Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Yuno's Coming-of-Age Ceremony (1)
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"What? Yuno has entered the Master realm and begun Body Change?"
The Emperor shot up from his throne, shouting with a shocked expression on his face.
The nobles, who had been buzzing about whether something had happened to Yuno—the star of today's coming-of-age ceremony—for not arriving on time, fell silent and hung on every word of the Imperial Guard Knight's report, their mouths agape.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Master Aragon, His Highness the Third Prince's martial arts instructor, said it himself, so it must be true."
Murmurs spread through the hall.
"The Third Prince, coming of age today, is a Master? Isn't this the youngest in continental history?"
"We should have known when Your Majesty bestowed the Dragon Heart upon him. This is all thanks to Your Majesty's wise judgment."
"The gods must surely be blessing the Empire. We offer our congratulations, Your Imperial Majesty!"
Cheers and congratulations poured in from all around, directed at the Emperor.
"Y... Yuno? Is Yuno all right?"
Amid the excitement, Empress Yuria voiced her worry that something might have gone wrong with Yuno. The Imperial Guard Knight who had delivered the report continued.
"Master Aragon is with His Highness the Third Prince right now, so there is no need for great concern. Viscount Spier has mobilized the entire reserve force of the Imperial Guard Knights to guard against any potential assassinations or external threats, so Your Majesty can rest assured."
Yuria let out a sigh of relief, and the Emperor showered her with praise.
"Swift action well done. Haha! To think our Third Prince has truly become a Master. At first, he scared me half to death talking about having no Mana Core, and now he's become a pillar to support the Empire. You've raised Yuno splendidly, Empress. Well done."
"Yuno grew up on his own. What merit could I claim? Please withdraw such excessive praise, Your Majesty."
"No. With you steadfastly supporting the children from behind, they could focus and work so hard, don't you think? I hear Isabella and Marie have also achieved remarkable feats... I've been so busy I haven't visited; I hope you weren't too lonely?"
The Emperor rarely shared a bed with Yuria outside of official events, let alone spent daily life together, so he expressed a hint of apology to his wife.
"Not at all, Your Majesty. How could I, your servant, feel lonely toward the supreme ruler of this land? Do not worry—always act as you see fit."
Any affection Yuria once felt for her husband, Charles III, had long since faded, so she harbored no such resentment. If anything, the thought of the Emperor now visiting her palace for the night sent chills down her spine.
"Heh, I'm glad you understand, Empress. I plan to bestow great rewards upon Yuno, so if there's any lingering resentment, let it be washed away."
Charles III had managed the Empire flawlessly—nay, like a sage ruler—but his cursed lolicon lust remained as strong as ever even past eighty. Relieved that Yuria seemed understanding, he rose from his seat, already thinking of visiting his newest concubine from just days ago.
"In any case... Prime Minister, consult with the ministers and reschedule the Third Prince's coming-of-age ceremony. Make it even grander, as it will also celebrate the birth of our Empire's seventh Master."
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
As the Emperor rose, Yuria also excused herself. Crown Prince Franz, the Prime Minister, and the ministers stayed behind with the nobles, celebrating Yuno's ascension to Master and discussing the benefits a new Master would bring to the Empire.
But not everyone rejoiced at news of Yuno. Some slipped away to another place—the annex palace of Second Prince Heinrich.
BAM!
"What? Yuno has become a Master? The youngest in continental history? That fool poured everything into martial training and finally caused an accident!"
"Yes, Your Highness. We must do something—anything! I hear the Crown Prince is on good terms with the Third Prince... If he starts supporting the Crown Prince later, it'll be a headache for us."
Heinrich coveted the throne over his elder brother the Crown Prince, quietly gathering forces. His faction had grown strong enough to threaten Franz.
But Franz already had solid support from high nobles. Heinrich had struggled desperately to overturn it, but he couldn't catch up to Franz's firm legitimacy. And now this bad news struck.
"Do something? Do you have any ideas?"
"He's undergoing Body Change right now. He's defenseless, so why not send an assassin?"
Heinrich nearly agreed when Dietrich Count, the leader of the Second Prince's faction, shouted.
"Nonsense! Didn't you hear the report? Viscount Spier, vice-captain of the Imperial Guard Knights, is personally guarding the place. Where would we find an assassin to breach that? Even if one got through, protecting the Third Prince is none other than Master Aragon!"
The noble who suggested it bowed his head silently. Then another young noble raised his hand.
"What if we use magic? Fire a spell from afar with a scroll to strike the palace. I hear even a slight impact during Body Change can cause severe damage, so it might work."
Many in the group nodded in agreement. Dietrich Count saw some merit but pointed out issues.
"That might work, but there are problems. First, the Third Prince's annex palace has been reinforced multiple times due to his harsh training, so ordinary magic won't dent it. Second, who would take the risk of getting caught? If you're nabbed, Spier would have your head in an instant... No, if they trace it back, our entire faction's heads roll."
"We have no other options anyway, do we? Our house has a Hellfire scroll, the highest-tier magic passed down for generations. That should damage the palace plenty. If the Third Prince dies, great; if not, we think of plan B. For the second issue, I have a servant I've bought off. He's drowning in debt—if I offer enough for his family to live on forever, he'll tear the scroll and kill himself right after."
Heinrich found the young noble's words quite appealing.
'If things stay like this, I'll never sit on the throne over the Crown Prince... In that case...'
In the end, Heinrich decided to assassinate Yuno with long-range magic this time.
"Good! I entrust this to you. I won't hold you accountable for failure, but make sure no tails lead back. If it succeeds as you say, excellent; if not, so be it. But I won't forget you offering your house's treasure for my sake."
"As you command, Your Highness."
At Heinrich's order, the noble swiftly rose and vanished somewhere.
'It's a shame to lose a Master who could serve my Empire... but he won't be useful under my rule anyway. So die quietly, Yuno. Heh heh heh.'
Heinrich smirked wickedly and toasted with his loyal nobles, wishing for Yuno's death.
Meanwhile, oblivious to Second Prince Heinrich plotting to kill his beloved charge, Katrin Aragon had dozed off while guarding Yuno.
"Snooore... Zzz... Hmm... Huh?!"
Even in sleep, her superhuman senses stayed active. They caught the distant gathering of mana.
"Th-this! Attack magic! Damn it!"
Katrin rocketed outside at tremendous speed, but the spell had already activated. A massive fireball plummeted from the far sky.
"Spier! Launch Sword Aura! You lot, block it however you can!"
Hearing Katrin, Spier and the Imperial Guard Knights finally noticed, looked up, and scrambled into action.
Fist Master Katrin and Spier unleashed Aura Blades and Sword Aura, but Hellfire shrank only slightly and continued its slow descent.
"Damn it all! Shields up, everyone! If we have to, we'll block it with our bodies!"
Katrin and Spier prepared another volley of Aura Blades and Sword Aura. The Imperial Guard Knights poured mana into their shields, forming a tight defensive line to maximize protection.
Whoosh! Slash! Slash!
As Hellfire neared, sharper Aura Blades and Sword Aura flew out. Hit by the two Masters' immense power, Hellfire shrank to an eighth its size but still barreled toward the knights.
"Hold your shields and endure with everything you've got! Remember why you exist! Protect His Highness the Prince even if it costs your lives!"
Even Viscount Spier discarded his sword, raised his shield, and gathered mana. The Imperial Guard Knights braced for impact, eyes squeezed shut.
And at that moment!
BOOM!!!
A tremendous mana storm erupted from the annex palace's underground, clashing with Hellfire. Hellfire vanished completely. The storm's overwhelming power didn't stop there—it roared into the night sky and faded into the distance.