episode_0217

Episode 217 Imperial Conference (2)

I continued to talk with Ariel afterwards. We had only established the framework and skeleton of the plan, but we hadn’t decided on the specific details. This is because there is information that only those on the inside would know.

For example, information like room locations, attendee lists, and meeting content. We determined what to do based on that.

After exchanging opinions with each other, a concrete plan was established. Ariel got up to return to her room.

And the moment she was about to leave the room.

“Um, is it really okay…?”

Although the subject was omitted, I could tell what the question meant.

“It’s okay.”

“You don’t look okay…. Judging by you even cursing….”

“Really, it’s okay.”

I temporarily become a woman. There’s nothing more annoying than that, but I can endure it for the plan. Probably….

Besides, I’m not going to be a woman forever. I only look like that when I’m with her.

“Even now, if we mix in a maid….”

“It will look strange if you do that suddenly. Just leave it as it is.”

I stopped Ariel from making a pointless decision. If she were to show such a figure now, the other royals would definitely find it strange.

“Okay. I’ll send my maids a little later.”

“Yes, Princess. Please be careful on your way.”

I saw her off. Ariel returned under the escort of knights and maids guarding the front of the door.

And after Ariel left.

“Haa….”

I sat on the sofa and sighed once again. After that, I started to mend the leather clothes a little. A woman’s body has delicate aspects, so it’s difficult to implement it exactly as it is.

How do I know? I didn’t want to know either….

“Shit….”

I cursed again and moved my mana and hands. Even in the midst of that, past memories continued to haunt me.

***

People began to gather in the conference room, and the seats were gradually filled.

Although nobles from different regions and factions gathered, the atmosphere wasn’t particularly heavy. Rather, they exchanged light greetings.

This place was created by the call of the imperial family. At the same time, it is a gathering for the peace of the empire. It wasn’t just any gathering, so there was no need to fight here with all your might.

Not all attendees had arrived in the conference room yet. The nobles exchanged various stories. The main content of the conversation was one thing.

“By any chance… did you hear that he would be coming too?”

“I saw him coming with Princess Ariel. He’ll probably come.”

The target was Kyle Arden. It was about him, who is the most famous on the continent recently.

The war that took place in the Holy Kingdom and the birth of the Saint. The existence of Kyle Arden, who is at the center of those two events, was bound to be a major concern for the nobles of the empire.

“Haha, I never thought that rascal would go this far….”

“Shhh, watch your words. What if someone hears you?”

He quickly stopped the other person’s mouth. Even if it was last year or the year before, you couldn’t speak carelessly about Kyle Arden now.

The Saint was the apex of the Ustia Holy Kingdom and held a position parallel to the Emperor of the Empire. Furthermore, the Empire has freedom of religion, so many nobles believe in God.

In that situation, if you were to provoke the Saint representing the Holy Kingdom, you would never see a good outcome. So it wasn’t good to speak ill of him.

The nobles turned the conversation to another topic. Of course, even so, it was only content related to Kyle Arden.

“I heard that Princess Ariel went to his room earlier….”

“Ah, I heard that too.”

For example, sightings of the Fourth Princess, Ariel Tianis.

“I heard that Dekal isn’t coming?”

“Unfortunately, it seems he won’t be coming this time either.”

It was about his father, Dekal Arden.

“Come to think of it, the Saintess is also at Tianis Academy together….”

“It’s hard enough to handle the Saint, but even the Saintess….”

There was also talk about the Saintess, who is the Saint’s partner.

As they talked like that, time passed, and before they knew it, all the nobles had gathered in the conference room. That meant it was the turn of the royal family, who hosted the meeting, to come.

Soon, a woman appeared in the conference room. Black hair and black eyes, representing the royal family. It was Ariel Tianis, the youngest fourth princess of the imperial family.

All the nobles showed courtesy at her appearance, and Ariel responded to them before sitting in the prepared seat. Following her, other royals also began to appear.

So, a total of 8 people. All the royals had arrived in the conference room.

Now, there were only two left. The Emperor of the Empire and the Saint.

Who will show up in the conference room first? The attendees gathered in the conference room waited with trembling hearts.

After a while. The door of the conference room opened.

The number of entrants was not one, but two. One of them was the Emperor, and the other was the target they had been talking about until just now. It was Kyle Arden.

The Emperor and the Saint. The two enter the conference room side by side. At the same time, the nobles in the conference room who witnessed the sight thought.

Calm and heavy gait, momentum that doesn’t match his age, well-organized expression. Even compared to the apex of the vast country called the Empire, he is not inferior at all.

In a word, that was the appearance of a ruler.

The moment they realized that, the nobles in the conference room showed courtesy. Just like they would to the owner of the Empire.

***

I arrived at the conference room and sat in the prepared seat. The location is opposite the Emperor, or rather, His Majesty the Emperor, as I should call him.

‘…I’m dying from the pressure.’

Even when I briefly encountered him before coming to the conference room, he kept staring at me.

I’ve experienced situations like this before, but the weight is different from then. Especially since there are many things entangled with the imperial family, it’s even more so.

Besides, the other nobles and royals are busy glancing at me. The way they look at me is completely different from the 건국 축제 (Geon-guk Chukje, Founding Day Festival) banquet last year.

‘I have to understand since a lot has changed.’

It’s something I expected anyway as I became a Saint. These are gazes that I can fully accept.

Anyway.

With me and the Emperor as the last ones, everyone had arrived in the conference room. So it was time for the meeting to begin.

Of course, the imperial conference wasn’t anything great. It was a discussion about the incidents that occurred in the Empire and a presentation of solutions, literally proceeding with the feeling of a conference.

Besides, everyone participated in the meeting sincerely. That’s because they all take pride in the fact that they are citizens of the Empire and love the country called the Empire.

Usually, the more powerful a country is, the more likely it is to rot. But looking at this, it’s really a good country.

In the first place, the Emperor is far from that, so it’s impossible for it to happen. It’s obvious.

‘Well, it’s not like there’s no corruption at all.’

Even so, the degree is very low compared to other countries. So that’s why they’ve maintained this status until now.

“Recently, there have been frequent cases of barbarians crossing the border….”

“It seems that the number of monsters has decreased significantly since the monster season last year….”

“If so….”

I quietly watched the ongoing meeting. I didn’t have any intention of intervening.

To be honest, what would I do? In the position of an invitee.

Of course, I can present an opinion that is close to perfect. But unless they specifically point at me and ask, I have no intention of opening my mouth first.

In the first place, the reason I came here was to help Ariel. It wasn’t for any other reason.

“I have a different thought. It is clear that they have caused damage to the Empire, but there is no need to clash. Above all, in the process….”

That’s why I was just observing her, who was participating in the meeting. But that didn’t last long.

Ariel Tianis.

The woman who is destined to become the Emperor and will stand above me. But my body still looks at her with hatred.

It’s frustrating if it’s frustrating. As someone who doesn’t hate any of the protagonists or supporting characters and likes them, it’s very hard for me to endure.

Instead of being tainted with feelings of hatred and hiding it and facing her, I just want to get along well with her by treating her normally like the other kids.

I wonder when I can resolve this hatred and look at her properly. Every time I see her being compared to Lana and Estella, that thought keeps lingering in my head.

Of course, it won’t last forever. If my expectations are correct, I will be able to find a solution soon.

However, until that day comes, I would have to continue to maintain this state.

In the meantime, the discussion about the barbarian issue ended. Similarly, the two subsequent cases also came to an end. I thought it was just a moment, but more time had passed.

At that time, Ariel looked in my direction. It was her intention to start soon. I nodded slightly in response.

Immediately after, the next agenda began. The content was none other than the kidnapping incident that occurred in the Empire a few weeks ago.

The reason this was brought up at the imperial conference was because it had not yet been resolved. Despite weeks of investigation by imperial knights and Tianis professors, they could not even find a small clue.

That’s why it was brought up on the conference agenda. The core of our plan was here.

“It’s already been more than two weeks since we received information about this agenda. Has anyone found out who the culprit is?”

The Emperor’s question. But there was no one who could answer.

The imperial knights and professors who were in charge of this case had almost given up, so what could they find out? If they couldn’t find it, it was as good as there being no way.

“Your Majesty.”

And Ariel broke the silence by opening her mouth alone.

“Yes, Ariel. Do you have something to say?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I cannot say it is a solution, but I know someone who can help.”

Everyone had doubtful expressions at Ariel’s words. But the Emperor seemed to believe in his daughter and asked.

“Who is it?”

“It is Kyle Arden, who is currently in this conference room. He will directly take action to resolve the agenda and has even experienced it, so I think he will know a lot.”

At that moment, all eyes were on me. The Emperor also looked at me. After that, the Emperor said.

“The report says that you, the person involved, did not find out anything. Son of Dekal, have you found out anything later?”

Even though the imperial family invited me as a Saint, they mentioned my father’s name. The reason was obvious. It was not as a Saint, but as a citizen of the Empire, and also as a member of the Arden family, who are eternal friends of the imperial family.

Thinking that the Emperor is indeed the Emperor, I smiled slightly and said.

“Yes, I have found out something.”

There was no returning answer. Thinking that it was the meaning of permission to speak, I immediately opened my mouth.

“According to the information I have found….”

Slowly starting, I scanned the royals sitting next to the Emperor one by one. I sent a secret gaze to someone among them and said.

“A royal is involved in this kidnapping case.”

The moment I finished speaking, the conference room was in chaos.