75 – You are of Marriageable Age, too
After waking from his dream, Askal was being treated preciously.
In other words, he was enjoying the benefits of being treated as a patient, able to loaf around in plain sight without anyone objecting.
So, when everyone else was at work, he could sit in the break room with no shame.
On either side of Askal, a small snake and a white puppy were clinging.
“Wow, cute. Can I touch it?”
“Keeping a snake as a pet, you’re as exotic as ever. What a cool hobby.”
The employees visiting the break room extended their hands to pet Askal’s pets.
The white puppy (Paik Ryong) lifted his paw onto the employee’s open hand.
The employee was delighted and gave the puppy some treats.
“Woof!”
The white puppy (Paik Ryong) seemed satisfied.
Watching this, the snake (Woon Ryong) seemed annoyed, flicking its tongue. Apparently, even in its current form, it still had a dragon’s pride.
Woon Ryong spoke into Askal’s mind.
– Blow the flute, contractor.
“……?”
Askal, puzzled, played the flute present in the break room. This place was equipped with various musical instruments for employees to relieve their stress.
Whistle—
To the sound of a flute, the snake dramatically coiled its body.
“Whoa! Amazing!”
The animal evaluator, who had been stroking a white puppy, had his attention stolen by the snake. Then, he took out a sausage and gave it to the snake.
The snake swallowed the sausage satisfyingly.
– This is my victory, Baekryong.
-…I forfeit. I will practice for the next time.
What on earth are you doing?
Asukal who was playing the flute lost his words.
# Countermeasure Meeting for Goryong Carnacus
Participants: Asukal Eryndale, Unryong, Baekryong
-Goryong Carnacus is, well, he is dormant, but he is sleeping lightly. We don’t know when and what might wake him up.
“So, you mean he’s in REM sleep. A dangerous active volcano that can wake up with even a slight stimulus.”
-Exactly. Even if left alone, he will wake up in a few years. It’s safer to remove it in advance.
“Unryong, who wins if you fight Carnacus?”
-I would win. But why have you been using informal language…
Asukal threw a sausage. The snake ate it. The pleased snake hissed softly.
-It’s okay to use informal language.
“Even with Baekryong, it’s tough?”
-Yes. We are meant to observe, not to fight crudely.
“But aren’t you supposed to protect the empire? Is it okay for Goryong to rampage in his territory?”
-Defeat him.
“……?”
-You can do it. Contractee. Defeat Goryong Carnacus and become a hero in history! Imagine! Everyone shouting your name, painters drawing your portrait, teachers teaching your achievements to students!
-Wow. That’s cool.
Unryong cast a motivation spell. Baekryong supported it.
The effect wasn’t good.
“I see. So you guys are of no help right now.”
-Cough… If you wait for a hundred years, I can regain my strength through the sacred tree.
-I need about fifty years…
Asukal sighed.
“It would be quicker to wait for the Dragon to grow old and die.
The only result from the meeting was confirmation that Baekryong and Unryong are merely talking snakes and snack-loving Pomeranians.
What’s the difference between them and Sushia?
“Ah, you’ve arrived. Minister.”
The place where Sushia had asked to meet Ascal was behind the Evaluation Department.
Being under the large sacred tree, Sushia started to dawdle upon seeing Ascal.
“Hey, traitor.”
“Ugh. Hitting the sore spot from the start. That’s harsh. I pondered over it a lot.”
After waking up from his dream, Ascal organized a few facts. He directly asked Elenia about the points he was curious about.
1. Sushia has inherited memories. (However, the old memories are like holding water in your mouth; if you’re not careful, you swiftly swallow them and forget.)
2. The Senestia duchy has been a traitor to the Empire, planning conspiracies for a long time. (Surprisingly, Sushia had been completely unaware of this until the memory surfaced.)
3. It was Sushia who lured Ascal to the Evaluation Department. ( His sin is grave.)
“I see. I suspected something the first time we met, so you still had your memories.”
“I certainly tried to remember, kept taking notes again and again… but you were doing so well, Minister… I figured there wouldn’t be a problem with you, and let my guard down…”
“Yes. I get it. You’re an idiot.”
Seeing is believing.
Rather than explaining it all to Ascal herself, Sushia sought advice from Elenia and reproduced the past memories.
Thanks to Ascal’s own strong headway, there were quite a few points where the actual past differed.
The real Ascal, in the original situation, had a routine that consisted of nearly handling all the Empire’s business alone, living with dead eyes, trying to escape whenever he had a breather, and being caught just in time.
If his body wasn’t strong, he would have died of overwork by now.
“But thanks to that, I now have a clear path.”
Catch the Dragon.
Catch the Duke of Senestia.
Cultivate a successor for the rear of the Evaluation Department.
Retire completely.
Or face an overwork ending waiting for him.
“Um… Minister.”
“Speak up.”
“If he’s caught, will my dad, I mean the Duke of Senestia, be executed?”
Conspiracy is a capital offense.
And not just the individuals involved, but also their families and followers naturally suffer the consequences.
No matter how relaxed the empire has become these days, it remained difficult to escape the punishment for treason.
Sucia also knew that.
“……”
“……”
Should I just escape the empire with Sucia?
While Ascal seriously contemplated,
“Sob, I really had a great time. Minister. I’m sorry for sneaking into the office and stealing cookies while you were absent. I’m sorry for farting. I have a parrot that I cherish, named Chala. It likes grapes. Please take care of it in my place…”
“Sucia, calm down. I will search for a solution.”
“Uwaaah… I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be executed… There are so many things I still want to eat, and my birthday is coming soon…”
Sucia sat down and started crying.
“Oh, everyone is here. I was looking for you.”
The one who barged in was the crown prince.
The crown prince, who seemed light-hearted after receiving a massage from the Mewmew tribe until a moment ago, asked as he looked at Sucia crying.
“So, why are you crying, Sucia?”
The crown prince and Sucia were childhood friends.
Sucia looked up at the crown prince and started crying again.
“Uwaaah. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.”
“So, is Sucia suffering from an incurable disease? Ascal?”
“……”
It seems like they have to have a serious conversation with the crown prince.
“Ah, it’s about Duke Senestia, right? I knew it. He had other intentions.”
“Did you know?”
“Those who usually claim neutrality tend to have the darkest motives. I have always been suspicious of Duke Senestia.”
Perhaps, is there any connection between the crown prince’s death from falling in the original novel and this situation? Ascal had such thoughts.
“The annulment of the strategic marriage with Sucia was also because I sensed something. After that, Duke Senestia seemed to be cautious of himself, though.”
“So what will you do? And what about Sucia?”
“Um. Although it’s a bit awkward to say this, Ascal.”
The crown prince scratched his head.
“Has Duke Senestia ever caused harm to the empire
“……!”
“No, obviously he hid a spy in the duchy himself. He even used the Emperor’s hound to thoroughly investigate. But!”
“But?”
“There is nothing! Duke Senestia! Except for occasionally leaving his spot at night, saying he was going to some strange club.”
Yes.
Unlike what was seen in the dream, Duke Senestia had not done anything wrong at present. He was just exuding the vibe of a villain.
“Burnstein helped out a bit. It’s a voice replay device using magic stones, still top secret. I have something saved, would you like to hear?”
When Ascal nodded, the Crown Prince took out a rounded artifact. As the Crown Prince earnestly wound up the spring, a voice began to echo from the artifact.
-The spider still has four legs left.
-The mission I give you today is to retrieve the old lich’s staff hidden in the sewer.
– No, there’s nothing in the sewer? Impossible!
“By the way, as soon as they heard this, the hounds went and retrieved the rod first. Also, the duke knows a bit too much, proving useful. As soon as his usefulness is exhausted, I’m considering framing him for something.”
To the point that Duke Senestia seemed pitiful.
Naturally, he has a human character.
The natural enemy of the Duke was the Crown Prince…
“Ah, and you, there was some good news, but it’s a bit saddening.”
The Crown Prince placed a document on a desk.
It was the appointment letter for the Chancellor, stamped with the royal seal.
The name ‘Ascal Erindale’ was written on it, but the place for the seal was left blank. As if to say, it’s a yes, only if you come.
Ascal began to sweat a lot.
“Among the long traditions of the Empire, doesn’t the Chancellor, who is appointed during the Emperor’s reign, have to resign when the Emperor abdicates? So, you may have to wait a bit for this.”
The Crown Prince laughed.
“You have to be my Chancellor, not my father’s.”
“When are you planning your ascension to the throne?”
“Ah! Such an impudent remark. The Emperor is still in good health. Maybe some time next year?”
There wasn’t much time left.
One year.
He had to escape within a year.
“And about Siushia, you can just go out of the family register. For example, become the wife of someone of a strong background…… hmm. There is one right in front of me.”
The Crown Prince looked out the window.
From Noble mtl dot com
There, Sushia was fast asleep, leaning against the tree in fatigue after crying herself out.
“Sushia might be a bit naive, but she’s alright. What do you think, Askal? Shall I perform the ceremony?”