Dinner Party

Once my talk with the Emperor concluded, I was ushered directly to the dining hall for some reason.

Frankly, I wanted to head back to the inn immediately.

Every king I’d met seemed to have the same idea: ignore everything I said and try to foist a daughter on me, operating under the assumption that I would soon be establishing an independent nation.

I understood why the Beast Kingdom wanted to cooperate with the Kingdom of Inraku, given the disparity in their national power. But the Empire was different—they were clearly the stronger of the two.

A lot of that came down to the overwhelming power of the Single Digits. Perhaps the Emperor only felt he had no choice but to accommodate me because the First Rank had pledged his cooperation.

Then there was the strategic location of my territory. Although Alf Town was poor in resources, it sat at a crucial junction bordering four different countries. If the Empire stayed on my good side, trade would be far easier for them. They likely had that ulterior motive as well.

I was still technically the son of Duke Lousouth. From a political standpoint, I suppose a marriage to either a princess or another duke’s daughter was inevitable, but—

Luna sat to my right, Elu to my left, and Fee sat directly across from me. It was a three-way standoff. With the Emperor and Empress watching us with indulgent smiles, I couldn’t even tell what the food tasted like.

“I am glad to see our granddaughter doesn't seem to mind the arrangement,” the Empress said, her eyes warm and gentle.

“Mm. I worked hard,” Luna replied.

“Wait, was I not even allowed a veto?” I whispered to Luna.

I’d come to the Empire because they promised me a reward, and now it had turned into a straight-up engagement talk. In the first place, the fact that this kind of formal setting had been arranged meant that Luna’s status was—

“My grandchild is fortunate to be accompanied by a man of such caliber—one who can even defeat the Empire’s First,” the Emperor added.

“Naturally.”

“No, it’s not like I defeated him all by myself…”

“Is the ability to lead such powerful comrades not a strength of your own?”

“If you put it that way, I suppose it is, but…”

I was eventually talked into a corner. The plan for my engagement to Luna remained firmly in place.

Once we finished the meal, the Emperor spoke to me again, his tone shifting.

“I have a request that requires your particular strength. Would you hear me out? To be honest, I have been searching for someone powerful specifically for this matter.”

Hearing those words, I recalled a certain event from the Original Game. It was one of the factors that led to the Empire’s decline after the Mastermind defeated the First Rank.

Deep within the Empire, a being was sealed—one of the post-game "completionist" elements that possessed power potentially exceeding even the Final Boss. Centuries ago, the First Emperor and the original Single Digits had challenged it, only barely managing to seal it away. That battle had been the catalyst for the creation of the Ninth and the reason the Empire became a Meritocracy.

If I remember correctly, the Former Demon Lord turned into an Undead out of a lingering grudge against the Hero and was now targeting the original Hero Party.

To anyone unrelated to that history, it was nothing but a major nuisance. However, since the story of the Original Game hadn't even started yet, the seal shouldn't be breaking for quite some time.

“Actually, there is a certain Monster sealed within this Empire.”

“I-I knew it. An Undead…”

“Undead? What are you talking about? It is a Dragon that is sealed.”

“Eh?”

I had never heard of an event like that. Or rather, just how many Monsters did this Empire have sealed away?

“Why bring this to us?”

“Well, is there not a Dragon Slayer among your companions? Moreover, I heard reports that you assisted in a Dragon Subjugation in Nobleburg—even if that turned out to be a false alarm. The timing is so perfect that I can only assume it was ordained by the gods.”

Oh, so it’s just a Dragon.

I did happen to need a large Magic Stone right about now.

“I understand. I’ll investigate and see if it’s something we can handle.”

“Umu, I leave it to you. It is late. We shall discuss the details tomorrow.”

“Dear,” the Empress interjected, “you must mention that other matter as well.”

“Ah, that is right.”

It seemed there was still more. The Emperor’s expression turned even more solemn than when he was talking about the Dragon.

Is it finally time for the talk about the Former Demon Lord?

As the Emperor’s face darkened, I braced myself and swallowed hard.

“Could you perhaps Renovate the facilities of this castle? Much like you did for the Mercenary Guild in Nobleburg?”

“Eh?”

Come to think of it, I’d been doing all sorts of Renovations under the guise of ‘cleaning.’ Word of that must have leaked to the Emperor from somewhere.

“Yuri-sama… what on earth is he talking about?”

Fee was smiling at me from across the table. It was terrifying.

“N-No, I have absolutely no idea…”

“I have received reports of you constructing a Hot Spring in the basement, creating ‘mysterious toilets,’ and building boxes that keep rooms comfortable even in the freezing cold,” the Emperor continued.

You’re saying too much…!

The highlights vanished from Fee’s eyes.

“W-Wait, Fee. I can explain. Look, I was with you almost the entire time, right? There’s no way I could have done something without you knowing.”

“…There was one day we were apart. The day you left things to Fritz.”

“T-Then it’s Fritz’s fault! Right. Fritz, get over here and sit in seiza—”

“Both of you! Seiza, now!”

““Y-Yes, ma’am!””

For some reason, Fritz and I were forced to kneel in seiza on the dining hall floor. I watched as Emilina leaned over and whispered something into Fee’s ear.

“I see… if I make them eat my Cooking, they’ll really reflect on what they’ve done…?”

the moment I heard Fee’s chilling monologue, both of us slammed our heads against the floor in a desperate kowtow.

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