episode_0022

“Your Highness! Good morning!”

“Good morning, Vars.”

Vars, stepping out of the room, met two women who greeted him.

“Good morning, Master.”

And Naver, waiting by his side.

“I will carry the luggage.”

Naver was already holding Vars’ bag.

“If you need anything, just say the word. I’ll take care of everything.”

Hmm… I did hope Naver would become my comrade, but I didn’t expect to be treated this well.

Murmur…

“He made Naver Shraig carry his luggage?”

“The guy known for his pride?”

“What kind of trick did he use?”

“Does he possess legendary hypnosis magic or something?”

Perhaps because Naver was so famous, the attention of the academy students began to focus on him.

And with the presence of the saint and the princess of the republic, it would surely attract even more attention.

This is too burdensome.

First, I need to leave this place.

“Let’s go for now.”

Vars urged the group as he headed in the direction of the lecture hall.

“It was a completely different dream?”

“Yeah. It felt like something that never happened on this continent to begin with.”

It was a very alienating dream…

…Or was it?

It seemed like the dream of being an angel opposing the demon and the dream of being a hero defeating the Demon King were even more alienating.

In the first place, neither of them seemed to have occurred on this continent.

“…This won’t do.”

Artoria, feeling anxious, bit her nails.

“What’s Bell up to again?”

“Oh, Artoria?”

“Just dealing with that savage woman alone is annoying enough, and now some strange girl is trying to interfere. Why does she only appear in my dreams?”

“Artoria.”

“Why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why me, why

Versed called out the name of Artoria, who couldn’t hear him.

“Why, why are you doing this, Your Highness?”

“Your finger!”

Artoria looked down at her nails that she had been biting.

Her pretty hand had become a mess from excessive biting.

“Oh. Ahaha… I accidentally bit my finger without realizing it? Hehehe. I have a habit of biting my nails, you see.”

“Give it to me.”

“Huh?”

Versed grabbed Artoria’s hand.

Artoria’s cheeks turned red.

Uung

Versed exerted his divine power on Artoria’s hand.

New skin emerged, and Artoria’s hand was completely healed.

“Your Highness… ♡!”

‘Yes! Your Highness would never abandon me! Just by healing me with divine power, it means he likes me more than that barbaric woman!’

She didn’t think Versed was simply testing her hand with his divine power.

‘I could heal myself, but Your Highness chose to heal me with his own power. It must have that meaning, right? Hehehe.’

Artoria put the hand Versed had just healed into her mouth.

“Chew… chew.”

‘Your warmth still lingers, Your Highness ♡.’

“Tsk.”

Watching this, Sophia clicked her tongue.

It doesn’t sit well with her.

Having strange dreams and then showing interest in such a proper lady.

If Versed remembers our adventure, he would immediately get rid of such a woman and come to me.

And there’s also Bell, an unknown competitor.

Anyway, it doesn’t sit well with her.

…Come to think of it, there was that woman too.

Princess Claudia.

She stepped back, but she didn’t seem to be retreating willingly.

She might come back to target Versed later.

Until then, she needs to keep hold of Versed.

Imperial Capital

Royal Palace

Thud

The door opened, and palace knights poured in.

The emperor, who was meeting with his subjects and attending to his duties, was taken aback.

“What is the meaning of this! This is before His Majesty!”

Gungjeongbaek stood up and banged the gong, but…

Kwung

“Kkeug…!”

A powerful gravity magic descended upon him.

Gungjeongbaek lay flat on the ground.

“Ma, magic?”

His shocked and fearful sight silenced his subjects.

Dokdokdok

Amidst everyone’s bewilderment, Claudia walked in under the escort of palace knights.

“……Claudia?”

The Emperor looked at Claudia with a surprised expression, as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes.

“Yes. Your Majesty. It is I.”

Claudia smiled softly.

It was a seductive smile that melted men’s hearts.

“Treason!”

“Treason… Well, I wonder.”

Claudia glanced around for a moment.

“If I had failed, it would have been treason, but since I succeeded, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to call it the rightful succession to the throne?”

Kwung

Claudia’s sudden change in tone and her overwhelming presence subdued everyone present.

As the once iron-fisted Empress who had ruled the empire, her charisma captivated everyone.

“……Why? You promised to pass the throne to the child who won in fair competition! If you had won in that duel, the throne would have been yours anyway!”

In a strained cry, the Emperor barely managed to speak, and Claudia chuckled.

“Fair competition? Even though you knew that you secretly supported that guy?”

“……!”

“If we had continued to compete, eventually the throne would have been mine.”

But for now, let’s keep it hasty.

The Emperor looked around at the knights.

“……When did the palace knights get subverted?”

“Hmph. When indeed.”

“……Did you even resort to dirty tricks?”

Most of the palace knights were from lowly backgrounds.

They were people who would go crazy over a beauty. Throughout the generations, emperors had often rewarded beauties as a prize.

The Emperor was certain that she had subverted the palace knights by using her own body.

“Proud knights of the royal family! If you regain your loyalty, I can overlook it this once! I think there might be a chance to waver just this once. Are you not thinking of betraying the empire like this? If you show your loyalty to the royal family right here, you will have as many imperial beauties as you desire!”

The emperor looked around at the royal knights surrounding him and made an appeal.

However, the knights simply remained composed, holding their positions.

“Really? Do you think they are on my side just for such a reason?” Claudia sneered at the meaningless appeal made by the emperor.

“…What?”

Thud

The leader of the royal knights stepped forward and planted his sword in the ground, allowing the tip to touch the floor.

“Our royal knights have decided to follow Her Highness, who has proven her extraordinary abilities and strength, judging that the current incompetent military is ruining the empire. And this decision is the decision of all our royal knights.”

Hum

Behind Claudia, eight magical circles emerged.

It was also a proof of her being a grand sorceress.

“…Incompetent military, you say.”

The emperor slumped into his seat.

8th Circle.

The realm of Beatrice, the headmaster of the prestigious Richten Academy, the most outstanding sorceress on the continent, reaching a level so high that even a genius who appears once every hundred years may not reach, achieved at such a young age.

Surely, he never expected his daughter to reach such a level.

With this, it’s likely that all the royal knights will stand by her side.

There’s no chance of winning this.

The emperor did not even suspect the fact that Claudia had concealed one of her circles and only showed eight of them.

The knights led the collapsed emperor outside.

“How would you like us to handle the remaining subjects?”

The leader of the knights approached Claudia and asked.

The expressions of the subjects who heard the question became contemplative.

After a moment of consideration, Claudia spoke.

“Leave them as they are.”

“As they are, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

All of the incompetent subjects are displeasing to me.

They have risen to this position only with their pitiful skills, as lacking in ability as they are compared to my father.

In my heart, I want to dismiss them immediately and replace them with new subjects.

“Of course, having dismissed him due to the interference of courtiers, I have no right to say such things.”

The matters of the empire can wait; those of the secretary are more urgent.

For now, I will leave them be.

On the day the secretary becomes prime minister, I will tidy them all up.

Phew…

The subjects sitting in their places sighed with relief, unaware of Claudia’s inner thoughts.

“Congratulations on ascending to the throne!”

A duke who had gained the emperor’s favor through his skill stepped forward.

“C-congratulations!”

“Hooray for Her Majesty Claudia!”

Following that, a crowd of subjects praised Claudia.

Their actions made Claudia’s resolve even stronger.

“Hasten the preparations for the investiture ceremony.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

I have no interest in the empty formality of an investiture ceremony.

But if I were to meet him without properly holding the ceremony, he would surely scold me and send me away.

“Your Majesty! Even if you dislike the formality, it is directly related to the majesty of the Emperor! Your majesty’s dignity is essential for the proper functioning of the nation!”

Claudia recalled the appearance of the secretary who had admonished her in the previous meeting.

If only she had paid a little more attention to his words…

Would the outcome have been different?

……

No.

Such pondering is meaningless.

The secretary is in a situation where he has lost his memory.

No matter how much I may have wronged him, the current secretary does not remember.

It is something I can atone for.

On the day when the investiture ceremony is over and I have firmly grasped imperial power,

I will go to meet you.

My precious secretary.