“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The distance between the Emperor and me gradually closed.
Just about when I felt like I could reach out and touch him.
“You can stand over there.”
The two guards who had been waiting for me stopped me.
“Well, sure.”
Shrugging my shoulders a bit, I stepped back a couple of paces to show I would comply.
Well, it’s a decent response from a guard.
They probably wanted to keep a safe distance, just in case I might harm the Emperor.
So I can understand this level of rudeness.
Nodding slightly, I cast my gaze toward the Emperor.
“You’ve come.”
“…”
The Emperor smiled at confirming my arrival and stretched out his hand for a handshake.
Hmm, a handshake?
I distinctly rejected physical contact the first time I met the Emperor…
As I narrowed my eyes and looked at the Emperor, he gestured toward the crowd gathered nearby with a sidelong glance.
“Um.”
Naturally, there are many eyes watching.
And as an Emperor, he must have some pride too, so if I were to reject him again here, it would be awkward for him as well.
Sighing deeply, I reached out and shook his hand.
“Tsk.”
Nameless seemed to understand the situation as well, only slightly frowning, not imposing any further restrictions as before.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
“What can I say? I’m just grateful you provided me with all sorts of delicious food.”
Well, the food here is actually quite tasty, and I came here feeling more like I was on a fun trip rather than receiving a reward.
As I nodded lightly and said that, I could see the frowns behind the hidden visors of the surrounding knights.
“Um…”
I wiped my hand on the skirt of my dress after shaking hands with the Emperor, scratching my head slightly.
…It seems to have bothered me quite a bit.
Should I have refrained from being so rude to the Emperor even here?
But I can’t turn back time now, and I have my pride as a disciple in front of him, so the Emperor will likely understand graciously.
See, even now he’s not stopping the knights, right?
“Haha.”
The knights looked like they were about to draw their swords, trembling with tension, but the Emperor smiled warmly at them and raised his hand to stop them.
“You don’t need to worry.”
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
One knight, who seemed to have a lot to say, bit his lip but managed to suppress it at the Emperor’s words.
Then, the Emperor’s tedious stories began.
…With a little embellishment.
It was as if my blocking of the academy had not been merely an act of guilt.
Instead, it was spun into a tale where I stood alone for a noble cause, minimizing sacrifice as I caught a whiff of strange intentions.
And saving Crown Prince Arnold was not a rather malicious act to poke fun at the students but instead framed as Arnold not tolerating injustice and stepping up alone, with me appearing dramatically to rescue him.
…This is not just a slight alteration.
What is this heroic tale?
It’s to the point that I, the listener, can’t believe it.
“Hah.”
I chuckled at the Emperor’s ridiculous explanations.
Who on earth would believe that?
The people gathered for the banquet must have sensed this and felt the awkwardness as well.
Thinking of how to salvage this situation as I turned my head, I faced the people who were continuously muttering with admiration.
Among them, there were even some who were crying from how moved they were.
Seeing such intense reactions, I began to feel a bit scared of them.
Wait, are they believing this?
Is there really such a gullible person in this world?
Hmm…except…?
When I thought about it, Lucius or Elia would likely approach it with that mindset.
Camilla might have been grumbling about it too…
It seems there are quite a few good people in this world,
So they easily believe such fabrications.
Having come to this conclusion myself.
“Master.”
“Um?”
Nameless lightly tapped my shoulder.
As I tilted my head, Nameless leaned in closer and whispered in my ear.
“I see no fault in the man’s words.”
“What?”
Nameless had already heard the context, so he must have known my intent wasn’t as pure…
Slightly tilting my head in confusion, Nameless smiled and continued.
“Even if it’s hypocrisy, isn’t that still a kind of good?”
“Hmm…”
Is it…? I’m not so sure based on my values.
Well, since Nameless didn’t convey it with bad intentions, I won’t deny it and just slightly turned my head.
Above all, discussions on this topic make me feel embarrassed, so I’d rather stop.
As the Emperor’s long and boring speech finally wrapped up,
He looked at me and gestured slightly.
“Would you like to say a word?”
“…Me?”
As my eyes widened and I tilted my head,
The Emperor still had a kind smile on his face and nodded.
“Then, who else could it be?”
“…Hmm.”
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
About what? Before I could ask, the Emperor immediately spoke.
“To them, you are practically a hero, so whatever you say will be received well.”
Hmm… I’m still not feeling it though.
Seeing me hesitate, the Emperor cleared his throat once and then spread his hands towards the crowd as if to indicate to wait.
Then, turning to me with a gentle smile, he muttered softly.
“Well, it’s just a joke to help you relax.”
At that moment,
It was like hearing the Emperor’s voice speaking directly in my head.
…It was telepathy.
The kind that Arnold said could only be used by those of their bloodline.
“By chance, is there a man you have in mind?”
The Emperor sent me a playful wink while relaying this message into my head.
My expression twisted in confusion upon hearing this.
“If not, how about my son Arnold? I promise he’ll come with overflowing wealth and power.”
The follow-up was truly outrageous.
I looked at the Emperor with astonished eyes, questioning if he was being serious.
The rudeness surpassed the line for a joke meant to ease tension,
I furrowed my brows and let out a small breath.
“…Forget it, I’m not interested, so go find someone else.”
I focused my energy and concentrated near my vocal cords.
Thus, my voice echoed into the Emperor’s head,
Soon, I received the Emperor’s flustered emotions wrapped in his voice.
“How did you learn the royal tongue…?”
The expression he wore while looking back was oddly comical; he seemed genuinely startled.
I sighed deeply and turned my gaze away from the Emperor.
…Spending my energy on such a useless conversation wouldn’t help. It was faster to say a word to the people and wrap up the banquet.
Well, thanks to that, I did feel less tense,
Although the unpleasant feelings were greater, it wasn’t a problem.
“…Wait a moment.”
Ignoring what the Emperor was about to say, I glanced at the people, who seemed quite eager to hear what I would say.
I walked forward and grabbed onto the railing.
“Ahem.”
As I spoke, there was complete silence, not even a small noise could be heard.
All eyes were fixed on me, including Arnold, who focused on what I was about to say.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, I opened my mouth.
“I’ll keep it short-”
Just as I was about to say, “I’ll keep it quick,”
-BAM!
A loud explosion erupted from the banquet hall wall.
“Ahhh!”
“W-What?!”
“Guards! Guards!”
Through the smoke caused by the explosion, the shapes of the people gradually started to come into view.
“Intruder!”
In the sudden chaos, the Emperor and Arnold were flustered,
As their knights rushed over to support them, leading them deeper into the hall.
“You must take shelter!”
“What is this…?!”
The Emperor’s voice trembled.
He was experiencing a headache from the sudden attack he had never faced while holding onto power, as well as the royal tongue used by Harang earlier.
And I, too, was in a state of confusion.
“…What is going on?”
I felt a familiar presence among the people hiding in the smoke.
“Nameless, do you know anything?”
Turning to Nameless, he only nodded slightly as if he was already aware of the situation.
…What’s happening?
Nameless slowly approached me, guiding my hand on the railing, and spoke softly.
“Master.”
“Yes, Nameless.”
“It seems they have found us.”
I didn’t grasp the meaning behind his words and tilted my head.
“…What?”
“Our spy we were looking for.”
…Spy?
I couldn’t make sense of how that related to the chaos in the palace right now…
Even after hearing the explanation, nothing was clear.
Seeing my puzzled expression, Nameless’s lips turned into a small smirk, and he whispered in a serious tone.
“Will you trust me for a moment?”
“…Alright, sure.”
Nameless wouldn’t act to put me in danger, right?
Besides, since I told him to do whatever he wanted, I wouldn’t have grounds to stop him.
Nodding slightly, Nameless continued.
“Do you have a sword you can grab?”
“A sword…?”
“Yes, even a wooden sword will do.”
Hmm, I do have one.
I thought they collected all the weapons that could threaten the Emperor,
But as you know, I’m a coward who prepares for every situation.
“…Master?”
I lifted my dress and revealed my thigh to Nameless.
“Take this.”
Nameless stared at the wooden sword attached from my waist to my thigh and turned beet red,
“Y-Yes…”
He let out a deep sigh and pulled out the wooden sword.
Hmm… well then.
“What are you planning to do?”
He grabbed the wooden sword, but I had no idea what he intended to do in this situation.
Even though the palace was under siege, I felt familiar presences among the chaos.
From Nameless’s words, this was evidently something planned.
In other words, it means there’s no need for us to step in.
Driven by curiosity, I tilted my head and asked.
“Dare to… follow me and point towards the heavens?”
Nameless broke into a bright smile, raised the wooden sword, and slowly got into a stance.
“…No way.”
That stance was the first move of the Divine Slaying Sword Technique.
