Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Wow, Rewards are Pouring Out! (6)
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Finally, the day had arrived to receive the Sunwater.
'I need to keep my body in peak condition.'
The imperial palace had even visited the training grounds. He had neatly gathered his cold energy and mana, and washed his body clean.
─It's been slightly delayed. Come when the moon rises.
In the meantime, an additional message arrived from the audience chamber.
It was disappointing to be postponed, but since it wasn't changed to another day, it was understandable enough.
He wondered what to do with the spare time floating by.
"Teacher, do you have a moment?"
The 3rd Princess, Solana, came striding in as if to show off.
After that, they spent time together in the reception room.
Several hours had already passed.
Perhaps because the weather was exceptionally fine today, the light streaming through the reception room's glass windows was quite dazzling.
The 3rd Princess of the Empire, Solana.
If asked who in the empire had the most radiant smile, Solana would undoubtedly be mentioned. Zekiel thought so too.
He had heard that devotees tried their utmost to rack up achievements just to exchange a word with this 3rd Princess.
A single word from Solana, and the very time spent with her, were considered blessings. That was why they threw themselves into it so desperately.
"I spent the whole day praying that nothing bad would happen to you. And─"
Such a Solana was leading the chatter.
In front of no one else but Zekiel.
A fragrant scent was even tickling his nose in the process.
Had her culinary skills improved even more?
The teas and snacks were so exquisite they didn't seem like something one would encounter in a mere reception room... All provided to Zekiel alongside Solana's lively talk.
Zekiel wasn't a fool.
He wasn't so foolish as to not realize that this situation he was enjoying was one others desperately yearned for. Nor was it extravagant.
Even knowing full well he was steeped in luxury.
Even so.
He couldn't focus on Solana's words at all.
'Sunwater. I'm finally getting the Sunwater...'
His mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of the Sunwater.
Soon, he would have to pay the price.
Suddenly!
A slight pressure formed in his hand. At the same time, a burst of vibrant sunflower scent swirled around his entire body.
Solana had gripped Zekiel's hand tightly.
Her nose nearly touching his, the 3rd Princess stared at him intently, her hand squeezing with force.
"Teacher, you're not paying attention to what I'm saying, are you?"
She smiled brightly.
"...What on earth are you lost in thought about?"
It would have been better if she'd scolded him sharply, but her saying it with a smile made it all the more terrifying.
"Every time you add someone to your group, it's always a woman. I heard an elder from the Blue Tower stuck to you, so I checked, and it turns out she's the prettiest one there."
"Hm..."
It wasn't something Zekiel had intended.
Still, he had indeed been distracted by thoughts of the Sunwater right in front of Solana, committing a rudeness, so he couldn't flatly deny it.
Solana added a bit more strength to her grip.
"Even if you say you're not interested, there's no guarantee she won't be. Even a fox with no intentions will wag its tail if it meets an owner it likes."
"Enough, enough... I'll focus on the conversation."
But Solana's words showed no sign of stopping.
"Come to think of it, the 2nd Princess's secretary is pretty suspicious too. That woman who looks like a rabbit. Why is the 2nd Princess's secretary sticking to you?"
"..."
"You really need to stay sharp, Teacher. There are flowers everywhere around you. Of course, none of them seem all that impressive individually."
Was there a subtle hint of her feelings in that last bit?
She said it with a beaming smile, but the meaning was different. It carried unmistakable warning and concern. In other words, it was a message to heed it even through the smile.
Zekiel had no choice but to steel his resolve. With no rough edges among his companions, he wanted to avoid any disadvantages.
Zekiel tried to soothe Solana.
"There's nothing for you to worry about. Don't fret."
"Even if you say that, I'll still worry. Anyway."
Solana blinked innocently and asked.
"You got a check, right?"
A check.
"..."
At the mention, Zekiel's mind, which had been fixed on the Sunwater, snapped back to reality. Now that he thought about it, yes. Word had reached all the princesses.
"...A check?"
"The check you got from the clerk? The incredible one that lets you spend five hours with one princess of your choice. Hm? Why are you avoiding my eyes?"
"...Uh, I remember."
"There's nothing hard about it at all."
Solana said calmly.
"Just think of it as five hours you'll spend with me, Teacher. You're going to use that check on me anyway, right?"
"..."
"I cleared my entire schedule this week."
Seeing Solana's confidence, he suddenly felt afraid. Were the other princesses just as certain?
'...Who the heck am I supposed to choose?'
Choosing one meant not choosing the other four. How was he supposed to handle the aftermath?
...Could he even handle it?
It was then that Solana placed a basket on the desk. She slid it over subtly, as if prepared solely for Zekiel.
"Eat these before using the check. I handpicked them myself, so no need to worry."
Zekiel opened the basket and peered inside.
Herbs, elixirs, wild ginseng... But the energy they held felt subtly different. Somehow distinct from what Zekiel usually sought.
"They're all great for vitality. So potent you'll feel the effects right away."
"...Vitality?"
Zekiel made a dumbfounded face, but.
Solana stared back as if she were the one baffled. Her eyes even narrowed slightly in a deadpan glare, enough to overpower Zekiel's presence.
"...Five hours is enough time for anything, isn't it?"
She continued boldly.
"The 1st Princess brings up marriage out of nowhere, the 2nd Princess barges in unannounced... I can't just sit back and take it. I need to prepare."
That preparation seemed awfully bold, though.
He couldn't bring himself to point it out.
"Come on, eat one right here in front of me first."
Solana picked up an herb and practically shoved it into Zekiel's mouth by force. He couldn't bluntly refuse.
"..."
He chewed silently, and Solana laughed.
"Teacher, you ate it right in front of me."
"Hm?"
"...It's a vitality tonic I prepared. You won't use it on another woman, right? That wouldn't be proper. You should use it on the one who prepared it."
A radiant smile.
Why did that radiant smile feel so terrifying today?
"Let's talk later. It's time."
Zekiel quickly glossed over it and stood up.
"I need to head to the audience chamber first."
"Teacher, Teacher?"
Was there ever a day when going to the audience chamber felt this welcome? He swiftly left the reception room.
Thinking about receiving the Sunwater from now on made him temporarily forget his worries about the check.
He'd deal with that later. No solution in sight anyway.
It'll work out somehow!
Hm.
Somehow... it'll work out, right...?
Finally, the moon had risen.
He had worried the emperor might delay it again, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
Zekiel entered the audience chamber silently.
The interior gave its usual impression of grandeur. Zekiel looked up at the throne. There was the one who uniquely colored this vast space.
"You've come, Zekiel."
The emperor of the empire, Verd.
He faced Zekiel.
"You've been counting down to this moment."
As always, the holy grail floated in midair. Right after it emptied, his long robe unfurled vertically. The emperor rose briskly from the throne.
Zekiel felt a tickling sensation on his forehead.
When he wiped it with his hand, surprisingly, it was a bead of sweat.
'...Sweat?'
At the same time, he realized.
Something was heating this space to an insane degree. Astonishingly, it wasn't the emperor's doing.
Before he knew it, something like heat haze began rising and falling like breath, gathering toward the emperor.
No, more precisely, toward the sleeve of the emperor's robe.
The emperor finally drew something from his sleeve.
"Watch closely with both eyes."
The emperor murmured lowly.
Soon, something like a tiny sun appeared. It wriggled like liquid mercury or perhaps solid, and just looking at it felt like his soul was scorching.
Zekiel, who had never felt heat in his life, now clearly sensed it was hot.
"This is the