102. Emperor’s Lunchbox (5)
“I can’t believe there was a place like this in the basement of the imperial palace….”
I entered the underground palace of Heavenly Palace through a secret route told to me by the imperial minister.
There was a secret passage only for the royal family, which I had only heard about in legends.
If the empire falls or a natural disaster occurs.
The royal family can evacuate through this passage.
I, a commoner orphan, ended up in such a place.
I feel strange, as if I have become a member of the royal family.
“Is this the end of the passage?”
Upon reaching the end, the stairs unfold.
If you climb these stairs, you will see the emperor’s bedroom.
I swallowed deeply.
And then, I slowly looked up the dark passage.
Immense mana felt after entering the underground.
What on earth is up there that makes it so intense?
‘Did he come under the meeting hall of the great wizards…? .’
I put aside my guesses and reached the stairs.
Then, a soft lamp greeted me.
“It’s been a while, Michail.”
Imperial Prime Minister Mo Xian holding a lantern.
He smiled happily when he saw me.
“See you, Mr. Mosian.”
I bowed my head lightly.
And then, I asked while lifting again.
“But the reason you called me, even telling me about this precious passage….”
The Prime Minister raised his eyebrows at my question.
“Of course it’s because of the good news. “Maybe today you’ll find a great sponsor.”
A great supporter.
I chuckled at those words.
“Are you letting me meet His Majesty the Emperor?”
It was clearly a light joke.
However, the Prime Minister gave no reply to my joke.
He just withdrew his smile and made a serious expression.
“Go up and check.”
Nobu went up to the top of the stairs.
And, the moment I put my palm on the wall.
The heavy iron door began to wiggle.
Kugugugugu―――!!
Brilliant sunlight pours down the pitch-dark stairs.
I slowly climbed upward, guided by the sunlight.
Unlike the underground where I had cooped, cool air enveloped my body when I came up to the ground.
After climbing all the stairs, the basement door closed by itself.
Soon.
I ended up standing in the middle of someone’s huge bedroom.
It is so large that it is the size of a knights’ training hall.
However, unlike a simple dance hall, the atmosphere was very solemn.
The floor is made of expensive mana detection artifacts that cost thousands of gold each.
The entire wall is made of platinum material that is completely soundproof.
As if completely cut off from the outside world.
But, the thing that catches my eye the most is….
It is a huge golden window displayed on the wall.
I could instinctively know the owner of that window.
No.
How could I not know?
If you were a citizen of the empire, you learned it all the time in school.
The man who conquered the continent with his huge spear and short stature.
‘The Conqueror’s favorite song, Eclair… !’
「Is that you?」
Someone’s screeching sound is heard from behind.
However, although it was clearly a sound of metal, it was as threatening as the roar of a lion.
I slowly turned my head to follow the sound.
And….
The emperor of the empire sitting on his bed.
Bodouin IV faced Leonhard Andalusia.
“Meet Your Majesty the Emperor.”
I calmly knelt down without panicking.
And, while lowering my head, I checked his clear eyes.
“… !”
At that moment, I realized.
Mana worth dozens of archmages that was felt on the ground a little while ago.
That mana emanated from an old man in front of me.
The first thing he said to me was….
「Are you the man who received lunch boxes from my daughters?」
A little unexpectedly, it was about lunch boxes.
“Yes… ? That’s true, but….”
After I answered, the emperor asked an even more ‘unusual question.’
「So, did it taste good?」
Taste… ?
Even though I thought of hundreds of cases while walking down the aisle, I never thought of this question.
“Yes, it was good.”
I had no choice but to tell the truth.
Then, the emperor spoke with a solemn expression like a plaster statue in a temple.
「My daughters never even looked at any man.」
The emperor looked at the wall in the middle of the bedroom.
Portraits of his children were hung side by side there.
「The kids even made their own lunch boxes…. “I guess that means you’re a great person, right?”
“That can’t be right. I’m just a defense engineer….”
I opened my mouth to refute.
Then, the emperor raised his huge hand.
‘Meaning to be silent.’
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As if responding to this, I closed my mouth again.
「….」
The eyes of the King of Conquerors looking right through me with an overwhelming atmosphere.
He observed me intently and said.
「After my tenure, the empire entered an era of peace. Instead of making the world more comfortable thanks to you….」
The emperor pointed his finger to his eyes.
Breaking blue eyes flashing in the deep darkness.
Although it was clearly shining brightly, I felt a cold chill rather than intelligence.
「The poison has disappeared from the men. “I guess I’m tired of peace.”
The emperor snapped his finger and the curtain behind me fluttered as if being pulled in his direction.
I also approached the Conqueror like the wind.
「But, you look a little different.」
Leonhard pushed his face in.
And then, he looked at my black eyes with interest.
「Those eyes are accustomed to killing. “Just like I was crazy about war.”
In the past, this would have sounded like the crazy words of a sick emperor.
However, it was different now that we had returned.
The day of purge I experienced in my past life.
Like he said, I went crazy and killed my fellow knights.
「The smell of blood is everywhere. “Already at that age.”
‘Could it be that you noticed my past?’
Probably not.
This is just an assumption that anyone can make if they know that I came from the front lines.
“I think it’s because I spent a long time on the northern front.”
「Yes, he is definitely better than a pretentious imperial knight.」
“Thank you.”
How did it go so well?
I breathed a sigh of relief.
「But, we don’t know yet.」
The emperor stretched out his hand from the bed.
Soon, the huge window displayed on the outer wall began to wriggle.
「My daughters are still young, so their eyes for people may not be perfect.」
Intense white mana bloomed from the palm.
Grand Master’s Auror.
「So, let me check it myself.」
The white mana stretched out and pulled the giant spear.
His massive artifact flies through the air like that….
「Are you a mad dog crazy about killing?」
It landed in the hands of the emperor.
「I wonder if he is a talented person who will become a hero of the empire.」
Leonhardt rose from his bed with his huge body.
Thanks to this, the white carpet that had been covering his body began to flow down.
‘Crazy…’ ‘That’s the body of an old man who was dying?!’
The emperor was wearing a toga.
You can see his rugged, muscular body inside.
In addition, the vast white mana that densely fills the entire body.
It looked like the king of the gods in mythology.
「Avoid. “If you want to live.”
“Your Majesty… ?”
Steam billows out from the bridge of his nose.
Then, the emperor threw a huge golden spear at me.
―――!!
The spear blade approaches with overwhelming speed.
The air screams and tears apart.
‘This is a level that cannot be prevented by hiding the power… !’
It immediately gave off a golden aura.
And, by twisting his body as much as possible, he somehow managed to avoid the emperor’s spear.
Kwaaang!!
I looked back at the window that I had barely avoided.
The majesty of Eclair easily destroyed even the bedroom floor made with artifacts.
If it had been hit, it would have been reduced to powder.
「Your movements are worth watching.」
Leonhard stretched out his hand again.
Then, the flying spear returned to his hand like a boomerang.
「But two flukes won’t work.」
My forearm, which is several times the size of my arm, is writhing.
The emperor chased after him, swinging his spear like crazy with his arm.
‘I’m going crazy, really!’
His slash that brought down many countries is coming.
―――!!
With auras wrapped around his eyes, he somehow avoided them all.
However, Leonhard immediately changes the pattern and puts pressure on him.
In the end, I also ended up raising my sword to defend myself.
Kaaan―――!!
Overwhelming force weighs down on me.
I feel like my whole body will be crushed, as if I am being crushed by Mount Tai.
「Such a deep golden color at such a young age! “It looks like you’ve done quite a bit of training!”
The emperor made an interesting expression for the first time in a long time.
However, it only aroused curiosity.
His eyes were still full of murderous intent to kill me.
‘Why on earth are you doing this to me!’
The emperor raised his spear into the air again.
Then, white mana began to swirl around the entire spear.
Under a clear sky, a flash of white light.
His grand spear emitted intense light like a thunderbolt.
At that moment, I felt it.
If you don’t draw your sword, you will die.
「Try to stop this too!!」
A flash of light so powerful that it burns the tips of my hair.
He drew his sword in response.
And at the same time, I swung with all my might.
Purge Day.
Like the time when I fought with the knight commanders until the very moment of death.
He boldly wielded his hidden power in front of the emperor.
A huge golden sword energy was released like a crescent moon.
Then, it struck loudly with lightning.
――――――!!
The platinum wall that blocked the sound vibrates.
The floor made of artifacts shook, and the colorful curtains were torn apart by the waves alone.
―――.
Their blows hit each other like crazy, and soon they disappeared.
“Ha….”
But, I felt it.
If the emperor was in good condition, I would have been pushed out.
‘But I guess this is enough.’
Skills comparable to those of the Imperial Knight Commander.
If I have this level of skill, even the emperor will recognize me.
Thinking like that, I looked up at the emperor.
However, his expression was very different from what I expected.
It was still full of life.
「You guy…. “It’s truly foreign.”
Is it because I just woke up from a coma?
He let out a rough breath.
「Like breaking the truth of this world… “It’s unusually strong.”
He once again gathered white mana into his spear.
With the intention of destroying this temple right now.
“Why on earth are you doing this to me!”
I didn’t want to risk my life again to face his attack.
So I cried out in a very unfair voice!
「How dare you accept my daughters’ cooking before me!! No matter how much I think about it, I can’t forgive it!!”
‘Ah.’
I realized.
This old man wasn’t interested in my evaluation in the first place.
「I will kill you!!」
He was just jealous of me as a father.
A flash of light so intense that it seems as if both eyes will go blind.
This is difficult to block even with the previous blow.
No, it can be prevented, but both of them will suffer serious internal injuries.
It would be especially fatal for an emperor who is in poor health.
For both of us to survive, I also have to fight back at the same level.
‘Damn….’
I had no choice but to place my hand on his left chest.
And, the moment he was about to strike me with lightning.
I also have mana of the same color.
I opened the Grand Master’s aura that had been sealed for fear that my body could not bear it.
“… !!”
Just 3 seconds after opening, the area under my eyes started fluttering.
My whole body began to twist and fall out of my control.
However, there is nothing we can do.
If you want to fight against the strongest on the continent as a young person, you have no choice but to make this level of sacrifice.
I raised my sword.
Next, the moment to focus the auror.
My sword, which was shabby compared to the emperor’s great spear, grew to a size comparable to his.
A mana greatsword of enormous size was born.
I raised it with all my might towards Leonhard’s thunderbolt.
Just as we were about to collide like that.
「This is… !」
The emperor was shocked to see me using mana of the same color as him.
「How did you get that power…? !」
He stopped the thunderbolt with superhuman reflexes.
Our weapon stopped just before it resonated.
―――.
The heavenly palace, where lightning was raging, became quiet.
Thanks to you, I was finally able to stop the white mana.
“Whoa…” .”
The emperor looked at me blankly.
And then, he chuckled and furrowed his eyebrows.
「How did you get that power?」
“….”
When I gave no answer, Leonhard shouted.
「That power can only be achieved by killing and absorbing the strongest people on the continent. “How did a pale guy like you get it?”
A cracking sound came from the wall cracked by his momentum.
However, I didn’t care at all.
“I can’t answer yet.”
「Do you dare to disobey my question now?」
“It is not rebellion. “It means I still need time to tell you.”
I put the sword back into its sheath.
Then, he endured the pain and spoke.
“Isn’t it true that everything takes time to happen?”
He looks calm despite his own loud shouting.
The emperor watched that scene silently and asked me.
「Ha, you are trying to escape somehow. So when was that time?”
“Punish the wicked group that was targeting His Majesty the Emperor. It is time for complete peace to come to the Empire.”
The Conqueror listened to me and was silent for a moment.
Then, he snorted and opened his mouth again.
「That’s so interesting. “It’s similar to what I told my daughters when I was young.”
The emperor crossed his arms alone.
And then, he looked down at me curiously.
「When asked when the war would end, I always said that it would be when complete peace came to the empire.」
Is it because he expressed his anger towards me once?
His dark eye shadows seem to have lightened slightly.
「It is definitely extraordinary in that respect.」
“Thank you….”
Is it a compliment?
I really don’t know anymore.
「But I can’t forgive you for eating my daughters’ cooking first!」
As expected, he is an old man who admits it but immediately becomes hysterical.
I slowly started to get used to it.
“I’m sorry…” .”
「Yes, since you admitted it, I will punish you once.」
He tried to attack me again.
I have to somehow retire so that my daughters will never see me again.
“Now, please wait a moment, Your Majesty!”
I stretched out my hands and shouted.
In this way, instead of living in old age, I am going straight to the next life!
“Do you, the Emperor, wish to become acquainted with your daughters again?”
The emperor pauses when he gets to the point.
「That’s right. “Because I lay in a hospital bed for a long time, I felt guilty about those children.”
In his weakened state, he revealed his honest feelings.
I decided to delve into his mind.
“I will help you!”
「What… ?」
The emperor frowns his thick eyebrows.
The eyes showed interest in the story of the princesses whom they had not seen for a long time.
I clasped my hands together.
And then, he grinned like a traitor.
“If you do as I say, I will make sure you receive a ‘warm lunch box’ from the princesses!”
The emperor looked at me with suspicious eyes.
It’s clearly a young baby.
It felt cunning, as if I was watching a middle-aged corrupt nobleman.
“There is a way to not only help the royal family unite, but also to punish the evil group!”
「….」
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However, since he had been asleep for a long time, there was no other way.
I have no choice but to trust myself after receiving the cold attention of my daughters.
「Recite it once. Instead, if you do something foolish, you will die by my hands right away.”
“Of course-. “If you do that, I will kill myself!”
With his eyes wide open, he grinned.
And then, I started giving one-day lectures for my awkward father.
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