Meeting Again
Hmm...
On the highest floor of the Magic Tower, Linetta sat with her lips stretched into a wide grin. How should she meet him...? She was pondering exactly how to encounter Harold.
Linetta was a member of the Spirit Race who had lived for over a thousand years. Everything bored her. That was why—even though she possessed overwhelming power—she had used transformation magic to disguise herself as a kidnapped hostage and let herself be rescued by the Knight Commander.
Linetta needed something interesting. And... in a world where everything appeared in shades of black and white, the only thing that held any color, at least right now, was Harold.
Linetta rose from her seat.
"I should meet him as soon as possible. ...Even if it's a little bothersome."
She threw on a hood to hide her identity and headed for the Empire. Becoming a magic instructor, lending out magic books—whenever she visited the Empire, it was nothing but annoying requests, so she had never gone there before. Yet now, nearly a hundred years later, she was on her way.
Hurry. Faster. A faintly impatient feeling stirred inside her.
It was truly... an emotion she hadn't felt in a very long time.
"So where exactly did you disappear to yesterday!"
As usual, I had arrived at the office right on the dot, only to be greeted by Yuria's gaze. It was a little sharp. What the heck. I scratched the back of my neck.
"Yuria, why are you jumping down my throat first thing in the morning? I was just planning to sit in my chair and take it easy."
"...You said you were heading out yesterday and never came back to the office. Do you have any idea how long I wa— I mean, how flustered I was?"
"Aw, come on."
I smiled at Yuria standing in front of me, walked right past her, and dropped into my chair.
"I was busy with work yesterday, so I couldn't make it back."
"...Work? If you're going to lie, at least make it sound convincing..."
"It's not a lie. What do you take me for?"
"A lazy, good-for-nothing Knight Commander?"
I curled the corner of my mouth upward.
"That lazy, good-for-nothing Knight Commander actually went out and did some work. Sure, I'm lazy, but I don't lie."
"...N-no way..."
"What? Why are you so shocked... Hey, hey? What are you doing?"
"Hold still for a second."
Yuria suddenly stepped right up to me and pressed her hand against my forehead. I felt her cool fingertips and caught sight of her elegant eyes.
"...My dedicated secretary... You've got pretty big eyes, huh?"
"Pardon...? You seem to be talking normally, and you don't have a fever..."
"I told you I'm not sick."
Yuria's eyes narrowed.
"Then... why are you suddenly doing something you never do?"
"Aren't you the one doing something out of character right now? Worrying about my health out of nowhere..."
"I worry about your health every single day."
"Oh...?"
"...Because it's part of my job as your dedicated secretary."
"Oh... As expected, I really picked the perfect secretary."
I twisted the corner of my mouth into a smirk.
"Any other secretaries like Yuria out there?"
"Is one of me not enough to satisfy you?"
"The more people who are good at their jobs, the better. The more the merrier."
"Ugh... So greedy."
Yuria glared at me and crossed her arms.
"Still... if a new secretary does come, I might end up missing moments like this. Chatting together like this is actually quite enjoyable."
"...So enjoy it while you can. Once a moment passes, it never comes back."
"...Don't spout philosophical nonsense when it doesn't suit you at all."
"Hey now. It all comes from experience."
Just like how I'd never get to enjoy my life back on Earth again.
...I leaned back against my chair.
"Right. ...I heard some talk about me getting fired. That's why I actually did some work for once."
"...What? F-fired?"
"Yeah. But there's no need to worry. I managed to rack up some decent achievements───."
"That's just what you think, Sir Harold."
Yuria twisted her lips.
"Looks like we'll get a new Knight Commander before we even hire a new secretary..."
"I keep telling you not to worry. From where I'm standing, everything's going to be fine."
"...Then I suppose I'll have to work even harder."
After that, Yuria began bustling around the office, opening drawers with loud clatters.
"Hey, what are you doing? You're making me dizzy."
"...I'm coming up with a plan to keep the Knight Commander from getting fired, obviously. Look at this."
She dropped a thick stack of documents onto the desk.
"...And what is all this?"
"Alternatives for persuading the Emperor. Someone in your position as Knight Commander must know important information about the Empire, right? The idea is to threaten that if you fire me, I'll expose everything. Or, like the documents I placed here..."
I looked back and forth between the papers and her with a dumbfounded expression.
Our secretary was actually a demon all along.
"Can't you just say it's because of my deep loyalty to my superior?"
"I raised a demon."
"You didn't raise me, you hi───."
"If it really looks like I'm about to get fired, I can just ask for one more chance by promising to do better from now on."
"...Have you ever actually spoken with His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Of course."
"?"
Yuria's eyebrows rose slightly.
"You've spoken with him?"
"Ah, did I forget to mention it?"
Just as I was about to continue, the door to my office swung open. And the person who appeared in my sight was...
"I'm sorry for barging in without even knocking...! It's because I received a sudden order."
"...What the. ...An order?"
"Yes...! It's an important command, so..."
"...Is there anyone who can give me orders? There's no one above me."
"W-well, that's..."
The words that followed were:
"His Majesty the Emperor summons you...!"
Emperor Legion Hyland was wearing a surprised expression. He normally kept his face almost completely still, but this time he couldn't help it. The great mage said to have severed all ties with the mundane world—the Magic Tower Master Linetta—was standing right in front of him.
What in the world...? What surprised him even more was that she had suddenly asked to see the Empire's Knight Commander.
"...Your Majesty, Knight Commander Harold will arrive shortly."
"...Understood."
He made an effort to relax his stiff features.
"...Magic Tower Master, it's been a while... No, this is our first meeting. You were someone I had only read about in books."
"...This is my first time seeing this Emperor too. ...Nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
"...May I ask why you're looking for our Knight Commander?"
"...Do I really have to explain? It's just personal curiosity."
He shook his head.
"If you don't want to say, you don't have to."
"Thank you."
She was probably the only woman who could speak so casually in front of the Emperor. Legion found the experience rather novel as he turned his gaze toward the door. Harold had just arrived.
"Your Majesty... You called for me."
Instead of returning the greeting, Legion explained the situation to a puzzled-looking Harold.
"Harold, the person standing beside you right now is───."
"One moment."
The one who cut in was Linetta. Every official in the room froze, but her expression remained perfectly calm.
"I'd like to introduce myself personally. Face to face."
"...By all means."
Linetta turned her body toward Harold. The Emperor's eyes glinted with faint interest. The usually serene Linetta suddenly seemed tense.
"...Uh, um. Hello?"
"...Who are you?"
What was even more amusing was that Harold didn't seem interested in her at all. If anything, he looked annoyed. More precisely, he seemed irritated at having to come to the Imperial Castle in the first place.
"...Your Majesty? If it's nothing urgent, may I return to my office? I have a lot of work to do."
"I know perfectly well that you have no work."
"Ah... That's not true. I worked really hard yesterday."
"Hmm... Should I let him go?"
The Emperor was asking this of the flustered Magic Tower Master who had just been lightly brushed off. Not only had the Magic Tower Master ignored the Emperor, but now the Knight Commander was ignoring the Magic Tower Master...!
The surrounding officials felt the situation spiraling out of control, yet Linetta's expression had improved. No—had grown far brighter.
"Hmm... No, I'd rather you didn't send him away. He's... caught my interest."
Linetta looked straight into Harold's eyes again.
"You. I'm inviting you to the Magic Tower. I'm the Magic Tower Master."
"...Magic Tower Master? Isn't that position supposed to be empty?"
"Hah, I'm standing right here. I even showed you my magic."
"...Sounds like bullshit... I heard the Magic Tower Master is supposed to be ridiculously old."
"What? Where did you hear that rumor...!"
The Emperor raised the corners of his mouth and stepped in to summarize.
"Harold, she is indeed the Magic Tower Master. The reason I called you here was because she wanted to see you."
"Ah... Then since you've shown her to me, can I leave now?"
"What...? Hey, ah...! I invited you to the Magic Tower...!"
"I like it fine here with the Knight Order."
"...Huh...?"
The Emperor was still smiling.
"...Harold, you may go. It seems your part here is finished."
"W-wait a second, Your Majesty───."
"Ah, thank you, Your Majesty! ...Time to go rest in the office."
"No...! Hey...! Stop right there!"
The Emperor understood the most important thing. He could see it clearly.
"Uh, uh. Why are you grabbing my arm...!"
"No...! Say you'll go to the Magic Tower."
"...I'm not going to the Magic Tower."
"No...!"
The Magic Tower Master, Linetta, was clutching the Knight Commander's arm.