Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Engagement
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To the people of the Empire, the Emperor was a being above all others.
A status so exalted that no one dared even approach, only gazing from afar.
No matter how noble one might be, not a single breach of decorum was tolerated in the Emperor's presence.
Naturally, the same held true for me, the eldest son of a ducal house.
"Is this for real? This."
I muttered to myself as I headed north toward the Emperor's residence.
Adel had told me the Emperor wanted to see me. And Ariel too, as a bonus.
She said since she was handling the interrogation that was originally meant for me, I could relax.
Even if I'd awakened memories from my past life, I was still a person of this world.
Meeting the Emperor required me to keep my wits sharply about me.
And bringing Ariel along made it all the more so.
'What could he be thinking?'
The Emperor, Magnus von Valdrion, whom I'd never met even once until now.
Why would he want to see my little sister?
No matter how deeply I pondered it, only one reason came to mind.
Ariel Leonhart.
My sister, connected to the hidden side of this world.
The prophet had called her a calamity, so he probably wanted to see her for himself and judge. Whatever that judgment might be.
I kept worrying about what he might say to me in private, and what would happen if it led to something bad for Ariel.
Then Ariel, who had been sticking close by my side, spoke up.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Is the Emperor bothering you?"
Oh.
What kind of context was this?
I paused for a moment, meeting her gaze.
Her pale eyes stared blankly up at me.
Hmm...
Okay. I got it.
"You think I look troubled. Ever since he summoned me, you've noticed. So to help me, you figured we should get rid of His Majesty. Something like that?"
"Yeah. Oppa is a genius."
I whispered softly, in case anyone else might overhear.
Ariel nodded slightly, completely oblivious to my caution.
Listen, kid. You might be fine even if the whole Empire came at you, but your big brother isn't.
If you go around casually badmouthing the Emperor, guess who has to take the fall?
"No. I'll handle it myself."
"Why? If you leave it to me, it'll all be solved."
"You'll understand the reason later, once you grow up even prettier. Might be a bit too soon right now."
"Am I not pretty now?"
"That was a roundabout way of saying you're still young."
Humans are social creatures.
If it were just Ariel and me living alone together, I wouldn't have to worry about the Emperor's gaze.
But I cherish our family, our house is part of the Empire's nobility, and as such, we must uphold the proper dignity as imperial subjects.
Ariel still seemed puzzled as to why she, the world's strongest being, had to accommodate these mere mobs.
But as I said, she'll come to understand it naturally when she grows up.
No one else was visible in the Inner Palace.
A man sat across a table in the distance.
The Emperor, Magnus von Valdrion.
The Emperor of the Empire sitting alone, without guards or attendants.
How was I supposed to interpret this?
First, I approached as guided.
I knelt to pay my respects, but the Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for that."
"Pardon? Your Majesty, but—"
"If you act that way, won't your little sister get in trouble?"
"......"
I glanced sideways at his words.
Unlike me, Ariel stood straight on both feet.
The proper etiquette a noble should observe before the Emperor.
My sister knew nothing of it, cared nothing for it, and had no intention of doing it.
In other words, the Emperor was saying this:
If you observe etiquette and Ariel doesn't, then I have no choice but to punish Ariel.
"......I am grateful for Your Majesty's grace."
I nodded quietly and sat before the Emperor.
The table was laden with various confections.
But I had no desire to eat.
Not until I knew what the Emperor was thinking.
"Nom—"
Regardless, Ariel picked one up and popped it into her mouth.
You're bolder than me, little sis.
The Emperor, who had been watching us silently, finally spoke leisurely.
"Kline Leonhart. The Empire's young lion. Before we begin our talk, I have a question first. Will you answer truthfully?"
"Yes. Gladly."
"Then I'll ask. —Are you a loyal servant of this nation?"
"Pardon?"
What was this all about?
I wondered why he'd suddenly say something like that, but the Emperor's expression didn't change.
Leisurely, yet firmly.
Urging me wordlessly to answer quickly.
"Of course."
"Then, do you intend to succeed Gerard the Duke and revive House Leonhart?"
"Naturally."
"Haha. Good. I believed you'd say as much."
What was the point of this exchange?
The Emperor's questions felt like a procedure to confirm I had no intention of betraying the Empire.
Did he really suspect me that much?
"I have many questions about you."
His gaze continued to appraise me.
Was he exercising an Emperor's observational insight?
Did he see me as a suspicious suspect in this Bluddied incident?
'Ridiculous.'
I was innocent and flawless.
I'd make sure he never doubted me.
But the Emperor's next words went beyond my expectations.
"However, I have no intention of asking you about that."
"Pardon?"
Then why did he summon me?
"I've heard the details of the incident. That Bluddied the merchant guildmaster committed terrorism at the Lotus Pavilion. That he targeted my beloved third daughter. And that you splendidly stopped it. Thank you. Truly."
"Ah. You're welcome."
"But one mystery remains. Bluddied wasn't human. Even now, the magical autopsy shows no progress. Moreover, in a situation where no one suspected Bluddied, only you pointed her out as suspicious. Is this true?"
"......Yes."
"Indeed. That's the problem. Your achievement deserves praise. It'll likely be hailed as a model for true nobility. But if the very person involved can't explain how they uncovered the villain... well, bad rumors among the others are inevitable, aren't they?"
The conversation was flowing just as I'd anticipated.
You did well. Saving Adel was impressive. You deserve acclaim.
But you're suspicious. How exactly did you pinpoint Bluddied and prepare to counter her?
The reason I'd been summoned here. What he wanted to hear from me.
All as expected.
So then why?
"Then why did Your Majesty say you wouldn't ask me about that?"
"Because you're the hero who saved my daughter. You averted a crisis that could have killed countless noble heirs. Especially since you're the young lion of the Empire's pillar, House Leonhart. ......If that's the reason, would you believe it?"
"No."
"Haha! Exactly. No reason to. Good thing you're not that naive."
The Emperor laughed heartily and poured himself a drink.
Not minding the two minors before him.
Because he's the Emperor, I suppose.
"Let me say this upfront: what I just said isn't a lie. It's true I wouldn't treat you lightly because you're Kline Leonhart. And as a father, I'm sincerely grateful for saving my third child."
"......"
"But the reason I ignored the pleas of other ministers and dismissed all guards and attendants from this room... —it's solely because of your little sister."
The Emperor looked at Ariel.
My sister, indifferent to the conversation, was just picking at the confections on the table.
Outwardly, the picture of an utterly lovable girl.
But I knew.
That Ariel was the most dangerous creature in the world.
And the Emperor was addressing exactly that.
"I've already received reports about your sister. Strength that even the four great Imperial Knight Orders couldn't overcome. An inhuman nature unfit for mingling with ordinary humans. They say she herself could be a massive threat to the Empire."
"Please moderate your words. I don't think that's something to say about a girl not yet ten years old."
"Yes. My apologies. In any case, I've agonized over it plenty myself. As Emperor, how could I rest easy knowing a calamity capable of toppling the entire Empire has been born? I've worried endlessly about what to do."
In this sort of rhetoric, everything said before is just setup.
And what follows is usually the opposite.
"But Ruin added a personal opinion. 'Kline Leonhart might be able to control the calamity.'"
I checked Ariel's expression.
She had stopped eating, silently staring at the Emperor.
I couldn't tell what emotion filled those pale eyes.
Even my oblivious sister couldn't fail to grasp it from the conversation.
She'd know they were talking about her—inhuman, calamity.
"......"
Her gaze was chilling.
Emperor of the Empire or not, to Ariel, he was someone she could kill with a flick of a finger.
And Ariel wasn't known for patience. If something displeased her, she might act immediately.
Yet the reason she hadn't moved was...
"And right now, I'm realizing that statement is true."
Because I was firmly holding her hand.
The Emperor chuckled.
His eyes were on my hand intertwined with Ariel's.
As if confirming a beast tamer controlling a wild animal.
"Your sister is undoubtedly a dangerous existence. As Emperor, I'd normally opt for elimination. ......But if there's someone who can control her better than anyone else, it might actually benefit the Empire, no?"
"Then the two questions you asked earlier were to confirm my loyalty?"
"Sharp. Yes, of course I had to check. If the only one who can control the calamity betrays the Empire, it'd be quite troublesome. So I asked to verify your steadfast loyalty. Sorry if it offended."
The Emperor shrugged as he said it.
Unprecedented. An Emperor apologizing to a noble.
It meant he respected me that much.
More precisely, the me who could 'control the calamity named Ariel'.
"......"
Now I fully understood the Emperor's intentions.
He didn't want me ruined over the Bluddied incident.
Because Ariel followed only me.
In short, he didn't want to lose control over the strategic weapon called Ariel.
"Are you sure? It sounds like you're forcibly cutting off suspicion directed at me. The other nobles won't stay quiet."
"No matter. If the Emperor decrees it, the nobles will follow."
"That's true, but."
"And besides. I have a rough idea of how you uncovered Bluddied's true nature."
"Pardon?"
"Your sister is a being touched by the laws of another world. And you possess the talent to communicate with such an existence. ......Uncovering the merchant guildmaster's secret wouldn't be hard for you, would it?"
I nodded silently.
It was hard to reveal everything to the Emperor, but it was largely true.
The method to reveal Bluddied's identity came from the prophet.
Tracing it back led to the hidden world, and further back to Ariel.
Even the initial suspicion of Bluddied stemmed from my past-life memories.
And considering those awakened after meeting Ariel, the Emperor had hit the nail on the head.
"That's all I wanted to say. I summoned you and your sister just to confirm if Ruin's report was true. Whether other nobles doubt how you figured out Bluddied's identity... I couldn't care less."
Only then did my mind clear completely.
I'd been a bit worried about how to dispel the suspicions against me.
When the Emperor himself offered to clear the slander, there was no reason to refuse.
Though treating Ariel like a nuclear weapon was a tad unpleasant.
This much, I could let slide.
Besides, I had something I really, really wanted to say honestly.
"I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty. For the record, I am innocent. Contrary to suspicions, I acted solely for the greater good."
I've been wronged.
No, I risked my life to take down Bluddied and saved Adel too.
Why should I face this treatment?
As I vented my grievance, the Emperor chuckled.
"Yes. I know. I figured you'd be the type."
"Thank you."
"Didn't I say it? I'm grateful for saving my third child. That wasn't false either."
"I believed you, Your Majesty."
"Hmm. You're more poised than I thought."
"I was born that way."
"Is that so."
The Emperor took a quiet sip after hearing me.
Savoring it in his mouth before swallowing.
"Impressive."
He suddenly said something peculiar.
"Strong house. Outstanding looks. Exceptional talent. Quick mind. And factoring in your sister...... your value feels sky-high."
Why was he suddenly praising me?
I eyed him warily.
Undeterred, the Emperor set down his glass with a clink.
And proposed, looking at me with a serious face.
"You. How about getting engaged to my daughter?"