I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me

After leaving the anxious Luias with the imperial palace attendant, I stood in the emperor’s audience chamber.

And now.

‘I really want to ask.’

Looking at those clear eyes staring back at me, I felt a chill run down my spine.

‘Why is he looking at me like that?’

Surely he’s not suspicious about my inability to respond to the flying attack?

Cold sweat was still streaming down my back.

‘If Kaisis hadn’t blocked it, what would have happened?’

Duke Ariel, who couldn’t even respond to what appeared to be a B-rank Awakened One.

Duke Ariel, the great magician who couldn’t use any magic at all!

‘Ugh, it’s truly horrifying.’

The quest would have failed immediately, and I might have died on the spot.

In that sense, should I consider that the emperor and I have saved each other once?

“Duke. You must have something to say?”

I don’t have anything to say.

Now quite accustomed to that fierce aura, I habitually blurted out, “Are you perhaps expecting me to thank you?”

Kaisis let out a hollow laugh, clearly astounded by the Duke’s blunt attitude.

But right now, it wasn’t him who was astounded—it was me.

‘Him saving me is one thing, but why is his condition like this again?’

I’ve heard that when Guides see their Espers recklessly pushing themselves, they become extremely angry and upset.

‘But this feeling isn’t like that. Not at all.’

I wanted to forget about that terrifying imperial aura and just grab him by the collar and shake him.

‘Why has he become such a mess in just one day!’

Although I didn’t provide intense guiding like that previous mistake, I had managed to lower his levels considerably.

‘One battle shouldn’t have caused this much deterioration!’

I couldn’t help but stare at him with disapproval.

At this rate, I would have to rush to lower the emperor’s levels again tonight.

Surely this man didn’t deliberately exert more power just because he found an easy solution?

Wait a minute. Could that really be it?

‘He’s not experimenting to see if I appear whenever his condition worsens, is he? Right…?’

As that thought occurred to me, Kaisis’s thoughtful expression looked ominous.

This man. What exactly does he remember?

Trying to kick away my sense of foreboding, I changed the subject.

“Anyway, I report to you, Your Majesty.”

Seeing him slightly raise his eyebrow, I brazenly raised my eyes in return.

“I haven’t found anything yet.”

“I didn’t expect you to say that so confidently.”

“Honesty is my strength. Expecting results in just one day—you’ve overestimated my abilities.”

“Indeed, Duke. You, a great magician, searched diligently but couldn’t find the culprit with your magic. Do you understand how serious this problem is?”

Someone who couldn’t be found by Awakened Ones or identified by the empire’s great magician.

Someone who deceived the emperor’s attention, approached his bedroom, quietly calmed his power, and then vanished.

“They’re not among the magicians under my command. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t shift the severity of this matter onto me, Your Majesty.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. I’ve told you there are none among my subordinate magicians. Besides, there are many unregistered magicians and groups in the imperial capital.”

Of course, there’s none among my subordinates.

It’s not a subordinate, but me who’s the person in question.

It was a kind of wordplay, but also groundwork laid in case of any future situations.

“Your clever mind seems to have forgotten that the person we’re looking for was among those invited to the imperial palace?”

“There’s no law saying unregistered magicians can’t receive invitations, Your Majesty. They might have disguised themselves under a different identity. More importantly.”

I asked probingly.

“Do you, Your Majesty, have anything else you wish to tell me?”

“……”

I couldn’t help but ask, even while watching his expression turn askew.

The emperor had given no other orders regarding the woman who visited him last night.

He remained silent. Why?

‘Because he doesn’t remember that time?’

Or is there another reason?

My heart pounded heavily.

“What do you mean by that? I don’t understand.”

“I heard that two of the Indoja assigned to Your Majesty coughed up blood.”

I could see the emperor spreading his aura, unable to contain his displeasure.

It was such a menacing aura that I just wanted to give up and run away.

But what could I do? I couldn’t escape.

“Are you not ashamed of hiding eyes and ears in the imperial palace, Duke?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“What are you saying? I simply have many magicians who relay information to me.”

The emperor, cursing me with his eyes, said, “So. What does it matter that my Indoja coughed up blood?”

I deliberately threw a glance at the person before me, making it clear I was examining him.

“Yet I heard Your Majesty looked more stable than usual. Even now, you look quite well for someone who just engaged in an intense battle. Is it strange for me to be curious?”

Would he confess to Duke Ariel about the being who visited him at night, or would he keep silent?

‘With the partial imprint, he probably won’t respond well to guiding from others.’

I shouldn’t have done the imprint.

That was the biggest problem.

As I frowned, the emperor slowly stroked his chin and replied.

“I have no obligation to report my condition to you, Duke.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I gave you an order. To find them. That’s what’s important.”

He has no intention of telling me.

That was actually fortunate.

It seemed the emperor didn’t plan to talk about it freely to anyone besides me.

‘It’s better than having last night’s events spread widely.’

I nodded.

“For now, that’s my report for today.”

So now can I bring Luias?

Looking at those cold eyes, it was clear he wouldn’t be particularly affectionate even to his own brother.

Just when I thought Kaisis was about to dismiss me, he said.

“There’s one more matter to address.”

“What is it?”

“Regardless, my knights showed you great disrespect earlier.”

So what? Surely he’s not going to apologize to me?

“They violated the imperial palace regulations, so as compensation, I’ll grant one of your requests.”

Of course, it wasn’t an apology.

But it was something similar.

“Anything at all?”

When I asked quite eagerly, his intense gaze pierced through me with evident suspicion.

“I’ll grant it if it’s not an unreasonable demand. But remember, this is on the condition that it doesn’t cause trouble later.”

Ah, I see.

‘If it’s something I want, naturally…’

The first words that rose to my throat were:

‘Spare me!’

Don’t kill me.

No matter what happens, don’t kill me!

But…

‘That’s not something Duke Ariel would say.’

Then there was only one thing I could ask.

I desperately maintained an expressionless face, trying not to reveal my tension.

“If it’s a request you can sufficiently grant, may I say anything?”

***

He was terribly tired from deliberately spreading his power.

If the person he had to face hadn’t been Duke Ariel, he would have collapsed already.

The annoying Duke was right. The Indoja, who were already struggling with hi,m now couldn’t even touch him.

‘Cough, cough! Y-Your Majesty…!’

They coughed up black blood with death-rattle-like screams.

Having the Duke mock such things made it difficult to dismiss his suspicions.

‘Was it really not you who hid them?’

He knew that the rumors of magicians boasting openly were closer to empty talk meant to elevate their leader and look down on Awakened Ones.

But still, he wondered who else but that woman could have blinded his eyes and hidden his match.

‘Anyway.’

What on earth was that woman trying to say?

Unable to hide his lingering uneasiness, Kaisis looked at Duke Ariel.

‘Did she always have such a habit?’

The woman was a familiar and tiresome political opponent.

Six years ago, after a terrible accident, Kaisis had to hastily receive the imperial title, and that woman, who had similarly succeeded to the position of Duke at that time, was familiar to him.

In many ways.

‘Why has she been biting her lip this whole time?’

The same unpleasant and cold expression as usual.

The attitude of an arrogant magician who abhors Awakened Ones as if they were monsters.

It was Duke Ariel’s appearance, no different from usual.

Yet why did it bother him?

The way she was subtly nibbling her lip was uncomfortable, like a thorn stuck in his throat.

As he stared intensely at her, the woman, who seemed oblivious to his gaze and deeply lost in thought, finally raised her eyes.

“I’ve decided, Your Majesty.”

She met his gaze directly.

And then, looking straight into his eyes, what she said was…