episode_0012

“Now then, shall we hear where you learned it?”

Once I admitted defeat, the Emperor turned his back and walked towards his chair. As I watched him walk away with his back to me, a tempting voice echoed in my head.

‘If I launch a surprise attack now, wouldn’t I succeed?’

What if I attacked him now and said, ‘It’s not over until it’s over!’?

‘Ugh, never mind.’

But in the end, I gave up. It might have been different if I could succeed with such a move. Even with his back turned, there was no opening whatsoever from the Emperor.

The Emperor sat in his chair and looked at me. Even as I caught my breath, the Emperor didn’t seem tired at all.

“So you gave up on the surprise attack.”

He even noticed. I knew it, but at my current level, I could never reach the Emperor.

“Oh, how could I ever swing a sword at His Great Imperial Majesty?”

“For someone who says that, you’ve been swinging your sword at me quite a bit.”

“Ahaha, more importantly, the reason I was able to learn Shadow Step is because of this.”

I took out the Shadow Step skill book from my subspace. No matter how many times I looked at it, it was thick enough that you wouldn’t think it only contained one sentence.

“A spatial artifact, then. You possess many unusual abilities.”

I deliberately showed my subspace to the Emperor. It’s better for me in the future if the Emperor evaluates me highly.

“Would you like to see it?”

“I shall.”

I approached the Emperor and handed him the book. The Emperor, sitting in his chair, rested his chin on his hand and looked at the book he had received from me.

It was clearly a posture that couldn’t react to an attack.

Strangely, the thought that an attack would succeed didn’t cross my mind.

“Your Majesty, it is true that I learned from that book, but there is only one sentence written in it.”

The Emperor listened to my words, then looked at the book again. Why is he doing that?

“Hoo? One sentence, you say? It doesn’t appear so to me.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean?”

It’s not one sentence?

That can’t be.

I had looked through every single page of that thick book. Everything written there was the exact same sentence.

“Isn’t it all the same sentence?”

“To you, all of this appears as one sentence, it seems. To me, they all appear as different sentences.”

The difference between the Emperor and me, then. Could it be?

Does what’s visible change depending on the user’s proficiency?

“I’ll return this to you.”

The Emperor seemed to have lost interest in the book and returned it. I hadn’t expected to get it back so easily, so I asked the Emperor.

“This book, are you not tempted by it?”

“I already know everything contained within, so I have little interest in the book. If there’s anything that tempts me more, it’s the spatial artifact you possess.”

The Emperor would know that I wouldn’t give him the subspace.

“Unfortunately, it is something I cannot easily give away.”

“Indeed. You’ve had a tough time being suddenly summoned here. I’ve prepared a carriage, so you may take it.”

When I was first kidnapped to the imperial palace, I desperately wanted to leave.

But to leave just like this, I was far too tempted by the elixirs.

“Um, Your Imperial Majesty, do you perhaps have any worries?”

Even as I said it, I felt foolish. Even if the Emperor had worries, there’s no way I could solve them.

The Emperor burst into laughter at my obviously transparent words. Honestly, even if I were the Emperor, I think I’d laugh too.

“Hahahahaha, are you truly that tempted by the elixirs?”

Yes! I want them so much!

But you won’t give them to me for free, will you?

“Rather than being tempted by elixirs, I, as a citizen of the Empire, merely wished to confirm if there was anything I could do to repay His Imperial Majesty, who constantly works for the Empire.”

“As it happens, I do have one worry.”

It worked?

But what kind of worry could the Emperor have?

“Recently, someone has been investigating the Phantom Thief Cardinal. If you can ensure that the fact that I am Phantom Thief Cardinal is not revealed, I shall bestow an elixir upon you.”

It’s true that if the Emperor’s identity as Phantom Thief Cardinal were known, things could get troublesome. But is this really a worry?

“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but couldn’t you simply order them to stop the investigation? You don’t necessarily need me to resolve it.”

I don’t know who’s doing the investigation, but if the Emperor ordered them to stop investigating Phantom Thief Cardinal, whoever it was would stop without question.

‘But he’s specifically entrusting this to me?’

One might think the Emperor wants to give me an elixir, but the Emperor never takes a loss.

If he wanted to give me an elixir, he would have told me to hunt a few monsters instead. That would be far more beneficial to the Empire.

“It’s because the person in question isn’t someone who would stop just because I order them to.”

Is there such a person?

Someone who would investigate Phantom Thief Cardinal, defying the Emperor’s command – I couldn’t even begin to guess who that might be.

“Can you resolve my worry?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Everything for the Empire.”

Everything for the elixir.

“As it happens, I have an excellent idea.”

With this method, no one would ever discover that the Emperor is Phantom Thief Cardinal.

“I shall look forward to it, then. You may leave.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

I was about to exit when I remembered a question for the Emperor, so I turned back and spoke.

“Your Majesty, may I ask a question?”

“By all means.”

“How can I become as strong as Your Majesty?”

Perhaps my question was unexpected, as the Emperor fell into thought for a moment.

After a very short time, the Emperor smiled and answered my question.

It was the warmest smile I had seen from the Emperor so far.

“If you have a beloved, you can become stronger than anyone.”

That answer was also unexpected for me, and it took me a moment to speak. A beloved, huh…

“That’s a romantic answer.”

“Have you ever loved anyone?”

“Unfortunately, not yet.”

Before entering the game, Croaka was my entire life.

After entering the game, I spent every day incredibly busy.

“The day will come when you, too, will have a beloved. When that day comes, you will understand what I meant.”

“I hope that day comes as soon as possible.”

***

After my private audience with the Emperor, I was walking through the Imperial Palace, guided by a maid. The maid, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and bowed her head.

“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”

Where she bowed, there stood a beautiful young girl. She had been mentioned a few times in Croaka, but had rarely appeared in person.

Golden hair and golden eyes, just like Lucas and the Emperor. A being called the foremost beauty of the Empire.

The Imperial Princess. Yerika Leonhart.

Yerika received the maid’s greeting, then looked at me once and asked the maid.

“Who is this person?”

Yerika asked the maid, but it was I who answered.

Bowing my head and placing my right hand over my left chest.

It was my signature pose.

“My name is Loki, merely a humble jester.”

Yerika heard my name and brightened, as if something came to mind.

“Ah! You’re the person my brother mentioned!”

It seemed Lucas had told her about me.

“Your Imperial Highness, just a moment.”

The maid, who had been behind Yerika all along, whispered to her. Once the maid finished whispering, Yerika bowed her head slightly to me.

“Forgive my late greeting. I am Yerika Leonhart, the Imperial Princess of the Empire.”

I knew nothing about etiquette, but I could tell that her etiquette was perfect.

“What brings you to the Imperial Palace?”

It must be strange for me, merely an academy freshman, to be in the Imperial Palace. To satisfy Yerika’s curiosity, I told her the truth.

“I was kidnapped and dragged to the Imperial Palace.”

“Hoho, you truly are as amusing as I heard.”

I had told the truth, but Yerika seemed to think I was joking. The servants behind her seemed to think the same, and some even looked at me with displeasure.

“Your Imperial Highness is as beautiful as I heard.”

“Thank you for the compliment. I am on my way to my father now. Well then, humble jester-nim. I’ll see you another time.”

“It would be an honor to meet someone as beautiful as Princess Yerika-nim again.”

I said this, but honestly, I probably wouldn’t meet Yerika again.

Contrary to my thoughts, my reunion with Yerika was quicker than expected.

***

After Loki left, the Emperor was thinking about Loki.

He was an interesting boy.

To sincerely swing a staff at him because of an elixir.

His mind worked quickly too.

Although he had given hints, Loki had arrived at the fact that he was Phantom Thief Cardinal surprisingly fast.

He also possessed power.

Though he couldn’t reach him, he had unique magic and his movements were good.

It was understandable why Duke Adelien wanted to adopt him.

He felt like telling Lucas to get closer to Loki, but…

“That’s Lucas’s business to handle.”

Even if Lucas didn’t get close to him, the fact that it would be good to bring Loki to the Empire’s side remained unchanged.

That’s why he made that offer.

On the other hand, he was also curious. How would that boy prevent the fact that Phantom Thief Cardinal was him from being revealed?

‘As it happens, I have an excellent idea.’

What would that excellent idea of the boy’s be?

Since ascending to the throne, he hadn’t had this much fun very often.

***

That night. A rumor spread throughout the entire Empire.

That Phantom Thief Cardinal had appeared again.

The Emperor rubbed his forehead and spoke into the air.

“Haa… Bring that Loki fellow back here once more.”