episode_0043

In the commercial district, there is a sophisticated bar.

From its name, “Green Arms,” it seemed very suspicious.

Yuria and I looked up at the sign of Green Arms together.

“Is this really the place?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Hmm.”

With arms crossed, I tapped my chin with my fingertips.

“No matter how you look at it, it looks like they’ll serve cocktails like Midori Sour or Green Widow.”

Looking at the sign depicting a glass filled with green liquor, the name of a cocktail naturally came to mind. There probably wouldn’t be Midori here.

Putting aside my doubts, I opened the door.

Clang- The sound rang out as I held the open door and said,

“Ladies first.”

“…?”

Yuria looked at me strangely as she gestured into the bar. Come to think of it, it was a bit strange for a lady to hold the door for another lady. Still, when I’m with Yuria, I want to take the lead and look cool.

As we entered the bar, an elegant interior greeted us.

It was almost embarrassing to compare it to the rustic bar and inn in Rugo, the Union of Lugh, where Yuria and I had stayed before.

The wooden tiles on the floor were neatly arranged and gleamed, while the chandelier on the ceiling glowed through magic, providing just the right amount of light. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings, creating an illusion of being in an art gallery.

Though it wasn’t crowded yet, even in broad daylight, there were quite a few people drinking tea instead of alcohol, smoking while drinking, and reading books or newspapers with a drink by their side.

While I was surveying the interior, a gentleman sipping coffee stood up from his seat and walked towards us.

He was dressed in a suit and even wore a hat.

Judging by the fact that he also carried a cane, he seemed like someone who liked to show off.

Of course, his cane didn’t seem to be for walking difficulties; it looked like one of those canes commonly seen in movies or dramas, with a sword hidden inside when the handle is turned.

He approached us with a slightly formal air, tipping his hat and bowing courteously. Yulia greeted him as she always did, but I did not.

“Pleasure to meet you. It’s quite unusual for esteemed academy students to visit such a humble place in broad daylight.”

“You recognized us and greeted us, didn’t you?”

“Recognize you? How could I possibly recognize you by any means? There’s no family crest on the envelope or insignia carved into your walking stick, so how…”

I chuckled and took out a letter from my formal wear.

Is this thorough security or not… What’s the point of demanding an insignia while making a fuss like that?

The man checked the seal of the letter envelope, then returned it.

“Welcome. As this is a special location, I will offer you proper greetings after moving you to a place meant for both of you.”

“Very well.”

*

He turned and led the way.

Entering a corner of the bustling food storage area, he tapped the wall with his cane.

As he did, light emanated from the wall, and with a smooth sound, the bricks neatly opened. Witnessing a scene I had often encountered in the media was fascinating, but I kept my composure and went inside blankly.

There were stairs, and as we descended, a much more splendid space appeared than the upper floor.

It seems appropriate to call it a boutique.

Decorated with marble and glass, the lighting was bright, giving no impression of being underground.

The gentleman who guided us pointed to a dark brown Chesterfield sofa in the center of the space and suggested we sit. After Yulia and I sat on the sofa, he sat on the opposite one.

“I’m sorry for the late introduction. I am Matthias Rosano, running this small establishment.”

“Beatrice de Dalia.”

“Yulia.”

Matthias, as he introduced himself, looked at me intently.

“What I’m curious about is your real name.”

“…”

“Oh, forgive my rudeness.”

His attitude was becoming somewhat awkward.

I did not recommend the ladies to drink. Oh my, oh my… I must have been nervous because it was such an anticipated moment.

“Whiskey then. With ice.”

“I’m fine with cold water.”

It was rude in a different sense…

Still, if they offer alcohol, I won’t refuse. I’m not used to being treated like a lady, but…

As Matthias snapped his fingers, a woman appeared slowly from somewhere unknown. She was dressed neatly like Matthias. No, it would be more appropriate to call it bartender attire.

After listening to Matthias’s words, she turned to go back to take our order.

“Don’t worry. She’s been my longtime subordinate. She will continue to dedicate herself to Green.”

“Green… The name of this tavern was Green, right?”

“Hmm. You’re persistent. Let me correct that. She will dedicate herself to the Green Hwangsul.”

As he finished speaking, the woman who had disappeared from sight suddenly brought drinks on a tray. It was astonishingly fast.

I sipped the whiskey in the glass.

“What if something is mixed in the drink?”

After swallowing the whiskey, the question finally came to mind.

It was a question that came too late, but once I smelled it, I couldn’t resist.

“The name of the tavern was not chosen without reason. I am the loyal subject of the royal family, the one who dreams of the revival of the royal family throughout my life!”

Matthias took his hand out of his glove and touched his chest, speaking with an impassioned voice.

“My wealth, influence, and even my life…! It’s all for the royal family.”

“…Is that so.”

“So please don’t refuse, everything here is practically yours.”

As his heightened emotions subsided, he added quietly,

“If you are… truly Green.”

“Do you not believe the viscount’s letter?”

“Guardians tend to be too forward. They are not cautious enough… That’s why the nobles may misunderstand an unqualified person as a Hwangsul-”

He didn’t finish his sentence.

He started to break out in a cold sweat.

Soon, he got up abruptly, grabbed his throat, and twisted his body as if he couldn’t breathe.

Alright.

He can’t breathe right now.

Because I blocked it.

I felt nauseated by his arrogant and rude attitude.

“Kuak-!!”

“I came to meet the viscount first, just to meet….”

“!!!!”

He looked at my eyes looking down at him and his eyes widened.

He had noticed my eyes that had turned turquoise without realizing it.

My turquoise gaze was reflected in his pupils.

“You are too rude.”

“…!! Kkuheuk..!”

“…Princess.”

Yulia seemed flustered and urgently called me.

I smiled gently after seeing her. Don’t worry.

“Hueok! Haa.. haaa.”

I thought he must have understood this much and let his breath go again.

Matthias gasped for breath, saliva dripping from his mouth. There was no trace of the neat gentleman.

“[Tricksey Green] is the only noble name you should serve. The name you were so eager to know.”

“Hu.. huhaha. Puhuhuhut.”

…?

Did I block his breath for too long? Was I too harsh…?

I had all sorts of thoughts as I watched him burst into laughter as if he had gone mad.

He still couldn’t stop laughing.

“Puhahaha, kikik. Haaa, here it is. This is it!! The power of nobility!! I definitely felt it. Ah, this ecstasy. I lived for this moment..!”

“….”

This damn perverted bastard.

I resented the viscount. No matter how the royal family has fallen and there are no talents, to have such a perverted bastard…!

“Haa, please forgive me generously. I was agitated to feel the power of a noble being.”

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the dirty area around his mouth.

“Tricksey Green, I have been waiting only for you. You are my lord and savior. Princess.”

Unlike his ridiculous appearance a while ago, he knelt down with one knee and made a bow.

“Accept it. Get up.”

Moved with emotion, he got up and sat back on the sofa cautiously.

“Speak. About yourself, prove your abilities. What can you do for the empire?”

“Well, if I were to talk…”

Yulia and I listened to Matthias’s long story.

He introduced himself as running a small business, but in reality, he was a significant figure connecting the Lugo Alliance and the Empire. In other words, he possessed astronomical wealth.

I wanted to ask more deeply about why someone from the Lugo Alliance ended up serving the royal family and why he hoped for the royal family’s revival, but he used the word “succession.” It was the first time I had heard the word since arriving in Dalia.

I hesitated for a moment.

“Can I ask? Wouldn’t it be strange if I became a princess without knowing what succession is?”

I was worried, but I couldn’t overcome my curiosity.

“What is succession?”

“….”

“Well, that’s…”

Matthias, who had been chattering non-stop, fell silent. Yulia also looked at me with violet eyes shining.

“The Guardian Knights… They must have blocked the princess’s ears, only concerned with protecting her.”

“What does that mean?”

“They are the ones most familiar with succession.”

Yulia briefly became flustered, but as soon as I looked at her, she quickly returned to her usual self. Matthias was watching our reactions.

“Speak. You want to know.”

“Succession is the royal family’s secret. It’s also called the will of the royals.”

“……”

“Even those like us, who live by the grace of the princess, are the targets.”

Thud-

..!?

Matthias began unbuttoning his shirt as he stood up.

Is he really a pervert?

Just as I confirmed him as a pervert in my mind, he let his shirt fall and turned around.

There was a mark on his back. It was a burn mark that looked like an earthquake had struck.

“As you can see, I was a slave of the Lugo Alliance.”

“…Is that so.”

The stigma was the mark of a slave.

“Yes, that’s right… But on the day I realized my mission, I became free.”

He continued speaking as he buttoned up his shirt.

“The will of the Hwangju came to me. It was instantaneous. When the black magi enveloped me, I was reborn.”

“Magi…?”

“It’s an ability that only the rightful heir of the Hwangju can handle. Before being bound to a master like His Majesty, I roamed the world seeking heirs.”

“….”

Matthias still looked like a pervert but provided quite useful information.

“When I swore to become a member of the Hwangju, I felt it. The surging knowledge and wisdom! The history of the royal family passed down through generations came upon me.”

“…Did you rise to your current position based on that power and knowledge?”

“Yes. It was smooth sailing. It was a piece of cake.”

I held my breath for a moment.

“Is the Guardian Knight the same principle?”

“Yes, the power of the Guardian Knight is also inherited. If the previous Guardian Knight dies or fails to fulfill their mission, the will of the Hwangju seeks the next successor.”

“I see….”

Now some of my doubts were alleviated.

How the Viscount and Blair, as core nobles of a foreign country, were serving the royal family, and how the giant of the Lugo Alliance was amassing wealth for the royal family.

The system called succession spread across the continent, transmitting power and knowledge. Then a question arose.

Could it be that I…?

“That succession… Could it be that even the Hwangju…?”

“Please don’t doubt yourself, Lady Beatrice.”

Yulia urgently exclaimed.

“Only the rightful heir of the Hwangju can handle the power. Only the descendants of the Green Emperor can wield it.”

“….”

Needing assurance, I turned my eyes to Matthias.

“What she said is correct. Without the blood of the Hwangju, the power of the Hwangju cannot be inherited. It’s different from us lower beings.”

“…I have one more question. Where does your loyalty come from?”

It was the final question.

But it was a question I was afraid to ask.

Through succession, if they become part of the royal family, isn’t their loyalty forced?

Could their loyalty, gained through a kind of mental conditioning, be obtained by discarding all previous life and ways of thinking?

Was there such a mechanism that brought together members of different backgrounds to sustain the royal family?

Suddenly, I felt uneasy.

If the look in Yulia’s eyes as she looked at me, the determination of the viscount and Blair, who seemed willing to do anything for me, were actually fake, not their will…

“Tell me.”

I spoke, looking at Yulia instead of Matthias.

Yulia’s pupils were shaking greatly.

It was the first time I had seen her so shaken.

If everything about them is not sincere,

if it’s not their free will,

It will be very… sad.