New World Group. The Emperor
Somewhere in the world. The deep abyss.
Dark shadows gathered around a round table.
They were the New World Group.
A collective that dreamed solely of the resurrection of their god.
Neither the Demon King, nor the Emperor, nor any king was regarded as a true ruler. Only God was everything—that was the creed they lived by.
The reason they had assembled this time was simple.
The failure of the surprise assault on the Imperial Capital.
They had even coaxed nobles who harbored grievances against the Imperial family into the plot, yet the raid had collapsed in spectacular fashion.
"The strike on the capital ended in failure."
"With this, we can consider the anti-Imperial roots near the capital thoroughly uprooted."
"The nobles we cultivated are finished as well."
That the nobles they had swayed would lose their heads was as clear as day.
In truth, any hope of overthrowing the Imperial family now looked impossible. The New World Group's mood was bleak.
What stood in the way of their god's resurrection was neither the Demon King nor the surrounding petty kingdoms—it was the Empire itself.
"You all talked a fine game, yet we failed. What do we do now? Can we still topple the Empire? Did you not insist that the Empire must fall for the world we desire to arrive?"
Only when the Empire crumbled would the stage for their god's revival be set.
"Can we not simply wet our throats with a cup of wine? From the beginning, fracturing the Empire was merely a process toward His resurrection."
No one had truly believed the Empire would collapse from a single blow. That thought had never even entered their minds.
This failure had already been within the expected range.
One of those black figures thought exactly that.
A single strike toppling a fifteen-hundred-year-old giant? It was absurd.
Rather, those who imagined the Empire would fall from this one attempt were the strange ones.
"Therefore the Empire must fracture so that we may find our opening, so that we may draw the people into our order!"
"Precisely—this was only the first spoonful. Did anyone truly think a fifteen-hundred-year giant would topple so easily? Still, the fact that the impregnable capital itself suffered a surprise attack is significant."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Empire has poured vast military funds into the kingdoms through endless wars. Atelina lost a great many of its nobles to the succubus disturbances. The Emperor is incompetent in the purest sense. Ashtar may have marched into the Demon Realm and won a victory, yet that conquest still required tens of thousands of troops. The Empire is already shaking. What happens if war erupts at a time like this?"
Was that even worth saying?
The shadows who had been viewing the failed raid in a purely negative light shook their heads—yet the one who spoke was utterly sincere.
"You claim there are forces capable of handling the Empire?"
"There are two blades that can strike the Empire."
Two blades?
"Karl, the White King of the Atlan Kingdom. And the Haiten tribe—an ethnic group long subjugated within the Empire and now seething with resentment. We must move both of them now."
"Will they move?"
The shadows doubted whether mere minor powers would dare make an enemy of the colossal Empire.
The gap in national strength was simply too vast.
Even if the nobility was rotten to the core, the Empire still functioned smoothly enough.
"The White King Karl is a man overflowing with ambition. He believes without the slightest doubt that he himself is a sage king. If we can make him recognize the Empire as the axis of evil—and if the opportunity to strike that Empire simply presents itself—then it is not impossible. If we also open the possibility of an alliance between the Haiten tribe and the White King, and support them with black mages, we can set them upon the Empire."
"Very well. Let us see it done."
In the end, for their god to resurrect, the Empire had to fracture.
Even if this new scheme failed, resurrection would merely be delayed. In the end, the victors would still be the New World Group.
Having visited the Imperial Palace, I was granted an audience with the Emperor, whose lips were jutting out in a sulky pout.
Whatever she had done, the thick stench of blood hung heavy in the air.
Had she not simply finished them off cleanly, but instead captured them and made the whole affair thoroughly brutal?
Just from the scent of the maids I had already suspected as much.
"I'm terribly hurt, Taesa."
"Hurt about what, exactly?"
What was she sulking over this time?
Was I her lover or something?
I wanted to snap back, but I stopped myself—she looked fully capable of pretending I really was.
"I mean, prioritizing Aslan over the Emperor… that stings a little, doesn't it?"
Was she seriously saying that out loud right now?
Yes, the Emperor came first in theory, but an Emperor protected by the Assassin Guild had no business complaining this much.
"Your Majesty, what would you have done if your own son had died?"
"Ahem. Even so, should you not place Us above the Crown Prince?"
She was not even truly interrogating me over it.
"I already know perfectly well that this palace is wallpapered with the Assassin Guild. Had I not intervened in the first place, Prince Aslan would have been abducted."
"Ho? What do you mean by that?"
The interested gleam in her eyes made my irritation spike.
As always, this woman never gave the slightest thought to anyone else's circumstances.
It was almost a relief that someone like her lacked any real lust for power.
"The black mages tried to seize Aslan through an equal exchange. It would not have ended with a mere kidnapping—he would have died."
"Madmen, the lot of them."
Only then did she grow serious.
"Which means the anti-Imperialists have fully colluded with the New World Group… By the way, where has my daughter gone?"
"She said she would come to see you separately later."
Whether Amelia was being considerate of me or the military situation truly was that urgent, she had sent only me ahead to the palace.
The Emperor's lips remained stubbornly puffed out.
What was I supposed to do about that?
"So. Did my mother save you?"
"Mm. She did, though your mother certainly loves her little pranks. She went so far as to send an assassin after Us, you know."
"That is something the two of you can sort out yourselves."
Not my problem.
In any case, as far as the Saint was concerned, I only planned to use the Ashtar name as family when it suited me.
I had no idea whether my younger sister was properly handling the second son, but for the moment Ashtar's main purpose was simply to keep the Hero tied down in the Ashtar domain.
I had no immediate use for them anyway.
"Ahem. Even if Imperial authority has hit rock bottom, how can you act like this? As Katrina's daughter you should at least be a little more sweet to Us."
"More importantly."
"You have something to say?"
"I would be grateful if you would give it to me."
I crooked a finger.
At a glance it might look appallingly rude toward the Emperor, but that was one matter and this was another.
Besides, the Emperor was hardly the sort of person who cared about rudeness.
"Did you leave money with Us or something? Or do you want Aslan? Or Amelia? Or perhaps…"
The Emperor pointed at herself and put on a bashful expression.
She ought to be grateful for her own bloodline.
It was precisely that noble lineage that kept me from laying a hand on her.
"Are you going to keep spouting nonsense? In any case I protected the Crown Prince, so you should acknowledge that merit as well."
"Is there something you desire?"
"The status of a mage!"
I would become a mage no matter what!
"A mage?"
"Yes. Honestly, I am only called Your Majesty's magic instructor; I have never received an actual mage identification. This time I absolutely must have it!"
I had put in more than enough effort!
Especially the story of how I rescued Aslan would spread far and wide through Atelina. The students there had all seen me save him with magic.
This was my chance.
The mage corps was one thing, but I had firmly imprinted myself upon Atelina.
That meant the Emperor could, while rewarding my merit, also bestow the rank of mage upon me.
"Why are you glaring like that?"
"Glaring? Even coming from Your Majesty, that is too much!"
The opportunity had finally come, you lunatic.
"May I speak frankly?"
Her expression looked extremely troubled. Was she about to say it was impossible?
If she declared becoming a mage was impossible here, I would simply snap the Emperor's neck myself.
"Yes. What is it?"
"It doesn't particularly mean anything."
"Pardon?"
"Well, of course it wouldn't. The moment you became my Taesa and magic instructor, you were already an Imperial mage in all but name. Did I not mention something about court mage before?"
She had said something along those lines, true enough.
"Huh?"
"Hm?"
"In other words… I am already a mage?"
Just to be sure, I struck my own chest as I spoke.
No, was this for real and not just empty talk?
"That is exactly what I am saying. At some point the voices in Atelina urging you to practice swordsmanship or archery simply vanished, did they not?"
"Ah. That much is true, but…"
True, yet somehow irritating. What was this feeling?
"It is a fact everyone has already tacitly accepted."
"Tacitly?"
"Yes. Tacitly."
Tacitly, my ass.
That single word "tacit" was driving me insane right now. Still, deep down it meant I was already a mage.
"Then the matter of joining the Ashtar Mage Corps…"
"That is none of Our concern. If you like, We could even grant you the chance to embrace the Emperor. Looks can be deceiving—assassins once lusted after this body. In short, it is still a body worth using."
She suddenly stretched herself out as if proudly displaying her chest. I wondered whether she even remembered she had given birth to children.
"No thank you. If I want a woman, I already have myself, do I not?"
If I wanted to do something with a female body, I only needed to look in a mirror. Celia was not bad either, but I had no intention of deepening any romantic relationship just yet.
"If I were a man I would have taken you as my concubine myself."
"Please do not say such terrifying things even in your dreams. I already have too many women who claim to like me—it is a genuine headache."
Who would become a consort for someone else's convenience? Absolutely impossible. Never.
"What?"
"Yes?"
"Women are targeting you? Who?"
The Emperor narrowed her eyes and her nerves went taut.
What? Why so sharp all of a sudden?
Had I done something wrong?
"Er. Celia, the teddy-bear boss, and the Mad Sword."
"When I look closely it is truly absurd. I know Celia is the next Magic Tower Master, so I will set her aside. But that towering Mad Sword falling for you first? What right does a mere subject of mine have to seduce women? Have you gone mad?"
The Emperor suddenly pointed an accusing finger and treated me as if I were some kind of succubus.
Why was I receiving this treatment?
"No, what are you taking me for—"
"I do not know what delusion you are under, but what is a Taesa? The Emperor's teacher—and in your case, specifically the magic instructor."
"Yes. That is correct."
And what of it? Surely she was not about to throw her weight around over that.
I could not begin to fathom the Emperor's thoughts. Was she planning to torment me to death?
"In other words, you are the Emperor's person. Anyone who approaches closer than that becomes the Emperor's woman. That is nothing less than lèse-majesté. Is it not the same as a whore committing adultery right under the Emperor's nose?"
Hmm. How best to cook this woman?
Even so, this joke had gone far past the point of good taste.
Setting everything else aside, even if her words were somehow correct, there was the age difference, and same-sex attraction itself was already a bit much.
"Could you act your age a little?"
"Is it not amusing? Where else in the world is there a monarch like me?"
"Right here, apparently. But why am I still not called a mage?"
She was the Emperor, after all. Repeating the same thing was tiring, yet could she not exercise a little of her authority?
If I had no merit it would be a shortcut, but I had saved Aslan and thoroughly proven my magic.
"What else? Because you are the Saint. The status of Saint is simply higher than that of mage, and within the Empire the status of Taesa is higher than the independent status of Saint. Who knows—if you enter the Ashtar Mage Corps you will probably remain a mage limited to Ashtar."
"I want to soar as a grand mage."
"That is exactly why anything higher is currently impossible."
"Maybe I should just desert."
Forgetting I was in the Emperor's presence, I tipped my head back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
The Imperial Palace truly was fine. Not bad at all. The intricate patterns painted across that ceiling clearly spoke of a craftsman's spirit.
I had raised my own magic power with that same craftsman's spirit.
"I will catch you and seat you forever at Our side. In the end you only need to advance step by step, do you not? If you simply act more as a mage than as a Saint, the recognition will rise naturally. In any case, after the display you put on in Atelina, everyone should now clearly recognize that you belong on the magic side."
Yes. Recognition had certainly been established.
When I lowered my gaze slightly, the Emperor's eyes were fixed steadily on me.
If one simply looked at her, her features were excellent—the problem was that she was an eccentric.
"Ah, right. I have something to say. Princess Amelia will probably mention it as well, but war may break out. Will it not be dangerous?"
"It will be dangerous."
Good. As long as she knew.
I had clearly stated it, so I hoped she would not throw it back in my face later.
"I only wanted to say that much. As Taesa, I thought it best to mention it. Before long the White King Karl will turn his blade upon the Empire as well."
"With you here, what is there to worry about?"
Seeing her place her entire faith in me alone, I could only click my tongue at the future of this nation.