episode_0057

The emperor turned his gaze away from Raven, who was blatantly showing off his skills in front of the house.

After pondering for a moment, he spoke to his daughter behind him.

“We must be cautious of him.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Heine replied, glancing at his father’s expression discreetly.

He was not talking about the pope.

Given that his father had been harboring a growing hatred towards the pope recently, even if his anger towards that hatred intensified a bit, it was clear that it wouldn’t show.

So, it was Raven he was talking about.

The knight himself.

Heine recalled the recent events that took place in the mountains.

The sword was split in half. Objects that existed to clash, block, and cut each other should not be like that.

Occasionally, arrows shot back at their owner.

As someone who had not properly delved into magic yet, he couldn’t judge what measures had been taken.

However, he inherited the noblest lineage and was a knowledgeable scholar.

He prided himself on having a keen insight into magic, as there were many things he could see and hear in his position.

Therefore, he knew how remarkable the sword he wielded, the magic he deflected, was.

The emperor couldn’t be unaware of it either. And how threatening it was to have the person who made it possible right next door.

Of course, considering that, the emperor’s reaction seemed a bit extreme.

“Furthermore, he seems mentally unstable. If the pope pushes him, he might resort to extreme measures and try to cut off ties.”

“No matter what, he wouldn’t go as far as to harm us, would he?”

“We don’t know what the pope might be up to. We must be cautious, as this is his turf!”

Heine had a rough idea of what had happened.

While the pope was delusional, claiming to see the emperor’s figure reflected in the window, the emperor himself was mentally overwhelmed.

And with the final blow Raven delivered, his chronic paranoia finally erupted. Truly a duo of souls.

“Someone who often spouts strange things, takes a young girl along and engages in banditry cannot be considered normal.”

“Of course, but…”

“I should meet him alone soon. I need to gauge his intentions.”

The emperor left the room, stating that he needed to organize his thoughts about the pope.

Left alone, Heine went to the spot where the emperor had been and looked out the window. There were a girl and a knight bustling in front of the house.

“Tell me an old story today too!”

“Then, how about the story of… This language doesn’t exist here. If I localize it appropriately…”

“Raven?”

“Yes, tell the story of ‘The Greatest Merchant Hides Bread’. There was a poor farmer named Jang Baljang-”

He understood his father’s reasoning.

However, he found it difficult to completely agree with his thoughts.

Of course, there were times when he said strange things. And it seemed like he was teaching them to the girl beside him.

She seemed to be a temporary guardian. But looking at how close they were, it seemed more like a parent-child relationship.

Anyway, if one listened quietly to the stories he told, although they might seem strange at first glance, they were filled with their own lessons and emotions.

And apart from some strange exclamations when getting up, the education itself seemed to be done properly.

And the reputation of that knight was not bad either.

He was impeccable in terms of skill. Upon investigating his recent actions, he seemed to be perceived as an incomprehensible and irrational presence by the bandits.

The bandits occupied the city. And suddenly, Raven appeared out of nowhere and wiped them out.

Former mercenaries blocked the streets and demanded tolls. And out of the blue, Raven appeared and similarly wiped them out.

Here, their own story was about to be added, and the nobles would start spreading rumors about it.

It was rare to find a knight who performed security duties faithfully to gain such a reputation.

And even rarer were those who possessed the ability to make it possible.

“As expected, I’m getting a bit curious.”

Finally, Father erupted in hysteria. Always an unpredictable lord. Nobles who spent half of their day plotting rebellions.

He had to survive amidst all of that. And surviving meant eventually seizing the throne or obtaining power equivalent to it.

“But it’s not the right time yet.”

It was a journey to apologize to the Pope.

Would he be touching someone who was considered to be on the Pope’s side? He might end up welcoming an unwelcome guest in the middle of the night. He could assess the situation to some extent.

Unfortunately, he had to accept it for now. So, he decided to find out who he was right away.

Who knows, maybe he’ll be of help later.

Heinie still looked down at Raven, who was still talking nonsense from the window.

And for some reason, it seemed like his eyes briefly met with the girl sitting next to him.

Yes, if he wanted to get more reliable information than asking ordinary citizens, he had to go to close acquaintances or family.

If he said he was going to hang out with the girl who could play the role of a companion because he had nothing else to do, his father wouldn’t suspect his intentions.

That’s why Heinie decided to approach Lycia.

It was a naive thought that this country bumpkin would know nothing about politics or the world.

*****

It was winter, but the sun was shining warmly.

The snow that had lightly fallen around sparkled, creating a beautiful sight.

Lycia dressed warmly just in case.

And today, she spent her time seasoning the stories she knew well with the request she had received.

Focused on the story of carving a broken sword into the shape of a whale, Lycia suddenly raised her head.

Her gaze was towards the village administrator’s house. It was now a place used by the royal family.

She squinted her eyes slightly and muttered softly.

“I’m still anxious.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The way Raven looks… No, it’s just a mutter. Are you going to see Count Kanoza soon?”

“They say the condition of the patients has improved a lot, so we might leave in a few days.”

“I should go with you!”

“There won’t be any need for help to get to the Count’s castle from here. Won’t it be bothersome?”

“Well… I feel a bit suffocated just staying at home. Isn’t that reason enough to go along?”

The girl, turning her head towards me, had a strange enthusiasm.

I nodded, not knowing why she suddenly had such enthusiasm.

The girl smiled satisfactorily. The story returned to where it left off earlier.

And for the next few days, nothing unusual happened.

I patrolled the vicinity roughly or did some odd jobs to pass the time, and the village remained peaceful.

However, Lycia’s occasional presence with the princess was often noticed.

The girl had only interacted with peers at the church. So, I thought it wouldn’t be too bad.

Of course, if she were to offend a member of the royal family, things would get complicated, but Lycia wasn’t the type to make such mistakes.

And time passed, and it was when the Emperor and his entourage were finally able to move around freely after receiving proper treatment.

The Emperor called for me. We had talked a few times about the issue of my whereabouts in Alpen, but it had been a while since he specifically requested a private audience.

I stood in front of the Emperor’s door without any weapons or armor, and entered after receiving permission.

The specific etiquette of the royal court was something I was not familiar with, but perhaps it was because the Emperor himself was also considering that fact, he did not demand much from me.

The current Emperor was not a figure who put on airs. At least according to his attendants, he had to deliberately distance himself from authority.

Emperor Heinrich.

Sitting casually on a chair in the room, he was a man with a rugged beard and a strong face.

But his appearance was far from noble. There were no extravagant cloaks or robes, no imperial regalia.

The only means by which he could indicate his status as Emperor was the signet ring on his finger. He looked too humble to be called the Emperor of the largest empire.

And the Emperor himself did not try to hide this humility.

No, he even tried to flaunt it.

“You have been in debt to us for a long time, Kyung. Now we will slowly begin our journey.”

“Count Kanoza has also offered to clear the way for us. Would you like me to accompany you to ensure that there are no complications along the way?”

“If it means I can reach the Pope, there is no reason to object.”

The Emperor looked at me intently. Perhaps he thought of me as being on the Pope’s side. It was a reaction that I could understand.

He hesitated to speak, opening and closing his mouth, before finally speaking with some difficulty, as if it wasn’t too long before he was silent.

“I have a question for you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“…What does the word ‘ulbogi’ mean?”

I froze for a moment.

“I heard that Kyung’s daughter learned it from your daughter. I don’t know what it means.”

What on earth is Lycia up to?