As I entered the reception room guided by Siron, a sense of unease washed over me upon seeing the Emperor.
‘Could it really be what I’m thinking?’
The thought inevitably crossed my mind because honestly, it couldn’t have been more obvious.
To be frank, it was bound to happen. It’s rare for the Emperor to leave the palace, let alone come all the way to the Sixth Lord’s Domain at the entrance of the Magic Realm. This could only mean one thing.
“Damn Grand Lord…”
It was undoubtedly a scheme by the Grand Lord to prevent me from resigning as Third Lord. I never expected such interference.
In fact, to be honest, I had completely forgotten about the royal family.
Reflecting on it now, it was the Emperor himself who originally urged me to take on the role of Third Lord. So his visit here wasn’t entirely surprising. However, now that this situation has arisen, I couldn’t help but feel flustered. Although I’ve become quite shameless since absorbing two runes, I still couldn’t help but tread carefully in front of the Emperor.
Certainly, if I so desired, turning the empire into an enemy wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be the worst choice. After all, I’m just a civil servant, and few countries are as livable and developed as the empire. Resigning from my position as Third Lord and cutting ties with the royal family would be like burning down the house to kill a louse.
“…”
Sipping from the teacup with steam rising, the Emperor sitting opposite me took a drink.
Though he wasn’t showing any particular awareness of me, for some reason, our gazes kept meeting. I opened my mouth, feigning calmness as best as I could.
“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”
“The news has reached me.”
He chuckled and placed the teacup firmly on the table.
“Luke Richter… or rather, Sixth Lord now, I suppose.”
“…You may call me as usual.”
“Ho ho, that wouldn’t be proper. Even though I am the Emperor of the Empire, it is fitting to show a certain level of respect to the Third Lords, don’t you think? Now, where were we?”
“The news has reached you, you said.”
“Ah, that’s right. Would you like to hear a story?”
“I shall listen attentively.”
With a meaningful nod, the Emperor continued his tale.
“I’ve heard that you’ve fallen out with the Star Sect.”
“…”
“Recently, the Pope himself sent an official document to the royal family. It was a request for information regarding Luke Richter, the newly appointed Sixth Lord. There was a strong sense of hostility towards you, built up over time.”
… It’s understandable.
Given the woman I sent beyond the borders to perish who is now venerated as a saint, the Star Sect, which has long relied on a false saint, has every reason to grind its teeth. Moreover, they’ve also soured relations with the First Lord who was once on good terms with them, intensifying their anger towards me. This implies that as long as Elfried Trivia remains with my party, strife with the Star Sect is unavoidable.
However, I had expected the Emperor to broach the subject of my resignation sooner rather than later. The mention of the Star Sect was unexpected. Could it be that Arkhan hasn’t yet informed the Emperor?
Right about then, the Emperor softly continued.
“They made only one demand. They wanted the royal family to clarify its stance.”
“Are you referring to my situation?”
Nod.
“What do you think I might have responded?”
“What did you say?”
His answer was obvious.
The Star Sect, one of the factions dividing and ruling the continent, was not an entity the royal family could easily dismiss. The biggest issue lay in their influence. Necessarily aligned with public sentiment as the continent’s largest religious power, the royal family governing the empire had to be even more mindful of public opinion. Therefore, it seemed that the royal family was likely to approach the matter by trying to persuade me.
It was all too predictable. I was getting impatient waiting for him to get to the point.
“I told them to behave more modestly. Instead, I questioned them back. Isn’t the woman they are presenting as a saint also fake? Haven’t they been deceiving the royal family all this time?”
“…Pardon?”
“Why are you so surprised? Since they wanted a clear position, I gave them one. Simply not in the direction they had hoped for.”
I stared at the Emperor, perplexed. The Emperor chuckled and looked at me with a grin, then broke the silence by speaking first.
“Does my choice seem strange to you?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“Good. Let me explain the reasons.”
His deep voice resonated in my ears.
“First, you are an official under the royal family. You are soon to be conferred a title, and by principle, the royal family has the duty to safeguard your well-being.”
“…”
“Second, their intentions are questionable. I’ve heard rumors about Elfried Trivia and upon further investigation, it appears she has performed several miracles that would be impossible for anyone other than a true saint. Comparing her to the current saint who does nothing but remain in the Star Sect, the differences are stark, aren’t they? I found it curious that someone as cunning as you would go so far to provoke the Star Sect by protecting her.”
It was hard to believe.
The royal family couldn’t possibly have made such a decision based on just that possibility. There must have been a solid backing for this choice. Sensing my skepticism, the Emperor smirked.
“Thirdly, the Star Sect’s arrogance has grown increasingly intolerable. We needed justification to draw a clear line with them, and this was an excellent opportunity.”
“What do you mean by an excellent opportunity?”
“Do you remember? When the Grand Lord secured your position as a Lord by forging an absolute alliance with the royal family.”
“Could it possibly be…?”
“Ho ho, exactly that. Is there a more reliable backing than the Lord Alliance?”
The Emperor’s hearty laughter echoed through the reception room.
“Is that all? By the way, your party also saved the Dukedom’s prince from near death, thus saving the fate of the duchy, didn’t they?”
“But I’ve already explained that it was just a coincidence…”
“Coincidence or not, the important thing is that we have another duchy in our favor.”
“The duchy?”
“Exactly. They’ve also agreed to join the royal family’s cause. While it wasn’t an easy choice for the duchy to cut ties with the Star Sect, their decision was influenced primarily because the leader owes you his life. But most importantly, it was your solid background as an official of the royal family and a member of the Lord Alliance as the Sixth Lord that played a significant role. Do you agree?”
“…”
Shit.
Is something wrong with me, or is this conversation getting weirder?
“Thus, the royal family has clarified its line of action. We are choosing to walk the path with you, not the Star Sect. We trust you as an official of the royal family and a valued Sixth Lord cherished by the Grand Lord.”
“No, I never intended…”
“However, if you step down from your position as Third Lord, the Lord Alliance will lose a reason to honor its alliance with the royal family. It would be akin to losing your most reliable card. The same applies to the duchy. They would withdraw their stance against the Star Sect. The risk of severing ties with them would be too great, even if they owe you their lives.”
“…”
“Ah, also, the royal family’s position will become awkward in preparing to bestow you with a title. Relations between the royal family and the Star Sect would be unsettled in various ways.”
The Emperor murmured as if genuinely regretful. Though his eyes sparkled with humor and his tone was playful, his gaze was sharp and piercing as he stared at me.
“By the way, yesterday the Grand Lord came to me again. He said you were looking for an opportunity to flee, warning me that we’d all fall if something happened. He urged me to persuade you immediately.”
“Flee? That’s absurd. I merely meant to take responsibility for my actions…”
“Ho ho, why should you bear responsibility? If a brilliant individual like you is held excessively accountable for committing a mere mistake, please speak to me. I’ll immediately go argue with the Grand Lord.”
“Pardon, but this isn’t a minor mistake. It involves the responsibility of killing a fellow Third Lord…”
“You are the Empire’s blessing.”
“No, that is an overestimation…”
“Consider it a sign of the high expectations the royal family has for you.”
And with that, the conversation ended.
It was as if his sole purpose was to provoke me, as none of his statements were incorrect. I could only stare at him with my mouth agape as he rose from his seat.
The Emperor, now standing, added one final remark.
“Ah! I almost forgot to mention this.”
“…?”
“Your title-bestowing ceremony is scheduled soon. The exact date will be communicated through the chamberlain. By the way, the title being conferred upon you will be the rank of Duke.”
“???”
Hold on a moment.
Weren’t we previously told that there were limits to skipping rank levels, and that the title would be Count?
Why has it suddenly jumped to Duke?
The Emperor smiled cheerfully at my shocked expression.
“Isn’t it because you killed the Second Lord, leaving the Second Lord’s Domain vacant?”
“…”
“And you are already the master of the Sixth Lord’s Domain, right?”
“…”
“According to principle, a Count can only govern a single domain. Hence, it is impossible for you to govern the Second Lord’s Domain as a Count. There’s nothing else for it but to confer the rank of Duke, no? Moreover, starting from the rank of Duke, the royal family can directly grant partial immunity for some illegal acts, which is quite convenient.”
“???”
Shit, what did he say?
“Ho ho, didn’t you say yourself earlier that you must bear responsibility for your actions?”
“…”
“Let’s consider this as you having borne enough responsibility.”
Creak—
With that, the Emperor finished his speech, opened the reception room door, and left.
I stared blankly at the now empty doorway, then murmured weakly.
“…Is this a dream?”
I’m doomed.
No, it’s a disaster.
