The Imperial Hunt and the Mysterious Dagger

“Wait a minute! If you dare to throw it like a ring toss, do you believe I’ll beat you to death?”

“Go ahead, let everyone in the audience witness your domestic violence!”

‘Ugh, isn’t someone who says something like that a masochist?’

‘Meow meow meow meow meow!’

‘Woof woof woof woof woof!’

It felt something like that, an endless back-and-forth bickering.

Sharabelle, unable to bear watching, pressed a hand to her forehead. “Um, now for a musical interlude—where are the musicians?”

The laurel wreath was, in the end, placed upon my head.

“It doesn’t seem to do much, even after putting it on, does it?”

Luo Bing’ai’er quickly explained to me, “It signifies that you two have exchanged vows of love!”

“Vows of love? Him—?”

“Vows of love? Her—?”

We both cast a resentful glance at each other, speaking in unison, then simultaneously turned our faces away. “Hmph!” “Hmph!”

Luo Bing’ai’er looked utterly mortified. “Can’t you two at least pretend to be affectionate? Everyone is watching…”

“Could you please tell the musicians to stop playing the ‘Wedding March’ first!”

“Stop playing, stop playing!” Sharabelle called out, and the musicians instantly fell silent, obeying her more readily than a conductor.

“Now, an imperial decree will be temporarily announced.” She cleared her throat and declared: “The Emperor is exceedingly pleased today. After the competition concludes, none shall depart. All shall accompany Us to the Western Suburbs for a hunt. By Imperial Edict.”

I looked at Luo Bing’ai’er, utterly bewildered. “…Can’t my dad just speak normally?”

Luo Bing’ai’er looked embarrassed. “Uh… well… perhaps the original words weren’t quite like that! Sharabelle probably embellished them!”

“Alright, alright, stop trying to cover for my Imperial Father.”

“After all, it’s an imperial decree; the format is naturally different.”

Sharabelle, after setting down the decree, added, “All Imperial Princes must participate.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Haha, my apologies, I’m an Imperial Princess <— a boy.’

Alas, my moment of triumph lasted less than three seconds. Sharabelle specifically emphasized, “Your Royal Highness Princess, you must also participate.”

“????”

I couldn’t shoot arrows, nor could I ride a horse. In short, I possessed none of the skills a boy should master. What was I supposed to do there?

“The one who hunts the most prey will receive a reward from His Majesty the Emperor!”

‘I’m not interested in any rewards! Let me go! All I want now is to lie on my soft princess bed, hugging my pillow and rolling around endlessly…’

“His Majesty the Emperor has also specifically ordered a unicorn to be released into the Black Forest in the Western Suburbs! The one who captures the unicorn will win directly!”

“A unicorn…? Why a unicorn?” I was utterly perplexed.

“The prize for winning is this—”

Sharabelle, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, produced a peculiar short sword.

“…!?”

Even after losing my memory, I hadn’t felt any sense of déjà vu upon seeing my elder brothers. Yet, this short sword evoked such a feeling.

Meanwhile, the people around me began to murmur. “It’s just a short sword; it doesn’t look like anything special.”

“Shh, don’t speak carelessly. How could His Majesty the Emperor bestow something meaningless? I say, it’s actually a military tally in the shape of a short sword!”

“What military tally? Sir, have you gone mad thinking about military tallies? Are you plotting rebellion?”

“You—” The other person was too enraged to speak.

“In my opinion, it’s clearly an Iron Certificate of Exemption! It can grant you immunity from death!”

“Are you blind? That’s clearly an Imperial Sword of Justice! It can punish corrupt rulers above and execute treacherous officials below! Though it’s a bit miniature…”

“Right, right! It’s the Imperial Sword of Justice! You’re all overthinking it.” The crowd echoed, their hands rubbing together in anticipation of this miniature “Imperial Sword of Justice.”

‘It feels like the small animals in the forest are about to suffer.’