How to Survive as a Dungeon Manager in Another World

33 – The Imperial Palace (2)

The disposal of the vanquished fiends was entrusted to the Imperial Household, and the carriage set off again towards the palace.

Selena, having witnessed the authority of the runes for the first time, continued to cast furtive glances even after arriving at the Imperial Palace.

I had taken the initiative, making no particular effort to conceal the power I possessed, but her gaze telegraphed, ‘Explain yourself at once!’

I considered simply ignoring it, but given the upcoming academy event, I took the lead.

“Is there something you wish to inquire about?”

She startled at my question.

Her eyes blinked in surprise.

“…That just now, was that a Word of Power?”

I paused, momentarily lost in thought.

The authority of the runes is not something that can be understood merely through explanation.

I would have to concoct some kind of plausible excuse, but unfortunately, Selena was not one to be easily fooled by flimsy pretexts.

Just as I was about to cut the conversation short, Selena preempted me.

“At first, I thought you were human. But after seeing that just now, I understand.”

“…? What is it that you understand?”

“You’re not human, are you?”

What?

“I am most certainly human.”

“Human? Have you ever seen a human wield Words of Power?”

“I wouldn’t say they’re completely unheard of.”

“No! Yes, they exist! But at best, they can conjure a small flame or so! They don’t possess the ability to kill fiends with a mere utterance like you just did!”

Strictly speaking, the authority of the runes is indeed a form of Word of Power.

When one reaches the final stage of the runes, the state of ‘Return to One,’ the authority can be manifested with mere will, but at that point, one might as well consider themselves a demigod rather than a human.

The authority of the runes is a power that twists causality, and it cannot be realized without the medium of language.

Thus, the activation phrase was necessary, and from that instant, if one had to strictly define the nature of the power, it would be termed Words of Power.

But.

‘How does one even begin to explain this?’

There’s simply no way to articulate it.

More than that, the sheer bother of explaining each minute detail was exhausting.

But leaving it be meant her misunderstanding showed no signs of abating.

“…So, you weren’t human.”

What’s worse, even Ludine seated beside her was swayed by Selena’s words.

She even began to mumble strange things.

“So, that’s what they meant by ‘Overlord of the Demonic.'”

“What? Overlord of the Demonic? Hey, what did you just say?”

“Last time, at that dilapidated temple, a rotted tree called Luke ‘Overlord of the Demonic’…”

“Overlord of the Demonic…”

Selena muttered, stroking her chin.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, her eyes widened and she exclaimed,

“Ah, ha ha…! Now I understand. You, you’re a dragoneer?”

“Dragoneer?”

“Yes! Dragonkind! That thing you just used, that was dragon tongue, wasn’t it? Right? Wow, figures. Even got awards at the academy. I thought I was going mad with you doing crazy stuff for five years straight, but now I get it. You just weren’t human from the start? But aren’t dragonkind all extinct?”

“They are extinct.”

“Then how?”

She looked at me with an expression of utter bewilderment.

I let out a dry chuckle and replied.

“I’m human, you know?”

“Aha, it’s a secret then.”

…It’s completely impossible to communicate.

I wondered if we were even having the same conversation.

‘Dragonkind, my foot.’

The dragonkind were annihilated, along with the elves, by the Outer Gods in the distant past.

They are but one of the forgotten races mentioned in ancient texts.

One might find remnants of the dragonkind scattered throughout the continent, but they were certainly unrelated to me.

Then, from afar, knights in full armor approached, arrayed in perfect ranks.

“Are you by chance, Lord Luke Richter?”

“I am.”

The knight in the lead, after a cursory assessment of the party, nodded and turned back.

“I shall escort you.”

He led the way into the Imperial Palace.

Selena, trailing behind, was still muttering to herself – something about, “Of course. He couldn’t possibly be human.” – but he simply tuned it out.

Clearly, she wasn’t quite right in the head. Ignoring madwomen was always the best policy.

Predictably, the knight headed toward the entrance of the Imperial Palace.

Ascending the stairs, a footman who had been waiting by the gate rushed forth to confirm their identities.

“Present is Lord Luke Richter, the second son of the Richter Earldom!”

*Kkiiieeeak—*

Along with the resounding cry that echoed through the air, the firmly sealed gates of the Imperial Palace swung open.

The gazes of everyone within converged upon him.

A murmur of voices, directed at him, rippled through the hall, but he simply ignored it and pressed onward.

Then, he spotted a familiar face.

It was His Excellency, the Imperial Chancellor, the one who had first sent him to Blackmore.

“Luke Richter, you’ve arrived?”

“For the glory of the Empire’s Sun.”

“Enough with the greetings. Follow me. His Imperial Majesty awaits.”

He followed the Chancellor, passing down a corridor leading deeper into the Imperial Palace.

After turning through a series of passageways, he bypassed the main hall and arrived at a reception room.

“Your Majesty, Lord Luke Richter has requested an audience.”

“Let him enter.”

*Kkiiieeeak—*

The Chancellor stepped through the opened doorway with an impeccably measured gait.

He was the very embodiment of a nobleman, without a single flaw in his composure.

“All those accompanying Luke Richter will wait here. Selena, that includes you as well.”

“Ludine, wait here a moment.”

“…Okay.”

“I shall await you, Sixth Lord.”

The Chancellor’s eyes narrowed at the title of the Sixth Lord of Balkan.

Then, in a voice only I could hear, he inquired,

“Has the Lordship been promised to you already?”

“It is merely their own presumption, you need not concern yourself greatly.”

I offered a harmless smile and followed the Chancellor.

How long had we walked? My eyes met those of the Emperor, seated at a side table at the far end of the reception room.

The golden hair and golden eyes, so characteristic of the Imperial family.

A heavy build and tyrannical gaze, and an aura of menacing power.

The empire’s singular sun, the Emperor.

Albert Gracia.

Essentially my boss, as a civil servant.

I immediately adopted the Imperial courtly posture, one arm across my chest, one knee bent forward, a deep bow.

“I behold the sun of the empire.”

“The formalities are unnecessary. I apologize for summoning you when you must be weary with accumulated duties. Be seated here.”

The Emperor smiled affably, offering a cup of tea.

I took a seat and sipped the tea, discreetly observing the Emperor.

Even I, lacking in magical power, could feel the palpable aura that evoked a cold sweat.

Not magic, but the unique charisma emanating from the Imperial family.

“You must be curious as to the purpose of this meeting.”

Not particularly curious.

For I already knew the purpose.

But it was not appropriate to say so directly, so I feigned ignorance.

“Indeed, I am curious.”

The Emperor chuckled softly, his voice low and deliberate.

“A woman came to the Imperial Palace a few days ago.”

“…”

“Arkan. One of the Six Thousand of the continent, and a woman seated at the very top of the Lord’s Council.”

“I see.”

The Emperor tapped the side table twice with his fingertips.

“She and I, we know each other. Not bosom friends, no, but comrades walking the same path, respecting each other’s territories, shall we say.”

“……”

“And then, after decades, she appears and tells me this: there’s a talented individual she covets, so hand them over to the Council.”

I wanted to slap my forehead.

Her words about seeking the Emperor weren’t an idle boast.

No, I knew she would seek him out.

But I didn’t expect her to approach it so… brazenly.

“So I asked her.”

The Emperor continued, his words flowing like water.

“Your name came up.”

“…Is that so.”

“She insisted, right in front of me, that you absolutely must be made the Sixth Lord.”

“……”

“As a royal official is fundamentally under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Family, I trust you understand that her demand was an unreasonable overreach.”

“Of course.”

“Refusal, outright, would be the principle.”

The Emperor took a sip of his tea, his voice lowered.

He continued to speak with a smile on his face.

“Knowing that, it seems, she offered me a condition. Shall I tell you of it?”

“…I will listen attentively.”

“She said she would break the neutrality. Upsetting the Council’s cornerstone upheld for hundreds of years, and establish a paramount, friendly relationship with the Imperial Family as the condition.”

“……”

“She even handed over the Grand Lord’s Pledge. Vowing that, for once, the Council would aid the Imperial Family unconditionally.”

“……”

“The Grand Lord’s Pledge is certainly not light in its weight.”

From the gaze we exchanged, a chilling current of electricity sparked.

The Emperor chuckled.

And then he turned serious.

“When I first sent you to be the Manager of the Demonic Border, what did you think?”

“…I found it perplexing.”

“The reason?”

“Blackmore is not a place a lone Inspector can manage.”

“Indeed. Not a place for a typical Inspector to manage alone.”

The Emperor turned a listless gaze upon me.

“But you are no ordinary Inspector, are you?”

Huh?

“Since your days at the Academy, tales of you have assailed my ears. Impossible not to know. A constant stream of hefty accusations, each overwhelmingly in the Empire’s favor. Thanks to you, we’ve caught over a hundred spies, and uncovered embezzled funds exceeding ten million gold pieces. And that’s not all, is it? The Sage’s lab that shook the academic world, is that not your pseudonym? The Speaker told me your papers advanced progress by at least centuries.”

“……”

…Not a single word untrue.

A b*stard with no backing acing the Academy and getting a free pass to become an Inspector was the optimal route, after all.

Of course, the processes were always quite boisterous, but frankly, I paid it little mind.

And yet, the things I set in motion snowballed and returned like a boomerang.

“After considerable deliberation, we finally decided to appoint you as the Administrator.”

“……”

“Even then, I had my doubts. But the moment you stepped into Blackmore, you decimated the Shadow Society, purged the Empire’s festering sores, and hunted down a total of three thousand five hundred and sixty magical beasts.”

Did I?

Hearing it like that, it sounds rather grand.

“Luke Richter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What are your thoughts on the position of Sixth Overlord?”

“……”

I was at a loss for words.

But in the Emperor’s eyes, directed at me, there was already an unfathomable expectation.

“Your Majesty, I…”

“The principle is that Inspectors cannot hold the Overlord title concurrently, but what does that matter? This Emperor of the Empire finds it acceptable.”

“……No, I don’t particularly…”

“Ha ha, there is no one as capable as you. My expectations for you are immense. Normally, a Special Investigator receives a new assignment every five years, but we might make an exception for you. Blackmore is, after all, Imperial territory, is it not?”

“Huh? No, I am satisfied with my current position…”

“We shall push to make you its master. Arkan, as it happens, suggested: ‘An Overlord governs his domain, so how about designating the Sixth Overlord’s domain as Blackmore?’”

“……Your Majesty, I am more than satisfied with my current position, and have even less of a desire to become the Sixth Overlord. I wish to retire at an appropriate time and live an ordinary life…”

Then, the Emperor slammed his teacup down on the side table.

“Retirement?”

“…Pardon?”

“I regret to inform you, there is no retirement from a Lordship.”

Bloody hell, what?

“I look forward to working with you. Sixth Lord.”