Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Recap-6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was a familiar basement. No way I'd forget it. It was the first place I'd seen in this world.
"I can't let you go in. Well, if you really insist on entering, I won't stop you, but sorceresses and priests are awfully strict about these things."
A clear line was drawn in front of the Emperor and me. It held no magical significance in itself, but it served as a warning that they couldn't be held responsible for anything that might happen if we crossed it.
"If you so much as step on a single line wrong, you might have to start all over from scratch."
The magic circle filled an entire room, nearly complete despite some gaps here and there.
"Demon blood, a legion commander's heart... bricks from the Demon King's castle... It took some time to transport them, but we've managed to gather most of it."
"That's a relief."
"When you see Elenor, give her some praise, at least. If she hadn't drawn her sword herself, it would've taken even longer. The Demon King's territories aren't fully pacified yet."
Monsters grow stronger under the Demon King's influence, but once spawned, they don't vanish naturally.
Countless soldiers were still fighting at the front lines. If they'd been deployed to gather these materials, it might have cost even more lives.
"She could rest now, but she's still out there fighting without a break."
"Is that because she secured them for me, or on Your Majesty's orders?"
He said nothing. I wasn't looking at his face, so I could only imagine what expression he wore.
My eyes were fixed on that massive magic circle, drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
"Find, pierce, send, find, preserve, protect, guard, bless, hide..."
"You can read the mages' script?"
"I don't know most of it, but I can make out simple words."
It wasn't like I'd gained nothing since coming here.
"There was this one person who'd rip you apart if you didn't memorize it."
Each little gain was tinged with sorrow.
"..."
"That said, it's a bit much to thank Your Majesty for it. For now, I'll just say I believe you."
I hadn't experienced much of this society's ins and outs, but I knew plenty about the Hero's party.
Swordsmanship, sorcery, faith, elves.
The ominous, eerie yet sacred aura emanating from the magic circle's materials made it clear this was no ordinary spell array.
With the Goddess involved, the odds of them stabbing me in the back had plummeted.
Considering the sheer scale of that vast magic circle, it was evident they were preparing a ritual to send me back.
"That's enough."
"But... what orders is the Hero following to go on this rampage? Besides gathering these materials."
"..."
"Since we're here, I'd like to clear this up once and for all."
The Hero might seem to act on whims, but she follows clear principles.
The empire's interests and the Emperor's commands. Loyalty, patriotism, duty—they're her driving forces.
Anyone else might suspect personal motives in an order to marry me.
If, back when I first arrived, on the day I first met her, I'd received such an order.
Dazzled by her beauty and poise, I might have gone along with it, pretending reluctance.
"Why does she want to marry me? She said it was Your Majesty's command. You owe me an explanation that'll convince me."
"...She wants you to."
"How much do you need to ruin a person before you're satisfied? Marriage to someone whose name I don't even want to hear. If it's so necessary, do it after I leave—after I go!"
I wanted to stomp my feet, but I held back, worried dust might kick up and disturb the circle.
Fearful of spitting and contaminating it, I painfully turned my head away. The Emperor looked regretful.
"Do you really want me to marry her?"
"I do."
The Emperor replied in a calm voice heavy with sorrow.
"Then what was all this? Just for show? A deception?"
"The materials in this magic circle are countless and priceless, each one. The demon-related ones were possible thanks to your endurance during the Demon King subjugation, more than anyone else's... but the others are different."
The Emperor raised a hand, pointing to various parts of the circle.
"Unicorn blood. Not just any unicorn killed for it, but from one that swore to offer its body whole for the empire—even when it wasn't its master."
"Phoenix remains. How absurd a term. An undying phoenix, meeting eternal death and leaving a corpse. But it happens rarely, and the empire's bravest adventurers have succeeded in retrieving them."
"A dragon's heart. Any dragon heart might be common enough compared to these, but this one's special. From an ancient black dragon that ravaged countless lives, infused with demonic energy."
Every single one was an impossible ingredient. I couldn't verify their authenticity on the spot, but the descriptions matched Pashier's casual chatter perfectly.
"At this level..."
"Beyond these, heaps of the most expensive and rare materials are needed. Some are too complex for me to grasp, others too horrific to tell you."
"You gathered all this?"
"The imperial treasury holds many things. Still, we succeeded somehow. Now we must train the mages and priests. No skipping this, no matter how much you push."
"Why?"
"One failure, and we can't try again."
My doubts hadn't fully subsided, but at least I could tell he was sincere about this.
I was just an ordinary person, and he was the Emperor—if he truly meant to deceive me, there was nothing I could do.
"I admit it. I want you to stay. Love Elenor, and if need be, inherit the empire."
That caught me off guard. I'd never imagined he'd go that far.
"But separately, I made a promise to you. To the outsider who came to this land by the Goddess's hand. To send you back, no matter what."
In the end, he was crushed by responsibility too. He had no choice but to send me away, despite his reluctance, fearing what might happen if he didn't.
"Isn't a promise something you can't just keep when you feel like it and break when you don't?"
I stood there blankly for a moment, mulling over my situation, then gave the magic circle one last look.
When I first arrived, it reeked strangely, a place I desperately wanted to escape. But now, I wanted to turn back the clock right then and plunge into that circle on the designated day.
Gazing at those luxurious magical materials made my head ache.
"Wait."
As I pondered deeply, something felt off.
"So if the Hero chose to return, you'd have to prepare materials like these every time?"
They were gathered on a centuries-scale, so maybe this much was necessary. Even so, it seemed excessively abundant.
No matter how mighty the empire, procuring these couldn't be easy.
"Records say... the Goddess prepared them. But it's so ancient, details are unclear."
"The Goddess?"
"By divine guidance, they went to a shining place and found the Goddess's gifts... That's the record. I've had ten attendants taking shifts scanning the skies, but no such signs."
"You were actually doing that?"
"Of course. Ten attendants or a hundred—even that's cheap compared to the sacrifices for these materials. There are adventurers who spend their lives seeking only 'phoenix remains.'"
I had nothing more to say. I let out a deep sigh and trudged up the stairs.
"So, no intention of stopping her?"
"I'm sorry for you, but I can't abandon hope. For this nation, and my daughter."
"Not for me, then."
Age couldn't be fooled—his steps up the stairs seemed a bit labored. I had to match his pace to keep the conversation going.
"By the appointed time, we'll send you back. Until then, at least talk to her. Give her a chance to make you understand..."
"To begin with, she doesn't understand me. Or rather, I doubt the Hero even tries to understand anyone. Besides... I understand the Hero."
I've spent years with the Hero. In my own way, I think I get her.
I know why she acts that way, how duty and responsibility crush her, how that pressure manifests as her courage and sense of duty.
"I understand her better than anyone, which is why I find her more repulsive than anyone."
The Emperor paused for a moment.
"Shall I call an attendant?"
"No need. Go on ahead."
I left him behind and climbed the remaining stairs.