An Unwilling Audience
Having an audience with the emperor was the last thing he wanted.
God, I really don't want to go...
At the first light of morning, Askal's eyes would usually snap open by reflex. Today, however, he had zero desire to rise. He wanted to become one with the bed for all eternity.
The reason was simple. By accidentally obtaining the Barba Empire's treasured sword at an antique auction, he had ended up being summoned for an imperial audience.
An audience with the emperor.
Just thinking the words made his whole body stiffen with tension. The empire's current emperor might be old and frail, but his authority remained absolute.
With a single gesture, he could dispose of even the most successful officials. In a word, he was supreme.
That was why Askal checked his attire with obsessive care. A single misplaced thread or button could spiral into disaster.
Burdened by the weight of it all, he dragged things out as long as possible, slowly grooming his hair. But even that had its limits.
Time to take these unwilling steps.
He prayed for a torrential downpour that would cancel the audience entirely.
Was there anyone in the world who hated going to work more than he did right now?
There was.
What's wrong with these people?
Upon reaching the Third Department's office, Askal was startled by the unusually deflated atmosphere.
"Ugh~ I want to become a sea cucumber."
Susia was flailing about like a mollusk, no doubt from whatever she'd gotten up to the night before.
That was normal for Susia, but the others looked just as bad.
"I am a tree."
Devan, who had lost a bet and been demoted from Second Department section chief to a mere Third Department employee, sat in a rocking chair staring vacantly at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.
He seemed deeply traumatized.
Fine. Those two I can understand.
But something was off with Lia as well.
Or rather, it was specifically her outfit that was strange.
She was wearing an eyepatch over one eye, looking exactly like someone who'd awakened a black flame dragon on their right arm overnight.
Askal stared at her.
Feeling his gaze, Lia answered politely.
"I've contracted an eye infection. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to accompany you to this audience with His Imperial Majesty. It would be disastrous if I passed it on to you."
His intuition flared.
Lia was lying. She hadn't caught an eye infection—she simply didn't want to see her father, the emperor.
Whether it was because her hidden identity risked being exposed, or because she simply disliked her own father.
Still, it left a bad taste in his mouth.
If she didn't want to go, she could have just said so honestly. But faking an eye infection? The great Julia, of all people?
Askal decided to tease her a little.
"That's concerning. Let me take a look. Take off the eyepatch."
"I can't. What if you catch it, Director?"
"It's not easily transmitted just by looking. It'll only take a moment. Take it off."
"It's dangerous."
After several rounds of back-and-forth, Askal deployed his finishing move.
"Or is there some reason why you can't take it off?"
Lia froze for a moment, then let out a sigh of surrender.
"Very well. But please step back a little."
Lia removed the eyepatch.
Just as she'd claimed, her right eye was bloodshot red. So the eye infection wasn't entirely a lie.
Wait a second.
Askal took one step closer.
"Director?"
A memory from his previous life surfaced. Back when he hadn't wanted to go to school, he would often fake illnesses. Rubbing one eye vigorously with the back of his hand could make it convincingly bloodshot.
And the shade of red was exactly the same as Lia's right now.
"Take care of yourself."
But Askal didn't press any further.
Cornering a desperate rat was never wise.
Besides, Lia wasn't strictly necessary for this audience. And if her identity were revealed, the trouble wouldn't fall on her alone.
The Pandora's box still needed to remain sealed.
"Then... I'll need a temporary aide to accompany me."
Askal scanned the office.
The rest were either away on business or lacked sufficient experience. That left very few suitable candidates.
His eyes settled on Devan.
Devan had been raised in a prestigious count's household, knew high-society etiquette inside and out, and possessed ample work experience. He was the perfect choice for a temporary aide.
The rocking chair stopped its motion.
"So you really do need my help? Well, I suppose I can't refuse if you ask."
"Susia. You're coming with me."
Susia, who had been sprawled across her desk, twitched.
"...Me?"
"That's right. You still haven't paid for the sin of running away from the sweet potato field."
"That's too much."
"Fine. I'll do cabbage instead."
At the awful joke, Susia sprang up from her seat. After getting ready in the blink of an eye, she spoke in a frosty tone.
"I'll go with you, but never make that kind of joke again."
"...Understood."
Askal felt a little wounded.
A carriage was waiting.
When Susia stepped outside at the appointed time, her eyes widened.
"Wow, as expected of an imperial carriage. It's no joke. The size alone, not to mention the decorations, looks like it could buy an entire house..."
In his previous life, a carriage held roughly the same status as a luxury car. So Susia's admiration was the same as someone gawking at an expensive vehicle.
"Are you Sir Askal Debre?"
The coachman, dressed in old-fashioned attire, gave a polite bow. The pair followed him into the carriage.
"The seats are incredibly plush."
"They really are."
"When you reach Grade 5, the empire gives you a carriage too, right, Director? It looks like you'll be there soon. I'm so jealous."
"You can't compare it to an imperial carriage."
As the two chatted, they sensed a presence across from them.
"Ahem."
A middle-aged man with a mustache. A familiar face.
"...Evaluation Department Head? What brings you here?"
"Naturally, when my subordinate is receiving an honor, the department head ought to accompany him. After all, my subordinate's achievements are my achievements."
So he was here to ride the coattails. In a way, it was a perfectly normal imperial official's mindset.
"I see."
Askal tried to answer calmly. If he didn't restrain himself, he was liable to laugh.
Taking the credit in my place? That's the best news I've heard in a while.
His mental evaluation of the department head rose slightly.
"You've been rather arrogant lately, you know."
"Pardon?"
"After all the consideration I've shown you, you haven't sent me so much as a single gift. This is why the youth these days are a problem. When I was your age..."
He'd thought the imperial coachman's expert driving would make for a comfortable journey, but the department head had begun dispensing unwanted advice. It was the exact moment his opinion of the man plummeted back to the ground.
Askal occasionally nodded, pretending to listen attentively. After about thirty minutes, the department head seemed satisfied and changed the subject.
"Now that I think about it, Lady Susia. Would you consider becoming my aide? The conditions would be far better than slaving away in a mere third department."
"Um... No, thank you."
An immediate refusal.
"W-why not?"
"Because, Department Head, being near you comes with a smell. The old-man smell, I suppose. And I don't like the mustache either."
The department head was so stunned by Susia's dagger-like words that he fell completely silent.
Such a thing was only possible because Susia was the daughter of a ducal house. No matter how harshly she spoke, the department head—whose own backing was vastly inferior—couldn't utter a single complaint.
Nice one, Susia.
Thanks to her, the carriage grew quiet, and Askal was able to reach the imperial palace in comfort.
The imperial palace was staggering at first glance. Rumors might claim the empire was in danger, but it still stood firm because its accumulated wealth was nothing to scoff at.
And the imperial palace was one of its greatest assets.
"You must be Sir Askal Debre. We've been expecting you. And this young lady is?"
"I'm Susia Senestia, here as an attendant."
"The daughter of Duke Senestia. Welcome."
The imperial guard, who had been wearing a stern expression, bowed deeply. It seemed the Senestia ducal name carried weight even within the palace.
"I am Evaluation Department Head Karis."
"Um... Sir Karis does not appear on today's invitation list."
"He's our superior. Can't you just let him through?"
"I suppose there won't be any major issues."
Department heads usually wielded considerable power, but the weakly positioned Evaluation Department rarely received favorable treatment. Had it been a powerful office like the Magic Department or Enforcement Department, they would have been granted immediate entry.
"Then please follow me to the reception room."
If high status granted any privilege, it was the ability to make those beneath you wait indefinitely.
Throughout history, subordinates were always left waiting. The imperial palace was no exception.
"About when might we be able to see His Imperial Majesty..."
"He is currently in an important meeting. You should be able to see him shortly."
This was the third time they'd heard that line. They had long since completed the mandatory identity and attire inspections. In the end, permission only came after Susia had eaten nearly half the refreshments in the reception room.
"Please come this way."
Before facing the emperor, Askal gave his clothes one final inspection.
The massive doors opened, revealing the throne.
And there sat the emperor.
"The eldest son of the Debre barony... I expected you to become a military officer, yet here you are as an administrator. The ways of the world are truly unpredictable."
A voice thick with a metallic rasp.
A condition so frail he could not rise without support.
Yet his bloodshot eyes stared down at Askal as though they would pierce straight through him.
Kamalon Barba.
He was the incompetent ruler who had driven the empire to the brink of ruin.