Chapter 30

And so, the Emperor’s relentless teabagging of the nobles continued for quite some time.

“Hoho, this duke’s tea tastes absolutely divine. If I were a spirit medium, I might feel this way when summoning Undine.”

“…..”

“Hm? Why the long face, Duke? You look like someone forcing themselves to do something unspeakable.”

“…It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

Duke Grinevalt couldn’t help but scrunch his face up like crumpled paper upon hearing the Emperor’s words…

But alas, he could not possibly contradict the Emperor, so he had no choice but to calm himself with superhuman patience.

Especially in situations like this, where Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle” was being held hostage—it made things even worse.

At least there was one silver lining: the Emperor seemed content to merely tease the nobles on a small scale.

If matching the Emperor’s playful antics meant getting to see Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle” a week early, it wasn’t such a bad deal after all.

After tormenting the Duke and other nobles for quite some time, the Emperor finally wore a satisfied grin as if he’d had enough fun.

“Well, now that I know how much you all truly care about Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle,” I suppose I can stop messing around.”

“…That’s, at least somewhat relieving news, Your Majesty.”

For the nobles, who were already losing their patience from the Emperor’s teasing, this was indeed a welcome relief.

“Since you’ve shown such dedication, it wouldn’t be right for the Emperor of this Empire to just sit by. Therefore, I shall grant you all an exclusive preview of Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle.””

“…Is that really true!?”

“…Finally!”

Hearing the Emperor’s words, the nobles finally relaxed, breaking into bright smiles.

It had been a full hour since the Emperor used Episode 26 as bait to endlessly toy with them!

All the frustration and anguish they had endured vanished in an instant.

As the nobles reacted with delight, the Emperor leisurely activated the artifact sitting on the table.

Keeeeng—

Simultaneously, an eerily familiar image appeared on the artifact’s screen.

Without a doubt, it was none other than Unit 0, well-known to everyone present.

Except this time, Unit 0 had transformed into a transcendent form, complete with a halo above its head and six pairs of wings sprouting from its back.

According to Dr. Rachel, Unit 0 had awakened into a fully-fledged god of creation due to unknown reasons.

“Muuuoooorrrr—!”

With a wave of Unit 0’s hand, the very fabric of the universe began to transform. A pillar of light enveloped the Earth, threatening to obliterate everything.

Linnea and Dr. Rachel could do nothing but watch helplessly as humanity’s efforts proved futile against this divine entity.

Just then…

“…Hm?”

“What’s that?”

High above the sky, a knight mech suddenly appeared—a familiar sight to the nobles.

Without warning or any prior signs, the mech hurled a holy sword straight toward Unit 0.

Pwoosh—!

The sword flew at incredible speed and struck Unit 0’s heart dead-on.

And in the next moment…

BOOM—!

Both the halo above its head and the wings on its back disappeared without a trace.

All that remained was Unit 0, now reverted back to its normal form as a regular knight mech.

Gazing silently at the scene, the mysterious figure piloting the mech spoke in a soft voice.

“That’s enough, Kai. Had you gone further, you wouldn’t have been able to return to your human form.”

That voice was unmistakably familiar to the nobles.

“No, it can’t be… Could that voice belong to…!”

“Impossible. She was defeated by the Outsider ages ago!”

“Chloe?! Could Chloe really appear here…!”

Indeed.

The person who stopped Unit 0’s transformation with the holy sword was none other than Chloe herself.

Meanwhile, Chloe gazed tenderly at Kai, who lay unconscious inside Unit 0, her expression filled with sorrow and worry.

Her maternal affection was so palpable that even the nobles watching couldn’t help but be moved.

“I’m sorry for hurting you. But… I had no choice. A world without you holds no meaning for me.”

“So please, rest just a little longer inside there. This time, I’ll make sure to bring you happiness.”

“…”

“…”

At this moment, the nobles were completely transfixed, unable to take their eyes off the screen.

The Third Apocalypse mentioned by Rachel, the mysterious holy sword that silenced the fully-awakened Unit 0, and Chloe’s unexpected return—all these elements combined to flood the nobles’ brains with dopamine.

“Alright, that’s enough for now.”

Click.

The Emperor casually stopped the artifact displaying Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle.”

Simultaneously, the frozen expressions of the nobles, who had been gripping the screen with bated breath, came to a halt.

“W-Wait, Your Majesty! What exactly is going on right now!?”

“Hehe, Your Majesty. Perhaps this was a mistake? Please, continue playing Episode 26 immediately. Surely it wasn’t intentional, right? Right?”

The nobles managed to suppress their exasperation with superhuman restraint as they spoke.

However…

“Didn’t I already say ‘that’s enough’?”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ve told you before. The reason I get to see five episodes of “Knight Shin Chronicle” ahead of time is because the Imperial Household supports its production, and I serve as a sort of inspector. If I didn’t have that role, I wouldn’t be allowed to see it early either—even as the Emperor of this empire.”

The Emperor tapped the artifact with his finger as he explained.

“In other words, if I weren’t serving this role, seeing “Knight Shin Chronicle” ahead of time would never be permitted. Even if I am the Emperor ruling this land.”

“…!”

“At this very moment, the citizens of the empire are anxiously awaiting the developments of Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle.” As the Emperor, I cannot bestow the privilege of watching it exclusively to you all. That would be far too unfair, wouldn’t it?”

Indeed, the Emperor’s argument was sound, leaving no room for rebuttal.

“B-But then, what was the point of showing us that clip earlier?”

“Oh, that? Since you all looked so desperate, I decided to give you a little taste. But that’s all you’re getting. Be satisfied with that much.”

The Emperor stated firmly, though…

Naturally, the nobles couldn’t simply let go of Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle.”

If they hadn’t seen anything at all, maybe they could have resisted. But now that they’d gotten a glimpse…

How could they possibly walk away willingly?

In the end, the only option left for the nobles at this moment was one.

“Your Majesty, what if we offered compensation? Would that work?”

“…Compensation?”

“Yes. If we pay a price to watch Episode 26 of “Knight Shin Chronicle,” wouldn’t that solve everything?”

At the nobles’ desperate plea, the Emperor adopted an intrigued expression.

“Hmm, that’s an interesting idea. Compensation, huh? So, what do you plan to offer me?”

“If Your Majesty allows it, we’re willing to increase our monthly taxes by 10% this month—”

“Not interested.”

The Emperor responded with a deflated expression.

“An extra 10% in taxes won’t make the empire richer. Besides, trying to buy Episode 26 with mere money feels rather distasteful, doesn’t it?”

“Then how about this rare 19-year-old Baléfor Mountain wine I’ve been saving—”

“I don’t particularly care for that wine.”

“The massive diamond that has been passed down through my family—”

“I already have plenty of jewels, so no thanks.”

“…”

With each rejection from the Emperor, the nobles felt increasingly stifled.

Nothing works. What else can we possibly do?

‘Could it be that His Majesty never intended to let us watch Episode 26 in the first place?’

Giving hope and then snatching it away…

This was the Emperor’s masterful teabagging—not fan service—at its finest. Realizing this, the nobles fell into despair.

‘Is this the end for us?’

But just then…

“…Then, may I propose an offer you truly cannot refuse, Your Majesty?”

“Oh?”

Despite witnessing other nobles being dismissed by the Emperor, one brave soul stepped forward.

It was none other than Duke Grinevalt.

Seeing the Duke’s bold stance, the Emperor chuckled.

“An offer I cannot refuse… Hmm, perhaps the Duke might actually tempt me with something different from the others. Go on, speak your mind. I’m all ears.”

Originally, the Emperor’s true goal was to toy with everyone here and leave them in despair.

No matter what proposal the Duke made, the Emperor was confident he could dismiss it easily.

But then…

“A 1/6 scale figurine of Eli and Hammel kissing, crafted by the creators of “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel.””

“…What?”

“This item was gifted to me by Ragnar and Serika when I sponsored their project. Naturally, it’s a one-of-a-kind piece in this world.”

“…”

The Emperor froze, caught off guard.

He hadn’t expected the Duke to put such a valuable item on the table for this deal.

And the Duke wasn’t done yet.

“On top of that, I’ll also offer the 1/144 scale prototype model of Unit 0 created by Ragnar for “Knight Shin Chronicle.” In exchange, I wish to join you as an inspector to preview future episodes. What do you say to my proposal?”

“…Guh, guh!”

Wobble.

The Emperor lost his composure and staggered slightly.

Even the Emperor, standing at the pinnacle of the empire, couldn’t obtain anime production team-made figurines and models like these.

With the Duke putting these items on the table, the Emperor had no choice but to accept.

“…Fine, I admit defeat. I accept your deal.”

“A wise decision, Your Majesty.”

Hearing the Emperor’s surrender, Duke Grinevalt smiled warmly.

It was the smile of a victor.