Chapter 61: The Imperial Court (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: The Imperial Court (1)
I woke up after a deep, restful sleep. I had worried I might struggle with jet lag, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern.
I guess traveling back and forth to the Demon Realm built up my tolerance to jet lag.
I was drying my hair with a towel when—
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking bounced off the walls, echoing hollowly.
"Hmm?"
Who could it be?
It couldn't be an attendant. While staying in the Imperial Palace, I had explicitly stipulated a condition that no servants were to enter my room.
It wasn't because of the threat of assassination... It was simply that, being away on business, I wanted to avoid strange women entering my room at all costs. The "incident with Medea" back when I visited the Antarctic Base still weighed on my conscience like a lump of lead.
Though suspicious, I opened the door anyway. It could be a male butler, after all.
However, the person standing before me completely defied my expectations. First of all, she was female. And she wasn't an attendant—she was someone whom attendants served.
"Heavenly... Sword-nim..."
It was Princess Victoria. She was personally holding my neatly ironed clothes.
"Your Highness, what brings you..."
I cut myself off and lowered my gaze—following the direction of Victoria's fixated stare.
Ah.
If my clothes were in Victoria's hands, that meant... I was currently unclothed. I had been pacing around the room with only a towel wrapped around my waist.
The towel's knot must have loosened in the meantime. Right on cue, it slipped off with a soft whisper.
"Eek."
Eek?
"Eeeek...!"
A powerful scream echoed to shatter the morning peace. An owl stretching atop a massive tree hastily beat its wings and flew away.
Episode. Imperial Court
"...I apologize for dropping by unannounced."
Victoria apologized in a barely audible voice. She was staring firmly at the wall.
"I'm... fine, but... Your Highness."
I adjusted my clothes while nervously glancing at her. I also heightened my five senses to their absolute limit.
If word of this got out to the wrong ears, heads would roll. If anyone had witnessed this scene, I felt truly sorry for them, but they wouldn't escape my intimidation.
I had to protect my own skin, after all.
Phew, I'm breaking out in a cold sweat.
So much for taking a shower.
Victoria explained that the reason for her visit was due to the condition I had requested from the Emperor.
The attendants, tasked with delivering my laundry, were standing nervously far down the hallway, unable to approach. Victoria had come by both to deliver them and to serve as my guide to breakfast. A condition meant to keep women away, only to backfire like this. I was constantly being tested. Damn Counterforce bastard.
"I'm... fine too..."
Her earlobes looked like they were about to burst from blushing.
"...I-it's fine, because my birthday was last week and I'm officially an adult now."
Aha, so that's what she meant. It seems I underestimated Her Highness.
"You can turn around now."
"Yes..."
I twisted my body to check how my clothes fit. Victoria stared intently at me before asking a question.
"You wear that black coat quite often. I recall you wearing a white coat before."
"Abel gave it to me as a gift. I quite like the design and color, so I usually wear this whenever I go out."
"You certainly seem to suit black better than white, Heavenly Sword-nim. It has more of an air to it. It fits your signature feral nature..."
Victoria trailed off, her cheeks suddenly flushing bright red.
...What? Why say something so embarrassing...?
Ah.
Feral nature... beast.
"Please forget what happened, Princess."
"Yes... I've forgotten it. Completely forgotten. Besides, a Lucky Pervert moment is supposed to raise a flag..."
Flag? Wait, more importantly...
"You even know the term 'Lucky Pervert'?"
"A-ah! I-I don't know it...!"
Yeah, right. Denying it when she just used it in such a perfectly accurate context?
"But... how do you know that term, Heavenly Sword-nim...?"
Damn it, checkmate. I walked right into my own trap.
But who was I? A man who had never let his secret leak even while gaining the legendary title of the Nation's Best Swordsman.
"Ryozo is Japanese."
I made a brazen excuse.
"I learned it from Ryozo."
Sorry, Ryozo.
"I don't think the Academy Principal would teach you something like that..."
"That may be her public image, but in reality, she is more knowledgeable in that department than anyone."
"...A-aha."
I'll make it up to you when I get home, I love you.
That aside, it's quite surprising that the Princess knows what Lucky Pervert means.
Despite sharing a fair number of incidents with Victoria, I had always felt an unbridgeable distance between us. But now, I felt a slight sense of inner closeness, however small.
Inner closeness built on a Lucky Pervert trope, huh...
A reality check hit me. I quickly changed the subject.
"Shall we go now?"
"Yes."
Guided by Victoria, I made my way to the dining hall. The sound of two sets of footsteps echoed at steady intervals.
The hallway was long and spacious—wide enough to accommodate a sizable crowd. Perhaps because of that, as we walked, I occasionally noticed figures standing at attention in lined rows.
The female attendants bowed politely as they spotted us. Next, the Imperial Guard members raised their swords in a formal salute.
I offered a brief nod before continuing past them. Heavy gazes weighed on my back—unmistakable, blatant hostility.
How uncomfortable.
After walking down the corridor for a while, it grew somewhat dim. The number of windows decreased noticeably. Kerosene lamps hung along the walls as a substitute for morning sunlight. It felt less like entering a banquet hall and more like stepping into a dungeon.
Then, naturally, there ought to be a gatekeeper. As if on cue, a woman stood before a massive set of doors.
Her striking appearance radiated presence even from a distance. She had ashen hair and wore a blindfold featuring a red eye drawn in the center.
"She is His Majesty's closest confidante."
Reading my eyes, Victoria satisfied my curiosity.
"Of the Pungsan Ryu Clan."
She added more detail.
"The Pungsan Clan... you mean the clan trained from childhood in all five senses except sight?"
"Yes."
The Pungsan Clan was an organization absent from my prior knowledge as a Miracle Blessing M gamer. I had only learned of them by chance a decade ago.
That was how deeply shrouded in secrecy they were. While similar to the Auditore family—who narrowly straddled the line between the shadows and the light—their nature was fundamentally different. The Pungsan Clan never stepped into the light to begin with.
Even if they are Heroes, they don't even enroll them into the Academy.
They operated strictly in the dark. Perhaps giving up their sight was part of that discipline. Victoria spoke softly.
"The Pungsan Clan selects their most promising talent to send to our Imperial Family. It has been that way for generations."
"So the first member of the Pungsan Clan I meet happens to be the most promising person in their family. What is her official title?"
"She is the Royal Steward."
"She must be exceptionally capable."
"When it comes to spirit perception, I hear she ranks among the top handful in their clan's entire history."
Victoria replied sourly. She didn't seem to get along very well with the blind Royal Steward.
Since the Royal Steward is the current Emperor's right hand, it makes sense. A Princess whose relationship with the Emperor is bad enough to badmouth him to his face wouldn't be on good terms with his steward.
Having pieced together their dynamic, I gave a subtle nod. At that exact moment, we arrived before the doors of the dining hall. The Royal Steward offered a slight chin nod in greeting before silently pushing the doors open.
With a heavy rumble, the doors swung wide. Victoria walked inside without so much as a glance toward the Royal Steward.
I was just about to follow her into the dining hall when—
"...Thank you."
The Royal Steward, who had been as silent as a stone, suddenly spoke. I cast a glance at her. She lowered her head as if she had nothing more to say.
Does she mean 'thank you for visiting'?
I doubted it had that kind of nuance.
Brushing the small lump of doubt from my mind, I approached my designated seat. At once, the Royal Steward rushed over and pulled out the chair for me. Victoria parted her lips slightly.
"Royal Steward. You're acting quite out of character."
Her tone was sharp with suspicion.
"As he is a distinguished guest, His Majesty specifically commanded me to take extra care of him."
"Surely that doesn't mean the Royal Steward should perform the duties of an attendant. Am I wrong?"
"As the Royal Steward of the Imperial Family, I am granted at least this much discretion."
An intense tension instantly flared between them. The Royal Steward did not back down by a single word.
It seemed like a direct challenge to royal authority. Yet, it was a vivid demonstration of the standing of royals within the Imperial Palace—specifically, the treatment anyone other than the "Emperor" received in the palace.
"Do you not think it degrades the dignity of the Imperial Family for the Royal Steward to act so ungracefully as a servant?"
Even so, Victoria was the first in line of succession. Her words carried far more weight than those of ordinary royalty.
"I apologize, but I cannot offer any further explanation."
Calmly retorting, the Royal Steward gave me a brief nod. It felt like some sort of signal, but...
This is literally the first time I've ever met you?
Why was she invading my personal space like this out of nowhere?
Anyway.
Just then, the attendants served the food, bringing the standoff to a temporary pause. Amidst the uncomfortable atmosphere, I reached for my cutlery.
"Allow me to cut it for you."
The Royal Steward swiftly carved up the steak. Her hands were so fast that before I could even reach for my knife, the meat was already sliced into bite-sized pieces.
I was bewildered, and Victoria was rendered utterly speechless in disbelief. When I stared at her, the Royal Steward slipped back into the shadows.
Bewildered, I stuffed the pieces of meat into my mouth. It tasted just as magnificent as it looked.
It would taste even better if not for this atmosphere.
Once only bones remained on the plate, a fish dish was served immediately. Right on cue, the Royal Steward hurried over and deftly deboned the fish. It was a skill so refined that even I, the Nation's Best Swordsman, was amazed.
Wait, wasn't she blind?
"Royal Steward!"
Just then, the cutlery rattled violently. Across from me, Victoria slammed her fist onto the dining table and leaped to her feet.
"What on earth is this disgraceful behavior?!"
"..."
Holding a fork, the Royal Steward stared toward Victoria. Strictly speaking, since she was wearing a blindfold, her head was merely turned in that direction.
"I love the Imperial Family just as much as Your Highness does."
Sticking closely to my side, the Royal Steward steadfastly continued her argument.
"And I would appreciate it if you understood that all my actions are a struggle to protect the Imperial Family."
"Ha."
Victoria let out an exasperated laugh, completely dumbfounded.
"By cutting his meat?"
"Yes."
"And deboning his fish?"
"Of course."
"At this rate, you'd give him anything!"
"If necessary, I could even assist him with his bath. Since I am blind, there should be no issue."
Ah, please. Why are you doing this to me?
"Royal Steward!"
A heated argument—short of physical violence—clashed across the expansive dining table. I sat alone in isolation, my face pale.
I was at a complete loss. Intervening felt overstepping, and I lacked the capacity to mediate anyway.
Above all, I was curious about the reason behind the Royal Steward's overwhelming kindness. She seemed to be confusing me with someone else. Or had I somehow saved her in the past?
...Should I just go home...?
In that moment, whether it was money or EX-rank Sashimi enhancement materials, I felt like none of it mattered anymore. An intense urge to just go home surged all the way up to my throat.
As I sat there, the Royal Steward subtly curled the corners of her lips in a faint smile toward me. My schedule after the meal was now set. I would have to talk to this woman.