episode_0060

Has the emperor finally lost his mind?

I pondered for a moment whether I should forcibly take him to the village and feed him a warm bowl of stew.

In this world, where there is magic, the cure for mental illness was only physical therapy. It should not be taken to a point of no return.

Fortunately, the emperor was not frozen in his mind due to the cold.

Before any doubts could arise, an immediate clarification followed.

“Haine is a smart child, but he hasn’t had many opportunities to see the world.”

“Is that so?”

“If he goes to university, it would be a good place to broaden his horizons. Didn’t you say that the child protected by Kyung also goes there? She seemed to get along well with the princess, having friends of the same age wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Ricia had decided to go to university in the spring. And I could also see her getting along well with the princess.

There was no flaw in the premises and conclusions presented. It was not just the emperor who spoke of it.

This was not a mere suggestion born out of pure goodwill. The world I knew did not have such bright and wholesome appearances.

I could roughly guess what the emperor’s intentions were.

Unfortunately, university was not a place where the ancient dragon headmaster or the blonde, evil stepdaughter, or the daughter of the northern duke resided.

But it was filled with professors enthusiastic about studying. And professors were intellectuals, not much different from priests in this era.

And the emperor was accumulating anger towards the pope, who had not opened the door even when he had crossed mountains and turned half into a snowman.

Persuading the priests who sided with the pope would probably be on his bucket list by now. Of course, the first priority would undoubtedly be overthrowing the pope.

Restraining the pope as naturally as breathing. Looking back, this was something instinctively done between the emperor and the pope.

Terrifying. It seems that this is what it takes to be an emperor.

“Let’s stop here with the chit-chat, this is all I can offer to the pope. Go and deliver the message.”

He adjusted his legs that were not moving well a few times and then regained his posture.

It seemed like he wouldn’t say anything more, so I stepped back and returned to Kanas Castle.

The familiar guard who had seen me several times did not stop me anymore. Without much resistance, I climbed the stairs and arrived back at the room I had just left.

The door was already half-open, so I cautiously entered, making my presence known.

The pope’s head was facing the emperor outside the window. Unable to hear the conversation taking place at a distance, he turned towards me and asked.

“Do you think the emperor will return? Tell me honestly.”

“I don’t think so, Your Holiness.”

It’s a fight that the emperor will win as long as he holds on. And from what I saw, he was full of determination.

After hearing my answer, the pope pondered for a moment and then spoke.

“Anyway, it seems that a conversation has taken place. Then please relay my message once again.”

“Understood, Your Holiness.”

Although it was not appropriate for me to go meet them directly, there were negotiators sent by the emperor. They would probably be more suitable than me.

Contrary to what my mind was thinking, my reason readily accepted the agreement, and the pope conveyed a message to me to postpone the promise for later.

Finally, as I left the room, I encountered the same Kanas Viscount pacing back and forth in front of it.

Feeling uncomfortable with the burden of guests inside and outside the house, the viscount asked me as I headed back towards the castle.

“Are you going out again?”

“His Highness has something else to convey. However, I wonder if this is not a matter that could be discussed with the negotiators.”

“Hmm… His Highness did not refuse to talk to the emperor’s negotiators. So, you were chosen to replace them.”

So if I understand correctly, it’s not because of pride, right?

I didn’t bother asking why I was chosen. It must be because I hold a position that is neither too high nor too low, with a suitable level of connection and understanding on both sides.

“Please do your best, Kyung. The honor of mediating between the two is not something to be taken lightly, and there will be no harm in it.”

And so, I became the one-on-one messenger for the Pope and the Emperor.

As the sun made its way across the sky, all I did was diligently run errands and relay messages. Some of the conversations went like this:

“Your Majesty, the Pope says now is not the right time, let’s meet in the summer.”

“Your Highness, he refuses to accept that.”

“They have proposed an early spring as a compromise, Your Majesty.”

“He says if it’s not now, then it’s not happening.”

“Then the Pope’s office suggests meeting in a few days.”

After going back and forth a few times, it felt like a familiar picture.

It was like when two friends are upset with each other and refuse to talk directly, so they ask a third party to relay messages for them.

It might be understandable if it were young people, but the fact that the highest authorities of the church and the empire were doing this was quite something.

And where did that leave me in the middle of it all? I didn’t want to experience this kind of tension in a life-or-death game of chicken.

It wasn’t until the sun began to set that the Pope gave up on convincing them. Even if the answer was already expected to be a rejection, it was a satisfactory conclusion.

Instead, he called for a healer and asked me, “Kyung, do you think the Emperor can hold on until tomorrow?”

“If we only consider food and water, then yes, but considering the cold, tomorrow will be the limit.”

It was a fact that could be known without further investigation. But the need to ask was probably due to the need for certainty.

Turning to me after asking the healer, the Pope inquired, “In your opinion, how is the Emperor’s condition?”

“It’s not looking good. It seems that the eyes and the cold are the main issues.”

I answered honestly. He seemed fine until lunchtime, but his chapped lips were starting to worry me.

As the second day passed, the outline of the outcome began to emerge. It was a moment when a decision was needed.

“Your Highness, please make a decision.”

“…Just give me a little more time.”

But it seemed like the Pope couldn’t let go of that competitive spirit, as he called for a decision once again. Even though one person was freezing outside in real-time.

I hoped that the Emperor’s words I had just relayed wouldn’t be his last.

When I returned to my room, Lycia was waiting for me on the bed, swinging her legs.

I was worried she might skip meals, but I had told the butler to deliver stew to the bedside, so she had enjoyed room service.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Well, there’s no one else but you.”

“Uh, what?”

It was a comforting word I heard for the first time after wandering around all day.

After patting the noble girl’s head a few times, I finally started my belated meal.

Lycia stopped her strange exclamations for a moment and then sat down next to me.

“He probably didn’t accept it again today, did he?”

“No. If something happens to the Emperor because of this, it will be a big problem.”

Lycia couldn’t remotely send healing magic from here.

The Pope upstairs was also sick, and hunger and thirst were not wounds she could heal.

“In my opinion, he should be fine until tomorrow. I’m not sure about the day after tomorrow.”

“Then we’ll have to reach a conclusion by tomorrow.”

I trusted Lycia’s words, as she had seen many patients before.

And as a holy maiden, she might know things that I couldn’t see.

So, if we wanted to avoid seeing the empire split in half and fighting, the matter had to be resolved by tomorrow.

As expected, if it doesn’t work out tomorrow, I might really have to kneel before the Pope.

*****

The next day, I once again went to see the Emperor.

The Pope’s proclamation, unable to hide his slight unease, was simple. He wanted to confirm if there was still a will to be pardoned and asked me to come.

For the first time, the meaning behind the proclamation, wanting to hear the Emperor’s story rather than his own, was clear. I had a premonition that this would be the last round, regardless of the outcome.

With a soft thud, my eyes landed on the footprints beneath the shoes.

Whether I was the first visitor of the early morning or not, the footprints leading from the palace to the Emperor were all mine.

And the Emperor, unlike yesterday, was not standing but kneeling in the snow, looking exhausted.

Beside him, there was a letter that seemed to have been written by him last night.

Written in a shaky and blurry handwriting, as if written in the darkness and snow, there was a name in the middle of the parchment.

Pope, Gregorio. This can’t be.

“…A dying message.”

“You came again today…? Well, while you’re here, you might as well deliver this.”

Just as the anxiety that Lycia was wrong struck me, the snowman in front of me stood up and spoke.

How long could a person survive without water? It seemed to be about three days.

However, resorting to eating snow due to thirst was a good way to freeze to death.

The Emperor, not going to that extent, had a voice more hoarse than yesterday. Yet he was still alive.

I took the tear-stained parchment from him.

Normally, I should have sealed it with the Emperor’s seal on top, but it was not something I could do in the snow, so I just folded it.

The Pope slowly read the letter, carefully pondering each word.

How long had the Marquis and I waited in front of him? Finally, the Pope set the letter down and spoke.

“It seems genuine if it’s within three days.”

“Your Majesty, then…!”

“Open the door.”

His expression was not good.

Despite winning the battle, the defeated ruler’s face was that of a loser in war.