Bright and cheerful.
Accompanied by the smiling Sylvia.
I was finally able to enter the Imperial Palace.
“I have returned with Count Vermont.”
“Proceed.”
As the messenger called my name, the front gate opened immediately.
There were no special procedures or inquiries.
It seems the rumor that Empress Vanessa is waiting for me is indeed true.
“At this time, Her Majesty would have finished a light meal and be engaged in work. It should be either the office or the reading room, so let’s start with the office.”
“Uh… Shouldn’t we be going to a reception room or an audience chamber?”
“Usually, that would be the case, but Her Majesty has made an exception for Count Vermont. She said it’s fine to guide you directly without notifying her of your visit, so I will do that.”
“…Why is that?”
“Her Majesty sensed a ‘like-minded’ smell from Count Vermont, noting that you avoid pretense to an extent and clearly pursue practicality.”
“…”
I was baffled.
Even though I dislike the pompous behavior and am a practical person, I am definitely not like the Empress.
Despite that, I’m being guided not to a grand audience chamber showing the Empress’s majesty but to the office.
There’s no romance. No romance at all.
“Your Majesty. I have brought Count Vermont.”
“Ah. Let him in.”
Creeeak, the door opened.
A woman with disheveled hair and glasses appeared.
With dark circles under her eyes, she was absorbed in paperwork.
Could that be Empress Vanessa?
I almost didn’t recognize her.
Despite the glasses and the unkempt appearance, her beauty shone through enough for me to finally recognize her.
“I’m sorry. I’m meeting you in this state. Please understand. There are many chairs, so sit wherever you like. It’s even fine if you want to lie down.”
“No. I’ll stand.”
If I sit, her face will be blocked by the desk.
“Your workload seems heavy.”
“It is indeed.”
“Is it always like this?”
“Not always, but only until the end of this month. Normally, I should be enjoying tea time after a meal, but I’ve had to cut down all the maggots eating away at the country. Since I can’t paralyze the work until a successor appears, I’m taking on the job myself instead of letting the frustrated managers handle it.”
So, she’s someone who acts because she’s frustrated.
She can’t tolerate the corruption.
But she also can’t leave everything to those who lack both conscience and ability.
She’s living a truly exhausting life.
Seeing her suffer through the heavy workload, I feel a bit of kinship.
But still, the Empress and I are not completely the same.
The Empress tries to do everything herself, while I delegate some tasks to Sylvia.
I am very aware of my own limitations, so I can’t practice the “I’ll act because I’m frustrated” approach.
“Ah. Have you heard why I wanted to see you?”
Thump.
Vanessa set down her pen and removed her glasses.
As she let her roughly braided hair fall, her long hair draped down.
In an instant, she returned to her usual image of the Empress.
Her piercing gaze seemed to penetrate my thoughts and make me feel uneasy.
“Yes. You want to request something from Vermont Security…”
“That is true, but the comment about suspecting your self-made plot was merely a joke to get you here. Don’t worry about it. You seem like a very boring and heavy-bottomed man, so I took a tough stance to avoid waiting forever.”
“…”
She already figured out my personality.
If it wasn’t something major, I would have made all sorts of excuses to delay coming to the palace.
This woman seems to have already learned how to handle me.
I swallowed nervously.
“Really, is it okay if I refuse?”
“Do I really look like a tyrant who handles people with a whip?”
Yes.
That’s how it looks.
I briefly imagined the Empress wielding a whip. Hmm. It suits her well.
“An empire ruled by tyranny may seem peaceful on the surface, but it cannot last long. I want to make a deal with you on equal terms. I want to entrust a task that only Vermont Security can handle to you, so you may ask me for any favor. I will grant whatever you request.”
“…”
My mouth fell open, and I was momentarily speechless.
Anything?
Really? Does that include asking if I can have just one favor?
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ senses a lowly aura and glares.]
That can’t be.
I need to stick to my principles.
Besides, this is a rare opportunity, and I can’t waste it for a momentary satisfaction.
I wondered if I could use this chance for a difficult situation with the Empress.
“Is it possible to defer the request and receive it in the form of a wish?”
“Not possible. If it’s not a request I can grant on the spot, then it cannot be done.”
That trick was blocked.
I guess I need to come up with something right now.
There’s no avoiding it, but it’s a topic that inevitably requires a lot of caution.
“Don’t hesitate. I am making an unreasonable request, entrusting a task to a newly established security company. You may make an unreasonable request in return. No, you may even make a somewhat rude request.”
The Empress showed a deadly smile.
A rude request?
Was she just baiting me? Is it really okay to ask for ‘that’?
‘No. Endure it.’
I overcame the Empress’s temptation with superhuman patience and parted my lips.
“Then, before I make my request, may I ask one question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you know the whereabouts of a chunk of Neomium, the size of a fist, which has not been found in any auction or black market records since it disappeared ten years ago?”
“…I know.”
The Empress’s expression hardened.
Sylvia’s body twitched and shivered for a moment.
Did she sense some sort of aura only a veteran knight could detect?
“The item has always been monitored by the Imperial Family, so I couldn’t possibly not know about it. If I didn’t, the Intelligence Department would have to be disbanded as of that day.”
“In that case, I would like to make the location of the Neomium chunk the condition for the transaction.”
“May I ask the purpose of its use?”
“Purely for academic research.”
“…”
Silence fell in the room.
Sylvia’s face, straining to remain calm, turned pale, and cold sweat dripped down her face.
She must be thinking I’ve lost my mind.
‘I’m not lying. The rest will be judged by Empress Sister’s Spirit’s Eye.’
But this isn’t a gamble.
The Spirit’s Eye, capable of seeing through human emotions. I know that Vanessa has an exceptionally skilled Spirit King’s Eye embedded in her eye sockets.
Even if it looks like a blatant lie on the surface.
In Vanessa’s eyes, it would appear as if I am telling the absolute truth.
Naturally.
Because I am indeed speaking only the truth.
Except for the slight nervousness I am feeling.
Vanessa’s eyes would not detect anything unusual.
“I will not eat you. There is no need to be so frightened.”
“I-I was never frightened.”
“Ah. Academic research, huh. It seems there is no falsehood in that statement. Very well. If you complete the request, in addition to the reward, I will inform you of the location of the Neomium chunk.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty…”
The Empress looked at me with a smirk, as if she was truly enjoying herself.
I bowed my head and hid my expression.
Damn it.
The Spirit King’s Eye is too good.
It’s scary in a different way than when I was with Irene. Irene’s fear came from physical threats like high heels or nails flying at me.
Empress Sister exudes an inexplicable pressure that’s impossible to refuse.
It’s a peculiar aura that makes one feel completely immobilized.
“Now, shall we discuss the request?”
“Yes. Please, tell me.”
“The destination is the North. Ester.”
Ester, in the North.
It’s a fortress city built to prevent the annual monster rampages.
Currently, the command of Ester is held by the only Archduke of the Empire.
Empress Vanessa’s uncle, Richard Friedrich.
“With a monster rampage imminent, before it starts, the Archduke’s youngest daughter must be evacuated to the capital. I would like Vermont Security to be responsible for her protection.”
“The Archduke’s youngest daughter is a member of the royal family, isn’t she? Wouldn’t it be better if the Knights took charge of the protection?”
“If possible, I would have done that. But there is a problem.”
The Empress massaged her temples and tilted her head as if it were a bothersome issue.
A problem? I started to feel tense.
‘Could it be because of friction with the Archduke?’
Recently, rumors have been circulating about discord between the Empress and Archduke Richard.
It’s said that the Empress sent her uncle, which could hinder her politics, to a cold, monster-infested land.
And there are rumors that the Archduke, who wields immense power locally, is planning to amass troops and march into the capital.
‘Is this an order to take a hostage…!?’
If that’s true.
Is my mission to abduct the Archduke’s youngest daughter?
Will I be joining the political struggle on the side of the Empress?
After some time with my lips trembling.
The Empress spoke.
“She has grown up spoiled and has started throwing unreasonable tantrums. She said she would not leave Ester unless the guards are children of her own age. The Archduke, who raised her, is also struggling to meet that demand, which is why it’s a mess.”
“…Yes?”
“I know that the list of employees at Vermont Security includes your capable sl*ves. Please. Calm and persuade the Archduke’s youngest daughter and bring her safely to the capital.”
“…”
I was dumbfounded.
So, it wasn’t about a political struggle.
It was just a matter of dealing with a spoiled child’s tantrum…?!
