Chapter 35.1: The Road to the Imperial Palace Part 1
Bonus chapter for reaching 500 reading list on Novel Updates.The Road to the Imperial Palace
The Imperial Crest...?
I tried to gather my dazed wits and looked at the letter in my hand.
Golden threads were intricately intertwined on the pure white paper.
The soft texture felt by my hand seemed to tell me that the material of this letter was of very high quality.
I mumbled to myself, alone in this incomprehensible situation.
"No... why would the Imperial Palace send me an invitation...?"
"Did you do something wrong...?"
"Normally, you wouldn't receive a letter from the Imperial Palace just for causing some trouble, right?"
What does she think I am?
I waved my hand towards Rachel, who was looking at me suspiciously.
"Anyway, why did this really come...?"
I fiddled with the letter for a moment, then carefully broke the seal.
*Riiip*, the seal tore with a small noise.
I slowly took out the contents inside and unfolded it.
Its content was as follows:
To dear young master Lishite.
I wonder how many years it has been since I sent you a letter like this.
In the past, I used to send and receive letters regularly to hear reports about the little troublemaker, Lucy.
Those were truly nostalgic times, weren't they?
Moments when everything was perfect.
I've rambled on with unnecessary stories for too long.
Let me get straight to the point.
A few days ago, I heard that you saved Lucy from assassins.
Thanks to you, the Star of the Empire is safe, what a great blessing for the Empire.
I acknowledge your contribution and wish to reward you, thus I summon you to the Imperial Palace.
I would be delighted if you could come.
[From the Sun of the Empire, Milliam von Lietro.]
I stared blankly at the elegantly written letters.
Rachel, who had been peeking at the letter from the side, did the same.
"Hehe, His Majesty hasn't changed."
"Ha... you're right, it's been a really long time since I received a letter."
"In the entire Empire, you're probably the only one His Majesty writes a personal letter to, young master."
"This is burdensome..."
No, Milliam, this guy, sitting on the throne as the Emperor, why is he personally writing and sending letters?
Besides, the content and tone are too lacking in dignity.
He's like some neighborhood uncle.
I get that he's happy his daughters are safe, but isn't this a bit excessive?
He's truly a huge daughter fanatic.
"His Majesty cherishes his blood relatives very much."
"He's too excessive, it's a problem."
With a complicated heart, I looked at the letter again.
An invitation from the Imperial Palace.
It's definitely an event that didn't happen in the original story.
If you're wondering why...
Well, it's because Allen couldn't perfectly protect the princesses back then.
Lucy died during the attack, and Neria was also seriously injured.
Milliam, who dearly loved his children, fell into deep sorrow and became bedridden.
'Thinking about it, this was the beginning of the tragedy...'
The brilliant Emperor loses his strength.
Imperial power begins to waver.
Later, when even the Crown Prince is assassinated due to the machinations of the demon forces, great chaos descends upon the Empire.
In that situation, Allen helping Neria rectify the imperial power and ascend to the throne was the content around volume 7 of the original story.
'But now, everything will be fine.'
I nodded my head, feeling secretly proud.
Although I'm afraid of that thing called the butterfly effect...
But I can't just stand by and watch the tragedy unfold before my eyes.
If I start being afraid of such things, I won't be able to do anything.
"He said he'd send a carriage tomorrow morning... I should prepare my clothes."
"Young master, you're going...?"
"Hmm? Of course, I have to go."
He's giving me a reward. There's no reason to refuse.
And the Emperor personally summoned me, I can't just ignore it.
I'll just receive a small reward and come back.
Unlike my lighthearted attitude, Rachel's expression was serious.
"Young master."
"What? Why?"
"Never! Never, never, never!! Make a mistake with the First Princess!"
"......Ah."
Only after hearing those words did I realize what Rachel was worried about.
Now that I think about it, there was that incident.
Raiden's crazy career-high performance.
To shake off Lucy, who was absolutely determined not to give up on him.
He slapped her in front of the Emperor...
'Damn it.'
How is this bastard still alive?
No, he did die, but how was he alive back then?
I sighed with a disgusted expression.
'After doing such insane things, he really cried his eyes out in the underground prison.'
If I remember correctly, Raiden started self-harming right after this incident.
He probably couldn't forgive himself for laying a hand on his precious lord.
Yeah, it's pitiful.
It's pitiful, but...
'Didn't you accumulate too much karma?'
And I'm even cleaning up your karma.
You should have lived a cleaner life, for the sake of those who come after you.
-Ding!
[It's your karma.]
[Endure it with evil and grit.]
"......"
What are you on about?
You're quiet all the time, why do you only pop up at times like this?
And shouldn't you, at least, be on my side?
I poured out my complaints towards the status window inwardly.
"Young master! Are you listening to me?!"
"Yeah, yeah... I'll act politely this time, don't worry."
"Ugh... I'm worried...!"
"If I end up in prison again, will you come visit me?"
"Young master!!!"
I chuckled softly at Rachel's outburst and organized the letter I was holding.
Speaking of the Imperial Palace.
It's been a really long time since Raiden went to the Imperial Palace too.
He hasn't visited even once since he became a wastrel.
Well... nothing much will happen, right?
I muttered to myself, averting my gaze.
.
.
.
The day after receiving the letter.
I boarded the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.
-Rumble...
Only the sound of the wheels turning echoed quietly inside the empty carriage.
Is the high class really different?
The stability was on a different level compared to the Academy carriage.
There wasn't even a rattling sound, is this the Imperial family's financial power...?
Unshakable comfort.
The carriage traveled for several hours without any particular incident.
Still, the spacious passenger seats inevitably gave off a somewhat empty feeling.
"...Should I have brought Rachel along?"
I muttered to myself, looking out the window.
With no one sitting next to me, I felt strangely lonely.
"Why am I getting sentimental..."
I chuckled, scoffing at myself, and closed my eyes.
The raw silence, devoid of any noise, gently seeped into my ears.
As I savored the stillness for a moment, I saw the carriage passing through a forest path.
"That's strange...? Was this the road to the Imperial Palace?"
Is it a shortcut I don't know?
Before my muttering could echo inside the carriage.
-Clang!!
A loud noise rang out, and the carriage came to a halt.
A booming voice came from inside the shaking carriage.
-Hand over everything inside the carriage!!
For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.
This is the Imperial carriage...?
Bandits are attacking...?
Flustered, I opened the carriage door and stepped out, and the coachman came into view, trembling and kneeling on the ground.
I looked at him and said,
"Coachman, please stay inside the carriage."
"P-pardon...? B-but..."
"You'll only get in the way."
"Y-yes, yes! My lord!"
The coachman hurriedly scurried into the carriage, making a fuss.
I glanced at him and then turned my gaze to where the voice had come from.
Standing there were strange-looking people who seemed to be screaming, 'I'm a bandit!'
'Their equipment is all daggers or swords... about twenty of them.'
While I was visually gauging the enemy's strength.
One of the bandits shouted.
"Hey, you there! You look like a rich young master, we will spare your life if you just hand over what's inside the carriage."
"......"
Are these guys morons?
Can't they see the Imperial crest on the carriage?
If they're caught, their entire families will be annihilated...
"Huh?"
As I scanned the carriage with suspicion, I soon discovered something strange.
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