章節 106: Agreement (1)
"Emperor? What are you doing here? You should be in the capital, waiting for our return! And where did you hide the general? What is going on?!" Aileen's words were difficult to stop as they poured out.
"Hush, Aileen, there is no general. As an emperor, I must constantly deal with political matters and try not to expose myself to danger. By concealing my identity beneath this armor, I could travel with you through the world and assist in everything. Moreover, I wanted to personally oversee the execution of this operation."
"But you could have at least told us! Don't you know we are ready to give our lives for you?" The guardswoman's voice trembled slightly.
"Well, I knew you would be too preoccupied with ensuring my protection, and it would distract you from the mission. That's why only two guards knew the truth: Iria and Vlad."
"WHAT?!" Aileen glanced at the nonchalant guard with two swords. "And WHY DID HE KNOW?"
"Oh, come on. The emperor taught me how to fight; I couldn't fail to recognize him by his combat style."
"Ugh, why didn't you tell me?!?" The girl nervously stomped her feet.
It seemed like a family quarrel, but there were more important matters at hand.
"So, what do we do now, Emperor?" I swayed as I got up from the ground, raising my swords, preparing for an attack.
"I would say the battle is over. I concede," the Emperor shrugged.
"WHAT?! Emperor!!! What are you talking about? He can barely stand on his feet! One strike, and he'll collapse!" The former guardswoman exclaimed indignantly.
"Well, I fight with only two blades, and one of them is already broken," the emperor looked at the broken hilt of the sword and whispered almost inaudibly, "I could never surpass my nephew."
"Do you admit defeat?"
"Yes, your final strike was magnificent," the emperor pointed at my swords, "They are called Ice and Flame, crafted by the finest blacksmiths who ever lived on this land. They have the ability to greatly amplify the magic directed through them. Wear them with pride."
I gazed at my swords; after being engulfed in such powerful flames, they had changed. All the soot and grime accumulated over the centuries evaporated, leaving them looking new. The dark-blue, almost black blade now had a bright blue edge, and both swords had golden ornaments—the dragon's head on the smaller blade and the tail on the larger one. Although the flame's pattern should have vanished, it remained intact, emitting a faint golden glow.
"So, these really were meteorite blades. I wasn't sure until now. I bought them for a couple of gold coins."
"Haha, they are worth a fortune if you know their history. I never thought your people valued their ancestors so little. But let's talk about the conditions of your victory."
"Yes, you will release all the prisoners, won't you?"
"Of course, don't worry about that. But what do you plan to do next? War is inevitable after all this."
"I would like to make peace with you."
"Unacceptable. Until the culprits responsible for the destruction of our cities are handed over to us, I won't discuss peace with your rulers."
"So, all of this was in vain?"
"Not entirely. I will release everyone, and I won't attack the academy anymore. However, I fear that won't save your comrades; in the event of war, they will be forced to stand under the banners of the royal army."
I didn't know what to do next, but my dilemma was resolved by the unexpected appearance of a golden-haired girl rolling out from the nearest bushes. She wore a golden-white merchant's uniform.
"I have a proposal!" she exclaimed.
"Vina?!" All the guild members exclaimed in unison.
"Where have you been, or rather, how long have you been here?! I forgot that she wasn't with us since the moment we split up at the guild," I said.
"I've been hiding in the bushes all this time. I thought if there's a leader among the attackers, they would definitely be here. So, I hid here in advance in case you needed my help."
"What an intriguing girl. I didn't even feel her presence all this time!" The Emperor observed Vina from all angles. "Who is she? An assassin, thief, or perhaps a great warrior? Maybe she's a mage with unique talents?"
"No, no, no, no, no! She's our treasurer, from the merchant's department. Her weapons are words and money. She could barely handle a sword if she tried," I said with a dejected tone. It was incredible that she managed to hide from the general, but it was disheartening to know that she couldn't do anything about it.
"Heh, warriors, warriors. You're too naive!" Vina wagged her index finger in front of the Emperor's face. "You were looking for an enemy driven by the thirst for killing or battles. But the only thing I radiate is the thirst for profit!"
Vina proudly struck her fist against her flat chest, eliciting chuckles from our side. After a minute, the imperial guards were rolling on the floor, laughing.
"What an interesting bunch of students, Rector. Why didn't you introduce them to me right away!" The Emperor could barely contain his laughter. "So, what did you want to propose, young lady?"
"You only think about war, but peace is not even on the table. I propose a truce! You give us time to find the real culprits, and in return, we promise not to initiate any wars until the deadline."
"Hmm, an interesting proposal, but who can guarantee that you will fulfill your part of the agreement?" The Emperor crossed his arms skeptically.
"If you don't mind, I would support this idea," the Rector stood up and approached the Emperor. "I believe I can convince the kings to agree to these terms."
"And if it doesn't work out, we'll help too," Katrina took Seleria and Ragni by the hands and joined the Rector. "I am Katrina Del'Serano, Princess of Verania. I promise to contribute to maintaining peace."
"I'm Seleria Eileran, and I prefer times of peace much more!"
"And I'm Ragni. I think my mother will also be in favor of peace."
"Wow, so you weren't lying, boy? You really have the most beautiful princesses of your country in your team. Well, if you promise, then I agree too. But I'll leave an observer with you who will assist you and inform me if you manage to find the culprit," the Emperor turned to the Rector and continued, "Your students are admitted from the age of sixteen, right?"
"Yes, but why?" The Rector didn't immediately grasp the Emperor's intentions.
"Aileen, I think we can enroll you in the first year. Consider it payment for your education," the Emperor conjured up a weighty purse from thin air and handed it to the Rector. Inside, there was a heap of gold coins with red gems in the center. "I'm not sure if you can exchange them in your country, but they are made of real gold and rubies, so they hold some value."
"Emperor?! But-but why me? You can leave anyone else!" Aileen seemed reluctant to stay in a foreign country.
The Emperor took the girl aside and whispered in her ear.
"I know that many in the empire lean towards a forceful solution to this problem, but I trust you. I know that you've always judged others impartially, and despite the loss of your friends in the attack, you agreed to my plan. I ask you to stay here and learn not only who organized the attacks but also how the people of Verania feel about the empire and its history from their perspective. Perhaps by understanding their culture, you can resolve all the conflicts between our nations."
"Emperor, but I don't want to leave you," the girl blushed slightly and lowered her gaze.
"Don't worry about that; with this, you'll always be able to reach me." The Emperor handed the girl an elongated crystal with a metal rim in the middle. "Just keep in mind the time difference. You can contact me every evening closer to sunset, but at least once a week. But if you don't get in touch for more than two weeks, I'll worry about you."
"Yes, Emperor, I will fulfill your task and report on our progress every day!" The guardswoman saluted the Emperor, and they returned to the others.
"Everything is settled. I, Emperor Uraz, conclude a peaceful agreement not with Verania or Leran, but with you personally." The Emperor pointed his finger at me. "I give you five years to find the culprits. During this time, you and Aileen will be ambassadors of peace. If anything happens to you, I can annul the treaty. If your countries attack the empire, I will also nullify the treaty. But if you find the culprits, I will be very grateful to you and will try to prevent any accusations against your nations. Also, I give you symbols of peace. For you, a broken sword, as a sign of my defeat."
The Emperor handed me the hilt and blade of the sword that I had just broken.
"And for you, my whole blade, as a sign of his victory."
He handed Aileen the second sword in its scabbard.
"Wear it with pride, and don't judge people based on the prejudices of your people."
"Yes, Emperor," the girl accepted the sword from the Emperor and hung it on her belt.
"I will do everything possible to avoid war," I said, accepting my trophy from the Emperor.
Soon, the imperial soldiers took away the soldiers we defeated, and after releasing all the prisoners, they flew over the sea.
"What do you say, guys? The young lad was quite good, and that girl from the merchants was quite amusing," the Emperor gathered all the guards on the main ship in a large room.
"Hmm, he won purely thanks to luck. I don't think he would have stood a chance if you fought at full strength," Iria sat next to the Emperor.
"I think there were other strong warriors there too. The one I fought against was quite good..." Vlad sat sprawled in a chair, "though I feel like I forgot something..."
The boy scratched his head and fell into thought for a moment.
"Oh, darn it, Iria, it seems like that girl knew you before, and I forgot to mention it!" he exclaimed.
"WHAT!?!! YOU!! Why didn't you say anything before?!" The guardswoman lifted Vlad with one hand.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot! So much has happened," he replied.
"Do you want us to go back?" The Emperor tried to calm the guardswoman.
"No, I can't. If we go back, we'll violate the peace treaty. At least now I know that my relatives live there, and when they fulfill their part of the agreement, I'll be able to return there without any problems."
"Well, your opponents weren't the only serious enemies; I even lost to one of them," Camilla floated on clouds dreamily, "and I think I fell in love with her."
"Here you go again, Lady Camilla. Although I agree, those girls were strong. Actually, I couldn't handle her sister either," the boy beside her closed his eyes thoughtfully, "but she was so assertive and resolute... and cute."
"Ho-hoo, look at that, our little one is becoming interested in the opposite sex," Camilla glanced at the spearman with a mischievous smile.
"Wha-what?! Nothing of the sort! I just admit that fighting her was quite interesting."
"As for me, I wasn't very lucky; that pair was more annoying than strong," Arthur sat with a dissatisfied look, leaning on his sword.
"Maybe you should relax a bit, take off at least some of that armor," Seran reproached the young boy.
"You guys are too trusting. What if they attack us on the way back?"
"We're flying in the air, not as fast as dragons, but the people from Verania won't catch up with us. And besides, you're too nitpicky. I enjoyed the battle, and I think Rondel did too."
"And probably that's why he's in the infirmary now. And could you please wake up Sinner already? You couldn't have knocked him out for so long?!"
The guard in the black cloak was still unconscious, missing so much interesting stuff.
"Knowing who beat him, I can tell you that you don't need to try until tomorrow," the Emperor added. "I'm also curious, what about Trin?"
The heavily armored figure sat in the corner of the room, muttering to themselves.
"Darn half-humans! I'll show you all!! I'll set up a dozen crossbows, or better yet, coat the arrows with poison, no, better yet, coat the entire armor with poison!! And I'll add spikes all over my body, so they won't be able to get near me at all. Muahahaha!"
"Mmm, Trin? Where are your hand and head?" The Emperor timidly asked what had been bothering him for a long time.
"AAAAHHH!! SHUT UP!! DO YOU ALL HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THAT?!" The massive guard jumped up and rushed out into the corridor. "You're mean!! Uwaaah!"
Accompanied by childlike sobs, the huge guard ran into the hold.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked?" The Emperor looked around, and the guards just shrugged. "Well, in any case, I'll eagerly await our next meeting."
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