Chapter 358: Family Visit (1)
bDSZ3N“…Hey, Ryozo. As I understand it, you can’t have an audience with the emperor unless the Imperial Household approves it first, right? Even if it’s Victoria, she can’t just…”b4kH7
Mbs9JCR“Guess what? The Imperial Household accepted gladly.”qpZn
KkmdfplI was surprised. Because the Imperial Household Office was known for not easily granting audiences with the emperor.Kw11d
ZvauD9‘The Office, which goes to great lengths to maintain the mystique of the current emperor, accepted the princess’s request immediately?’f4FI8
tKSiMWithin the imperial family, the princess’s authority was less than one might imagine. As I had explained before, all power was centralized in the emperor.Vyjx0
IvpNSpuThe Imperial Household Office was the eyes and ears of the emperor. Even members of the royal family communicated with him through that office.XugtL3
Cui70I briefly thought about the true sovereign of the western world. And unintentionally, I sighed.9C2T
m8CUjZo“This is very suspicious.”JyaVQ
1ZUChuMore than that, I didn’t understand why Victoria had made that request to Ryozo. Between her and me, there still isn’t a bond close enough for a “family visit,” is there?IL7
G7B2“How could common folks like us understand the thoughts of the emperor?”XxLU
HkWd“Ryozo, you are not common folks.”pAqqObT
O6ZKRp0“That’s what I’m saying. But, well, before the emperor we’re all the same. Not to belittle the Nibelung, but their influence is limited to the nobility. The emperor is…”Qm4Jnd
dx7k1A figure who truly deserves the title of sovereign of the western world. It sounds exaggerated and ridiculous at the same time.tC4ZG
2OkgThere exists an absolute power called the God of the Sword. In that context, someone proclaiming himself “lord of the western world” is simply absurd. If it weren’t for me, Geom-Ma, that guy would have already been crushed by divine punishment for his arrogance.RD83hgT
5A6ibgpBut even so…3IqmYi
wjmnTTNot everything in this world can be resolved with violence. Human society is like a heart full of intertwined blood vessels—if you cut off the branches thinking they’re insignificant, everything stops in the end.xQRo
o1iGx6Unfortunately, the Victoria imperial family is like an artery situated very close to the heart of humanity.LTOMpsb
A8CYIn the imperial family, tradition exists. A powerful lineage that has safeguarded ancient glory.Y7e
HbmEven if the Corps Commanders disappear. Even if the demons lose their purpose. Even if the world praises me, Geom-Ma. It’s unthinkable that the authority of the imperial family would collapse entirely.cNp
7Btzm“With the name of Joaquin Academy, we can reject the imperial decree.”GdCX
wysGa7TRyozo didn’t mention the part where the academy would have to accept certain losses. I thanked her inwardly for the consideration, though outwardly I just shook my head.Cn9
N6tt“It’s fine. If Victoria asked, I have to go.”Vvhtsz
aOXE“…Geom-Ma, if that’s your decision.”rbZ
rNgsIe“After all, sooner or later I had to speak with the emperor. I was waiting for the right moment, and this is a good opportunity.”7GnCI7a
O7g“Now that you mention it, you’ve never seen the emperor, right?”DB1MQP
4Vm“It’s kind of ambiguous. I think I saw him once…”teNy
BShFT3Ryozo furrowed her brow while holding her pen.TRO
h9F2“What do you mean you think you saw him?”3Gx9Ut
MMLZ“Hmm…”Ob5
5wikHard to explain. I couldn’t say I had seen him in my gamer days.qng
eEORpAnd on top of that, I didn’t even see him clearly, just as a black silhouette.NqiSmTT
eL1bM‘Like those censored criminals in detective anime—but even then, he had an imposing presence.’ByUdPX
eeuBIn Miracle Blessing M, the emperor is the greatest obstacle the protagonist Leon faces in the human world.FNXr
MbHB3He’s basically a mid-game boss, but I never got to fight him.GM2
7zOUGw‘Because I quit the game before that.’BTuzFsD
KOA9oAJIt’s time to visit the most powerful man in humanity.hz0D
z6rQv7“How luxurious will his home be?”zX0Dd
Iq8ZaYou could say it’s a “family visit.”xWfGZXk
XBQ70VyOnly with sashimi on the side.75yE
2SNOIn***hDa
Aa9tWithout further delay, we departed for England the next day.LGK
2GE3Instead of transporting via subspace, this time we used the air route.Of0ZUcA
68z9qPFor national-level events, this was the preferred method.jVXd
t48pdAlthough subspace significantly shortens travel time, it can be perceived as disrespectful by the host country.kFqYJ4T
6n5TrWBecause it gives the impression that it’s not even worth spending time on the journey.WH6jDG
mbyX51‘Joaquin Academy was only able to use subspace during the exchange because it held the dominant position.’mbqCX
vdrm203But accepting an invitation from the Victoria imperial family and arriving via quick warp would be like smearing mud on Joaquin’s face.FLT
ZBclv2Either way, I gladly accepted the day-and-a-half journey.oHLtpKC
SxFfEG“…”qh1
7makipa“…”Dxpog
2EqrPVictoria and I didn’t talk much during the trip.WBCNlJ
AUrv‘It’s just… uncomfortable.’wjdHjjT
Qsc7MvI only moved my eyes. Victoria, with her chin resting on her hand, didn’t take her eyes off the window.gX7q
3CpSOutside there was nothing but floating gray clouds, yet she kept staring at the landscape without pause.EWhpFF
uUR1xR‘Seems like she has a lot on her mind.’PFcGn7
1cjNdwYAfter all, it was quite a bold request as legitimate compensation following the exchange event.6MtbcY1
i2DMA request that, to some, might even seem rude.nWGRTqs
llLgc‘Because it was rather overbearing.’P03
iuCdiiBAlthough personally, I hold no grudge against her.4V1
pkIy18But I also had no intention of starting a conversation.nlQ
8nC7980If I said something awkward, Victoria would probably shut down even more.7b4VM
VdWThe atmosphere was dead, like a mouse had passed through.DNF2sVQ
cMOdkesAnd after fourteen long hours, we finally arrived in England.GIuA
xUF511FClank, clank.g1C8
gPmT1OM“Please step out, Your Highness.”UMcc5qP
EQJ“Yes.”PaSX
IxjfThe wheels hit a couple of bumps.emMCx7
rQqThe vehicle seemed to glide over the runway, and soon the door opened smoothly.jtGDeny
qc6JaOAs soon as Victoria and I stepped out, a group of guards in ceremonial uniforms greeted us.loYNk
d9PTE“We welcome you, Heavenly Sword.”xUy
kfhHmm. We’re greeted with a rather impersonal banner.AxNzSSk
WuCEven so… this is more subdued than I expected.Jw9dkD
LZ7rfOCould it be I had imagined something more luxurious because of Parsy Academy? It almost feels like they’re frugal.M6vF
CvktBut actually, I liked that. This kind of welcome—modest and polished—was more satisfying to me than a flashy display.3Qh
fvHlvKP“It’s a pleasure to welcome you, Heavenly Sword. And you as well, Your Highness.”o8hA
DJcrDE“It’s been a while.”hOQqBc
J3K1HVictoria brushed past the typically British-looking chamberlain and entered the limousine.IQm
SI0MI followed her, glancing at the official’s face. He had no expression whatsoever, an absolutely ordinary middle-aged man.dmfpMM
akug‘Although, the fact that he has no expression might not be so ordinary…’dUjw
yAeAs soon as we got in, the guards on either side of the limousine saluted with a military bow.BoujQS
MpMmRA bug landed on one of their noses, and even then, he didn’t move an inch.jxbiRw
zedm‘They don’t seem to be heroes or anything, but…’PwV
C0LcmX8That detail spoke to the weight of the imperial etiquette manual.xbF
JsDQDespite being a simple and inexpensive ceremony, it felt more solemn than that of Parsy Academy.Gf1y
bd6It“What is His Highness’s father like?”Tqq7RkN
gUvIt was time to ask, so I spoke. The gaze that had been fixed on the sun shifted.E3V1H
5BxkhhMThe reddish pupils characteristic of the imperial family reflected calm.bcDqE
wwghMXW‘…Why this feeling of déjà vu?’8hbJlp
42KAt that moment, Victoria asked me shyly.N3b
c629w“Do you know His Majesty’s other titles?”DJKWgz
00W“They say he’s called the Mechanical Emperor. Is that true?”hl4Fz0
15tC“There’s no other title that describes him better, so yes.”IMLA
26KuKL“Could you tell me why he’s called that? I’m quite ignorant on these matters, and I fear I might do something disrespectful in front of the emperor.”LSq
pc1hJz“First of all, you should add His Majesty when speaking about him…”aVs5yE
G1hJle“I won’t do that.”mk2EztK
MPpEECdFor someone who has tried to hinder me, that honorific title feels excessive.U6mLE
3cF8pxT“…”kgRw
h5yNHu1“Is there nothing else?”NGC3flx
e0JCZQ“…No, nothing in particular.”R1xBJjw
AY9kMj“Then please, tell me the basics about the emperor.”qRVGe8
1fM“All right.”07lXqb
H7BiI didn’t ask why Victoria had brought me to England.ODaw
eJWLaxJust one look at the chamberlain’s face was enough to understand it.qMqrAE
H1z6qVictoria wanted to use my voice to convey something to her father. After all, I had been her instructor during the exchange.wv9r
KJejQWords from a third party always carry more weight than one’s own.VPQBVy
oxe7eLAnd if that third party is a head instructor, all the more so.6TR9
3m74XGCome to think of it, it really did feel like a family visit. I was a bit nervous. A homeless orphan, on a family visit.jO3
IUGM1While I tried to swallow the dry saliva in my throat, Victoria began to explain:qQPnv6
QAspf“His Majesty is called the Mechanical Emperor because of his vast knowledge. The hereditary blessing of the imperial family is the Blessing of the Owl. In simple terms, absolute memory.”VDL84F
oyCQ3W“That I had heard officially.”W5Pv4qw
Aom“But people tend to misunderstand something.”QzgqyiL
bTXtU“What is it?”5TIesM
pHMm“They believe the imperial family possesses extraordinary combat power.”pTnJw
wrXT“But they’re clearly above average.”dt8gFV
efuooI trained Victoria myself. She’s a prodigy student, with an impressive learning ability—like a highly efficient sponge.W8VfJQ
88OCT“Compared to families like the Nibelung, we are below. Because our family’s blessing is not based on physical power, but on memory. I was able to absorb your teachings faster thanks to that absolute memory, not because my physical abilities are superior.”ENW2
CVIHer self-assessment was so clear it left me speechless.jan
p62Then, Victoria asked me a sudden question.Z9MQ
bgA“The tradition of the Victoria imperial family goes back several centuries before the founding of Joaquin Academy. Even before the founding hero made his name famous, the imperial family’s authority was already firmly established.”x7E3p
75O“I’ve heard that.”bRKdz1
pVfg0q1“And the pride of the family is not just that spoken history. But the immense records that support it. That is the true essence of the imperial family.”3xdxI
8k22kMD“You mean the exclusive library known as the Infinite Library.”3hqQNVt
w4dkaaVictoria murmured with a blank expression.SxGU6k
cxBN“The Infinite Library was the pride of the Victoria family…”h4mtmdw
uBT7“Sorry to interrupt, but… you’ve been talking about it in the past tense for a while now. Don’t tell me…”E6O
n3PVgZk“…It was completely destroyed ten years ago.”lRYq
lhMM“All of it?”fN1B6a
MK0GHh“This is a secret of the empire, but… I’ll tell you, because you are the Heavenly Sword.”6Ci
2pkz8TtVictoria lowered her gaze and only moved her lips.pyCTLh
fIjzkUI“The one who burned the greatest pride of the imperial family… was my own father, His Majesty the emperor.”qys3
nfnYDamn it. What the hell is she saying?WEq
XJJfLSB“You’re saying the current head of the family destroyed the legacy of his own lineage?”qXRAU
HSBLoCn“There’s no proof, but according to my deductions, the only possible suspect… is His Majesty.”aVdkw
dPv8C“And what do you think his motive was?”nwQHah
RXfVictoria inhaled deeply before answering. Perhaps uneasy, she opened the window slightly.Hr8
o9YQAI“Monopoly.”i6Rdad
1kgGLMgShe breathed in the cold air, closed her eyes, and spoke in a barely audible voice.vxG5Sw
meLdW“The day the Heavenly Sword became the hero of humanity, my father saw you as a future enemy who might threaten his power. That’s why, to monopolize information, he burned the family’s legacy. So only he could remember over a thousand years of heroic history.”yA9f
bG7WcYS“You’re saying he sacrificed the historical value of the imperial family just to protect himself…?”QtP6Ba
uwQWuIt didn’t make sense. Greed? That was, ironically, the least fitting emotion for a Mechanical Emperor.fuUL
d67X“His Majesty has a mechanical mind.”pOrjWZ
AKu5p“In what sense do you mean that?”x6g
G8r“In the sense that he’s capable of cutting away anything for the sake of power. Everything. Even you.”uxM8Ir3
odpQGuOScreech.MN4BA
SEhZSDue to a sudden brake, the limousine jolted slightly and Victoria’s torso leaned forward. I held her abdomen with my arm.zIzYJ
zgEF7qGood thing we were far from the driver’s seat. If not, she would’ve hit the front and been thrown forward.ewf7YLJ
DfMLBir“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”BSt
bCPEI let out a fierce reprimand. Victoria’s reddish hair fell forward.6GogIS
0C5BBut… her lower lip trembled.Ta1c
QPuLySHer fist, gently resting on her thigh, was clenched so tightly it had turned white.SZC5O
T1iDkSwish.3pK9d
nhLnEO3The driver turned his torso toward us. It was the same chamberlain as before, now looking at us at an angle.tDk4
Phr“…Heavenly Sword.”d9QWZF
S7OBt0He slightly raised the brim of his hat with his thumb as he spoke. Under the shadow it cast, his reddish pupils shone intensely.730xE
Y2E“I apologize on behalf of my daughter for her disrespect.”ppR
6AjNSK7On his cheek, the wrinkles barely formed a faint dimple.VMgi
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