Chapter : 197

“Just what was the Academy doing, failing to properly grasp the situation until it reached this point!”

“Count Lisitoel is also reckless to a degree! Using sealing magic in that situation, is he out of his mind?”

“What on earth is the Hero doing in a situation like this?”

“Hah, what should we do about this situation….”

The conference room was truly noisy.

Most of that noise was about assigning blame, so the Emperor’s mood was even more unpleasant.

Is assigning blame important right now? It wasn’t the Academy, but the Emperor and the nobles who benefited from Iris, who turned a blind eye to her until the situation ended up like this.

If there was responsibility, it lay with the Emperor who left Iris alone under the pretext of coexistence.

However, no one dared to point out that fact.

Since it is much easier and more profitable to touch the Academy than to touch the Emperor for no reason.

The Emperor was disgusted with himself for having to use even that.

But the Emperor’s rule had to be heartless and unwavering.

“Shouldn’t we decide first whether to accept Iris Viden’s demands or not? Your Majesty.”

Duke Nevera, who had kept silent all along, carefully opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, weren’t the Duchy of Nevera and Golden close?”

“I didn’t know there was a foolish person in this conference room who would confuse business with personal closeness.”

“Duke Nevera!”

“It is true that Golden and the Duchy of Nevera are closely connected in business, but we are merely business partners; I didn’t even know that the true owner of Golden was Iris Viden.”

Toward the nobles, Nevera continued a blatant lie.

“At most, we just attended the Academy together for a few years. If you discuss accomplices based on that, that is truly ridiculous.”

Duke Nevera was indeed someone who could clearly be called an accomplice.

As a hidden investor of Golden and closely connected to Iris both business-wise and personally.

But that is an implicit relationship.

If Duke Nevera feigns ignorance like this, no one can properly question him.

“If you truly have no connection with Iris Viden, why do you defend her!”

“How does asking about the Empire’s choice for the future constitute defending her?”

Duke Nevera asked nonchalantly.

“The conditions Iris Viden put forward are by no means demands that the Empire cannot accept, Your Majesty.”

Duke Nevera rather raised the corners of his mouth lightly.

“To hand over her adopted son, to lend a toy, and not to touch Golden.”

Simple and clear demands.

“At the same time, the benefits the Empire will gain are also clear.”

The cooperation of an existence that possesses overwhelming martial power enough to destroy the world.

It was a contract condition so favorable that it would be strange for the Empire not to accept it.

“I rather don’t understand why Your Majesty is hesitating.”

“Duke Nevera!”

“It is just unpleasant to have to cooperate with a commoner like Iris Viden, but is there any other reason not to accept the conditions besides that? Try to persuade me.”

At Duke Nevera’s question, all the nobles gathered in the conference room fell silent.

As if he expected it, Duke Nevera snorted.

“If the only reason for opposition is reluctance due to status, it isn’t even worth listening to anymore. Your Majesty, it is right to release Evan Lisitoel’s seal right now and accept Iris Viden’s proposal.”

“What is the reason you think so?”

“I remember her as a person with very severe whims.”

At the Emperor’s question, Duke Nevera spoke calmly.

His words were indeed correct. Because Iris Viden, as remembered by the Emperor, was also a woman like the incarnation of whims.

“Therefore, even more so, we must not accept the proposal.”

Opening the door of the conference room, a woman with red hair undulating like waves entered.

At the appearance of the Witch of Flames, sounds of clearing throats burst out from everywhere.

“Just who called that person?”

“How would I know!”

“She clearly said she couldn’t attend because she was interpreting the magic left by Evan Lisitoel!”

“We shall check later which cute human dared to sell the Academy’s information, so is this even worth discussing?”

Beatrice proudly sat in the seat next to the Emperor.

The seat the nobles had ceremoniously left empty, where Evan Lisitoel should have originally sat.

“How dare you, in front of whom right now!”

“Exactly!”

Beatrice struck the desk with her palm.

Bang! A sound was made, and her eyes, red like flames, gleamed with anger.

“How dare you suggest, in front of His Majesty the Emperor, that since we have neither the courage nor the will to fight, we should just compromise with a monster.”

“Since she is a monster one can communicate with.”

At Duke Nevera’s words, Beatrice looked at Duke Nevera as if she expected it.

“Even so, she is a monster warned about by God, who will swallow the world.”

No matter how much the current Empire doesn’t value faith as before, its roots are such that it could be called the ‘Holy Empire’.

The first Hero of the Holy Sword who, holding the Holy Sword bestowed by God, overcame all sorts of adversities and darkness and founded the Empire.

He is truly the Founding Emperor of the Empire, and the foundation of foundations that continues to the present day.

“You haven’t forgotten the fact that the Descendant of Wind also took the lead with the Founding Emperor to bring peace to the continent, have you, Duke Nevera?”

At Beatrice’s sharp question, Nevera gazes at her calmly.

“Your Majesty.”

“Speak, Count Belfiare.”

“The analysis of the sealing magic used by Count Lisitoel is finished. That magic is a sealing magic utilizing the high-ranking Holy Magic ‘Subspace of Light’.”

Subspace of Light.

It was a miracle of God known to be usable only by Ferdiel Levian.

To use that, should one say it is indeed Evan Lisitoel.

The nobles swallowed vain breaths quietly.

“So what is it that you want to say?”

“Give Lapis Academy a week’s time.”

Beatrice brought up the main point.

“It was always Lapis Academy that took the lead in removing the dangers of the Empire.”

One of the banners raised when establishing the Academy was salvation.

Saving the world is indeed the duty the Academy ought to perform.

“We will prove the existence value of Lapis Academy.”

Lapis Academy.

There was no one who could ignore the weight given by those letters.

A place that has protected the Empire at the forefront for 1,000 years.

And who could ignore the cradle of heroes where all the nobles of the Empire, and even the Emperor, came from.

“Your Excellency Duke Nevera, do you still oppose?”

The noisy conference room was no longer noisy.

Everyone remained silent, only waiting for the Duke’s answer.

In this situation, it is impossible to voice approval to accept Iris’s contract.

“How could I.”

Duke Boreas Nevera gripped his cane tightly.

“I, as Duke Nevera, will pray that the Academy performs a miracle again and clears away the darkness.”

When Duke Nevera stepped back, it was safe to say the meeting was practically over.

The grace period allowed to Lapis Academy was only one week.

Within that time, they had to find a way to overcome this difficulty somehow.

The problem was still difficult, but Beatrice was grateful just for the fact that they bought time and obtained an opportunity anyway.

After the nobles withdrew, only two people, the Emperor and Beatrice, remained in the conference room.

“Count Belfiare, is it really possible within a week?”

“In my honest opinion, I think it is impossible.”

The time of one week is both long and short.

Certainly, many preparations can be made, but if asked whether one can deal with Iris Viden with just that, it can be considered close to impossible.

“But don’t we have a miracle?”

“…You mean the miracle called the Holy Sword.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Beatrice answered.

“Do you have anything else to say besides that?”

At the Emperor’s question, Beatrice remained silent.

In a situation where everything is a hypothesis, Beatrice hesitated whether she should really convey these words to the Emperor, and eventually made a judgment.

Everything is still just a hypothesis.

“No, I don’t. Has Lucian woken up?”

“Not yet. Perhaps before dealing with the Master of Golden, we might have to step forward to wake Lucian up.”

The Emperor clenched his fist and looked at the clear sky beyond the window.

Did the Founding Emperor, the first Hero, also feel this way? If it were him, he would have rightly taken the Holy Sword and stepped forward to solve all problems.

He wouldn’t have hesitated, worrying about trivial problems like himself.

“I have no choice but to choose as the Emperor this time as well.”

“You ought to do so.”

He was a human who could not become a Hero anymore.

Because he had already placed the life of one person on the scale to become the Emperor.

Having chosen the sacrifice of the few for the many, he could no longer become a hero.

So, he just does his best as the Emperor.

As the one reigning over the Empire, he saves even one more citizen of the Empire.

“The grace period of one week is respect for Lapis Academy.”

“I understand.”

“So, please take care of it.”

Beatrice bowed to the Emperor and withdrew.

From now on, she really cannot waste even a single minute or second.

* * *

“Tsk.”

Duke Nevera, who returned to the mansion leaning on his cane, clicked his tongue.

Surely this isn’t the end of the ‘interesting sight’ she declared so confidently.

The one who greeted the Duke who returned to the mansion was Zephyros Nevera.

As soon as he saw the Duke, he brought up the words he had prepared.

“I have finished preparations to return to the Academy.”

Soon the summer vacation ends, and the second semester begins.

Amidst a gaze hiding intense hatred and contempt, Boreas’s cane hit the floor and made a hard sound.

“I see.”

Suddenly, as if lost in thought about something, the Duke stopped abruptly.

He didn’t feel like stopping his son here.

If it were a ‘different’ son, he might, but if he gets swept up in this incident and dies, there would be nothing better than that.

“Do as you wish.”

“Are you serious?”

Zephyros looked at Boreas as if he was rather surprised.

“Is there a reason to stop a guy who says he will go to the Academy?”

Zephyros Nevera will definitely step forward in the Iris Viden subjugation battle. Boreas Nevera could be sure.

So, a suitable timing to finally eliminate him has arrived.

If he dies from this matter, he could use this as a pretext to gain more from the Academy.

‘It will be a business with no loss.’

Was it this meaning? If it is the Master of Golden, Iris Viden, she was a woman who could easily intend this much and more.

“Take care of yourself.”

Leaving those words, Duke Nevera limped upstairs.

Indeed, Iris’s words were true.

Boreas Nevera smiled with satisfaction.

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