Chapter 89

Leon Rothe Dale confessed to his crimes willingly.

“What should I say?”

Upon asking, he was roughly informed of what he needed to confess.

That he had attacked the bodyguard of Her Highness, the Imperial Princess, due to an uncontrollable craving for drugs and wished to serve in the penal military unit to atone for his wrongs against the Empire. That was essentially the advice given to him.

In return, I promised him three doses of drugs per day.

Each pill contained 15mg of Morphine, 15mg of Ephedrine, and 80mg of Caffeine.

He also mentioned that in the past, he’d mistakenly overdosed by taking two Monglongyi or two Bulongyi pills at once, but now that wouldn’t happen since one pill would be all he needed.

His posting would be in the eastern city of Lebspadow within the Empire.

In the original story, it was the place where a demon manifested during the Academy’s winter vacation.

Not exactly a cunning demon, just one that loved blood, flesh, and battles. Leon, who had been invited there by a supporting character, originally ended up slaying the demon.

Though Leon could not be completely trusted, one thing was certain:

If supplied with narcotics, he would fight harder than anyone else.

From a raw material cost perspective, a pill that cost less than 40 Talers apiece could help utilize a master, which the Imperial Army might not even realize was a profitable arrangement.

‘As long as he stays alive, it won’t be a total loss.’

After persuading Leon, I was heading home when someone shouted out.

“Heroin…!”

Students from the Academy recognized me and started whispering about me.

Just by looking at their distorted faces, I could tell what they thought of me. Honestly, if this was all the backlash after causing quite the controversy, then I should consider myself lucky.

Thankfully, there were those who tried to protect me.

The Imperial Princesses of the Empire.

—

**

**

Audience Chamber of the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Edmund III was currently half out of his mind.

Lately, incidents that drove people mad had been occurring frequently.

But this latest one hit hardest.

“Your Majesty! Leon Rothe Dale has ascended to the ranks of the Masters! Truly, this is a great fortune for the Empire…! Once this news spreads, royal families and noble heirs from the Ten Kingdoms will all seek to enroll in the Royal Academy!”

Though a new master had been born…

“… Your Majesty, I deeply apologize, but Leon Rothe Dale brutally assaulted the bodyguard of Her Highness, the First Princess, in front of over three thousand Academy staff and was subsequently arrested by the military police. The exact circumstances are yet unclear.”

The announcement quickly followed.

Not only did he disappear, but he also turned the Academy upside down.

Thousands of students who had witnessed the shocking scene would surely be spreading the word now. The fall of a master driven mad by drugs was a shocking event, one that endangered the Empire’s prestige.

‘Thankfully, it’s just the loss of prestige.’

The Empire was gradually turning into a bizarre nation.

Leon Rothe Dale, its main perpetrator, was sitting quietly in the military police headquarters interrogation room, looking unusually tame for someone accused of an attempted assassination.

It was a situation that only evoked sighs.

The good news was that there was no need for a separate investigation.

Because Princess Victoria, the emperor’s most trusted daughter, was giving a direct report.

“Mother. I know you must be deeply worried. However, the issue is being handled smoothly, so please do not concern yourself. I’m considering posting Leon Rothe Dale to Lebspadow. I’ve already formulated plans on how to utilize and supervise him…”

“Are you saying I’ll just give my consent?”

“I apologize for not informing you beforehand.”

“…”

“However, if I had consulted with you beforehand, you would have likely refused, thinking he’d be putting himself at risk.”

“Do you even call that an excuse, hmph.”

Would the princess of such a serious empire stoop to pulling such absurd stunts?

If it had been Siena, he might have shrugged it off, but this was different. A rare and precious newly-made master had been dismissed into the penal army not by Siena but by Victoria—such absurdity.

And it seemed Alan Medoff was in cahoots.

In a way, this was a bigger problem than Leon’s downfall.

What kind of demon-worshipping guy had come out of nowhere?

“Mother.”

“…?”

“I’m telling you this to avoid any misunderstanding. The plan was entirely my design. I made the decision alone and only sought Alan Medoff’s help afterward. This incident is not Alan Medoff’s responsibility in the slightest.”

“Hmm. Hard to agree with that. If Medoff hadn’t made the drugs in the first place…”

“The one who originally requested him to make the stimulants was me. The one who ordered the Morphine shipment was also me.”

“…”

“The one to be held accountable, if anyone, should be me—not Alan.”

The emperor stared blankly at his eldest daughter’s beautiful face.

Was this just her protecting Alan?

Or perhaps she was being overly responsible as a member of the royal family?

“Both, probably.”

That’s why the emperor’s headache only grew.

Victoria clearly believed that protecting Alan Medoff was essential to the safety and defense of the Empire. Given her personality, trying to change her mind about Alan would be futile.

Had she stubbornly insisted, the emperor might have scolded her.

But the princess just looked at him apologetically.

“I understand Father’s thoughts.”

“…”

“Just… please recognize one thing. Alan Sir understands the difficulties of the Imperial Court. Even if we inform him that his contributions in the Great Forest won’t be rewarded, he’ll readily accept it and raise no complaints.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Alan is that kind of person.”

At this moment, the emperor noticed a slight flicker in Victoria’s pupils.

And for a brief moment, her resolute expression softened.

“Alan Medoff is not someone who plots elaborate conspiracies. He’s not someone who seeks to overthrow the Empire. He takes responsibility for the troubles he caused, even enduring the public’s disdain.”

“Victoria?”

“I respect Alan Medoff.”

Respect.

This was no longer just a royal protecting her capable subordinate. After all, Alan Medoff wasn’t even her subordinate.

Could it be…

“Victoria. May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Though I’ve wanted to ask this for a while… perhaps…”

The emperor stopped, unable to voice his thoughts, regretting having brought it up.

But Victoria knew her father all too well. Or rather, she was no longer a child but a fully grown woman.

She nodded firmly.

“Yes. That is correct.”

“…”

“Alan Medoff is a gifted individual worthy of marrying into the royal family. Though I’ve thought so for a while, this incident has only strengthened my conviction. If Alan doesn’t oppose, I would like to soon make this public and proceed with the decision.”

Saying this, Victoria offered a gentle smile.

Not feigned, but a shy smile that occasionally appeared on her face before she aspired to become an officer.

The emperor understood its meaning better than anyone else.

‘She’s serious.’

Victoria, his most trusted daughter, seemed to be in love with Alan Medoff.

A truly complicated situation.

The emperor couldn’t help but recall the adorable image of his second daughter, Siena, rubbing her face against Alan’s chest and even pledging her wealth. And now, Victoria too?

“Victoria, I need some time to myself.”

“Father.”

“Leave. I’m quite troubled.”

“Yes, Father.”

Victoria glanced at the emperor with a sympathetic gaze, then left after offering her respects.

…

Alone in the audience chamber, the emperor gestured for a servant to bring him some brandy.

He didn’t generally enjoy drinking. Not because he disliked it, but because he had deliberately abstained since ascending the throne. Being drunk when an emergency arose could impair decision-making.

But now, a drink seemed urgently necessary.

At least one sip.

Just as he swallowed, the empress arrived.

The beautiful, intelligent, and well-connected Empress, who had brought a wealth of treasures during their marriage and was deeply loved.

…But at this moment, she wasn’t quite so adorable. After all, the entanglement between their two daughters and Alan had been partly due to her advice. Though unintentional, it still made him feel a bit hurt, being both emperor and father.

The empress seemed to recognize her fault, looking somewhat awkward.

“If you’re seeking an apology, I’ll offer it now.”

“Would that even help at this point?”

“It depends on how you look at it. But if you’ll allow, I can offer something better. After all, with our daughters involved, we can’t just let Alan Medoff’s reputation be ruined outright, can we?”

“What?”

“After all, it wouldn’t be wise to welcome a man who’s been vilified by public opinion as a royal son-in-law.”

“…”

What had she been demanding earlier? Now she was concerned about his reputation.

The emperor cast her a bemused look, but the empress remained unperturbed.

“Politics is always complicated.”

“…”

“While I could enjoy playing my harp while intoxicated on Psilocybin and no one would criticize me, Your Majesty cannot afford such luxuries. It’s time to put the nation first and set aside personal indulgences.”

Empress Lianhua said this with an entirely composed expression.

Edmund III stared at her for a moment before finally relenting.

‘This isn’t the time for drunkenness.’

Still, the empress’s calm ability to strategize in such dire situations was slightly unsettling. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, just that it felt burdensome. And the way the two daughters were falling for Alan Medoff felt equally burdensome.

“At least finish this glass. Let it comfort you.”

“Thank you.”

The emperor quietly emptied his second glass, then set it down.

And he listened again to the empress’ words, unpleasant as they were, because they were necessary to preserve Alan’s reputation.

Though the suspicion crossed his mind that this could be on behalf of Siena or Victoria’s requests, he decided it would be wiser not to ask.

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