“… Are you saying that since I haven’t shared my thoughts, Your Majesty isn’t going to share yours either?”
“Well, there might be some flaw in that statement.”
The Emperor replied with a pleasant laugh, seeming amused by my question.
“Perhaps you’ve told me all sorts of things, but I just can’t remember them.”
“……”
I had no retort for that.
No, wait, that’s not right.
I do have something to say.
You’re the Emperor, after all. You’re the pinnacle of that massive landmass, a person who once claimed he’d bring equality to the world under his feet in the original story.
Yet here you are, shutting your mouth just because your daughter didn’t say a word to you? Isn’t that a bit petty? Even if you think of your imperial children as your real kids—and according to your claims, they are—before being a father, you are the Emperor. No one even knows that fact.
“Hmm.”
I tried to keep a blank expression, but it seemed the Emperor caught a hint of my discontent from my poker face. I mean, he’s been watching me as long as Alice, and when it comes to perception, he’s got to be better than Alice. So I suppose it’s not surprising he could read my face.
“We could have a lot to talk about if we open our mouths, so let’s exchange some information, one detail at a time. May I go first with the questions?”
As if I could say no while he was clearly going to ask anyway.
Nodding stiffly, the Emperor grinned a little mischievously.
Before I could feel the impending dread from that expression, the Emperor opened his mouth first.
“What’s the reason for you carrying so much luggage on the train?”
“What luggage are you talking about?”
“I mean the stuff you hid yourself. You used the fact that the Crown Princess was going to gather some cooperation from the Imperial Knights to pack up a bunch of weapons. Among them were some things that are a bit over the top for use against humans.”
As he stroked his neatly combed golden beard, the Emperor inquired with keen interest.
“What? Did you pack weapons or something?”
Alice, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, looked horrified.
“……”
When I slightly averted my gaze, Alice wore an even more terrified expression.
“You mean you brought illegal weapons into another country? Are you saying you dragged along more than just the swords the knights would use? You were invited by Charlotte, for crying out loud!?”
Um… well, did it work out like that?
“I had no intention of using them against the Kingdom of Velbur.”
“Are you saying you brought that many weapons onto Velbur’s land?”
“…… How many weapons did I bring?”
Alice asked the Emperor, who answered brightly before I could intervene.
“A gigantic rifle whose specially forged barrel can easily crush an elephant’s skull with standard gunpowder, along with a Marmaros round meant for that rifle. If necessary, it could probably shoot a hole through a building wall.”
Alice’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.
“Oh, and I also found some armor that looks somewhat peculiar. At first glance, it resembles Jack Chain’s gear, but it had more mechanical contraptions attached to it. Honestly, using it for defense would be complicated with all those springs and gadgets attached. There are places for magic stones and Marmaros as well.”
Even if the Marmaros used as a projectile holds most of the destructive power, the amount of explosive necessary to launch that massive Marmaros isn’t something to ignore.
And of course, it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to wield such a firearm.
But to use it effectively, you’d need to run around with it.
So, I had to seek Browning out alone as the rain began. I asked if he could create a device that could disperse some of the force by attaching springs and gears to my body.
…Listening to me, Browning excitedly entered his storage and brought out that ‘exoskeleton.’
I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it apparently creates steam based on the water boiled by magic stones, enhancing the strength of my arms and legs. It was covered in a complex hydraulic system and springs. They claimed the container holding the boiling water strapped to my back wouldn’t burn me. I actually tested it briefly, and I felt no heat. The container was only as big as a CamelBak, so it wasn’t too cumbersome.
Although it looked like it could break down in a thousand different ways, such contraptions surprisingly work well in this kind of world. So, I brought it with me.
“While I can’t ascertain the specific purpose of that armor, looking at the other ammunition gives me a sense of how grand your plans are. With all those various bombs and Marmaros-based projectiles, it wouldn’t be strange for you to wage a one-man war.”
Alice shot a quick glance my way.
If I knew how to whistle, I would’ve turned my gaze elsewhere while whistling.
“Yet you still intend not to use any of that in the Kingdom of Velbur? Can I assume you’ve already devised a means to transport that equipment elsewhere?”
“……”
That’s not quite true.
The gazes from the Emperor, Alice, and even Damien were all directed at me.
The common feeling behind their stares was ‘curiosity.’
“Aren’t you a bit too interested in your daughter’s private life?”
“Are you saying I should consider the emotional sensitivity of a teenage girl? At least the teenage girls I know don’t take away weapons capable of waging war on overseas trips.”
I had no response to that.
Even Alice seemed to nod in agreement with the Emperor’s words. Normally, they didn’t get along that well.
In the end, I couldn’t withstand their combined gazes and let out a long sigh.
“Even within the Kingdom of Velbur, there are areas that don’t count as its territory.”
“Are you referring to the embassy?”
“Sort of. I intended to break into the Cathedral of Saint Latina in Lutetia.”
“…….”
An eerie silence enveloped the room after my answer.
Alice took a deep breath and exhaled again. Her breath trembled slightly.
Then, she marched right over to me—
—and grabbed me by the collar.
“What are you thinking—!”
“I was just planning to gather information.”
With Alice clutching my collar and shaking me, my response came out in chunks.
“Gathering information!? Information collection!?”
“Alice, calm down.”
The Emperor urged Alice to soothe down, still holding my collar.
“If the noise leaks outside, won’t we all be in trouble?”
“……”
At the Emperor’s words, Alice finally released my collar and stepped back. But she was still panting furiously.
…Should I have warned her in advance?
But if I did that, Alice might have insisted on coming along. Or she might have tried to stop me. Given her reaction now, it may have been the latter.
“… I’ve answered you, so now it’s your turn, Your Majesty.”
When I said that, the Emperor shrugged his shoulders.
“Then, ask what you want to ask. If I can answer, I shall.”
I wanted to question what the Emperor couldn’t possibly not answer, but I also wasn’t laying everything on the table myself. The Emperor probably knew that.
So, I resolved to make one clear inquiry.
“Your Majesty, is the reason you are here to prepare for war?”
Alice’s eyes widened comically. At this point, I was wondering if her jaw was going to fall off.
Seeing her fingers twitching, she looked like she wanted to rush at her father and shake him. I suppose that makes sense, after all.
“No.”
The Emperor responded firmly.
“Are you sure? You don’t have plans to instigate a world war?”
“Seeing you look at me with those big eyes, how could I possibly do that? Honestly, I think it wouldn’t be strange if you rummaged through all the imperial military secrets. No matter how much I try to hide things and carry out plans, you’d definitely find out. And if that was the case, would I even be able to sit here and chat with you?”
“……”
That was… true.
“Of course, there was a time when I considered that. I used to think ‘if I can conquer everything under me,’ perhaps the world could become a bit more peaceful. Whether that’s possible or not is another question, but about ten years ago, I thought there was some possibility.”
That’s weird.
Hearing those words sent a shiver down my spine.
Wasn’t the content slightly different from what I had heard before?
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