Chapter 292: Desert’s Feeling (2)
Immediately after Deculein received the order to track prisoners and was dispatched, Emperor Sophien looked around the s.p.a.ce allotted to her on the top floor of the new building.
“…”
Without saying a word, she was rocked by emotion. It was because of the familiar interior decoration, designed like the Imperial Palace. Thanks to this, the room was rather familiar and calming.
Trudge, trudge-
Sophien walked helplessly to her bed and laid down. She stared blankly at the ceiling, immersed in complicated thoughts and cooling anger.
“…This is hard.”
It was hard. Government and politics, science and martial arts, magic and swordsmanship. Human emotions were hundreds of times harder than all of that.
‘My feelings and his feelings.’
It was an experience she had never had before, so she was mistaken about his feelings. Was she overconfident that he would accept her?
“Tsk.”
Sophien was still clumsy when it came to this kind of relationship. She was hasty and impatient.
“…d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
So, Sophien couldn’t tell just how much Deculein loved Julie. She was even doubtful whether such an emotion could exist, pushing him to risk his family and his life.
“Julie will die anyway.”
However, Sophien shook her head, wearing a cold smile. Julie would die anyway. She already knew that her illness was incurable. Then.
‘If I just wait, will he be mine?’
Was she too hasty when she just had to wait?
“…Do you think it’s right for me to think like this, Keiron?”
As she pondered, Sophien felt a new surge of anger. There was nothing she didn’t have as an emperor and nothing she could not take. The most powerful Empire on this continent was hers.
“To be like this for not being able to win over someone who is dying…”
But, could she call herself an emperor when she was this restless?
─No.
Keiron’s answer came from somewhere in the inner room. He was always with the Emperor as a statue of a knight.
“What do you mean no?”
─The knight Julie is not a woman who will die.
At that moment, Sophien’s brow furrowed, and Keiron answered before she could ask what he meant.
─They seem to have come up with a way to save the Knight Julie.
…
At the same time, in another oasis quite far from Sophien.
“I found it!”
Found the Lunar Gra.s.s! Epherene smiled brightly and showed it to Julie.
“Look. I found it, right?”
“…Yes.”
Both of them were covered in sand and mud as they dug through the borders of the oasis. They were also covered in wounds from dealing with the scorpion monsters, but they were satisfied.
“Look. It’s very rare, but we found it in one day. It means that you will live.”
Epherene said, putting the Lunar Gra.s.s in her herbal bag.
“Now, all we need is a large-capacity mana stone. Of course, the more Lunar Gra.s.s we have, the better.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course. Oh, are you in good shape? You used mana.”
“I’m fine.”
“That crazy scorpion monster.”
Epherene frowned at the giant scorpion frozen nearby.
“Then, Epherene. Let’s go back. You’ve been walking too long in the desert. It looks like you’re out of stamina.”
Julie said that despite being the one always wearing armor.
“Yes, I’ll contact Allen. Oh, right. Did you write in your diary today?”
“Yes.”
It was the Armor of Freyden, also called the armor of snow, which was a treasure given only to the blood of Freyden.
“Keep writing. Don’t skip even a day. I’ll check it out too.”
“…Yes. I will.”
On the side was the shape of a knight embossed with mana stones. It was a common decoration on any piece of armor, but it was also a statue, so…
“Really. If something goes wrong with you, even though I’ve stepped up like this, I won’t be able to look at the Professor. No, even now, I can’t look.”
Keiron was watching them.
…
Returning to the main building in the desert, Sophien’s expression turned to ice when she heard the news. In contrast, a fire simmered in her heart.
“You’re trying to survive like a c.o.c.kroach.”
It was an anger that she couldn’t understand.
─…
Keiron remained silent.
“Keiron. Keep monitoring and tell me where they are hiding.”
—Yes. But what do you plan to do?
“Hmph.”
Sophien held back a smirk.
“To turn back only one person’s time is against the rules of this world. It’s arrogant.”
Keiron watched her quietly as she made-up reasons.
“It’s an escape from her life.”
—However, it might be a good way to preserve one’s present memories with a diary.
“Diary? Memories that are preserved like that are incomplete. Are you saying that with just one diary, the Julie of the past can be a.s.similated with the Julie of the present?”
Sophien shook her head.
“So, I will kill her myself.”
─…Please, wait.
Keiron’s words were a bit odd. Sophien asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Wait for what?”
—There is a snoop.
Clank-!
At that moment, swords clashed outside the main building. Sophien looked out the window.
“…What is that now?”
Another Keiron statue and some child were dueling. The statue was sculpted by Deculein, and the child on the other side… had a familiar face.
“Lia.”
The child, Lia, helped interpret the divine language. She dared to spy on the Emperor and was caught by Keiron—
“Wait!”
─ She was facing Keiron’s sword.
“Wait a minute… eh?”
They were locked in a close battle.
“What.”
Was it the influence of the special training Deculein put her through, or was Keiron going easy on her?
“It’s pretty doable?”
Even Lia was amazed to find she wasn’t falling behind Keiron…
* * *
I was tracking the prisoners. The method was extremely simple; I had to follow them with Vision. I could see all the traces of those who disappeared from their bonds.
“…Seriously. Deculein, you’re not called the Grim Reaper by the Demon Blood for no reason.”
Idnik. She shook her head as she saw me following them.
“The bag in your hand is too heavy to fly or to be taken to the ground.”
I pointed to the bag she was holding. It looked like an ordinary bag, but there were prisoners inside. Hundreds from the local tribe were shrunk inside.
“I have to admit, your marvelous use of magic deserves to be reported to academia.”
Hundreds of people shrunk to that extent. It was amazing magic, regardless of its purpose.
“…You couldn’t be anywhere as good as me way~ back. But you sure know how to give a compliment.”
Idnik laughed.
“Give them over and leave.”
“…”
Idnik’s expression hardened. I grabbed my staff.
“Deculein, the desert is my home, and it is also the hometown of your master, Rohakan.”
Idnik responded with hostility.
“I will not let you people of the Empire, especially the Emperor, destroy the desert.”
“Hmm. That’s surprising.”
I sneered and let out a small laugh.
“I think the same.”
“So I… what?”
Idnik tilted her head.
“What are you surprised about? The desert expedition does not benefit Her Majesty either politically or nationally. It is a war that most of her servants internally opposed.”
“…”
Idnik shut her mouth.
“The Demon Blood has no will to resist the Empire. Keeping your blade pointed at them is like screaming at an earthworm. They’re going to shrivel up even if you don’t bother them.”
“…Are you criticizing Sophien’s policies?”
“That’s right. Not everything Her Majesty says is right, and as a servant, I must rectify injustice.”
The desert expedition and the hatred of Demon Blood were purely Quay’s tricks, which imprinted certain programming in Sophien’s head.
“Then let me go. If you do, I will accept your words.”
“I can’t.”
I shook my head. Idnik frowned.
“Why?”
“It’s Her Majesty’s order.”
“…Don’t you think all the things you said don’t add up?”
“It’s a problem with your poor logic.”
Idnik closed her eyes for a moment. She let out a sigh as if holding back anger and then opened her eyes again.
“I will urge Her Majesty’s policies to be beneficial to her, but I will obey her orders. Unless I have a justification for refusing the order.”
It wasn’t wrong to say that this was Deculein’s programming. No matter how much advice I gave Sophien, I wouldn’t be able to disobey if she ever gave an order and compelled me.
“What is your reason for refusal?”
“Only when Her Majesty’s life is in jeopardy. So, release the prisoners.”
“…”
“I will not kill them all. No, I’ll try to save as many as possible.”
“…Is that a promise?”
“As far as I can.”
I didn’t play around with promises. Idnik knew it too, so she pondered with trembling eyes and gritted teeth.
“So. How are you going to make that work? After offering all the tribes of the desert?”
“Hmm. I don’t know.”
“…You don’t know?”
I put my hand in my pocket for a moment. I pretended to take out my pocket watch and dropped a piece of magic paper.
“Okay. Why are you asking me that?”
It was far from ordinary paper, with five levels of Midas’ Hand-applied. Idnik’s eyes turned to it.
“You must know for yourself.”
I stole the bag with Psychokinesis. It was a momentary surprise, but Idnik didn’t resist much. But, in exchange for the bag, she took the magic paper I dropped.
“I’m leaving.”
I turned around, and Idnik called after me.
“Deculein. Isn’t it about time you meet Julie?”
“…”
Julie. A name that always made me stop thinking for a little bit.
“…I figured out a way to save her.”
Heat rose in my heart for a moment and just hearing it gave me a strange sense of excitement. But I shook my head.
“The priorities are different.”
Holding the bag full of prisoners, I returned to the Emperor.
“…Different priorities.”
As she watched Deculein leave, Idnik clicked her tongue. Everyone knew that Julie was always at the top of that priority.
“Anyway. If the price is too low, I will come back and take it.”
Idnik looked at the magic paper that Deculein had pretended to have dropped. He was exchanging this paper for the prisoners, so if even the smallest thing didn’t satisfy her, she would go right away and…
“…”
She would slap Deculein in the face and take the prisoners back. An enormous amount of magic appeared in Idnik’s eyes as she thought about it.
“…What?”
The magic paper held an unheard of giant magic. Giant magic that could be installed throughout the desert… no, it was a kindly customized circuit designed to be installed throughout the desert. The result, explosions aimed solely at ma.s.s destruction.
Mutually a.s.sured destruction was the surest method to ensure cooperation.
“The justification for rejecting the order is… only when Her Majesty’s life is in jeopardy.”
Sophien would have no choice but to leave the desert.
“Did you mean that?”
Idnik snorted, still perplexed.