The Emperor's Admiration
The hunt, which had mobilized a tremendous amount of manpower, was originally planned to continue until evening. Yet an unfortunate incident occurred midway through, causing the entire event to fizzle out. The Emperor and the great nobles had suffered an ambush. When news of the calamity from the hunting grounds spread, the imperial capital erupted in uproar. The murderous intent that had been threatening the empire had now dared to target even the Emperor himself. Who in the world would attempt to assassinate the ruler of the empire? The capital buzzed like a beehive swarming with enraged hornets.
“Your Majesty, if this is clearly the work of dissidents who despise the imperial family, we must launch an investigation at once. Please grant us permission to examine the suspected individuals without delay.”
“Permission granted.”
Ludmilla, upon receiving the report, urged immediate countermeasures. Barbarossa, who had rushed back from the hunting grounds, nodded in agreement.
“What has you so lost in thought, Father?”
“Ah, well, you see….”
The Emperor, seated upon his throne, stared into empty space as though recalling something. Ludmilla asked out of concern that the sudden shock might have rattled him badly.
It was only natural to be shaken. The wild beasts had transformed into savage monsters in an instant and launched their assault. There had been countless attempts to assassinate the empire’s ruler before, but this was the first time even Barbarossa had witnessed such a meticulously crafted scheme. No matter how bold or valiant a person might be, fear was inevitable.
Ludmilla gazed at her father with worried eyes.
“That fellow. The second son of the Hohenberg family.”
“...Pardon?”
The remark came out of nowhere. She blinked, bewildered, and asked again.
“His marksmanship was utterly superb! In my half-century of life, I’ve never seen a sharpshooter who hit the mark every single time! With each pull of the trigger, those grotesque monsters vomited blood and collapsed!”
“Ah, yes… I see.”
The monsters, which had boasted stubborn regenerative powers and cruel madness, had fallen in a single breath. He must have targeted their vital points with perfect precision. It was truly astonishing skill. Barbarossa, a veteran hunter since before his coronation, had seen through Edan’s ability at a glance and recognized it as equal to that of a seasoned expert. That was why he praised it more enthusiastically than anyone else.
“Did you know about this?”
“Lord Edan eliminated every assassin who attacked the Hohenberg family with his pistols, remember?”
“P-pistols, you say…! To think his skill with handguns is equally exceptional.”
“......”
What on earth was happening? He was suddenly heaping nothing but praise on Edan as if enchanted. When had he been calling the man a thief who stole his precious daughters? Was such a drastic flip in attitude really acceptable?
Ludmilla felt a strange awkwardness at her father’s glowing compliments, which even carried a note of respect. After all, she clearly remembered how he used to fly into a rage at the mere mention of Edan’s name.
“Tomorrow I shall go hunting with Edan at once!”
“You must not! Please consider your health, Father!”
Ludmilla’s eyes widened as she shouted at her father, who was now spouting such absurd demands. Had he hit his head? The shock must have been so great that he could no longer think straight. It was wonderful that he had begun viewing Edan favorably, but now was the time to place his safety above all else, so she set her personal feelings aside.
I had tried my best to stay inconspicuous and blend into the background throughout the hunt. I failed spectacularly. Of all possible moments, an ambush using wild beasts had to happen right there in the hunting grounds.
The Emperor and the high nobles now focused their full attention on me. By tomorrow, the newspapers would undoubtedly splash headlines across their front pages about the young lord of Hohenberg’s exploits at the hunt. This was nothing short of a disaster. If things kept being revealed one by one like this, my true identity would eventually come to light.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I arrived at the imperial villa. It was the luxurious mansion in the affluent district that Ludmilla had provided as my lodging once before.
“Is anyone home?”
Knock, knock—.
The sound of someone rapping on the door reached me. Could it be Elizabetta arriving late in the capital? No, it couldn’t be her. The monorail had been bombed, so every train had halted operations.
“I apologize for the rudeness of visiting at such a late hour, Lord Hohenberg.”
A beautiful noblewoman with lustrous chestnut hair greeted me with a bright smile. Faced with a lady radiating refined grace, I felt momentarily flustered.
Who was she? She clearly appeared to be a woman of noble blood. Don’t tell me she was a noblewoman who harbored feelings for me?
Various guesses flashed through my mind as I cautiously observed her demeanor.
“I am late in introducing myself. My name is Isabel von Valtaria, First Princess of the Valtaria Empire.”
“Ah! Forgive me for failing to recognize your esteemed face, Your Highness.”
To think I would meet Ludmilla and Elizabetta’s older sister like this. Isabel von Valtaria. The First Princess of the Valtaria Empire was a character who never appeared in the original story. While Ludmilla’s achievements were at least mentioned, Isabel’s name was never even revealed. Naturally, I had no way of knowing her.
I heard she broke precedent and imperial law to marry a count from the remote frontier… What was the name of the husband who wed the princess? I can’t recall the details.
Since she was the eldest daughter of the Valtaria imperial family, one would assume her chosen husband was an exceptional genius. Strangely, however, the man who married the First Princess had an incredibly faint presence. Just what sort of person was he? He clearly wasn’t from a prestigious house… Even the nobles who loved fabricating rumors would only tilt their heads in confusion.
“I heard you saved His Majesty at the hunting grounds. And previously, you rescued Liza from the grasp of a demonic being. As the eldest daughter of the Valtaria Imperial Family, it is only proper that I express my gratitude to the empire’s benefactor.”
“I simply did what needed to be done.”
The elegant charm of the graceful noblewoman made my face grow slightly warm. Was it because she was the eldest sister? She overflowed with a noble maturity her younger sisters lacked. Even in a dress of modest design, the generous curves of her chest stood out. I dared to wonder whether they might be larger than Ludmilla’s slender figure.
...I must be losing my mind. Evaluating a married woman’s body like this.
“I received word from Count Divner’s territory. You will soon become a member of the imperial family, I understand?”
“...Uh, well.”
“Between Milla and Liza… which one does the young lord cherish?”
“......”
As the older sister of romance-novel-loving Ludmilla and Elizabetta, Isabel was naturally the type with a keen interest in matters of the heart. The noblewoman’s brown eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Which one do you cherish? To ask such a terrifying question in such a beautiful, clear voice. If I named the princess I loved, she would surely offer her full support. Isabel waited for my answer like a professional matchmaker.
“I… I suppose… I cherish Princess Ludmilla.”
“So you cherish Milla!”
I could hardly say I cherished Elizabetta—who had been my older brother’s fiancée—right in front of her eldest sister. But that wasn’t the only reason. Had I felt nothing at all, I would have simply answered that I cherished no one. Trembling like a stammering fool, I spoke my true feelings. Isabel clapped her hands together in delight, spreading her arms wide. Her beautiful smile, utterly free of selfish intent, somehow felt terrifying.
“Though she is past the usual age for marriage, Milla is a maiden of upright character and dignified bearing. It is only natural you would cherish her. In truth, I was secretly hoping you would choose Milla.”
“Ah, I’m aware.”
“It seems our conversation will run long. Would you care for some black tea?”
“...Yes.”
Isabel clapped, and the waiting maids bowed their heads in response. She had probably come simply to convey thanks. How had it turned into a tea time hosted by the First Princess herself?
I glanced at the maids as they skillfully brewed the tea, then looked back at Isabel, who wore a lively smile as though prepared to talk until dawn.
It was obvious. She had not come merely to express gratitude. As the eldest sister, she had come to lend her support to her younger sisters’ stagnant romances.
Demonic beings who worshiped the Calamity Gods were entities that shattered common sense and reason. Apostle. The cults that revered the forgotten gods referred to them as “Apostles.” Unlike ordinary demonic beings who had merely received a fragment of divinity as a blessing, the Apostles of the Calamity Gods accepted not only their god’s blessing but the divine will itself. It meant they could manifest the miracle of summoning a god into their own flesh, if only for a moment.
“We failed to kill the Emperor… Well, I wasn’t expecting much anyway.”
A shadow with flowing black hair rose from the throne. From the delicate frame and graceful silhouette, it was clearly a young woman. Her sharp voice rang out, and the figures lined up on either side bowed their heads, awaiting orders.
“Still, it should serve well enough as a declaration of war to summon the red dragon.”
Until now, using vengeful puppets to threaten the empire had been nothing more than provocation meant to draw Ludmilla out. The red dragon would certainly move. The empire’s righteous guardian would never stand by while the empire and its citizens faced danger. Therefore, even knowing it was a trap designed to lure her in, she would gladly step into it.
“How do you find the new demonic artifact you acquired?”
A knight of the heretical order, his face hidden beneath a black hood, asked. The woman replied.
“Its compatibility with divinity is excellent, as expected. The god will be quite pleased.”
A platinum bracelet engraved with intricate patterns glowed brilliantly on the woman’s slender wrist. Strange energy still rippled from it, suggesting she had used it only moments ago. Had Edan seen it, he would have been stunned. Because it was the Sage’s demonic artifact—one of the holy relics belonging to a member of the Saintess Party. How the sacred treasure bestowed upon the Sage had fallen into the hands of heretics was something only the Apostles and followers of the Calamity Gods knew.
“Then what shall we do with the hounds of the Earth Mother?”
“Leave them. Slaughtering the weak brings me no pleasure.”
Around the woman, holy knights dispatched from the Holy Kingdom lay scattered like corpses. Black smoke rose from their bodies, evidence of the fierce battle they had just endured. A demonic being had appeared. The moment the Holy Kingdom received word, they had deployed an elite extermination squad. The result, however, had been utterly miserable. The knights had barely clung to life, but every last one of them was now combat-incapable. The proud extermination force that had boasted brilliant victories against heretical Apostles had been completely swept aside.
If news of this humiliating defeat reached the Holy Kingdom, the Holy Emperor and cardinals would spend sleepless nights in terror. After all, they had been utterly confident of victory.
“Truly magnificent, Lady Ariel. To have even defeated the guardian knight who serves the Holy Emperor…”
“Enough with the flattery.”
The woman named Ariel waved her hand. The priests serving the heresy opened the doors leading to the stage.
“We depart for the empire at once.”
They would show the hypocrites who sang praises to the Earth Mother. That their death had arrived. The Apostles who had been unable to join the racial war had returned from the Chaos Realm after three years. They would avenge their kin who had been brutally executed simply for worshiping the forgotten gods. The wails of the hypocrites who had carried out massacres to protect the Sole God’s divinity would echo all the way beyond the gates of hell.