Chapter 276

The Emperor of Romania, Julius, lay down on his bed, his body weary from the affairs of state.

Even after five years as emperor, the weight of the Immortal Crown felt heavier with each passing day.

The question “Can I be like the Former Emperor?” was always the shackle weighing down Julius.

The Former Emperor. The Sword Emperor. The Great Arthur. Lucius Altirius III.

My mother’s brother. The uncle of the emperor and my adoptive father.

Though he was a foster parent to inherit the throne, in official settings, he was treated thoroughly as a father.

A relationship both close and distant—this Former Emperor was an existence Julius could not reach.

Possessing the power to suppress both the Royal Knights and the Epona Knight Order alone… the strongest human of this generation.

The only ones who could compare to him were the heroes of old tales or perhaps the legendary hero Rychlen.

Following in such a radiant Former Emperor’s footsteps, Julius barely managed to bear the weight of the crown upon his head.

There were no issues with the governance. As the adopted son of the Sword Emperor and the biological son of the Dragon Priestess, the authority stemming from his background carried an unapproachable mighty force.

The lords of various regions bowed their heads before Julius, and the commoners praised the emperor’s name while living on land that never faced famine.

Both the nobles and the commoners respected the emperor; there was no one who would dare oppose him.

The Romania Empire advanced smoothly without a single starving soul.

However, the emperor ruling over Romania always lived with an uneasy heart.

He did not possess the Former Emperor’s swordsmanship.

He did not have his mother’s magical prowess.

Though he received commendations for being quite intelligent, compared to those two, Julius was just an ordinary person. All he could do was govern this country.

With no clear path to improvement, Julius sighed deeply.

Like starlight hidden behind a brilliant sun, leaving a mark in history after succeeding the great Former Emperor would not be easy.

And so, Julius laid his body down on the bed.

As days passed and new ones came, Julius, who struggled day by day, fell into sleep.

—

Julius! Emperor Julius!

In Julius’s blurred consciousness, someone’s voice echoed—a woman’s voice he had never heard before. Yet it felt oddly familiar.

Inspect the lives of the people directly with your own eyes. Especially those who fight monsters—the adventurers.

Confused, Julius tilted his head in semi-slumber at the voice.

Adventurers…? Those rough individuals who hunt monsters without becoming soldiers.

Their nature is unruly, and they frequently cause problems.

They wander looking for monsters to hunt, pay little to no proper taxes, and are almost delinquents.

Why should such people be monitored? For what reason?

They require systematic management and help—something only you can provide.

Only I… Only I can do this…

Indeed. Only you can. Even the Former Emperor, famed as the Sword Emperor, couldn’t…

Right at that moment,

BANG!!!

Something shattered, abruptly snapping Julius out of his deep dream. Rising hurriedly, Julius saw none other than the Former Emperor, panting heavily.

“Julius, did you see anyone here?”

“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Without even catching his breath, the Former Emperor scanned the room. The door, now broken and scattered across the floor, revealed fragments strewn everywhere.

“I thought I sensed her presence… but apparently, nothing.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. Am I getting old?”

“No! Please give me a proper explanation!”

Thus, the Former Emperor, who arrived like a storm, left with slow steps.

Julius could only blankly stare at the retreating figure of the Former Emperor.

—

Phew, that was a shock.

I was whispering appropriately in Julius’s dream when Arthur suddenly rushed in, startling me into cutting the connection.

Wait, how did he notice? Though I used some faith, the amount was so minimal that a regular human wouldn’t have detected it.

Clearly, Arthur was moving beyond the boundaries of humanity.

But let’s leave that aside for now.

—

“Suddenly going on a pilgrimage? Is something the matter, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm. I just suddenly felt like it.”

The captain of the Royal Knights, dressed plainly like an adventurer, spoke while the emperor gazed at the streets.

“It’s been five years since I inherited the throne, yet I’ve never seen firsthand how the commoners live. I’ve heard much through others, but I’ve never truly observed it myself.”

“That… It’s because Your Majesty has many responsibilities…”

“Enough. Reflecting on it, I should have checked earlier. And call me Julius now, not Your Majesty.”

“Your… Cough. Understood. Julius.”

Seeing the knight reluctantly change his address, Julius nodded slightly.

“But what would you like to observe? Though I don’t know everything about the capital, I’ll try to guide you if possible.”

“Hmm. I want to see how adventurers live.”

“Adventurers? They’re not worth Your Majesty’s attention.”

“I told you to call me Julius.”

“Ah, sorry. Julius.”

At the light reprimand, the knight bowed his head. Watching this, Julius spoke softly.

“I know their nature is coarse and unruly, but they are still citizens of this nation. And by hunting monsters, they allow other commoners to live peacefully without the threat of monsters.”

“That’s true, but…”

“The burden on soldiers and knights lessens because of their monster-hunting. Don’t belittle their efforts just because they’re somewhat unruly.”

The knight nodded slightly.

Because the Former Emperor was too great, Julius often overshadowed, but he was still a qualified emperor.

“Then… I’ll guide you to the tavern where adventurers often gather.”

“No. I want to go outside the capital Sirius.”

“Huh?”

“I want to see adventurers hunt monsters directly.”

“But… it’s dangerous!”

To which Julius replied calmly,

“You will protect me, won’t you?”

After all, the captain of the Royal Knights was the strongest individual next to the Former Emperor.

If he guarded, who could harm Julius?

It was a statement filled with trust in the knight.

“Understood, Julius. I’ll stake my life to protect you.”

“There’s no need to risk your life. I’ve also trained in swordplay.”

Julius showed the sword hanging at his waist with a small smile.

Though far inferior to the Former Emperor, Julius was skilled enough to match two knights. It was somewhat reassuring.

Even though he didn’t bring the famous blade Dainslef, gifted by the Former Emperor due to its dangerous reputation, Julius brought a fine sword crafted by dwarves. Bringing Dainslef might complicate matters during a pilgrimage.

Thus, Julius and the captain of the Royal Knights quietly slipped out of the capital Sirius, concealing their identities.

—

“Indeed. These beasts transformed into monsters are generally more dangerous.”

After cutting the throat of a deer with sharp horn-like blades, the knight and Julius surveyed their surroundings.

The deer, whose horns turned blade-like and became ferocious, fell helplessly to the swords of Julius and the knight.

“But they’d be threatening to those who don’t know how to fight.”

“Not everyone among the commoners knows how to wield weapons.”

After looking at the decapitated deer, the knight drew a dagger and began processing the carcass.

Carefully extracting a small mana stone from near the heart, removing the entrails—all actions looked quite practiced.

“Years of experience, huh?”

“Yeah. Before becoming captain, I did a lot of things. Hunting monsters that adventurers couldn’t handle was part of a knight’s job.”

The knight tied the monster’s neck downward with a rope around a tree to drain the blood.

“After draining the blood, peeling the skin, and selling the meat provides decent side income. Though the most valuable item is the mana stone sold to the Church of Life.”

“Indeed… quite labor-intensive.”

“Still, we can’t help it. Monster materials are more valuable than normal animal products. This deer monster’s meat, for instance, will taste far better than regular deer.”

Adding that it’s dangerous but worthwhile, the knight earned a slight nod from the emperor.

Risking danger to earn money by hunting monsters—indeed, thanks to such people, the threat of monsters decreases.

Understanding this, Julius looked around.

For some reason, the forest seemed unusually quiet.

—

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