Father-in-Law and Rival (3)
After finally explaining to Valtburg why I'd logged out so late from the Luddera world and returning to my room, I contacted Kartesia.
"So, you're saying he was Kartesia's disciple?"
-Indeed. To be precise, he was a human child I picked up during my travels.
"I can't believe the Empire's founding emperor was someone Kartesia raised..."
In the past, Kartesia had once wandered the continent for amusement, adventuring as a wandering swordsman.
During that time, she found a grubby little kid in a village burned down by bandits. That child was none other than the Empire's first emperor, Ahenobarbus.
I'd simply used the memory modeling Kartesia handed over as an asset to create an NPC, but of all things, the form of Kartesia wandering as his master during her travels ended up as Solaris's model.
What a coincidence...
It felt like one misfortune piled on another, as if someone had deliberately orchestrated it.
At the time she found the first emperor, Kartesia had planned to just leave him behind, but a whim struck her—Why not try something different this time?—and she took him as a disciple, traveling with him.
She'd only taught him how to wield the sword, thinking he was just a talented kid, but before she knew it, he'd surpassed the master level, gathered forces, and founded a nation.
-I stuck to my wandering swordsman concept during my travels, teaching him only how to fight and offering no other help.
Wait, so he really built an empire from absolute nothing?
...I thought he was some delusional lunatic, but he was even more impressive than I imagined.
"Then why isn't the story of that wandering swordsman in the Empire's history?"
-Hmm... It's complicated to explain...
Kartesia paused for a moment before continuing.
-The day he subjugated all the surrounding nations, proclaimed the Empire, and held his coronation as emperor, he came to me. He said his power was enough to protect me now. That nothing could touch his master. He asked me to live with him in the Empire.
He founded a nation to protect his beloved master, and when that wasn't enough, he conquered the neighboring countries.
Then, upon ascending the throne, he said, Let's live together.
What a romantic tale.
If only his master hadn't been a polymorphed dragon.
-For amusement's sake, asking a wandering dragon to settle down with him? It wasn't even worth considering. Above all, he was a lesser being, not my equal. I never once saw him as a man.
Well, that makes sense from a dragon's perspective.
Even if he was a disciple she met during her travels, to a dragon, he was no different from an NPC in a game.
-Of course, Albus, you're different. I don't think of you that way. ...Anyway, the night I rejected his proposal, some of his loyal subordinates tried to capture me. From their position, they must have hated seeing an unaffiliated woman manipulating their lord.
As ministers of the Empire, it was somewhat understandable.
The superhuman emperor who founded the Empire being swayed by some mysterious woman of unknown origin? For the sake of solidifying the Empire's foundation, it would have been better to eliminate her.
Again, if only the target hadn't been a polymorphed dragon.
"So, what happened?"
-Mere lesser beings daring to lay hands on me and try to kidnap me? Naturally, I erased them.
...Every time she says stuff like this, it feels so alien.
Is it because I'm talking to a dragon who far transcends humanity?
-But at the same time, I thought: As long as my disciple sits on the throne, incidents like this won't end. I won't be able to enjoy my travels properly. This playthrough is over; time for the next one...
I could picture it.
Given Kartesia's personality, she would have ended her wandering swordsman travels with a dramatic finale, and that's why the emperor couldn't forget his master.
-Conveniently, there was a perfect event for my finale: a spy from a fallen kingdom disguised as a servant, lurking by my disciple's side, waiting for an opening.
...Pardon?
-So, the day I punished his subordinates, I went back and confronted him about it. Of course, it was to provoke the spy into attempting assassination.
Hold on.
Does that mean...
-He panicked at my words, and the spy didn't miss the opening, thrusting a blade at him. I blocked the attack with my polymorphed body.
Hehehe.
I could hear Kartesia's satisfied chuckle through telepathy.
-A wandering swordsman sacrificing her final life to protect the emperor she'd raised. A splendid, beautiful end to my travels.
No, you dopamine-addicted dragon!
That's where the regret-obsessed tragic romance kicks in!
That's why the emperor ended up like that!
-After that incident, he searched for ways to revive the dead. He must have thought he could somehow bring back that wandering swordsman. It was impossible since she wasn't a real human, but his obsessive pursuit of resurrection drove him mad. Eventually, he vanished. Unable to produce proper heirs, one of his subordinates took the throne. The new emperor erased all records of the wandering swordsman and the first emperor's end, as they could threaten the Empire's legitimacy.
So that's how it happened.
That's why there's no record of what happened after the first emperor proclaimed the Empire.
"Th-then, what happened to that emperor after he disappeared?"
-I don't know. Maybe he dabbled in dangerous alchemy and lost his life. Once my travels ended, I lost interest.
...This dragon. Once the fun was over, she didn't care what happened to the first emperor.
Is that what humans are to dragons?
"Then, the reason you became the Empire's guardian dragon..."
-Has nothing to do with him. More precisely, it's unrelated to those travels. It happened afterward... But why are you suddenly asking about him?
I debated whether to tell Kartesia about what happened with the first emperor.
...Nah.
Let's not.
Wouldn't it be better for the first emperor to delusionally believe that NPC Solaris is his master's reincarnation than to know this sad truth?
"Ahaha. Well, you see... I was brainstorming new content for Luddera, and I thought the first emperor might make for an interesting historical figure to reference."
-Heh. I see. It's probably best not to use his story. Even though he's long dead, plenty of people would take offense to it being used freely.
Of course.
That's why I only used fictional characters, but now they're mixing them up with reality.
And not just anyone—the Beast King and the first emperor, no less.
Ha...
I seriously have no idea anymore.
When the first emperor was convinced I was the GM and that I was using Solaris to lure and torment him—an utterly ridiculous misunderstanding—I agonized over it.
How could I untangle this knotted mess?
The brilliant idea I came up with on the spot was this:
Since he's already misunderstood, let's make him misunderstand even more.
Time to play the villainous god.
I provoked him further as Solaris.
Acting as if I wanted him to awaken, like a god testing him—pretending to steal his lover Solaris only to return her.
It was a hastily thrown-together plan, and since I'd never acted before, there were awkward parts, but judging by the first emperor's final reaction, it seemed to work somewhat.
The problem was that Solaris wasn't the real reincarnation of his master and had no memories of him...
Whatever.
I did my part.
If things go south, I'll just ask Kartesia to bail me out.
...But didn't the first emperor just awaken divine power?
Can Kartesia even beat him?
"Glory to Lady Deus!"
Flash!
Labyrinth Tower, floor 3.
Amid the holy knights surrounded by countless monsters, a woman exuding a sacred aura shouted loudly, and an immense density of divine power erupted from her at the center.
Kieeeek! The monsters directly hit by the wave of divine power melted away on the spot.
"Phew. Well done, Saintess."
Confirming all monsters had vanished, the paladin wiped sweat from his brow and spoke to Eclessia, the saintess who had wrought the miracle.
"With you here, Saintess, advancing has become so much easier! But Saintess, is it really okay for you to be helping us here?"
The saintess who came to the academy to find the protagonist of the goddess's oracle.
She should have been searching the academy for that figure, but due to the sudden emergence of the Labyrinth Tower, she was unable to fulfill the goddess's special command and was supporting the holy knights instead.
"I'll support you until the goddess's knight order establishes a base here in the Labyrinth Tower. Once I judge things are on track, I'll return to my mission."
"Ah, I see! Thank you so much, Saintess. May Deus's blessings be with you forever!"
As the paladin and saintess conversed...
Kuuuung!
Tremendous shockwaves burst repeatedly from the evil god temple at the center of Labyrinth Tower floor 3.
The aftermath of a god's birth and the clash between GM and Ahenobarbus's divinities.
"Wh-what is that?!"
"This is... Ugh!"
Eclessia, struck by the shockwave, suddenly clutched her head and dropped to her knees.
"A-are you okay, Saintess?!"
"Kyaa!"
Countless scenes replayed in her mind.
Memories from eons flooded into her head.
"S-Saintess!"
The paladin barely caught the collapsing saintess.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Once the headache subsided, she panted heavily.
"Are you alright?"
Labyrinth Tower Floor 3, 66th Evil God Temple cleared by player 'Ahenobarbus' and 3 others.
"...That shockwave just now was a floor clear."
The paladin muttered, looking at the system window floating in the air.
"...My lord."
Then, the recovered saintess murmured.
"Pardon? What did you say?"
"My lord! ...No, we need to find Albus!"
"Al...bus?"
"Yes! As soon as possible!"
She had regained her memories of the future.
Or rather, regressed.
Having returned to the past, she couldn't waste a single moment.
She had to hurry and find him.
The final hope to oppose the worst calamity god GM, who would destroy the continent in the future.
The one and only, most precious husband with whom she had whispered words of love.
Hero Albus.