Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Warning
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The way back to the castle was far quieter than the trip out.
I was lost in thought, puzzling over that strange sense of unease I'd felt at the end, my mind tangled up in every direction, leaving me no room for conversation. Inermarma, meanwhile, was humming a cheerful tune as she walked, clearly in high spirits for some reason.
That aside, her empty eye sockets against the dark backdrop gave off an eerie vibe in multiple ways.
With me staying silent and Inermarma showing no interest in keeping the chat going, we naturally picked up the pace. Before I knew it, we'd arrived back at the castle.
Inermarma bowed her head politely in my exact direction.
"Thank you for indulging my whims today, newbie knight."
"Skip the thanks. I enjoyed getting some night air after so long myself."
In truth, my head was still a mess from replaying what happened in the forest, but I decided not to mention it. I didn't want to accuse an innocent person without solid proof.
"I'll head in now. I'm getting sleepy."
"Yeah. I'm crashing right after this too."
We exchanged our ritual pleasantries and were about to part ways to our rooms when Inermarma called out, stopping me.
"And knight? I have a feeling you'll be up a bit late tonight."
"What makes you say that all of a—"
"Newbie!"
What the hell.
My body froze at the voice booming down the hallway behind me. It was unmistakably Lize. She scattered ice shards everywhere as she closed the distance to my side in an instant.
Then she plastered herself to my right arm and let out an adorable growl at Inermarma. Not the least bit threatening. It was more like watching a kitten or puppy flail around.
"Good evening, Knight Lize. Lovely night, isn't it?"
Inermarma greeted her with her usual bright smile, completely unfazed. She must have picked up on Lize's emotions from her tone alone, so she knew exactly what kind of face Lize was making.
......What were you two doing out alone this late at night?
Her voice dripped with suspicion.
"Just a quick nighttime stroll with the newbie knight."
"A stroll? That was really it?"
"Of course. You were watching us from afar the whole time, right?"
My head snapped toward her at Inermarma's words. Lize's eyes were wide open, her face full of shock.
......You watched the whole thing? You, Lize?
"Yes. From the moment we left the castle right up until now."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"You were the one sneaking after us without letting on. I figured you might have your reasons."
......
Lize stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape like she was wondering how she'd been caught. Inermarma, who'd dropped that bombshell, simply said, "Well then, good night," and sauntered off.
All that remained in the castle corridor was a stunned pair of man and woman.
......I thought I'd hidden pretty well.
"That's the first thing you say?"
Those were the first words out of Lize's mouth after we'd stood there blankly for a while.
I wasn't mad that Lize had tailed us. Just baffled. I didn't particularly want an apology, and she seemed to sense that.
Besides, it was hard for me to get angry. I knew all her actions stemmed from affection toward me. As long as she didn't cross the line, I'd just chalk it up to her being cute and let it slide.
"So, why'd you tail us?"
That said, a question was a question. I pressed her deliberately.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? I saw you heading out of the castle with that girl—how could I just leave it alone?"
Lize answered matter-of-factly. I eased my expression, utterly dumbfounded.
"You could've just assumed it was an innocent stroll and let it go. Why tail us?"
"A guy and a girl heading out alone late at night? Who knows what they'd get up to? Are you in your right mind, newbie?"
"If anyone's not in their right mind, it's you. What kind of thoughts are always bouncing around in that head of yours?"
Sure, thanks to the mods, women's outfits were all ridiculously revealing, but that didn't mean this was some R-18 eroge world where chastity was a joke.
You could spot women on the street in nothing but a shirt and panties, and people just walked by without batting an eye.
Before the mods, that wouldn't have been a bare shirt—it was just normal cloth or leather clothes. It didn't mean women were overflowing with lust and couldn't control their urge to expose themselves.
Lize was the one being weird here.
"No?"
"Of course not."
"Prove it."
"Huh?"
Before I could react, Lize grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. Under the pretense of a night stroll, the two of us wandered the city until the sun rose.
Looking at Lize's face on the way back to the castle, I could tell this had been her goal from the start.
The very next day after that boisterous night walk, the girl quietly bid farewell to the Silver Dawn Knights.
Iris and Erika insisted she could stay longer, but with no reason left to remain, she politely declined.
The emperor had already hinted that her objective was complete, so it was time to head back immediately.
Just as when she'd first arrived, the girl left the knights' order wrapped in a single piece of cloth. At least she'd washed it clean during her stay, so she looked a bit more presentable than before.
She walked and walked until she reached deep into the mountains, then tossed aside the cloth binding her body. She stood completely naked, without a stitch on.
She infused the discarded cloth with mana. It floated up on its own, wrapped around her body, and soon transformed back into the leather outfit she'd worn originally.
A top that clung tightly, exposing her slender figure; a hoodie pulled all the way over her head; and leather shorts so short they were barely finger-length.
Around her neck hung the artifact she'd used to change the cloth into clothing.
As before, the girl paused to listen for any sounds around her, confirmed no one was nearby, and activated the artifact at her neck.
A magic circle appeared beneath her feet. With a pillar of light, her body vanished somewhere, and the circle disappeared the instant she was gone.
"You're back."
In the blink of an eye, she'd teleported to the imperial palace. She dropped to one knee toward the voice, pressed both palms to the floor, and bowed her head deeply.
Emperor Kaikilia. The one she had to obey absolutely.
"Did you find the person you wanted?"
But this time, there was another voice. The girl froze stiff at the sound, halting her movements. Golden eyes stared down at the girl, whose own eyes didn't so much as twitch.
"Indeed. At last, I've found what I sought."
"Hmm, is that so? If you're reacting like this, it must be someone impressive. Now I'm curious."
"Shall I show you? I guarantee you won't regret it."
"No need to trouble yourself. Well then, let's see."
A voice rich with a lofty, mystical aura—different from Kaikilia's—snapped its fingers lightly. The girl, prostrated on the floor, jerked her head up.
In her otherwise empty pupils shone mysterious ultramarine blue irises, the color known as ultramarine.
Eyes the exact same shade as the voice's owner beside Kaikilia.
"Oh my?"
How much time passed? The voice's tone rose slightly in surprise. Seeing it, the emperor spoke triumphantly.
"I told you, didn't I? You won't regret it."
"Hmm, indeed. To amplify her mana output that much in such a short time... Quite intriguing. The absolute quantity isn't much, but that's not the point."
The ultramarine glow faded from her eyes, returning them to hollow black voids. The girl bowed her head deeply again. The owner of the ultramarine eyes snapped their fingers once more.
Her body turned blue, dissolving into mana that flowed toward the voice.
The girl hadn't been human from the start—she was something crafted from magic, so exquisitely human-like that no one in the Silver Dawn Knights had noticed.
The fact that she, blind as she was, moved about freely without raising any eyebrows was thanks to a special magic applied to her body.
A subtle spell that slightly distorted the perception of those around her.
"To recover the mana she used so easily... It must have impressed you that much."
"You've piqued my interest. I'll refine this magic further—and study that man alongside it. Looks like I'll be heading to the magic tower instead of the grand library for once."
The woman with ultramarine eyes said this as she lightly swirled her finger, sketching a magic circle on the floor. It completed quickly, and a pillar of light enveloped her.
"But there is one thing I must make clear."
The woman halted her teleportation at Kaikilia's words. Her mystical eyes turned back to the emperor.
"I won't interfere if you take an interest in that man. I did the same, and I assumed you would too."
Her golden eyes blazed fiercely.
"But if your interest surpasses mine, I will not stand idly by. Remember that, Minerva."
The woman called Minerva showed no fear at the emperor's dire warning. With a seductive smile, she vanished into the pillar of light with her final words.
"Worry not—put away your jealousy. I have no such intentions."
The pillar of light faded soon after, and the magic circle vanished.
Kaikilia stared at the spot where Minerva had disappeared, her golden eyes still smoldering, before turning sharply on her heel.