Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: On the Palm - 3
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The emperor on the screen spoke.
“Your wife has already gone inside and is waiting. It’s best not to touch anything in there recklessly, no matter what it is.”
“Y-Your Majesty. Surely this place is...?”
“That’s right. The secret repository accessible only to imperial family members. What do you think now that you’ve seen the truth behind all those rampant rumors in the empire?”
“......Are you going to imprison me here?”
“It would be better phrased as placing you in storage.”
Bloodshot veins bulged in Isaac’s eyes.
“I know that anyone who is not of the imperial bloodline will be torn to shreds if they try to enter or exit this door.”
“It’s fine if I permit it. And I have permitted your entry. ......Or rather, to be precise, only your entry.”
“......”
“If you try to escape from the other side, then you really will be torn to pieces.”
Isaac’s body trembled violently.
He cried out as if vomiting blood.
“Send me to prison instead! Why are you shoving me into this bizarre place?”
“I have a commission for you to entrust to your daughter. But heroes are always such enigmatic beings.”
“What do you mean...?”
“I thought Serein might fall head over heels for the hero and refuse my commission. So isn’t it only natural to store her weakness in the safest place in the world?”
“......”
“Don’t worry. There’s plenty of food, drink, and all sorts of entertainment inside.”
He continued his explanation in a very kind, gentle tone.
“You’ll see thousands upon thousands of doors once you enter. The ones you’re permitted to open will be glowing brightly.”
“......”
“You can open any of the glowing doors. But don’t touch the ones that aren’t glowing. Unless you’re committing suicide, that is.”
It was a command more cruel than any exile.
In the end, Isaac’s eyes went completely mad.
Foam bubbled at his mouth as he lunged at the emperor.
“Argh! Even as the master of the empire, I can’t tolerate this tyranny... Gahk!”
Suddenly, Isaac’s body crumpled.
It was a movement that even skilled swordsmen might have missed.
But I clearly saw the emperor drive his fist into Isaac’s abdomen.
‘The emperor had skills like that?’
This was something I hadn’t known even before my regression.
[He must work out regularly.]
‘Looks like it. But what surprises me more is that the current emperor of the empire isn’t known as a martial powerhouse.’
[......]
‘He kept his skills that advanced completely under wraps. Killing the previous emperor was one thing, but he’s one sly bastard.’
[Hmm. Not as sly as you, though.]
I didn’t feel like responding, so I just focused on the screen.
Clack.
The emperor opened the door.
Then he tossed Isaac inside like discarding trash.
“Don’t worry. I’ll release you if Serein completes the commission.”
Snap.
The screen cut off.
I crossed my arms and pondered quietly.
‘Just what is that door? What’s on the other side of it?’
Beyond’s grand area-of-effect magic circle and the Enerica family heirlooms were just a tiny fraction of what lay beyond that door.
The emperor had said there were thousands upon thousands of doors inside.
A door that had existed since before the empire was founded.
Who the hell made something like that?
I organized my thoughts and spoke.
“Serein’s parents are beyond the door under the imperial palace.”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
But soon, their expressions shifted to realization.
Neril asked.
“That secret repository underground? Where the Enerica family heirloom was?”
“And it’s also where Beyond’s grand search magic circle is.”
I nodded.
Whenever this topic came up, Offense—who always got fidgety—practically bounced in place.
“We have to go check this out!”
“Are you planning to repeat our last conversation?”
“Ahem. Sorry. That wasn’t like me. Admitting my personal desires in a setting like this...”
“Well, we’re going anyway.”
“......”
“Adwin. Could you summon Grade-nim?”
Risel jumped in surprise, almost having a fit.
“No! Why call a busy person?”
“Is that an appropriate way to describe summoning a dead person’s soul?”
“I-I’m still not mentally prepared...”
“Last time, Captain Dame helped, but he’s in prison now, so that’s not possible. We need someone else’s help, and among my connections, Grade-nim is the only imperial.”
I added one more thing.
“If it’s still too hard to face him, you can step out for a bit. He’s got plenty of free time anyway, so he’ll come whenever called.”
Risel didn’t step out.
Whoosh.
Instead, her figure vanished like a lie.
She had hidden herself through spiritization again.
Offense muttered in disbelief.
“I saw it last time too, but her concealment is more perfect than mine, an assassin’s. The heavenly gods are unfair.”
“Don’t worry. She can’t attack in that state.”
“Good. The heavenly gods are fair after all.”
“Anyway, Adwin. You called?”
Adwin then spoke.
It was a deep voice that didn’t suit him.
“Why did Risel run away?”
“Hello, Grade-nim.”
“Don’t just seek me out when you need me. Try persuading Risel bit by bit.”
“I told Risel the opposite—that she should persuade you, Grade-nim.”
“......”
“Whatever you two sort out between yourselves, I have a question.”
“Sigh. About the door under the imperial palace?”
I nodded.
Our party turned to him with intrigued expressions.
Grade fell silent for a moment, as if rummaging through memories, then spoke.
“When I was wandering the continent to free Risel from the spirits, I met a certain man.”
“Yes?”
“That man spoke of the era before the heavenly gods. And of the nature sorcerers, spirit tongue... and various other things. They were so outlandish at first that I didn’t believe him.”
He continued softly.
“But after seeing the place he guided me to, I had no choice but to believe. So I continued my own research based on that.”
“Why didn’t you tell the world?”
“There were too many extravagant tales. Just the era before the heavenly gods was revolutionary enough, wasn’t it?”
Jenia nodded and picked up his words.
“Maybe he was just a crazy guy? The heavenly gods created the world—where would there be an era before them?”
“That’s exactly the reaction I expected, so I kept quiet. Back then, I couldn’t afford rumors that I’d gone mad.”
Fair enough. It was right around the time the empire was being founded, a crucial period.
I asked.
“You mentioned a place he guided you to? Don’t tell me...”
“Yes. That door.”
“......”
“There was a single door standing alone in a vast plain. The man said I was quite to his liking. So he’d gift me this door.”
I tilted my head.
“A gift?”
“He meant granting me and my descendants access to the door. I built a castle where the door stood, and...”
“That castle became the imperial palace, and the capital.”
“The location happened to be excellent.”
I could roughly piece together what happened.
A door leading to another world.
Thousands upon thousands of new doors inside it.
And the unknown man who supposedly made it.
With anticipation, I asked.
“Did you happen to catch his name?”
“Hmm. Bellosian, I think it was.”
Just in case, I said.
‘Show me the secret between Grade and Bellosian. At least his face.’
[Hmm.]
‘Don’t push yourself. I’m not expecting much.’
[Tch. Underestimating me. You’ll regret it.]
Clack.
A screen appeared.
[Error. The secret between ‘Bellosian and Grade’s handshake.’ is S-rank.]
[Viewable from Eye of Omniscience level 5.]
‘......’
[Another S-rank. Everything’s S-rank these days.]
‘Don’t act nonchalant.’
[Can’t we just gloss over it?]
An S-rank, huh.
I’m not a child born between Arald Mohan and Dian Mohan.
My father said he picked me up.
Even when I used the Eye of Omniscience to learn the details of my birth secret, it came up S-rank.
Could it be?
I said.
‘Show me the secret between me and Bellosian.’
[What? Out of nowhere?]
‘Something I want to check.’
Trail didn’t pry further and activated the Eye of Omniscience.
[Error. The secret between ‘Maide Mohan and Bellosian.’ is S-rank.]
[Viewable from Eye of Omniscience level 5.]
A chill ran from my toes to the top of my head.
Trail seemed to grasp the situation and fell silent.
‘Trail. If there’s no secret, it says there’s none, right?’
[......Yeah.]
‘But there’s an S-rank secret between me and Bellosian?’
What could it be?
Maybe it’s tied to the secret of my birth?
The surest way to find out is the Eye of Omniscience, but S-rank is too far off.
“Whew.”
No matter how much I pondered, no answers came, so I scratched my head roughly.
My companions seemed to interpret it differently.
Neril said.
“You okay? You look annoyed.”
“Ah. Yeah, I am annoyed, but it’s not because of Grade-nim.”
Grade spoke.
“Of course. Otherwise, your neck would still be intact.”
“Anyway, thank you for all this. Farewell.”
“Trying to shoo me away again. You insolent retainer.”
He continued.
“From what I see, the current emperor... well, one of my descendants is causing trouble?”
“Honestly, a bit. He’s treating that underground door you mentioned like his personal property. He even imprisoned my comrade’s parents there.”
Serein looked at me with slightly shaken eyes.
The phrase ‘my comrade’ must have hit differently.
Grade nodded deeply.
“That door can only be accessed by imperial blood or those acknowledged by them. It’s certainly the perfect place to use as a prison.”
“I see.”
“Then I acknowledge you.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll acknowledge you all. So you can access that door.”
My eyes went wide.
Neril said.
“That won’t work.”
“You’re not talking down to me, are you?”
“I was debating whether to, but casual it is.”
“Why?”
“Because you keep calling Maide your retainer.”
Hmm. Is that a reason?
Anyway, Neril continued.
“If a dead emperor’s soul granting permission lets you enter the secret repository, why would it be secret? Necromancers could just summon souls for permission.”
“Hmm.”
“Of course, no guarantee the summoned soul would agree, but still, isn’t it too sloppy?”
Grade chuckled.
“You retainer. Your lover’s quite sharp. Insolent like you, though.”
I pretended not to hear certain words on purpose.
“Since you call her sharp, you’re admitting she’s right?”
“Generally, yes. When imperial blood dies, they lose ownership of the door. A dead imperial’s soul granting permission wouldn’t let you enter.”
“Then...”
“But I met the door’s creator, Bellosian, directly. He took a liking to me and gave me special treatment.”
Meaning even as a soul, his acknowledgment would grant access?
I asked as much, and Grade nodded.
“Yes. Never tested it, though.”
“That caveat worries me.”
“Worst case, you die. The afterlife’s decent enough... no, worth dying for. Serving me here wouldn’t be bad.”
“Farewell.”
“Tch. Insolent retainer indeed.”
Adwin’s arm glowed brightly.
As if it was time to go, Grade’s voice faded.
He cleared his throat lightly and opened his mouth.
“Make sure to tell Risel this...”
But he couldn’t finish.
Adwin had forcibly sent him back.
The first hero himself, who had once kicked an emperor off his throne, asked.
“Did I do well?”
“Yeah.”
Risel, who had reappeared unnoticed, chimed in.
“You didn’t.”
“Ah! Right. Sorry. He kept calling Maide-oppa his retainer, so I slipped.”
“Ugh. I was curious what he wanted to say.”
I asked.
“Want me to call him back?”
Risel shook her head vigorously enough to hear a whoosh.
“No!”
What am I supposed to do?