Bzzz “I’ve come with good tidings, Your Majesty!”
The phrase Seonpungdogol refers to the demeanor of an immortal and the physique of a sage. It suits the principal only halfway.
There’s something extraordinary about the person, but that extraordinary trait leans more toward malice than goodness.
If you peek into which way the attribute gauge tilts, it seems to soar high into the sky beyond the ceiling of evil, enough to be mistaken for an immortal.
More fitting than an immortal, a demon lord might be the term here. However, the principal is like a primordial beast, consuming the human refinement of exalted realms to gain power.
Ding ding! “If His Majesty the Emperor gets lost on the way out, you are to accompany the Princess,” the attendant said. “Getting lost in an unfamiliar place is quite common.”
Whoosh! The intent was clear; “Come along while I’m speaking nicely.”
I exchanged glances between the professor and the attendant. I thought I could chip in when the professor cast the “What do I care?” face, but the response was rather feeble.
Frown! The professor frowned and said, “I don’t understand.”
Heh heh! “What could possibly be troubling you?”
“If my senses aren’t mistaken, you should have no reason to follow the Emperor. So why are you loyally serving the former emperor who has stepped down from the empire’s throne?”
“Dragon Slayer. A piece of the legendary feat known since ancient times. Only one has sincerely aimed that dream ever since the strongest and last Evil Dragon Omoshiroi. I just like seeing children dream.”
Hee hee! “So, even the oldest human in the world appears as a child in your eyes?”
Heh heh heh! “Compared to the lifespan of stars, those who have not shed the yoke of mortality are just dust.”
Stomp! The professor took a step back. The Bronzed Professor de Estrada did.
“If the luckiest thief in the world exists, it must be the life thief Rung Nosa. Beasts greater than him do not covet his name, so he continues to live.”
“Surely, there can’t be just one lucky person. Those who receive teachings from dragons all live under a celestial fortune.”
Step step! The attendant took leisurely steps, while the Bronze Professor meticulously retreated step by step to maintain distance.
I wondered what was going on, so I subtly activated my Spy Eye Scry to peek deeper.
A dense mana, like an obscure fog, was seeping from the attendant, and right at the edge of that aura, the Bronze Professor was standing.
Hmm… ‘Should I take a closer look?’
My spying techniques correspond to each school year.
First Year’s Search Eye, Second Year’s Pierce Eye, and Third Year’s Spy Eye.
Of course, as a seasoned player, I know the Fourth Year technique too.
Prognosis Eye!
Going beyond merely predicting the opponent’s next move by observing muscle movement, it reads the flow of mana and anticipates what magic and actions will unfold.
The super-acceleration caused by mana exceeds the brain’s thought speed, allowing insights that only magic can penetrate.
Swish!
Slash!
Growl!
Thud!
If one missteps, they could die, be in danger, remain incomprehensible, or simply be troublesome.
The surrounding aura around the attendant was ominous.
Worse than that of the Bronze Professor’s.
Yet, the attendant made no move to attack.
Pop! “What will you do, Your Highness? I could return alone for fear of the Academy’s professor or I could return along with you, cherishing our false connection.”
He waited silently, as if the choice was mine to make.
It looked just like a choice to me.
1. Run away leaving the Emperor and attendant.
2. Return to the Emperor and attendant.
New routes always have traps hidden in them.
Like a smuggler absorbed in his trade, only to get caught and have his wrist chopped off, the princess’s affairs could be a trap leading to a guillotine.
But the image of the Emperor or attendant hanging me up on a guillotine didn’t come to mind.
“Just wait here for a bit. I’m only going to deliver my greetings and come back!”
Smirk! “Freshman Oknodie. Are you in your right mind? When the Emperor greets you, will he send you off with a cheerful, ‘Have a good journey’? Haven’t you come to this suspicious place?”
The professor’s concerns were valid.
There was, however, one misunderstanding.
Hmm ‘It wasn’t Emperor Papa who brought me here; it was I who brought Emperor Papa here, right?’
The order is reversed.
Therefore, there’s no way His Majesty has any ill intentions toward me.
No matter how suspicious and powerful a figure he is.
At least, not at this moment.
Not toward me, at least.
“Alright, did you find what you were looking for?”
“Thanks to you!”
When I showed the enhancement proof, the Emperor nodded.
The vampires behind the Emperor chimed in one by one.
“His daughter is quite unassuming.”
“With all sorts of precious books and treasures sleeping in the clan’s sanctuary, you only bring back a piece of paper?”
“Can I offer you the blood of a hundred-year-old one-eyed giant for Your Highness?”
“Go ahead.”
“Wow! Freebees!”
The giant’s blood tasted delightful; it seemed like honey had been infused. It hadn’t spoiled even after a century.
“However, why can’t I sense any aura from the ticket? It should be swirling with enormous magic power!”
“Because I sealed the magic response on it. If greedy folk were to catch wind of something precious, it would only cause problems. Of course, our conversation won’t reach the ears of those vampires.”
“Your Majesty, you’re being so kind to me just because you want to take down Principal Omoshiroi, right? Otherwise, there’s no reason to keep being nice even after repaying debts.”
The Emperor candidly confirmed.
“Indeed. My long-standing quest is to subdue the Evil Dragon Omoshiroi. Just like those lowly vampires, I must drag races that stand above humanity down to the underworld to find satisfaction and peace.”
“Wouldn’t it be wise to inform Professor Bronze too? That way, everyone could coexist harmoniously.”
“Before sharing an answer, observe these vampires, akin to the awakened souls.”
Before entering the Ancient Book Museum, there were only two vampires, but now they had grown to dozens.
“Vampires sleeping in the ancestral castle all awakened and pledged allegiance to me. Those long-standing powerful beings find it easy to reign over others. Even if they lose that massive base known as the Empire, if they wield that power as their own, the throne becomes unnecessary.”
“I see!”
“The Evil Dragon Omoshiroi should not be conquered by mere force. If you cannot breach the hundred layers of dimensional barriers by using all attributes and powers, strength alone is meaningless, and acquiring all that power alone is a laborious task.”
Suddenly, I felt nostalgic.
There was a time I thought defeating the Emperor was the final content of this game.
Having gained some confidence as a seasoned player, I heard the nearly expiring Emperor say these words to me.
Could he trust me if he harmed his nation?
Swish!
“Does overwhelming power have the ability to crush even the vigilance of a hundred officials? I will ask, shamelessly._ Please conquer the Evil Dragon Omoshiroi.”
“Of course, quests ought to have rewards. My promise is a guarantee that humanity’s fate will not be perished by anyone’s whim. In other words, the future of humanity.”
In a different situation, in a different place.
But the Emperor spoke with the same intent.
“Child of the Foundation. All enduring species are enemies to humanity. The ancient ones grow stubborn and unyielding, becoming rigid.”
“Even vampires who cherish their kin treat weak humans as prey.”
“Those twenty-four deities claiming to be humanity’s guardians impose severe rules and punish those who fail to strictly adhere.”
If even the gods are like that, dragons shouldn’t be an exception.
“Humanity must only be ruled by humanity. I don’t mind becoming a tyrant remembered throughout history for humanity’s liberation.”
“But why did you relinquish the throne to Masugaki?”
“Because I realized you could help fulfill my ambitions. If humanity has a future, it must be with a good emperor, not a tyrant.”
It still sounds sweet today.
I had once even felt sympathy thinking the Emperor was a good fellow, lured by the bait of new content.
Heh, but the timing’s not right for division yet.
“If you can conceal the magic response beyond dimensions, how about this?”
As the Emperor plotted another underhanded scheme using vampires, I made a much more tempting proposal.
“Use your power to hide your magic response, then dwell within my item until the moment you’re needed, and make a grand appearance!”
“…Are you serious? You’re genuinely suggesting I become your ego weapon?”
“Yep!”
“If the Evil Dragon Omoshiroi doesn’t hold an inkling of my hundred dimensional gate knowledge, that plan might have worked. However, the arcane arts of dimensional magic that distort perception only work on those devoid of knowledge about the respective dimensional state.”
Dimensional magic distortion and perception dissonance wouldn’t work on the Evil Dragon Omoshiroi, who has all the information about every dimensional state.
“Perhaps, but I’m an Oknodie. A player from Earth.”
I happen to know a dimension that Omoshiroi likely doesn’t know about.
“Do you happen to know about Earth? It’s quite a livable dimension!”
