Chapter 95
The most powerful nation in the human realm, the Bismarck Empire. If one were to name a place symbolizing the splendor of such an empire, people would unanimously say the “Imperial Palace.” Known also by the nickname “Platinum Palace,” the Imperial Palace was filled entirely with white marble and splendid golden decorations.
Since its construction by Emperor Friedrich von Bismarck, who brought about the first golden age of the Bismarck Empire, the leaders of the empire had always resided there.
Even during the civil war sparked by the Emperor drawing external forces into the conflict, the Platinum Palace gleamed brilliantly from the outside. It appeared dazzling on the surface, but inside, the Imperial Palace was currently in chaos.
At that place, an unfamiliar guest arrived.
A soldier from the empire, clad in plate armor, infiltrated the palace without anyone noticing. Rather than being exceptionally skilled at stealth, it was more accurate to say that he was simply too fast for others to catch on.
“Hmm.”
This man, Nahun, disguised as an imperial soldier in plate armor, had come to find an item presumed to be within the Bismarck Imperial Palace.
As evidenced by items such as the Blood Tear sword or the ancient golden bracelet, items that enhance efficiency in gameplay appear with distinct and exceptional abilities.
Nahun’s reason for searching for this item was to bring it back to Seere. While personal skill mattered, equipping good gear was an essential aspect in any game genre, and that was no different for the nurturing simulation game Ebel Queen Maker.
Even in this world of the game, one could see how important the role of items was, just by looking at the Blood Tear sword that Seere wielded.
‘The royal treasury must be somewhere around here.’
If it was a place meant to store treasures, it could only be the royal treasury. However, finding the royal treasury proved challenging, as the palace was vast and disorienting.
“…I must find it.”
Running around aimlessly would take too long. So, Nahun knelt down momentarily, placing his hand on the floor.
“Explore.”
『 Explorátĭo 』
Nahun’s magical power spread throughout the grounds of the palace in an instant via his fingers. He managed to disperse just a tiny amount, so even the mages within the palace could not sense his magic.
“…!”
Nahun soon detected something unusual. There was a certain area where the flow of magic was completely blocked. A space that cut off magical power—a sign that something important was stored there, or at least a place of significance.
After waiting to see if similar reactions would arise from magic spread to other locations, he found none. Nahun smiled slyly as he rose from his position and made his way toward the suspicious spot.
“!”
As Nahun quietly sneaked through a back path, he suddenly had to hide. A person was sitting on the path, not the garden, sighing deeply.
“……Haah.”
It was dim, making it hard to see, but Nahun quickly discerned that the person was a woman. She had a small build, long hair, and her bodily contours were distinctly feminine.
‘…Is she a court handmaiden?’
If this girl was a handmaiden who took on the heavy duties of the palace, it wouldn’t be unusual for her to come to such a rare place to sigh about her situation. Those who served their superiors wouldn’t be able to release stress where others could see it, leading to this private way of doing so.
However, caution was necessary. The assumption that she was a handmaiden was just Nahun’s guess; she could be someone else entirely. Since he had plenty of time, Nahun quietly waited for her to leave.
Eventually, the woman who had been crouched stood up. As a result, the moonlight illuminated her hair, allowing him to confirm her appearance.
“!”
Nahun was taken aback. He nearly jerked his shoulders in surprise. The woman who had been sighing heavily was none other than…
‘Nothing works out for me…’
Charlotte von Bismarck. Her sky-blue hair shining in the moonlight made her unmistakable. That hair resembled a reflection of the azure sky, symbolizing Charlotte.
‘She doesn’t seem like she’ll come this way…’
At that moment, Nahun thought he could pass by without encountering her if she simply walked away.
“…You hiding there, come out.”
“!?”
Nahun was immensely flustered by Charlotte’s words. How did she know? He had been making no presence whatsoever. Nahun had been masking even his breathing with magic.
However, someone like Charlotte, who had lived in a palace rife with political strife, could immediately sense any gaze directed at her.
“Didn’t I tell you to come out? I am the first princess of the Bismarck Empire, Charlotte von Bismarck. Do you not know that defiance against my command could result in immediate execution?”
“……”
He had no choice. Since he was already found out, he might as well take a gamble to proceed further. Nahun lowered the visor of his helmet and stepped out from the wall.
“I apologize, Your Highness.”
“You’re… one of my soldiers. Why were you secretly observing me from there?”
“I happened to discover Your Highness during my patrol. I dared not interrupt your personal time and was waiting for Your Highness to leave.”
Nahun had no intention of secretly observing her. As he pressed those words, Charlotte let out a scoff.
“There is no soldier patrolling this area.”
“…!”
“I have assigned patrol zones for all my soldiers; do you not know that?”
Charlotte’s meticulousness caught Nahun off guard. Just as he was pondering how to resolve this situation, Charlotte spoke up first.
“You’re not being honest.”
“…What?”
“The only reason you would come all the way here is that you wanted to take a break, isn’t it? I understand. I know of the grievances of your soldiers as well.”
Charlotte managed her own soldiers. She remembered each of their names and faces and kept track of them intricately, so she hadn’t suspected that someone might be disguised as her soldier. She had checked them this very afternoon.
“More importantly, why are you greeting me without raising your visor after seeing your liege?”
“…I have a reason for that.”
“What is the reason?”
“Because of… my face….”
Nahun gulped, feeling that remark was not the right thing to say as it came out.
“Because I have… an ugly pimple….”
Internally, he slapped his forehead, thinking how ridiculous his excuse was. He felt that claiming he had an eye infection would have been better.
However, Nahun deliberately avoided discussing anything related to sickness. He thought, since she was meticulous enough to manage her soldiers’ patrol zones, she might very well know every soldier’s medical conditions.
“Puhuh.”
Yet surprisingly, Nahun’s foolish excuse seemed to have worked. Charlotte let out a light laugh and spoke to him kindly.
“It’s alright. I don’t judge people based on that level of imperfection.”
“Ah….”
Now, he had no further excuses left. Nahun fretted over how to handle this, bringing his hand to the visor. If Charlotte had remembered even the faces of her soldiers, it would be a serious problem.
‘Then it won’t be easy to get past this.’
Nahun decided to take the gamble that Charlotte was not someone who remembered every soldier’s face.
Just as he was about to raise the visor.
“Your Highness! Have you been here?”
“Theodore?”
“It seems you need to come right away! A critical report has arrived!”
Charlotte glanced briefly at Nahun, then turned her head away, speaking to Theodore.
“Next time, be sure to raise your visor when you greet me.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Theodore, let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Charlotte took the lead while her secretary Theodore followed behind. It felt as though a storm had passed in an instant. Nahun let out a deep sigh of relief.
“Which princess has her soldiers designate and memorize their patrol routes…?”
It was normally absurd for someone of her stature to do the work of low-ranking officers. But this meticulousness had also turned out to be beneficial for Nahun not long ago.
Because Charlotte worked so thoroughly and meticulously, she was filled with certainty and trust in the tasks she handled. That’s why when she saw Nahun, who was outside of the assigned patrol zone, she didn’t suspect anything else and simply thought he wanted a break.
Had Charlotte been less thorough, it was likely that Nahun would have been the one caught.
Nahun let out a forced smile but also felt a deep sense of disappointment.
‘A talent so precious that just keeping it in the human realm seems wasteful. But…’
Nahun knew Charlotte’s nature well. She was not the kind who could work under someone else. From her very birth, she was a “ruler,” and her ambitions were goals that could not be achieved by working under someone.
Even if he wanted to keep her at his side, Charlotte was a talent he could not control, and her presence would continuously be an obstacle moving forward. Although it wasn’t necessary at the moment, she would eventually need to be removed.
“…It can’t be helped.”
As long as the civil war continued, Charlotte’s presence was necessary for now. Therefore, he could not eliminate her at this moment; finding the item came first.
Having learned that not every corner was safe, Nahun began to move more cautiously.
#
“Come on now, young lady. That store over there has vegetables for a great price.”
“Ah, um, over there…!”
“Oh my, I see a new guest today!”
“This is the young lady from the house that recently rented from us. Isn’t she just lovely?”
“Oh my~, she’s really pretty! Come on in, dear. I’ll give you a sweet deal since you’ll be coming here often.”
While Dain was out gathering information, Eri was being dragged around by the landlady. While Dain was away, Eri had planned to do some household chores and wanted to go grocery shopping first.
So, she stepped outside, but the landlady insisted on guiding her around the area.
She clearly recalled that cities cared less for their neighbors than rural areas, but Eri found it hard to grasp the difference.
“So, dear, what do you need to buy?”
“Ah, potatoes, onions, and lettuce….”
“Everything’s right here! Shopkeeper, gather those vegetables for me. I’ll show this young lady around to some other shops and be right back.”
“Sure thing.”
“Now, come along, dear!”
“W-wait a minute…!”
Eri had to remember the locations and details of many shops, including a butcher, a fruit store, a dairy and cheese shop, a dessert café, and a miscellaneous goods shop.
For the first time, Eri felt that the landlady’s stamina and chatter were beyond her imagination. With this level of energy, she would have no problem training in the Demon King’s army, or so she thought.
“If you remember the shops I showed you today, it’ll be good~.”
“Yes, ma’am… thank you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. This is something a longtime resident should help with.”
While Eri felt a bit tired, and the landlady’s incessant chatter was causing her head to throb, she also understood that the landlady’s intentions were pure. Reflecting back on the various human behaviors she had encountered at the Adventurers’ Guild and the Magic Association, she realized once more:
‘…Yes, there are people like this too.’
Not all humans are bad. As she refreshed that realization, she felt a twinge of guilt about the many mages she had turned into monstrosities while following Nahun’s orders.
Surely, among them… there must have been good humans.
“Dear? Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“Ah… I think I’m just a little tired. I’m fine, ma’am.”
“Really? Then let’s get you some rest. Taking a quick nap will perk you right up, so go on in.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Eri politely greeted her before returning home. She set the bags full of goods down with a grunt on the dining table, pulled out a chair, and plopped down with her head resting on the table.
“…I need to do the house chores.”
She felt utterly drained. Was this what it felt like to fall into a state of melancholy? Eri sighed deeply, her eyelids slowly growing heavy without her realizing it.
“Eri.”
“Mm….”
“Eri!”
Eri jumped in surprise, raising her head to see sunlight pouring into the window. The once-bright sun had set, casting a scarlet glow.
And the one who awakened her smiled slightly and said,
“Were you tired? Then go on to your room and sleep.”
“Uh… Dain? When did you come back?”
“Just a moment ago. I came in to find you asleep.”
“Ah….”
Eri rubbed her eyes with her fingers. It seemed she had dozed off while lying down in a gloomy state for too long. Dain then asked her,
“So it looks like you went grocery shopping… did you manage to do the house chores?”
“…Oh.”
She hadn’t done a single thing because she fell asleep. Eri sprang up and asserted to Dain,
“I’ll start now, so don’t worry! You don’t need to help, I’ll do it all myself!”
“…You don’t have to overwork yourself.”
“I’m fine!”
“That’s enough.”
Dain lightly placed his hand on Eri’s head.
“You seem tired; there’s no need to push yourself. I’ll take care of it for you.”
“…I really am fine.”
“Then let’s do it together.”
“Eh?”
“You’re going to try to do all the house chores alone now? You’ll be up until midnight, I bet.”
“I won’t!?”
As Eri shouted back, Dain laughed as if he found it amusing. He then said to Eri,
“You take care of the laundry and cleaning the room. I’ll handle preparing dinner and sorting out the groceries and washing the dishes.”
“…Alright.”
“I think you did well today.”
“Eh?”
“On the way back, the landlady said she was glad to have you as a good wife. Looks like you managed well?”
Dain spoke without deeper thought. However, Eri had a strange reaction. Her cheeks flushed lightly, and she averted her gaze.
“Eri?”
“Ah, uh, that… it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“…Ah.”
Being told she was a good wife felt very natural coming from him, causing Dain’s face to redden even more than Eri’s.
“Uh, uh, s-sorry!”
“Ah, no! If I’m being told that, it must mean I acted well as a couple!”
“Y-yeah! Exactly!”
“Ha, haha! What a relief!”
Eri and Dain each tried to laugh and dispel the awkwardness, but the uneasy atmosphere lingered, refusing to fade easily.
The two began quietly tending to their own tasks and remained silent until dinner was served.
#
After the uncomfortable encounter with Charlotte, Nahun successfully arrived at the royal treasury. Since he had already mapped out the routes with magic, reaching it was not difficult.
He silently dealt with the guards protecting the treasury and quickly subdued the caretaker. The keys to the royal treasury were given only to the Emperor, his biological children, and the caretaker, one key each.
After swiftly killing the caretaker and stealing the key, Nahun stood before the treasury.
“Hmph.”
The door was an enormous vault. Imagining that the treasures of the Bismarck Empire were piled up inside, he felt excited about what spectacle awaited him.
As Nahun inserted the key into the hole, it clicked. Twisting it brought another sound, and soon, the vault door swung open.
“Hooh.”
He was taken aback first by how impressive it was. There was far more treasure in this vault than in any he had conquered in the Demon King’s castle. It was indeed the treasury of an empire that had experienced a golden age.
As Nahun was in awe of the tremendous wealth, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
“When will I even find that?”
The item Nahun sought was a round, orb-like object. Its name was “Mystery of the Moon.” From just the name, it was hard to tell what kind of item it was, but considering that this world’s foundation was a game, it became simpler.
It was merely the name given to a piece of equipment that seemed to possess some flair. Its effect was akin to the Blood Tear sword or the ancient golden bracelet, significantly enhancing growth efficiency.
It was uncertain what effects it would possess here, but the most significant problem beforehand was its shape. Being a simple orb made it a daunting task to find within this vast treasury. It was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.
“Sigh….”
Just as he was pondering how to manage this, suddenly, black mist began to swirl from the side, and a small, adorable white whale appeared.
“Leviathan, you shouldn’t come out.”
“Poo.”
Yet the Leviathan pointed its tail to somewhere. Nahun shifted his gaze to where the tail was indicating and widened his eyes in surprise.
“……How did you find it?”
“Poo!”
In the direction the Leviathan was pointing was the “Mystery of the Moon.” Shimmering like it was holding moonlight, the white orb made Nahun break into a light smile as he grasped it.
“Will you be able to bring back a proper gift on our way back?”
Nahun closed the treasury, locked it with the key, and returned the key to the pocket of the deceased caretaker. He then completely wiped the blood off the plate armor and cautiously left the place.
Once back in a less populated area, Nahun sent the Leviathan ahead to check for people before raising his visor when it confirmed the coast was clear.
“It’s so stuffy.”
“Poo.”
“You can go back now too.”
The Leviathan vanished into the swirling black mist. Nahun tossed aside his helmet and sat down for a moment.
“I’ve done all I can.”
Now, all that was left was to watch how the situation would unfold. Of course, this was after resolving the matters in the human realm. There were still things left to do.
‘Hell.’
Having caused events worthy of drawing attention from the heavens to prevent the celestial war, it was now time to take care of the affairs of Hell.
After keeping an eye on the human realm until the appropriate timing, he planned to check in on Dain and Eri before taking a short trip to Hell. With those thoughts in mind, Nahun looked up at the sky when a rustling sound startled him, causing him to turn his head.
“Who are you…?”
“…….”
Nahun scolded himself, berating his own foolishness.
But this was truly an unexpected situation. He never imagined that the princess, who had rushed off, would return once more.
‘Shit.’
Nahun nearly let a curse slip from his lips for the first time in a long while.
