Chapter 55: The Emperor’s Promise

“We’ve arrived.”

Kaiden, who had been organizing the documents in front of him, spoke.

As he said, we waited for a moment, and soon a servant opened the carriage door to announce our arrival.

Indeed, as expected from the imperial palace where the Emperor resides, the grandeur and splendor of the building overwhelmed my sense of aesthetics, surpassing any architecture I had seen before.

“I’ll inform His Majesty of your arrival. Please go to your rooms and rest. I doubt you’ll be called today. At the earliest, it will be tomorrow.”

Kaiden gestured to one of the maids standing nearby.

“Please guide these two young ladies to their rooms. As for the room… to avoid unnecessary attention, it should be one on the east side.”

The maid, who had received Kaiden’s near-command, approached us and took her position.

Kaiden looked back at us and spoke once more.

“Then, I’ll take my leave. Please rest well. If you wish, you can even take a tour of the capital. As the capital, there are plenty of sights, food, and entertainment, so it should make for an enjoyable time. Goodbye for now.”

Kaiden, showing an exaggerated form of respect toward Celian and me, left the room.

We were then guided to our rooms by the maid, who had received Kaiden’s instructions.

“We’ll guide you to your rooms.”

We followed the maid, who spoke in a soft voice and moved with graceful steps, leading us through the halls.

The room we were shown to was larger and more magnificent than any room I had stayed in before. Every single piece of furniture looked expensive and exquisite.

While we unpacked in our separate rooms, my thoughts once again turned to the concerns I had been grappling with during the journey.

Would the Emperor not investigate the status of those who come to meet him?

Perhaps the royal family has already completed their investigation into my identity.

The identity of Elysia Frentz that has been fabricated for me is nothing more than a fake identity created by a third-rate assassin guild, who handed me a few coins.

It’s a poor and hastily constructed identity, created only to avoid being detected while carrying out an assassination.

My flimsy, fake identity would likely be exposed with ease by the imperial family’s intelligence network.

If it were revealed that I was once an assassin or had been impersonating a noble, I would be immediately imprisoned, awaiting execution or whatever other fate awaited me.

So, I must cling to the hope that I have not been discovered yet.

However, when facing the Emperor, I must be extra cautious to avoid arousing any suspicion.

Because of this, I kept mentally reviewing the details of the identity of Elysia Frentz that I had memorized over and over again.

***

“I will guide you.”

The maid who had guided us to our room the day before returned the next day, after the first day had passed in a blur, and led us to the Emperor’s audience room.

I quickly changed into the most formal attire I had brought, which Yuri had given me, and followed the maid.

I had already handed over my weapons to the royal guard.

We arrived at the audience room.

I didn’t stop by Celian’s room, nor did I see her around, which made me think that the Emperor intended to meet with Celian and me separately.

Perhaps the arrangements had already been made, as the maid lightly knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response.

As expected, the Emperor’s audience room was filled with extravagance.

And the most striking feature of all was the woman sitting in the center of the room.

Whether it was because I knew she was the Emperor, or whether the Emperor herself radiated such brilliance, she consumed all the surrounding grandeur simply by sitting in her seat.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

I knelt on one knee and showed my respects to the Emperor, the greatest ruler on the continent.

However, the words that came from the Emperor’s lips were completely unexpected.

“Stop with the unnecessary formalities and come closer.”

“Your Majesty…”

Her tone was somewhat unrefined for someone of her status. Yet, her presence, her voice, made even her informal speech seem noble.

The middle-aged woman standing next to the Emperor tried to admonish her for such a tone, but the Emperor appeared completely uninterested.

“Ah!”

I accidentally let out a startled exclamation as I lifted my head slightly to look around.

Fearing that I might be punished for startling the Emperor with my shout, I quickly pressed both hands to my mouth, but it was already too late.

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

Fortunately, the Emperor didn’t seem angry at all.

“The thing is, the person next to you is someone I met before…”

The middle-aged woman standing next to the Emperor was the mother of the child who had gone missing in Pelches town, whom I had encountered before with Celian.

“Ah… heh heh.”

The Emperor turned to the middle-aged woman and spoke.

“Aisis. The person who found your daughter is right here.”

Unlike the Emperor, who kept laughing for some reason, the woman named Aisis didn’t seem pleased at all.

“…It’s been a while. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, yes. Hello. I didn’t expect someone from the imperial family to be here. Is your daughter doing well?”

“Ha ha ha!”

Now, the Emperor laughed out loud, and Isis glared at her as she spoke.

“…Very. Well. And that’s the problem.”

I could hear the sound of teeth grinding from here… but… did I hear that wrong?

“Heh heh… well, let’s stop the jokes here. The reason I called you both is not for anything special.”

I didn’t quite understand what the joke was, but the Emperor soon got to the point.

“I just wanted to see your faces.”

“Excuse me?”

I accidentally asked again, only realizing my mistake and quickly closing my mouth. But the Emperor didn’t seem to mind at all.

“I wanted to see the heroes and their companions.”

“…I’m still under the impression that Celian isn’t an official hero yet.”

Technically, Celian was still a ‘hero candidate,’ not an official hero. Becoming a true hero would only happen when the Holy Sword chose her.

Of course, since there were no other hero candidates besides her, it made sense for the Emperor to say it like that.

“And I’m also doubtful if I have the skill to be a companion of a future hero like Celian.”

“Hmm. With your results, I wouldn’t say you lack the skill. And I can assure you, you will join Celian and go to defeat the Demon King.”

The Emperor spoke with such certainty. I wondered if the Emperor knew that one of my worries was having to follow Celian to defeat the Demon King.

I still wasn’t sure whether I would be able to accept Celian’s offer to become her companion when the time came.

For my own safety, it would clearly be best to not follow along, but when I think of Celian’s face, I’m sure I won’t be able to reject her proposal and will accept it.

I wonder if the Emperor has considered all these things when speaking with such certainty.

“By the way… Elysia Frentz?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

When my name was called, I lowered my head and offered my respect once more.

“The last surviving member of the Frentz family… Well, I offer my deepest condolences for your family’s loss.”

I swallowed nervously without realizing it.

The concern I’d had since being summoned to the Imperial Palace was now right before me.

Now, all I can do is pray that the Emperor hasn’t noticed my false identity. Hopefully, the Imperial Intelligence Service hasn’t been thorough.

“Don’t worry too much. Your identity is more solid than you think.”

For some reason, it felt like the Emperor had read my mind, and I flinched, but I didn’t let it show on the outside.

“Besides, there’s no need for that. It’s been touched upon very thoroughly by someone who thinks highly of you.”

What does he mean by that? From what I can tell, the Emperor seems to know something about my false identity, but I’m not entirely sure.

He’s definitely saying something, but I, the person involved, can’t quite understand.

The one good thing, at least, is that the Emperor doesn’t seem to be making an issue of it.

“So, Elysia Frentz?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What is your goal? Your safety? Or perhaps wealth to live a life of luxury? Or maybe honor, to be revered by others?”

The first thing that came to my mind from the Emperor’s words was, of course, the safety she had first mentioned.

But immediately after that, a thought started to stir in my mind.

‘Elysia Frentz.’

The debt I owe her.

A debt that no one knows about, and one that I technically don’t need to repay. Why does it continue to haunt me?

It feels like some kind of curse, an unspoken vow or promise.

In the end, whether it was my will or not, the words left my lips.

“It’s the restoration of the Frentz family.”

After saying that, I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but I could feel a sense of relief deep inside.

“Hmm, this is unexpected. I didn’t think you would bring it up first. You truly are interesting.”

I’m curious about what he expected and what he finds amusing, but naturally, I remain silent.

The Emperor stood up from his chair and began walking toward me.

Not daring to stand at the same level as the Emperor, I knelt on one knee to show my respect.

“Your Majesty.”

The middle-aged woman beside the Emperor tried to stop his steps, but he merely stretched out his hand to halt her and continued walking.

“Elysia Frentz, I promise you this: You will one day go to slay the Demon King. This is not a guess, an order, or a prophecy; it is the only truth. If you succeed in slaying the Demon King, not only will the Frentz family be restored, but you will also be appointed as a Marquis.”

The Emperor extended his hand and placed it on my head, which was still bowed.

“Normally, there would be a ceremony, procedures, and such, but what’s the use of that? In the end, my word and will are the ceremony and procedure.”

The Emperor’s voice, which had previously carried some playfulness, shifted into a solemn tone more serious than anything I had ever heard.

“Surviving heir of the Frentz family, at this very moment, I grant you the title of Count. However, remember that this title is only a name. The full restoration of the Frentz family, and the title of Marquis, will come after the Demon King’s defeat.”

At the Emperor’s unexpected words, I almost lifted my head in shock, but since his hand was still on my head, I managed to hold back.

“Well, the only thing I can grant you now is this hollow name, one that will keep you from being looked down upon. Once the Demon King is defeated, I will provide all the support needed to rebuild your family. Of course, by then, all power and wealth will be directed towards you, and you may no longer need such assistance.”

Returning to his lighter tone, the Emperor removed his hand from my head and sat back down in his chair.

“The Emperor’s kindness is overwhelming.”

I bowed deeply, lifting my head to look at him, but she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and issued a dismissal spell.

It was such an unexpected turn of events that, even after returning to my room from the audience hall, I couldn’t fully comprehend what had just happened for a long time.