Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Imperial Capital Karnias (End)
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Before Sion's group arrived at the imperial capital, the audience chamber.
"It's been ages since we last met, Grand Elder."
"You look well, Your Majesty."
There, an elf with water-blue hair was having an audience with the emperor.
Of course, it wasn't a private meeting.
The Hero stood as the emperor's guard, turning the audience chamber into a true three-way meeting.
"I've heard about it from the Hero, but is it true that you need our help?"
"...Yes, the situation isn't favorable."
Linie was unusually mild-mannered for an elf, but she still wasn't one to enjoy chatting with other races.
She only spoke with a select few she trusted, and while the Hero was one of them, the emperor was not.
This deal was supposed to be known only to her and the Hero, so why did the emperor know about it?
'Sorry, sorry. I had no choice.'
Linie shot the Hero a glare loaded with clear reproach, but he just scratched his head and averted his eyes.
Whatever. As long as the Hero or the emperor could help her, that was all that mattered.
Whether it involved tracking Sion or forging ties with the imperial family, neither option was a big loss for her.
"So, how exactly can Your Majesty help me?"
Her tone bordered on rude, but using honorifics with outsiders was already the utmost courtesy from Linie.
The emperor knew this well, so he didn't reprimand her.
"The Empire knows of someone who can assist you, Linie, and that person is due to arrive in the capital soon."
"Really?!"
The person Linie sought was special.
A intelligent being with high resistance to magic power or none at all.
An impossible condition among elves, who were born with vast magic power and affinity.
That was why she'd come to the Empire, the largest nation on the continent.
"I'll share that person's information, so grant us one request in return."
"...I can't promise if it's unreasonable."
"Hahaha, no need to worry. It's a very small, trivial request."
His face was that of a kindly old man, but inside, he was ceaselessly calculating profits and gains—a vulgar pragmatist.
Politically commendable, but exactly the type Linie despised most.
"Just allow one imperial envoy to accompany you."
The banquet concluded without any particular incidents.
"R-Rion! Please wait a moment!"
Of course, if asked whether nothing happened at all, that wasn't quite true.
"Stop following me already..."
"Please take me as your disciple! I won't let you regret it!"
Edelra, who had suddenly begged to be taken as a disciple right there in the banquet hall, was persistently tailing me.
At this point, her old habit of challenging me to duels seemed preferable.
At least back then, she'd back off after one acceptance and not pester anymore.
"I already have a disciple..."
"Who is it? That blonde? Then I'll challenge her to a duel... Huh? Where'd she go?"
I couldn't snap at her harshly in the palace—she was the princess, after all—and I didn't have the confidence to anyway.
So dodging like this was my best bet.
I'd been planning to leave the palace soon regardless.
"Phew, barely shook her off..."
[Edelra's something else, huh.]
Sion, having finally ditched Edelra and returned to her room, let out a sigh of relief as she flopped onto the bed.
"Gotta get out of this palace quick..."
[There's no reason to stay anymore anyway. How about leaving tomorrow?]
"Sounds good."
All official business in the capital was done.
She'd cleared every achievable feat in the palace, so Sion was ready to bolt at any moment.
"Um, Rion."
"Yeah?"
"Well..."
Cloe was hesitating unusually, beating around the bush.
Sion instantly sensed she had some serious worry.
"Something wrong?"
"During the banquet, when you were with the princess... Linie came looking for me."
"Linie did?"
No way.
Sion couldn't believe what came out of Cloe's mouth.
Not because she distrusted Cloe.
Linie just wasn't the type to approach strangers casually, so Sion suspected a misunderstanding.
"She... told me to come to Elnora Forest with her."
Elnora Forest.
One of the regions in Rilteia, home to the elves.
The reclusive elves hid there to avoid other races, strictly forbidding entry to non-elves.
Elves like Linie who wandered outside and mingled with others were rare.
And now she wanted to take Cloe there?
"You...? Why on earth...?"
Without more details, it didn't add up.
"Something's wrong in the forest, and she needs me to fix it... More precisely, my 'half-demon' power."
"...Explain in more detail."
Cloe's story boiled down to this:
Something was wrong in Elnora Forest, and her power was needed to resolve it.
So, come along.
"If you opposed it... she'd ignore the warning from that night before the banquet in the palace corridor."
"The night before the banquet...?"
That was the night I graffitied the palace corridor.
No way—did Linie see that?
I didn't know what "ignoring the warning" meant exactly, but it sounded like a threat.
[Probably means she'll report your graffiti to the imperial family.]
"Eek?!"
Linie... that's dirty!
Threatening people like that.
In reality, it was 'Lend me Cloe if you don't want me telling others you're Sion,' but Sion interpreted it the opposite way.
"So... what should I do...?"
Go to the forest with Linie, or refuse?
Cloe asked Sion what she should do.
"What do you want to do, Cloe?"
"If she's threatening you... I guess I'd have to go."
"If you don't want to, you don't have to."
"...Honestly, I don't want to help someone who'd treat you like that."
Cloe still hadn't forgotten.
How cruelly Linie had treated Rion on their first day in the palace.
"But if I don't go, you'll get hurt... so I can't not go."
Helping that kind of person made her blood boil, but Rion's safety came first.
"Cloe..."
Cloe had already made up her mind.
Trying to change it now would just undermine her resolve.
"Then... we'll go together."
Of course, Sion had no intention of sending her alone.
She didn't distrust Linie, but who knew what might happen? Send Cloe off by herself?
"You don't have to..."
"What kind of master leaves their disciple behind?"
"Rion..."
And just like that, their next destination was set.
Having slipped out of the capital, Linie clutched her head at the sight of the three people before her.
"Hey, isn't this more people than I expected?"
One girl with blonde hair and green eyes.
"..."
She was essential for solving the forest's problem, so no issue there.
"...I can't leave Cloe alone..."
One girl with white hair and dark blue-green eyes.
The being inside that shell was someone Linie absolutely did not want to face.
But if he was Cloe's master... it wasn't incomprehensible.
"Looks like we're traveling together by chance. Nice to meet you properly."
But why her too?
One girl with black hair and black eyes.
Even Linie found Princess Edelra's inclusion in the journey a bit out of left field.
'Why on earth did she come along...?'
'...Stay away from Rion.'
Sion's group felt the same.
'Emperor...!'
It wasn't coincidence that Linie learned of Cloe's 'half-demon' power.
The emperor had personally tipped her off with that valuable info.
In exchange, he'd asked her to take one imperial envoy to Elnora Forest and guard them.
'That damn old geezer...'
She hadn't expected the envoy to be the princess.
If she took Cloe, Sion would surely follow.
Sending the princess as envoy—was it to stick her by Sion's side?
Going this far for his precious daughter... impressive, really.
Of course, this farce wasn't just for Edelra.
Whether he knew their identities or not, there were two of the Seven Stars here—not one, but two.
Let Edelra build connections with the Seven Stars and forge the long-unreachable link to Elnora Forest.
That had to be the cunning emperor's true aim.
'Fine, I'll play along.'
Linie, squarely in the beggar's position, had no other choice.
But,
"Hey, Rion! Looks like we're traveling together now! Nice to meet you!"
"Ah, sure..."
"Hey, stay away from Rion."
"Huh? Who are you to order me around?"
Was it really okay to travel with these kids?