Chapter 76
“Answer me, Ed.”
Emperor Edward realized that the answer he gave at this moment would determine his son’s future.
Valar Archduke Halbern, was smiling, but it was not a smile at all.
‘You’re putting on a good front, blowing off all this cold air.’
Gulp.
Worried for his son, the father chose to hold back.
“We’re discussing an important national issue.”
“Does your son like my daughter?”
“…”
“Can I put it away?”
“…”
Son! The man who will be your father-in-law is a strange man! Avoid him!
“…First, let’s get to the bottom of your question. What on earth are you hearing that makes you do this?”
“What did you see?”
“Yes, I saw something.”
He saw the back of the Crown Prince’s head at a tea party hosted by the Crown Prince.
Empress Ageni’s judgment in sending Archduke Halbern away was excellent. If he hadn’t been thrown out that way, he would have grabbed the Crown Prince by the back of the head and disappeared into the depths of the palace.
“My son is fine, nay, excellent, in that sense, why don’t we marry?”
Archduke Halbern tilted his head.
“Your jokes have increased since I last saw you.”
“Seriously.”
“…”
The Archduke of Halbern’s eyes hardened.
“Can I kill you?”
“Only if you want to be wanted for the Emperor’s murder.”
“Did you really think I’d go to that much trouble to kill you?”
“I am the Emperor, after all.”
Archduke Halbern laughed, wringing his hands. He had done the math, and while it was possible, he had no intention of actually killing the Emperor.
The shadows shuddered with life, unaware of the subject.
Still, he must warn him.
He glared at the Emperor’s guardian lurking in the shadows.
“That’s enough.”
“Ha.”
Archduke Halbern clicked his tongue as he wiped the smile from his face.
“Not my daughter.”
“Why?”
“Because my daughter needs to be happy.”
Stroking his chin, the Emperor finished his reasoning.
“You mean Arellin’s permission must come first.”
“Even I die. There’s no way she’s happy being stuck in this shitty palace.”
“Ageni says she’s happy.”
“Maybe it’s the Empress’s constitution.”
“She said happiness is subjective.”
Bullshit.
Without a sound, the Archduke of Halbern smiled. It was a stunningly beautiful smile, but Emperor Edward rubbed his arm against the goosebumps that rose.
“We’ll talk about this in private later.”
“Yes, do it.”
….Emperor Edward vowed to himself that he would pay closer attention to his son’s protection. It would be a shame to lose such a well-bred heir.
“So, about the dragon.”
“Hmm?”
After he put out the fire, he remembered the problem that kept plaguing Edward. Edward made a pained sound.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble I’m in right now because of you? The loot of the Knights of Saren has attracted the attention of foreign envoys, and they’re all asking if it’s going to be auctioned off internationally. What are you going to do with it?! Even the Sky Tower is asking if we can get dragon blood!”
Archduke Hilbern laughed quietly at the subtlety of my touch.
“I’m not so sure.”
“Do you have anything to bring to the imperial court?”
“A little. I’ve already spent most of my share.”
Archduke Halbern’s fingertips pointed somewhere. He didn’t have to look to know what he was talking about.
It must have been used for trading.
“A little is good, and I’ll make it up to you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good.”
Emperor Edward’s face brightened as he realized that he could breathe a little easier now that he had saved a little.
Oh, by the way.
“The Sky Tower.”
“The Sky Tower,” Emperor Edward adds, showing interest in the name he hasn’t heard in a long time.
“I’m coming to visit this time. On the last day after the ball.”
“Just in time for the auction, I see. You plan to avoid all the hassle and take all the bargains.”
He knew he should welcome a bunch of high ranking wizards with open arms, but at the same time, he was puzzled.
“I don’t understand the reason for your visit. We didn’t ask for it. Do you have a point?”
“Well, I’ve been holed up in a northern castle.”
He is going out on a limb here.
“I wonder if there’s a lost barrier in the Empire?”
Emperor Edward’s face crumpled again.
“Just throwing it out there, your planetary fanatics don’t move unless it’s a question of that magnitude.”
“Oh.”
As much as he wanted to ignore it, the Emperor’s keen intuition sounded an alarm.
Emperor Edward wiped his forehead and composed a letter with one hand. The paper, magically dispatched with light, probably contained instructions to check for Sarazin connections.
“After all, this empire of his is too big and too eventful to be left unguarded.”
Emperor Edward realized why the Zen Emperor had been so with his own foolishness.
He couldn’t wait to raise Pession to take over.
“What about the northern castles, Valar, will they be okay with your absence?”
“For the time being, perhaps. I’ve been in the Abyss and left a mess.”
The monsters of the Abyss would have to repair the damage the Knights of Saren had done to their own territory.
There’s more, but…
He’ll spare him the details.
“Hah. I wonder who I’ll have to send as my successor there…”
Edward made a sickening sound.
Archduke Halbern, who had calmly finished his tour of the inner chambers, leaving Emperor Edward grunting and whining about wanting to play with Empress Ageni, turned around.
“Ed.”
“Which one do I send for again, eh?”
“It’s time for the meeting. Let’s go.”
***
The returning Archduke of Halbern had many duties to fulfill.
With the Archduke of Halbern still in hiding with his deputy, Mehen, as his front man, the flood of invitations had ceased, and most of the requests for visits had fallen by the wayside.
There were minor formalities and problems, but the Archduke overrode them with the prestige and legitimacy of Halbern.
A few things were impossible to ignore, the first of which was the Emperor’s presence, and the second was this council.
A boudoir meeting with only the five dukes and the Emperor.
“Valar, how are you?”
The Duke of Mubisk in the military, the Emperor’s sword, and the Duke of Sperom in the wealth of the Empire.
“Valar!”
The relatively shy Duke of Sperom jumped at the sight of him.
“It’s a good thing you were going to Halbern, Valar. Do me a favor and hand over your share of dragon by-products to Sperom, and I’ll pay you handsomely-more than the others!”
“You seem to be hurry, Simon. Skip the greeting and get down to business.”
“You think I’m in a hurry? I could lick the soles of your feet right now. The waterworks must be flooded with dragon byproducts!”
“Haha. No need to lick the soles of his feet.”
Unfortunately, there would be no dragon by-product, for it belonged to the Emperor.
“I’ve already claimed my share, so when the Knights of Saren arrive, you can ask them.”
“Ah, no…”
Emperor Edward waved his hand in the air.
“Everyone, please take your seats.”
The seat of the Archduke of Halbern, which had been vacant for six years, was filled. The four men, gathered together for the first time in a long time, took their seats and wore strange expressions.
The Archduke of Halbern’s gaze fell on the remaining empty seat.
“The other two seats are vacant.”
“Duke Gremwart said he was exploring some new ruins he’d discovered, and Duke Idikels…”
Emperor Edward glared at Archduke Halbern with a fierce glare.
“And I’m still in the Southern Empire, thanks to somebody, dealing with Regent Locke.”
“Oh, like that.”
Emperor Edward rolled his eyes.
“That’s your story.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Emperor Edward glared at the Archduke of Halbern, who glared back.
“What the hell did you do?”
Six years ago now, for reasons unknown, Duke Idikels crossed the sea in haste because of the rampaging Regent Locke.
“What Regent Locke has been up to for years, you bastard, when we’ve got a raging monster problem on our hands and the southern front is unstable!”
In the face of the Emperor Edward’s fierce pressure, the Archduke of Halbern was as calm as a peaceful sea.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“What? Tell me!”
“I told him to give me the sister he took.”
Emperor Edward snapped, ruffling his hair.
“You’re causing a scene, you bastard!”
