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The Imperial Palace was a place where countless legends and tales of the royal family intertwined. This old house was the most representative example: a cursed mansion where all sorts of spooky things happened…

It was very wide, nearly the size of a theme park, and no different from the main building of the Palace. There were even maids, and other attendants readied to greet us. Thanks to this, even the scared Epherene and Ihelm were able to comfortably reach their rooms.

[Room 26]

I unpacked in my assigned room, though I didn’t even have luggage. No, the luggage was already waiting for me here.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

The Emperor sat on the bed and stared at me.

“Yes. Your Majesty’s name is written on the card.”

The name on my card was Sophien Ekater von Jaegus Gifrein. However, it seemed to be pure coincidence. If there were a magical device or a trap, there was no way I wouldn’t be able to see it with my Vision.

“How can you reveal that? Haven’t you played this type of game before? They say that they often do it at the academy these days.”

Sophien shook her head and exhaled a cute sigh.

“By the way, may I ask why you chose this place for the event?”

“It’s, as Jolang said, for reconciliation. Now, the tip of the Empire’s spear will seek the Demon Blood, the desert, and the Altar. It’s the start of a real war. It is common sense to correct our internal politics before that…”

Sophien paused for a moment and placed a finger on her temple. She let out a groan as she clenched her teeth.

“Tsk… damn headache. These days, it’s been growing worse.”

“…”

Sophien was a person who had reached this point by enduring pain. If such a woman was tormented, it must be painful enough for normal people to suffer shock. I approached her silently and put some mana into Vision. I looked into her little head.

“…You’re too close.”

Sophien appeared bewildered as she slowly pulled her head back.

“Stay still for a moment.”

“What-“

“I’m making a diagnosis.”

“…”

「Vision」, eyes that see the invisible. With my growth of mana and mental power, there was nothing that I couldn’t observe.

“…Hmm.”

I could see a small stream of mana flowing from Sophien’s head. It was the mana of Rohakan.

“Deculein. Why did you visit Rohakan’s vineyard?”

Then, Sophien pushed me away.

“It seems that Rohakan’s mana is entangled in my head. Rohakan or not, some kind of magic is blocking some memory in my head.”

Sophien laid back on the bed. She only turned her head to look at me.

“Do you know? What those memories are.”

“Yes.”

“…What?”

Sophien’s brow furrowed.

“I will have to look into Your Majesty’s brain to know the details, but it is a mortal sin to cut the Emperor’s body. However, I think I know what kind of memories Rohakan might have hidden from Your Majesty.”

“…What is it?”

Sophien asked. The expression on her face disappeared, and her voice quieted.

“However, I made a promise to Rohakan.”

“A promise?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“It was a promise to keep it a secret.”

“…”

Sophien shut her mouth sullenly. She turned to the other side of the bed, but I didn’t say anything to her. I just looked out the window of the old house. There was one person outside there.

One-! Two-! Haaaaaaaah-!

At dawn, when most knights would be in their rooms, she was exercising alone by swinging her sword. Julie.

“…Do you like her that much?”

Sophien asked, staring at the wall.

“The one who wants to destroy you.”

“Yes.”

I smiled a little and sat down in the chair next to her.

“But, I won’t be able to be with her.”

“…To be with her?”

As if interested, the Emperor slowly stood. Then, she asked again with a frown.

“Why? Why can’t you be together?”

Haaaaah-! Hah-!

Julie shouted while training, scattering mana.

“I am going to disengage with Julie. Of course, we practically are already, and only the meetings are getting longer, but I’m not going to stay for long anyway.”

“…”

“For her sake, it is right for me to leave the place beside her. And then…”

I raised the card with Sophien’s name on it and handed it over.

“I will protect Your Majesty for the rest of my life.”

The proof of the world, Sophien. She was the most important figure in the main quest, the center of the Empire. If I were to die, it would be right to stay with her until then.

“…”

Sophien’s face went blank for a moment. Before long, however, her cheeks turned red.

“Can you tell me? The reason why Your Majesty suddenly held this event.”

“…Whew.”

She let out another cute sigh. Then, she smirked and sat on the bed.

“…Altar. I have figured out the locations of all the temples scattered throughout the Empire. A total of 397 locations. That damn many.”

“I see.”

“Yes. Now that the event is in progress, important forces, including the royal guard, will be secretly advancing to destroy the temples.”

So, as soon as she finished explaining, a quest notification popped up.

[Main Quest: Beginning of War]

The starting point of the second half. The first war.

“According to Your Majesty, this is probably the most dangerous place in the Empire right now.”

The Altar wouldn’t stand still. A counterattack was sure to happen, and their target would be, of course, Sophien.

“It’s worth taking the risk.”

I preheated the Snowflake Obsidian. Of the nineteen pieces of wood steel, ten were attached to Sophien.

“Your Majesty is too reckless.”

“…Hmph. Rather, it wouldn’t be bad to die like this.”

Sophien spat out irresponsible words. Contrary to that, however, she had prepared for an attack. She had hidden in this old house, this magical space, right now.

“It is a boring and annoying life. It’s a goddamn life where I can’t have the one thing I most want as emperor.”

I chuckled. Sophien looked at me as if asking what I was laughing at, and I knelt beside her as she sat across the bed.

“…Then, Your Majesty’s life.”

I spoke with complete formality.

“I will protect it.”

* * *

──[Rules]──

Don’t walk alone.
Don’t leave the room after sunset.
Don’t be fooled by the mansion.
Keep in mind that the kiosks and restaurants are only open from 8 am to 9 am, 1 pm to 2 pm, and 8 pm to 9 pm.
For other facilities, follow the rules of those facilities.
───────

Early morning.

Julie was looking over the rule board in the common room of the old house. Epherene, with a yawn, was doing the same beside her.

“Haaahm— I don’t know if it’s because it’s morning, but it’s not that scary. All we need to do is not come out at night.”

“Your yawn sounds like a pterosaur.”

“A pterosaur? What is that?”

“Nothing. Rather, the facilities are good as it is the place where Her Majesty is staying. There is also a gymnasium in the basement.”

Though it was supposed to be a cursed old house, the reality felt a bit different. Epherene was also quite amazed. The mattress was too nice.

“This old house is a magical space only a few people know about.”

Two knights appeared behind them: Lawaine and Isaac.

“It is a museum-like space modeled on the appearance of the Imperial Palace where the first emperor stayed.”

Isaac smiled.

“It’s not that dangerous, but it’s always good to follow the rules. Is the restaurant open?”

“Oh, right. Food!”

Epherene exclaimed loudly. Then, she sprinted towards the restaurant.

“Hahaha…”

Isaac, laughing as he watched her go, cleared his expression and looked to Julie.

“Julie. Her Majesty asked for a special petition related to Deculein before the event, and it was confirmed.”

“…Is that true?”

Special petition. In other words, the Emperor’s Hearing was prepared.

“Yes. There is also a judge here. Anyway, this is a map of the old house. Take it. You easily get lost, right?”

“…I’m a bit better.”

Julie took the map while clearing her throat. Julie’s bad sense of direction was like a legend of the old Imperial Knights.

“The hearing will probably take place inside this house. We’ve brought all the evidence…”

Lawaine said.

“We will win.”

“…Yes.”

Julie nodded and clenched her fists. She bit her lower lip. Now, it was time to be firm.

…

—Julie. Her Majesty asked for a special petition related to Deculein before the event, and it was confirmed.

Room 29 in the old house. Epherene returned to her room instead of the dining room, listened to their conversation recorded with her wood steel.

“What kind of petition is it?”

The reason she had to overhear this was, after all, the gift that Sylvia gave her.

[Stupid Epherene. It contains a video for when the Professor is in danger. Give this to that stupid girl, Julie.]

Why did she tell her to give this to Knight Julie? Since she didn’t know the reason, Epherene became suspicious of Julie. Of course, she still didn’t know what the footage contained in this mana stone was. It would be extremely rude to open someone else’s gift in advance.

—The hearing will probably take place inside this old house. We’ve brought all the evidence…

-Yes. Do you have any proof that Deculein killed Veron, Julie?

-Yes.

“!”

Epherene’s eyes shot open. Evidence that he killed Veron? Murder?

—He killed the knight who escorted him to Bercht, blinded by jealousy. If that’s true, even Your Majesty won’t dare to do anything about it. It is also an undeniable fact.

“…”

Epherene’s jaw fell open. He killed the escort knight out of jealousy? If that was true, then he was a mean son of a bitch.

“No. No way. The Professor wouldn’t do that…”

She shut her mouth for a moment and thought about what Deculein had done in the past, his countless evil deeds that were passed down as legend. He was extremely jealous of Julie, loved enough to give everything he had, and was obsessed with her…

—Also, all evidence, including Rockfell’s death, was forwarded to the intelligence agency. All of them were attributed to Deculein.

“…Holy.”

Epherene quickly rummaged through her robe.

Gulp-

She pulled out Sylvia’s gift. She looked at the old and frayed mana stone. And…

Slam-

“…Huh? Epherene, haven’t you eaten?”

Louina returned to the room. Epherene startled and buried herself between the sheets of her bed.

* * *

At the cursed mansion. However, the afternoon in the old house was so peaceful that I couldn’t even think of it as cursed. The sky was clear, and the wind was warm. On the balcony overlooking that calm slice of nature, I was reading a book.

“What is that? Blue Eyes remake?”

Sophien asked from the other side.

“Yes. This is a novel that Sylvia has reworked.”

Sylvia, of course, was still trapped. However, she communicated with several adventurers and delivered the Blue Eyes manuscript to one of them. To be precise, Ganesha, asking her to republish it.

“…Isn’t that the novel that I introduced to you? They remade it.”

“Yes. The author did.”

“It was a well-written novel before too.”

Sophien sighed, sipping tea. The sun slowly set, scattering red below the horizon.

“…?”

And, I saw. Beyond the balcony, the changing scenery. The Imperial Palace was gradually shrinking, and the appearance of the island was gradually changing…

“You don’t have to be surprised, Professor. I told you. This is a cursed old house.”

The scenery outside turned gray, and at the same time, all noise died away. A specter floated up in the mist.

“This old house touches outside of the world.”

Sophien said.

“In other words, it is the underworld. It is said that my ancestors received advice from their ancestors here.”

The mist rippled around us.

“Isn’t it a good place to hide?”