Chapter 35
Meeting high-ranking people was always uncomfortable.
That was true whether it was the modern 21st century or a fantasy world inside a game.
You had to be careful with every single action, even breathing, lest you fall out of favor and face serious trouble, and you absolutely needed the quick-wittedness to handle any situation admirably.
However, there existed the worst-case scenario that couldn't be dealt with no matter what you did...
"Franz, would you care for a cup of tea?"
"I-I'll do it."
His Majesty rose and personally brought over a teacup and teapot.
Franz could only stare blankly at the scene.
He couldn't possibly dare to stop His Majesty the Emperor's actions.
The situation I mentioned earlier was exactly this.
The high-ranking person might be trying to be considerate so the subordinate wouldn't feel uncomfortable, but the subordinate receiving it experienced hell in real-time.
Hmm...
It was utterly dreadful.
'I want to go back to the Magic Tower quickly.'
"Actually, I've recently taken up tea brewing as a hobby. But I lack confidence in serving it to you. Would you mind tasting it and sharing your thoughts?"
His Majesty said this as he poured tea into the cup.
Gazing at the teacup placed before him, Franz swallowed hard, gulp.
'What should I do?'
It was tea personally brewed by His Majesty himself.
Considering that, regardless of the taste, saying it was delicious would be the right thing to do.
But what if His Majesty made a mistake during the brewing process?
Then I would end up lying, and if that got exposed, wouldn't it ultimately mean I deceived the Emperor?
Hmm—.
'Let's drink first and think later.'
There was also the possibility that the tea His Majesty personally brewed was actually delicious.
"To be able to taste tea brewed by Your Majesty yourself is truly an honor."
"Haha—, it's not that grand. Anyway, please hurry, drink, and let me hear your thoughts."
As His Majesty sent a gaze filled with anticipation unbefitting his age, Franz took a deep breath inwardly and promptly lifted the teacup.
Slurp—.
'Ah...'
The moment he tasted the tea, Franz felt a deep sense of relief.
It was delicious. Much more so than the tea he brewed himself.
In the end, all his worries had been meaningless.
Well, it made sense; if it was used in the Imperial Palace, it must surely be the highest quality tea leaves.
Besides, wasn't the Emperor the noble among nobles? Nobles typically learned the art of tea brewing, so in a way, it was only natural.
He felt pathetic for having doubted His Majesty, but conversely, his heart felt lighter.
Because he didn't have to lie.
"Your Majesty, it's truly delicious. It's incomparable to any tea I've tasted before."
"Is that so? I'm glad it suits your palate."
Pleased by the compliment, a gentle smile spread across His Majesty's face.
Franz observed him cautiously while sipping the tea.
'What on earth does he want to talk about that he's going to this extent?'
He hadn't met His Majesty face-to-face many times, but he had never been this friendly.
So, naturally, questions arose.
Silence flowed, filled only with the sound of sipping tea.
It was His Majesty who broke the silence first.
"Franz, actually, the reason I summoned you isn't because of Duke Ishtar, no, that cultist fellow's affair."
"By that, you mean..."
"There is something I wish to earnestly ask of you."
Should he say 'as expected'?
It was exactly what he had anticipated, so it wasn't surprising.
The problem was what kind of request would follow...
'Please let it be something simple.'
Since his earlier prediction had been correct, he desperately hoped this one would be too.
However, that hope of Franz's was shattered in less than a minute.
"I intend to eradicate all the cultists within the Empire."
...?
Franz's brain stopped thinking and outputted a question mark.
Because the words were utterly incomprehensible.
"I understand your reaction. Of course, it will be difficult. But seeing this recent incident, I felt it. If we leave them unchecked any longer, those fellows will fester like pus and eventually lead the Empire to ruin."
He understood the sentiment behind His Majesty's words.
But whether it was a possible task, well, honestly, it was difficult to give a definite answer.
Because although those fellows pretended to be a religious group worshipping a demon god, in reality, they rarely moved as an organized group.
Wasn't Ishtar, whom he had met this time, like that?
If he had led more cultists and caused the incident, he might have been able to break Yuna, but he hadn't.
Therefore, those fellows were a group, yet not a group.
It was more accurate to see them as individuals moving with a single purpose.
And rooting out such individuals meant dispatching knights throughout the Empire and shedding blood.
His Majesty probably hadn't taken full-scale action precisely because he knew these aspects.
Land stained with blood, whether for good or ill, would surely destabilize the political situation.
If knights started killing people across the Empire, whether they were cultists or not, it would undoubtedly have negative repercussions.
"Your Majesty, what would you have me do?"
Franz set aside such questions for a moment and asked.
It wouldn't be too late to make a decision after hearing His Majesty's words.
"Truthfully, I have been secretly gathering information about the cult, and it seems there are ranks even among them. Among those, the ones with the highest rank appear to be the seven known as the Seven Deadly Sins. I would like you to dispose of those fellows."
So, to put it simply, it meant killing the seven bosses of the cult.
"Once those fellows are dealt with, we will handle the rest from our end. Can you manage it somehow?"
Honestly speaking, there wasn't much of a choice.
If His Majesty came out this firmly, it meant he was determined to execute the plan.
Though he formally phrased it as a request, where would you find a subordinate who would refuse a request from their superior? Especially when that superior was none other than the Emperor.
So, in the end, there was only one answer to give.
"I will do it."
As it happened, his mood had been foul lately due to those cultist bastards slithering out.
The world had almost faced ruin because Duke Ishtar, that cultist fellow, had tormented Yuna.
So, since he now had a justification, he decided he should thoroughly smash those guys.
"Franz, thank you truly."
His Majesty bowed his head while still seated at the table.
Seeing this, Franz immediately dropped to the floor and prostrated himself.
It was something he had learned through social life.
If a high-ranking person bowed their head, bow lower than them.
"Y-Your Majesty, you mustn't do that. Please raise your head."
"If you act like that, what does that make me? I cannot express my gratitude, can I?"
"Gratitude is unnecessary. It is simply what I must do as a citizen of the Empire."
"Having someone like you by my side is truly a great fortune. Anyway, I understand. I will stop, so you too may raise your head now."
Finally, only after receiving confirmation from the Emperor could Franz raise his head.
It was truly an experience he never wanted to go through again.
It felt like all his hair would fall out from the stress.
Anyway,
"Does the Goddess Religion know about this, perhaps?"
"The Pope and the Saint are scheduled to visit tomorrow. I will speak to them well then, so do not worry too much."
He wasn't particularly worried.
For the Goddess Religion, this incident would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity.
They would undoubtedly mobilize everything they had to aid the Empire.
However, he was a little worried about Yustia.
'She has gotten much better, though.'
If her body became exhausted and her mind pushed to the brink, her heart's illness might relapse.
If that happened, another <Bad Ending> turning point would arrive, so it seemed he would have to visit her soon and have a conversation.
He should try to prevent it before the turning point comes, if possible.
Anyway, His Majesty's business must surely be finished with this.
There was no reason to remain here any longer.
"Then, Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, may I take my leave first as matters at the Magic Tower are pressing?"
Franz was extremely excited at the thought of finally being able to return to the Magic Tower.
It felt like less than an hour had passed since arriving at the Imperial Palace, yet his head already seemed to throb.
However, this time too, Franz's hopes were dashed.
"This is a personal request, but would you perhaps take a look at my daughter just once? It seems she has the aptitude to become an Archmage."
It seemed the Emperor's doting father side had flared up again.
Not that he could refuse, though.
"To be able to witness the Princess's magic is an even greater honor for me."
Whether she was an Archmage wannabe or an actual Archmage, he would know once he saw her directly.
But somehow, he had a feeling she leaned towards the former.
* * * * *
The Great Forest, dwelling place of the Elves.
A very significant problem was occurring there.
"Lady Hera, the leaves of the World Tree are still wilting."
"Is that so?"
Hera, the chieftain of the Elves, fell into deep thought.
She didn't know what was happening, but recently the power of the World Tree had been gradually weakening.
Because of that, the trees of the Great Forest were also losing their strength, making the problem quite serious.
Even asking the Spirit King only yielded the response that an evil aura was felt, offering no solution.
Then, suddenly, someone came to Hera's mind.
Franz.
The man who had helped her.
She already owed him an indelible debt, so she wanted to avoid asking for favors if possible, but...
'This can't be helped.'
This concerned the entire Great Forest and the whole Elven tribe.
She couldn't afford to worry about propriety.