Imperial Capital

I hovered on the threshold between life and death for what felt like an eternity. When I finally managed to crawl back to consciousness, I found myself staring at the ceiling of an unfamiliar room.

"Where... am I?"

"An inn in the Imperial Capital," Fee replied. She was sitting faithfully at my bedside.

"What exactly happened? If I recall, the Empire’s First ambushed us and we were wiped out, right?"

"I was the one who was defeated, you know."

I looked past Fee. Leaning against the wall with a stoic expression was the man himself—the Empire's First.

"No, no, there’s no way we had the power to beat you..."

A sharp, stabbing headache cut my sentence short. It felt as if I were missing a piece of the puzzle—or perhaps my mind was simply refusing to remember the trauma.

"If you say you were beaten, then I suppose it must be true," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You don't seem like the type to tell jokes."

"Naturally. I have no taste for humor."

"Putting that aside, why are you here? Shouldn't you be heading back to the palace?"

"What?! I told you that since I lost, I would follow you. Have you forgotten already?"

Apparently, I had made an outrageous contract without even realizing it. Taking a First Rank as an ally meant I would be targeted more than ever by my father, Baran—the Mastermind behind everything.

In the original story, he was the kind of untouchable opponent that the protagonists couldn't defeat alone; they could only take him down by kill-stealing once someone else had weakened him.

He’s not the type of character who suddenly gets nerfed the moment he joins the party, is he?

The thought flickered through my mind for a second. I fought the urge to use Appraisal right then and there. Using a skill like that in the heart of an enemy capital was a one-way ticket to a suspicious interrogation.

"Anyway, what’s the plan? Are we going to see the Emperor?"

"That is the intention. First, I must secure permission for an audience—"

"Unnecessary," First interrupted. "Not while I am here."

I suppose being the highest-ranked warrior in the Empire came with certain perks. To think he could just bypass the bureaucracy...

"Muu... Luna can do it too."

Beside me, Luna puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Come to think of it, we had originally come to the Empire at her request.

"That's true. Luna did say she would guide us from the start. Sorry, First, but I think I’ll rely on Luna this time."

"Leave it to me."

A happy smile broke across Luna's face. For some reason, she took my arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then Elu, her own cheeks puffed out in protest, grabbed my other arm.

"Um... are we really walking like this?"

"Is it... not allowed?" Elu asked tentatively.

Since Elu and I were technically in a "prospective fiancé" arrangement, holding hands wasn't entirely out of place. But what about Luna? I looked down at her. With her small stature, I could only see her as a younger sister, much like Sasha. It probably just looked like I was holding her hand so she wouldn't wander off in the crowd.

I couldn't help but let out a dry, weary chuckle.

"Well then, let's get moving."

Unable to bear the sight of First watching us with that unnerving, blank stare while I was flanked by the two girls, I decided to head for the castle immediately.

"Lady Luna and Lord First? And this person is...?" the gate guard asked, his eyes darting between us.

"My master," Luna declared.

"Fiancé?" Elu added.

"Neither of those is correct," I corrected instantly.

The two of them had just dropped a bombshell on the men guarding the castle. I denied it as fast as I could, but the guards seemed to have already bought into their version of the story.

"Then, our congratulations. Have you come to report to His Majesty?"

"Mm. Can we see him?" Luna asked.

"I will inquire at once!"

One of the guards scrambled inside the castle. He returned almost immediately.

"His Majesty the Emperor will grant you an audience. Please, follow me."

We were ushered into the castle without delay. The Audience Chamber was a vision of solemn grandeur, draped in luxurious red carpets and flanked by rows of stoic soldiers. At the far end of the hall, a man who could only be the Emperor sat upon the throne. He was glaring at us with a terrifyingly intimidating expression.

...Or so it seemed.

"I'm back," Luna said simply.

"Welcome home, Luna! I'm so glad you're safe. Are you hurt? I told you to take this expressionless blockhead, First, with you as an attendant!"

"Didn't need him."

"Quite right. Having a man with a face like a stone wall near you would only be a nuisance."

The moment Luna spoke, the Emperor’s face softened completely, looking for all the world like a doting grandfather. I had suspected Luna held a high position in the Empire, but I was starting to get a very bad feeling about the specifics.

"Now then... First. You are telling me you will serve this boy instead of me?"

"The loser must follow in silence," First replied. "That was the oath, was it not?"

"True. But losing you will significantly diminish the Empire's national strength."

The Emperor turned his gaze toward me, staring intently.

"So. You were called Ruri, weren't you?"

"It’s Yuri, Your Majesty."

I couldn't exactly afford to be rude to the ruler of a superpower. I answered him as respectfully as possible, and the Emperor snapped his fingers in realization.

"Yuri, then. Tell me, do you have any interest in serving me? You have defeated the Empire's First, the Third Rank Puppeteer, the Sixth Rank Swordless, and the Ninth Rank Knight. For someone of your caliber, I could even prepare a title that sits above the First Rank. What say you?"

"I'm honored, but—"

"Yuri is going to be independent," Luna cut in.

"Ho? I see. So that is why the Princess of the Beast Kingdom is at your side."

Wait, has he already deduced my plan to flee to the Beast Kingdom if things go south?

Since I wasn't specifically trying to hide my intentions, I simply nodded.

"Since you have a prior engagement with her, the position of legal wife is likely settled. For a man of your status, a princess is a fitting match," the Emperor mused. "However, that leaves me in a dull position. I would be handing over my First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth ranks for nothing."

No, wait, those people just started following me of their own accord!

"I have it. It would be a poor showing for a man to have only one wife while establishing his own nation. What about Luna? That was the reason she came back to report, wasn't it?"

"Mm. It's a decided matter," Luna added.

Don't just decide my life for me!

Still, a connection to the Empire was a massive asset given my current situation. Refusing outright and triggering an all-out war would be a disaster.

"...How about we revisit this later?" I suggested, trying to stall. "If Luna is still interested once I’ve actually achieved my independence, then we can discuss it?"

A person’s heart is a fickle thing. Especially in Luna’s case—we’d only just met. It wouldn't be surprising if she moved on to someone else in a few months. For now, kicking the can down the road was my best move.

"Very well," the Emperor said with a nod. "Indeed, one requires immense power to break away from a nation and stand alone. I shall lend you whatever aid you require, so do not hesitate to rely on me."

Wait, he makes it sound like I'm about to declare war on the Kingdom of Inraku.

I just want to live a peaceful life, you know?