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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Meeting the Emperor
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No matter how much he racked his brain, the only answer was the magic stone mine.
"Right."
Majia nodded.
"Thanks to you three little ones, His Majesty the Emperor is in such a good mood he's practically flying to the heavens."
"The Emperor's in a good mood, huh."
"……."
Majia glanced at Nibelria.
"But, kitten."
"Yeah?"
"You know what the Emperor is, right?"
"Of course!"
Nibelria answered proudly.
"Grandma and Grandpa told me a long, long time ago! When the war ends, they'll definitely chop off the Emperor's—!"
Mmph! Mmmph!
Nibelria swatted at Majia's hand clamping over her mouth.
But Solles and Arep had already heard everything.
As the carriage passed through the palace gates, Solles held his little sister's hand and pleaded earnestly.
"His Imperial Majesty is the highest authority in the Empire."
"Isn't Grandma the boss?"
"W-Well, she is, but…."
He nearly wavered, but Solles barely clung to his reason.
If he didn't properly warn Nibelria here, his sister was sure to end up locked in the imperial underground dungeons.
"He's a grown-up. Even Grandma and Grandpa show respect to His Majesty. You know what manners are, right, Nini?"
"Saying hello!"
Nibelria puffed up proudly, insisting she knew full well.
"That's right!"
Solles beamed like a man who'd found enlightenment.
"So we have to greet him properly, okay?"
"Hello!"
"And absolutely no casual speech."
"Attaching 'yo' at the end?"
"Exactly!"
Insisting she had to speak just like that, Solles held out his pinky for a promise.
Nibelria happily hooked her finger with his.
Only then did Solles let out a sigh of relief.
'This should be fine.'
He couldn't expect a four-year-old like Nibelria to greet with something formal like, "I pay my respects to the first sun that illuminates the Empire, His Stern Majesty the Emperor."
All the etiquette she knew was the basic greeting from kindergarten.
On top of that, she treated a great witch over ninety like a friend and bossed around the Magic Tower Lord who'd lived two hundred years like he was her subordinate.
The Magic Tower Lord had even gotten spanked.
Yet no one could call Nibelria rude.
The youngest daughter of a meritorious noble house.
One of the heirs who would inherit Lubeo in the future.
And the granddaughter of a Saintess.
Besides, there were no girls in the imperial family around Nibelria's age.
In other words, Nibelria was the highest-ranking underage female noble in the Drameno Empire.
Though she herself had no clue.
"Arep, you heard that, right? We have to greet His Majesty properly!"
"Yes. Say hello, right?"
"Arep's so smart! But if you're scared, just tell me. Got it?"
"Yes."
Nibelria taught Arep what she'd just learned.
He'd already overheard from the side and learned even more polite etiquette at the academy, but Arep simply nodded agreeably.
Thud.
A large hand came down on Solles's head as he watched.
It was Majia.
"You've got it rough."
"It's not that bad. She listens to me pretty well."
"True. They'd only follow someone like you."
Majia muttered that no one else would get through to them.
"Hehe…."
Delighted by the words, Solles grinned like any kid his age.
The Imperial Palace sat atop the highest hill in the capital, Huangseong.
Carriages streamed endlessly along the hill road with a clear view of the entire city.
For every dozen entering the palace, a dozen were leaving. It was crowded from early morning, with long lines forming to enter.
But Nibelria's carriage slipped right in without issue.
The Emperor had ordered that the Magic Tower Lord's carriage be admitted immediately.
"So many carriages…!"
Nibelria, who'd poked just her eyes out the window to peer outside, murmured.
Seeing the Imperial Palace for the first time and all the unfamiliar people, she was starting to get shy.
Then she looked up at Majia with a 'what do I do?' face.
Majia sat her straight beside him and said,
"Come to think of it, you've never visited the palace, have you, kitten?"
"Nope."
Nibelria's range of movement was surprisingly limited.
Home or kindergarten.
The Degladis estate once in a blue moon.
And she wasn't the type to ask to go out first.
"But she loves outings."
Whenever she did go out, though, a guardian was mandatory.
"Magic Tower Lord. Where do we get off? Primus Palace?"
"A bit further. His Majesty the Emper—"
Majia, about to say "the Emperor," glanced at Nibelria. She blinked her round eyes at him.
"…His Majesty will be waiting for you at Tertius Palace."
Solles's eyes went wide at that.
Arep asked,
"Bro. What's Tertius Palace? And Primus? Pri…."
"Primus Palace."
Solles explained patiently.
"The palace has many buildings, but only four are called 'palaces.' Two of them are the Primus and Tertius Palaces we just heard about…."
Primus Palace meant the first palace—the first building you saw upon entering.
The most iconic one people thought of when imagining the Imperial Palace, where imperial administration was handled.
Various government offices and officials bustled there, receiving visitors as well.
Secundus Palace, the second, housed the Emperor's office and the heads of government departments. Major meetings happened there too.
And Tertius Palace.
The third palace, their destination, only opened for banquets.
Otherwise, it served as lodging for foreign dignitaries or nobles attending events.
"I've never been to Tertius Palace!"
Solles had only visited the first palace.
Nibelria and Arep, who'd never seen any, buzzed with excitement.
"Is it cool?"
Nibelria asked Majia.
"Eh…."
Majia shrugged.
"Worth seeing."
The carriage stopped in front of Tertius Palace.
The children gaped at the grandeur of the palace, tinged with blue light.
It was the most splendid building they'd ever seen.
Nibelria got down in Majia's arms.
"Keep your eyes closed until I say so."
"Okay."
Nibelria obeyed readily, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face in Majia's chest.
Arep, watching curiously, quickly realized why.
Knights with swords at their waists were visible.
"Nini's scared of swords."
Solles's words came to mind.
Arep looked back at Nibelria. Her small fists clutching Majia's clothes had gone pale.
"……."
Arep's heart paled too.
'Can I… learn the sword?'
There were times when Nibelria, who always stuck to Arep, pulled away.
During Arep's sword training sessions.
'If I become a knight, will the young lady hate me…?'
Will she be that scared of me?
What if she won't even come near?
He was learning the sword to get stronger. To protect Nibelria. That was his duty, a goal as precious as his life.
As his head started to ache with complicated thoughts,
"Magic Tower Lord."
Someone approached.
"Chief Steward."
Majia called her that.
The neatly dressed middle-aged woman bowed.
"Please follow me."
They were led to a room on the third floor.
"Your Majesty. The guests have arrived."
"Let them in."
The room they entered seemed to be a banquet lounge, with small mirrors and vanities lining the walls.
Oddly, there were no windows.
And at the far end, someone stood before a vanity.
A woman with ash-gray hair like scattered soot, stylishly swept back and neatly tied in a single ponytail.
Emperor Perator, wearing thin round gold-rimmed glasses, greeted the guests with a smile.
"I pay my respects to the first sun that illuminates the Empire, His Stern Majesty the Emperor."
Majia bowed politely.
Solles and Arep followed suit.
"H-Hellooo…."
The shy Nibelria peeked from behind Majia's legs and greeted timidly.
"Must have been sudden, but thank you for coming."
The Emperor strode forward on long legs and stopped before Nibelria.
She knelt on one knee, staring straight into the Emperor's eyes at her level.
"An honor to meet you, Young Lady Dayamor."
"…Yes."
The Emperor took in Nibelria, who looked just like the Saintess.
Blue eyes met gray.
"……."
Nibelria tilted her head, and the smile on Emperor Perator's lips deepened.
Standing back up, the Emperor turned to Solles next.
"It's been a while, Young Master Dayamor. I hope you've been well."
"Thank you for remembering me. My family and I have all been well, thanks to you."
"Such a fine young man. And…."
The Emperor looked at Arep last.
'Huh?'
Arep noticed the Emperor's expression flicker subtly as she regarded him.
