Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: ㅗ
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Today, as always, Emperor Taurus and Princess Elise were disguised as plain old "Ordinary Person 1" and "Ordinary Person 2."
The two figures, whose names alone could shake the entire empire, were casually making their way toward the Cradle.
"Elise."
"Yes?"
"Did you really need to come along?"
"It's interesting."
The princess strolled calmly beside the emperor.
Elise had shoved aside her mountain of imperial duties once again and latched onto Taurus the moment she heard about his outing. As soon as she confirmed the destination was the Cradle, she packed her bags without a word and followed.
"I heard that top student tried to unleash her unique magic on the imperial shadows."
"......"
...It was true.
Adel had indeed attempted to deploy his unique magic on the imperial underlings—the so-called shadows—who were tailing him.
Fortunately, the shadows had scattered in a flash, averting disaster...
But if he'd been even a step slower, it would've escalated from a simple body cleanup to a national apology.
"So, why the hell do you keep poking the hornet's nest?"
"......Urgh."
The emperor groaned.
There was an unwritten rule: The Cradle existed within imperial territory but was a complete neutral zone. Even the imperial family never interfered in its internal affairs—that was the principle.
Contact with students, in particular, was the ultimate taboo. Even a single "glance" could spark unnecessary misunderstandings, no matter the justification.
But...
"How could I turn a blind eye to the child who averted a crisis beyond the empire—across the entire world?"
That was why Adel was so extraordinary.
A commoner who had risen to the top spot, a feat so rare it could be counted on one hand.
And...
The one who had slain a "calamity" on par with the Black Demonic Beast.
Why was it called a "calamity"? Because no human could ever handle it—that's why it bore that name.
"And... this wasn't even a one-time thing."
Through his investigations, the emperor had learned that Adel hadn't just dealt with the Calamity of Lust—he'd also taken down the Calamity of Wrath.
Sure, the Calamity of Wrath had been in an incomplete state before its full descent...
But even so, leaving someone who'd survived two calamities unscathed would be a dereliction of duty as the empire's leader.
"Just looking the other way is an option, too."
"......"
But Emperor Taurus had no intention of forcing anything on Adel. That was why his movements were quieter and swifter than anyone else's.
He simply wished that, even after graduating from the Cradle...
The girl would stay in the empire.
That one hope was enough.
"Father. Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That one lemon contains a full lemon's worth of vitamin C."
"...Elise. Can't you show a little awareness, please?"
The emperor was clearly on the move for a matter of national importance... yet Elise seemed to have tagged along purely out of "interest."
"Oh."
And then, suddenly...
Elise clasped her hands together and began reciting in a serious tone.
"Did you know? Crocodiles can't move their tongues. It's stuck to the roof of their mouth, blocking water from going down their esophagus or trachea."
"......"
"Frogs can breathe through their skin. And cows can climb stairs but have a hard time coming down. Instinctual fear, maybe?"
"Elise..."
"Penguins have knees. Hard to believe, but... it's true."
"Uh... Elise?"
"Yeah? No need to be so shocked... I was mentally wrecked for days when I learned penguins have knees, but..."
"No... it's nothing...."
The emperor looked up at the sky. He half-hoped a downpour would drench them both.
"Elise."
"Yes?"
"Please learn to shut up sometime."
"Got it... I'll try."
Elise flashed a grin and stepped ahead.
That subtly smug expression...
It seemed born from the pride and satisfaction of sharing another useless fact.
"Haa......"
As always, the emperor bore all the hardship, while the princess reaped all the fun.
And...
"Did you know? The human body contains iron. Theoretically, if you melt down one person and refine it properly, you could make a nail."
"Elise..."
"Yes, Father."
"Is there something I did wrong... or anything like that?"
"Huh? No? Doesn't seem like it...."
Not even "doesn't seem like it."
It was "doesn't seem like it...."
"Right now, there's a nail hammered right into Father's brain."
The emperor pondered seriously.
Should he confiscate all of Elise's books? Or... at least make sure their contents never left her mouth.
"Ah, you've arrived."
"...It's been a while, Lord Kaus."
"No need for such formalities, Your Majesty."
And so.
Taurus and Elise arrived at the Cradle's headmaster's office under Kaus's guidance...
The moment the door opened, Taurus couldn't believe his eyes.
"That thing you love so much... the five Ws? The six-part argument? Spit it out using that."
[Why should I?]
"Three seconds. Intro, stance, evidence and examples, counterarguments and rebuttals, conclusion."
[You first, Headmaster.]
"Wanna get flicked on the head for real? You wanna die?"
[I want to flick you too.]
"Oh yeah? Wanna do rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets it, fair and square?"
The imperial family was raised with certain teachings across generations.
"Never attack the Cradle."
"Never cross that person."
"Never upset that person."
Everyone knew exactly who "that person" referred to.
...The Cradle's headmaster, Veronica.
But right now...
"Hey. Try it with your eyes covered."
[Why?]
"I said cover them."
Before the emperor's eyes...
Was Adel, flicking Veronica herself on the forehead.
You don't pick fights you can't win.
Guess that's why she's such an evil dragonling—she doesn't even know common sense.
"I said cover your eyes and do it again."
I shoved the affinity window off to the side...
And lifted the whiteboard.
[Pick, Headmaster.]
Why is she so persistent? Doesn't she know she gets uglier the more she does it?
And right on cue...
"Um... Headmaster."
Swish.
Veronica turned at Kaus's voice.
At the door stood a familiar face from before... and some woman in a mask.
What's that now?
The masked woman seemed uncomfortable with it. She tilted the mask slightly, touched her chin, fiddled endlessly, adjusting it nonstop.
"Oh, you're here?"
Veronica, who had been flipping me the bird, dropped her hand faster than the eye could follow and casually welcomed the two stepping over the threshold.
"Make yourselves comfortable."
She said make yourselves comfortable, but no one did.
...Not that I cared.
I leaned back against the opposite sofa, perfectly at ease.
"So~ what brings such esteemed guests to this humble office?"
Veronica draped her arm over the back of the sofa behind me, propped her chin up, and poked her head right next to my face.
Her slit pupils fixed on the emperor... then the masked woman beside him.
"Oh dear, even the princess is here."
"Um... hello?"
"No way I can say hi back."
So the masked woman is the princess.
...Emperor and princess.
Why the hell am I stuck smack in the middle of this?
Hmm...
I'd definitely seen her before.
On the way back to the Cradle after volunteer work with Rev. Lamenta detected tails, and via the status window, I realized they were imperial shadows.
I'd planned to blast them with unique magic, but the shadows bolted quickly.
...I figured that was warning enough.
And yet, here they were again.
This time... the emperor in person.
"So... why are you here?"
"......"
"Even breaking the unwritten rule of no interference?"
Veronica pressed down on my head casually. The malice packed into that hand tousled my hair wildly.
"There must be a reason you're here to see our little Adel, right?"
"Our... little Adel...?"
"What. She's in my Cradle, so she's our Adel. Got a problem?"
"...No."
The emperor looked visibly exhausted. He seemed a decade older than before; I hid a pang of pity behind my mask.
"...May I speak with Student Adel?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
Just words, though. Veronica herself had zero intention of letting things be casual.
"So... you."
[Yes.]
"No beating around the bush... After graduating from the Cradle, any thoughts of coming to the empire?"
"...?"
What nonsense is this?
...And apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.
"Hey, you bastard. You trying to steal what's mine?"
"Pardon?"
...Did something weird just slip out?
Nah, must be my imagination.
"That's not what I meant, Headmaster Veronica."
"It's exactly that. What else could it be?"
"After graduation, she can stay at the Cradle for all I care—as long as she remains in the 'empire.' That's all I meant."
"Oh, really? Then fine, whatever."
What the hell is fine about it...
They hadn't even asked me, the person involved, and were already deciding if it was fine or not.
Veronica sighed and leaned back against the sofa. The emperor glanced at her, then continued speaking to me.
"You... have no status at all."
"......"
"I'll grant you one. A noble title, too. So... just stay in the empire."
Granting a noble title?
What's the reason for going that far?
From the context, the emperor knows I handled the Calamities of Wrath and Lust.
So...
Planning to make me a hero?
[Why go that far for me?]
"...The empire needs talent."
[Then what about Klaus? I didn't take down the calamities alone.]
"...Klaus?"
The emperor tilted his head...
And the princess beside him tapped his arm to chime in.
"The student who supposedly took down the calamity with her."
"...Ah, that child."
What.
They know about Klaus, too.
Then why focus so much on just me?
"Of course... I planned to ask that child as well."
"This fucker's really planning to suck every last drop."
Veronica's venom was unrelenting.
But the emperor ignored it and looked back at me.
"The empire needs talent right now."
[There's plenty of talent.]
"No... not enough."
"......"
"Chaos is coming to the world."
Chaos.
In other words... calamities.
"And that chaos is all headed straight for the empire."
Those things, awakening one by one... they craved destruction.
And that destruction was squeezing the world's center.
The empire's heart.
"I simply want you to stay in the empire... nothing more, nothing less."
Thud.
I quietly set down the whiteboard.
Then... I crossed my legs, rested my elbow on the armrest, and propped my chin on my hand.
I was certain.
Right now, in this moment, I was definitely the one in charge.
And...
"Hup-cha."
Veronica snatched the whiteboard beside me.
Thud.
She casually rested her chin on my head. She snatched the marker from my hand and boldly drew two lines across the board.
[ㅗ]
Veronica shamelessly flashed that brazen [ㅗ] at the emperor.
And her next words were the absolute kicker.
"He says fuck off."