[61]
Sena was in a good mood today.
There hadn’t been many times he felt good after seeing his shortened lifespan, but today was one of those times.
Today, there was a good reason.
Finally, it seemed he could go outside.
“Really?”
Sena followed closely behind Astria, who was heading toward the garden, and spoke excitedly.
“I’m not lying.”
“But you didn’t keep your promise about not eating the cake.”
Astria, with a narrowed gaze, gestured towards somewhere.
“Can you see that building over there?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve locked up a few people there. Do you want to be locked up too?”
“No.”
“Then stay quiet.”
“Yes, yes.”
Sena, looking slightly dissatisfied, glared at Astria before diverting his gaze elsewhere.
‘Every day is different.’
They say the speed of the imperial palace is a step ahead of the world’s clock hands, and it was true.
Decorations that were there just yesterday were gone, and new people who hadn’t been there before appeared.
The failed rebellion. The regained control. The shift in manpower. All of it could be felt happening quickly.
”
“Elundir.”
On the way to the garden, they encountered a group of magicians. How did Sena know they were magicians? Because of their robes.
When he was attending the academy, he wanted to get one because it looked cool, but it was out of the question. Those robes, although they looked simple, were incredibly expensive.
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
The white-haired magician bowed deeply. Astria smiled and said.
“Good to see. Keep working hard until you die.”
“For these four years.”
“Was it Sena who granted you that time?”
“It seems like it’s been longer.”
Elundir gazed at Sena with a nostalgic look.
“The time you’ve given me, I’m using it well. If you need anything, just let me know.”
Sena had a connection with Elundir. They met by chance, but isn’t that how human relationships work?
Anyway, he was a reliable grandfather figure. Archmage Elundir could really create anything. Getting this medicine was also thanks to Elundir’s help.
“I need a lot of things. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Hahaha. Don’t overwork an old man too much.”
Elundir patted Sena with his wrinkled hand. A child just like a grandchild. Sometimes he wondered what it would have been like if Sena really was his grandchild.
“Elundir, is the recruitment of magicians going well?”
Elundir straightened his back.
“Managing what we have now is already a struggle. Please don’t hate magic too much.”
“It depends on your actions.”
“You are truly mischievous, Your Majesty. Isn’t that right?”
“Absolutely.”
“You must have a hard time.”
“You have no idea.”
“Hahaha.”
Astria squinted her eyes. But no matter how reckless she was, she didn’t nitpick the minor rudeness of a loyalist who had protected the empire long before she was born.
“Since we’ve met, why don’t you show off some of your skills?”
“My humble skills, Your Majesty?”
Humble, yet he was the only Archmage in the Empire.
“Yes. Sena is going outside. Cast a spell that might help if it becomes dangerous.”
“Hahaha. For Sena?”
Elundir looked at Sena intently. He awkwardly smiled and hid behind Astria.
“I don’t think it will be necessary.”
“What?”
Elundir smiled.
“A spell to find the way would be good. Sena often gets lost. He should at least know where to come back to.”
Lemon-colored magic flowed from Elundir’s body. The enchanting color entered Sena’s body. He looked at his hands. He didn’t feel much different.
“For a while, no matter how difficult the path, she should be able to find it quickly.”
Of course, Astria had wanted a more direct protection spell rather than one to find the way back.
But she decided to respect Elundir’s choice. A genius of the century surely had his reasons.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.”
With that, Elundir and his group disappeared, leaving just the two of them again.
“Let’s go.”
At Astria’s command, Sena began to walk.
“By the way, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
“Why do you always walk alone, Your Majesty?”
Sena suddenly wondered. Elundir, whom they had just seen, moved around with several people, but Empress Astria always traveled with the bare minimum of attendants.
“I am walking with you.”
Astria answered briefly.
“Seriously, tell me.”
“More importantly, do you know where we are going right now?”
Astria deliberately changed the subject.
‘She doesn’t want to talk about it.’
It seemed like there was a reason, so Sena decided not to press further.
“The garden.”
“Wrong.”
“…No?”
“We’re going to the treasure vault.”
“What business do we have in the treasure vault…?”
“To put you in it.”
“Wow, thank you for considering me a treasure… wait, what?”
Sena trembled. Astria grinned.
“Just kidding.”
Astria’s jokes never felt like jokes. They made his heart drop.
‘You really have a bad personality.’
If possible, Sena wanted to fix this golden child’s personality too.
**
On the way to the treasure vault, Sena kept stumbling.
He wanted to walk straight, but he kept bumping into Astria despite his best efforts.
‘I probably won’t get used to this until I die.’
A body that had once deteriorated never fully recovered. No matter what herbs were used, the balance issues couldn’t be fixed, so occasionally he staggered.
At that moment, when Sena staggered again.
“Why do you keep bumping into me?”
Astria gently embraced Sena from behind and whispered in his ear.
Sena gulped, swallowed dryly, and tried to respond as calmly as possible.
“I often bump into people when I walk with them.”
“Really?”
Astria looked at the top of Sena’s head with interest but didn’t say anything further.
“Then we can do this.”
Astria took Sena’s hand. The soft touch made Sena’s pupils enlarge.
“From now on, let’s walk holding hands.”
Not immune to such gestures, Sena’s face quickly turned red.
His heart rate sped up. If he diagnosed this condition himself, it would be called the sickness of excitement.
Astria was definitely not good for his terminally ill heart.
“Th-that aside, it seems like we’re almost there. Please tell me now.”
“Tell you what?”
“Why are we going to the treasure vault? Please don’t make scary jokes about putting me in it.”
“You think it’s a joke?”
“Y-Your Majesty.”
“Well, today, instead of putting something in, we’re here to take something out.”
Astria glanced at Sena.
“You never ask for things even when you need them. So I’m going to give you something. Choose whatever you like. Refusal is…”
‘She’ll be difficult again.’
Astria thought that Sena would say, ‘I don’t need anything, it’s fine’, so she was ready to drag him along by force.
“Hurry up!”
Sena was already ahead. The small figure of Sena looked even smaller from the distance.
Astria wore a slightly sour expression.
“If he refuses…”
Contrary to Astria’s worries, Sena was the type to take what he could get.
**
The Empire’s treasure vault he had only heard about.
It was beyond anything he could have imagined.
No doubt, just selling one of these would be enough to buy a country.
Weapons and artifacts that could evoke such thoughts were scattered around carelessly. The empire was indeed wealthy.
“…It’s amazing.”
“Most of these are spoils of war. Some were taken from kingdoms we destroyed, and others were brought by my knights and specially selected to be placed here. Each one is a legendary weapon.”
Astria walked around the treasure vault with her hands behind her back. It always looked the same here. She glanced at Sena with a raised lip.
“Did you know? You are the first person to be allowed into this vault. Not even Chris is permitted here.”
Astria patted Sena once. Sena, looking at the floor, quietly took Astria’s hand. Astria felt like she wanted to have a child.
And so, they walked, hand in hand.
“It’s cold.”
As they went further inside, an unbearable chill enveloped them. Sena tightened his grip on Astria’s hand slightly.
“It’s because of Rirne’s sword.”
“Rirne’s Sword?”
“They say it was made by an ice fairy. I don’t know the details, but that’s one thing the empire originally had. It’s imbued with a miracle that can freeze anything it touches, even briefly. It’s right over there.”
Rirne’s Sword was stored separately. Its blade was blue, and it was encrusted with jewels all over. It might be the most ornate of all the swords here.
For some reason, it reminded Sena of Astria.
“…It’s beautiful.”
“Why, do you want it?”
Sena shook her hands vigorously.
“N-no, of course not.”
‘I knew it was a mistake to accept this.’
He had been confident, but now that he was here, he wanted to run away. Everything he saw was too magnificent to easily say he would take it.
“Oh.”
Then, something caught Sena’s eye. He pointed at it.
Among the ornate swords, a wooden practice sword lay on the ground.
“What is that?”
“…Can’t you tell? It’s a wooden sword.”
Judging by the wear, it was a well-used practice sword. Filled with curiosity, Sena crouched in front of it.
“Why is it here?”
Astria reminisced about the past.
“I’m not sure. I probably forgot and left it there.”
‘…Please organize your things properly.’
He imagined Astria tossing the wooden sword aside after a training session.
“I guess I should throw it away.”
“It’s too precious to throw away.”
“…Don’t be mistaken just because it’s here. It’s just a wooden sword.”
“But it’s proof that you trained hard, Your Majesty.”
Sena found this wooden sword appealing.
Perhaps more than any of the ornate swords here.
So he grabbed the wooden sword without hesitation.
It fit his hand perfectly, probably because he and Astria were of similar height.
He was immensely satisfied.
“I’ll take this.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Astria muttered, bemused.
“Absolutely.”
“Do what you want. Prick.”
To think he couldn’t even take a proper gift.
Astria sighed lightly. Sena smiled brightly.
On their way out of the treasure vault.
“I’ll leave right away then.”
“Yeah.”
“Just so you know, I don’t need any guards. Sylvia is enough.”
“What are you talking about? You don’t need any guards.”
It was the answer he wanted, but Sena felt slightly disappointed.
“That’s because I’m going with you.”
“Oh, I see. Of course, Your Majesty was coming too… wait, what?”
What did he just hear?
Sena turned around. Astria was standing right there. She was holding a sword.
The sword Sena had called beautiful. Rirne’s Sword. She was examining it curiously. Is this really impressive? He wasn’t sure.
“What?”
Astria looked at Sena like a squirrel.
“I said, I’m going with you.”
