Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: 14. Closer Than Friendship, Farther Than Love (2)
“Hee hee.”
The Emperor couldn't hold back the laughter bubbling from her lips.
This wasn't the time. She was in the middle of work. Listening to the report from the knight order that had already retrieved the dragon's corpse in advance.
“This concludes the initial investigation. Just in case we missed anything, we've dispatched a portion of the knight order to re-examine the site, but there are no special reports.”
“...I see.”
“...Your Majesty. Has something good happened?”
“Ahem.”
For now, she was alone with Yura, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, so it wasn't a big issue, but if she kept showing this dopey side of herself, trouble was bound to brew eventually.
But she just couldn't stop smiling.
“Your Majesty.”
“Hm?”
“Are you that happy?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes. You've had that smile on your face since morning.”
“Oh dear.”
Yura, a staunch pro-Imperial faction member, merely looked a bit exasperated, but if any other noble caught wind of this, it would hand them an unnecessary weakness.
Even Yura, who always maintained a posture of utmost respect, spoke with a slightly lukewarm expression.
“When are you planning the wedding? We'll need time to prepare the celebrations.”
“No, it's not quite there yet...”
“Then what has you so thrilled?”
“She called me by name...?”
“Sigh.”
“You're not married either.”
“I've dedicated my life to the knight order.”
What a lame excuse.
The Emperor ignored the younger knight captain's strong defense.
The others were dating left and right despite their busy schedules. She just wasn't popular, that was all.
“Your Majesty. I get plenty of marriage proposals due to my position.”
“Really?”
“But it's hard to verify if the suitor has the same loyalty to the Imperial family as I do, and getting pregnant while serving as a knight would be a problem, so I turn them down.”
“I get it. Still, if you don't want to live alone forever, you need to find someone.”
“Sigh.”
Yura openly showed her displeasure, making it clear she was only holding back because it was the Emperor, before returning to her composed expression.
“In the end, we had to request assistance from the Magic Tower, but we've excluded the most critical elements.”
“I don't buy into the saying that all geniuses are eccentric, but the ones left teaching at the Tower are all a bit unhinged. We can't just sit back if something unethical pops out.”
“Yes. So we've provided only the used weaponry, and kept the magic catalysts—like the gems linked to actual dragons or demons—separate.”
“Well done. If only everyone worked as hard as you.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“It is one. Or rather, a curse on the others.”
“Have you found someone to handle affairs while you're marrying and planning children?”
“...Ahem.”
“Showing that reaction in your late twenties when it comes to making kids makes you look inexperienced.”
Alina's eyes darted away.
If it were just crude talk, she could brush it off without changing expression, but imagining making children with Yulius made her feel like blood would gush from her nose right then.
Yulius dressed lightly too, so it was all too easy to vividly picture what lay beneath his clothes.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes.”
“Duke Yulius doesn't seem the type, but you mustn't go mad with lust and do anything strange with a man.”
“Of course I wouldn't.”
“You don't look like you'd hold back these days.”
“Gasp.”
Right. No matter how much she liked him, she had to keep her wits about her.
She slapped her cheeks to snap herself back to focus. Forgetting Yulius for now and concentrating on work.
“So, how did things go with the Magic Tower?”
“They said they can't start investigating right away either. We've shared nearly all the info, including the lab set up under the dwarves' feet. The Tower plans to outsource to experts at the Imir Kingdom Academy, since they're not at the Tower.”
“The Academy again.”
“Yes. Light mages were unavoidable last time for the purification, but outsourcing again this time—who knows what their game is.”
“Exactly. With demons involved, the basics are to keep info from leaking out.”
“Yes. I asked them to handle it quietly, and they immediately outsourced it.”
Did the Magic Tower want something from this case—or from demon-related matters?
Demons, especially high-ranking ones, sometimes had unique magic that was hard to replicate. Cultists of the Demon God even more so, wielding powers akin to divine authority bestowed directly from the Demon God itself.
And deciphering those unique spells or powers was the Magic Tower's long-standing obsession.
“They wouldn't deliberately lure in and capture demons, would they?”
“You wouldn't let them get away with that, right?”
“Obviously. We granted the Tower minimal autonomy for political reasons—to let them do proper research—not to let them run wild. If they threaten Imperial subjects, we'll crush them thoroughly.”
“If trouble arises, I'll lead the charge.”
“Good. The old fogeys with Tower ties would just hem and haw with vague opinions anyway.”
Ahh. Her mood had been great until this morning, but talking about these damn idiots was bumming her out. Normally she'd brush off the annoyance as routine, but after that carefree time alone with Yulius, the contrast hit her hard.
She wanted to relax too.
Lay her head on Yulius's thigh, snack on the coffee and bread he'd made her, lock eyes with the Yulius who called her by name, and slip alone into the tent together.
“Your Majesty. Please maintain some dignity. And you're drooling.”
“What?!”
“Don't do that in front of the other retainers.”
“Ahem. Right.”
Escapism forbidden.
A new rule formed in Alina's mind.
**
“The Magic Tower feels a bit... uncomfortable, doesn't it?”
“That's natural, Ermina. Surviving long as a professor means mastering politics or research. Most hide a dagger in their hearts.”
“Uh, I don't get it fully, but they're dangerous, right?”
“You could say that.”
The two unpacked their luggage. Unlike Professor Selene's relatively light load, Ermina's bag—proving it was her first trip—was stuffed to bursting.
She hid it behind her back with an embarrassed look, but her slender frame couldn't fully conceal it.
“Shall we head out?”
“Yep.”
If it was pure magical technology, the Magic Tower was one of the best. Fixed points like the Tower and Academy were familiar even to portal experts, so they arrived without a hint of dizziness.
The Tower sat in the northeastern Empire. Head northwest from the Imir Kingdom, and you'd reach it.
Fittingly chilly weather, but with the continent in late summer edging into early autumn, it wasn't freezing.
They bundled into their coats—which they'd taken out—and waited for the Tower's guide.
A black-haired woman appeared.
Introducing herself as Stacy, she scanned them with her eyes and smiled.
“Long time no see, Professor Selene. And first time meeting you, Miss Ermina.”
“Hello. You're Stacy, right? Researcher in magic stone refining?”
“Oh, you remembered.”
“Your results were impressive, so it stuck.”
Ermina saw Yulius in Selene's easy rapport with someone she hadn't met in ages.
They had an oddly similar vibe. Was that why they got along?
Following behind the chatting pair for about twenty minutes brought them to the Tower's front, where an imposing presence hit hard—unfelt from afar.
Much larger up close. Even the shape seemed different.
“First-timers always look shocked. The Tower looks way different from afar than in person.”
“Uh, some kind of protective measure...?”
“You could call it that.”
Stacy verified herself somehow and led them inside.
It looked like a tower—wide base narrowing upward—but the interior was surprisingly like any normal building.
“Miss Ermina, this is your room: third floor, room seven. Stay there normally, and we'll contact you directly or post schedules on the indoor board if we need you for research.”
“Ah, got it.”
“This is your access card, and this the key. Return them when you leave.”
“And me?”
“We expect Professor Selene's skills as a researcher, so you'll bunk in the researchers' dorms temporarily.”
Huh. She'd followed Professor Selene blindly, but now it felt like she'd been ditched.
Ermina looked down at the key in her hand, then up at the two.
“Miss Ermina.”
“Yes?!”
“I'll visit sometimes. If something's inconvenient and hard to mention, just tip me off.”
...Even this preemptive thoughtfulness was similar.
Feeling Yulius's shadow in another woman, Ermina began her first day at the Magic Tower.