As stipulated in the Imperial Rules.
The Empress’s Seal is refined by mixing a drop of the Emperor’s and Empress’s blood into specially processed gold ore. It is created as part of the ceremonial procedure during the Emperor’s wedding and is presented along with the Empress’s crown, symbolizing the new Empress’s status and authority.
Since it must be crafted with magical power within 2 hours after the blood is collected, the work cannot even begin without the person involved, and it cannot be easily produced or discarded.
After it’s produced, a model must be made and announced to the administrative offices of the Three Departments, as well as the Grand Audience Hall, the Aristocratic Board, and the Senate, which are all complicated procedures.
A moment of silence flowed through the Emperor’s office.
Ian muttered, slightly brushing back his golden hair with a much calmer expression than before.
“Nevertheless, the temple is behaving very strangely. Or maybe I should take this opportunity to…….”
“…….”
The Emperor lowered his gaze.
“Why do we even need the Empress’s seal in the first place? Is that even true?”
Minister of Justice Feron, who had stayed up all night throughout the whole week verifying the authenticity of the official document, lowered his swollen head that looked like a pufferfish even more and spoke while kneeling.
“It is true. I checked the copy of the divorce papers of Alpher XI, and both the Emperor and the Empress seals were stamped on them.”
“…….”
“We must bring the Young Lady Mezerine. It will be a hassle, but it can be made. If only we could tell the Viscount to bring the Lady here, then it could have been done with a proper apology, but……”
“…….”
“But?”
“…….”
A blue spark flashed into Ian’s eyes.
“Again! What now? Why is it that the accidents you caused never get solved at once?”
“That’s…….”
Yuton opened his mouth with difficulty.
“That, the Young Lady of Mezerine is currently missing.”
Missing?
The Emperor’s blue eyes widened slightly.
“Furthermore, an urgent letter has arrived conveying the message that Viscount Mezerine has fallen ill and thus is unable to find the Lady right away.”
“Why is the daughter of a noble family…… No, more importantly, what illness the Viscount, who was always so healthy, could have…….”
“…….”
“Wait. In order to make the Empress’s seal, that woman has to be here? Are you messing with me right now?”
The aides who were kneeling thought to themselves. It was a good thing they had knelt earlier. If they hadn’t……
Count Mirhi, the External Cooperation Officer, who had been watching Count Yuton from the side, picked up the conversation.
“I have explained that point in detail to the temple…… However…… when they heard that the Lady is currently missing…….”
“However?”
“They said they would gather the priests and offer a prayer at dawn for seven days so that she can return safely….”
“…….”
The young Emperor glared at Mirhi and gritted his teeth.
“…..There’s no specific period for divorce or anything like that, right? Did you check it carefully?”
“You can request for a divorce within two years from the date of occurrence of the cause for divorce.”
Ian, seemingly exhausted by the whole scenario, opened his mouth.
“Before…… When Lian went to the Viscount’s house, didn’t he say that he saw a guardian bird? Search the Viscount’s house or the yard and bring that guardian bird. The bird will know where that woman is.”
“…….”
The Emperor’s anger exploded, albeit belatedly.
“What are you doing! Stop dawdling and get moving already!”
The seven aides, who were the only loyal vassals of the Emperor, hurriedly left the Emperor’s office, competing with each other to be the first.
‘Those incompetent fools. I should just get rid of all of them.’
Politics, diplomacy, finance, administration, culture, art, education….. The civil officials, who were quite competent in other matters, strangely floundered and failed to handle this particular one properly.
A strange murderous light passed through the tips of his unusually straight eyebrows.
‘Should I just…… hold a national funeral?’
The Emperor’s blue eyes, shining coldly, were soon concealed by his deep eyelashes.
‘It seems like it would be easier to assassinate that woman than divorce her now.’
As Ian slowly rose and walked to the window, opening the closed curtains, a refreshing breeze swept across the young Emperor’s cheek.
‘Well, first of all, I need to know where she is. Then I’ll decide whether to assassinate her or divorce her…….’
For a moment, Ian gazed down at the Inner Palace garden and let out a chuckle, as if he couldn’t believe the absurdity of the whole situation. When he thought of that woman’s father….. it was also something he couldn’t help but be considerate of.
Issac Mezerine, the Red Lion of Schmarin. His childhood teacher and also the savior.
And the person who turned away when he needed help the most… my friend.
‘Come to think of it.’
A sharp light flashed across Ian’s eyes for a moment.
“Ha.”
The woman in the square.
Red hair that looked exactly like Issac in his youth.
Dark almond-colored eyes.
The rune of fire, which she wielded with ease. The swift speed that even he himself couldn’t help but admire.
And then, ‘The disappearance of the young lady’.
Isn’t it too much of a coincidence for so many pieces of information to overlap?
…… It was her.
Klisha Mezerine.
The Empress…… whose face he didn’t even know.
Ian’s handsome face broke into a smile as he recalled Klisha’s bright face, which was quite pretty in a delicate way, and her incessantly chattering voice. He also remembered her bold actions as she rescued a slave boy without hesitation and even broke through the building’s walls.
‘A wife. A wife….. For real?’
* * *
The aides, who left the Emperor’s office in a flurry, briefly scattered to handle their respective tasks, then they all gathered in the 9th Conference Room of the Second Palace at the same time as if they had made an appointment.
All sorts of miscellaneous matters, especially matters that were too grandiose or too trivial to be revealed to the Royal Palace were all handled secretly under the name of ‘confidential matters’ in the 9th Conference Room of the Second Palace.
“No matter what, how could His Majesty ask us to bring the guardian bird of a noble family.”
“Of all things, a guardian bird…….”
“Who…… will go?”
The twelve aides, or to be exact, the Emperor’s vassals consisting of seven civil officials and five military officers, turned their heads left and right, glaring at each other’s faces before quickly thinking of what excuses to make.
The Pathfinder mentioned in the founding myth.
The incarnation of the first Emperor of the continent, who was a demigod and led the unification of the continent and paved the way for the Emperor’s Road!
The Red Falcon Cuckas, revered as both the national bird and divine ancestor of Emperor Asha I.
Although the bird seen in the Viscount’s house looked exactly like Cuckas, it was much smaller with bright blue wings, more commonly known as a Karkas.
The so-called ‘gurdian bird’ is considered as a manifestation of Cuckas in folklore by the public, and it usually lives alone in the cold regions of the continent.
Because it was considered a sacred protective species, it was regarded as a great blessing and believed that if a guardian bird built its nest in the home where a child was born, the child would grow up to be a person of great importance. It is also said that the guardian bird would protect the path the child’s soul would walk until their death.
“Nevertheless, Lord Lian. Are you sure you saw the guardian bird at the Mezerine House? Given the nature of the Viscount, I don’t think he would have spent a fortune to save a Karkas.”
Even before the aides had gathered, Lian, who had been flipping through documents with his legs propped up on the desk in the 9th Conference Room and sitting in a slouched posture, opened his mouth at the question without even lifting his head.
“When I visited the Viscount’s house last time, there definitely was a bird on the tree branch outside the Lady’s bedroom window. It was unusual for a Karkas to be sighted in the warm Schmarin region, so I reported it to His Majesty as soon as I returned.”
“Well then, it seems that the Lady is destined to become someone of great importance.”
“Well, she has already become someone of great importance. She’s Her Majesty the Empress after all.”
Some of the aides nodded in agreement.
“At first, I was hesitant because of the red feathers. But judging by the shape of the beak and the white polka dots around the eyes, it is definitely a Karkas. Above all, it was so bold that it stared at me without flinching even when the Lady was screaming at the top of her lungs.”
“Oh my.”
“It would be fortunate if the guardian bird is still guarding the Viscount’s house…….”
“If there indeed is a guardian bird, we may be able to find out the Lady’s whereabouts.”
“According to legend, the guardian bird can find the one it’s protecting no matter where they are, right?”
“It’s the fastest way to its Master.”
“Don’t forget it’s a mythical creature. A mythical creature.”
“Is His Majesty thinking of having a conversation with the Karkas?”
Opinions were being thrown around in a disorganized manner from all directions, but suddenly, everyone fell silent at the last question.
Even if they managed to catch the bird, who would ask it what? It’s a bird. A bird!
If they asked, “Bird. Where is your master?”, would the bird reply, “Go this way, turn that way, coo, coo.”?
After a brief moment of awkward silence, Count Yuton, who had been watching for a moment, calmed them down.
“There must be some way. His Majesty is an extraordinary person. Since he told us to catch it, he must have a plan, don’t you think?”
“Yes. Yes.”
“Whether he twist its wings or torture it, he would eventually find out one way or another.”
“That’s right. His Majesty’s personality is quite ruthless.”
“He’ll probably tie the bird up and torture it.”
“His Majesty, who is always so majestic, generally lacks a sense of compassion.”
“Isn’t that the only thing he’s lacking?”
“His Majesty also completely lacks any benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness.”
“That’s right. That’s right.”
“And he’s getting crazier and crazier these days.”
“He’s just taking his stress caused by the divorce matter on us.”
“It’s not our fault that such a thing happened.”
“That’s too much. Really too much.”
“By the way, who’s going to go and…. catch the bird?”
After getting caught up in gossip about their employer, who had recently been going through a personal crisis, the conversation returned to the original topic, and once again, silence fell over the 9th Conference Room in the Second Palace.
Some of the aides crossed their arms and closed their eyes, clearly showing their unwillingness.
Others shook their heads left and right, making it clear through their body language that they had no intention of going.
That was understandable. The guardian bird was, after all, the very incarnation of the Pathfinder.
It was commonly said among the people that anyone who harms the guardian bird, the Karkas, would face the curse of the Divine Cuckas for three years, causing their luck to become extremely, extremely, extremely bad in everything they do.
No matter how loyal a lifelong servant of the Emperor they may be, it was impossible to willingly step forward at the royal order to catch that ‘gurdian bird’.
The aides, who had been engaged in a fierce battle of wits for a moment, reluctantly restored to play rock-paper-scissors according to the old custom of the 9th Conference Room of the Second Palace.
While the chosen Count Mirhi and the two knights Huain and Morona were tearing at their hair.
The excluded civil officials, the remaining knights, and the Captain of the Royal Guards, Lian, let out a sigh of relief, patting each other on the shoulders with bright smiles. It was an almost festive atmosphere, the kind that could be seen during a victory celebration.
Lian approached Count Mirhi, whose expression was that of someone who had lost their country, and placed both hands on his shoulders as he spoke.
“If you explain the situation well to the guardian bird, it probably won’t ‘curse’ you. Haha. I’ll also be heading to Schmarin soon… so why don’t we go together? We can return separately.”
“Nooo!”
The Emperor’s vassals, who had not a shred of loyalty or trust between them, laughed heartily as they left the Palace.
As expected.
Anytime, anywhere.
The truth that as long as it’s not me is an eternal, unchanging fact.
