episode_0014

“So this was with Baron Ashro.”

The Emperor spoke, looking at the bottle containing blue powder that I had handed him. His expression as he looked at the bottle was as if he were looking at something foul and dirty.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Yes, I do.”

This was a drug.

It was more addictive and dangerous than any drug in the real world.

Naturally, the Empire had forbidden the mere possession of drugs, and since the current Emperor ascended the throne, drugs had never appeared in the Empire.

This was why Baron Ashro had claimed nothing was stolen by Phantom Thief Cardinal. To report what Phantom Thief Cardinal stole, he would have to reveal the item itself, and how could he say drugs were stolen?

“Is this single bottle all that Baron Ashro possessed?”

“No. There’s more.”

I took out about 30 more bottles from my inventory. The Emperor’s golden eyes gleamed ominously. Anyone could tell he was furious.

“Tsk. Did you bring everything from the Ashro barony?”

“Yes. I brought everything from the Baron’s mansion, leaving nothing behind.”

I had infiltrated the Baron’s mansion and thoroughly plundered it. It was only after I had cleared out all the drugs from his mansion that I revealed I was Phantom Thief Cardinal.

“That is truly fortunate. Did Baron Ashro appear to be addicted, from your observation?”

“No. Far from being addicted, Baron Ashro didn’t seem to have used the drug even once.”

“Even more despicable.”

As the Emperor said, he truly was despicable.

The reason there were drugs in the Baron’s mansion, despite him not using them, was simple: the Baron intended to use them on other people.

“It appeared he intended to get money by addicting others to the drug.”

People addicted to drugs would do anything to get them.

“Did you see anyone already addicted?”

“I checked all the servants in the Baron’s mansion, but no one appeared addicted. I tried to check everyone in the territory as well, but that failed.”

When I infiltrated the Baron’s mansion, I checked all the servants. No one seemed addicted yet. However, I lacked time to check the people in the territory.

“That’s more than enough; you did an excellent job. Leave the rest to me.”

The Emperor tapped his chair, and several people appeared out of thin air. All of them were covered in black robes, making it impossible to distinguish if they were male or female.

“Investigate where Baron Ashro obtained the drugs and confirm whether the people of the territory are addicted.”

“””Glory to the Empire!”””

They uttered only those words and vanished.

Since the Emperor himself had stepped in, Baron Ashro’s downfall was a natural course of events. Suddenly, a quest from Croaka came to mind.

[The villagers have all become addicted to drugs because of Baron Ashro. It is too late to cure them.]

[To obtain drugs, they tricked and killed adventurers visiting the village, gaining money to purchase more drugs.]

[Not only that, but they killed their lovers, children, parents, and friends to seize each other’s money and drugs. The small, harmonious village, once filled with laughter, is no more.]

[Baron Ashro, the root of all evil, lives in luxury, uncaring of the drug-addicted villagers.]

[Loki-nim, please bring peace to this village.]

Now, such a wretched quest would never appear.

I no longer had to kill the villagers for the sake of story progression.

“I’m pondering what reward to bestow upon you.”

At the Emperor’s voice, I collected myself and looked at him. His gaze held a feeling of approval.

It was understandable why the Emperor looked at me like that. If it hadn’t been for me, it would have taken a long time to notice the drugs.

Originally, I intended to ask for an elixir, but I changed my mind. With my current strength, it would be difficult to perfectly resolve future events.

“Your Majesty, please teach me Shadow Step.”

The Emperor looked at me with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected my words. Indeed, who would ask the Emperor to teach them how to fight?

“Hoooh~.”

The surprise in the Emperor’s eyes vanished, replaced by amusement.

“Though I am speaking with you now, I am busier than anyone else.”

Was it a refusal after all? In truth, what I said was quite presumptuous.

“However, if I make the prime minister work harder, I might have some time left over.”

Did he mean…?

“From now on, I shall teach you how to use Shadow Step.”

The Emperor said, looking at me, who was still bewildered. The Emperor, who stood up from his chair and walked toward me, looked strangely pleased.

“You asked me once how you could become stronger, didn’t you? Do you remember my answer then?”

How could I forget that answer?

It was an uncharacteristically romantic remark for an Emperor.

‘If you have a beloved, you can become stronger than anyone.’

“I remember. But Your Majesty, I do not yet have a beloved.”

“Actually, there is one more way to become stronger besides that method.”

I was about to ask what it was, but I couldn’t.

“Gasp!”

Because the Emperor’s fist had already reached my solar plexus. What in the world!

“From now on, you will die hundreds more times. If you make what you learn in those countless deaths your own, you can become stronger.”

I crumpled to the ground from the impact in my solar plexus.

The Emperor brought his sword to me as I knelt there.

“You have died once now.”

I instinctively knew that my time learning from the Emperor would be anything but ordinary.

“One hour a day. I will not allot you more time than that.”

That day, I died 64 times at the Emperor’s hands in one hour.

.

.

.

Whoosh. Swish.

“The core of Shadow Step is freedom.”

Thwack!

“Gasp!”

The Emperor spoke, effortlessly dodging my staff. The Emperor’s knee struck my chest.

Whoosh. Swish.

What was infuriating was that the Emperor was deliberately moving at the same speed as me.

Yet, my attacks never landed, and the Emperor’s attacks always succeeded.

“I thought I was moving freely enough myself!”

Whoosh. Swish.

“No, you haven’t understood anything yet.”

That day, I died 42 times at the Emperor’s hands.

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.

.

“Originally, I wanted to teach Lucas how to fight, but alas, I’m not confident with spears.”

Swish. Swish.

“But Princess-nim is right th— Gasp!”

“Still clumsy. Yerika is being taught by the Empress, you see.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but you don’t seem to have a talent for teaching.”

Swish,

“You talk a lot even while being hit. Still, haven’t you grown stronger thanks to me?”

Hmph. Unfortunately, I couldn’t deny the Emperor’s words.

I tried to dodge the Emperor’s sword aimed at me, but I couldn’t.

That day, I died 37 times at the Emperor’s hands.

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.

.

Days of continuously dying at the Emperor’s hands continued.

I wanted to doubt if one could truly grow stronger through such a brutal method.

But it was even more irritating because I could feel myself growing stronger with each passing day.

.

.

.

“Today is the last day.”

As the Emperor said, I would be entering the Academy tomorrow, so today was practically the last day I could learn from him.

I lunged at the Emperor and swung my staff. My movements were much faster and more elaborate than on the first day.

“Yes, have you now understood a little what it means to move freely?”

“Yes! I’ve understood it a little now! So, why don’t you let me hit you just once!”

If I recalled the very first time I swung my staff at the Emperor, I could tell that the Emperor’s movements to avoid my staff had become larger.

“If I were to be hit even once by you, I would be too ashamed to face my hardworking prime minister.”

The Emperor’s sword touched my neck.

Hmph, I lasted a bit longer this time.

“This makes nine, doesn’t it?”

Today, I died nine times at the Emperor’s hands.

Of course, if the Emperor hadn’t matched my speed, I would have died instantly.

“You’ve worked hard. Don’t neglect your efforts at the Academy either.”

“Next time, please let me hit you with my staff just once!”

The Emperor laughed at my words and replied. It was proof that I had spent that much time with the Emperor.

“I’ll think about it.”

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Just as I was about to leave the Imperial Palace, I met Yerika.

“Clown-nim, did you get hit by Father again today?”

“Haha, it was a close one today, though!”

I had become close with Yerika from coming to the Imperial Palace to learn from the Emperor. More accurately, it was because Yerika healed my messy body that we became close.

“My bruised body from being hit by the Emperor was being healed.”

Yerika let out a small laugh, a “Pfft,” at my narration-like remark.

“Chuckle! What was that, that descriptive phrasing? By the way, that mask never comes off. Do you not intend to show me your bare face?”

I raised my index finger to my lips.

“It’s a secret.”

The Princess-nim didn’t say anything more, as if she had expected that.

“And Princess-nim, won’t you tell me why you’re trying to catch Phantom Thief Cardinal?”

Yerika winked and, like me, raised her index finger to her lips.

“That’s a secret.”

We looked at each other and burst into laughter.

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After finishing my conversation with Yerika, I arrived at the inn and threw myself onto the inn bed.

It was still a bit early to sleep, but since it was the first day of the Academy tomorrow, I went to sleep a little early to avoid being late.

‘If I sleep early, I’ll wake up early.’

And the next morning, I overslept.

Hehe!