Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Return - 6
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In Elenor's memories, the Emperor had always been a warm and kind figure—stern and dignified.
But even he had times when he grew angry.
He never exploded in rage or hurled insults, but Elenor could tell the difference.
When she made a clear mistake, he focused more on resolving the issue than on her feelings.
Aside from her very early childhood, he had never truly gotten angry at her.
She never bungled things so badly as to incur his wrath, and she could handle a certain level of errors on her own anyway.
"What on earth are you so worried about?"
But she couldn't figure out what she had done wrong.
"I've been thinking about where you went wrong."
"It's all over. The Demon King has been subjugated as Your Majesty desired. I've secured my position, and I've forged bonds with people who will aid me."
The connection she'd built with the World Tree's Great Warrior would prove invaluable in her relations with the elves.
Their nation might be infinitesimally small compared to the Empire, but their potential was not to be underestimated.
She had overcome hardships alongside a living legend of the magical world and the Tower Master. The witches would no longer wield their magic against the Empire.
With her close ties to the Saintess, the clergy couldn't treat Elenor lightly. Unless they demolished a few churches and massacred priests, her coronation would proceed under divine blessing.
She already enjoyed overwhelming support from the knights and soldiers. From before she was even of age, she had trained with them, fought beside them, shared their meals, and slept in the same places.
"I will be the next Emperor."
It was a seat prepared for her. Elenor had striven and struggled to become someone worthy of it.
With the Hero's power besides, no one could question her legitimacy.
"You're missing one person."
The porter's face flashed through Elenor's mind. Her expression hardened slightly.
"...I did my best."
"With what?"
"I forced him to train so he wouldn't die. If I'd left him alone, he surely would have perished during the adventure."
It might have been harsh training for someone unable to use mana, but she herself had endured it as an even weaker girl at a younger age.
"At least you had people to support you. Did you think he could bear it?"
"He's an adult. If he can't support himself, it just proves his own incompetence."
The Emperor let out a deep sigh, like a man who couldn't even imagine how to resolve this mess.
"What are you afraid of? He's already passed the Hero's power to me. The responsibility, the trials, the glory—all of it is mine now."
"Do you think only the one who holds that power bears the responsibility?"
"The one who claimed the Hero's sword is me, the leader of the Platinum Knight Order. The one who overcame the trials is not that porter—it's your daughter."
To fail to understand his emotions right before his eyes was terrifying. All commoners and nobles alike felt that way, and even his daughter Elenor was no exception.
"The one who triumphed over the demons and felled the Demon King is no other than me—the next Emperor!"
Rather than replying immediately, the Emperor fell silent, carefully choosing his words.
Then he looked at Elenor not as his knight, but as his daughter.
"I need time... But I don't know. This might make things worse, might inflict even greater wounds on us all... Still, I'm not ready to abandon hope yet."
Elenor had no desire to respond to his words. She merely lowered her head in deference.
"Is there someone you have in mind?"
"I'm not so weak as to be swayed by mere affection. Whoever is needed for the Empire, whoever Your Majesty desires—I'll accept anyone. I will simply obey your command."
It wasn't just her concern. Royals and nobles, especially women, were prime resources for alliances.
As the current Emperor's only daughter and next in line, she could choose her own partner if she wished—but that would merely drag the nation's strength into serving her personal desires.
"Truly... Of all people, you were the one I wanted to let marry for love..."
The Emperor's somber emotions filled the room, mingled with a hollow laugh.
"Leodrin Enel. That's the man you must marry. Bind him somehow, and make a child of his and yours the Empire's heir."
"Leodrin? Was there a man in that family?"
"The man who traveled with you. He'll soon formally join the family."
Lady Leodrin lacked the right to carry on the line, and the only legitimate family member was a single daughter.
It was a house in ruins, pitiful compared to its famed name—but its prestige remained unchanged.
It wouldn't solidify legitimacy as well as marrying into another kingdom's royalty.
But mingling blood with prestigious houses in the Empire or foreign royals carried risks.
If they saw Elenor as an easy mark because she was a woman and meddled in imperial politics, she'd have to counter them again.
Marrying a noble with weak influence but high prestige who would stay compliant wasn't necessarily a bad move.
Considering that angle, the porter posed no threat. If the man of 'Leodrin' was such a person, this marriage wasn't a poor choice.
As long as his status was genuine.
"It's dangerous. Giving a false identity to a mere guest lingering in the palace is one thing—giving one to the Emperor's consort is another."
Countless people sought to uncover scandals about the Emperor. If one dug up the porter's true origins and threatened the imperial family, their options for response would be limited.
"No helping it. If you have a lover, speak now. Otherwise, if you seek the Empire's future, trust my judgment."
The Emperor cut off her words firmly.
"Understood. When should we set the date?"
Elenor accepted his command without a shred of doubt, but instead of joy, he shook his head slowly.
"No, that's wrong. There's something you need to do first."
"What is it?"
"You need to get his consent."
Elenor paused for a moment, unsure if he was joking or serious.
"I am the next Emperor. He has no reason to refuse."
"Is that so? I think he would absolutely hate it."
"Even if that's true, nothing changes. His... sacrifice for me and the Empire is noble, of course. But it cannot outweigh the national interest."
Elenor spoke with such unwavering conviction that she failed to notice how each word saddened her father.
"That won't do."
"Why on earth not?!"
"Just... it's something you mustn't do. Is that answer not enough to satisfy you?"
"At least explain the reason clearly."
The Emperor quietly turned his gaze away.
"I'm still afraid. No one knows better than I what becomes of you when you lose your confidence."
"I'll never show such an ugly side again."
The Elenor who had been an ignorant little girl was different from the Elenor who had achieved great feats and now trusted in herself.
The Emperor simply gazed at her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hngh, ugh... What the hell... is this?!"
Nerwen had completed her mission.
Now it was time to escape this repulsive, noisy city and breathe the fresh air of the World Tree while composing poems of her feats.
"Why... why? What's happening..."
But she was still lingering in the palace.
With no place in the city she cared to stay, she had set up temporary camp in the imperial hunting grounds. There, she struggled to understand the anomaly in her own body.
Elves were sensitive to scents. They detected faint odors more keenly than anyone and could smell things others couldn't.
It wasn't limited to smell alone. Like priests sensing divine guidance, elves could read the forest's screams and cheers.
In that subtle realm, blessed elves like Nerwen could even smell human emotions.
Pure, clear souls gave off clean, serene scents; turbid, chaotic minds reeked with nose-stinging foulness.
"What the hell did you do to me, you vile bastard? If I don't drag you here and tear you limb from limb right now..."
The first time she saw him, she had wondered if it was truly the scent of malice. She'd never smelled anything like it.
It was intense. She'd never caught such a whiff even from slave traders, murderers, or kinslayers.
She tried to endure it somehow, but every time she inhaled it, her head spun, her bow hand trembled, and her body grew hot.
After holding out as long as she could, she finally vented her rage. It was during battle, on a day her arrow veered just slightly off course.
-Human, do you know your scent reeks horribly? Wash yourself. Now.
Since it was the scent of his soul, no amount of washing could dispel it.
But the river scent clinging to his body seemed to neutralize it somewhat, so Nerwen constantly badgered him to wash.
"Why, why, why..."
But throughout that time, she had been exposed to his scent, whether she liked it or not.
So she couldn't even imagine what she'd be like without it.