Chapter 98
“I was the one who saved you. Karl was trying to kill you.”
I thought that to myself, but I stayed quiet and listened.
“No matter what, I was far too careless. Even so, at one point, you were the crown prince of the empire’s only ally. Even with Odette’s plea, the slave punishment was excessive. That was my fault.”
I felt a sudden surge of anger.
“Look at this bastard, saying that while knowing everything?”
Sion winked at me as if to say, “See? You’re the fool here.”
I hated to admit it, but Sion was right. The emperor really was an idiot.
“I am honored.”
“What do you think, Karl? How about joining the Imperial Guard that protects me? I’ll make you a noble again.”
The emperor’s words were exactly what I expected. He was someone who cherished his life above all else.
A slave who suddenly appeared and saved him from an assassin? How could he not be impressed?
The count looked completely stunned.
‘He must be terrified of Karl becoming an imperial noble. Karl could seek revenge.’
Count Albrecht had been sensitive even when Karl was imprisoned in the detention center.
“I don’t wish for that. It’s far too much for me.”
Good line. Of course, I had written this script.
“Don’t refuse! How could I possibly consider this too much for you? My own eyes saw how badly you were injured while saving me!”
‘Injured? It was just four ordinary people, wasn’t it? Karl?’
I was surprised, but Sion snickered as if he knew something. A strangely relieved smile.
“There is nothing to be honored for! Should I grant you the title of Viscount? Or Baron?”
“Um… Your Majesty, we should finish the hunting competition first.”
The emperor frowned briefly at his attendant’s words, then his expression brightened instead.
“Yes. Then the winner of the hunting competition will be you! Do you see the corpses of those three assassins? In all my life, I’ve never had such perfect prey. So how could I not honor you? Speak your wish to me!”
The emperor seemed desperate to give Karl anything. After all, in the game, Karl had suffered trauma from the cliff at Tartarus.
“Bring me the laurel crown and the golden cup immediately! I shall personally bestow them upon this great victor!”
‘…This isn’t just gratitude. There’s calculation behind it.’
Sending assassins this far meant there was a powerful force backing them.
Since they failed this time, more assassins would surely come. So he wanted someone skilled like Karl as a bodyguard.
“Should I grant you fertile lands? Or gold coins? I feel like cutting all these worthless guards and appointing you as Captain of the Imperial Guard myself.”
I hadn’t expected this. In the game, the emperor hated Karl intensely. Even as the crown prince of an allied nation, he was willing to reduce him to a third-class citizen.
‘I instructed Karl to refuse, but this might be tempting enough—’
Yet, my brief worry was in vain. Karl answered plainly.
“I wish for nothing.”
“What?”
“I am satisfied with my current position. I have no wishes from Your Majesty.”
The emperor’s expression hardened. Several more similar exchanges occurred, and eventually, he practically begged.
“How could you have no wishes at all? Speak! Come on, tell me!”
Then Karl reluctantly used his wish.
“Then please promote me to Odette’s combat slave.”
Among slaves, combat slaves received the best treatment. Only those with exceptional strength qualified, and they were very expensive.
Moreover, combat slaves were often kept close by noblewomen, even closer than their personal maids, to protect them from disasters wherever they occurred.
Sion’s abilities had recently prevented disasters in the capital, so the role of a combat slave was well-regarded.
“…A combat slave may receive the best treatment among slaves, but isn’t it still a slave? With such skill, wouldn’t a knight be better?”
“I wish to become Lady Odette’s combat slave.”
“Such loyalty… what a pity to waste such talent.”
…Look at that greedy voice. That ‘pity’ clearly meant, ‘It’s a shame to give him to Odette.’
The emperor pursed his lips. He clearly hated giving Karl to me.
‘Honestly… if that’s the case, he shouldn’t have demoted him to a third-class citizen in the first place.’
When Karl requested protection from the Fenrir clan, the emperor had been the first to demote him. His excuse was fear of Fenrir’s power. The empire could only truly count on the military strength of the Fenrir Kingdom.
‘He had to always watch the Fenrir Kingdom’s reaction, but now with the great disaster, he’s relieved.’
With all the Fenrir children gone and only Karl left, he could finally feel at ease. That’s why he was now so eager to have him.
I shot a resentful glance at Sion. He winked again. That was the moment.
“Ah, you have four pieces of prey you like, don’t you?!”
The emperor made an unprecedented proposal.
“Since this prey is so perfect, I shall grant you four wishes! You don’t need to use just one wish! Ha! Hahaha!”
“Your first wish is granted. You are now Odette’s combat slave. What is your second wish?”
Since Karl said he was honored, the emperor thought he just had to keep promoting him in order. First combat slave, then emancipation, then knight, then noble rank.
“You may not have a second wish. I shall propose it for you. Karl, how about emancipation?”
“Your Majesty!”
But Count Albrecht intervened. The emperor scolded him.
“Why do you, an unrelated count, intervene? Even Odette, Karl’s master, is silent. Could it be that you secretly own Karl? Some hidden twist?”
The emperor had been informed by Sion about the “Crown Prince Rampage Incident” and that Odette was adopted and mistreated. Publicly, Karl was only her slave, but in reality, he belonged to the count.
‘Haha! This time, the count’s meticulousness backfired. He has no grounds to intervene.’
The emperor was thrilled inside. Even after being told by Sion, he initially couldn’t believe it. The count had an excellent public reputation.
He would never publicly claim, “Karl is mine.”
‘Seeing that frustrated face is satisfying.’
He had thought Odette was arrogant, but it turned out she was cunning. The emperor grinned like a sly fox, ready to see who was truly clever.
“If Your Majesty insists… I do have a second wish.”
“Oh? Really, Karl? What is your wish?”
The emperor’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
