“Your Majesty, a salute.”
As soon as Pelaine’s command was given, the knights raised their arms mechanically in salute.
Normally, such salutes aren’t exchanged within the Holy Knights.
However, these guys had already received solid training to work jointly with the Imperial Guard, so they shared almost the same protocols as the Imperial Army.
“Hmm. So each of these has combat power on par with the Empire’s greatest sword?”
“Your Majesty, I’ve never said such a thing.”
“Seems exaggeration won’t even lead you there, huh?”
“Well, maybe if I seriously overstate, it could be said.”
“Hahaha!”
Aria burst into laughter, then poked me with her elbow and gestured with her chin.
She suggested we go somewhere without people.
I signaled to Pelaine to stay put and followed Aria.
“Right. If these aren’t even the best knights in the Empire at idle talk, and those twelve can’t surpass the entire guard’s power, then why do I have to hire such a knight order for my protection? Since this is an affair you’ve stirred up, there must be a reason. If you can explain, then do so.”
“Have you noticed the changes in the Imperial Palace since your ascension?”
“You think just because I’m stuck in the office with paperwork all day that I wouldn’t notice anything changing? That’s a big misjudgment. Firstly, the previously stagnant operations have started flowing smoothly. The late emperor’s approach included gathering various opinions from courtiers and reaching conclusions through debate, which made handling urgent matters quite difficult.”
She hit the nail on the head.
Since Aria ascended and I became the Regent, the sword we wielded had triggered considerable changes in the Imperial Palace.
Many nobles who opposed the emperor had met their end, and the policy-making process was streamlined.
While Aria could immediately draft and execute policies if she wished, it also meant there was no brake to stop them if it went wrong.
Of course, I hadn’t thought about how to brake later, as I consider this an innovation.
As long as the country runs smoothly by the time I reach the ending, that’s all I care about.
“Because of the new talents and breaking through blockages, work has improved, but… it feels like there are more rats in the palace now.”
“That’s right.”
An accurate diagnosis.
It was good that capable talents were entering the palace, but whether they all looked up to Aria deep down was unknown.
In the past, loyal subjects who could give their all to the royal family were more valuable, even if their abilities were slightly lacking.
However, since we had disposed of corrupt and inept officials, we were in a situation where we couldn’t afford to be picky, leading to a selection of somewhat under-educated talents.
This, in turn, increased the chances of hostile spies infiltrating.
It was clear that there were quite a few spies or collaborators from Asylum crawling into the palace.
This was a risk factor both Aria and I were willing to bear.
“Now that spies are rampant in the palace, I intend to provide the most trustworthy armed group to you, Your Majesty. I’m not saying the Imperial Guard isn’t trustworthy. I know well how strict their selection process is. However, it’s a fact that the likelihood of spies infiltrating is higher when compared to the Holy Knights, which are directly under my command.”
“So you mean that in the event of a crisis, I should throw aside the guards and hide behind the skirts of the subhuman knight commander, huh?”
“In the event of a crisis, I recommend receiving protection from both the guards and the knight order, but prioritizing the latter.”
“Hmm….”
Did that sink in?
I was uncertain and subtly glanced at Aria’s expression.
After what seemed like deep contemplation, Aria turned to me.
“Do you know what people have been saying lately?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“They claim I’ve fallen for you and am voluntarily becoming a puppet.”
“…….”
There were indeed grounds for such impressions.
To an outsider, it might seem like Aria was solely listening to me, promoting Roman, and taking nobles’ heads.
The reality was that after several discussions with her inner circle, she determined that such decisions had merit, but there was no way the outside world could know that.
“If you recruit your private knight order into the palace this time, wouldn’t I look like a puppet sticking my neck under your blade?”
“I can’t deny that. But for Your Majesty’s safety, I believe this is the best course of action.”
“Then I shall walk a somewhat dangerous path. I’m afraid my knights will not trail behind me in protection.”
“…….”
I had been prepared for it, but it stung a bit.
What if Aria suddenly got attacked? That anxiety kept creeping in, but I managed to shake it off.
Aria had already made her decision.
Worrying about risks here would only make me shiver in fear with no actionable solutions.
“It may seem ridiculous to have a private knight order protecting me, but… I think they’d be quite suitable for defending the palace.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Increase the numbers. With the trustworthy knights you boast of. It would be best to include at least 40 in the palace defense structure. In exchange, I will also enlist an equal number from the guards for my close protection.”
“That’s wise.”
I slightly bowed my head in gratitude.
Having the Holy Knights in the palace already accomplished my objective.
Since the Holy Knights take commands directly from me, in emergencies, their authority would be on par with that of the Imperial Guard.
This meant we could combat any crisis that might arise within the palace.
It felt incredibly reassuring to have trustworthy folks in the palace.
In times like these, I painfully realize how important a solid foundation is.
Ultimately, no matter how capable an individual may be, they face limits without support.
“Your Majesty, have you been informed about the Teleportation Technique?”
“Yes. I have. I heard those socialists used some bizarre spells from the Papal Palace.”
Aria’s expression hardened.
This was among the most horrifyingly serious issues we’d dealt with so far.
“I pondered extensively on how to roast that old fart from the Papal Palace alive. Not an easy task, I assure you. If it were up to me, I’d send an army at once to wipe them out—”
“Your Majesty….”
I found myself scanning the surroundings.
I hope no one is recording this.
“This matter cannot be made public; it must pass quietly. I’ll have to wait for the current Pope to retire and intervene in the next papal election.”
“…….”
Is that what you call patience?
Seems more like a solution that would bring the Papal Palace to its knees.
I decided not to pry into how she intended to intervene in the elections.
I’d likely not understand even if she explained it, and it’s a field Aria knows best.
I gave her a nod and turned to find Pelaine.
“Knight Commander. We need to reinforce our numbers. Though this goes against the original plan…”
“Yes. Please tell me. I’ll do my utmost to accommodate your requests.”
I conveyed the changes and directives to Pelaine.
Pelaine was sharp, so I expected her to quickly gather 40 to be deployed in defense of the palace.
“By the way, Schlus.”
“What is it?”
“About that….”
Pelaine hesitated to speak up.
Seems like the ears are the problem.
I immediately erected the Recognition Interference Barrier around us.
Unlike before, no one could question me now even if I set up a barrier in the palace.
“About what you said earlier in the carriage. You mentioned having two fiancées… is that true?”
“Why? Do you think I’m joking? It’s the truth.”
Pelaine let out a light sigh.
I must have made my comment too lightly, causing her to be confused about whether it was a jest or serious.
Considering Pelaine’s heavy mouth, I figured it was fine to reveal it since she’d likely keep it to herself.
Since she would be responsible for my protection in case of emergencies, it’s better for her to have ample information about me.
“Can you tell me the family names of each?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Ah… just to block any complicated issues that might arise if those families also have ties to the Holy Knights.”
“Really?”
Didn’t I own nearly 95% of that already?
Could any complex problem arise from it?
But since Pelaine said it, I decided it was better to be cautious and think that problems may arise in places I don’t know.
“One is the Flechette. The other is a woman from the kingdom.”
“A woman from the kingdom…!”
“External disclosure is prohibited. Get it?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good.”
I successfully concluded the information exchange.
I left the somewhat bewildered Pelaine behind as I exited the palace.
She’d surely be shocked.
To think I’d sit in a position of power in the empire and aim to marry a woman from an enemy nation.
By the time that gets out, Aria would probably want to behead me, but by then I’d have already seen the ending, so I wouldn’t care.
‘By the way, what’s this Ability Enhancement Rights?’
That Ability Enhancement Rights I got as a quest reward last time.
Intuitively, it seemed like it was a right to enhance one of my abilities.
I figured I’d need to examine it more closely to determine how and in what way to enhance it.
I climbed into the carriage and isolated myself to bring up the ability display.
[Ability Enhancement Rights]
[Enhances one of your abilities among those you possess. The effects after enhancement are as follows.]
[Ability: Translation]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: You will understand unfamiliar languages and be able to utilize them freely.]
->
[Grade: Hero]
[Description: You can understand all forms of language.]
It took a while to realize what had changed in ‘Translation.’
Prior to enhancement, ‘Translation’ limited me to hearing magical sound waves within the acoustic range.
But with the latter upgrade, it also applied to visual text.
Not only that, but ‘all forms of language’ includes codes.
Even without any cipher keys, if I intercepted an enemy’s code, I could decipher it all.
‘Let’s pass on that for now.’
Sure, it would be convenient, but I was unsure of its usefulness.
The empire already intercepts thousands of coded messages presumed to be passed between spies from the kingdom and Asylum every day.
Unless I could share this ability with all the counterintelligence agents to decode it, there was no way I could read those one by one while chasing down the enemy.
[Ability: Memory of True Self]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: Certain actions may trigger a low chance of reviving the Memory of True Self.]
->
[Grade: Legendary]
[Description: You can revive Memory of True Self without limitations.]
“Hmm. Really useless.”
I had already seen all the memories of Schlus in that cave.
While using ‘Memory of True Self’ would allow for complete sensory linkage and a 4D experience, it felt more beneficial to enhance ‘Translation’ instead.
[Ability: Query]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Description: You can retrieve brief information about a target.]
->
[Grade: Miracle]
[Description: You can retrieve detailed information and stats about a target.]
The description was ambiguous yet intuitive.
Upgrading from brief information to detailed information…
Moreover, being able to glance at stats would help evaluate odds in confrontations.
This was quite a nice option.
I decided to take a look at the last ability, ‘Selection and Concentration,’ before making a final decision.
[Ability: Selection and Concentration]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Description: Once a day, you can instantaneously amplify a specific stat for a short period. It can be cut off and reused. Duration: 5 seconds. Amplification: 99.]
->
[Grade: Miracle]
[Description: Once a day, you can instantaneously amplify a specific stat for a short duration. It can be cut off and reused. Duration: 5 seconds. Amplification: 299.]
‘What the heck is this?’
I couldn’t help but gasp when I saw it.
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