The Emperor gave his permission.
I maintained a faint smile and nodded.
I had a pretty good idea of what was running through the Emperor’s mind. He was probably thinking that if I took something from the Imperial Treasury, it would be related to archery—because what else would I want?
Besides, if it was just going to languish in the Imperial Treasury, he might as well use it to look generous. No point letting good treasure go to waste, especially if you can get credit for it.
He really shouldn’t be so quick to assume, though.
Not that I need to worry for him.
Imagine worrying about the Emperor’s finances—truly the most pointless pastime imaginable.
“Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty.” I bowed my head as I spoke.
Things had turned out well enough, thanks to the Monster Wave, but this hadn’t been my plan from the start.
Originally, I’d intended to expose the relationship between the Lord of Miphra and the Empress, win the Emperor’s trust that way, and then, as a grand finale, present the Mithril and request access to the Imperial Treasury.
But I’d lost the need for such theatrics.
Because I’d stopped the Monster Wave in the Barony, the Emperor was obliged to reward me. And with the Mithril thrown in, there was no reason for him not to open the Imperial Treasury.
In other words, I didn’t need to reveal the Lord and the Empress’s affair just yet.
Of course, I’d tell the Emperor someday, but that day didn’t have to be today.
It wasn’t as if telling him now would get me a bigger reward.
It’s foolish not to use the information you have, but it’s even more foolish to accept one reward when you could get two.
I allowed myself a tiny smile, thinking of the reward I’d claim with this information in the future.
Just then, the Emperor tucked the Mithril into his robes and gave an order to the Head Chamberlain.
“Show Sir Louis to the Imperial Treasury.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“For security… Yes, assign the Second Knight Commander. Sir Raym is trustworthy.”
With that, the Emperor rose.
I followed the Head Chamberlain out of the Audience Chamber.
“Please wait here a moment.” The Head Chamberlain addressed me, then vanished somewhere.
After only a short while, the Head Chamberlain appeared, this time accompanied by the Second Imperial Knight Commander.
“So, His Majesty put me in charge of security?”
“He said you were trustworthy, Sir Raym.”
“Haha! I suppose that’s true. That’s why he keeps sending me to Count Timber’s House, isn’t it? Because of the whole business with the Demonkin—”
“Sir Raym.”
Just as Sir Raym was letting out a booming laugh, the Head Chamberlain cut him off with a chilly gaze.
Sir Raym promptly shut his mouth and scratched his head, mumbling, “Ah… That was careless of me.”
“I think it best you exercise caution. There isn’t a single place in the Imperial Court without ears.”
“Ugh… Got it.” Sir Raym sighed, recognizing his mistake
I tilted my head, watching Sir Raym with curiosity.
Count Timber’s House… That must be the one right next to Harris Barony.
Come to think of it, it was odd for the Imperial Knights to be stationed all the way out in the hinterlands.
At the time, I’d assumed it was because the Count’s corruption had been exposed, but now it seemed there was more to it.
Before I went back in time, it was just a matter of corruption.
I knew all about Timber County’s misdeeds. After all, the Emperor himself had sent the Imperial Knights to wipe out the family. That was hardly the sort of incident one could forget.
So there’s more to this than meets the eye.
I glanced between the Head Chamberlain and the Second Imperial Knight Commander, lost in thought.
But right now, the Imperial Treasury was what mattered. The rest could wait until later.
Resolving to look into it another time, I shook off my musings.
Just then, the knight commander, still smarting from his scolding, clapped me on the back and said, “All right. Let’s head right for the Treasury. I’m sure you’re pressed for time yourself.”
Well, I certainly wasn’t going to argue with that.
I nodded and replied, “Let’s go.”
No sooner had I nodded than Sir Raym broke into a broad grin and strode off.
We walked for a while, until eventually, we arrived at the doors of the Imperial Treasury.
“I’ll wait here. Go in and come out when you’re done.” Sir Raym unlocked the Treasury as he spoke.
“Aren’t you coming in with me?”
“No need. If you try to take more than one thing, the alarm will go off anyway.”
…So there’s Demonkin magic on this place too?
I blinked in surprise, while the knight commander simply shrugged and said nothing more.
Hah… I suppose they have money to burn.
Suppressing a hollow laugh, I opened the Treasury doors.
Creeeak. A deep, weighty hinge groaned from within the Treasury.
Listening to that sound, I exclaimed slowly in wonder. “Amazing.”
It wasn’t the hinges that left me speechless. I was simply overwhelmed by the treasures inside the Imperial Treasury.
If I hadn’t already decided what to take, I’d have wasted an absurd amount of time here.
I’ll have to come back another time.
Promising myself a future visit, I began to walk through the Treasury.
It was overflowing with treasures. From rare elixirs, to legendary weapons, to luxury goods with enough history to fill a museum.
Every last one was the sort of thing where the price depended entirely on who was asking.
But I was just looking, not reaching for a single item. After all, I’d already decided what I would take the moment I planned to come here.
How much time passed like that, I couldn’t say.
Eventually, I stopped in front of a piece of equipment and let a grin curl my lips.
“Found it.”
* * *
When I came out of the Treasury, Sir Raym asked me a question, his face a picture of utter bafflement.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
And who could blame him?
The item I brought out was nothing more than a leather bracer, the sort archers use to protect their arms from a bowstring.
Not even a bow—just a plain bracer.
I’d be lucky if he didn’t mark me a fool who couldn’t take advantage of a golden opportunity.
Sure enough…
“Hrm… It’s a historic item, I’ll grant you, but I don’t see why you’d pick this of all things,” Sir Raym muttered, letting out a quiet sigh.
But there was no undoing it now, which was all the more reason not to argue about it.
Sir Raym waved his hands about and finally said, “You must have your reasons. Do as you will.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“…Not that it matters. You went and brought out something like that.”
Sir Raym kept grumbling, shaking his head. He probably thought I’d just thrown away my chance at fortune.
But that’s only something you’d say if you didn’t know the truth. This bracer was, after all, one of the Divine Archer’s possessions.
I absolutely have to get this.
I eyed the leather bracer on my arm, glee tugging at my lips.
Before my regression, my master had entrusted this leather bracer to me.
Aside from being made from ogre hide, it was otherwise unremarkable.
But there was one thing—a reason I needed it, no matter what.
A skill. A chance to claim a new skill of the Divine Archer.
Thinking of the ability I’d just acquired, I smiled in satisfaction.
I never expected this skill to appear, but now that it had, my plans for the future were looking much brighter.
I gave the leather bracer a fond pat and followed the knight commander.
With everything settled, it was about time to head back.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the Emperor’s private chamber, the Emperor and the Chancellor were deep in conversation.
“What’s become of House Timber?”
“Soon, it’ll be known that they were wiped out for rebellion.”
“That’s a small mercy, at least,” the Emperor muttered, sighing.
The state of the continent was, to put it mildly, not ideal.
The Demonic Realm, which had been lying dormant for decades, was beginning to stir. And here and there, tokens of the Demonkin were starting to surface within the continent itself.
The accursed age of war was upon them, creeping closer with each passing day.
“What did Sir Raym say? Did he find anything odd about the monster that showed up in the Barony?”
“He said he didn’t. Thinks it might have been a natural occurrence, but I’m not convinced myself.”
“Is there even a chance a Kobold Lord could arise naturally?” the Emperor wondered quietly, his face twisted in a wry grimace.
In truth, everyone knew what all this signaled: an invasion by the Demonkin.
“…How long do you estimate?” the Emperor asked.
“If we’re unlucky, it could be as soon as a year. If we’re lucky, perhaps three years before the invasion.”
“If I station my personal Master-ranked knights in the Demonic Realm, how much time could that buy us?”
“…I’m afraid it wouldn’t help, Your Majesty. If your knights leave, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Second Prince would likely plunge the Empire into civil war.”
Hearing the Chancellor’s prediction, the Emperor’s face twisted in a grimace, and he spat out a sigh.
A civil war, at a time like this, with the continent in such a state?
They were his own children, but honestly, he found them utterly disappointing.
“…At least, thanks to the Mithril the Young Lord of Berg brought, we might be able to catch our breath.”
“Indeed, it was a stroke of fortune,” the Emperor agreed, drawing the lump of Mithril ore from his robes.
Mithril—the metal destined to make the Empire great.
With this, the Empire could rise to become the continent’s strongest power.
It should even hold off the Demonkin’s assault.
The Emperor steadied his breath and rubbed his forehead.
While keeping the neighboring countries in check, he also had to fend off the Demonkin stirring in the Demonic Realm.
In that sense, the Mithril mine was the best possible solution.
If the Imperial knights were outfitted head to toe in Mithril arms and armor, no one would dare start a war.
“This should buy us some time,” the Chancellor remarked.
“But not much, I suspect.”
“That’s why you must decide on your successor before then. If we can prevent a civil war, we’ll be able to send the Master-ranked knights to the Demonic Realm.”
“…Indeed, I must.” The Emperor managed a bitter smile.
Watching him, the Chancellor let out a sigh.
Still… he hasn’t forgotten that child.
The Chancellor’s thoughts drifted to the prince who had died long ago. The child His Imperial Majesty had cherished most of all.
After losing that singularly brilliant child, the Emperor had lived in a kind of gloom that made one wonder if this was what it meant to be alive only because one hadn’t managed to die.
His Majesty has just barely managed to forget. I can’t let him be reminded now.
With a worried glance, the Chancellor hurried to change the subject. “By the way, what do you think of the Young Lord of Berg? I hear he uses a bow, not a spear.”
“So I’ve heard. Haven’t seen it myself, but apparently he’s rather good with it.”
“In that case, why not make sure he owes us a favor? He did save the Barony of Harris and handed over Mithril, after all. That should be reason enough.”
“Hmm… So you think entry to the Treasury isn’t enough?”
“Wouldn’t most people say that visit was deserved anyway? Why not grant him a title?”
A title.
The child of a noble house was, technically, a noble—and yet, not truly. The difference, as always, came down to one thing: whether or not they held a title.
Take Louis, for instance. People called him the Young Lord of Berg or Sir Louis, but never Baron Louis or Viscount Louis.
“Hmm… So you want to make a hero out of him.”
“Exactly. That way, wouldn’t we have someone useful to call on later?”
“That does make sense.”
“A barony that can’t be inherited should be sufficient.”
“Hmm.” The Emperor nodded, accepting the Chancellor’s suggestion. If it wasn’t a hereditary barony, the other nobles wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss.
“So be it,” he said.
“Yes, Your Majesty. And with that as your excuse, you could send the Grand Duke to the Demonic Realm. After all, the Young Lord of Berg is said to be engaged to the Duke’s daughter.”
“…So you’re saying there’s no need for two heroes.”
“The Grand Duke must be the hero who is sacrificed.”
A hero meant to be sacrificed.
The Emperor closed his eyes, picturing the Grand Duke of Praha.
Then finally, he agreed. “Yes, I suppose that’s how it must be.”
“There’s no other way. He may be the Empire’s sword, but he’s a sword that would cut down even its master.”
“A man whose very existence threatens the Imperial Family… Fate really does have a wicked sense of humor.” The Emperor let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.
And so, the Grand Duke’s journey to the Demonic Realm was decided.