it is I'm supposed to do?"
"Nothing grandiose. It's simply an extension of everything you've already been doing. Defeating enemies. Just take that sword of yours to the places I want and put it to use. For instance — go stop the Akbuhoe from committing a massacre, or wipe out one of Demolius's human experimentation facilities. How I put your achievements to use after that is my business."
"So I'd be like a hunting dog."
"If I had to draw a comparison, more like a mercenary. I issue a request, you take it. If something I ask truly doesn't sit well with you, you don't have to do it. As I said before, I don't want a hero who throws his life away. I won't assign you anything that would put you in real danger. Only jobs within your capabilities."
The Emperor was proposing a deal between equals.
Even from the position of absolute authority over all, his attitude was free of coercion — and that was striking. This man was likely the most unusual emperor in the dynasty's history.
Well, honestly······.
Everything the Emperor had said and done so far was more than enough to generate genuine personal goodwill.
After all, he could have simply issued an imperial decree and been done with it — yet here he was, taking the time to explain everything at length.
Leon considered the Emperor's proposal for a moment.
It was pretty good. Nothing about it rubbed him the wrong way.
As he'd always said, his life was always focused on fun.
What had been the reason he'd headed for Elprime in the first place? The events that unfolded around the original protagonist, Billy.
But both he and Billy were set to graduate early. Academy life was nearly over.
And he'd been running out of things to do anyway. He'd already handled nearly every original-story event he knew about.
In that sense, the quests the Emperor would toss his way would provide a steady stream of high-quality stimulation.
He had no particular desire to see the Empire fall apart, and zero interest in siding with the Demon Realm. So cooperating with the Emperor and tipping the scales of war wasn't a bad idea either.
Rising as a war hero? It would be a bit of a hassle, but that wasn't bad either.
However.
That doesn't mean I'm going to be a sucker.
Even if he was doing it for his own enjoyment, it was still work someone else was assigning — and he deserved to get paid for it.
"A hero. Yes, that sounds fine."
Leon leaned forward, just slightly.
"But Your Majesty — in that case, what do I receive in return?"
The Emperor answered while sipping his coffee.
"Hmm. Wouldn't patriotism for the nation be enough? Or······ glory? Honor?"
"······."
"Haha. I'm joking, joking. Your eyes just got awfully murderous."
The Emperor waved a hand and lazily crossed his legs the other way. His languid, unhurried voice sank into Leon's ears.
"I'd rather ask you. What do you want? Honor will come naturally enough. Money? Power? Treasure? Connections?"
It wasn't a question that required much thought.
Money, honor, power······. He didn't go out of his way to chase them, but the more of them you had, the better. The more, the merrier, as they say.
Of course, he wasn't lacking in any of these things. But what reason was there to turn down an opportunity to have more?
So.
"I think all of them would do."
The Emperor's eyes went round.
"Is that so? Then how about a betrothal to my youngest as well? Interested?"
"Youngest······?"
Leon tilted his head, then jolted and shook his head hard.
"Ah — Esabel. No, Her Highness the Princess? No, that's a bit much."
"Tch, is that so?"
The Emperor smacked his lips.
"Well, understood. All of them. I'll see to it the payment is distributed evenly."
He smiled faintly and extended his hand.
"Then let's work well together going forward."
"Yes. I look forward to it."
Leon took the offered hand.
And so the deal with the Emperor began.
District Four of the capital. The Forge Quarter.
A place where the heat of the furnaces never cooled year-round, and the ringing of steel never ceased.
In the deepest smithy there, a young dwarf was bringing down his hammer.
Clang, clang, clang—!
Sinewy arm muscles coiled and flexed as the hammer rose and fell. Hot sparks scattered in every direction. The clear, ringing impacts pulsed through the entire area in a continuous roar.
The dwarf's face as he hammered was solemn beyond measure. His stance and gaze never wavered. A peculiar aura even formed around him, swirling faintly.
It was unmistakably the bearing of a true artisan.
Hissss······!
The glowing-red solid being struck was plunged into cold water. The temperature was so extreme that a colossal volume of steam billowed up, thick enough to blot out everything an inch ahead.
Clank—
Once more, an elongated mass of metal was set upon the anvil. Under the light of the mana-fire, the steel surface gleamed pure white.
"······."
Glem Halito examined it carefully. The eyes that regarded his work held the heat of a boiling furnace.
Then.
"······Haha."
A great laugh broke across his lips. It was a smile steeped in deep satisfaction and joy.
Glem turned the piece this way and that, examining it again. Then he shook with helpless laughter, and looked back and forth between his own two hands as if he couldn't believe it.
He repeated this for a long while before finally murmuring under his breath,
"······I've gone and made something truly extraordinary."