Emperor’s Audience Chamber.
After the 1st Princess left, the room grew eerily quiet, with the Chalice of the Void swaying silently. The apple wine that had spilled outside soon vanished without a trace.
At the same time, part of the space seemed to part like a curtain.
A figure, wearing a mask that expressed nothing, stood before Ilaref, a courtier of the Emperor. She slowly knelt with one knee.
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“I’m listening.”
“It’s hard to fathom your intent in letting the 1st Princess go just like that. Even though she has grown up with such an inclination from birth, there’s a standard to follow…”
“Inclination?”
“Yes. It’s true that she has grown up in a free-spirited atmosphere filled with competitiveness, but it seems excessive, and correction is needed. Simply letting her go like this…”
“Hmph.”
The Emperor scoffed.
“Ilaref. Are you still half-asleep? Or have you gotten dull?”
“Excuse me?”
Though her face was obscured by the mask, Ilaref looked quite taken aback. An apple was thrown into the air.
Thud!
“My courtier, Ilaref.”
“Yes.”
“Am I a weak Emperor?”
“That cannot be the case.”
“Or perhaps, am I an incompetent Emperor?”
“You are more capable than anyone else. There isn’t a better leader anywhere on the continent than you, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, I think so too.”
“Then why let the 1st Princess go…”
“Step aside.”
As the Emperor commanded, the entire floor of the audience chamber began to shake, and the courtier quickly retreated.
“And watch closely.”
From the floor, a giant rocky slab emerged. Its perfectly polished surface was shifting, adhering and cracking in real time to reveal an image.
…Ilaref understood. It resembled a map.
“First, the continent has this shape.”
Grrrr—
The surface cracked, illustrating the power structure of the continent.
“My Empire, the Northern Snowfields, the Southern Desert, the Great Forest of the Central Region… This should be enough for now.”
The Chalice of the Void rippled for a moment as if in deep thought.
“Right, we shouldn’t forget the Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm.”
With the detailed depiction of not just the continent but other worlds, the Emperor smiled.
“Hmm.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“Ilaref.”
“Yes.”
“It’s really strange to think that one day I’ll need to explain this to someone. It’s proof that the world is getting more enjoyable.”
Rumble!
The surface of the Demon Realm portion bulged and was emphasized.
“You know things have been unstable in the Demon Realm recently. Even if the entire continent joined forces, victory would be uncertain. Wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“With so little time to unite… The continent is this divided. In fact, the Empire can’t even be considered one. The Magic Towers alone are divided into six, competing with each other.”
“Yes.”
“Is there not a rotten corner within this Empire, within this continent? Isn’t there something that hinders a perfect union?”
Ilaref quietly bowed her head.
“There would be countless. Those who prioritize immediate benefits and survival at the expense of others, how many have great ambitions like Your Majesty?”
“True.”
The Emperor drank from the Chalice.
“Of course, I can’t blame them. They were born lowly, so what can be done? Yes, solving such matters is the mission of the great.”
“That’s right.”
“Alright. Then we must address all these rotten parts completely. Who will do it?”
“…Could it be…?”
Ilaref tilted her head.
“Are you saying Ezekiel could eliminate all of them?”
“Eliminate? Tsk, Ilaref. You’re mistaken.”
The Chalice of the Void drew circles at the end.
“You still don’t understand what I’m saying at all. You must see not just the trees but the entire forest.”
“I apologize. I’m lacking in understanding.”
“Ilaref, solve this flower.”
The robe’s hem tossed a single flower beneath the throne. To the eye, it was clearly in poor condition. The stem was visibly rotting in several places.
“I shall comply with Your Majesty’s command.”
Ilaref immediately began her work.
The method was incredibly simple. Removing the rotten parts of the petals and stem was all there was to it.
“Indeed, just as I thought.”
The Emperor examined the flower presented on the throne.
“Most people think of solving and removing as synonyms. It’s not entirely wrong. Simply getting rid of a problem—how easy and straightforward that is.”
“I apologize.”
“Not at all. I use this method as well. But the world operates like a myriad of interlocking gears. If you just remove everything mindlessly, problems will arise.”
The flower that had been hanging in the air was suddenly thrown.
“Now then, what happens if I solve it myself?”
Rumble rumble rumble─!
Part of the surface of the tablet warped, and soon, a section of the map completely vanished.
“Ah, indeed….”
“Eliminating things is remarkably easy, but one cannot say the problem has been resolved. The continent would simply lose that part entirely.”
Another apple was tossed into the air.
Thud!
“Of course, the chaos that unfolds from something disappearing is entertaining. Nothing is quite as enjoyable as watching a disaster unfold.”
“Yes.”
“But you must understand that is exactly what the Demon folks want to see. We cannot manage issues by merely eliminating them. We must rectify them.”
“…Is Ezekiel different?”
“Different. Look at this.”
Another rotten flower was tossed beneath the throne. But it didn’t end there. Another one was thrown, and it was none other than the Ezekiel flower.
Suuusssh—!
The Ezekiel flower slowly purified the rotting plant.
“Destroying, erasing, and eliminating is surprisingly easy. But who can purify like this?”
“…”
The Emperor’s voice held a strangely giddy tone.
“The barbarian fools in the North who only grow strong? The prideful elves of the Great Forest? No, no one can do it!”
Boom!
The tablet shattered completely.
“But Ezekiel can. I see unprecedented potential in him that I haven’t witnessed anywhere else.”
Ilaref politely bowed her head.
“Thank you for sharing such deep insights. I am but a minor person, so I had little understanding of such meanings.”
She then lifted her head ever so slightly.
“However, may I dare ask just two questions? There are parts I still don’t understand.”
“You have my permission.”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you refrain from sending the 1st Princess away? If Ezekiel is that significant, I’m unsure if he can handle a woman on his own.”
“It’s amusing, don’t you think?”
“…Excuse me?”
Crunch! Another apple vanished.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m simply leaving things to chance for the sake of amusement. That’s something Ezekiel brought upon himself. He must bear the consequences of his actions.”
“Consequences?”
“This guy proposed to all five princesses.”
“…?”
Ilaref initially couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the words.
And in the next moment…
“…!”
She was greatly shocked. No, it was more than that—she was aghast.
“Eventually, the princesses will learn of this.”
“…”
Ilaref quickly grasped the Emperor’s concept of consequences. So, happiness can easily turn into disaster with just a slight change of truth.
“Ilaref, look at this potted plant.”
The Emperor tossed two pots of Ezekiel flowers. They tumbled down the steep stairs below the throne and, upon hitting the floor, crumbled with a crunch.
Although they looked the same, the difference was clear.
“…!”
The wilting Ezekiel flower writhed like a worm before dying, while the relatively strong Ezekiel flower began to gather soil.
Not only its own soil but even the lost soil of the wilting one. In the end, it became several times stronger.
“You never know. It might become a better one.”
“…”
Ilaref was only sweating profusely.
A chance to become better. A chance to become better. As long as the scuffles among the princesses don’t cause a mess, there’s a much greater chance of improvement…
The fact that she basically has to tame all the princesses was weighing heavily.
…Is that even possible?
She cleared her mind. She could just watch.
“Your Majesty, now for the final question.”
“Go ahead.”
“You’re offering three drops of Sun Elixir; isn’t that a bit excessive? It contradicts the way of nurturing…”
“Oh, that’s a separate issue.”
The Emperor unfurled a picture.
“It’s a reward for the delightful picture you gifted me.”
The Emperor’s form, imperceptible to the naked eye.
Ezekiel had drawn it based on his own discretion.
The first eye, the second mouth, the third nose, the fourth hand, and the fifth ear modeled a handsome figure.
Of course, the Emperor didn’t look like that. He was not astonished by Ezekiel’s reasoning.
Blood.
Fresh blood.
As they engaged in a duel, Ezekiel stained the Emperor with blood.
“I mean, it signifies an Emperor forged by his own blood.”
“Excuse me?”
“The meaning is clear. One day, you’ll challenge me.”
Ilaref broke into a cold sweat. When the Emperor said someone would challenge him, he was always annoyed, never welcoming.
But now…
The Emperor was more delighted than ever.
“Haha─!”
He laughed heartily.
For Ilaref, this was a sight she had never witnessed before.
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