Chapter 186

A familiar melody echoed in my ears.

The moment I heard it, I was overtaken by a shock that felt as if my brain had briefly frozen.

“Let it go.”

The theme song of a famous animated movie that had swept the globe in my original world.

The fact that this song was coming from none other than my mother-in-law… no, the Empress herself.

After a considerable time spent interpreting what that meant.

I asked her with the feeling of confirming my suspicions.

“Uh… do you happen to know a country called South Korea…?”

“…Hehe. Quite a nostalgic name. Yes, I know it. It was a long time ago, but I lived there. I can’t remember exactly, but I think my house was either in Seongnam or Incheon… that’s what I recall.”

“Then… does that mean you were also a player of Kill ‘Em All: Forest of War like me…?”

“…What forest?”

“Jo… Kill ‘Em All: Forest of War… you don’t know it?”

To say the title out loud felt a bit awkward.

However, upon hearing this, the Empress tilted her head slightly and said:

“I don’t know who came up with that title, but it’s quite unique. But no, I came to this world through a game called LDG. Are you aware of it?”

“First time hearing that name. I remember almost all popular game names, but…”

“Is that so? At least in the world I was from, it was considered the most popular. Something like Starcraft?… I’ve never played it, but I heard it was highly regarded among men. Anyway, I heard it was the game that took its place as that one faded.”

“Hmm… I know about Starcraft, but… in my memory, the game that replaced it was a game called NOL. The gamer Dae Sang-hyuk was the most famous, you see.”

“Never heard that name before. It’s been so long, maybe I just forgot, but I’ve never even heard of such a game.”

“Hmm… if that’s the case…”

There were certainly common elements, yet there seemed to be differences in the Empress’s memories from that world.

Listening to her, I thought she might be from a similar but different parallel world than mine.

“Certainly… that could be the case. If there’s a place you can flow into like this, it would mean that other worlds also exist.”

“It seems that way.”

I couldn’t be certain, but that was the rough conclusion I could draw.

And one more thing,

I had been slightly concerned about this since earlier.

“By the way, Your Majesty? If it’s not too much trouble, how long have you been in this world? I’ve been here for about 10 years since I first met Lemain…”

“Ten years… for your appearance, that’s not too long.”

“…Um.”

“Just kidding. To answer your question, I… it seems. I came here around the 1450s, so it’s been a little over 350 years. I think I based my avatar’s appearance in that RPG game on my own, but honestly, it’s been so long since then.”

“350…”

Almost the same age as Empress Mina as known in the settings.

From this, I realized that she wasn’t merely inhabited by the spirit of Empress Mina or someone who had transformed into her appearance.

She was, quite literally, Empress Mina herself.

However, her very existence was just a being who had been transported from another world in the past.

I didn’t quite understand why she was set as the final boss of the original game.

Perhaps there was some interference between the previously considered parallel worlds at play, but… I couldn’t say for certain.

However,

Putting aside all the swirling questions in my mind, I clearly understood one thing about this situation.

“What should I say… the feeling I had about being transferred is quite different from what I thought…”

From the very game that could be described as the medium being different,

Her actions and presence felt more like a local with some knowledge of the world from over there, rather than someone who had simply crossed over as if she were from that world.

If she had truly lived here for 350 years, then it would be only natural.

“If that’s the case… at least I won’t have to compete over items or player characters. No… there’s no need to do that in the first place…”

As if the 350 years were not just for show, she had already become the Empress of the strongest nation on the continent,

Her own powers had reached a realm I couldn’t even fathom.

In some ways, she could be seen as the formidable opponent I had feared, but…

Fortunately, I didn’t have to worry much about the Empress at the moment.

Looking at the Empress… no, my mother, who was gazing at me with eyes as sweet as honey.

That expression meant that if I treated Lemain well, she wouldn’t look at me unfavorably.

Feeling relief from that fact,

At the same time, thinking that I must truly do well for both Franklin and Lemain, I resolved myself as a man.

“Well then… since we’ve met like this, I’d like to ask you something. Did One Piece and Naruto end on your side? Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the end of either before coming over.”

“One Piece ended abruptly because the author died halfway. Naruto did finish, but strange sequels popped up, and it’s regarded almost as dark history.”

“…Is that so? What a pity. How about Hunter X Hunter?”

“That too, the author has been on hiatus for five years after three months of serialization 10 years after.”

“How unfortunate. I was looking forward to it…”

“You’ve watched more manga than I thought. It seems women don’t like shōnen manga that much.”

“There’s quite a pile at home, so I ended up watching. Right now, only fragmented memories remain…”

“I see.”

“By the way, have Marvel movies been coming out continuously? Personally, I really like Iron Man…”

“Oh, that character died. He fought a foreign alien called Thanos.”

“Ah…”

Originally a woman, but it seemed my mother had unexpectedly strong interest in subculture for men.

Suddenly recalling a story about how when I went home, my mom was crying and I, as her son, asked why she was crying, and she said, “Aishu died!ㅠㅠ”

Though there is a generational gap, I felt a slight happiness that I could talk about familiar topics that I couldn’t share with others after a long time,

As I ironically found it easier to interact with my mother now than when we first met.

*

A carriage awaited in front of the palace.

Before it, we exchanged farewells with Empress Mina, who had come out to see us off.

“Be careful on your journey. Wash well, eat properly, and contact me whenever you need anything. Got it?”

“Mother… how old do you think I am for you to say that?”

The two were showing an incredibly ordinary mother-daughter dynamic.

Honestly, looking at their appearances, they seemed more like sisters than mother and daughter, but the atmosphere clearly indicated they were a mother and daughter.

“That’s how parents usually are, regardless of age. You’ll understand once you have children…”

“…?”

With those words, my mother subtly shifted her gaze towards me.

Why is she looking at me? I thought, but I couldn’t bring myself to directly question it.

Yet, from her expression, which showed a slightly ominous smile directed toward me…

“…Is something wrong, Mother?”

“Hehe. It’s nothing. I just hope that when you come next time, there’ll be good news to hear.”

“Good… news? What do you mean…!”

Suddenly, noticing something, Lemain’s face began to flush.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, my mother wore a bright smile as she lightly waved her hand towards us, who were hurriedly departing.

Thus, we departed the imperial city of Rosen Glarde in our carriage.

Feeling relieved that various troublesome matters had been resolved,

We were bearing expressions that were at odds with when we first arrived, all while feeling incredibly comfortable.

“Ugh…”

Except for one person.

“I didn’t look closely but… it seems that over there, they’ve had a bit of trouble.”

“Trouble? If it was my mother, it wouldn’t have ended with just a hangover like this.”

“Indeed. For simply keeping quiet about this ridiculous incident, they ought to be bowing down to us.”

It was Lemain… more accurately, the Empress Mina, whose overwhelming affection for her daughter was evident.

Of course, if in such a situation Nelson were to attack Lemain and it became known that it led to this circumstance, he wouldn’t have left here in one piece as he is now.

In the worst case, he might have faced merciless torture followed by his head being chopped off by the enraged Empress.

Knowing this well, Nelson had to remain quiet and endure in the midst of his suffering.

“So, we’ll just leave the one with a hangover as they are, and now we just have to get home and rest?”

Lemain asked with a smile.

However, in response to this, I could only slowly shake my head.

“Unfortunately… it seems difficult for now.”

“…Huh?”

“What does that mean?”

The two expressed doubt.

Towards them,

I pulled out a piece of paper I had tucked away in my pocket.

“This is a letter from Napoleona I received a little while ago. She’s the Empress of Frantz, and she wants to see my face, now that I’ve become the Emperor. Since we received help from her before, I have to go see her to express my gratitude.”

“…”

“That brat…”

As soon as I finished my sentence, the two wore sour expressions.

At the same time, looking at them, Nelson, who had been half lying down on the carriage seat, tossed out one line with a tired smile.

“You sure have a lot of popularity, don’t you? With a slave child, a pirate cook, a princess, a queen, an empress, and now our captain.”

“…Haha.”

The faces of all those women began to appear in my mind automatically.

And I could only accept this reality with a troubled laugh.

Perhaps even more than uniting the Five Seas,

More than striving to find a way to counteract the transmigrator,

I was becoming aware that a future that could be called both difficult and happy was approaching.