Chapter: 639
These days, it seems the Crown Princess isn’t keen on sticking around the Imperial Palace.
“Uncle! I wanna go home! Uncle!”
“But, dear niece, there’s a lot of work to do. How about you let your uncle have some alone time?”
“No way! Uncle! You have nothing to do anyway!”
At her rebuttal, I momentarily lost my words. What in the world is the Judicial Minister telling this child?
Moreover, it wasn’t exactly a wrong statement, so I couldn’t even come up with a counter-argument. Among all the officials in the empire, the one who’s currently the most free is indeed the Judicial Minister.
‘What to do now?’
With a small sigh, I watched the Crown Princess rolling around on the floor.
It wasn’t just today that she wanted to play at the Judicial Minister’s mansion. That place had six kids her age and eleven talking animals! The Judicial Minister even covered the entire hallway with fluffy mats for the kids. To the Crown Princess, it must feel like the most fun playground in the world.
So, I completely understand why the Crown Princess loves the Judicial Minister’s mansion. Plus, since I’m busy with work, I’m grateful that the Minister plays with her instead of trying to stop her outings.
If the Crown Princess was only fond of her uncle, I’d be a bit upset, but thankfully, she’s a good child who loves both her dad and mom just as much as her uncle. She might have fun in the Minister’s mansion, but she returns to the palace without a second thought.
‘If only it weren’t for those spirits…’
However, now the Crown Princess is rejecting her return to the palace, all because of those spirits. Thanks to that pesky spirit, which appeared as a brand new and exotic presence not seen anywhere else on this continent, her desire to return home has faded.
“If you want to touch the sparkly ones, you need to befriend them! You have to keep getting close!”
And it’s also because the Minister told her some bizarre things.
I feel another sigh coming. It’s completely natural for a little one like the Crown Princess to be enchanted by the spirits. Even I’ve only encountered them in books from centuries ago, so you can only imagine how fascinating they must seem to a child of her age. Kids tend to lose their minds over shiny things and stuff that flies around.
So, the Crown Princess became increasingly obsessed with the spirits, and the Minister just fueled that interest, saying she needed to get close to the spirits to touch them.
“Shiny! My little siblings! I’ll touch them!”
It was comical to see the Crown Princess treating the spirits as siblings. While it’s nice of her not to have prejudices against anyone, I didn’t expect she’d want to adopt spirits into her family.
“Princess, those sparkling ones are out with your uncle today, so you won’t meet them if you go.”
“Then I wanna go too! I want to be with Uncle!”
I hugged the Crown Princess, who was still throwing a tantrum on the floor, but she kept squirming and complaining.
It’s heartbreaking. Normally, the Crown Princess would already understand her dad’s feelings and tone down her stubbornness by now. She would have nodded sadly as soon as she realized it wouldn’t happen.
At the same time, I felt a pang of guilt. How much must she love those spirits to go against her wise and good dad’s wishes like this? I’m even starting to wonder if it would be better to send her to the Minister’s mansion instead.
‘No way.’
However, I quickly shook off those thoughts and steadied my mind.
While it’s troublesome to deny a child what they want, it’s also not right to let them do everything they want. No matter how fond the Crown Princess is of the Minister, this palace is her home. If she gets in the habit of treating a subject’s home as her own, it’s going to be awkward for both the royals and the subjects.
“Your Uncle’s busy with work, so it’s not possible right now. Today, you’re staying in the palace.”
That’s why I need to firmly put my foot down for now. I’m not saying I’ll keep the Crown Princess forever, just that I want to manage the frequency of her visits—
“Wuhh… I hate you, Dad!”
…?
“Uh…?”
For a moment, my world stopped.
I couldn’t remember much after that. Just that the weeping Crown Princess was quickly taken away by the Empress. That’s all that really stuck in my head.
This is a serious issue. The fact that I could only remember my beloved wife and adorable daughter indicates I was losing my sanity. It means that my heart was so injured that I couldn’t think of anything outside of family.
For my daughter to say she hates me! Our Crown Princess, our lovely Charlotte, is saying she hates her dad!
“What do you think?”
– I truly find it regrettable.
Finally managing to compose myself, I contacted the Judicial Minister, who bowed so low I couldn’t even see his face.
I hate him. I really hate him. It’s the Judicial Minister who raised those spirits in his mansion and created this disaster.
‘Just hold it in.’
Yet, I didn’t let those intense feelings show.
I know the Minister isn’t the type to deliberately let spirits roam free in his mansion. He probably got caught up in the moment and ended up living with spirits without realizing it. Getting angry in that situation would only make me look more miserable.
Besides, when you weigh the existence of spirits against what the empire gains or loses, it’s obviously a gain. The presence that vanished hundreds of years ago due to Apels’s misdeeds exists in the system now? Ever since the Dawn Sect officially recognized the faith in the goddess Constantina?
‘It’s just like having a holy spirit.’
This matter could elevate the authority of both the imperial family and the empire. Allowing the existence of spirits brings about numerous benefits, aside from the fact that the Minister’s mansion is bustling with them.
So, I can endure this. The rationality of the Emperor barely edged out the pain of a father.
If the father’s pain had triumphed, I don’t know what sort of decisions I would have made.
“So, Minister, is it true that the spirits gathered thanks to my daughter’s talent?”
I absentmindedly rubbed the back of my neck, attempting to steer the conversation away from my earlier turmoil.
I contacted the Minister not just to unleash my emotional wounds, but also for clarity on the situation.
– Yes, Your Majesty. Normally, spirits can only act with the energy of the World Tree unless they find a formal contractor; however, my daughter is effectively substituting the World Tree. This will only grow stronger with time.
Nodding at the Minister’s answer that held a hint of subtle pride, I deduced that his daughter is now akin to a mobilized World Tree or a walking stronghold of spirits.
‘It’s incredible that one doesn’t even need to reach the World Tree to encounter spirits.’
That’s an understatement! To express it lightly, it’s practically a divine blessing.
Seeing something that usually only exists in a specific region and being able to relocate it in emergencies is a tremendous boon. Plus, the area where the World Tree lies—the Elf Residential Area—has quite restricted access for outsiders.
Thanks to this fact, only a handful of people encountered spirits before Apels burned the World Tree down. The home of the spirits, the World Tree, was essentially a beloved tree that elves carefully guarded, ensuring tight control over who approached it.
But that’s no longer the case. Although access to the World Tree remains difficult, all it takes is the Minister’s permission to see the spirits.
‘Then we can cultivate spirit masters.’
Spirit masters, the mysterious beings who can become friends with spirits and borrow their powers. Even in centuries past, such beings were extremely rare, with records claiming that having just one spirit master in a generation was already considered a lot.
Now the empire has the means to nurture such beings. No, to be precise, we can monopolize them.
‘The World Tree and the Minister’s daughter belong to the empire as well.’
Even if no one with the potential to become a spirit master is born, it doesn’t matter. Other nations won’t even have the means to recognize the potential for becoming a spirit master.
“Minister.”
– Yes, Your Majesty. How may I serve you?
“Are you planning to raise your daughter as a spirit master?”
– If she has separate wishes, I will support them, but otherwise, I intend to help her harness her abilities.
His answer as a father was entirely satisfying. It was essentially a pleasant way of saying he’d raise her to become a spirit master, barring any unforeseen variables.
“Then, Minister, how about laying down some groundwork for that child in advance?”
– Groundwork… you mean?
“While innate talent is important, acquired learning is also crucial. No matter how big a vessel is, it’s pointless if there’s no one to fill it.”
With that, I adopted the most earnest expression I could muster. My proposal at this juncture would be exceedingly difficult without the Minister’s active cooperation.
“So, I think it might be beneficial to establish a Spirit Division at the Imperial Academy.”
– Huh?
The Minister looked somewhat dazed, as though he were trying to comprehend my words.
“Of course, I’m not saying we should create it immediately. We lack knowledge about spirit techniques, and there aren’t even spirit masters, so what good would a Division serve? However, your daughter has more than ten years before she enrolls, so we should prepare in advance.”
The elves who have lived since before the founding of the empire understand spirits. Now that the World Tree has revived, there may also be elves who reestablish contracts with spirits.
Convincing those elves to lay the foundation of spirit studies would allow us to create a new department within ten years or so.
The only question is whether there’ll be human spirit masters who might be enrolled in the Division.
‘That’s where I’ll have to persuade the Elf elders or the Minister.’
We should recruit noble offspring interested in spirit studies and send them to meet the spirits at the World Tree or the Minister’s mansion. That’s how we can give birth to a human spirit master in the empire.
‘If the recompense is sufficient, the chance of refusal is low.’
Establishing the Spirit Division is essentially a national endeavor for the Minister’s daughter. Who would oppose a project that benefits their grandchild or daughter?
– A Spirit Division, huh…
Listening to me closely, the Minister was nodding as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
Alright, just a bit more of a push, and I can secure a firm agreement right here—
“Your Majesty, the Minister of Intelligence is here.”
A light knock drew my attention, signifying the arrival of the Minister of Intelligence.
What a let-down. I was so close!
“Minister, I’ll contact you again at a later time.”
– Yes, Your Majesty. Reach out whenever you wish.
But the sudden visit from the Minister of Intelligence means something significant has come up. Given that the spirit division could take its time, I can’t just ignore the Minister of Intelligence’s presence.
With that, I broke the communication with the Minister and permitted the entrance of the Minister of Intelligence.
“Lord wishes to speak urgently with Your Majesty.”
“…What?”
I realized then that something big had occurred, far beyond my expectations.
The great Dragon Lord of the Imperial family requested to speak with me.
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