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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Imperial Capital, Ezejesty
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"I hear you're called the 'Vessel of Sin'... Is that right?"
A calm voice, utterly devoid of force.
Duran's gaze, filled with shock, fixed on me, while my gaze fixed on Evill, who wore a benevolent smile.
"Judging by your flustered expression, it seems the information wasn't entirely wrong. And it appears Lord Duran was unaware of this fact."
"…"
"Haha, it wasn't a question meant to reprimand, so there's no need to be nervous. I merely needed to confirm the truth."
-Thud.
Evill's wrinkled hand pushed open the door to a luxurious room, which they had arrived at without me noticing.
"This will be your residence. It's also where Emperor Sikar resided during his time as a prince."
Perhaps because it was once the Emperor's residence?
The excessively spacious area and the opulent luxuries visible everywhere my eyes landed were striking.
"It seems Lord Duran has much he wishes to discuss with Lord Camel…"
Evill, who had entered the room first, spoke to Duran, who was glaring intently at me.
"Would you perhaps be willing to yield your turn? There is someone who has been waiting for quite some time to speak with Lord Camel."
"…And who might that be?"
Duran asked Evill back with a displeased expression, and Evill, who had been maintaining his benevolent smile, withdrew it as he replied.
"Emperor Sikar."
****
A summons from the Emperor. An unexpected situation I'd never experienced in the game, and thus, one I'd never even considered.
My mind was a whirlwind, but unable to ignore the Emperor's summons, I had no choice but to follow Evill. All the while, countless hypotheses and conjectures swirled in my head.
"I have a question."
As Evill's steps neared the depths of the garden, I, having succeeded in organizing my complex thoughts, opened my lips to break the continuing silence.
"By all means. However, please understand that this old man's immediate answers to you are limited."
"I'd appreciate it if you could answer if at all possible. It's a very important matter to me."
"Ohh… Hearing you say that makes me quite curious. Go ahead and ask. I'll answer if at all possible."
Stop.
Evill's steps halted, and his aged eyes, filled with keen interest, met mine.
They were merely the eyes of an old man.
Yet, why did they seem to shimmer with wisdom, intelligence, and the traces of long years?
"The current Emperor…"
Perhaps that was why. My voice, imbued with anticipation, gained strength.
"What kind of person is he?"
It was an arrogant, rude, and even simple question for a mere academy student to ask, yet it was also a question born of much calculation.
It was also a question I wouldn't have asked if it weren't for Evill, who had never fallen into corruption, no matter what happened.
"Haha, what a truly audacious question. To ask what kind of person the Emperor is…"
Just as expected. Evill, hearing the question, made a show of contemplating, with an expression of interest.
'If it's an answer from this person…'
I might be able to discern where the current Emperor stands on the crossroads of good and evil,
and how Evill views such an Emperor, and what thoughts he harbors.
Wouldn't knowing these things in advance be helpful?
And wouldn't it aid in deciding my future actions?
Such were my thoughts.
"I would like to put it this way. The current Emperor is…"
Evill trailed off, smiled faintly, then continued in a serene voice.
"He is a true Emperor who loves this Empire and wishes to protect it more than anyone, and he is my liege."
In Evill's eyes, as he spoke, lay trust and conviction.
'The Emperor hasn't sided with the Cult of Chaos yet. And Evill fully supports such an Emperor.'
If so, the situation isn't bad. No, it's much better than I expected.
"So, did my answer help you even a little with your important matter?"
"Yes. Thank you, Grand Vizier."
"I'm truly glad to hear that. Now, shall we go inside?"
It was a garden where only flowers and grass were visible, so where on earth were we supposed to go inside, all of a sudden?
I tilted my head in confusion, but only after seeing the transparent magic circle spread around us did I nod.
"Hoh."
Evill, who had placed his palm on the air and was opening the door to an unseen space, let out a small gasp of admiration, his eyes shining with interest.
****
The subspace hidden within the garden presented the exact same scenery as the garden I had just followed Evill through, with only one difference.
"The fact that you've followed Evill to my presence here means…"
The presence of two men strolling through the garden within the subspace.
"The preposterous rumors that reached my ears were true, then."
One was the Emperor, Sikar von Isbant, holding a crown in his hand and smiling faintly as he looked towards me.
"…"
The other, silent man was the Sword Saint, Yan van Gallantus, who had guided the pilgrims to the Imperial Palace.
"Your Imperial Majesty, I gre—"
"I did not summon you to witness such clumsy formalities, so stand at ease. And do not think of adding sickening flowery language when you answer."
I didn't know the situation, but feeling I should at least show proper deference, I began to bend one knee.
"That is an order."
At the Emperor's commanding voice, as he waved his hand and spoke, my bending knee instinctively straightened, and a polite voice naturally emerged.
"Understood."
"My trusted Grand Vizier Evill must have confirmed everything. So, I will not beat around the bush and ask you directly. Will you…"
Then, the Emperor's deep blue eyes swept over me.
"Even here, in my presence, do you intend to draw that sword and wield it?"
He asked me in a voice brimming with majesty, laden with much meaning.
'If he thinks he knows everything about me…'
In short, it meant, 'Will you fight corrupted individuals or beings like the Seven Deadly Sins here, just as you have until now?'
Hearing the question, and taking in the hegemon of my world with my own eyes, I thought to myself.
'Even if he hasn't fallen yet…'
This is far too normal, isn't it?
The Emperor I saw in the game was either a hero who would condemn the Seven Deadly Sins, or someone who had lost his starlight and was being manipulated or corrupted by the Cult of Chaos. It was one or the other.
The Emperor I was seeing with my own eyes seemed far, far removed from that image.
His lustrous platinum-blonde hair,
His deep blue eyes,
And the subtle majesty that permeated his entire being.
"Your Majesty, I do not know how much you know about this humble one, but if it would not be presumptuous, may I first explain what kind of person I am before I answer?"
Perhaps because seeing him like this had given me hope?
"Speak."
"I am someone who despises troublesome matters more than anything in the world, and who tries to avoid dangerous situations above all else. For instance, drawing a sword and fighting for my life."
For the first time in a while, my tongue began to move with elaborate skill.
"To say that, don't you think your actions thus far have been far too tumultuous?"
"Yes. They were tumultuous. But I had no choice. Because I didn't want to create more troublesome situations. And I wanted to avoid more dangerous ones."
"So, you're saying it was truly unavoidable until now."
"Yes. As Your Majesty is aware, I bear the fate of being the 'Vessel of Sin.' Thanks to this, I have been attacked three times by the Seven Deadly Sins, beings whom others would surely never even glimpse in their entire lives."
"And you defeated them all. Quite spectacularly."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Had I not, I would have long since fallen into corruption at their hands, becoming a disaster that scatters despair and chaos across this continent."
"Hah…"
"Therefore, Your Majesty, what I wish to convey is this: If, by any chance, I were to draw my sword and wield it here without Your Majesty's permission, the reason would be…"
Tap, tap.
As I tapped the Sword of Good and Evil with my finger, a pleasant sound resonated through the garden.
"It would be for no other reason than to save my own life. That alone."
"Is that so… That answer is a little… no, quite disappointing, I must say."
What could be disappointing? The Emperor closed his eyes slowly, then fell silent for a moment.
"I ask you: What if I forbid it?"
He asked, peering at me with narrowed eyes.
"I, the Emperor of this Empire, asked what you would do if I, your sovereign, forbade you, a subject of the Empire, from drawing your sword in Ezejesty."
He was asking what I would do if he didn't permit the act of fighting itself.
"Though I humble myself before your words, if a situation arises where I must draw my sword here, I will…"
To that question, I…
"I will draw it without hesitation."
I answered without averting my gaze from the Emperor's eyes.
"Hoh, what an arrogant, even dangerous fellow you are. Then, let us see…"
Then the Emperor stared even more intently into my eyes.
"Draw it now."
He gestured towards me with his chin and spoke in a low, grave voice. Simultaneously.
Shing.
From the scabbard at the Sword Saint's waist, a platinum-colored blade emerged with a clear, ringing sound.