An Audience with the Emperor

Having arrived at the audience chamber and announced their presence, the eyes of the two people who entered landed on the throne.

The throne, a mix of gold and red, commonly known as ‘the Emperor’s color’ even in the Empire. Upon it sat a man known as the supreme ruler of the Empire, wearing a rather benevolent expression.

“We greet His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”

As the two approached and bowed in unison, as if their mouths were matched, Emperor Oswell, who had been silently watching, opened his mouth.

“Welcome, welcome. I apologize for making you come all this way for nothing.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty.”

Outwardly, he was quite a solemn and dignified figure, so Kyle was a little unaccustomed to Oswell’s gentle and mild atmosphere, which was different from what he had imagined.

However, it was clear that he was a person with good character.

Since there was no need to show off his solemnity to the offspring, not the heads of each family, he was deliberately being gentle and trying to ease the atmosphere.

Whether that consideration was effective or not, Sylvia, who had been quite nervous and her body was faintly trembling, was soon able to regain her composure.

“Well, you two…. To be exact, I should call you Young Master Lyaird. I think you know why I called you here.”

“Yes, I am sorry to bring unpleasant news to Your Majesty’s ears.”

“Huh, how could that be your fault? It’s those wicked lackeys who are eating away at the Empire that are the problem.”

However, even with a short conversation, it was clear that he was not originally such a gentle person, as the veins around his temples visibly stood out as soon as the story about the Eyes of Dawn came out.

Kyle had not heard much about Oswell either, but he knew that he belonged to the hard-line faction that valued force, unlike the previous emperors, so he nodded as if it was an expected reaction.

“I’ve heard the story. At the time of the incident, you and Countess Elenore, who is next to you now, were at the scene together, right?”

“That’s right. My mother and I were there, a total of three people.”

Whether he had already heard that Sylvia had taken over the position of head of the family, Kyle replied with a sense of satisfaction at the part where he carefully mentioned the title.

“Is there no doubt about the Eyes of Dawn?”

“Yes. As a result of interrogating the captured person, it seemed certain.”

“…Do you mean you interrogated them yourself?”

Oswell, who had been listening quietly, opened his eyes wide for the first time.

That’s because Kyle’s words sounded like he had obtained the information himself by directly interrogating, rather than hearing it through information.

Interrogation is not a convenient task where you can just ask questions and get the answers you want, and even if they are related to the Eyes of Dawn, they would have been quite tight-lipped.

In order to extract information from there, he would have no choice but to get blood on his hands, but is he saying that a man who is going to be the next head of a family personally carried out that filthy act?

“It wasn’t that difficult. I used a little trick, but somehow it worked.”

“I see.”

When Kyle added a slightly vague remark, Oswell closed his mouth without asking anything further.

It was because he could roughly guess what kind of trick Kyle was referring to.

Since ancient times, there have been several types of magic that have been officially taboo in the Empire, and among them, magic that manipulates the minds of others or directly penetrates their minds to extract information has been taboo.

The reason for this was largely twofold.

First, as the Empire achieved unification, wars decreased exponentially, and there was almost no need to engage in espionage such as stealing information between countries.

Secondly, in the process, it was decided to erase some of the magic that was created for war that placed too much burden on the human body or the caster.

Among them, magic such as taking over the body of the other person or directly entering their mind caused mental damage to both the caster and the subject when it failed.

So, from some point on, it became taboo and virtually unused magic, and the trick that Kyle used was probably one of them.

‘Should I say he has no fear? He’s a truly amazing man.’

If the members of the Magic Tower or some of the leading figures of the magic society had heard this, they would have been furious.

No matter how much it is a method to obtain information, they would have been furious, saying that touching forbidden magic is an act that should not be allowed.

However, Oswell, true to his name as a hard-liner, looked favorably on Kyle because he was a man who would do anything to achieve his goals.

No, even if he didn’t like him, he at least thought that his potential was great.

As mentioned earlier, forbidden magic is not forbidden for no reason. It is magic that is taboo because the caster can also be in danger. Most forbidden magic is avoided for that reason.

However, it was admirable that a man who didn’t even seem to be twenty years old could weigh his own goals against the backlash that might come to him and boldly use it.

Moreover, such magic is usually quite high-level magic, so the fact that he can use it skillfully at such a young age means that he is a considerable talent.

‘Is he a person who can be both a villain and a hero?’

He does not care about the means and methods to achieve his goals. It may be similar to Oswell, but in fact, Oswell considered that value to be a thought that only a villain would have.

However, if that thought is wielded only for the sake of justice, a honorable hero is born who does not hold back when it comes to executing justice.

He is truly a person who can go back and forth between villain and hero with just a piece of paper.

That was the short evaluation that Oswell gave after seeing the man Kyle Lyaird.

“Then what was the information you extracted from them?”

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t get most of the information. I think they did something, and while I was continuing the interrogation, their brains burned out and they died.”

“Indeed. How meticulous.”

They will do anything to avoid giving information to the enemy, huh?

That’s a pretty high-level magic, so I’m curious who’s behind it.

“Anyway, I’m glad there were no major problems. I heard that your mother, Lady Lyaird, was in danger, but she woke up quickly, right?”

“Yes, thanks to the family’s healers being so talented, she quickly regained her energy.”

“That’s a relief, that’s a relief.”

Although Oswell belonged to the hard-line faction that valued force and had the value of sweeping away all the rebels who held a knife to the Empire, he was not a bad person in terms of personality.

Rather, he was a gentle person who could embrace and love anyone in the Empire.

Therefore, as Kyle continued to speak, he let out a sigh of relief as if it were his own business, nodded, and turned his gaze to Sylvia.

“Countess Elenore.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you too. You must have had a lot of trouble in many ways.”

“…I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Sylvia lowered her head, feeling somewhat overwhelmed as her past days, compressed into the single word ‘in many ways’, flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

Oswell felt complicated as he looked at her.

A girl who doesn’t even seem to be twenty years old, like Kyle, has been living under oppression from the person who should have given her the most love.

Moreover, it’s not like she committed a serious crime that cannot be tolerated, such as murder or patricide.

She was just born into the world. It’s just that a being called a demonic eye happened to be clouded over her right eye like a dark cloud.

“There’s no point in saying more here, it’ll only bring back bad memories, so I’ll cut it short. But at least I hope you live without losing the pride that you are the owner of the Elenore family.”

“I will engrave it in my heart. Your Majesty.”

“Hmm.”

Sylvia calmly nodded, realizing that there were several meanings implied in that one word, the pride of the Elenore family, as well.

In the first place, the world is not that important to humans.

Just the land where they were born and raised, the house where they eat and sleep, the parents and people around them who raised them.

That small frame forms a person, and that becomes a kind of territory, and in the end, it becomes a pride.

However, Sylvia has been burned by too many things to take pride in it.

That’s why Oswell is saying that. Even though the world may have oppressed you for a while, don’t live hating those around you too much.

As long as you keep that mindset until the end, the pride of the Elenore family will never disappear.

“I hope that brilliance will always be with you in your future.”

With that, the audience with the Emperor ended, and the expressions of the two people leaving the audience chamber were lighter than before.