“If the Empire accepts these three conditions, I’ll cooperate.”
Upon hearing Rashiel’s conditions, the vice captain of the knights burst out in frustration, as if he couldn’t understand Rashiel at all.
“That’s your family, and your homeland! How can you make such demands in such an urgent situation?”
“Who’s my family?”
“I know what you went through in the Imperial family. But Her Highness the Princess has done nothing wrong.”
“So you think I’m being petty, taking revenge for what I went through.”
At Rashiel’s blunt words that pointed out exactly what he’d been thinking, the vice captain flinched.
Since they were the ones asking for help, it wouldn’t do any good to upset him.
But Rashiel didn’t seem particularly offended.
“You’re right, Her Highness the Princess has nothing to do with that. And she has nothing to do with me either.”
“……”
“We don’t even know each other exists. We’ve never even spoken once. Is that what you call family?”
It was laughable, the way people thought someone would feel affection just because they shared blood with a family they’d never even seen.
Of course, he didn’t think fondly of the Emperor, but now, he felt a sliver of gratitude.
If the Emperor hadn’t abandoned him, he wouldn’t have met Ruel.
Still, that didn’t mean he held any grudge against Rinael.
No—more precisely, he felt nothing at all.
To him, she was simply a complete stranger.
“And I feel like you’re misunderstanding something.”
Rashiel looked at the vice captain and continued in a calm voice.
“The Mage Tower is an independent organization that doesn’t belong to any country. The Empire and the Tower are partners, not in a master-servant relationship.”
“……”
“As the master of the Mage Tower, I have no reason to bow to the Empire. You’re the ones who came asking for my help, so I’m proposing a fair trade.”
So, the Empire couldn’t force the Tower Master to help.
In fact, in this situation, they weren’t equals in a partnership—the Empire was the one in the lower position, asking for aid.
“If the Empire doesn’t accept my proposal, then this negotiation will fall through.”
In his relaxed tone, like someone talking about someone else’s business, there was the ease of a man with power.
The vice captain, who bore the Empire’s fate on his shoulders, suddenly realized the Empire’s position and gulped.
‘No matter what, we need this man’s help.’
Rashiel looked at the vice captain with lazy eyes and asked,
“So, what’s your answer to my proposal?”
Inside the training hall.
Tezette silently watched as the training dummies he’d destroyed were being repaired through magic.
Then suddenly, he looked toward the entrance of the hall.
There was someone he was waiting for.
‘I’ll come find you next time. No matter what.’
“…I hope she comes soon.”
Muttering to himself, Tezette saw the training dummy fully repaired, picked up his sword, and stood.
And just as he was about to strike the dummy—
He heard footsteps coming in through the entrance. But they weren’t Elsez’s light steps.
The person who entered the hall was someone he hadn’t expected at all.
“Your Grace!”
Felix came rushing in, out of breath.
“Wait, why are you here? Everyone else is at the meeting room! I’ve been looking everywhere for you…”
Felix, who had been frantically spouting words, stopped to catch his breath.
Tezette looked at Felix indifferently and spoke.
“That’s what I want to ask you.”
It meant—how could he, someone who should be in the Empire, be here?
“Don’t you have work?”
Knowing Tezette’s personality, he probably meant it as a simple question. But coming from a superior, it sent a chill down Felix’s spine.
“Th-That’s not the point! Do you know how urgent it was that I ran off without even finishing the task you gave me?”
Instead of asking what was wrong, Tezette just stared at him.
That meant—get to the point.
Still panting, Felix shouted,
“The vice captain of the Imperial Knights went to see the Tower Master! Didn’t you hear? The Empire is in chaos right now.”
“Why?”
“The Crown Prince, that bastard—no, that man broke out of prison last night, took control of the palace, and took Her Highness the Crown Princess hostage!”
“…So that’s why she didn’t come.”
Despite the shocking news, Tezette seemed more interested in why Elsez hadn’t come to see him than the state of the Empire.
“…What?”
Felix blinked in confusion, not understanding what Tezette meant.
Tezette returned to the main issue.
“But what does that have to do with you coming here?”
Felix beat his chest in frustration at Tezette’s apathy, even after hearing about the Empire’s crisis.
“Why else! I came to tell you this is your chance. Go catch the Crown Prince—or that bastard—and become the Regent!”
Though Rinael had become the Crown Princess, she’d always had weak support since her strong older brother, Cedric, had dominated the line of succession.
The noble faction that followed Tezette hoped he would marry Rinael and become Regent.
Now was the perfect chance for the leader of the noble faction to seize power.
But the answer Felix got after rushing all this way was…
“Not interested.”
“…What? I thought you wanted power.”
“Not anymore.”
Something else had taken his interest.
As he said that, Elsez’s face naturally crossed his mind.
He no longer cared who became the Emperor of the Empire—so long as they didn’t get in his way.
If they did, he’d just replace them when the time came.
Now, the only thing he cared about was his fiancée.
Having said his piece, Tezette walked past Felix, sword in hand, toward the training dummies.
Felix, unable to believe what he’d heard, followed after him.
“What? Why not? Is it because of the Demon God? That whole subjugation thing isn’t mandatory anyway. Leave that dangerous and annoying stuff to others and just take the Empire like you planned!”
What had Tezette endured—being called the Emperor’s dog, getting his hands dirty with the blood of his father, his brother, and countless others?
And now, suddenly, he didn’t care?
Tezette ignored Felix’s words, raised his sword, and brought it down on the dummies.
BANG!
At least ten dummies were smashed to bits with one blow.
Holy crap…
Felix, who had been about to keep persuading him, trembled at the sight and barely held himself upright.
He’d seen Tezette train countless times at the ducal estate, but he could never get used to that terrifying strength.
Tezette stared blankly at the broken dummies and gave Felix an order.
“Go back and do your job.”
Seeing Tezette show zero interest in the regency, Felix deflated.
‘So much for becoming the power behind the throne…’
Looking at Tezette’s firm stance, his ambitious dreams crumbled.
Rushing to the Holy Nation from dawn now felt like a complete waste.
Grumbling, Felix muttered to himself.
“What if I start embezzling or something, and you’ve left all the estate’s work to me?”
“I’ll find you and kill you.”
“Geez… that’s a harsh comeback for a joke…”
As always, Tezette didn’t seem to care what Felix said.
Felix returned to work and reported on future plans.
“For now, I’ll gather some of our private troops in the capital—just formally. No matter how it plays out, it’ll look better that way.”
“Do it.”
“…Then… I’m really going now?”
Felix, still clinging to his dream of being the Regent’s aide, tried again to confirm.
Tezette answered by striking the newly repaired dummies again.
The thunderous crash made Felix flinch and, at last, give up.
He turned to leave the training hall.
Just before stepping out, he offered one last mix of nagging and concern.
“If anything happens to you, I will start embezzling, so take care of yourself.”
Tezette did glance at Felix for a moment—but as usual, gave no reply.
Felix sighed like a big brother dealing with a reckless sibling and left the training hall.
****
That night, Elsez paced around her room with a serious expression, deep in thought.
‘Rashiel… will he be okay?’
She hadn’t seen him since the vice captain of the Imperial Knights came looking for him that morning.
From what she heard, he’d been busy attending strategy meetings.
She was concerned about the hostages, including Rinael, whose lives were at stake—but what truly worried Elsez was Rashiel.
‘He even used a magic item to change his eye color to avoid any ties to the Imperial Family…’
After some hesitation, Elsez decided to go see him before it got any later.
As she approached the door, Leti, who had been looking out the window, quickly ran over and dangled herself from Elsez’s shoulder.
And the moment she opened the door—
She came face to face with Rashiel, who had just been about to knock.
Elsez looked up at him in surprise at the perfect timing.
“Rashiel?”
“Heading somewhere?”
“I was just about to come see you…”
“Then perfect.”
Rashiel gave a small nod toward the hallway and asked,
“Want to take a quick walk?”
Then, pointing at Reti hanging from her shoulder, he added,
“Without that little one.”
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