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Chapter 366

Joshua came to a halt.

“Did you not see me or are you pretending you didn’t see me? I’m telling you now that I’ll be pretty hurt if it’s the latter,” the woman said.

Joshua chuckled and turned, setting eyes on a beautiful woman with cat-like eyes and impressively red hair.

“Charles.” Joshua grinned.

“And?” Charles narrowed her eyes at him.

“It’s the former. I didn’t know you would be there.”

Charles shrugged lightly. “I’m leading one of the Five Ducal Families, more or less, you know?”

“…His Grace is—?”

Charles cut him off. “Did you know I ended up on a wild goose chase because of you? I put all that effort into making my merchant group stronger, but you ended the war on your own. Who could have expected the war would finish like this?”

“…I didn’t,” Joshua said.

“No one else on the continent would end a war like you.” Charles shook her head.

Joshua was the one who shrugged this time.

“But are you serious?” Charles asked.

“Serious about what?”

“Becoming the emperor.”

Joshua’s silence was enough of an answer for Charles.

“Oh my god.” She covered her mouth with her hands in shock. “You’re serious. Wow, my friend is an emperor…”

Joshua raised his hand to stop her. “Nothing has been decided yet.”

“But the Joshua I’ve seen until now always made it happen if he put his mind to it,” Charles giggled.

Joshua tilted his head. “Is that a compliment?”

“Well, I’m not badmouthing you.”

Joshua smiled faintly and changed the topic, avoiding that line of conversation for the moment.

“How about you?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“The rumors spread all over the continent. Kiser ben Britten openly asked you to marry him, but he only ended up embarrassing himself. You didn’t know Kiser would end up like this at the time, right?” Joshua asked.

Charles’s face darkened. “You mean…”

“From both a personal and objective perspective, I thought that you and he would be a good match. Although he’s in bad shape right now, Kiser is the first in line for the throne.”

Charles looked away. “…He’s not my type.”

“You’re young, but you’re in a position where you lead numerous people. So you can’t really think about your preferences.”

Charles’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to spare him.”

“That’s strange.” Joshua tilted his head. “You talk like I should kill him…”

“Isn’t it a given since you’re going to become the emperor?” she asked, disbelievingly. “You know what happens to the princes who lost in a war of succession, don’t you?”

“Well, I don’t believe in destiny, at least.”

“You’re romantic.” Charles frowned slightly. “Of course, unlike Kaizen, Kiser isn’t the type of person to backstab, but people change. If you don’t eliminate the possibility of trouble beforehand, it’ll turn into a problem and be your problem forever. Do you understand me?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Joshua replied.

“…What?”

“No matter who comes for the throne, I’m certain that I’ll be able to keep it.”

Charles instantly shut her mouth.

“Besides, stagnant water is bound to rot, and power left unchecked becomes corrupted. I don’t think my people will be the exception,” Joshua calmly continued.

“…Your confidence is really…” Charles shook her head in disbelief. “Well, good. I guess that way is more interesting.”

Joshua wasn’t sure what Charles meant.

Charles grinned. “I told you. Do you know how disappointed I was? I made a fine sword that would last for history, but the war ended before I got to swing it. It’s really unfair, so I’m going to swing this sword anyway. Wouldn’t it be a good sword to stabilize our war-torn country and beat up some bad guys?

Joshua chuckled. “Are you okay with that? It’ll be better to use it for your family instead of this country.”

“Didn’t someone say it before? There can’t be a noble family without a country. Anyhow…” Charles put her hands on her hips. “...keep talking. Is that what you really think?”

She got a confused look from Joshua.

“You know, the part about… being a good match,” Charles continued with a slightly reddened face.

“Ah, you mean Kiser’s marriage proposal?”

“Why are you asking me again when you already know what I mean?” Her voice was already high but it rose even higher. “Answer me.”

“…Well…” Joshua slowly said. Charles hung onto every word. “I think I meant it?”

At that moment, Charles’s heart sank.

“I really didn’t think it was going to happen, but how can you be that dense…?” she mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“Forget it. Come to think of it…” Charles beamed, grumpy but mischievous. “Technically, aren’t you better husband material? You’re going to become the emperor. An-and… an empress’s family would become much stronger, naturally…”

Charles trailed off as her embarrassment caught up to her. Joshua grinned back mischievously.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason.” Joshua turned away.

“It’s just that older women aren’t my type,” he teased.

* * *

Joshua didn’t leave the imperial palace right away because he had to drop by somewhere.

The sunny outskirts of the palace were blanketed with flowers in full bloom, even making the thick walls smell like flowers.

“…The magnificent Flower Palace,” Joshua mumbled quietly, glancing behind him.

Ever since he had left the main palace, where the emperor lived, over a hundred of the Auxiliary Battalion’s knights had been shadowing Joshua. They quietly returned his gaze.

“You know you’re being overprotective, right?” Joshua chuckled.

“You can’t stop us,” Cazes firmly asserted.

“Am I so weak that I need over a hundred guards?”

“His Majesty Marcus was a Master and one of the five strongest people in the empire.”

“But he still got attacked, so I should stay still?”

“It’s not only for your safety but also for your prestige. Even a baron is accompanied by at least three guards…”

“Alright, stop it, Cazes” Joshua raised his hand, signaling him to stop. “You became quite a nagger while I was away.”

That finally silenced Cazes.

“Captain,” he said as he took a step back. He gestured for the other knights to do the same.

Joshua tilted his head at him.

“I don’t know if you heard this…” Cazes pondered for a moment, but he shook his head.“…No, you’ll find out soon.”

Joshua didn’t know why Cazes was acting like that—yet.

“Hmm…? I admit that I was too careless until now. As soon as I returned, you never left me alone. Seems to me that you’ve been waiting for this moment,” Joshua said.

Ranger jumped in: “It’s nothing new, Captain. Everyone in the battalion knows that Cazes nags more than our wives.”

“Well, you’re right.”

“Cazes is sometimes scarier than my wife watching me when I change my underpants at home!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

The knights immediately burst into laughter, but Cazes was still serious. “Even if you declare that you’ll usurp the throne, we would have followed you—even if it cost us our lives.”

The air turned serious. The knights stopped laughing as if they’d never laughed in the first place.

Joshua smiled faintly and nudged Cazes’s shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome…”

“And I’m sorry. I never said this, but I’m genuinely and always grateful to everyone here.”

Ranger scowled like he’d spotted a cockroach. “Gosh, what is going on?”

“I got goosebumps.”

“Ah…. I can’t take this.”

Nevertheless, the Auxiliary Battalion’s knights kept smiling.

* * *

As soon as Joshua finally stepped into the Magnificent Flower Palace, he froze.

“Welcome.”

“Why…?” Joshua mumbled.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Despite the welcome, Joshua’s expression remained grim.

“Is that why… Cazes said such a thing?”

In front of Joshua was a woman lying down on her bed. It seemed that the sickly princess didn’t even have the strength to sit up on her own because her ladies-in-waiting had to help her up.

She was the noblest woman in the Empire. Her name was…

“…Sersiarin, weren’t you cured?” Joshua asked.

Sersiarin smiled bitterly. “I guess this is my destiny.”

“That damned destiny…” Joshua quietly gritted his teeth.

He didn’t even have to examine Sersiarin’s state closely because he could clearly sense the state of her vital force.

He knew, without a doubt, that she was dying.

“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. Besides, you put in more effort than anyone else to save me. No… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk like this. My tongue slipped because I’m not used to it yet either…”

Sersiarin slowly opened her golden eyes.

“You…”

“Go. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you?”

Sersiarin’s Eyes of Truth were shining.

Joshua gazed deeply into her eyes for a moment before he turned away. His anger with himself threatened to overflow. He was a fool to think that he had enough power and for thinking that he knew everything.

“…I’ll be back soon.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but it’ll take at least several days to travel to the Agnus Duchy and return, even if you ride a horse…”

“One day is enough,” Joshua firmly stated.

“…Is that so?”

Joshua’s eyes turned cold as he looked at her. He had a week before the ruler of the empire was decided, and he had no time to take a break.

“I need to retrieve something, so… wait for a moment,” he told her.

Sersiarin beamed. Her smile was so bright that it was hard to think that she was dying.

“Yes, I’ll wait,” she said, delighted. “Bring the red spear you’re so famous for. And…”

Her golden eyes met Joshua’s.

“...I, Sersiarin ben Britten, support you, Your Majesty, the great emperor of Avalon.”