A few days passed, and it was the day of the imperial dinner. In the meantime, a tea table had been formally set up in the greenhouse, and we often drank tea there. Now, I could enjoy the coffee Reina occasionally made and sent without missing her old coffee.
Liam was very happy that Reina's officially opened shop was doing quite well. He wanted to add another recipe I had told him, a menu with ice, but he said it was expensive and difficult to obtain, so he was thinking about how to do it.
Separately, I stayed in the imperial palace where ice was easily available, and there were two mages nearby who could make ice on the spot, so I often put ice in my coffee.
Perhaps influenced by me, Theo, who seemed like he would only drink strong espresso if he enjoyed coffee, secretly enjoyed iced Americano, and Orca sometimes mixed vodka into his espresso. His terrible eating habits, which involved eating strange things whenever he was stressed, hadn't spared coffee either.
Anyway, it was my second imperial dinner, so I wasn't as nervous as I had been the first time. However, I was worried that the topic of human experimentation would be mentioned, or that the Empress would try some trick related to it. I held Theo's hand tightly and said,
"Okay. No matter what the Empress is up to, we're not going to lose. Let's go!"
I took a bold step, and Theo, who showed no signs of tension, chuckled and followed me.
The Empress and Ricardo were already seated in the dining hall, just like last time. Ricardo bowed to me but ignored Theo and turned his head away, and the Empress stared at the table with a stiff face.
The Empress didn't give us a single glance until Theo and I sat in our designated seats. It seemed less like she was deliberately avoiding us and more like she was preoccupied with something else.
A little later, the Emperor appeared in the dining hall with only the Knight Commander, as he had done before. The Knight Commander looked more tired than the last time I saw him, but the meal started without any special greetings, and things were progressing in a similar way.
"Your Majesty, I heard that a chimera, a result of human experimentation, was found in this subjugation."
"That's right."
Unlike the Empress, who spoke carefully as if even mentioning it was terrible, the Emperor calmly affirmed. Only the Knight Commander seemed wary that the Empress would say something unnecessary, as she had done at the last dinner.
Theo said that even after the Emperor received and read the report, there wasn't even a slight change in his expression, which made the existence of the Chrysos Knights, who had elicited even a small amount of anger from him, seem even more questionable.
"Why don't we entrust the investigation of that incident to the First Prince?"
What kind of new nonsense is this? Theo couldn't hide his bewilderment either, but the Emperor seemed to grasp her intention, glanced at the Empress, and then immediately looked down at his food.
"It's not the first time black magicians have been rampant, but this time it's different. We suspect collusion with the Erebus Order and have even identified circumstances where large-scale human experimentation was conducted. Moreover, a chimera, a successful result of that experiment, has been discovered."
The Knight Commander rubbed his forehead at his attitude, which was close to an artificial intelligence reciting today's weather despite the serious situation.
"Are you suggesting that we entrust the First Prince with a case where we don't even know their intentions yet?"
It wasn't a sarcastic refusal, but a genuine question. There was also a slight hint of concern about what would happen if he failed.
"Didn't he do well in this subjugation, even though it was his first time?"
The Knight Commander's expression immediately soured. Judging from his reaction, it didn't seem like Ricardo had succeeded in improving his image during this subjugation.
"Anyone would think that the credit for the subjugation belongs solely to the First Prince. Would any other knight order have achieved that much? Don't belittle the abilities and efforts of the knights who are more skilled than anyone else."
"Your Majesty, you wound me. How could I not know the efforts of the knights? I only meant that the First Prince's achievements should also be recognized."
The Emperor cut her off as if he didn't want to say any more.
"Yes, but what will you do if he fails?"
"Why are you already thinking about failure?"
"If you start hunting, you have to think about what to do when the prey escapes."
He added in an indifferent tone, as if stating a fact.
"Or when you lose even the good swords and bows and return empty-handed."
...No wonder Theo is so good at talking; he takes after the Emperor. His skill in making people angry was truly artistic. Just as the Empress, who was furious as expected, was about to say something, the Emperor raised his head.
"I will give the First Prince the right to investigate. However, if the First Prince fails, I will pass the right to investigate to the Second Prince."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the Empress and Ricardo immediately turned their gazes to Theo. Seeing them flinch and bite their lips, it seemed they hadn't expected the Emperor to do this.
"I think the Second Prince, even if he doesn't know their purpose, will exterminate all the annoying bugs. What do you think?"
It would be best to understand their purpose and prepare for it, but if that wasn't possible, at least the black magicians who were running rampant should be eradicated.
The Emperor's words meant that he believed Theo's power could achieve at least the second-best option, even if it wasn't the best.
On the other hand, it was also a question of whether he was okay with getting involved in something that would have been fine if he had stayed still, and potentially handing over the credit.
Instead of the Empress, who was lost in thought, Ricardo, who had been silent all along, suddenly answered.
"I will do so. When hunting, you must have that kind of mindset."
"Yes, the Imperial Guard would be sufficient for merely conducting an investigation. If support is needed, I will provide the Guardian Knights, but know that it is not allowed for trivial matters."
"I will keep that in mind."
The Emperor, who elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin, immediately rose from his seat. Seriously, he always just says what he wants and leaves... The Knight Commander hurriedly followed the Emperor again, shouting.
"Your Majesty, you're not planning to give away the Vice-Commander this time, are you? Do you really want to see me collapse from sleep deprivation?! I haven't slept a wink during this subjugation!"
"I told you that you don't have to stay by my side all day."
"No, if I'm not there, there's no one to protect you, so what... Your Majesty? Your Majesty!!"
Is he going to cry? I thought Orca would be the most reported person if there was a labor standards office in the Empire, but maybe it's that man.
Theo and I also got up from our seats. Unlike the Empress, who looked confused, Ricardo didn't avoid Theo's gaze and met it head-on, as if he had already made up his mind.
"It's a celebration for you, Brother. You're finally fulfilling your duty as a member of the Imperial Family."
"...Yes, it wouldn't be a celebration for you."
"Well, we'll see about that. I hope you have good results."
We left the dining hall, leaving the two behind. Did imperial dinners always end so vaguely...? It seemed like I would need more time to adapt to this atmosphere.
***
Orca frowned as soon as he heard about what happened at the dinner. He seemed unable to understand what the Empress was thinking. Liam, who was puzzled by his reaction, asked.
"Isn't it not strange that the First Prince, who hasn't shown any prominence until now, is stepping up to gain power and achieve merit? It might be a little reckless, but..."
"It's strange because it's too moderate. I've heard that the Empress suggested that he participate in monster subjugation before. It seems she didn't plan for him to accompany the Guardian Knights, but the result wasn't bad. Even if it wasn't a big deal, the most important thing for the First Prince was the title of his first successful subjugation. Of course, with that woman's personality, she would have infiltrated my subordinates as mercenaries or slave soldiers to help the First Prince, but even if she didn't, it was something he didn't need to be careful about."
In other words, the risk was low. The Guardian Knights accompanied him, but that was only because there were no knights with enough time at the time, not because the rift that Ricardo had to close was that dangerous. It was something that the Empress and Ricardo didn't need to refuse.
"But this is different. No matter how much it's for achieving merit, the risk is too great. The Empress knows the First Prince's abilities better than anyone else. That woman would rather plot to bring him down than gamble on the First Prince with uncertain odds."
"So, you mean there might be something else going on?"
"That's why I'm frustrated because I don't know."
After thinking for a moment, I asked.
"Will Ricardo succeed?"
"Well... He's just a kid who's never even commanded a knight order properly, so isn't there a high probability that he won't succeed?"
Wait, isn't Orca younger than Ricardo? While I was suppressing the sudden appearance of my Confucian boy self, Theo shrugged. He was very carefree, as if he didn't care what happened.
"The First Prince has been more focused on desk work and rewarding merits due to his weak body, so he might be better at simply investigating and analyzing. We'll see about that, and we should rest until then. We've been quite busy lately."
"I'm still worried. If he stirs things up and fails, we might really miss all the black magicians, as the Emperor said."
"I don't think the Emperor would entrust such an important task to the First Prince alone and let go. There's a high probability that he's already moving the knights to investigate separately. But unless it's the worst-case scenario he mentioned directly, he won't directly intervene on the surface. Just like he gave him command during the subjugation when the Empress suggested it, he's giving him a chance this time as well, and this is how he'll make progress in appointing the Crown Prince."
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