Chapter 122 – Flame Empress  

The woman who calmly introduced herself as the Flame Empress looked around at us without changing her expression.

Red hair and crimson eyes. Her face was more wolf-like than anything.

Her age looked to be… mid-twenties?

“This Flame Empress is ninety-seven this year. How old are you all?”

…Oh, come on. She’s a grandma.

“…I’m nineteen. The ones behind me are seventeen…”

“I see. Then I’m five times your age, so may I speak informally?”

She’s already speaking informally, so why even ask? I wanted to make a snarky comment, but stayed quiet for now.

We don’t even know what kind of person she is yet. Who knows how she’ll react if I poke the bear? High-level masters always have a screw or two loose somewhere.

If it were just me and Yurasia, maybe. But it’d be hard to protect both Pina and Stella as well.

“Yes. That’s… fine.”

Yurasia nodded, still on guard.

“Good. As I just said, I am the Flame Empress. It’s been two days since I returned from Gevihenum, and I was on my way to the imperial palace to report to the Emperor when I saw you all.”

Flame Empress. I didn’t feel like she was lying.

If the person in front of me isn’t the Flame Empress, then the empire’s Flame Empress would’ve already lost her position to this woman.

That’s how strong she is.

Could I win?

If I opened all the Gates… I’d barely win.

But I’d need one second.

In that one second, the Flame Empress could easily kill all of us.

Shadowless, Mom, is at a similar level. So why didn’t Mom become one of the Six Pillars?

As I was thinking that, the Flame Empress’s gaze locked onto me.

“You’re trying to gauge my strength. So, what’s your conclusion?”

“I can’t win.”

“Of course. It wouldn’t make sense for this Flame Empress to be beaten by seventeen-year-old girls. And you have people you need to protect. Three, no, two, is it. Yes, that means you really can’t win.”

…What an arrogant, condescending, and insufferable thing to say.

But I couldn’t argue. Damn it.

At least I could tell she didn’t intend to kill us.

If she wanted to, she’d have burned us alive the moment we noticed her.

But I couldn’t be certain. She might just kill us if she got annoyed during this conversation.

I let out a small sigh, patted Yurasia on the back, and stepped forward.

“Ah, Miss…”

“It’s fine.”

I nodded toward the trembling Stella and Pina behind me. Yurasia, understanding, stood firmly in front of them.

I looked calmly at the Flame Empress.

She was still expressionless.

“What brings you to us?”

“I didn’t come looking for you. I saw you on the way to the palace, so I approached.”

“But that still means you came to see us, doesn’t it?”

The Flame Empress, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, nodded with the same blank expression.

“Mm. That’s true too. I’ve heard a lot about the precious daughter of Eustetia. Turrius and Julie raised their daughter to be bold.”

“You know my father and mother…?”

“We’re close.”

“Hmm, but… I was taught to be wary of people who claim to be close to Mom and Dad out on the street. I was told to avoid them because they’re all bad people.”

“That’s not wrong. But this Flame Empress is not a bad person. Nor did I tell a lie. Do you dislike me anyway?”

“How could I dislike you, Flame Empress? I’m just uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone could feel comfortable in front of someone who could kill us with a wave of their hand.”

“Mm. Right. This Flame Empress is an uncomfortable presence.”

What is with this lady?

I’m trying to poke her buttons, but it’s like there’s nothing to poke. Like scratching at flowing water?

“Still, with so many people around, how come no one recognizes you, Flame Empress?”

“This Flame Empress arranged it that way.”

“Magic?”

“Magic.”

“Oh.”

“Hm.”

“So, are those flames surrounding us because of that?”

The Flame Empress’s eyes twitched slightly at my words.

“You saw them?”

“I didn’t see them, but I could feel them.”

“What rank are you?”

“I’m fifth rank.”

“If so, you shouldn’t be able to sense them at all. How did you know?”

“…Just a hunch.”

The Flame Empress tilted her head, but then nodded as if she understood.

“A woman’s intuition, then. Just like Julie.”

“…Not the first part, but the second is true.”

“You even speak just like Julie.”

Does Mom really speak stiffly?

I can’t really imagine it.

Well, when she was Shadowless, she did write with a stiff tone… Maybe she talks like that with people she’s not close to.

The Flame Empress saying she’s close to Mom and Dad?

If you ask me, I think she’s the only one who thinks that.

After a few exchanges, it’s clear to me.

Flame Empress. This woman is a total dork.

The worst part is, she doesn’t even know she’s a dork.

“So, what did you want?”

I checked my pocket watch, then looked at the Flame Empress. It was almost time for my reservation.

“That’s a nice pocket watch.”

The Flame Empress’s eyes sparkled as she looked at my pocket watch.

“…Could you answer my question first?”

“Ah, right. You asked why I came over, didn’t you?”

Her gaze, which had been fixed on my pocket watch, shifted to Yurasia. More precisely, to Yurasia’s waist.

“You had a good sword, so I came to take a look.”

Diana’s sword.

The Eustetia Knights’ sword.

The sword I gave her.

I knew immediately which one she was looking at. Right hip. She was looking at the sword I gave her.

“What’s your name?”

“…Yurasia Espilot.”

“I see. Yurasia. Are you the owner of that sword?”

“Yes.”

I answered instead.

The Flame Empress’s gaze locked onto me.

“Eliaernes Eustetia. Do you know what that sword is?”

“Then, Flame Empress, do you know what that sword is?”

“The sword of the former Hero.”

“…Huh.”

The Flame Empress answered casually. But I could feel a kind of barrier forming around us. I clenched my fist tightly and glanced back.

Sound. All sound was cut off.

“Don’t be on guard. This Flame Empress has no intention of harming you.”

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“I swear.”

The moment the Flame Empress spoke, flame-like mana flowed from her lips and seeped into my heart.

“This Flame Empress will not kill you. Will not harm you. Will not touch you. Will not frighten you. Will not make you uncomfortable. Will not tell lies. Everything this Flame Empress says to you is nothing but the truth.”

“What if I’m already uncomfortable?”

“You say that, but you don’t seem uncomfortable at all. Eliaernes. You’re not afraid of this Flame Empress. Why? Is it because you can win? At the very least, you’re sure you’ll make it out alive. I can’t quite gauge your abilities, but I know that your confidence comes from the belief that you will survive.”

As she said this, the Flame Empress grinned.

“That’s why this Flame Empress likes you very much.”

“…How did you come to that conclusion?”

“You can figure it out. Now then, Eliaernes. You asked what that sword was, and this Flame Empress answered. So now it’s my turn to ask. Isn’t that right?”

What a bizarre way of speaking.

Do people just turn like this when they get close to a hundred years old? No, it’s more like she just really likes the title Flame Empress.

I swallowed a sigh and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Did you bring that out from the underground canal?”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the Flame Empress.

How much does she actually know?

“It’s not very pleasant to be doubted by a kid I like. So I’ll tell you.”

The Flame Empress took a step closer. Behind me, Yurasia half-drew her sword with a metallic rasp. I quickly raised one hand to calm her.

“There’s an information guild in the back alleys of the capital. A girl named Ophelia Blumin is its owner. She’s a puppeteer. That girl also attends Karela Academy, and her teacher is the Puppet Emperor.”

A flood of information left me dazed.

“…Did you say Ophelia is a student at the academy?”

“That’s right. Haven’t you ever met her?”

“I haven’t… No, never.”

Have I? I searched my memory, but nothing came up.

That blue hair, you couldn’t possibly miss it.

Besides, when I brought up the academy in Ophelia’s hideout, she didn’t react at all.

Does that mean everything she showed in front of me was just an act?

I should probably go find her again soon.

“Puppeteers are all like that. Lurking in the shadows, always scheming and plotting.”

“And what do you mean, she’s the Puppet Emperor’s disciple?”

“Puppet Emperor, one of the Six Pillars, is a puppeteer. Ophelia is also a puppeteer, and she’s exceptionally talented. Puppet Emperor took her in as a disciple and is helping her run the information guild.”

“I heard the information guild is under the Cartel’s umbrella, though.”

“Those with the title of Six Pillars can do more than you think.”

So the Six Pillars… Puppet Emperor has ties to the Cartel as well?

That’s… quite valuable information.

You shouldn’t just hear this kind of thing out of nowhere. Who exactly is this Flame Empress?

“Hmm… Judging by what you’ve said so far, you learned about it from the information guild and found out what was at the end.”

“That’s mostly right, but not quite. I didn’t ask the information guild. I went straight to Puppet Emperor and asked. After hearing the answer, I came to the capital. But there was nothing left in the underground canal. So I went back to Puppet Emperor. After smashing a couple puppets, I got my answer. The labyrinth in the underground canal was already broken through.”

Once again, a smile appeared on the Flame Empress’s face.

A really awkward, dorky smile.

“The person who broke through that labyrinth is standing before me. So, it’s correct to assume you brought that sword out from down there. Am I right?”

“…Thanks to Shadowless’s help, I was able to break through.”

“Haha! Is that so? I suppose it can’t be helped. Since you’re still suspicious of this Flame Empress, let me introduce myself again. This Flame Empress is tracking the traces of former Heroes from Gevihenum.”

The sudden change of subject made me tilt my head. Of course, I know the Flame Empress has been searching for traces of us in Gevihenum.

I also know she filled the imperial treasury with what she found.

But why bring this up now?

“So, have you ever wondered how this Flame Empress can track their traces? It’s already been four hundred years. Even if the traces left by great beings remain, they should have faded, vanished, been buried. Yet this Flame Empress still tracks them. How?”

The Flame Empress smiled.

“This Flame Empress is both Flame Empress (炎皇) and Mind Empress (念皇).”

She spread her arms wide as she spoke.

“Mind Empress, Flame Empress. But also, because the only ones I truly admire are the Heroes, and because I can read the traces left behind, the remnants of what was burned to ash, and the traces of time that’s passed, I am the Mind Empress. Do you understand?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Hmm, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. You’re still young, so this Flame Empress gets it.”

Her red hair fluttered. Orange eyes like flames stared at me.

“This Flame Empress read the traces in the underground canal, followed the remnants of time, and discovered something. Eliaernes Eustetia. What is your relationship with that person?”

“…That person?”

The Flame Empress grinned like a child.

“Star of Calamity.” (T/N: Changing it from Ominous Star to Star of Calamity)