Volume 3 Chapter 12 Elopement
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
*Puruun’s Perspective
After finishing his daily duties, His Majesty the Emperor, as usual, paid a visit to my quarters in the harem.
But today, his complexion seemed a little pale, unlike his usual self.
”Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell? You don’t look so good…”
”Oh, Ms. Puruun, please forgive me for worrying you. It’s not so much a health issue, but I have a lot on my mind…”
”I see… Well, here, you should relax…”
”If I could indulge in passionate moments with you like that night, I might be able to relax… Haha, don’t give me that scary look. I’m just joking. It’s a joke… But Ms. Puruun, what I’m about to say next is no joke… Can I secretly bring a woman here?”
”Huh? Your Majesty, if you wish to meet with another woman, perhaps another room would be more suitable…”
”No, it has to be here. Officially, it’s known that I’m spending time with you here…”
”Hmm…”
I couldn’t quite understand, but from his expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking. As I nodded, His Majesty stood up and gave a light whistle.
Suddenly, His Majesty’s figure seemed to wobble before my eyes.
Huh?! Is this a simple gate?
It’s like when the bear man suddenly appeared next to Sir Aaron at the Kashiwagi residence.
And then, a woman appeared before my eyes.
”Your Majesty, I have come as you summoned me,” the woman said, raising her face.
She was a young demon with long black hair and large 2-horned antlers, dressed in all black, exuding an unusual aura, and Puruun could tell she was no ordinary person at first glance.
”I’m sorry, Catherine. I had to call you here. But right now, this place in the harem is the only place in the palace where we can have a private conversation.”
”No problem. If it’s okay with you, I’d be happy to keep you company tonight… but… it seems even the Chief Secretary of the neighboring country is here. Does Your Majesty have such a hobby?”
”Don’t tease me, Catherine. I’m well aware. The reason I want the Chief Secretary to witness this is so that I can vouch for her when I explain the situation to Queen Asuka later.”
”Oh, Your Majesty. What about this person? And who is this witness?” I asked.
”Ah, Ms. Puruun. This person here is Catherine, my personal ninja. In our country, even though the Emperor doesn’t command a large military force, they still have to keep an eye on the various lords, so they’ve been secretly nurturing people like her for generations.”
”I see. So she’s like a special forces agent. But what do you mean by explaining to the Queen?”
”Then, Catherine, please report the current situation to me and the Chief Secretary.”
Prompted by the Emperor, Catherine-san explained the situation.
”What? The gate secured by the joint team of our 2 countries has been taken from our country and fallen into the hands of the opposition forces in this country?! But… shouldn’t His Majesty the Emperor have already investigated this…?”
”Well, it’s quite an embarrassing story, but right now, I’m supposed to be unaware of this. None of the surrounding retainers have reported anything either. It seems that as soon as the technology group was sent to Zerlant, they were already one step ahead… I had you by my side as a precaution for such an eventuality, but… even the surrounding lords I was counting on seem to be changing their attitude now that the opposition forces have the gate…”
Ah, so the situation that His Majesty the Emperor was concerned about is becoming a reality.
Gates are something that hinders calm and objective judgment.
Whoever possesses them believes they can control the gates and the other world according to their will…
”Forgive my words, but… shouldn’t the Emperor’s orders be followed by his retainers?”
”I believe there are those who would, but the situation is such that it might also affect their families and clans.”
”But His Majesty the Emperor, with just one gate… It’s hard to believe that the vassals who have been loyal for so long would turn their backs on him. Is there a reason for this?”
”Many believe that to settle matters with the Spirit Clan, a country bordering Zerlant on the opposite side, we need the technology, knowledge, tools, and weapons of humans. The Spirit Clan has been constantly invading our borders, and driving them out is a long-held wish of our demon race. But this path would drag many humans from another world into the conflict. That’s why I wanted to manage the gate’s operation within our country and control the exchange with the human world…”
Hmm…
Why is His Majesty the Emperor governing with such a weak foundation?!
Well, that’s exactly why His Majesty feared the misuse of the gate.
He intended to manage the gate between our 2 countries and maintain his own regime.
But the gate has already fallen into the hands of the opposition…
”So, Your Majesty the Emperor. What will you do now? Should I request reinforcements from the Queen?”
”No, no. That might very well lead to war between our countries. And I’m like a caged bird here in the Imperial Palace… I’m thinking of going to Duke Suicelma, my uncle, to plead with him directly.”
”Do you think Duke Suicelma will side with His Majesty the Emperor?”
”I’m not sure. But 5 hundred years ago, when my political foundation was weak, it was my uncle who supported me as my guardian and pushed me to become the Emperor. And my uncle’s territory borders the Spirit Clan, right on the front line. If my uncle stands by my side, perhaps the other vassals will follow suit…”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.