197. Grand Master (1)
“If something like that happened, wouldn’t it be better to tell Her Highness Rosanna the truth?”
No matter how much Rosanna loved her family, she was part of a group that tried to assassinate the emperor.
She also tried to use her as a consumable by ordering her to be assassinated.
Even at the end, to shock her emperor, Rosanna’s identity was revealed like a water ghost.
Maybe I should tell her all of this so that her misunderstanding can be resolved.
「No, Rosanna won’t believe it….」
However, for some reason the emperor was against it.
「Even if you believe me, you will probably try to peek into my inner thoughts through a crystal ball or a confession spell.」
“It seems there is something in her mind that she should never see.”
When I asked, Leonhard nodded calmly.
「You will be surprised when you see it. What did I do to protect that child….」
The emperor smiled decadently.
That smile looked haggard, as if exhausted after struggling with a future that could not be changed.
“Okay, then I will refrain from asking any more questions.”
I bowed my head respectfully and showed respect to His Majesty.
And then, I prepared to leave.
“I’ll just leave now.”
I tried to go out of the state guest room under Mo Xian’s guidance.
But, at that moment.
「But that’s it, Baron.」
I turned my head for a moment at the emperor’s last call.
「You said you would remain on the side of the empire from now on, but you would provide support from the rear.」
Leonhardt is staring at me.
His eyes were pitiful, as if he was looking at his past.
「Those words…. Do you think you can protect it?”
“Yes… ?”
I opened my mouth at his meaningful question.
Just, the emperor spoke with brilliant white mana in his eyes.
「Most of those who have held Grand Aurors in the past have not been able to live quietly.」
Perhaps because of his experience, he gave me sincere advice.
「Now that you are already on the side of the empire, the world will not leave you alone.」
“Don’t worry.”
I have already experienced countless things in my past life.
Situations that were much more difficult, painful, and cruel than they are now.
“Because I am fully prepared.”
Is it thanks to that?
The emperor and I looked at each other with relaxed eyes.
「Okay…. “I knew you would say that.”
The emperor stared at the back of the man leaving.
The corners of his mouth naturally rose, as if his momentum was reminiscent of his days as a conquering king.
「….」
When the door closed, he turned his head and looked at the portraits hanging in the state guest room.
The empresses spread out on either side of his magnificent self.
A picture of the royal family, including Leah, Irina, and Lydia, was spread out next to them.
「You will have a hard time in the future, Bale Mikhail.」
From Noble mtl dot com
Emperor Leonhard.
When he was not a Grand Master, he was merely a conquering monarch.
Exhaling the sword master’s golden aura, he cut down the enemy mercilessly.
However, the moment he defeated them all and became a Grand Master.
His life, which had been stained with blood, also turned upside down.
Conquer or marry with allied royal families.
Unintentionally, I got three young wives at a late age.
At first, I just felt burdened by the women.
He didn’t know much about women to begin with, but he took care of the empresses carefully and showed them kindness.
However, the empresses kept approaching, perhaps because they fell in love with that aspect.
They soon realized that the emperor was not just a tyrant, but a monarch who would leave a lasting mark in history.
Furthermore, it is a strong aura that fills itself every time they mix together.
As the blood relatives of the ruler of a country, they had no choice but to get along well with the emperor.
Thanks to this, he was able to have three wives and five children even at a late age.
The emperor chuckled, remembering the sly fox-like appearance of the man.
I also imagined that when he remained in the empire, he would feel dizzy after receiving insults from various ladies.
「At the wedding, I will have the officiant tidy up.」
Then, he also left the state room and returned to the audience.
「Ah, since you might get married several times, do you think it would be a bother?」
「――――――」
I came down to the other side of the Emperor and faced the finished third game.
The confrontation between Lydia’s Batshu and the Black Knights.
Honestly, as someone who has faced the Black Knight, I thought that Bashu’s skills would be enough to win.
Besides, they can’t even use black mana in official competitions.
But.
“What happened…?” ?”
Enthused spectators.
I was excited as if I had seen a breathtaking close match rather than a picture of Batshu crushing it.
「After a fierce battle, the Vice-Captain of the Eastern Knights, Lord Basshu, is victorious!!」
As expected, the sight of Dalian was miserable.
The floor of the sparring hall was horribly broken here and there, as if he had hit it with all his might.
Meanwhile, a fallen member of the Black Knights with black hair comes into view.
It looks like he was able to withstand the blows from Batshu several times.
Soon, healers entered and took him out.
The same was true for Bashu, who exited on the other side.
Although he won, his appearance was in disrepair.
I approached him leisurely.
“What happened…?” ? “The situation is not right, right?”
“Wow….”
Bashu bit his lip with an annoyed expression.
Then, I immediately made eye contact with Lydia, who came down with a worried expression.
“Bashoe… !! Are you okay…? ?”
Lydia, the 3rd princess of the empire, her pigtails fluttering every time she runs.
Her red eyes were filled with tears and sparkled like rubies.
“Why are you being so unreasonable when dealing with just one member!”
Lydia clenched her fists and shouted at her large man.
However, her shouting was not an expression of disrespect for her subordinates.
She felt rather worried, like a mother caring for her child.
“There is no shame….”
His thick wrist was swollen.
Even her strong legs were covered with knife cuts.
“I thought that with your level of skill, I would have been more than enough to win…. “If this is the case, what should we do for the next match?”
When I asked, he pointed to the black greatsword still stuck in the sparring hall.
“That’s right, his skills were within the expected range. But….”
Lydia and I looked at the weapon, following her fingers on the batshu.
Then, a very subtle black air current began to stir.
“It’s a spell. It’s also quite powerful….”
“Okay…. But it would be illegal to enhance weapons with mana… ?”
Lydia took off her own cloak and placed it over her Bashu’s back.
However, because his back was so wide, he appeared to be wearing a towel rather than a cape.
“That’s not mana. “It’s something that cleverly mixes mana with her magic.”
I knew the culprit of the hex.
So, I took a deep breath and spoke to Lydia.
“I guess I’ll have to leave for a while.”
“Are you planning to go catch the criminal?”
Lydia asked me as I was about to leave.
Her red eyes, which had not yet shed tears, looked up at me.
“Yes. “Probably all the other Black Knights strengthened their weapons in that way.”
A weapon made by a mere member to a level comparable to that of the vice-captain, who had honed it to death.
If a Black Knight vice-captain or higher were to wear such a weapon….
‘Allen and Miya are in danger.’
“I’ll be back soon, so please wait.”
I said while stroking the top of Lydia’s head.
“… !”
When the princess touched her head for the first time in her life, her face turned red.
Then, she looked around to see if anyone had seen her.
“Now, just wait a moment.”
Lydia caught me on the day I left.
Then, she took out the ring she was wearing on her ring finger and handed it over.
“Take this with you, just in case.”
“This…” . “Isn’t it a valuable item?”
I looked down at the ring, which had magical energy just by looking at it.
A ruby ring with a leopard pattern engraved in the center.
“If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, try blowing on it.”
Lydia crossed her arms alone and answered confidently.
“It will lead you to the escape!”
The princess, who was much shorter than me, spoke confidently as she placed her hand on her waist.
When I saw that, the corners of my mouth naturally went up.
“Thank you, I’ll be back soon.”
I bowed her head politely to her.
Afterwards, we headed to the waiting room where the Black Knights were staying.
“….”
Lydia stared at me leaving.
Then, she gently put her hand into her own arms.
Soon, what followed was a ring.
A ring in the same shape as the one you gave me a while ago.
Lydia wore it again on her ring finger….
“….”
She raised the corners of her mouth without realizing it.
Because the ring was a symbol of marriage in the East.
“Hwa, Her Royal Highness. Why are you laughing so scary… ?”
Bashu was taken aback by her lord’s lewd smile, which she had seen for the first time in her life.
Then, Lydia answered again with the expression of a cool-headed monarch.
“Oh, no…. Let’s hurry and go to the medical room… !”
Lydia waved her hand, saying it was nothing special.
And then, she pushed the big Bashu’s back with her two dainty hands.
“Don’t you think you need to rest quickly to recover?”
Bash is faltering.
As if in response, Lydia clenched her fist and punched her back.
Her eastern vice-captain, who was so cruel to her cute appearance, scratched the side of her head.
Princess Lydia was famous for her fierce charisma despite her short stature.
Just meeting Veil changed her impression.
It was as if a vicious stray cat had become a gentle domestic cat.
“Still, the appearance of the princess like this is not bad….”
“What is it?”
Lydia tilted her head at the sight of Bashu looking down at her.
Then, her pigtails tilted to the side as if representing her feelings.
“No….”
Bashu smiled and led the way to the medical room.
Then, Lydia chased after her with a sullen expression on her face.
Carefully touching the ring on her ring finger.
“….”
While Lydia was taking her precious subordinate with her.
I turned the corner and headed into the dark passage.
‘Indeed, I wonder if this is a place where the Black Knights wait….’
As she reached the dark hallway, she frowned.
She was just moving on with her steps.
Suddenly, I began to sense the evil energy I felt from her great sword earlier.
‘Is it over there?’
A waiting room at the end of the aisle.
There is a name tag on it that says, Vice-Captain of the Black Knights, Lord Denver.
“….”
I carefully opened the door slightly.
And then, I took a peek inside.
Brightly lit.
In that light, a familiar dress caught my eye.
A beautiful platinum-colored dress.
It fits snugly on the wide pelvis and tightens the narrow waist.
And, voluptuous breasts and a slim, fair face.
“The next match is Irina’s knight.”
“Yes, I wanted to stick with Camilla, but it’s a shame.”
A deep male voice is heard from the other side.
However, I opened the door just a little so I couldn’t see her clearly.
She hid her presence, but since Rosanna is a strange woman, you need to be more careful.
“Bring your weapons.”
The man’s thick hands are slightly visible.
He passed the huge long sword into Rosanna’s gentle hands.
“….”
When Rosanna stretched out her palm, a powerful black air current appeared that was visible to her eyes.
The air current began to coil around the sword like a snake.
Then, it was soon sucked into the blade and gave off a soft light.
‘It was strengthened in that way…’ .’
A well-refined sword is strengthened to artifact level.
I almost burst out laughing at this.
‘That’s why Bashu has no choice but to struggle.’
However, her abilities did not simply end there.
Because there was something even more surprising left.
“Now give me your leg.”
“Yes, I am here.”
At Rosanna’s command, her man held out his leg to her.
Bare legs without armor.
She must have trained countless times so her muscles were toned.
But, maybe it’s because she’s been using a lot of black mana so far.
The skin became wrinkled, as if looking at the legs of a man in his 50s or 60s.
Like an old man drooping with age.
“Don’t use black mana for the time being, this is serious.”
Rosanna’s worried voice.
Her mouth began to water as she heard her kind words for the first time in her life.
“Okay….”
Rosanna extended her palm towards his leg.
Then, the pillar that had been sagging without strength began to straighten up again.
As if I became younger.
“Go and do your best for Leon.”
The First Empress smiled sensually.
It was like seeing a goddess who embraced and comforted the great gods.
Afterwards, she stretched both her hands toward the back of her head.
Then, her voluptuous breasts naturally tightened and moved upward together.
The black dot on her upper chest also took a deep breath.
“When will that kid play?”
Rosanna tied the back of her hair, thinking of someone.
Her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”