To the Imperial Palace
To the Imperial Palace
"First, you must dress yourself. That lewd body of yours... no, I mean, your naked... hmm! Yes, your unclothed body. That's it. An unclothed body is nothing but exhibitionism, after all."
Even as Saklasi thought, 'Isn't a fair amount of exposure acceptable at the beach?', he somehow felt embarrassed. It felt as if Veronica was examining every corner of his body.
"Yes, it seems I'll have no choice but to go home in my 'Mist Transformation' state."
"We'll hear about that 'Mist Transformation' of yours later. Ahem, does the part you're covering now return to its original state?"
The part he was covering now was Saklasi's central region.
"It'd be a big problem if it didn't."
"Right, that would be absurd."
"Exactly. Absurd. Haha."
"I shall procure some clothes for you. In the meantime, hide yourself somewhere so that your unclothed body cannot be seen."
"I'm truly grateful! Princess Veronica. But I can simply go home in my full 'Mist Transformation' state. Others will only see me as mist, so it should be fine."
"I have absolutely no idea what this 'Mist Transformation' means. In any case, if you don't need my help... I understand."
Seeing her expression turn somewhat dejected, Saklasi quickly made an excuse.
"No, no, I'm really incredibly grateful, but I couldn't possibly trouble Your Highness the Princess. If you came here to see me, would you like to come to my home? I'd like to offer you at least a cup of tea."
Veronica thought, 'A man inviting a woman to his home... as expected, he's as uninhibited with lewd matters as his lewd body.'
'Still, since we are aunt and nephew, it should be alright.' she thought, but then she remembered that Saklasi still didn't know she was his aunt.
"Shameless!"
"I beg your pardon?"
Saklasi interpreted 'shameless' not as 'pervert', but as 'having no sense of shame, not knowing embarrassment', and apologized to Veronica.
"I apologize. To order Your Highness the Princess to come here and go there, my thinking was short-sighted."
"Are you not planning to lure me into your home and seduce me with that lewd body of yours!"
So she did mean pervert after all.
"There's no way that's true. Then would a nearby cafe be acceptable?"
Since most of the princesses Saklasi met were eccentric, he didn't consider Veronica's current behavior a big deal. However, he was worried about meeting the Emperor. The Emperor didn't seem likely to be normal either.
'Let's prepare in advance. It'd be good to learn about the Emperor's personality from Veronica. Who's her husband? Is he still alive?'
Saklasi still didn't know that the Emperor had given birth to the princesses using the Wish 'Fire World Tree'.
Veronica agreed to meet at a cafe, and when Saklasi said he'd be back shortly and departed using 'Mist Transformation', she thought as she watched him leave.
'How is it that every single thing he does is so lewd!'
It was like watching a manga that gets censored with blurring every time an R-rated scene appears. Those are impressive fellows who stimulate the human imagination, making things feel even more lewd.
Actually, the artists only did that for review purposes.
As she waited for Saklasi, Veronica's delusions only deepened.
.
.
'To come to a man's house like this, you knew what it meant, didn't you?'
'You really came without knowing anything!'
'Then I'll teach you from now on.'
'W-we... shouldn't be doing this!'
'Why? What's stopping us?'
'That's... a secret I can't tell!'
'Then let's make a secret we can't tell right now, too. Veronica.'
.
.
"SHAMELESS!!!"
Veronica, who had been continuing her delusions alone, burst out and scolded herself.
People nearby looked over in surprise, but as soon as they recognized she was a red-haired elf, they quickly turned their heads away. It was common knowledge that red-haired elves were all High Elves, and all were princesses.
Veronica examined Saklasi, who had returned after changing clothes, from head to toe.
'He's handsome. This is the first time I've had such a thought looking at a man. But we are aunt and nephew. Regrettably, it's a relationship that can't develop into a romantic one.'
Veronica was confident in her beauty. She couldn't not know, as countless men had made entranced expressions just from seeing her face. In her life, Saklasi was the first man she found to her liking. The truth was, Veronica was the one feeling regret.
Unaware of Veronica's thoughts, Saklasi asked in order about what the Emperor disliked, how strong the Emperor was, what the Emperor valued. But all he got was Veronica's praise of the Emperor, like:
'Her Majesty dislikes almost nothing. She is benevolent.'
'Her Majesty is the greatest and strongest in the world.'
'Because Her Majesty exists, there is almost no war in the world. She uses that mighty power to strive for peace.'
"With 'Mist Transformation', you can travel anywhere connected to the sea, but only your body can go?"
When Saklasi's questions ended, Veronica asked about the earlier 'Mist Transformation'.
"Yes, Your Highness. I should hurry and answer the Imperial Palace's summons. But since I become naked wherever I arrive, it seems I'll have no choice but to take a plane."
"Using that 'Mist Transformation', how long does it take to reach the Drevo River by the Imperial Palace, thousands of kilometers away?"
"Since I have to concentrate for long distances, it takes a little while. I haven't measured it exactly, but it seems possible within a few seconds."
'???????'
Having met Saklasi, Veronica too had ultimately become a collector of question marks.
"So you're saying you can arrive at the Drevo River from here within a few seconds?"
"Yes."
"So a distance of about 2000 kilometers to the Drevo River beside the Imperial Palace, in a few seconds?"
"That's... right?"
"What's the range limit of your 'Mist Transformation'?"
"As long as it's a place connected to the sea, there seems to be no range limit."
At Saklasi's answer, Veronica speculated. 'Did he pour all of his Wishes solely into 'Mist Transformation'?'
The 'Fire World Tree', the Wish the Emperor poured most of herself into, was a Wish that required 100 years for each manifestation after the first.
Since it was a Wish of life creation that birthed High Elves, that much was only natural.
If he had poured most of his wishes into 'Mist Transformation', it was understandable that he could use it without range limits. Although he couldn't carry belongings including clothes over long distances beyond his sight, the fact that there was no range limit was still an absurdly overpowered thing.
"How frequently can you use Mist Transformation? You said you went to the Drevo River and then returned to Busanosk, right? Can you go right back to the Drevo River now?"
"That, um~"
Seeing Saklasi ponder, 'Still, is twice a day the limit?', Veronica thought.
"Going to the Drevo River right now is no problem, but I don't know the usage limit. I haven't tested how many times it's possible."
'No way!'
"You know it the moment you do it. Right now, after already wishing twice, do you feel like you can do it again immediately? No exhaustion or anything?"
"Yes, it seems possible. There's no exhaustion."
'A Transcendent!' Veronica was certain.
This was a major incident. A second Transcendent had appeared in this world.
"I see. Let us discuss this matter again later. If clothes are the issue, I can help with that. I shall have an attendant send clothes near the Drevo River."
Veronica thought she needed to consult with her mother quickly. As a high-ranking ability user herself, Saklasi was too difficult for her to fully grasp.
Upon arriving at the Drevo River, there were attendants who had received orders from Veronica. From them, he was handed a ceremonial robe befitting a noble. It was somewhat similar to a modern suit, but with a design that an old-fashioned noble might wear.
'I'm going to meet the Emperor, so it's best to be as courteous as possible, right?'
The people who came to deliver the clothes were Beastkin wearing uniforms, and they showed no sign of questioning the fact that I was a Soi Tribe member or attempting to treat me disrespectfully. They seemed to be professional attendants, as expected of people instructed by Princess Veronica. After handing me the clothes, the attendant saluted with a rigid posture and stepped back, saying.
"If you could just wait here for a moment."
"Yes, I understand."
I was waiting awkwardly, as it was my first time wearing such clothes.
"You, what are you doing, walking around carelessly in Grand Ceremonial Robes?"
The one who spoke to me was a Dog Beastkin wearing a military uniform adorned with several medals. His pointed ears and sharp eyes were striking.
"I beg your pardon?"
Come to think of it, the baron's insignia that Katerina had granted me was missing.
"Walking around carelessly in Grand Ceremonial Robes? Do you think just wearing that allows a Soi Tribe member to strut around in front of the Imperial Palace?"
Again? I really want to quit being a Soi Tribe member!
"I have my circumstances, and I left my baron's insignia behind."
I had to meet the Emperor soon, so I couldn't cause trouble.
"Fellows like you always say that. 'I'm someone important, but I have no proof right now.' Something like that. If you left it behind, go get it. I will personally wait here for you."
"It's too far to go and get it."
"I'm sure it is. Very far, isn't it?"
He called over a person who had been attending him.
"Go to the market right now and buy a set of rags."
"Viscount-nim, perhaps this Soi Tribe member is..."
"Huh? Why aren't you going immediately! Are you trying to make me lose face right now!"
"I apologize. I will go right away."
"My goodness, perhaps because he's a new servant I took in while I was away hunting 'Azure Slugs', his training is severely lacking! Do you see these medals? These are the meritorious deeds I've received over the years. You might have heard my name."
I don't know it, though? Are you sure you won't regret not knowing me?
"In any case, I am specially granting you clothes befitting you, so receive them with gratitude."
Rags?
"I have something to receive from the Imperial Palace."
"What?"
"The title of duke."
"Duke? Hahaha, hahahahahahaha! Duke~?"
The people who had come to the Drevo River for an outing began to take notice of this direction. His characteristically booming voice echoed.
"Right, if you're the Duke-nim, a mere viscount like myself should be prostrating to serve you. I'd like to serve you quickly, so when exactly do you receive that?"
Shouldn't he recognize me by now? It doesn't look like he's suspicious and not believing me; he just doesn't know at all. Is the place you go to hunt 'Azure Slugs' without internet? But what's an Azure Slug anyway?
"I don't know how long the Imperial Palace will make me wait before granting the title."
"Keukeukeut. I'm letting it slide because you're a young friend, but there's a limit to how much I can play along."
What do I really do with this bastard? While he openly talked down to me, unlike other Dog Beastkin I'd encountered so far, he was a tricky guy who at least maintained a minimal pretense of face. I wished he'd just pick a fight.
That was when it happened.
Step, step, step, step.
The sound of disciplined footsteps was heard. Knights in uniform were coming this way.
"Don't act rashly. It's Her Highness the Princess."
This guy, seeing the Imperial Knights, knelt on one knee as if tense.
The person at the head of the Imperial Knights right now.
Katerina was approaching me with her characteristic expressionless face.