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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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I spoke with the Empress for a while.
…Or rather, she spoke, and I listened.
She’d wanted to meet me, to see what I looked like. She was grateful for sparing the Knights.
She wanted to put the past behind us. She understood that some people wouldn’t be happy with her decision.
She was surprisingly talkative. She seemed more like a sociable noble than a stern ruler.
I made a judgment.
‘…A sly fox.’
Han-byeol had told me about the Empress on the way to the palace.
Apparently, the Empress was known for being curt and irritable, due to her heavy workload.
The opposite of what I was seeing.
If the rumors were true, the Empress was putting on an act, feigning friendliness.
Intentionally showing favoritism towards me, a Carrier.
Why?
I didn’t understand politics.
But one thing was clear. She supported me, despite the opposition from her advisors.
“Well, I have work to do. And I believe some people are eager to meet you. I’ll have someone escort you to the dining hall.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A servant led us out of the audience chamber.
Han-byeol, who’d been standing silently beside me, sighed in relief.
“Finally… I can breathe.”
She’d been uncomfortable, unable to speak.
And I’d been uncomfortable too, not because of the Empress, but because of the Knight standing behind her.
Silver hair, an impassive expression. She seemed unassuming, but I sensed a powerful aura.
The mana radiating from her was intense.
Han-byeol whispered.
“That Knight… I think she’s the First Knight Commander.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen her in person, but that’s what I’ve heard.”
Eve Makalead, the First Knight Commander. She was always by the Empress’s side, rarely seen in battle.
I’d met another Knight Commander. Thankfully, we hadn’t fought.
I hoped I wouldn’t encounter any of the others.
“This way.”
The servant led us into a dining hall.
The doors opened, revealing a circular table, some food, and two other guests.
“Gasp.”
Han-byeol whispered urgently.
“That’s Vivian, the Third Knight Commander, and Serena, the Fifth.”
‘What the hell?’
I cursed inwardly.
Was this a trap?
The Empress’s friendliness a facade, lulling me into a false sense of security?
The Knight Commanders spoke.
“Wow… he’s handsome…”
“Seriously? He’s the one who defeated Reilly?”
Vivian and Serena.
I entered the room, my guard up, ready for a fight. The atmosphere turned tense.
They looked surprised by my sudden shift in demeanor, but they didn’t draw their weapons.
“…Sit down. We’re not here to fight. We’re just… curious about the man who humiliated the Knights.”
“Y-yeah… we don’t want a fight in the palace…”
“…”
I sat down. They didn’t seem hostile.
I studied them. I’d heard about them from Han-byeol.
Vivian Moonglow, the Third Knight Commander, with her navy blue hair and hesitant expression.
Serena Bright, the Fifth Knight Commander, with her brown hair and sharp gaze.
I didn’t know much about them. Only that Serena had defeated Andromalius. Information about the Knight Commanders was scarce.
But I could learn more by observing them.
“Where’s Reilly?”
“Hmph, someone put him in the infirmary. He’s busy writing reports and recovering.”
Serena clearly didn’t like me. I’d injured her comrade, and I was a Carrier.
It wasn’t surprising.
Vivian…
“…”
I couldn’t read her. She glanced at me occasionally, but she mostly kept her head down. Her ears were red.
Was she… shy?
‘No way.’
I dismissed the thought. She was a Knight Commander, one of the five strongest Knights in the Empire. She wouldn’t be shy.
The Empire wasn’t that incompetent.
“Seriously, where is she?”
Serena grumbled, breaking the awkward silence.
I soon found out who she was waiting for.
“Sorry, sorry. I had a bit too much to drink last night.”
The doors opened, and another woman entered.
Red hair, slightly disheveled, casual clothes. A deep V-neck revealed ample cleavage.
A beautiful woman, even by Empire standards.
But I wasn’t attracted to her.
I knew who she was.
The most infamous Knight Commander, after Reilly.
Odelia Fafnir, the Second Knight Commander. A Casanova who’d even made Amdusias blush.
Rumor had it she slept with three men a day.
“So, this is him? The one who defeated our Reilly? He’s even more handsome than I’d heard.”
“Stop calling him ‘our Reilly’!”
“S-she’ll kill you if she hears you…”
She ignored their protests and approached me, her eyes filled with… interest.
“Hmm, I haven’t slept with a Carrier before…”
I remembered a YouTube video about a scientific experiment.
Could you cook meat by punching it?
Apparently, the impact generated heat.
It seemed absurd, but the experiment had been a success. After several hundred thousand punches, the meat was cooked.
Why did Odelia remind me of that video?
“How about we… play tonight?”
Perhaps because her nether regions were probably as well-done as that punched meat.
Hundreds of thousands of… impacts. Her… well, it must be charred by now.
A well-done…
I pushed her hand away, politely declining.
“Sorry, I don’t like well-done.”
“…Well-done?”
She hadn’t understood the joke. She tilted her head, confused.
So did Han-byeol, and the other Knight Commanders.
They weren’t sophisticated enough to appreciate my humor.
“Pfft…!”
“Vivian?”
“Hehehe…”
Correction.
One of them understood.
Vivian, the Third Knight Commander.
She was trying to suppress her laughter, her head down.
She understood? What kind of thoughts went through her head?
“Stop it! We have serious matters to discuss!”
Odelia interrupted, sensing the awkwardness. I hadn’t expected a serious discussion.
Apparently, this wasn’t just a social call.
“Oh, right.”
Serena’s expression turned serious.
“A demon… has descended.”
“Again?”
Odelia frowned.
It was a familiar, and unwelcome, announcement.
I frowned too.
She asked, her voice sharp.
“How? Did Lemegeton find another altar? Or did a Demon Lord appear? I thought we could finally rest.”
“It… wasn’t caused by anything.”
“Huh?”
“Lemegeton wasn’t involved. And no Demon Lord appeared.”
Serena’s voice was grim.
“This demon… appeared naturally.”
That was… concerning.
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