Chapter 274: Princess and Empress (2)

“Perhaps you love me?”

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace, Deculein brought up the subject of love to Sophien in an even tone.

“This damned man!” Sophien shouted, the exclamation slipping out before she had the chance to catch it.

Sophien jolted violently, her whole body flinching as everything in her private chamber—the Go board, scattered stones, and stacks of state documents—shot into the air.

“This man must be out of his mind!”

Sophien’s heart lurched as the deeply buried ennui within her mind suddenly burst into flames—a tremor she hadn’t felt in all those long years, both confusing and overwhelming. Before she could name the emotion, her cheeks trembled, and her hand slammed down on the desk.

“This man dared to make a fool of me—that’s no different from treason.”

"... What exactly has he done, Your Majesty?"

At that moment, a voice rose nearby—almost unpleasant in its timing—it was, of course, Keiron, while beside him, Ahan poured tea, her features betraying the smile she fought to contain.

“Did you not hear just now?” Sophien said, her brow knitting.

"Yes, Your Majesty. While you were possessed, I had no way of hearing what was said,” Keiron replied.

“

... Hmph

, that’s enough. I will go back to him and find out what he meant...”

Sophien shook her head in frustration and tried to resume the possession, but it was no use—the magical link had already snapped, broken by Deculein’s treasonous words just moments earlier.

Yuren, a nation over a thousand kilometers from the Imperial Palace of the Empire, would make restoration of the possession...

“

Ah

,” Sophien murmured, then sighed and smacked her forehead with an open palm.

“Your Majesty, what did the Professor say to you?” Keiron asked.

Right now, the Empress’s face was puffy and flushed red—a rare and almost unheard of sight.

“You look as if a girl’s heart has found its way back to you.”

“Shut your mouth. This damned Professor just said...”

Sophien’s hair was tousled as she opened her mouth to speak but shut it again, silenced by the oddly suggestive glances Keiron and Ahan exchanged in her direction.

“Just said...”

Sophien started to say something again, but stopped halfway and shut her mouth again.

“Just now this man said...”

Once again, Sophien opened her mouth to speak but stopped, shutting it again and shaking her head—a gesture that said she wouldn’t speak of it.

“This is Knight Yulie’s report, Your Majesty—the one you requested,” Ahan said, offering the document with slight regret, sensing the Empress would say no more.

Sophien accepted the file with composure, and it was a document from the Intelligence Agency compiling Yulie’s recent activities into the pages she now held.

“Walking straight into hell, isn’t she?” Sophien said, skimming each line until a dry laugh slipped free from her lips.

“Yes, Your Majesty, that’s what I’m afraid of—that she won’t make it back alive...”

Yulie’s trail stretched across Glacier Mountain in Freyden, through the Den of the Fire Bear, and to the shimmering Lake of Frozen Crystals—before heading beyond the Empire’s borders into the Land of Destruction.

“It seems she’s somewhere in the Land of Destruction, but her whereabouts have been unknown since then.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Wouldn’t that mean she’s as good as dead?”

“No, Your Majesty. Even in recent days..."

Ahan paused for a moment, then reached into her inner pocket and pulled out a bundle of letters.

“It’s a letter,” Sophien muttered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Because Knight Yulie was from Freyden and couldn’t send her regular letters to Yukline—since the elders would likely intercept and reject them—she requested Ahan to hold the letters and deliver them to the Professor when the time came.

“We’ve received twenty-three in total, Your Majesty. Another arrived just last night—Knight Yulie is still holding on,” Ahan added.

“That woman is writing as if this were a diary,” Sophien said, her tone flat, though her eyes had rested silently on the letter for a long time.

“Yes, there’s one addressed to Your Majesty as well,” Ahan replied, offering Yulie’s letter to the Empress with both hands.

Sophien pressed her fingers against her temple and used

Telekinesis

to open the letter.

“It addresses the hearing and includes an apology to Your Majesty for her shortcomings...”

The Empress’s Hearing, proposed by Yulie and her knights, had been delayed—Sophien chose to put it on hold after a series of unexpected events one after another.

... Your Majesty, I send this letter with nothing but guilt in my heart. In the Land of Destruction, where the cold strips flesh from bone and the air itself turns to grief, I kneel like the guilty. It was my failure, born of ignorance and misjudgment, that brought about such a blind hearing to be held...

“... What a foolish knight. Too foolish, and too sincere and honest—she’s even making an Empress feel petty,” Sophien muttered, unable to finish the letter, shaking her head.

Even after Sophien went as far as fabricating evidence to destroy both Yulie and Freyden, her loyalty remained unchanged—whether she knew or merely chose not to care.

However, despite everything, Sophien’s stance toward Freyden hadn’t changed—Freyden remained the house most deeply tied to the Empress’s poisoning, and once Deculein returned, the hearing would resume.

“You may leave,” Sophien ordered, handing Yulie’s letter back to Ahan after pushing herself up and walking over to lie down on the bed. “That includes you, Keiron. I’ll be alone now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty—”

After Ahan and Keiron’s voices overlapped in succession, Ahan stepped outside, leaving Keiron turned to a statue in place.

Left alone in her sealed chamber—so still that not even the wind could enter—Sophien sank once more into thought.

“

Perhaps you love me?

”

Deculein’s voice brushed against her ear, making Sophien’s cheeks flush again—but this time, she sat up, unable to hold in her frustration any longer.

“That damned man...”

Once more, Sophien found herself lost in thought.

“

... Hmph.

”

The Deculein of now holds over a century of memories shared with me. If he’s awakened to all those years, remembers everything, and knows me better than I know myself—and if those words came from him... if they really did...

“... Indeed,” Sophien said, a laugh slipping past her lips.

And just like that, Sophien eventually nodded.

“I admit,” Sophien muttered, staring up at the patterns on the ceiling of her chamber.

When Sophien closed her eyes, the Professor’s face surfaced again and again in her mind, and the feeling she could neither deny nor push away slipped past her lips at last, as if admitting it aloud made it real.

“... I am in love with you.”

***

I sat at the desk in Yuren’s guest room with a Holy Language scroll open before me, telling myself I was reading it—but no, I was only staring at the words.

"... There really was no way forward." I muttered.

My whole body felt drained, every ounce of strength gone, my fingers drooping limp and unresponsive after burning through all of my mana.

"This is what it looks like to be stuck at the ABCs."

Of course, I kept my posture steady, though I was just short of full mana exhaustion, and all I had managed to understand of the Holy Language was its most basic structure from the first year’s record—by the second year, everything I had struggled to learn had already changed.

"This is despair at its finest. There’ll be no bloodless ending—not for me."

I knew this game had an ending reachable through oratory and persuasion, and though I meant to convince Quay, with the language in this state, I didn’t stand a chance.

I glanced out at the darkness beyond the window, then at the red-furred munchkin curled up and purring on the bed, before rising from my seat and stepping out of the room, where down the corridor of Yuren Palace—now steeped in night—stood Prosecutor Rose in the distance.

“... Professor?” Rose said, her hands on the handles of someone’s wheelchair as her eyes landed on mine.

I walked toward her, stopped beside Carla—who was asleep in her wheelchair—and leaned in slightly to check her face.

"Her condition has improved. We administered emergency care and pain relief. I brought her outside as she wished for a breath of air. Somewhere along the way, she fell asleep."

Carla’s breathing was fragile but seemed a little steadier than before.

“... But can she really be cured?”

“Once the materials are secured, the transformation formula is all that’s left. I’ve already arranged everything with Hadecaine,” I replied.

“Would you mind if I asked something, Professor?” Rose asked, watching me for a while as her fingers moved through her bobbed hair, trying to ask the question.

“What would you ask of me?”

“What you said to Princess Maho today... may I ask if those were your honest thoughts?”

“Of course they were my honest thoughts. Do you take me for someone who lies?”

On this continent, ideas like democracy, sovereignty of the people, and direct elections would likely send people into a panic or leave them stunned in disbelief, as such notions are seen as dangerous—even rebellious.

But to me, they’re nothing strange—familiar truths more natural than any form of politics I’ve seen here and far older in my mind with the knowledge of them than Deculein’s

Elitism

ever was.

“But, Professor... aren’t you the one who has always stood by the belief in a class system?”

I chuckled at Rose’s words—but almost at the same time, I caught the sound of movement in the corridor.

It must be Maho, trying to listen in,

I thought.

“Of course. Vermin born of the Ashes, or wretches crawling in filth due to their own sins of disgrace, could never stand on equal ground with me. However, I hold exceptional invention—and rare talent—in the highest esteem.”

The scenario for Maho—princess of Yuren and one of the major named characters—was tragic as in more than half of my ten playthroughs, she died early on, and in the end, she died in all but one, her story always the same—devoting herself to her ideals and nation, sacrificing herself like kindling to keep the fire burning.

“I have more respect for those who stand by their convictions through every trial than for sycophants who fawn with empty flattery.”

I respected Maho both for the sacrifice she faced and for the path of blood she would walk in the future, and perhaps it was that strength—or her resolve—that made me genuinely like her.

“Democracy, too, is a brilliant invention, and the author who committed it to print—knowing the risks it would bring—did so with courage and conviction, which is what I hold in highest regard.”

Suddenly, moonlight spilled through the window, filtering a warm, mysterious glow across the palace corridor.

“Princess Maho, who left that very book in the library, may well stand among the few I would call worthy of such respect.”

Rose looked a little surprised, her expression blank as she nodded, processing what she’d heard.

Then, as if something clicked, Rose returned to her professional tone and said, “We’re continuing our investigation regarding your transformation formula, Professor. Therefore—”

“That won’t be necessary,” I interrupted.

I have no real intention of searching for it—nor will I. I have a rough idea of who took it, but it hardly matters now,

I thought.

“Continue to keep up the good work. Take good care of Carla,” I said to Rose.

“Yes, Professor,” Rose replied, steadying her expression with a nod.

***

... Early dawn the next day.

"I hadn’t expected that from Professor Deculein,” Rose said.

Maho and Rose were discussing in Yuren’s underground chamber, and just moments earlier, the conversation Rose had shared with Deculein had sparked something—not only in the two of them but throughout Yuren itself.

“That’s true, that’s true. The Professor has a strong sense of fairness, though at times, he does look like a villain—”

“Professor has his standards firm—and no sentiment,” Rose said, summing it up.

“Alright then~ Now, please allow me to introduce those I’ve already gathered ahead of time to be the future core of our foundation~” Maho replied, nodding with an expression reflecting a brief moment of reflection.

“Pardon me? All of a sudden?” Rose asked, blinking as her eyes widened.

Maho smiled brightly as she flowed her mana into the large crystal orb.

Whirrrrrrrrr—

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

One by one, several images projected from the crystal orb in the basement chamber, and among the five figures, Rose saw Supreme Court Justice Varla, eldest son of the Count’s House Miphel, and the knight Charlotte.

“Prosecutor Rose, we have come together to begin a revolution—in the name of the Republicans.”

Rose remained silent.

“Step by step, we’ll bring down the class system, give Yuren its foundations, and let its name become a banner of pride and belonging for the people of Yuren,” Maho added, wrapping her hands around Rose’s. “Will you lend your strength to us?”

“Of course, it would be an honor, Your Highness,” Rose replied without a moment’s hesitation, clasping Maho’s hands.

***

Meanwhile, in the waiting room of the magical expo, Epherene and her team were busy making final adjustments to their aircraft—one last check before presenting it to the world at the expo.

“

Hmm

, is this what you built?” Quay asked.

“Yes, we built it together,” Epherene replied, adjusting the aircraft’s propeller with

Telekinesis

.

“It looks slightly incomplete to me.”

“Where?” Epherene asked, blinking and widening her eyes at Quay.

“This engine’s gear is off by a fraction and slightly misaligned from its specifications.”

“Where?!” Epherene said, hurrying over to inspect the gear, which was a mana stone gear—the very one flowing mana into the engine.

“This one,” Quay said, pointing at one of the mana stone gears.

To Epherene, the engine looked fine, but Quay clearly thought otherwise—he removed a gear and resized it slightly, shrinking it by what had to be a fraction of an inch.

“There, now it’s complete.”

“... You’re sure that did it? Can I trust that?”

“

Haha

, trust the result when you see it. If something this small is enough to earn your trust, that would be a fine thing.”

“

Hmm!

Alright, if you say so,” Epherene said, snapping the engine lid shut and brushing off her hands as she walked over to Drent and Julia. “I’ll give Mister Quay a guide through the expo. You guys can keep an eye on this while I’m gone.”

“Okay, Ephie~ I’m so jealous—you get to walk around with a handsome guy like you guys are on a date.”

“It’s not a date—and he’s my uncle, thank you very much.”

“Alright~ off you go, off you go~” Julia said with a smile, waving her hand before slipping her arm through Drent’s, pretending not to notice what she had done.

Drent cleared his throat and slipped his arm out from hers.

“Let’s go, then,” Epherene said.

“Indeed,” Quay replied.

Epherene stepped out of the waiting room with Quay.

“Humans really have evolved in the strangest directions. Must everything they build be this extravagant?” Quay said as he looked around the expo, shaking his head.

“Why not? If it’s beautiful, that’s reason enough.”

“Is that so?”

"Yes, if the temple is beautiful, I’m sure the followers would be happier too.”

The expo, a dome of transparent glass stretching across an enormous space, had designated areas set for each Mage Tower as well as for the magical inventions and spells created by individual mages.

“

Oh

, wait—it looks like the Professor entered something as well,” Epherene said, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a nameplate.

Quay approached and looked down at the name written on the nameplate.

Deculein von Grahan-Yukline

“It would appear so. Is there no way to know in advance what sort of invention it is?” Quay asked.

Epherene rushed over and checked the back of the nameplate.

“

Hmm...

it’s listed under Ductility and Manipulation spells—something called the Study of Art Magic, apparently.

Oh

—excuse me!” Epherene said, catching sight of a curator nearby.

“How may I help you?” the curator replied with a smile, adjusting the glasses on his nose as he stepped closer.

“I wasn’t aware Professor Deculein was participating in the expo. Could you tell me what this is about?”

“

Oh

, it was arranged on short notice. The Professor is both a judge at the expo and a contributor, showcasing part of the Study of Art Magic,” the curator replied with a smile in response to Epherene’s question.

“By Study of Art Magic, you mean...”

“Many believe Professor Deculein is continuing the legacy of his father, Sir Decalane.”

“...

Oh~

” Epherene murmured, replying only with a nod.

A chuckle slipped from Quay’s lips.

“

Oh

—there he is now,” the curator said, gesturing toward the entrance.

Epherene turned her eyes toward the entrance.

“That is Professor Deculein.”

“Yes, I know,” Epherene said.

Deculein stood in his usual suit and staff, elegant and composed as always, and nothing about him had changed, but to Epherene, something felt different today—something strange she hadn’t noticed before or had perhaps ignored until now.

“... What is going on?”

Maybe it was the sunlight pouring through the expo ceiling or the fashion scarf wrapped around Deculein’s neck—something he’d never worn before—but either way, it felt strange to Epherene, and she couldn’t shake the feeling it gave her.

Thud— Thud—

“What is going on with me, really?”

Epherene felt flustered, her heart trembling in a way she couldn’t explain as she watched Deculein walk toward the expo.

As if... I actually like him or something,

Epherene thought.