Episode 53
It was a difficult method. Even using Team Leader David, I couldn’t be sure it would work. More than anything, I had no certainty the prince was even in the Inner Palace. What if we went in and he wasn’t there? Ugh, I didn’t even want to imagine it — that would be the absolute worst outcome. No wonder the crown prince had called this a “last resort.”
I looked at the crown prince, lost in thought, and cautiously asked:
“I’ve heard royalty have the right to enter the Inner Palace. Couldn’t Your Highness just go in for a moment to check?”
“Right now, unless you’re one of the emperor’s people, it’s nearly impossible to get in. The Imperial Guard is blocking the entrance. Even if I’m the crown prince, they’d stop me.”
“Oh-ho, so there’s even a place in the palace the crown prince can’t go?”
“That’s why I intend to become emperor.”
Phew. What a dilemma.
To get Mishi back, we had to find the prince. But to find the prince through a public investigation, we needed imperial authority. And to get imperial authority, we needed leverage against the emperor. The most suitable leverage was the Prince of Aint.
Complicated indeed. I scratched my head and glanced at Ron. If Ron joined the crown prince’s faction, the prince would gain power far more easily. Honestly, that was part of the deal when the King of Aint agreed to send me back in the first place.
I carefully watched the crown prince’s expression. Coincidentally, he was looking at me too, as if sending an unspoken message. Of course — I’d been back for days now and still hadn’t fulfilled my end of the bargain, so he must be impatient.
Meeting his gaze, I cleared my throat. Then, trying to sound casual, I turned to Ron.
“What do you think, Captain?”
“Hm? About what?”
“If His Highness becomes emperor, it’ll be easier to find the Prince of Aint, right?”
“That’s true.”
“And to become emperor, he’ll need power.”
“That’s true too.”
No, don’t just answer — I mean you could be that power.
I silently cursed at him with my eyes, then cleared my throat again.
“The Meteiler family could be a great help.”
At my direct statement, the crown prince clenched his fist. Even if he pretended otherwise, he was clearly anxious. I thought maybe I’d been too blunt and broke into a nervous sweat. What if Ron got angry and said it was none of my business?
But instead, Ron just grinned foolishly.
“That’s right. The Meteilers are one of only two marquis families.”
“And you’re the captain of the Imperial Knights.”
“Right.”
At my addition, Ron puffed out his chest proudly. I resisted the urge to push that chest back down and said:
“So, what do you think?”
“Hm? About what?”
Ugh, seriously. This frustrating sweet potato of a man.
Was he really not getting it, or was he just pretending not to? I barely resisted the urge to grab him by the collar and shake him. With the crown prince here, I couldn’t exactly yell at him either.
In the end, our conversation went in circles until it fizzled out. The crown prince, apparently disappointed by the lack of progress, left the mansion with slumped shoulders. I saw him out and returned to Ron’s room.
As I was closing the door, Ron called to me in a lower voice than before.
“Ail.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want me to side with the crown prince?”
…Oh, so he did understand.
I plopped down into the chair beside his bed. Since it was just the two of us, I could speak honestly.
“I don’t really care. As long as everyone can be safe, whether we’re neutral or join the prince’s side doesn’t matter to me.”
“Then why are you trying to push me toward him?”
“Because that’s the deal between His Highness and the King of Aint. In exchange for sending me back, I’d persuade you to join the prince’s faction. That would make it more likely for him to become emperor, and if he does, it’ll be easier to find the Prince of Aint.”
Ron nodded in understanding. I helped him lie back down; he was still recovering and shouldn’t be sitting up too long.
I felt him flinch every time my hand touched him, but I pretended not to notice. If I started thinking too much about little things like that, I might not be able to even look at him. Seeing him might stir up all sorts of thoughts I wasn’t ready to face.
Keeping my tone as calm as possible, I said:
“Whether we investigate the Inner Palace or wait until you’re emperor to do a public search, something has to be done to find the prince and bring the second prince back. And to do anything, we’ll need the Meteiler family’s strength.”
“…”
“Do you have a reason for staying neutral? You don’t like His Majesty the Emperor much either.”
Ron stayed silent at my question. The thoughtful look on his face — one I hadn’t seen in a while — made him look unexpectedly handsome. Those thick brows, that high-bridged nose… When he wasn’t acting like an idiot, he could actually look this dashing.
Well, I guess even when he acted like an idiot, he was kind of cute.
Ugh, what am I even thinking?
I quickly cupped my cheeks so Ron wouldn’t notice my flustered face.
“My will is the will of the Knights. And the Knights’ duty is to serve the ruler of the empire. History shows the Knights have never fared well when they got involved in the imperial succession.”
“That’s reasonable. But Captain… who is the ruler of the empire?”
“Obviously His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I’m not so sure.”
I pulled the blanket up over his chest. He looked up at me with those red eyes, as if to say: Then who is it?
I couldn’t help but chuckle. The idea that this man, who obediently followed my hand as I tucked him in, was the commander of the Imperial Knights — it made my chest feel strangely warm.
“Do you know how many people live in the empire?”
“The empire’s citizens? Hm… maybe a million?”
“Not even close. The capital alone has a million.”
“That many?”
Of course, you blockhead. This is the only empire on the continent.
I tapped his forehead with my finger.
“Even by rough estimate, there are over forty million. You’d have to check with the statistics bureau for the exact number.”
“…That many… I had no idea.”
“It wasn’t always like that. The population increased when slavery was abolished and former slaves were counted as citizens.”
“I see. You’re really smart, Ail.”
“I’ve read a lot of books. You don’t become top of the class for nothing.”
I knew my theory was solid. I even winked at him, and he burst out laughing.
“Now think about it. It’s an empire of forty million people. Who’s the ruler?”
“…”
On land with more people than one could ever count — was the emperor truly the ruler?
In my world, sovereignty resided with the people, and all power came from them. For someone raised in that worldview, and someone raised in a rigid class system from birth, our perspectives would naturally differ.
Still, I had to ask. Was this land’s ruler really the emperor? That man shut away in the Inner Palace, unable to care for himself, buying up young slaves to do who knows what — was he really the master of this vast empire? If so, who granted him that right, and who judged him worthy?
A flicker of confusion crossed Ron’s eyes. Watching the flame-like turmoil in his gaze, I quietly sat at the edge of the bed and ran my fingers through his hair.
If it was Ron, maybe I could tell him.
If it was Ron, maybe he would understand.
“Ron, I’m not from this place.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Don’t be shocked. I’ll tell you everything from the beginning — why I think the way I do.”
That night was long, and neither of us slept until dawn. We talked about many things. Perhaps one of them shook Ron deeply. Or perhaps it all flowed through him like a river, leaving no ripples.
What was certain was that, after that night, an unexplainable bond between us had grown stronger.
Dawn, with birdsong in the air.
Ron had barely slept, yet felt no fatigue. Looking down quietly at Ail, asleep in his bed, he carefully pulled out a safe hidden beneath it.
The weapon inside — far ahead of its time — was something he thought would remain untouched for years. Yet here it was, back in his hands after only a few days.
Ron set the weapon in his palm and cocked the trigger. Ail had told him yesterday that it was called a “gun.” Gun — the name fit its appearance perfectly.
Could a person from another world truly cross over in spirit and become someone entirely different? In the Age of Magic, such a phenomenon would have sent every mage scrambling to study it — it was that extraordinary.
And yet, he couldn’t dismiss it. The culture in her words, her values, the vividness of the world she described — all of it was too clear.
If she hadn’t really come from that other world, she wouldn’t even dare to utter such shocking, unconventional stories. Hearing them, he couldn’t help but believe they were true.
The reason Ail had finally revealed the secret she’d guarded so tightly was obvious: she wanted him to think more about whether the rules of this world he lived in were truly just.
He couldn’t accept all of her words outright. But there were certainly things worth pondering.
“…The emperor…”
The Imperial Knights served the emperor. It was such an unquestionable truth that he had never once doubted it — until now.
Chivalry was about protecting those weaker than oneself and acting righteously.
So why did the Imperial Knights, under the banner of war, have to kill the innocent and slaughter blameless northern tribes? Why were all these atrocities called “chivalry” in the name of the emperor?
“Ugh, I don’t know. My head hurts.”
Ron ruffled his hair roughly. His simple personality hated complicated matters. The reason he became a knight was because he thought all he had to do was pick up a sword and swing it. Thinking too much was not his style.
Staring blankly into space, his eyes drifted back to Ail. Her peaceful, sleeping face calmed his restless heart.
If he hated complications, then he’d just think simply.
After a long bout of reflection, he nodded to himself, as if affirming his own conclusion.
