Chapter 204
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Audience in the Emperor's Chambers
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"What is it?"
I asked, eyeing Aurora as she walked beside me with that sly, roguish smile plastered on her face.
"Miss Aurora, what exactly is your true identity?"
"Just the head of a humble trading company."
"No ordinary trading company head acts so at ease while heading off to meet the emperor."
"Is that so? Hehe."
Her giggling was downright cheeky, but with her porcelain skin and ethereal beauty, she had a magnetic charm that drew every eye around us.
The kind of allure that let her play up her harmlessness while ruthlessly raking in profits.
"Your Majesty, Young Master Leon Cascadia has arrived."
A pleased voice rang out from within at those words.
"Oh... Send him in at once."
Creeeeak!!! Thud!!!
The room I was led to wasn't some formal audience chamber—it was the emperor's private bedchamber.
As I stepped inside, a fresh, pleasant scent filled the air, revealing a vast bedroom that felt less like a single room and more like an entire manor house plunked down in one spot.
So this was the emperor's private quarters. Pretty much the only personal space he was allowed, really.
It was opulent, sure, but life at the top for someone like the emperor was anything but smooth sailing.
Poisonings were par for the course, and assassination attempts? No doubt they were a constant threat.
Even if they weren't, the endless precautions would wear anyone down.
That aside, though, there were some seriously bizarre things scattered all around.
"My goodness. Even more than before."
Good lord.
Pictures adorned the walls here and there throughout the chamber.
They looked like someone had taken screenshots from the adventure game I created and turned them into artwork.
Rumors had it the emperor was hooked on that game I'd made. Guess they were spot on.
"Come in, come in. I am the Emperor of Pascaria."
Soon, a man emerged from the inner part of the chamber.
He wasn't some hulking brute, but he carried himself with a natural majesty that screamed "emperor"—like he'd been born wearing it.
"Oh, and Aurora's here too."
"How have you been faring, Your Majesty?"
Well, well? Treating the emperor like an old acquaintance.
"Hahaha, indeed. You said you'd bring good news, and here we are meeting so soon."
The emperor welcomed Aurora as casually as if she were family...
No way in hell was she just some trading company head.
I slowly paid my respects to the emperor.
"I am Leon Cascadia of House Cascadia, the Border Count family of the Bata Kingdom. It is an boundless honor to behold the sun of the empire."
"Hoho, rise, rise. If I'd wanted such stiff formalities, I'd have summoned you to the audience chamber."
He let out a hearty laugh.
"Come, come—sit, both of you. I have so much I want to talk about."
He led us to the sofas deeper in the chamber and gestured for us to take a seat.
Then, like it was second nature, he personally brewed and poured the coffee.
"Why the strange look?"
"If I may be so bold, isn't this usually the job of maids or attendants?"
I hadn't expected the emperor to handle guest hospitality himself.
"That'd be the case outside these walls. But meetings here are man-to-man, emperor to private citizen. No need to mind it."
"In that case, my thanks. I'll partake."
Fair enough, then.
I brazenly took a sip of the coffee, and he burst into booming laughter, clearly delighted.
There were all sorts of rumors swirling about the emperor.
Good ones, bad ones.
Some said he was a notorious womanizer, but the man before me didn't give off that vibe at all.
"Aurora, the more I see of you, the more impressed I am by your talents. If I had my way, I'd arrange a marriage with one of my princes..."
"I still have much I wish to accomplish, Your Majesty."
"Of course. Can't force it, much as it pains me."
A prince's bride?
Just what was Aurora's deal?
As that thought crossed my mind, the emperor slapped his knee and chuckled heartily.
"If only the daughter of House Lavren would lend her strength to me."
He seemed genuinely regretful, but that wasn't what mattered to me right now.
What did he just say?
Lavren?
House Lavren—the one and only family by that name on the continent.
A noble house from a minor kingdom in the western continent, yet even the empire dared not trifle with them.
The wealthiest of the continent's Thirteen Great Houses, the ones who funneled the flow of massive fortunes across the land.
And what else?
Daughter of the house?
In other words, Aurora—no, Aurora Lavren—was a candidate to succeed as the next head of the continent's richest great house, on par with House Mielephon.
I shot a quick glance at Aurora.
But she didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"Your Majesty, I wish to focus on the trading company I've built."
"I know, I know. That's what makes you all the more admirable. If only some of my princes had even half your spirit..."
I had questions burning on my tongue, but I held them back. That wasn't the priority.
Right—being Lavren's daughter explained how she hobnobbed with the emperor like this.
It also made sense why her business acumen was so sharp and her connections so vast.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Aurora, the emperor turned to me.
"Young Master Leon. That artifact you created has given me experiences like no other."
"I'm honored you think so highly of it."
"No, you wouldn't understand. You've let me enjoy something no crown prince predestined for the throne could ever have."
A prince groomed from birth to be emperor had his very existence as both proof and shackles.
No one could see him as just a person, and he was forever shadowed by guards.
In short, the emperor's position meant no one in the world could truly be his friend.
But in that game, he was accepted as an ordinary man—no threats to his life, no hidden watchers.
For once, he could be just a person—an adventurer, living out the dreams of his youth. That alone brought him joy beyond what others could imagine.
When people immerse themselves in a story, they grow attached to the characters in it.
The emperor had taken a keen interest in the personal stories of his recruited companions, the mage Donia and warrior Aric, and at the adventure's end, he'd felt a profound emptiness finally filled—something he'd never experienced before.
"That's why I made the request. It's not real, of course. But I treasure that one experience immensely. In that sense, you've given me a tremendous gift."
The artwork and sculptures of his adventures dotting the chamber? Probably to relive that overwhelming emotion from back then.
Like it wasn't just a fleeting dream, but a lingering miracle.
His smile drew one from me in return.
Hearing such high praise from a player, as the creator, felt pretty damn good.
"The statues you requested, Your Majesty. I crafted them to be as lifelike as possible."
I casually opened my subspace and pulled out the two statues. The emperor's eyes widened, a short gasp escaping him.
"Ah... Aah... So this is it. It feels like that adventure wasn't a dream, but a real memory."
Overcome with emotion, he stared at them blankly for a long while—like reuniting with comrades he'd never see again.
"I've reinforced them to withstand just about anything, for any eventualities."
The emperor, who'd been silently admiring them, finally turned to me.
"Young Master Leon Cascadia."
"Speak, Your Majesty."
"Name your desire. Whatever it is, within my power, I shall grant it."
Anyone could mouth those words.
But coming from the emperor? The impact was on another level entirely.
After some thought, I gave my answer.
"Your Majesty, I have but one wish."
I stated it calmly, dropping him right into my trap.
"Please help ensure that my younger sister—who leads House Cascadia—and I can live peaceful lives."
Trying to wrap it up in one go? No can do, Your Majesty. You'll be helping us out long-term, within your means.
The emperor wasn't a fool.
He understood my intent, his expression turning grave as he pondered.
Then he replied.
"Very well. You have every right to make such a bold request."
Just for gifting him a game? Was this reaction really warranted?
"That said, I won't ask for aid that disregards equivalent exchange. Though I've offered these statues, the Paradise Artifact was made in the hope that many would enjoy it."
I drew the line politely, but he wouldn't budge.
"If I wish to do it, I will. That is what it means to be emperor."
Come on, man.
I kept my composure and bowed my head quietly.
"Father!"
A bit of commotion stirred then.
A chamberlain entered cautiously and made his report. The emperor's eyes widened.
"I see. Eileena has come."
"Pardon?"
Who?
"Send her in. I was just about to speak of you two anyway."
Wait, I'd deliberately avoided this...
Suddenly, the emperor felt a touch different from before.
Would Princess Eileena just barge in with guests present?
No way. Which meant...
This guy had planned it from the start.
The creator of the Paradise Artifact. The guy with rumors swirling around him left and right.
One rumor about the emperor was his insatiable thirst for talent.
He was using his favorite daughter to tie me down.
His personal gratitude was one thing—business was business. No wonder he was the emperor.
There wasn't even grounds to get mad at him for it, so all I could do was offer a wry smile as the beautiful girl entered the chamber.
I could always say no.
Problem was, I wasn't great at dealing with people.