The Blonde Beauty
The Blonde Beauty
We were on our way to the capital.
I was traveling with Cecil, my bodyguard, and Sonia, who had now taken on the role of my secretary.
I asked the two of them,
"Is the power of this Silberg Coin really that great?"
"...I told you it is."
"Did you really use it without knowing?"
I had heard the gist of the whole story.
How the Silberg Coin came to be, and what kind of power it possessed....
To summarize, you could call it a 'wish ticket,' right?
They say even abdication is possible, but honestly, the Empire isn't some child's play, so I think that much is impossible.
It must mean it's a wish ticket with that much strong authority.
Even if saying it 'saved the country' is a bit of an exaggeration, if it's a reward for a meritorious deed, it explains why something like this would be in a Viscount's family.
"Then what were you thinking when you brought it out at the Lugner Earldom?"
"Ah, that's..."
When I revealed my ignorance about the Silberg Coin, Sonia gave me an absurd look.
Of course, I understand.
Putting the situation together, it seems Count Lugner was agonizing over the price to pay for the wish ticket—no, the Silberg Coin—I had presented, and in the end, he even offered up his daughter.
In other words, I had truly misunderstood the situation back then.
"I made you misunderstand. I made someone who hates me follow me against their will. I'm sorry, you can go back now..."
"No! I just said that as a figure of speech. Who said I hate it?"
When I suggested she go back out of guilt, she cut me off.
Seeing this, it seems Sonia really does like me, Leon Silberg.
"Be careful, Sonia. If the Family Head lets his guard down, he stabs you in the back like that. If you plan to stay at Silberg, you'd better be careful."
"...Is that so?"
"And don't believe that he didn't know, either. I mean... he is the person I serve, but he's the type to twist what he wants to say two or three times, so I've been in trouble more than once because of it. That statement just now could also be the start of some scheme."
"Ah... as expected. It must be that."
What the hell is 'that' supposed to mean?
Cecil and Sonia finished their conversation about the Silberg Coin with their own interpretation.
I wanted to protest, but I decided to keep my mouth shut, fearing I might only fuel more misunderstandings regarding the Lugner Earldom.
Regardless, Count Lugner had made the choice most appropriate for the situation, and Sonia had come to Silberg because she thought it was an opportunity, so there was no reason for me to mention my mistake and put myself at a disadvantage.
If I did that and Count Lugner got angry?
It would be hard for me, a mere Viscount, to handle.
Well, I could offer another Silberg Coin to the Imperial Family and ask for mediation... but I couldn't do that forever.
And it's doubtful the Emperor would even listen.
"Hmm...."
Alright. Let's change the subject.
After that, we talked about the capital of the Empire.
"Does anyone here know the atmosphere of the capital these days?"
"The atmosphere?"
"Yeah. It doesn't have to be the atmosphere, really. I'm just curious about the capital."
If I had to pick one place I wanted to see most after realizing this was a world inside a Romance Fantasy, it was definitely the capital.
Of course, I also wanted to see the North, the main setting of the original work.
The snow-covered mountains.
The black castle of the Northern Grand Duke standing tall in the center.
I wanted to see with my own eyes the land the protagonists had traversed.
But honestly, the image that comes to mind when thinking of the North is pretty much the same everywhere.
Not only could I imagine what kind of place it was just from the short text,
But the protagonists' party must be struggling there right now, and I didn't think it was something a person should do to visit just to sightsee.
If I got on the bad side of the Northern Grand Duke, I might get my head chopped off by mistake.
'Let's go to the North later....'
Anyway, the next place I wanted to see was the capital.
The capital appears almost as often as the North in the original work, and it is described as a place so prosperous that the Hero constantly exclaims in admiration.
Since she is an apostle sent by God, it's a place that looked impressive even to the eyes of the Hero, who had seen the buildings of heaven.
However, in the original work, incidents and accidents happened non-stop, so that was the extent of the description of the capital.
As the story progressed to the latter half, the capital turned into a battlefield due to the Demon God Followers, and I remember the last sentence describing the capital was, 'It became a sea of fire.'
Still, if it's now, it should still be maintaining its brilliant original form.
I wanted to see with my own eyes the place the Hero had admired.
What kind of place the capital is.
What kind of new world it is.
I wanted to know.
"Atmosphere, huh... Just a moment. Sonia. Do you happen to have the report materials brought from the Information Bureau a while ago?"
"I put them under here. Ah. Here it is."
However, it seems the two of them misunderstood what I said.
I just wanted to get a feel for it through conversation, like what the atmosphere is like and what kind of facilities there are, but they seem to have taken it as reporting to a superior.
The two of them busily pulled a bundle of papers from under the carriage seat.
Seeing that, I had to look out the carriage window with a wry smile.
If I tried to correct them now.
I felt like Cecil would resent me again, saying, 'Just speak properly!'
I've felt this before.
My past self was like that, and Leon Silberg, whom I possessed, was like that too.
I guess we were just clumsy people in that regard.
"Here it is!"
"Population, geography, recent incidents and accidents, noble relationships, etc.—these are the materials related to the capital's social circles."
"...Thank you."
And so, I received the information book about the capital.
A whopping 662 pages.
I was relieved that it was a Romance Fantasy.
A carriage without motion sickness... must be a blessing unique to this world.
The capital was quite far.
Seeing that it took several days even though we rode in a fast carriage, the Empire was certainly huge.
And the capital, too.
It was much bigger than I thought.
"Holy shit... This is insane."
Even the city gate was extraordinary.
The height alone was taller than most buildings, and I even questioned how they could possibly open and close the gate.
But that wasn't even the end of it.
"Why are you acting like someone who's never been to the capital? Is it because you haven't been here in so long that it looks new to you? It's not even the Imperial Palace, so please stop making such a fuss."
She said something about the Imperial Palace gate being even bigger and more beautiful.
The only fortunate thing was that I wasn't the only one surprised.
"Is it true that it takes another day to get from here to the Imperial Palace? It already feels like a flashy city..."
"The center is even more flashy and magnificent. The capital is fun to look at. Come to think of it, Sonia, have you never been to the capital? Didn't you attend the academy?"
"I only came once when I was very young, so I have no memory of it. Other than the territory I lived in, the only place I've been to is the Prius region where the academy is located."
"Ah~ is that so? Then you should look around the capital later."
Perhaps because it was Sonia's first time in the capital as well, she was amazed by everything she saw.
The road continued on like that.
The scale of the city grew larger and larger.
Contrary to the medieval worldview, there were many tall buildings, but since the space between buildings was wide and there were many large plazas, it didn't feel cramped.
And finally, when we reached the Imperial Palace.
"Whoa...!"
Another castle, insanely huge, appeared before my eyes.
High spires.
Large buildings.
Wide plazas.
"Halt. State your purp... Ah! Silberg... Please enter."
"?"
We passed through the gate and entered the Imperial Palace.
A knight who appeared to be a guard stopped us in the middle, but he stopped talking and let us in.
What is this? Is there an appointment already?
"Uh...? Where are we going right now?"
I was slightly flustered.
I had heard that I would have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor thanks to the power of the Silberg Coin, but I hadn't expected to enter the Imperial Palace just like this.
Logically, shouldn't we get lodging near the Imperial Palace and prepare for the audience?
"Where are we going, you ask? We're going to see the Emperor."
"Right now?"
"Yes. Right now."
"Is it okay to just go in like this?"
"There's probably already an appointment scheduled. If anything, they'd be more anxious if we were late."
Come to think of it, a fact I had momentarily forgotten while intoxicated by the appearance of things.
This is the Empire.
Because their information gathering is strong and their reporting system is well-established, the Emperor must know that we have arrived here.
Or perhaps she even knows that I intend to use the Silberg Coin.
Since the Emperor knew all the news from the North in the original work too... she probably knows roughly about me right now as well.
But even so.
Is it okay to just visit like this?
"The Emperor seems to have paid some attention, at least. Considering she let us pass right through, and the path ahead is wide open."
"Cecil, still, this is the Imperial Palace, so use honorifics. You should at least use the title 'Your Majesty'."
"Hmm... I suppose that's true. The Emperor isn't the child she used to be anymore, so I should probably attach it out of courtesy, right?"
My anxiety was high, but there was nothing I could do.
The carriage we were riding in was already driving through the middle of the Imperial Palace.
"Leon Silberg-nim, Cecilia Way-nim, Sonia Lugner-nim, nice to meet you. From here on, we will guide you. Please follow us."
"Long time no see... Duke Zeon. Has it been five years?"
"Has it already been that long? The last time I saw you was during that incident at Silberg... I have been out of touch since then."
"Well, you must have been busy performing your duties as Chancellor. Is His Majesty the Emperor inside?"
"Your Majesty... To think that title would come from your mouth."
"The Family Head says I should at least take care of that much now."
I didn't hear that wrong, did I?
Didn't he just say Duke?
A middle-aged man with a dignified air bowed his head to me.
Duke Zeon...
Duke Zeon...
I don't remember well, but one of the confidants who talked to the Emperor had a similar name.
Such a person is guiding us?
And listening to the conversation, it seems he is someone Cecil is also acquainted with.
The friendship between a maid and an Imperial Duke....
Seeing him greet me as well, he must be someone with a connection to the Silberg family.
Anyway, I bowed my head as well.
Then, Duke Zeon smiled subtly.
It was an expression that seemed to contain many emotions.
"This way, please."
"Whoa..."
We got off the carriage and entered the Imperial Palace.
The interior was no less impressive than the exterior.
When I read the novel, I used to imagine a somewhat large Western-style palace, but this place was the size of a plaza everywhere I walked.
The ceiling of the hallway was so high it was hard to see.
'At this rate, the Silberg mansion is like a doghouse...'
I felt the gap between a Viscount and an Emperor significantly.
Well... it wasn't something to compare in the first place, though.
"Please step this way."
After walking for a long time along a long hallway, a large golden door appeared.
A place where even the knights guarding the front exuded an extraordinary atmosphere.
It was the Emperor's audience chamber.
I was nervous.
Is it the pressure coming from the atmosphere?
The fact that I had to meet the Emperor in a situation where I wasn't mentally prepared yet made me feel somewhat afraid.
On top of that, I was even more nervous as the first appearance of the Emperor from the original work came to mind.
In the original work, the Emperor was described like this:
「An image of an arrogant tyrant with cold pupils and a sharp gaze.」
After that, there are many good modifiers, such as saying she is beautiful or that her shining blonde hair is like an aura of nobility, but the first image everyone felt was the same.
'Tyrant'
Actually, it was understandable.
Leaving aside her appearance, the first words she threw when she first saw the Northern Grand Duke were...
'The Northern Grand Duke abandoning the North? The people are going to die anyway. Should I kill them for you?'
I don't remember exactly, but I remember it being that kind of nuance.
And subsequently, she didn't just commit verbal abuse, calling the Hero a red-haired whore, but she also killed the Northern Grand Duke's subordinate right in front of him, or tore apart the limbs of soldiers who fled from the barbarian invasion as an example....
Even to me, a reader who wasn't even at the fan level, the Emperor's image as a tyrant remained strong.
A situation where I have to meet such a person without even being prepared.
My hands were sweating.
I thought it would be a little better since Cecil and Sonia were with me... but.
"An audience with His Majesty the Emperor. My heart is pounding. Do well, Leon-nim!"
"Will it take some time? Zeon-nim. Is Horus here by any chance? Since I'm here, I wanted to see his face. Ah, Family Head. I'll go see an acquaintance for a moment."
Hey. Are you guys not coming with me?
I blinked in bewilderment.
And in the meantime.
The door opened, and a person who looked like an attendant came out and said this:
"His Majesty wishes to see Leon Silberg-nim. She says she wants to have a conversation just between the two of you, so let the others meet in the waiting room."
A single sentence that nailed it shut.
Since Duke Zeon also said he would wait in the waiting room, I, a mere Viscount, had no choice but to follow.
━ Click. Clack.
The sound of my shoes echoed in the hall in time with my pounding heart.
The audience chamber I entered following the attendant.
And sitting on the high seat that stood tall was.
"It's been... a while. Leon Silberg-nim."
...What is this? What is that cute creature?
It was a blonde beauty.