Chapter 71

Chapter 71

I Proposed While Drunk and Now the Princesses are Obsessed.

Episode 71: Would You Marry Me If I Ripped You Limb From Limb? (11).

The morning of the exchange meeting.

Jaekiel visited the imperial training ground right after waking up. During treatment, he had consumed a large amount of elixir at once, which made the flow inside his body quite peculiar.

He observed his body.

The coldness had increased compared to before, but surprisingly, his body had slightly adapted to it. It was the first time this had happened.

‘Indeed.’

Was this why elixirs were called sacred treasures?

…However, the effect was too minimal, which was disappointing.

If he hadn’t experienced the taste of becoming healthier, he would have died with less regret, but having felt it even a little, the thirst was overwhelming. The sensation of his lifespan increasing was thrilling.

‘It has to be Sun Water.’

Even the elixir only managed to maintain the status quo without worsening his condition. What he truly needed was Sun Water.

─Finish the exchange meeting first.

─The Sun Water should be ready by then.

Since the Sun Water hadn’t been prepared yet, the Emperor had promised three drops by the end of the exchange meeting. Jaekiel eagerly awaited that moment.

As he left the training ground and walked, quite a few people recognized him.

“Isn’t he the new auditor appointed to the Imperial Tower?”

“I heard his abilities are exceptional.”

“Is he now going on the exchange meeting dispatch? I’m looking forward to it.”

As he passed by each of those remarks, certain thoughts naturally came to mind. First, what Solana had said.

─I hope you can focus solely on your work, Teacher.

‘Focus solely on work.’

Come to think of it, Jaekiel had rarely experienced concentrating fully on either training or work recently. The reason was simple: he never knew when his short life would end.

To focus on work, he first needed longevity.

‘I need to make frequent deals with the Emperor from now on.’

He had already utilized his talent for drawing; what would be the next item for the deal? He needed to think busily.

“Ah, Auditor. Here you are.”

While he was deep in thought, he ran into Anes.

“Anes, have you come to greet me?”

“Yes. It would be troubling if you disappeared right before the exchange meeting.”

They started walking together down the corridor.

Anes suddenly let out a deep sigh.

“Auditor, do you know that the five towers regularly submit reports to the Imperial Tower?”

“That’s natural.”

“Good. Then do you know this as well?”

Anes fiddled with a cube as she continued.

“The submission cycle is three months, and today happens to be the due date, but none of the towers have submitted their reports.”

“The meaning is clear then.”

“Yes. It’s very clear.”

Anes nodded.

“They believe that the Imperial Tower will definitely be humiliated at today’s exchange meeting. It also seems to signify their alliance with the Black Tower.”

How arrogant they were.

Jaekiel quietly bit into his Sun Grass.

“There’s no need to worry too much.”

“Excuse me?”

Jaekiel chuckled.

“First, let’s sit down and talk.”

Jaekiel and Anes moved to a meeting room.

“So, what exactly do we need to do?”

“Monitor for any suspicious behavior from the towers and remove any threats. We need to prune them so only the towers working for the empire remain.”

Anes spun the cube swiftly.

“Of course, before such actions, we need to prove the integrity of the Imperial Tower. Otherwise, the backlash from the five towers will be severe.”

“Proving it isn’t difficult. It’s just somewhat bothersome.”

Jaekiel exhaled the smoke from the Sun Grass.

“So, how should we prove it?”

“As for that, the Black Tower hinted at a suggestion, though their intentions are unclear.”

Anes handed over a document.

It was a single sheet containing information about the cursed sword.

“Auditor, didn’t you previously defeat a high-ranking demon in the Luiple region and retrieve a cursed sword?”

“Yes, I did.”

“They’re asking to move it to an altar near the Black Tower.”

Jaekiel tilted his head slightly.

It was strange, even with a little thought. The Imperial Tower was not the errand boy of the Black Tower.

“The Black Tower specializes in handling cursed swords.”

“So it feels like a kind of proposal. If we do this, they’ll recognize the capabilities of the Imperial Tower.”

“Who do they think they are…?”

Ten years of absence—how incompetent the Imperial Tower must have acted during that time to be treated like this. Jaekiel felt that realization anew.

“Alright, I understand. Who are the personnel for the mission?”

“I will accompany you as your assistant, Auditor.”

Jaekiel looked at Anes quietly.

“Are you participating voluntarily?”

“Yes.”

“Surprising, I thought you disliked me.”

“…Don’t misunderstand. I’m going because the Black Tower’s representative was extremely rude to me.”

“Surprisingly, you hold grudges.”

“…Yes, I do.”

Anes pouted expressionlessly.

Jaekiel nodded quietly.

“Understood. Let’s rest a bit and then depart.”

“Yes. I’ll wait outside then.”

With that, we left the meeting room.

As Jaekiel wandered aimlessly outside the palace, he heard a bustling noise. Soldiers were diligently training.

One!

Two!

One!

Two!

The sound of weapons clashing, busy bodies moving, sweat pouring endlessly… Jaekiel suddenly saw it.

The sun finally rose brightly, shining on him. It was also a signal for the start of the day.

No matter how hard it seemed, the soldiers had hope on their faces. The hope that they would be stronger tomorrow.

In other words, they had the premise that they could naturally face tomorrow. He had never had that premise since he was born.

“…”

Jaekiel’s mouth that was chewing the Sun Grass stopped.

One!

Two!

One!

Two!

It was a life with little regret.

But the loneliness he felt now, was it evidence that he wanted to live? He thought quietly.

‘Complete the exchange meeting mission, and then the Sun Water.’

He didn’t worry about difficulty.

There was no need to worry.

However.

Just before the mission, the man suddenly dreamed of longevity.

Inside the infirmary.

‘This should be enough tidying up.’

Just before departure, Jaekiel finished organizing the remaining belongings in the infirmary. He didn’t have much to begin with, and he had requested the gifts he received to be moved to the Tower.

At that moment, as he was about to leave…

“Au-Auditor!”

Someone urgently blocked the infirmary door.

A familiar face. It was the messenger of the 1st Princess.

“Why?”

“Uh, well…”

The messenger couldn’t easily continue his words. Jaekiel nodded first, as if he understood.

“If you’re looking for the 1st Princess, I haven’t seen her either.”

“No. We found the 1st Princess.”

“That’s good news. But why were you looking for me?”

“Uh… well…”

The messenger kept glancing sideways.

Then he spoke in a fearful voice.

“It seems… you need to prepare…”

“If it’s for the mission, I’ve already prepared.”

Jaekiel frowned.

“Aren’t you blocking my way right now?”

“Not the mission… I didn’t mean the mission preparations.”

“Then?”

“Uh…”

Jaekiel shook his head. Then, he exhaled a long puff of Sun Grass smoke and tried to pass by him.

No, he tried to pass by, but he couldn’t.

There was someone else behind the messenger.

“…”

Soon, Jaekiel was dumbfounded.

It was rare for him to be surprised, but the scene unfolding before him was truly shocking.

First, his vision was filled with a figure in a pure white wedding dress. However, since she was very tall, her figure was only visible up to the chest, obscured by the door frame.

A graceful figure.

If a giant statue were made with the perfect standards of beauty, it would look exactly like this.

However, there was no time to just marvel at the figure similar to a crafted artwork. There was only one woman in the palace with such a tall height.

Where should he start being surprised?

There were so many shocking aspects.

The fact that she appeared?

The fact that she was wearing a dress?

Jaekiel calmly asked the messenger.

“…Why is she wearing a dress?”

“She said she’s going to meet her husband…”

Now?

While holding a black sword in one hand?

“…”

Jaekiel pointed to the woman’s hand with his eyes, but the messenger just shook his head as if he didn’t know either.

At that moment, with a bang, the wall near the door was completely destroyed. As the newly widened entrance passed, the tall woman slowly revealed herself.

It was the 1st Princess, Ether.

Ether didn’t say a word.

She just smiled broadly.

However, she smiled, showing her teeth as she looked at Jaekiel.

“…”

It was a more powerful blow than any words.