Ch.122The First Emperor’s Tomb (3)

# “So noisy…”

Ruide woke up amid the commotion.

Charlotte was kneeling with her hands raised, while Amelia was fidgeting anxiously.

“Are you awake?”

“…Yeah.”

Ruide sat up, scratching his disheveled hair.

“Yip!”

The fox rushed to Ruide and licked his cheek.

Now he was finally coming to his senses.

‘Right. Yesterday…’

Ruide had crossed over to the first defense line through the gate.

But the students who should have been there upon arrival were nowhere to be seen.

With the combination of Amelia and Charlotte, he hadn’t expected things to go smoothly, but he never thought they wouldn’t even make it there.

Left with no choice, he had summoned Miho, and while he was at it, teleported to the location of the “First Emperor’s Tomb.”

“Rui even loves his familiar so dearly.”

For reference, Victoria was quite fond of Miho.

Well, to Northerners, arctic foxes are considered “animals that bring good fortune.”

Above all, it’s cute.

“But Mother, why is Charlotte kneeling?”

“I’m not sure.”

Victoria’s expression showed she genuinely didn’t know.

Charlotte awkwardly raised her head.

“I’m expressing my utmost loyalty.”

“That’s what she says.”

“I see.”

“…Um.”

Amelia cautiously opened her mouth.

“Moth—I mean, Head of the Family, what brings you here?”

‘Is she still embarrassed?’

Amelia was in her timid mode.

She was tapping her fingertips together while watching Victoria’s reaction.

Indeed, my second sister is adorable.

“Ruide wanted to see the ruins.”

“I… see. Rui, you shouldn’t bother the Head with your whims.”

“At least I didn’t cry.”

“Pfft.”

“…?”

Amelia glared at Charlotte with a serious expression.

Charlotte turned her head away and tried to whistle.

But since she didn’t know how to whistle, it just came out as a deflated sound.

“You’re doing quite well as an older sister.”

Victoria looked at Amelia with warm eyes.

“If it weren’t for you, we would never have sent Ruide to the Academy.”

Amelia responded with a deeply flushed face.

“Th-Thank you…”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Yes.”

Amelia, who had looked like she might wag her tail at any moment, suddenly deflated.

It was a bit pitiful, but… I’m glad she’s back to her usual self.

“Besides, it’s unacceptable for a Windsor, who should always illuminate the path ahead, to lose their way.”

Amelia became completely dejected. No, beyond that, she looked depressed.

“…I’m sorry.”

“By now, shouldn’t you have mastered the geography of the North? Though Irene is the heir, your succession rights haven’t been revoked yet. You should try harder to catch up to your sister…”

The number one thing you should never do to your child:

Compare them to other family members!

Even Ruide, who had lived a failed life as a jobless bum, knew that.

‘This could lead to family breakdown.’

Ruide, who prioritized happiness above all else, didn’t want discord among family members.

But covering for her here would have negative effects.

Who would appreciate being shielded by their younger sibling?

It would only create a different kind of misery.

So, Ruide offered the best solution.

“Mother.”

“Are you hungry?”

Victoria, who had been cold as ice, instantly changed her demeanor.

She gently caressed Ruide’s cheek with an affectionate face.

“No. Can I show you my assistant?”

“Of course.”

Ruide took Victoria’s hand and led her away.

Victoria had a pleased expression.

Before leaving the tent, Ruide looked back.

Amelia was staring at the ground, lost in thought.

‘Don’t start thinking strange things again.’

“Ame sis.”

“Y-Yes.”

Amelia looked up at Ruide, startled.

“I like you the most.”

“…!”

“So, cheer up. I’ll be rooting for you.”

Ruide finished speaking and dashed away.

…It was a bit embarrassing.

**

“You’ve already become someone who knows how to care for others.”

Victoria simply found Ruide endearing.

He knew how to say kind words for his sister’s sake, showing how much he had grown.

He was fulfilling his role as the youngest perfectly, and nothing could be more lovable.

However—

‘I should be more careful when scolding Amelia in the future.’

The Windsor family’s educational philosophy was not so lenient.

Victoria thought she should summon Amelia separately later to hold her accountable.

“Mother, I think you’re too strict with Ame sis.”

“Some children do better with praise, while others do better with strictness. Ame is the latter. If I praise her even a little, she becomes overconfident and makes mistakes.”

“Still, please treat her more kindly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

As they were heading toward where the Academy students had gathered, someone came running.

It was Vincent, the leader of the 2nd Knights Division, 3rd Unit.

“Lady Viki! Did you finish your conversation with the Vice-Captain?”

Victoria was currently concealing her identity.

That was perhaps only natural.

The authority held by the Duchess of Windsor was so immense that knights couldn’t properly do their jobs just by her presence.

So when she wanted to conduct simple patrols or investigations, she operated under the identity of “Viki,” a member of the Windsor 1st Knights Division, directly under Victoria’s command.

However, since Victoria didn’t wear any special disguise, anyone who should know would recognize her—though she did change her eye color.

When acting as “Viki,” she wore her long hair down, and those who knew her face would treat her not as the Duchess of Windsor but as “Viki of the Windsor Knights.”

It was an unspoken rule that had spread throughout the duchy.

For reference, Ruide didn’t particularly hide his identity.

It was a child’s privilege.

“Yes. The orders are to continue the mission. Don’t worry about us; just carry on with your duties.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Vincent’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

The 2nd Knights Division was closer to soldiers than knights. To them, the 1st Knights Division was like a towering mountain and a dream they desperately wanted to achieve.

“Ruide, where is this assistant ‘Ella’ you mentioned? Let’s meet her and then go to the ruins.”

Her tone was as if she were suggesting a trip to an amusement park. Ruide pointed toward the students gathered around a campfire.

“She should be over there. But Mother, can Ella come with us too?”

“Hmm. That’s difficult. Did you promise to bring her along later? Does that mean you intend to accept her as a member of the North?”

Ruide nodded without hesitation.

Sorry, but Ella had no choice in the matter.

What professor would let go of such a talented individual?

“Still, it’s ambiguous. We haven’t even conducted a proper background check yet—”

Obtaining residency in the North is complicated. In particular, one must have a verifiable background. Criminals are obviously not allowed, and nobles are also rejected due to political risks.

“Ella is definitely a commoner. I’ve confirmed that. Right?”

“Yip!”

Miho wagged her tail, panting happily. Ruide hugged Miho and looked up at Victoria.

Victoria couldn’t resist the combined puppy-dog eyes of her son and the adorable arctic fox.

“…Let’s just bring her to the entrance. The proper investigation hasn’t even begun yet… And keep this secret from others.”

Ruide inwardly smirked as he stroked the fox.

‘You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you? You’ll be useful.’

[So please give me more screen time in the future.]

‘Sorry about that.’

**

The entrance to the ruins presumed to be the “First Emperor’s Tomb” was a stone staircase.

Since it extended underground, it was impressive that someone had discovered it.

—This is just a presumption, so don’t be too disappointed if it turns out not to be. There’s a possibility it isn’t.

Victoria’s words came to mind.

Ruide wanted to confirm it.

“Appraisal.”

Ruide’s eyes blazed blue.

‘There aren’t any preservation spells cast on it, and the estimated time period is 800 to 900 years ago. The historical context roughly matches.’

The probability that this ruin was the First Emperor’s tomb was high.

“R-Ruide… who is this person?”

Victoria was staring with eyes full of wariness.

Ella was quite flustered by the expression that looked as if she were being viewed as a thief.

“She is…”

“I’m Viki, from the Windsor 1st Knights Division.”

Victoria answered coldly just as Ruide was about to introduce her.

‘So the assistant is a girl.’

Ruide is pure. He’s a flawless being, white as untouched snow.

Moreover, he’s incredibly cute and lovable. Victoria was certain.

There couldn’t be a woman on this continent who wouldn’t be attracted to Ruide.

In other words, every woman in the world was, to Victoria, a criminal eyeing her one and only son. Ella was no exception.

‘If she has impure feelings toward my son…’

Victoria had no choice. She would have to revoke the order she had given to Irene: “Stop killing people so often.”

For that, she needed to confirm. Ella would obviously like Ruide, but Victoria’s choice would differ depending on whether it was “love” or “respect.”

Ella, unknowingly undergoing a life-or-death test, said blankly:

“So you’re from the Windsor Knights… You’re very beautiful.”

“…”

“You look a lot like Ruide, so I thought you might be distant relatives… Ah, I’m sorry. Was that rude of me?”

Ella’s score in Victoria’s heart went up by two points.

“Let’s go down. Mo—I mean, Viki.”

“Let’s do that.”

Victoria pulled Ruide into her arms and descended the stairs.

“I can walk by myself.”

“The steps are high, Ruide. Always be careful in places like this.”

Ruide looked up at Victoria with salty eyes.

‘If you want to hide your identity, do it properly. What knight would treat a young lord so casually?’

Victoria had absolutely no talent for acting.

Fortunately, Ella, unfamiliar with proper etiquette, seemed to accept it without question.

After descending the stairs, they entered a massive cavern.

Two enormous knight statues stood guarding an even larger door on either side.

‘Following the cliché, if we do something wrong, those will probably move?’

Ruide blinked and climbed down from Victoria’s arms.

“What is this place…?”

“It’s a ruin, Ella. Your task today is to perform well here.”

‘More specifically, to impress Victoria.’

If Ella couldn’t gain Victoria’s approval, even Ruide couldn’t help her.

But he didn’t think that would happen. Ella was a genius magic girl who surprised even herself.

“Ah, yes. Should I open this door?”

Victoria spoke in a flat tone.

“It won’t be easy. There are precise mechanisms in place, and if you touch something wrong, you’ll never be able to enter—that’s how it’s structured.”

“I understand, I’ll be careful.”

In the center of the door was an embedded stone tablet with unfamiliar writing on it.

Ella examined it with curious eyes.

“There’s writing here. Unfortunately, it’s a language I don’t know.”

“It’s an ancient language. It says, ‘Is this a blessing, or is it a curse?'”

“Isn’t it supposed to be ‘Is this a curse, or is it a blessing?'”

“You observed well, Ruide. That’s right. But that one is written in reverse. It’s the only clue to opening this door.”

Victoria stroked Ruide’s head with a pleased expression.

‘That’s simple.’

Ruide yawned and rubbed his eyes.

He already knew how to open the door.

With the 5th Magic, he could simply revert the door to a time when it didn’t exist.

‘But that wouldn’t be fun.’

For some reason, he didn’t want to use cheats in such a romantically mysterious space.

Ruide hoped Ella would solve it impressively.

“I appreciate your desire to show off your assistant, Ruide, but the problem seems too difficult.”

Victoria spoke calmly.

“Even teams composed of the highest-level mages and explorers couldn’t make any headway. All they discovered was that it’s ‘extremely dangerous.'”

“Ah, I found it.”

“A genius like Ruide might figure it out quickly, but for others, it’s absolutely…”

“I think this is how it works.”

“?”

Ruide grinned.

Ella turned the stone tablet upside down.

Rumble!

With the sound of turning gears, the door vibrated.

Plaster fragments fell from the massive door, and Victoria’s pupils trembled slightly.

“See, I told you Ella is a genius.”

Ruide looked up at Victoria with triumphant eyes.

‘Huh?’

Beyond the visibly surprised Victoria, he noticed something strange.

The knight statue that had been facing straight ahead—

Had turned its head to look at them.

Victoria seemed to notice too, as she brought her sword to hand. However, being at a historical site, she appeared to hesitate.

“Mother, wait a moment.”

Ruide pointed at Ella.

Ella was lying on the ground, writing some magical formula with her mana.

“There are several spells cast in this cavern. Interpreting them, they control the statues on both sides. There are two commands: one demands blood, and the other demands an answer.”

Ella’s hands moved faster. The statue raised its enormous sword high into the air.

Victoria closed her eyes, sword in hand. Ruide could feel Victoria’s mana spreading faintly.

‘So this is Mother’s power.’

To Ruide, the statue already appeared broken.

“There’s also magic on the statue’s blade. If the blood doesn’t match what’s pre-programmed, this ruin is set to automatically collapse. Of course, the same happens if the statue is damaged.”

Victoria remained unwavering.

Ruide could tell. First Emperor’s tomb or not, she would immediately destroy everything if things went wrong.

But the statue remained motionless, its sword raised high.

Ella stood up.

“Magic has priorities. Between the two inputs, the one set as the priority is ‘the answer to the question.’ I modified the formula to make the statue choose the more important one, bypassing the blood requirement.”

As soon as Ella finished speaking, the statue lowered its sword.

[Selected one.]

[Welcome.]

The voice was unpleasant.

Ruide was simply amazed.

Victoria seemed to feel the same, as she opened her eyes and stared blankly at Ella.

[Then I shall ask—]

[Is it a curse, or is it a blessing?]

[What is ‘it’ referring to here?]

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ella answered:

“Immortality.”

[Enter.]

[Enter.]

The statues stopped moving and—

Rumble—

The door began to open by itself.