We headed to the imperial presence. As is common in any place where people live, this empire also has its own hierarchy.
Merely holding a position in this court would already make one a high-ranking official of the empire, but even among them, there seems to be a division of ranks. All the truly important people were gathered here.
“Archbishop Halonen. Is that really all you have to say to me?”
Two figures, a man and a woman, stood before His Majesty with bowed heads, maintaining their silence. They were clearly individuals I had seen before. Her Majesty the Empress had also confirmed their identities.
“Halonen. Arice. The Archbishops of Nemi and Elysia. But where is Armata? On occasions like this, the three of you are always together.”
“Your Majesty. If we were to speak strictly of logic, it’s not that we have nothing to say. However, regardless of the past, we are now allies standing before the God of d*ath, are we not? We have come to request that we cease pursuing additional grievances and return to how things were before.”
“Speaking strictly of logic, it’s not that you have nothing to say…?”
The tone was calm, but the content was anything but.
“If you had been under my command, I would have ordered your immediate execution. Previously, I sought to compromise with you to prevent further chaos. At that time, how much face did the three of you save for me?”
“Even if he was a scoundrel, he was still my son. Even if he was a traitor, he deserved a trial. You incited my son to cause a disturbance, and now, after cutting off his tail, you come here with his corpse, pretending to reconcile. I have no choice but to ask this: How does the Church Country view this imperial family?”
While everyone else kept their heads bowed, the woman beside the stone-faced Archbishop spoke up. She was Archbishop Arice of the Elysia Church.
“Your resourcefulness is truly remarkable. Not only did you disguise the poisoning of your wife and son, but you also shifted the blame onto us. And now, you’ve even killed Armata. Having already killed one, killing us would be just as easy, wouldn’t it?”
“Do as you please. Halonen and I have come here seeking to atone for our sins through d*ath. If you wish to draw your sword, we will gladly offer our necks.”
Archbishop Armata. He was someone I had even shaken hands with.
It seems he didn’t survive after all. We had just arrived here and knew nothing, so we couldn’t intervene. We just stood there, dumbfounded, listening to the conversation.
“Archbishop Armata has passed away?”
But His Majesty reacted as if he was hearing this for the first time.
“What does that have to do with me? At least, it wasn’t my people who did it. It’s customary to offer condolences upon hearing of a d*ath, but today, let’s refrain from doing so.”
“Are you still trying to evade responsibility?”
Archbishop Arice shouted loudly.
“If you had at least carried out the deed discreetly, we could have pretended to be fooled. But you committed the act brazenly in front of everyone, and now you’re trying to evade responsibility? Such behavior is unbecoming of the ruler of an empire.”
“What did you say…?”
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Her Highness the Princess couldn’t even bring herself to join the verbal sparring and quietly swallowed her words. Whether it was too early or too late, it’s unclear why we arrived at such a moment.
“My reward…”
Lady Kisea’s eyes were also brimming with tears. It was clearly not the right atmosphere to bring up the topic of rewards. Timing is indeed crucial.
If you bring up a matter when the ruler is in a good mood, even a small achievement can earn a great reward, but if you bring it up when they’re in a bad mood, the response won’t be favorable.
Right now, His Majesty wasn’t just in a bad mood; he seemed so irritated that he was beyond even expressing anger. He simply shook his head and quietly calmed himself.
“Did I k*ll Armata? If I could have made such a decision at will, he would have died long ago, and his body wouldn’t have been recovered. The reason I tolerated and respected the interference of you three Archbishops in state affairs was for the sake of the empire.”
“Being in this position, personal likes and dislikes are unimportant. I have lived my life as an emperor, not as an individual! Do you think I killed Armata to vent my personal anger? What a ridiculous notion. No matter how desperate you are, would you fabricate such a lie and spread it?”
“Previously, when my eldest son, Arsein, was poisoned by Edmund, did you really think I didn’t know you were behind it? I just couldn’t bring it to light. But now that things have come to this, what’s the point of enduring any longer? Truly, you are remarkable goddesses. If this is indeed the will of the goddesses, then I have no choice but to say this.”
The surroundings buzzed with murmurs. The faces of the surrounding ministers also turned dark.
Archbishop Arice also paled and quickly shouted.
“Your Majesty!”
“I once had some faith in the three goddesses. But the actions you’ve taken so far are more akin to street thugs than deities and their followers.”
“Please refrain from such blasphemous words.”
Archbishop Halonen also clenched his fists and stood up. At that, the people around His Majesty also drew their weapons.
In an instant, the situation became so tense that a violent clash seemed imminent. Her Highness the Princess also looked around cautiously and drew the Dragon’s Sword.
Thud!
Before the sound of a beam collapsing could be heard.
Thinking someone had used force first, everyone stood up in shock.
At the sound of what seemed like a building collapsing, the surrounding ministers hastily looked around. Many were elderly, but they seemed to have maintained their physical fitness well, as they were immediately ready to flee.
“This is bad! The ceiling is about to collapse! We need to flee quickly before we’re crushed to d*ath!”
An old man shouted loudly, and just as chaos was about to ensue, Captain Xerox stopped him.
“Lord Valder, don’t panic. The sound didn’t come from the building. Although I can’t see, my ears are sharp. From what I hear, the sound came from right here.”
As he pointed with his finger, people finally realized where the sound had come from. His Majesty and the two Archbishops also turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.
Her Highness the Princess also looked at Lady Kisea with a dumbfounded expression. She rolled a half-eaten candy in her mouth, looking embarrassed.
“Uh, that… Ahaha, the sound was louder than I thought…”
Roka quietly slipped away from Lady Kisea’s side as the attention focused on her. Whether she disliked the attention or was embarrassed for her fellow sister, I didn’t ask.
She had probably been enjoying someone else’s candy, but now it was no longer someone else’s business.
No, it seems it was never really someone else’s business.
“Queen Kisea?”
Archbishop Arice was startled upon seeing Lady Kisea. It wasn’t an exaggeration; she almost fell over.
She would have been less shocked if she had seen a ghost. Her gaze was completely fixed, as if asking, “Why are you here?”
“No, why are you there…? And next to Princess Ardein.”
Her Highness the Princess, who had been slowly stepping away from Lady Kisea, stopped abruptly, looking startled.
“Weren’t you hired by us? Could it be that you were a spy for the imperial family from the start, working under a double contract?”
Since that wasn’t the case, the high-ranking officials of the imperial family all looked bewildered. They themselves seemed unsure if such a thing had happened.
“Did His Majesty arrange this?”
“Perhaps. She might have been a spy we didn’t know about.”
Of course, even His Majesty the Emperor looked at Lady Kisea with a strange expression. At that moment, Her Majesty the Empress quickly approached His Majesty.
Someone tried to stop her but, upon seeing Her Majesty’s face, hastily stepped back. His Majesty also looked at Her Majesty and smiled briefly.
“Your Majesty.”
“Empress…! You’re safe.”
“That’s right. The assassin from the temple who came seeking the divine concubine ended up saving our daughter instead.”
“Was there any problem with Ardein?”
Her Majesty silently looked at Lady Kisea. The self-proclaimed Queen Kisea was startled and pointed at herself.
“You explain it yourself. You’re the one involved. From coming to find me to saving my daughter. Explain everything in detail before His Majesty. I assure you, a great reward will be bestowed upon you.”
Many people in the room, including His Majesty the Emperor, looked at Lady Kisea. Overwhelmed by the many gazes, Lady Kisea’s tail shrank.
Captain Xerox approached His Majesty and whispered, and His Majesty nodded. He then looked at Lady Kisea and spoke.
“Queen Kisea. If it’s true that you saved my daughter, I will provide an appropriate reward. I don’t know why a mercenary from the temple came with that child, but I trust you will explain that as well. Now, let’s hear your story.”
Even though she’s a master, such a formal setting seemed to make her nervous, as her tail trembled slightly. However, upon hearing the word “reward,” Lady Kisea seemed to gain strength. She cleared her throat and began speaking in a slightly trembling voice. She first explained why she had come to the imperial palace.
“The reason I came here is…”
“Little servant? Queen Kisea. You are neither a citizen of the empire nor a member of the imperial palace, are you?”
And before she could even start, His Majesty interrupted her.
“Your Majesty! I am more loyal to the empire and Your Majesty than anyone else. Although I was lost and wandering yesterday, today, upon meeting Her Majesty the Empress, I have seen the light. The path I should have taken was to unite under Your Majesty’s leadership.”
“Although I hold no official position or title, I consider myself a member of the imperial family. If this is proven false, I swear that all the sheep and cows I raise will d*e in a blizzard!”
With such passionate words, she sounded like a true patriot. His Majesty the Emperor made a strange expression, neither laughing nor crying, and ordered her to continue.
Though I wonder if she even raises sheep or cows. I’ve never heard of her raising livestock.
“Thus, although I was initially tempted to side with the rebels, I was enlightened by Her Majesty the Empress’s teachings and finally chose the side of justice. I realized that this battle was one of righteousness versus injustice, and that the temple is an unjust entity!”
“Did I say such things?”
Her Majesty the Empress tilted her head in confusion, but we had already heard the story.
The two Archbishops had bad expressions from the start. It was only natural, having been openly called rebels and unjust forces.
“The Hilrae Church…”
“Oberta…!”
However, as the story progressed, their expressions quickly changed. The two Archbishops seemed to be deep in thought, pondering something.
