LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 35
35 – Emperor and Prince (1)
dark night.
Following the shadow guard of the emperor, he moved in the shadow of the building as if avoiding the moonlight.
Then, through the dark doorway, he entered the palace, and then moved through the dark hallway to the basement.
How far did you travel like that?
“This way.”
The Shadow Guard stopped in front of the wall at the end of the underground passage.
She tapped and touched and manipulated things here and there.
That’s right… .
The wall was pushed back just wide enough for one person to enter and exit, revealing a dark secret passageway.
Roaring!
The Shadow Guard took out a torch, lit it, and started down the stairs again leading the way.
‘I thought there was a space like this in the basement of the imperial castle… .’
I hadn’t experienced it before, so I didn’t know.
Until I was dragged into the Sky Tower, I was only playing and eating under the care of Sister Irene, so it was only natural in a way.
Tumble.
Only the footsteps of the two of us quietly resonate on the dark and narrow stairs.
I looked around and tried to guess where I was.
As if noticing my gaze, the Shadow Guard spoke in a low voice.
“Even if you try to remember, it will be useless. The entrance you just entered is disposable. It will be sealed for the next ten years.”
“You are thorough. Shadow goes… Come to think of it, what should I call you?”
“Agent, Guard, or any other nickname is fine. Call me whatever is convenient for you.”
She, who had gone ahead, responded in a calm tone.
Tumble.
At some point, the stairs leading down ended, and a new wide and smooth underground passage was revealed.
I looked around and said.
“indeed… . Was this the base of the Shadow Guard, where little was revealed compared to the rumors?”
With a condescending tone, I sneakily poked at the shadow guard.
At my words, she waved her way to one side of the aisle, shook her head, and warned me.
“Even if you are from the royal family, excessive curiosity can be dangerous.”
“Danger… .”
“If you want to know everything about us, you will have to become the next emperor someday.”
I laughed involuntarily at her words.
“Are you saying that I, who have no maternal family and no special power under my command, should become the next emperor?”
“… … What the future holds, no one knows. Especially if it’s the imperial palace, which is a pandemonium.”
The Shadow Guard turned to me and replied in a meaningful tone.
‘He’s just spitting out that he’s not the person involved.’
There are already two princesses who are strong candidates, Sister Irene and Ekinne.
Due to the nature of the imperial family, there are no restrictions on men and women in inheriting the throne, but realistic problems cannot be ignored.
In the advantageous position of being a woman, both of their mothers are also influential aristocratic families that boast great power.
On the other hand, I have nothing other than the status of a prince.
There is already a huge gap from the beginning.
To subjugate those two people at my feet and become emperor was a story that anyone with even the slightest interest in politics would laugh at.
“… … .”
“… … .”
After that trivial conversation, silence fell between the two of us for a while.
Tumble.
The underground area of the imperial castle seemed wider than expected. It’s already been 30 minutes, but the passage is constantly being built.
During that time, various facilities and sights pass by us.
Wow… !
A huge underground aqueduct facility where rough water flows down into a dark abyss with loud noises.
A magical power line facility that is installed under the imperial castle and supplies magic here and there.
And what caught my eye more than anything else was the golden crops growing and ripening in the great underground cave.
It is such a bizarre sight that you forget that this place is underground.
‘Is this barley… . It’s absurd.’
Examining the ceiling, there were lights that seemed to be some kind of magic tool placed here and there as if replacing sunlight.
‘Growing food in the underground of the imperial castle.’
The meaning is by no means simple.
.
.
.
How long did he walk while passing by those sights?
The shadow guard agent who reached the dead end of the underground passage opened a new passage by manipulating the wall as before.
That’s right.
This time, the stairs going up again reveal their appearance.
After several steps, the final destination was a small and cozy study with soft lighting.
‘Is it one of the many libraries that exist inside the imperial castle?’
When I glanced at it, I saw that all four sides were blocked by walls, with no windows.
It is a picture that minimizes the clues to reveal the location.
I turned my gaze to the inside of the study.
There, the emperor is sitting reclining in a chair in comfortable clothes.
The Shadow Guard bowed down and reported to the emperor.
“I brought Her Highness Regid. your majesty.”
I also passed by her and approached the emperor and lightly bowed.
At the same time, the question about the unexpected call late at night was also revealed.
“Meet Your Majesty. Anyway, it’s a very unusual invitation.”
However, the emperor seems to have nothing to say.
He gestured roughly for the chair across from him.
“Sit down.”
“… … .”
Silence fell for a while.
It is an awkward atmosphere that cannot be seen even between parents and children.
‘Honestly, it’s not like we’re laughing brightly and chatting.’
It may be the gap and fate that inevitably exists between the emperor who rules the huge empire and his children.
“… … .”
The emperor, who had been staring at me silently with his chin propped up, finally opened his mouth.
“I heard that there is an entrance exam for the academy today. What was the level of the test takers?”
Did you call me because of the academy?
If that was the case, a report would have sufficed.
I answered the question once.
“They are all great talent with a promising future.”
“Hmm… . How long do you think it will take them to become useful?”
I naturally frowned at the question.
“Aren’t you in too much of a hurry… ?”
The emperor, who was silent for a moment, shook his head and opened his mouth.
“You know that the Sky Tower attack is currently blocked on the 11th floor. Not only us, but all 13 sky towers on the current continent are in such a state.”
He nodded heavily at those words.
‘The 1st through 10th floors can be said to be a kind of adaptation period or tutorial.’
The care that allowed attackers to adapt slowly ended on the 11th floor.
The difficulty level rises rapidly.
Contrary to the upheaval in the beginning, progress naturally became very slow from the 11th floor onwards.
‘Because the real start of the sky tower is from the 11th floor.’
The emperor continued to speak.
“People who awaken Sky Tower tokens appear randomly, and there are too few invitation tickets to be excavated.”
Since the last time I secured invitations, there are a few people who have been lucky enough to get invitations from time to time.
However, the number is so small that supply cannot keep up with demand.
The emperor frowned.
“While the difficulty of attacking the Sky Tower has increased dramatically, the number of attackers needed is absurdly short, so we need a quick supply of talent.”
I shook my head at those words.
“Even so, we shouldn’t push the cadets to the front lines unconditionally. It takes a lot of experience and time before they are ready.”
The Emperor rests his chin on his hand and smiles.
“’Various experiences’ and ‘time’… . Come to think of it, rumors about what you guys were doing today spread throughout the imperial circle and the military.”
“What if it happened?”
“The 10-fold buff control.”
“Any psionic magician with that much sense… .”
“You are talking nonsense. How many people on the continent have that level of senses?”
“… … .”
The emperor removed his hand from his chin and straightened his posture.
He stares at me with deep eyes.
“You just said that you need various experiences and time. but… … Aren’t those things what you need?”
“… … .”
“Legid, how many have you eaten so far?”
“… … .”
Woo woo-. A psionic wave erupted around the emperor.
Dismissed! Paperweight!
Soon, golden lightning sparked through his body and began to flow.
Dismissed!
One of them, a small bolt of lightning, shot towards me.
There was no offensive intent in that appearance.
Even if I took it with my bare body like this, it would only make my limbs tingle slightly.
‘Did you bite the bait as expected?’
The 10-fold buff shown today was a kind of performance conscious of the emperor.
‘Because in order to see the opponent’s hand, I also have to show the hand to some extent.’
After quickly completing the calculation, I also opened the psionic wave.
Dismissed!
A golden barrier rose up around my body, blocking and dispersing the lightning from the Emperor.
“… … .”
“… … .”
The emperor and I gazed into each other’s eyes without speaking for a moment.
The emperor smiles faintly and pours a drink into a glass placed on the bedside table.
“hahahaha. After all, is it Irene’s barrier… .”
“… … .”
“I will ask again. How many have you eaten now?”