Chapter 80

“To be honest, Your Highness, I am a greedy person.”

What do I think of the Princess? Hmm… a greedy little thing.

She tries to hide it, but you can’t hide your true nature. I’m not blind; I noticed the desire in her gaze when she looks at me.

She desperately tries to conceal it, so I pretended not to see.

“That child said it. She wants to somehow bring the Priest to our royal family’s side.”

How many drinks have we had? Sipping tea-like, we drank little by little, and now both His Majesty and I are tipsy.

My body is drunk, but my mind is clear—a sign that I am nearing ascension. Everything has a warning. It’s just a matter of whether you see it or not.

His Majesty, though his cheeks are flushed, his eyes remain sharp. It doesn’t seem like he’s using magic to dispel the drunkenness; it’s purely his strong willpower.

“I noticed what you were considering as soon as I heard it. Ardein… my daughter is even considering proposing to you, Priest. But I don’t know. Is it you she desires, or the power and miracles you possess?”

“I didn’t know Her Highness held me in such regard…”

The Princess loves me? That seems quite strange to me.

At least from what I feel, it doesn’t seem like she has feelings for me as a person. If she did, it would be more troublesome. I don’t know when the time for ascension will come.

-Remember. I don’t give my feathers to just anyone.

Above all, after ascension,

There will be someone waiting for me by the Lord’s side. A person… in a broad sense, she too could be considered a person.

-I’ll be waiting for the day we become a well-matched pair.

The holy spirit that spreads hope. I wonder how the Bluebird is doing.

Somehow, I miss her. Sometimes in the form of a real bird. Sometimes as a girl my age.

She came to my side after I lost my parents and taught me how to use the power given by the Lord. She was my mentor and friend, and on the year I turned fifteen, she declared there was nothing more to teach and ascended to the heavens.

“You’re thinking of another woman.”

And just like that, I got caught.

“So you’re a playboy after all. Who were you thinking of? That beast who left for the royal villa?”

“Roka is a child I must care for, just as the Lord cared for me. I was thinking of someone else. An old friend who is now apart.”

“Perhaps the current hero, Yurinel Larkponsia?”

It seems the Princess has told everything about Pumpkin Vine Village.

That Yurinel and I were childhood friends wasn’t a secret, and with the royal family’s power, it wouldn’t be hard to find out. But the fact that they figured it out so quickly means the Princess must have told them.

“Yurinel is a dear friend, but we never promised a future together.”

“Could you tell me more about this friend? It’s best to resolve such matters before they get complicated. Look at me. When women’s relationships get complicated, the children’s relationships get tangled like knots. Now, unless you cut them with a sword, there’s no hope of resolving them.”

“She stayed in my hometown for a while, and when the time came, she left. We only left a promise to meet again in the future, and then she flew away.”

His Majesty’s gaze sharpened, and I had no choice but to explain.

“She’s a friend I won’t meet before I leave this world to follow the Lord.”

“Do you love her?”

“Of course. But if you mean romantic love, I’m not sure. I think I’ll know when I see her again. I was still young back then.”

Tsk. His Majesty clicked his tongue.

“Well then. It’s good. You already have a destined one, so my daughter will suffer, but since that destined one is a divine being in the heavens, there’s nothing I can do. Even as the Emperor, I can’t have everything my way.”

“Your Highness will surely have a good match.”

“But you haven’t answered yet. How do you see my daughter? Don’t think you can dismiss her with just a word about greed. Does that mean you dislike her?”

Ah, that’s not it.

Greed isn’t always a bad thing.

“There was a time when I didn’t understand it either.”

I saw those who weren’t satisfied with what they had and reached for more.

Whenever I saw such people, I used to think it was strange. Why don’t they stop and look around at what they already have?

But that desire led Yurinel to become a hero who protects the world.

My childhood friend wasn’t a saintly or good person, but in the end, she became one. She wielded her sword for her own glory and wealth, but ultimately, she grew in a direction that was good for everyone.

The biggest reason I don’t regret leaving the village to follow Yurinel is that I learned a lot from those adventures.

Desire is a driving force. The power to wish and achieve.

It is neither good nor evil; it is simply desire. If you define it as evil and treat it as such, it will truly become evil and appear before us. But if you acknowledge and affirm it, there’s no problem. If you guide it in the right direction, it might even become a powerful force for someone.

“Everyone has the desire to live. That’s the most fundamental desire. Once that desire is fulfilled, they start to desire that those close to them live as well.”

“To fulfill that desire, they pursue money, power, and strength. Sometimes, those means become the object of desire and pull people in, but that’s natural. It’s human nature.”

There’s no point in judging whether it’s good or bad. It’s only natural for humans to act on their desires.

Even a beast has desires, and a mere plant stretches its stem toward the sunlight. So how can humans be indifferent to desire? If you deny that premise, you can’t take a single step forward. You must acknowledge it and then think about what comes next.

“Your Majesty. The whole world is like that. It’s natural to value your own child more than others’, and it’s not something to be condemned. I think the Princess is materialistic, but that doesn’t make her evil. She’s just honest about her desires.”

“Materialistic, but not evil?”

“Everyone has the right to pursue their desires. But in the world, there are those who trample on others’ desires and try to take what belongs to others. That is evil. The Princess I saw was not such an evil person.”

After listening to my story, His Majesty spoke.

“No, you’re wrong. My daughter is ambitious and power-hungry, and she has already caused harm to many. So, according to your words, the old her could have been called evil.”

I don’t know the Princess before she fell ill, so I have no right to judge.

But if she was really like that, then her long battle with illness might not have been in vain.

“The child I saw after a long time was not as reckless or violent as before. In the past, she would have drawn her sword and rushed out to cut down my brother, but she held back and listened to her father’s persuasion. Whether it’s because she’s grown older and wiser, or because she’s been following you and her heart has changed…”

His Majesty hesitated, then continued.

“I don’t want her to go back to how she was. After all, she’s my daughter, and the child I love the most… So deep down, I hoped she would be with you. Even if she’s materialistic, if you guide her, she can remain a good materialist, right?”

Is it what the Lord desires to help others even when you have nothing, digging up your roots? Of course, such acts of kindness are nobler than the charity of the wealthy. But expecting everyone to have such a mindset is, no matter how you think about it, not the Lord’s will.

Altruism should be like the charity of the wealthy. First, you have enough for yourself, and then you have the means to help others. Sacrificing what you have to help others is something no one can demand.

Especially for me, whom the Lord replenishes what I lose. For someone like me to preach to others not to possess is nothing but deceit.

So, I didn’t wish for the Princess to give up everything she held. Even when her desire to climb higher clouded her eyes, it didn’t bother me much.

I just wanted her to be someone who desires power but also helps others appropriately. Someone who enriches her own power while also being generous to others.

Perhaps that’s what His Majesty the Emperor also desires.

“You have a destined one, but that person is in the distant heavens. The laws of heaven and earth are different, so is there a law that says you can’t have another destined one on earth?”

“Your Majesty, that’s not something I can assert.”

So, I can promise.

“Whenever Your Highness seeks my advice, I will always gladly share my thoughts.”

“Haha, I would have been disappointed if you had accepted.”

His Majesty took a sip of wine and said.

“My daughter is a rare beauty. Though she’s a bit older, her beauty is so outstanding that she doesn’t lose to younger girls.”

“Seeing you refuse without hesitation the opportunity to have such a peerless beauty as your wife and wield power as the Emperor’s son-in-law makes your words resonate more with me. I understand. Since you’ve said that much, I won’t press further.”

Just as the drinking party was winding down, a loud bang was heard from afar.

The sound wasn’t that loud, but the fact that it came suddenly was the problem. Moreover, the explosions kept coming one after another.

“What’s going on? Could it be that child? But unless she took the wrong medicine, she wouldn’t cause trouble in an unprepared situation, right?”

“Your Majesty. You should evacuate to a safe place.”

A man in black training clothes fell from the ceiling and approached His Majesty.

But his expression was strange. If I sensed something was off, His Majesty must have too.

“Director Alvus. What’s going on? What kind of commotion is happening?”

“We haven’t confirmed yet. The explosions aren’t coming from the Imperial Palace. The protective magic barrier is functioning perfectly, and there’s no disturbance in the Capital. In fact, everyone is panicking because of these explosions.”

“What do you mean? Then where are these explosions coming from?”

“It’s hard to believe, but it seems like a massive explosion is happening outside the Capital.”

At that awkward answer, His Majesty got angry.

“If such an explosion happened, you should at least be able to identify the source. You should have seen the explosion with your own eyes!”

“It’s our incompetence. Please forgive us.”

“Find out the cause of these explosions somehow. The citizens of the Capital will be anxious.”

“Your Majesty. An urgent message just arrived from the Republic.”

At that moment, a messenger hurriedly approached. He stumbled several times from how fast he ran and handed a document to His Majesty. The Emperor’s expression changed strangely as he read it.

“The Citadel Republic is requesting to open a long-distance teleport gate…? What on earth is happening? Is the problem not in the Capital but in the Republic? Could these explosions be…”

His Majesty, barely keeping his composure, shook his head.

“No way. The distance between the Republic and the Capital is too great for their troubles to reach here. Anyway, I should have just died quickly. As soon as I get up, another problem arises.”

Something big has clearly happened.

Something very big.