Chapter 205
★ Beauty Under the Moon ★
Aba, who held the title of Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau, handled everything from receiving foreign dignitaries to preparing drafts for proposals the director would make to the Emperor, effectively placing him at the top of the bureau's administrative staff.
The reason the Emperor had summoned him late at night was presumably the contents of the report on the Holy Kingdom of Kurvane that he had already submitted.
Although it had been built as a warship, the areas used by military personnel and those where guests boarded were clearly separated.
Aba was now walking through the "guest area," a gently curving corridor lined with plush carpeting and fitted with exquisitely crafted handrails.
When he stopped near his destination, Aba removed the long toothpick from his mouth and carefully tucked it into his breast pocket.
The military officer who noticed Aba's arrival saluted and opened the door—and inside the Emperor's private conference room were the Emperor, a woman who served as both his attendant and secretary, the Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau, the Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, and, unusually, the Director of the Labyrinth Management Bureau.
"Aba, the materials you compiled are very well done."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am honored by your words."
"However... You were unable to determine just how powerful this so-called 'former Holy King' is, were you?"
"I apologize."
When Aba bent at the waist and lowered his head,
"Good. I am not blaming you. It is still better than having you write down some arbitrary conjecture... Director, what do you think?"
"Indeed. If Aba's analysis is correct, I believe it would be wisest to deal with him as the current Holy King rather than assume he is a former one."
The senior Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau had gone out of his way to include the words "if Aba's analysis is correct."
It was a magic phrase that would let him say, "Aba's analysis was wrong," no matter what happened.
"..."
Of course, the director's self-preservation was nothing new, so Aba kept silent.
"In other words, Kurvane is interested enough in our country to send the current Holy King?"
"What do you think, Aba?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty. The succession to the Holy Kingdom's throne is shrouded in mystery. High-ranking nobles were exiled or executed, and a gigantic monster appeared in the heart of the Holy Capital. One possible interpretation is that the former Holy King stepped down to take responsibility, and we have found no evidence of anything resembling a coup. The Holy Queen, the former Holy King's own daughter, was on good terms with him, and there was no reason for her to have been driven to another country. All things considered, we can conclude that the Holy Kingdom is taking a very high level of interest in us."
"Hmm..."
The Emperor slowly leafed through the reports. Aba remained standing while the directors sat and watched him. Only the secretary, standing behind the Emperor, was busily taking notes.
"...Is the Holy King Knights Order that will accompany him strong?"
The Emperor asked the question, and when the Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau nodded, Aba spoke up.
"Very much so. The former Holy King, renowned for his martial prowess, devoted himself to training the knights."
"How do they compare with our army?"
"They are in a different league!"
The Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
"Our army is equipped with Magic Gear! Even if other races possess Talents, they are no match for us!"
As head of the military, he was naturally biased in favor of his own side.
"What do you think, Aba?"
"...I am not a military expert, Your Majesty."
"Aba."
The Emperor had even been wearing a faint smile, but it suddenly vanished as he stared at Aba. Aba swallowed hard before saying,
"They may not each be capable of defeating a thousand men, but they naturally possess abilities far above ordinary warriors. More importantly, I believe we should be concerned about the ten thousand cavalrymen. This cavalry force will operate under the Holy King Knights Order, but they specialize in group combat rather than individual strength. Even our Imperial Army could not defeat ten thousand of them in a melee."
"...So that's your assessment? What do you think, Director of the Military Affairs Bureau?"
"..."
Seeing the Director of the Military Affairs Bureau glaring at him while grinding his teeth, Aba sincerely wished he would be spared. If he dodged the question, the Emperor would glare at him; if he answered honestly, the military director would fly into a rage. And the superior he relied on offered him no support.
"Our army controls the skies! If we fight from the air, the Holy Kingdom's army is nothing to fear!"
The Holy Kingdom had sent them as reinforcements, not as an army to fight against them. But after the man had shouted so fiercely, there was nothing Aba could say from his lower position as "deputy director"—though the gap between those ranks was an exceedingly steep one—
"I apologize."
Once again, he could only lower his head.
"Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, the enemy army is not Kurvane."
"Th-that is... exactly right. My apologies, Your Majesty. I was only thinking of the Empire's glory..."
"Good."
"I am awed by Your Majesty's keen insight."
With his head bowed, Aba heard yet more meaningless flattery.
(What in the world is this...? We don't have time for such a ridiculous conversation.)
As Aba was thinking this,
"Aba, raise your head. ...You were wondering why I was bringing this up, weren't you?"
"Yes. —I-I mean, no, nothing like that."
Having inadvertently agreed, Aba hastily waved both hands to deny it, at which point
"It is exactly as you and the Director of the Military Affairs Bureau said."
"...What? —Oh!"
Aba stared blankly for a moment, then realized what the Emperor was thinking.
"The Holy Kingdom's objective is airships, then? They may be strong in ground combat, but we overwhelmingly dominate the skies. If so, the Holy Kingdom wants airships in order to surpass the other nations—desperately so."
"That is right. Their eagerness to accept refugees is likely part of their plan to curry favor with our Empire and obtain as many airships as possible, and, if fortune smiles on them, to draw airship engineers into their country as well."
It was simple once it had been pointed out, but there was nothing more convincing than putting their own knowledge and assumptions into words.
(This man is incredible. Though he is often compared unfavorably with and disparaged beside the previous two emperors, who developed the Empire, his greatness lies in his ability to move people. He is truly an Emperor who was meant to be here in the midst of the Empire's crisis.)
Aba was inwardly awestruck.
"I understand Your Majesty's thinking. At tomorrow's conference, the focus will be on how to steer the Holy Kingdom's postwar demands away from airships, then?"
"I am glad you understand so quickly. However, I have no objection to handing over airships."
"What do you mean?"
"Our technology must move on to the next stage. The unlocking of the Nine Emotions Labyrinth. And that Red Zone... Do you not think something beyond airships may lie dormant there? I have summoned the Director of the Labyrinth Management Bureau as well so that I can hear about it."
"!"
"We could build airships and give them as many as they want. So long as we can always obtain the technology of the next generation..."
Suddenly, the Emperor looked much larger in Aba's eyes.
Even while facing a crisis that threatened the Empire's very survival, this Emperor was still aiming for what came next.
(Will he become the emperor of a fallen nation, or a legendary hero?)
When Aba realized that his own fate, too, lay with this old man, an uncontrollable tremor ran through him.
It would not be the Emperor himself who brought his ideals to fruition, but the aides around him—including Aba.
Only now did Aba realize the crushing weight of responsibility—and the fighting spirit welling up within him at the thought of tomorrow's conference with the Holy Kingdom. It was a burning, ferocious feeling, so intense that he was astonished to find it within himself.