The Irregular Known as the Female Executive
“The Red Dragon, is it?”
To think that a voice could carry such a chill. It was a sensation like ice-spun yarn threading through my semicircular canals to paralyze my brainstem. Emperor Ractor. He was no pushover. As expected, the tension here was suffocating. If things went sideways, my life would end in an instant. But I didn't let it show. I wouldn't leave a single shred of room for this negotiation to fail.
“Are you the warrior who struck down Dark Arthur?”
“Yes. It is I.”
I began to walk toward the Emperor, my steps slow but heavy.
“This is an imperial audience! Show some respect, you inferior species!”
The one pointing a finger at me from his chair was an executive, Archbishop Cancer. I stopped walking and turned my head toward him.
“Let me correct one misconception.”
“Hmm?”
The Emperor seemed intrigued by my unflinching attitude.
“Does the Emperor govern the frontier lands? No, the Margrave does. If I am an inferior species as you say, do you really think that lowly frontier folk would even know the name of an Emperor, rather than their own Margrave? They’re too busy farming day in and day out to care.”
“W-what did you say…!”
Cancer couldn't retort, his face flushing with rage.
“My point is, don't demand unreasonable etiquette from someone from the frontier. And one more thing—let me fix your perception of things.”
I moved in a blur, snatching the chair right out from under Cancer. He tumbled to the floor with a loud crash. As a strategist-type with low physical stats, he couldn't react to my movement at all.
“Y-you bastard!!”
“I came here to converse as a warrior to a warrior, not as a subject serving an Emperor. Therefore, there is no etiquette to be observed.”
Having declared this, I began to walk again, carrying the chair with me. The high-ranking combatants of the imperial guard moved to block my path, but at a slight wave of the Emperor’s hand, they stepped aside. I climbed the dais. Standing at the same height as the Emperor, I set the chair down and sat right before his eyes.
“Am I wrong? Emperor—no, Warrior Ractor.”
“…Hahahaha, hahahahahaha!!!!”
The Emperor began to laugh, loud enough to shake the heavens. “I! Like! You!! Red Dragon!!!”
I had succeeded in winning his favor. I knew his personality well. However, whether the negotiation would go smoothly from here depended on what I did next. I had originally wanted to prepare a bit more, but since I had moved the plan forward, I had to commit. Since the Red Dragon had already defeated Pegasus, there was no telling when the Emperor might invade the main base.
“I grant you permission to speak as a warrior. What business do you have with me?”
I leaned back comfortably into the chair and crossed my legs. I began the conversation with ease.
“Emperor Ractor. First, I offer my respects to your way of life.”
“Oh?”
“Your drive to travel the entire universe in search of a true duel. It is truly a form of life befitting a warrior.”
“Is this flattery?”
“If it sounded that way, I am disappointed. I offered my goodwill because I understand you.”
“Understand, you say?”
I could feel the Emperor’s mood sour at that word. Ominous aura was beginning to bloom from his shoulders. But this, too, was intended.
“Yes. I understand. As a warrior myself, I have longed for it my entire life.”
I whispered to him.
“A true defeat.”
At those words, the Emperor’s aura subsided.
“Those who call themselves warriors are nothing but cowardly wretches who are only strong against the weak. They only bow and submit to me. They never risk their own lives to challenge me.”
“…Hmm.”
The Emperor listened intently to my words.
“But I lacked the drive to roam the universe. That is why I offered my respects.”
“Is that so. You, as well.”
“Yes. It was too strong.”
I clenched my fist to show him. “That is why, when I triumphed over Dark Arthur, I felt empty once again. Emperor, don't you know well? The frustration of victory.”
“I know well. I know all too well. What a turn of events this is. Even after building an empire and gathering so many vassals, I have never found a single soul who understands me—a man who craves true defeat. To think that you were in such a remote corner of the universe.”
The Emperor was becoming excited. “Red Dragon. Will you grant it to me? A true defeat. That sense of liberation that comes from being overwhelmed by power and meeting one's end!”
I shook my head.
“Unfortunately, I cannot.”
“What! What do you mean! Are you mocking me!”
“It is a long story, but to summarize, I have become a body that can no longer meet a true defeat. Emperor, you are blessed to still have that possibility.”
“What?”
“Immediately after my battle with Dark Arthur, I was betrayed by my subordinates and harmed in a cowardly, dishonorable manner, not in a duel. I barely kept my life, but I can no longer exert the power of my prime.”
“Impossible. This cannot be…!”
The Emperor raged. He slammed his fist, wreathed in aura, into the side of the dais. The impact caused the wall of the audience chamber to collapse completely.
“Then does it no longer exist? On this frontier star, a warrior to duel with this body!”
I paused for effect before answering.
“Rejoice, Emperor. There is such a person.”
“There is another warrior as capable as you?”
“Yes. I have already passed on all my remaining strength to him. But that warrior is still growing. Right now, he is not even as strong as me in my prime—no, not even as strong as Dark Arthur. But it is certain that in a little while, he will become the strongest warrior in this universe.”
“Oh. What is the name of that warrior!”
“Georius.”
“Georius.”
The Emperor chewed on the name.
“Emperor. I was originally a guardian of peace, but due to that betrayal, I have no interest in such things anymore. If anything, I hate humans. I only came to pass on this information out of a sense of kinship with you. If you don't like it, destroy Earth right now. I feel like watching it from the front row.”
“Hmm….”
The Emperor stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“How long will it take for that warrior, Georius, to grow?”
Hooked.
“It requires a condition. Send your army to Earth gradually to invade. A warrior grows in the midst of war. I estimate the necessary time to be one year.”
“I will invest six months.”
The Emperor declared. I had expected the original scenario to progress over three months, so I had anticipated that timeframe, but he gave me six. A significant profit.
“After six months, I will hold a one-on-one duel with the warrior Georius. Red Dragon, you shall return to Earth and nurture that warrior.”
“Understood. If I can see the scene where your dream, which shares the same desire as mine, is fulfilled, I think my own regrets will be eased.”
“Hahahaha! I like this man very much! Red Dragon!”
The Emperor laughed heartily. I stood up from my seat. Turning my back to the Emperor, I began to descend the dais. Emperor Ractor rose to his feet.
“I proclaim this in my name! From this moment on, the Galactic Empire shall commence an invasion of Earth! Executives, prepare for war!”
The executives knelt and received the order. Ah, this is it. I must hold back my laughter. At least until I return to Earth. Now, monsters carrying scenario bonus experience points will fall from the sky every single day. If I hunt them efficiently, Vengeance will grow in an instant. The Emperor also understands perfectly that this invasion is not to destroy or conquer Earth, but for the growth of Georius. So, the intensity will be adjusted accordingly. What a sweet deal.
Just then, the doors to the audience chamber swung open. An executive walked inside.
“I pay my respects to the great Emperor.”
Seeing that figure, I stiffened for a moment. I couldn't help it. I had never expected the appearance of this person. She was far too much of an irregular.
“Your Majesty, while it is true that the Red Dragon is an honorable warrior, I dare to submit a petition that one of his statements must be verified.”
A seductive voice tickled my ears. The executive, holding a wicked whip in her hand, was…
“…Morgan.”
She was Morgan, the female executive of the Dark Kingdom.
“Prison Warden Ursula, speak.”
The Emperor replied. Ursula? Is that Morgan’s name now?
“I have not served Your Majesty for long, but my loyalty is more infinite than any other executive. For you rescued me from the wreckage of the annihilated Dark Kingdom.”
Did she join the Galactic Empire after parting ways with me? Then what was that attitude back then? Claiming she was human, that she owed me a debt? Was she really just paying back a debt and going back to acting as a monster executive?
“I also have this suspicion. Is it really true that the Red Dragon has lost his power? Could it be that he intends to grow that warrior Georius, and then the two of them will conspire to harm Your Majesty?”
“I have judged the Red Dragon to be a great warrior, Ursula.”
“Yes, Your Majesty’s eye for talent is precise. However, I am also one who has confronted the Red Dragon for a long time. I pride myself on knowing his strength and abilities precisely.”
“Hmm.”
“Please grant me the opportunity to spar with the Red Dragon in your presence. If it is me, I can verify it immediately. Whether he has truly lost his power, or if he is merely pretending. If he is pretending, then all the petitions he has submitted to Your Majesty are lies, so he should be torn limb from limb for the crime of mockery, and that pathetic planet should be erased from the map.”
“Your Majesty, I submit that this is a reasonable personal opinion.”
Cancer took Morgan’s side.
“Please consider it.”
The other executives seemed to be in agreement as well. Emperor Ractor nodded.
“Very well. I, too, wish to see your battle, Red Dragon. I trust you. I may not be able to see everything since you have lost your power, but I will be satisfied even if I only see a glimpse of that spirit. Begin the sparring match between the Red Dragon and Ursula!”
As the Emperor declared this, a combat arena was prepared in the center of the audience chamber in an instant. Morgan walked up to the arena, flicking her whip playfully.
“Come up, Red Dragon. Let us see the end of our ill-fated relationship.”
Hmm. This is a bad turn of events. Well. Let’s see what happens.