Chapter 327

The imperial palace was as vast as a small city in itself, with a slight distance from the training grounds of the Silver Knight Order to the main palace of Jeilliris.

Along the wide paved road stood large evergreens and holy streetlights in a row.

The evergreens stood tall, absorbing the afternoon’s scorching sunlight, while the holy streetlights gathered the grace of light.

It was an overwhelming heat.

It seemed many people would likely faint from the heat, so I should instruct Hadrian to issue a public notice.

We should refrain from external work from noon until four o’clock.

“…It was the fault of the Ivory Tower, but as Duke Sorelazie provided the reason, it has been disregarded. Furthermore, in order to obtain information about the ancient artifacts that both I and Duke Sorelazie witnessed, Duke Sorelazie has obtained a grimoire in a lending form.”

On a lazily peaceful summer afternoon, my emperor, upon hearing my report, momentarily fell silent.

“…The number of fatalities is less than expected. As expected from the Ivory Tower. Is Duke Sorelazie safe?”

“We all used holy water for additional purification. She is unharmed, although I feel quite tingling.”

“What?”

“Biologically, I seem to be slowly ceasing to be human… please understand.”

Jeilliris showed a fleeting expression of uncertainty, as if she didn’t know what to say.

Eventually, it appeared she concluded that she wouldn’t say anything, pretending not to hear my words and continued speaking.

“Did you say you saw a gap in the world when the door opened?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She lightly trembled her white cheeks, then let out a sigh, as if finding it absurd.

“How strange. It’s not something I should say, but thinking about how precarious the world I rule is leaves me speechless.”

I carefully licked my tongue so that this logic would not lead to useless controls and exhausting oversight.

“Each individual is insignificant. However, from among those ordinary subjects, heroes arise to save the empire, and infiltrators emerge to destabilize it. And it is Your Majesty who rules over billions of subjects carrying such grand potential.”

“Yet it seems my eyes and ears see and hear more infiltrators than heroes.”

“That means the suppression operation is progressing well.”

Whether disguised as adventurers sneaking into the upper echelons or lurking in the shadows, infiltrators move around the empire causing incidents, and when their roots are pulled out in one province, they grow their power back in another.

Thus, I had to impose nationwide suppression to catch them.

The suppression operation was successfully implemented under the charisma of the Holy Emperor.

Jeilliris counted with her fingers and spoke lazily.

“Thirty-five thousand in the west, one hundred thirty-eight thousand in the south, forty-two thousand in the east, fifty-six thousand in the north… Yes, capturing so many means they will rise in numbers. It’s like increasing the number of constables decreases both crime rates and arrest rates.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The increase in infiltrators was not due to the suppression operation, but rather because we had tied up and burned all those we couldn’t capture before.

Ahead, long and wide stairs and the grand main palace began to come into view.

The guards standing at the foot of the stairs straightened their posture upon seeing me and frowned at Jeilliris.

They cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted.

“Duke, Your Highness! Who is the woman in modest attire?”

“If you were thinking of taking her to Your Majesty-.”

I urgently turned to her and advised.

“Your Majesty, this distance makes it impossible to see hair color or eye color. Please understand that they are not superhuman.”

Jeilliris smiled sleepily and nodded.

“Indeed. They probably did not expect that the Emperor would walk around the imperial palace dressed like this.”

* * *

“Your Majesty!?”

“Your Majesty!?”

A moment later, the two guards recognized the emperor and slammed their heads against the stone steps.

They must have felt like the protagonists of a dragon tale.

Jeilliris forgave them and created ice with magic on the spot.

“Thank you for your hard work on this hot day.”

They were sweating profusely, and they bowed their heads repeatedly in gratitude for the emperor’s grace.

“The emperor is immensely gracious! Your Majesty.”

Once we entered the main palace, maidens flocked around us again.

I went up to her office.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, Jeilliris came in.

Having washed up, her hair was slightly damp, and she wore a splendid dress embroidered with gold thread on a black background.

Her familiar outfit brought me comfort.

In a somewhat playful tone, she spoke.

“Why do you gaze at me with such disrespectful eyes?”

“I did not expect Your Majesty to wear a gambeson under a blouse and trousers.”

She theatrically nodded.

“I understand what you mean. I fight in a dress too. But that is just in case I need to fight while wearing a dress; if I were to go to war, I would wear a gambeson under plate armor.”

“Then why, during the previous magical realm hunt-.”

“Back then, I had to show dignity to those two counts.”

Creating an impression for morale and dignity was always important.

There was a reason knights and nobles donned strikingly elaborate armors and billowing cloaks.

Instead of questioning further, I simply nodded.

Jeilliris frowned as she gazed toward the training grounds.

“Hmm. I was originally supposed to go and meditate with you.”

In the early stages of training, one naturally accumulates mana through physical conditioning, but after becoming a sword user who can clearly sense and manipulate mana, it is essential to meditate to increase the mana.

Since I had not felt the need since Yoon-chan, I had let it slide, but it was an essential process to grow the mana road and mana hall.

“Indeed, after moving my body, I must meditate to feel refreshed.”

Since both Laurelai and Sayah Yan valued meditation and contemplation, I also planned to set aside time for it in the future.

Jeilliris scanned me up and down slowly, wearing a slightly satisfied yet worried expression.

“Indeed, you should also engage in meditation training.”

“Yes.”

“Relying solely on magic is insufficient. It takes time to cast powerful spells. At the very least, you should have enough swordsmanship to protect yourself. Therefore, meditation training is mandatory.”

“Your Majesty, I am a Sword Expert. I believe I possess swordsmanship adequate for self-defense…”

Jeilliris gave me a lazy smirk.

“A Sword Master and below does not qualify as being able to protect oneself.”

I quickly retorted.

“Your Majesty, you have just turned all the countless swordsmen and knights of this continent into fools.”

She had a knack for silencing me.

“Come sit over here. I will guide you.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you want to?”

“That would be quite inappropriate.”

It was rare to have the opportunity to be guided in mana by a Sword Master.

I quickly bowed my head.

Jeilliris’ office was adorned with a luxurious, thick carpet that felt almost too soft to walk on while wearing shoes.

The attendants of the main palace and visiting nobles had special shoes for wearing inside the palace, and this carpet was maintained with magical solutions made by the mages of the national magic guild, making it far cleaner than with human hands.

Therefore, it was hygienically acceptable for both the duke and the emperor to sit on it.

Although, logically, it was quite a significant issue.

“Your Majesty, there is a problem. I can be your footrest, but I cannot allow you to sit on the floor.”

“Hmm. I particularly do not wish to use you as a footrest. Prepare for meditation training while sitting before you sit down.”

“Yes? What did you just say…?—”

“Duke, sit down.”

Jeilliris’ voice grew lower.

Knowing she was a person who would tear patience apart and use it as leverage, I kept my mouth shut and sat cross-legged with my eyes closed.

* * *

After repeatedly breathing in and out, calmness soon enveloped me.

The mana flowing from my heart coursed through my veins and returned to my heart.

“I shall begin.”

Jeilliris slowly placed her hand on my back.

The long, firm yet supple fingers felt over my uniform.

Soon, her mana started seeping into my body.

It was a pure and refined golden mana.

It was warm.

If my mana felt like burning water, hers felt like melted gold.

Even in the heat outside, beads of sweat began to gather on my forehead.

Siiih-.

In an instant, she stripped me of my control over mana and began to channel it.

Beginning from my heart, returning to it two or three times.

Her mana spread throughout my body, and I felt a gentle warmth.

Jeilliris’ voice languidly echoed in my ear.

“There is an unusual energy in your heart. Yoon-chan. Cuith Az, the god of the Eastern prairie. In addition, there is strength taken from various strange beings and infiltrators.”

“I thought I had burned everything down and refined it. Was I wrong?”

“No. You did well. If you had tried to burn more, it would have been hard to absorb. I shall draw you up, so burn it once more with vigor.”

Then, Jeilliris’ energy delved deep into my heart.

Strange remnants that I had not noticed were slowly gathering beneath my heart, hardening like rock.

Jeilliris used her golden mana like a spear to extract everything, sending it along my mana road.

“Ugh.”

It felt like thorns were jamming my throat.

I pulled up my vigor and burned those remnants away.

Fwoosh!

A heat as if fire were roaring within me engulfed me, and the control of the mana she infused transitioned back to me.

In a slightly surprised tone, Jeilliris said.

“You truly are flames. As expected, my twin.”

“Your Majesty, that is flattery. Unlike you, I ended up like this after gobbling up everything.”

As I spoke naturally, my words faltered for an instant.

Jeilliris slightly trembled her hand resting on my back.

“Not ashamed?”

Her voice seemed to be waiting for an answer.

“…”

I was familiar with the stories of past dukes who sought to act as regents only to end up losing their heads.

Jeilliris ascended to the throne after killing hundreds of kin, and I was her henchman, unable to even stand before the administrative officer of the national magic guild beforehand.

In truth, if I could turn back time, I wished to go back to that day.

There had been moments I resented returning at seventeen instead of nine.

A person should have a sense of propriety and awareness.

How could I claim kinship when I sent my other half to the place of death?

However, judging by her eyes, it felt as if she was saying it was okay to say this, or rather—she wanted me to say it.

With the feeling of blood rising in my throat, I spat out my words.

“Not ashamed… I tried to become the elder brother in the imperial family, but it seems I am still far from it.”

Swoosh.

I sensed Jeilliris shake her head.

She beautifully murmured.

“You are indeed going the right path.”

“…”

“I have gone too far alone, and you, out of your way, are struggling to keep up.”

Indeed.

I could accept that to some extent.

“Your Majesty is a god.”

“Jeilliris is coming!”

“Emperor! Save us!”

The Holy Emperor Jeilliris had gone so far that no one could understand, and I was grimly trying to catch up to her.

I wanted to atone and be of help.

The means for that, before my return, would have been tyranny, and in this life, it was force.

Before my return, I had caused a bigger infamy than now, and now I was burning and devouring all kinds of monsters.

Jeilliris slowly withdrew her hand from my back.

At the moment the golden mana, akin to melted gold, left my body, I felt goosebumps.

A humid breeze flowed through the open window and swept across my nape.

She whispered into my ear.

“I will gladly accept your dedication, as your emperor.”

I referred to her as my elder sister, and she called herself the emperor.

It could mean the ruler of the empire, or it might mean we were twins of the imperial family.

Was she leaving space for interpretation?

Was that an over-interpretation?

Or could it be both?

“Since you are doing well, do not be too impatient. Like today, continue to rely on my help. I cannot say I will wait for you. I must keep moving forward endlessly.”

That was a resonant statement I would not forget.

“You are the one holding off those who plot against me. You shall continue to burn, refine, and consume many more. Never let it go out, and burn endlessly.”

With her final words, she whispered.

“So please continue to take care of me in the future. Brother.”

This time, it was certainly not an auditory hallucination.

It seemed like a strange occurrence was happening as the heat rose, the magical realms opened, Sererassie confronted her homeland, and the Holy Emperor Jeilliris called me brother.

It was summer.