Chapter 513: Not Important
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 513: Not Important
The black carriage crossed the towering palace walls, driving all the way toward the magnificent central structure.
Once within the palace grounds, travel was restricted to foot. Due to Celicia’s status, she was spared the more tedious inspections, yet she was still halted outside her father’s chambers by two towering knights wielding halberds.
"Wait for clearance."
Encased entirely in plate armor, the knights stood like statues. Their voices were stiff and mechanical; only the faint glint of their eyes through the slits of their visors betrayed the fact that they were not mere objects.
"Please, as quickly as possible," Celicia said with a nod, showing no sign of offense.
These two giants had guarded her father for as long as she could remember. Even she did not have the standing to be rude to them.
She could only wait patiently.
Time ticked by. This wait felt longer than any she had experienced before.
Celicia did not waste the time, however. She used the opportunity to flip through the documents in her hand, appearing entirely unruffled by the delay.
It was only when she had nearly finished the stack of papers—thick as a dictionary—that the towering knights finally stirred.
"His Majesty grants you entry."
The halberds blocking the door were raised, and the heavy doors swung open automatically.
"Thank you."
Celicia tucked the documents away and stepped into the room.
The moment she entered, she was hit by the heavy, cloying scent of medicine.
Multiple censers were lit throughout the room, but they weren't there to mask the smell of herbs. Rather, they were meant to suppress a deeper, more subtle scent that Celicia’s nose still managed to catch—the unmistakable odor of decay.
"Your Highness."
The palace maids busy at the bedside bowed respectfully upon seeing Celicia, then slowly withdrew.
The doors were pulled shut, leaving only father and daughter in the room. Celicia’s gaze flickered imperceptibly toward the shadows in the corner.
Since her realm had increased, her senses had become far more acute. She had never noticed it before, but this time, she detected a trace of a presence watching her.
That must be the Shadow Warrior who only ever appears by Father’s side...
Celicia kept her expression neutral as her thoughts raced. She knelt respectfully by the bed.
"Father," she called out softly.
Lying on the bed was an emaciated old man.
An old man whose surname was the same as the nation’s.
Audrich Leopold.
Known to the world as Audrich III, the supreme Emperor of the Empire.
But now, looking at the man’s sunken face, one could no longer see the towering, majestic figure of the past. He looked like nothing more than an ordinary, dying old man.
Since falling gravely ill, the Empire’s highest ruler had aged and weakened at a visible rate. Now, he spent most of his days confined to his bed, kept alive by a cocktail of exorbitantly expensive medicines.
It was said that aside from matters of extreme national importance, he no longer had the strength to handle most administrative affairs personally. Power had been temporarily delegated to the ministers and to the Second Prince, who had once been the sole heir.
"It’s Celicia..."
The old man slowly opened his eyes.
His voice was low and frail, yet within those half-lidded, weary eyes, one could still see the sharp, piercing edge that had once belonged to the Emperor.
"I kept you waiting. You don't blame me, do you?"
"I do not. I would wait as long as necessary for you, Father, without a single word of complaint," Celicia replied.
"If it were anyone else, I’d take that as a hollow attempt to please me. But you... you are too proud to even deign to lie, aren't you?" Audrich III chuckled weakly.
"You overpraise me, Father. There is no one in this world who does not lie. In fact, most people require lies to mask their true selves," Celicia said, lowering her head.
"Like... that fiancé of yours who has even gone so far as to change his face?"
The old man suddenly stared at Celicia with a meaningful look.
"..."
Celicia was jolted, a cold sweat nearly breaking out on her skin. She looked at the old man on the bed and realized with a start that neither her nor Muen’s "discreet" little maneuvers had ever escaped his notice.
He might be frail and aging, but he was still... the Emperor of this Empire.
"Don't worry. Muen Campbell—I quite admire that fiancé of yours. I was the one who tacitly approved that nonsensical appointment Andrew issued. Otherwise, do you really think that boy could have successfully sent such an order out of the palace?
"Muen Campbell’s subsequent response was also quite clever. He shouldn't have entered Belland openly in the first place. As the son of a Duke who has yet to grasp real power, if he had marched into Belland with all eyes upon him, how long do you think he would have lasted in the storm? He is not his father, after all."
"So Father did it for..."
"Don't overthink it... cough, cough, cough!"
Audrich III tried to sit up, but was immediately seized by a violent, agonizing fit of coughing.
Celicia rushed to support him, using her mana to help soothe the breathing of the old man, whose frame seemed to have shrunk by an entire size.
Audrich III took a long, deep breath.
Pain and illness tormented him every waking moment. Only a few months ago, he had been the Shadow of Belland, capable of slaying an Evil God’s projection with a single strike. Now, a few sentences were enough to leave him breathless.
Anyone seeing him like this would be filled with lamentation. It was no wonder the monsters and ghosts were starting to grow restless at this particular moment in time.
"Those documents you organized and sent in... I’ve just finished looking at them," Audrich III said slowly after his coughing subsided.
"The Shadow of Belland... Hmph. Quite the scheme. Even I have to offer a word of praise. Those parasites are reaching further and further, aren't they?"
"Then, Father, your intention is..."
"Do you wish to continue the investigation?"
Audrich III didn't answer. Instead, he stared into Celicia’s eyes and asked her a question of his own.
"..."
Celicia fell silent.
Should she continue the investigation? This was a question she had been grappling with herself.
She knew perfectly well that even if she followed the trail of that research institute to the end, she would only find a few scapegoats pushed forward by the masterminds.
Those people didn't even trust their fellow collaborators in the Inner Council; they had to wear disguises just to meet. They were not the type to leave behind evidence significant enough to actually topple them.
But...
Recalling certain images, Celicia’s grip on the edge of the bed tightened. Her knuckles turned white from the force.
"Whether you want to investigate or not is your choice. However, Thea, you are a bright child. You should know that the truth of this matter is not actually important to the Empire right now."
Celicia watched silently as her father casually tossed aside the carefully organized files regarding the research institute. Her cold eyes flickered slightly.
She didn't need the reminder; she understood perfectly.
This matter wasn't important—at least, not at her current level.
A drug that turned people into monsters? Human experimentation? The tragic deaths of hundreds of trafficked victims? These things were horrific and a violation of all human ethics, but in reality, they were not enough to shake the foundations of the Empire.
So what if those people truly seized control of the Lower District? It was merely a means to an end for their greater plan.
The importance of those victims didn't even weigh as much as a few painful coughs from the old man before her.
It sounded cold and heartless, but that was the reality.
What was truly important now was that if she, the Princess of the Empire, took action, how would her behavior be interpreted by those watching? Which side would they think she was leaning toward?
It was exactly what she had told Muen at the very beginning.
The title of Princess brought her not only supreme status but also shackles that were difficult to break. In this moment, with the storm looming, her every word and action had to be meticulously calculated.
A single misstep would bring consequences far more severe than the existence of that cruel laboratory.
"Heh... so, what are you thinking, my daughter?"
Audrich III stared at his daughter—a woman so exceptional that no one could ever mistake her for a harmless ornament, a woman who possessed the power to sway the entire situation. He seemed to be waiting to see what kind of answer she would provide.