Empty (10)

“High Priest. Lady Alicia requested negotiation rights regarding a place called the Great Temple’s underground labyrinth.”

The Emperor spoke toward the High Priest seated apart.

For some reason, he looked slightly pleased.

“An underground labyrinth… you say?”

High Priest Banie blinked at the unfamiliar words.

Seeing the High Priest again in the imperial palace, she looked even more like the Emperor than before.

“Is there nothing you know of it, High Priest?”

Alicia asked politely.

“Was there such a place? Lady Alicia, you should know well that it is difficult to claim rights over a place you have never seen—or to transfer those rights.”

The High Priest explained step by step.

Her gentle voice, without any rise or fall, had a pull that drew listeners in.

“High Priest. When the land around the Great Temple’s Dolore ruins collapsed, an entrance appeared. Structurally, the rocks that were known as the Dolore ruins seem to be decorative structures on the upper portion of the underground labyrinth.”

Alicia spoke kindly so the High Priest could understand.

“Lady…”

The High Priest smiled, trying to dodge the conversation.

“We sealed the entity that had slept within the underground labyrinth, but because of the curse he left behind, the underground labyrinth’s doors were broken. If I had to guess, the final door has likely already restored itself by now. That place carries a force difficult for humans to grasp. I do not want ignorant people trespassing there.”

Alicia continued explaining to the High Priest.

“Lady, about that, later—”

Banie did not lose her composure.

She tried, one way or another, to avoid the discussion.

“I don’t want to move without a clear answer, High Priest.”

At Alicia’s pressure, Banie let out a sigh.

“Lady Alicia, that place is the Great Temple’s land.”

“That place is the monsters’ land right now. And I can come and go there like it’s my own home. So then—does that mean it’s all my land now?”

At Alicia’s words, Banie rose from her chair.

“…”

“…”

The royals watching Banie looked thoroughly entertained.

In particular, the Emperor’s sky-blue eyes darted back and forth between Banie and Alicia.

Banie signaled the Emperor with her eyes.

Her look said: Do something.

The Emperor did not react.

“The Empire must not abandon the Great Temple’s land, Your Majesty.”

Banie said, wearing the Great Priest’s nobility like armor.

“I apologize, High Priest. As you can see, I am in the pitiful position of being threatened as well.”

The Emperor indulged in a show of fragility that did not suit him at all.

Banie briefly shot the Emperor and the royals a contemptuous look.

“Lady Alicia, the Great Temple oversees ruins and records. Please understand that we cannot lightly grant an outsider permission regarding places tied to ruins.”

Banie finished her words with a calm face, contrary to how she had sought help.

Alicia flicked her gaze toward Reichardt sitting beside her.

Then she returned her attention to Banie.

“High Priest.”

“Speak, Lady Alicia.”

At Banie’s magnanimous permission, Alicia answered softly.

“The Great Temple is truly incompetent.”

“…What did you say? Lady, do you realize you are being rude right now?”

Banie’s smile shook as if an earthquake had hit.

“For six hundred years you monopolized research, and yet you can’t even read the letters, can you. Isn’t it written under the Dolore ruins’ rocks? ‘Danger. From here on, it’s my land. If you wander around, my food will treat you as food and eat you.’ It was written huge. You couldn’t read it, so you built the Great Temple right there.”

Alicia spoke lightly.

Her tone sounded like she was teasing: You didn’t even know that?

“Lady Alicia—are you saying you can read the writing there?!”

Banie shouted, looking shocked.

“Yes, I can. But I’m not going to teach you. East Noah in Tessen, North Kaya of Kaip Mountain, and South Penz of the Dolore ruins as well. They’re far too dangerous, so you must not enter carelessly.”

Alicia said warmly.

Her manner was gentle and calm, like she was explaining to a child.

“Kaip Mountain?”

At that moment, the Emperor cut in.

His voice was colder than it had been at any point so far.

Alicia found it odd.

The royals and Banie looked toward Reichardt.

Reichardt rose with an expression that said, Right. That existed.

“With due respect, Tessen submits this to Your Majesty. In times of war crisis, it is stated that the Grand Duke of Tessen may request reinforcements and dispose of mobilizable resources and supplies at his discretion. Therefore, during the disturbance beyond the western border last time, I requested Lady Alicia’s support as reinforcements. In return, I transferred ownership of Kaip Mountain to Lady Alicia.”

The Emperor’s expression crumpled in a bizarre way.

“What?”

He asked, looking like he could not believe it.

“Kaip Mountain belongs to Alicia.”

Reichardt answered politely.

“What did you do with Kaip Mountain…?”

“I gave it to Alicia.”

The Emperor repeated himself, and Reichardt repeated his answer.

“You gave Kaip Mountain to who?”

“I gave it to Alicia.”

The Emperor asked the same question again and again.

Reichardt returned the same answer with perfect courtesy.

“Kaip Mountain…”

Only after asking the same question ten times did the Emperor stop.

He looked as if the sky had collapsed.

He looked more shocked than when he first heard the request to approve Tessen as a grand duchy.

Alicia knew exactly why.

There was a silver mine in Kaip Mountain.

The entire mountain was practically one massive silver mine.

The Rune Empire’s Emperors knew many secrets of this land.

How and when to use that information depended on the Emperor’s ability—but merely having the knowledge was advantageous in many ways.

The Emperor grew sullen as if struck by illness.

The royals held their breath.

“…”

The High Priest quietly watched the Emperor’s ordeal.

She seemed to be planning to stay still, then slip away at the right moment.

“High Priest.”

Alicia called to Banie.

Banie tried to maintain her composure while hiding her disappointment.

“Lady Alicia, if you are an authority on Lin Text, it seems we will have much to discuss. Rather than doing this here, how about we set aside time to speak separately?”

The High Priest’s ability to keep talking was astonishing.

“So that’s what the Great Temple calls it—Lin Text. I have nothing to say to you about that. High Priest, please decide. Many people are waiting for your decision.”

Banie’s smile, which had remained on her face the whole time, twisted.

“At the very least, do you not think you must hand over what you know about Lin Text to the Great Temple? Lady Alicia.”

“Not at all. Will you decide? High Priest.”

The royals, forgetting their earlier gloom, watched with interest as Banie was driven into a corner by Alicia.

Banie let out a deep sigh.

“Lady Alicia, please take good care of the Great Temple’s land. I will grant Lady Alicia ownership of the Dolore ruins and the underground labyrinth. I hope there will be a chance later to discuss Lin Text.”

Banie expressed her defeat with elegance.

“Thank you for the High Priest’s wise decision. High Priest, please swear that promise on the Royal Dot. I heard the Great Temple’s bloodline also bears the Royal Dot.”

Alicia cruelly dug into the other party’s weakness.

By the Royal Dot’s pact, the Great Temple pursued ruins and sanctified records.

For the High Priest to swear on the Royal Dot meant guaranteeing that the promise mattered more than life itself.

“My little brother.”

Banie immediately identified who had told Alicia about the Great Temple bloodline.

She fixed Reichardt with a murderous look.

Reichardt did not care at all about being hated.

The imperial family were the bloodline of Otto the Great, known as the Rune Empire’s founder.

The Great Temple bloodline descended from the twin sibling line—specifically the female twin—of Otto the Great.

Unlike the imperial family, the Great Temple bloodline was free from the Royal Dot’s punitive pain.

The imperial family considered it unreasonable that the Great Temple bloodline possessed the Royal Dot without paying a price.

The Great Temple bloodline judged the imperial family’s greed for power to be barbaric.

“High Priest.”

Alicia called softly to the furious Banie.

“Lady Alicia, the price of demanding a vow from the High Priest will be heavy.”

After swearing on the Royal Dot, Banie left her seat and departed.

“Whew, how scary.”

The one who answered Banie’s growl was the Emperor.

Alicia glanced at him.

“Do you want me to swear as well?”

The Emperor said with a radiant smile.

He seemed to enjoy the High Priest’s suffering tremendously.

“No. Rather, I would like to finish adjusting the marriage terms, Your Majesty.”

At Alicia’s words, the Emperor dismissed the others.

The audience chamber was left with only Reichardt and Alicia.

“If I marry the Grand Duke, I will give Your Highness the Ludeoreun the imperial family granted me. We plan to remain in Baden until next spring. While we are in Baden, we will stay at the grand ducal residence, and when we go to Tessen, we will stay at the main fortress. It is enough for House Rain and the imperial family to decide the wedding date together. Please complete the paperwork procedures for the Grand Duchy of Tessen before the wedding.”

Alicia rattled off the decisions quickly.

Their earlier quarrel felt like a lie.

The Emperor nodded in agreement at Alicia’s brisk words.

“Grand Duke, decide and submit the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Tessen as quickly as possible.”

“I obey.”

Reichardt and the Emperor exchanged a brief look.

After receiving silent permission, Reichardt called to Alicia.

“Alicia.”

“Yes.”

Reichardt brought his face close to Alicia’s.

Alicia was startled by the sudden movement.

“The Royal Dot is in the eyes.”

Reichardt whispered, ignoring Alicia’s earlier protest that they weren’t truly alone.

“Huh?”

Alicia looked into the golden eyes close to her.

At the center of the iris, she could see a faint, silvery crystal-like speck drifting.

Reichardt pressed the skin near his eye and showed her the lower eyelid area that framed the eye.

“We usually check the marks first on the skin closest to the eye, but the Royal Dot within the iris—the one Alicia saw—is more certain.”

The Royal Dot was, literally, a dot.

“That’s fascinating.”

Alicia could only marvel.

“When the High Priest touched her eye earlier, it was to swear on the Royal Dot.”

With Reichardt’s explanation, Alicia realized why he could tell her.

It was because the Emperor had agreed to let him speak.

Alicia tilted her head slightly toward the dais to offer thanks.

“When the wedding date is decided, I will contact you.”

The Emperor rose as he spoke.

He looked terribly fatigued.

With Reichardt’s assistance, Alicia stood as well.

“Your Majesty, it’s not exact, but if I remember correctly, the Crown Prince will be born soon.”

Alicia tossed the line out toward the Emperor, as if offhand.

“…!”

The Emperor looked at Alicia, startled as though he had never been tired at all.

“We take our leave.”

Alicia bowed quickly.

Reichardt was also surprised, but he followed her in bowing.

The Emperor tried to stop them.

Alicia and Reichardt pretended not to notice and fled the audience chamber at a frightening speed.

“I heard Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant with twins.”

Reichardt whispered as he hurried after Alicia.

“That’s why I said it wasn’t exact. But as far as I know, Her Majesty can only give birth to sons. That’s not how sex is decided, but as far as I know, Her Majesty has never given birth to a daughter. Hurry.”

Alicia quickened her pace even more.

Reichardt stuck close to her side.

They boarded a carriage and fled the imperial palace as if running away.

That night.

Alicia and Reichardt’s marriage was decided.

It was an unusually swift conclusion.

The Emperor issued an order for them to enter the palace, claiming he wished to congratulate the prospective couple of Tessen.

Alicia and Reichardt submitted a letter of thanks adorned with lofty phrasing and bolted for the Great Temple.

They wrote smoothly that they would fulfill their duties.

Even at the Great Temple’s gates, the Emperor’s people arrived to deliver the message that they must return to the palace.

Alicia and Reichardt promised again that they would handle their duties to the best of their ability.

The Emperor spread word broadly about the Grand Duchy of Tessen.

Another imperial order fell, commanding the prospective couple to enter the palace.

The two answered with silence.

Alicia and Reichardt’s wedding was rapidly drawing near.