When I arrived at the Imperial Capital of the Estent Empire, I head towards the main gate from the front. However, two guards immediately crossed their spears to block my way.
“Why is there a human in a place like this? Go back immediately!”
“Wait, maybe he’s a new merchant. Hey, if you have a permit, show it quickly.”
One is a young guard. The other is a middle-aged guard. The younger one seemed to hate humans and tried to turn me away, but the middle-aged one seemed flexible as he talked calmly.
But what is a permit? Does it mean that I can’t enter the Imperial Capital without a certificate issued somewhere?
“I don’t have a permit.”
“Then you can’t enter. Get lost!”
“Instead, I have money.”
“…..I see.”
The young guard grins. However, the middle-aged man interrupted the conversation.
“Bribery is not appreciated. You can get a permit in the previous town, so make sure you follow the proper procedures.”
“Hey, Ossan, are you still saying something like that? You are too stubborn you know.”
“You’re the one being too lax. We are soldiers of the Honorable Empire. We can’t mess around and go casual with anyone.”
The two guards begin to quarrel.
I’d like to go inside soon…… Should I just make them sleep and get through?
As I was having that thought,
“What are you two arguing about?”
““A-Advisor!””
A figure who appeared to be a superior officer appeared with a fluttering cloak. Looking at his armor, he seems to be a high-ranking person. Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen his face somewhere.
“I apologize. A human suddenly came and asked to be let in….”
“What about the permit?”
“He said he didn’t have one.”
“Then drive him back—!?”
The man who was called the Advisor was stunned as soon as he saw me clearly. It was there that the memories of him finally came to me. He was the one who commanded the Imperial army when I was chasing them with my skeletons. I remember that thanks to him, it was difficult to catch the Imperial army. The other party seemed to remember me as well, and immediately bowed his head.
“Please pardon my subordinates for their impoliteness. Please let them go!”
“I don’t mind. Can you let me through now?”
“P-Please do. I’ll show you around!”
The Advisor is called Fector, a slim man with long gray hair tied at the back of his head. He has the temperament of a gentleman and does come across as a harsh one.
“I had no idea that Tanaka-sama would be coming. If you had given us a prior notice, you wouldn’t have experienced such a greeting.”
“No, that’s fine already, no need to worry about that. More than that, I’m impressed that you remember me well.”
“You may have forgotten, but I also participated in the sacred beasts defense battle. I don’t know how many times I prepared myself for death in those fierce battles with the angels.”
Looking back on my memory, I certainly feel like I’ve seen his face a few times in that place. However, I still has a strong impression of him from the war against the Empire. With him as my guide, I make my way through the imperial capital. The city center, which was damaged in the battle with the Emperor, has been repaired and regained its former tranquility and is bustling with people. No, in fact, it feels like it has become even more prosperous.
“Her Majesty, Scáthach is a very wise woman. She has opened up the market in exchange for drawing support from other kingdoms. Thanks to that, we are now richer than we were before the war.”
“That’s indeed what it looks like now.”
A few townspeople turned pale as soon as they saw me. They must have recalled the time when I marched with my skeletons in the previous battle.
“Don’t be too offended, it was too shocking for us Imperials you see. After all, it was the first time in thousands of years that the capital had been attacked.”
He said that the killing of the Sacred Beast was the most painful for them. The Sacred Beast Doran was the strongest guardian beast protecting the Imperial City. That’s why the Imperial Army was able to go on the offensive without defending any of its home bases. The loss of an absolute guardian god and object of worship must have shaken the empire like never before. Even though I had no choice at that time, I guess I am also responsible for upsetting the balance of power in the world. In fact, that even shook the barrier that protected this planet.
“By the way, what did Tanaka-sama come here for?”
“As you have thought, I would like to meet Empress Scáthach.”
“As expected huh. I had guided you to the palace with that in mind so I’m relieved. By the way, may I ask you why you are meeting Her Majesty?”
“Actually, there seems to be a ring in the treasury here that I am looking for, and I thought of asking her if she could give it to me.”
“I see. A ring huh….”
He crossed his arms and tried to remember if he had ever seen one in the treasury. Of course, not out of kindness, but because he is interested in the value of the ring. If it’s a normal ring, I can just make one. So he can at least tell that it’s not just a ring.
“What does it look like?”
“Probably black.”
“Black ring…… C-could it be the first emperor’s ring?!”
The first emperor of the Estent Empire—Emperor Guwan Shikōtei. He was reportedly very ruthless and dictatorial. However, many of the things he did were groundbreaking at the time, and it is said that he was undoubtedly the one who laid the foundation of the current empire. The first emperor Guwan wore a black ring all the time. Today, it is kept in the innermost part of the treasury, but successive emperors always have a ritual to test whether they can wear the ring after their accession to the throne. However, since the First Emperor, no one has been able to put the ring on.
“If that’s the ring Tanaka-sama is looking for, it’s almost impossible to get it. After all, it’s the national treasure of our empire. Even Her Majesty Scáthach wouldn’t agree to it.”
“Hmm, it’s a national treasure huh. That’s a problem then.”
“But first, we need to make sure if it is really Guwan-sama’s ring. We need to talk to Her Majesty and check the treasury.”
Fector led me inside to the Imperial Palace, and then to the throne room where the Empress was. Scathach was sitting on the throne with all the charisma of an Empress, and her expression does not change even when she sees me. Compared to that time when she lost her father, she is now very different.
“Welcome, Tanaka-dono. So, why did you come here?”
“I am looking for something. I think there’s a black ring in the treasury of this Kingdom. I want you to give it to me.”
“Are you saying you want it for free?”
“Of course I’ll pay you in exchange.”
“……Very well.”
She ordered her servant to bring all the rings in the treasury. It seems to take a while, so I start chatting with her in the meantime.
“You’ve become a lot more like an Empress huh.”
“Fufu, you say something quite embarrassing huh. Well, I wonder if you did this to me.”
“Maybe.”
Even though Scathach is called Empress, she is still a young girl. Her beauty seemed more polished than when I first saw her.
“By the way, don’t you want to be my husband?”
“Huh? Husband??”
Even I can’t believe my ears.
Is she sane to propose marriage to the man who killed his father?
“I want to leave behind an excellent child, and in that respect, despite you being human, you have dealt with the world’s most powerful people on an equal footing, and even defeated those powerful angels. Considering the prosperity of the empire, my marriage with you should be a major turning point.”
“No, no way. I killed your father you know. Besides, your people will not stay silent.”
“Would a man like you care about such a trivial matter? My father is already dead, and when I think of the future of my kingdom, I am more than willing to throw away any grudges I might have. If the people are unhappy about my marriage to you, I will simply oppress them until they say yes.”
This girl may have been more terrifying than I thought. As expected, she is the daughter of the former emperor, I can really feel their strong blood connection. However, I have no intention of marrying her, so I have to refuse.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do that. I’m sure there is someone more suitable for you.”
“Then let’s do this, if the black ring you are looking for is the ring of the First Emperor, which is our national treasure, I will give it to you but in exchange, I will ask you to become my husband.”
It has come to this huh. Hmmm….
I could take it by force, but I don’t really like doing so. If possible, I would like to make a proper transaction. That’s what I wanted.
“I have brought them.”
The servant returns with four rings placed on a tray. The Empress raised the corner of her mouth slightly, “Which one are you looking for?”
“Can I touch it for a moment?”
“No problem.”
The first ring. It’s a gold ring with a black pearl in it. I tried to touch it lightly with my finger, but there is no reaction. This is not it.
The second ring. It is a silver ring with onyx in it. I tried to touch it, but there is no reaction.
The third ring. It’s a gold ring with a blank opal in it. Again, there was no reaction either.
The fourth ring. It’s a jet-black ring embellished with gold. The black part is engraved with scrambled letters. When I touched it, a wave of light ran. This is it. No mistake.
“This is it.”
“That’s the First Emperor’s ring.”
As expected. It’s obviously different from other rings. The empress looked at me with a slight smile.
“If there’s anything I can trade outside of marriage, what is it?”
“It’s a difficult story, after all, it’s the history of the empire itself. If there is an equivalent value, it would be Sacred Beast Doran. Therefore, you cannot pay a price for that.”
“Sacred Beast Doran huh……”
It seems that she is determined to draw me into the empire. But it is true that Sacred Beast Doran is worth it. It is the best way to enhance the Empire’s defense and unify the public’s consciousness. It would be a reasonable price for the ring.
However, if I bring Doran back to life, the next thing she’ll demand is the former emperor, Gaen, and her other siblings. In that case, there will be no end to it. After all, when it comes to reviving the dead, it’s more about the outcome than the process.
“I’ll give you a new sacred beast, can I use it as a price?”
“What are you talking about? A sacred beast you say!?”
“I’m going to give you a sacred beast to replace Doran, and in exchange, I’ll have that ring.”
“Hmm, let me tell you, a mere dragon sacred beast won’t convince me. It must be at least a high-ranking dragon sacred beast.”
I used divine qi to create a dragon-type sacred beast. If I suddenly turn it into an adult, it will destroy the Imperial Palace, so I first create it as a juvenile and adjust it so that it becomes an adult in a few days. Its color is pure white. Golden eyes. Bestowed with light and holy attributes. A dragon cub appeared in a swirl of iridescent light.
“Kuwaaaang~”
“Come here.”
The dragon cub yawned as I picked it up. It had pure white scales and large golden eyes like glass beads.
There was a commotion in the throne room.
“H-How did you do that!?”
“It’s a trade secret. By the way, is there anyone who can use appraisal?”
Looking around, I saw that one of her subjects possessed appraisal skill. I instructed that person to hold the dragon and check its status.
“How is it!?”
“Y-Yes…… Empress, it is indeed a sacred beast. It’s also a top-tier dragon.”
Empress Scathach vigorously hit the armrest of her throne and looked frustrated.
“Not yet, I can’t give you the ring at this rate! I’ll accept the exchange if you produce another top-ranking dragon sacred beast!”
“Hmm, that’s fine.”
This time, I created a jet-black top-of-the-line dragon. This one had darkness and holy attribute. It has silver eyes. The moment it appeared before their eyes, both Scathach and her subjects were speechless.
“You…… You have become a being beyond the real of humans……”
“The short answer is, yes.”
“It would be even more unfortunate then, if I had moved earlier…”
I can’t find the words to say to the depressed Empress. In fact, I was thinking of having her come to the wedding. I feel like it’s too cruel to invite her now. However, it is also a problem if she is the only one not present at the ceremony where the rulers of each kingdom all gather together.
This…. I guess I’ll invite her anyway.
I took out an envelope from my bosom. I handed it to a nearby servant and told her to show it to Scathach.
“Inviting me to your wedding ceremony…… What a thoughtless man you are.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s also a gathering for all kingdom, so I can’t help but invite you.”
“Very well. I’ll participate. However, the date of the event is three days later, which is quite hasty. What do you mean? You don’t even need a gift?”
“I’ll pick you up in three days. Please be ready by the time listed. The details are written in the letter.”
“Understood.”
Empress Scathach smiled resignedly.
“So, can I get the ring?”
“Given those two powerful sacred beasts, I have no choice but to accept. Even though it is a national treasure, the ring is nothing more than a useless ornaments that no one can wear. I am actually surprised that I was able to exchange it for more.”
Scathach looked satisfied as she stroked the two dragons on her lap. Those two will make the empire even calmer.
“See you soon.”
I took the ring and left the throne room.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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