Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Sun Water (3)
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On the day of the match, I finally faced the truth.
"You're taking a day off, but why the long face?"
Secretary Anes asked, looking genuinely puzzled.
"I'm busier on my days off."
"That's a statement I can't comprehend."
Zekiel exhaled a long plume of Sunweed smoke. Of course, to Anes's eyes, he must seem utterly bizarre.
This match was being held in secret, so he had no choice but to request leave from the Magic Tower. Needless to say, neither participating in the match nor taking the day off posed any real issue.
The problem lay solely in the contents of the match he'd received today.
[Steal the armband from the 1st Princess. I will observe.]
[Come to Dominan Gorge.]
Determining the winner by who took the other's armband was fine enough, but the opponent was none other than the 1st Princess.
'Someone with a keen interest in elixirs. So that's what it meant.'
The Empire's 1st Princess, Ether.
Madness.
The first word that came to Zekiel's mind when thinking of the 1st Princess was madness. She'd been obsessed with strength since childhood, to a near-maniacal degree.
From the start, His Imperial Majesty had raised her for that very purpose. He recalled the anecdote of how, as a newborn, she'd been bathed in the precious Sun Water.
Of course, there was one more element that caught his attention.
'...Observe? His Imperial Majesty himself?'
It was exceedingly rare for the Emperor to leave his audience chamber under any circumstances. Even for a match involving the 1st Princess, for him to come in person was unprecedented.
That was when Anes spoke up.
"You're not heading to your residence but somewhere far away?"
"Probably Dominan Gorge."
"Another joke? Fine, whatever."
Anes let out a deep sigh as she gathered the documents.
"What's wrong? I could go there."
"Do you not know how thick the fog is in Dominan Gorge? The demonic energy is dense, the terrain treacherous, and the survival rate so low that no requests even come in for it."
Zekiel was well aware of that fact.
He bit down on his Sunweed, thinking that obtaining the elixir wouldn't be easy.
"Take good care of the Magic Tower while I'm gone."
"Even if it were my day off, I'd come to the Magic Tower."
"That much loyalty? I had no idea."
"That's not the reason."
Anes shook her head firmly. With one hand, she elegantly spun her cube as usual.
"The 1st Princess has returned to the capital. Who knows? She might pass by the Magic Tower..."
"Ah, you want to catch a glimpse?"
"Yes. Exactly. The War God, Invincible Conqueror, the Strongest... I want to see her in the flesh, just once."
Anes's gaze drifted out the window.
Her expression was as impassive as ever, but he could sense it subtly. Anes was hoping the 1st Princess might wander near the Magic Tower.
"War God, Invincible Conqueror, the Strongest... Quite the list of titles."
Zekiel exhaled a puff of Sunweed smoke and asked.
"Anes, what kind of guy would propose to a 1st Princess like that?"
"A lunatic. Completely deranged."
Anes clicked her tongue and left the office.
Once alone, Zekiel nodded quietly.
"...I'm not in my right mind to begin with."
Why wasn't he in his right mind? Why.
Inside the Imperial Palace.
'A match, huh? At least this is manageable.'
Hedera thought after reviewing Zekiel's report.
She couldn't hand over the Sun Water, which wouldn't be ready until next month, but seeing the list of elixirs written there put her mind at ease. They were all priceless treasures.
"Something good happen?"
Solana sidled up to Hedera.
Hedera shrugged nonchalantly, playing it cool.
"As if. I'm always swamped with work."
"I see. So you'll be busy today too. Probably heading to the Magic Tower to kill time?"
"...Is that a question? Obviously."
Hedera answered to brush Solana off.
It wasn't entirely a lie that she was busy today. With the wager between the 1st Princess and Zekiel, she planned to finish preparations and attend in person.
Of course, it was regrettable that she couldn't provide the elixirs outright. The wager format was a shame, but...
'His Imperial Majesty partially granted my request. Something that's never happened in all my life.'
Hedera reflected on the past.
Most requests didn't even get the audience chamber door opened, and even if a conversation occurred, it was usually dismissed with "handle it with your own power."
...Yes, this alone was a monumental shift.
"Right. Well, I wish the 2nd Princess good shadows."
"Shadows? You mean well-being... Wait."
Hedera narrowed her eyes.
"You, that word was deliberate, wasn't it?"
"Good shadows" implied an ominous fate, like a dark silhouette. It wasn't a mere slip; the meanings of "shadows" and "well-being" were polar opposites.
Solana simply smiled as always.
"Hehe, as if. You must really be busy today to be so sensitive."
Only then did Hedera take a closer look at Solana. Compared to usual, she seemed unusually excited, even carrying a picnic basket.
"Just one question: why are you so giddy?"
"The blessings of the Sun God overflow the world today as well. No reason not to be giddy."
Hedera furrowed her brow at the canned response.
Hiding her true intentions, it seemed the other side was doing the same.
"Then you'll be busy with prayers today. Right? I almost thought you were going on a picnic. The 3rd Princess herself, who should never have a moment's leisure."
"No need to worry. I'll be at the temple."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A few hours later.
Dominan Gorge entrance.
"...".
"...".
Hedera and Solana bumped into each other perfectly.
"Is this the Magic Tower? Who knew."
"Is this the temple? No idea."
The two princesses muttered in unison, exasperated.
The path into the gorge alongside the Emperor felt bizarre.
In truth, "bizarre" didn't even begin to cover it. Walking beside a formless transcendent being was that enigmatic.
'No footsteps.'
The Emperor's steps still made no sound. Only the long robe draped in the air fluttered with regal poise.
"The fog is quite thick. Isn't it?"
"Yes."
Dominan Gorge.
Even without the name, most knew it as the Valley of Death's Fog. The mist was so dense it made every step a struggle.
The Emperor advanced without hesitation, as if he could see everything clearly.
"Most exiles were sent here. Come to think of it, Zekiel, you never had to visit thanks to your competence. Such an amusing place."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. We promised freedom to any who escaped, but not one ever did."
...Why had he called Zekiel to such a place?
'And an hour early, no less.'
The match with the 1st Princess was still an hour away, yet Emperor Verd had summoned Zekiel first.
Was there some hidden agenda? Were those myriad elixirs mere bait?
At that thought, the Emperor halted.
Kraaaaaah─!
Three demonic beasts burst through the fog.
At the same instant, the air twisted into a vortex.
Kwadudududuk─
The beasts' bodies spiraled, wrung out like laundry, spurting blood.
Thud.
What fell to the ground was something ambiguous even as a corpse. More like crumpled tissue paper.
'As expected, not magic.'
Zekiel tried to analyze the Emperor's power.
At the very least, it wasn't magic. The Emperor's true nature and the source of his power remained shrouded.
"Holding someone's life in your grasp, deciding life and death."
The Emperor spoke leisurely.
"For me, it's this easy."
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to Zekiel's hand.
"Ah, fruit?"
He was holding a fruit basket out of season. Zekiel handed it over politely without a word.
─He likes fruit. Might help.
Solana's offhand remark; he'd brought it just in case.
Crunch─ Crunch─
Surprisingly, it worked. An apple in midair gradually vanished as it was eaten. A wondrous sight on its own, but all the more so with the Emperor.
"Not bad at all."
"I brought it on a whim. Glad you like it."
In truth, Solana had picked it, but that was classified.
Perhaps because the Emperor enjoyed the fruit, the atmosphere wasn't as tense as before.
"No ears here, so let's finish our talk. Killing or sparing someone is trivial for me, but winning hearts is another matter entirely."
Crunch─ Crunch─
The floating apple disappeared completely, and one vanished from the basket.
"Zekiel, how did you win over my daughters' hearts?"
"Hm."
Zekiel thought quietly.
'No way he dragged me here just to ask that.'
Even the ruler of the world was interested in his daughters.
Or was he? It was hard to tell which side he was on.
Did he find Zekiel winning the princesses' favor uncomfortable, or did he want to win their hearts himself? He needed to gauge it.
'If it's the former...'
Dominan Gorge could become his grave, so he deftly deflected while probing.
"You far surpass me, Your Imperial Majesty. From our conversations, there was much praise for you."
Crunch─ Crunch─ Crunch─
The apple's consumption sped up. A sign of contemplation. Good mood or discomfort?
"Back when I served as their teacher."
─...
The apple halted in midair.
...Got it. Faster eating means better mood.
Zekiel hurriedly added,
"It's still the case recently. Their respect for you endures."
Crunch─ Crunch─ Crunch─ Crunch─
His knowledge of the Emperor grew. At that moment.
"Ah, there they are!"
"I know. I can see them."
Familiar voices rang in his ears. Looking up, noble women had parted the fog.
2nd Princess Hedera and 3rd Princess Solana. It was them.
"My daughters."
Perhaps due to Zekiel's recent words, the Emperor's tone softened. Hearing of their respect would naturally make his daughters dearer.
However.
A problem arose immediately.
"Inspector, how's your condition?"
"Teacher, have you eaten?"
It was their destination upon arrival.
The women ignored the Emperor entirely and latched onto Zekiel. Both of them.
"Teacher, has the 1st Princess arrived yet? Staying long in a place like this isn't good... I'm worried."
"What's this wager even about? We should just give it to him."
"...".
Even openly snubbing the Emperor, Zekiel suddenly felt like he was standing barefoot on a bed of needles.
"...Give me a moment alone until the match."
Zekiel's own clever ploy, but.
"Then I'll pray nearby."
"...And who are you? Better I guard him."
Zekiel glanced sideways.
"...".
The apple hovered motionless in the air.