Chapter 49 - Conquest (2)
12 min read ·
Gaining entry to the Emperor’s bedchamber was, naturally, difficult. The number of people allowed inside at an hour when everyone was going to sleep was especially limited.
His personal guards, trusted maids, or immediate family, at most.
Still, there were people outside those categories who could get in.
Though only one could kick open the door with a bottle under her arm and demand a drinking partner.
“... Why did I do that?”
Noel muttered the question, her face flushed with drink.
She and the Emperor were remarkably close. Close enough that Aiden had once been appalled to witness it.
Just how close?
“If you’re going to whine drunkenly, wash your feet and go to bed. Before I break your nose and knock you out.”
... Close enough for that to be his response to a grown woman visiting a man’s bedchamber with liquor—a situation that sounded scandalous even in writing.
“It’s strange. It isn’t as though Aiden said anything particularly strange.”
Ignoring him, Noel repeated herself and drained another glass.
‘... Why did I do that?’
Honestly, even she couldn’t help finding it strange.
Why on earth had she fled so disgracefully when Aiden suggested setting a wedding date?
She was the one who had dragged him here to marry her in the first place. Yet she had faltered and run away when he made a perfectly reasonable request.
“...”
The Emperor, who had been watching her with pity, dragged a hand down his face and spoke.
He and Noel were so close because they had spent more years roaming battlefields together than either could remember. After that much time together, they knew each other’s private affairs inside out, practically like family.
“Noel. Don’t twist my words. Take them exactly as I mean them. I’m stating a pure fact, with no ulterior motive or distortion whatsoever.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“...”
“An idiot without equal. You’re genuinely frustrating me to death.”
“...”
“Why not announce to the whole world that you’ve never dated anyone in all your damn years? What the hell are you doing? Huh?”
... Their closeness was surely what made such scathing insults possible, too.
As Noel grimaced, the Emperor sighed and continued.
“You and that Aiden fellow were only supposed to have a sham marriage. Right?”
“... Right.”
“A sham marriage means you don’t actually like each other. You simply ‘pretend’ to be married out of ‘necessity.’ Right?”
“... Right?”
“Think about it. That boy even relieved the heaviest burden on your heart. He said he liked you, too. And judging by what you’ve been saying, you seem more than a little fond of him yourself.”
“... Right?”
At her unchanging response, the Emperor’s hand twitched.
He was clearly fighting the urge to pick up the bottle and bring it down on her skull.
“How can you still not understand after I’ve spelled out this much?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t want a sham marriage. Because you like this Aiden fellow. You don’t want to treat someone who cares that much about you that way.”
“... But I’ve always thought Aiden was a good person.”
The Emperor seized the bottle in a reverse grip and swung it sharply downward.
The strike was sharp enough to do his title of Lion King proud. Even more astounding, however, was how easily Noel dodged it despite her thoroughly drunken face.
Panting with rage, he barely managed to speak.
“Not that kind of liking. I mean you ‘really’ like him.”
“Pardon?”
“The way I see it, you’re acting this way because you’re seriously considering marrying him.”
“...”
“A marriage for a specific purpose means you’ll separate the moment that purpose is fulfilled. That’s what you don’t want.”
Noel’s expression went blank.
“You want him as your real husband, not a sham one. So you feel an instinctive aversion to a fake wedding. Do you understand?”
“... Oh.”
Oh.
“Oh?”
Noel sank deep into thought.
“Please, child. The minister of executive affairs is scheduled to beat me half to death with paperwork again tomorrow. I need an early night. I’ve always known that damned ducal House Aslan was a dysfunctional mess, but they’ve been raising even more hell lately—”
She was so deep in thought that his continued complaints went in one ear and out the other.
At last.
“—!”
A flash of understanding crossed Noel’s face.
“So—”
As Noel began haltingly, the Emperor gave her a benevolent smile.
‘Now that she’s finally gotten it through her damn head, she’ll leave.’
... That was the intention behind his benevolence, anyway.
“You mean I genuinely like Aiden?”
“Yes.”
“...”
After a silence, Noel spoke dazedly.
“So that’s why it’s been happening?”
“... Why what’s been happening?”
“I did think it was strange. Lately, whenever I see Aiden, my head starts pounding, and I feel this pressure around my heart, and my throat closes up. Whenever I’m in front of him, I make such a dreadful spectacle of—”
“... Get out. Let me sleep.”
Rather than tell her to her face that she was making a dreadful spectacle of herself right now, the Emperor covered his face and dismissed her.
Fortunately, she seemed willing to listen this time. Bottle in hand, she staggered toward the door.
Only after seeing her leave did the Emperor sigh in relief and lie dow—
“Your Majesty, how should I behave around Aiden from now—”
“I said get the hell out!”
▣
They say humans are adaptable creatures.
In short:
-System Message
▶ ‘Noel Astria Seamus’s’ affection increases.
▶ ‘Utter Infatuation’ rises from Level 1 to Level 2.
▶ You can copy 1 additional skill!
... Even when something like this appeared completely out of the blue, with no rhyme or reason, Aiden could now simply nod without much reaction.
He didn’t know what it was, but apparently Dame Noel had experienced something somewhere again. Apparently it had made her like him more...
“...”
This didn’t seem right.
He did feel a twinge of concern over whether he ought to be treating someone’s feelings so mechanically.
‘... I do like Dame Noel, too.’
It wasn’t easy to dislike someone so upright, someone who took his side without hesitation.
But Aiden knew all too well that he wasn’t in a position to respond fully to that affection.
In the first place, it was absurd to expect to enjoy a comfortable romance and build a happy future with someone while burdened with the task of saving the world.
“...”
Aiden sighed and closed his eyes.
Well.
He felt he had no choice under the circumstances. Ultimately, he was in a position where he had to convert people’s feelings into numbers and calculate them.
He knew. It couldn’t be helped. It couldn’t be helped, but...
... He couldn’t help feeling like trash, either.
‘I’ll have to give her a proper answer someday.’
Of course he understood that much. Wasn’t that simply the decency one person owed another?
But for now, at least...
Aiden was walking on thin ice every moment. When he fought the Lord Protector, wouldn’t even a single hit have been enough to kill him?
When even the slightest mistake meant death, finding ways to grow stronger and survive took precedence over dwelling on such things.
First, he needed to figure out how to prepare for Chapter 2, ‘Night of the Hunt.’
-Skill Info
◆ Savior’s Vow
※ Unique – Only this character possesses this skill!
Prohibition 1: Save the World
Prohibition 2: Protect the Empire’s Subjects – Protect the Powerless
A one-of-a-kind vow offered to Urgan, God of the Supreme Vehicle. Power increases significantly when performing actions related to the vows offered.
★ An additional prohibition has been imposed. The ability’s efficiency increases explosively when fulfilling this prohibition.
Fortunately, he had reaped quite a useful harvest in that regard.
The prohibition he had chosen when making his promise to Dame Teresa would be an enormous help throughout the rest of Act 1. Everything he did would be related to it.
And that wasn’t all he had gained.
‘Come to think of it...’
Earning Dame Teresa’s affection had unlocked something called the Point Shop.
Sure enough, when he navigated the system window, he spotted a tab that hadn’t been there before.
< Point Shop >
▶ In the Point Shop, you can use accumulated Points to purchase potions.
▶ You may make only one purchase per day, and the potion must be used promptly. Item effects are random.
▶ In exchange for their randomness, the effects are extremely powerful. Use with caution!
“... Oh.”
Aiden nodded in admiration after reading through the description.
There were various restrictions, but that ‘extremely powerful effects’ part was very appealing.
Whatever happened, surely nothing harmful would come out of it.
After browsing the goods in the Point Shop, he stroked his chin.
‘The more narrowly I specify the effects, the more Points it costs.’
It sold every kind of potion imaginable, with categories such as ‘physical’ and ‘supernatural power,’ but the more specific the category, the more astronomical the Point cost became.
With his current Points, all he could afford was a single lowest-grade ‘Completely Random Potion.’
‘... Should I give it a try?’
With that thought, Aiden tapped it and made the purchase immediately.
There would be more opportunities to earn Points. For now, he needed to get a feel for how these worked.
Once he purchased the potion, particles of light gathered before his eyes, forming a vial about half the size of his palm.
As he watched the colorless, odorless liquid slosh inside, a window immediately appeared.
-Item Info
[ Lowest-Grade Random Potion ] [ Low Grade ]
[ Its effects cannot be known until it is consumed. What could it be? ]
▶ Grants a random beneficial effect upon consumption.
... Well.
This made him rather reluctant to drink it himself.
“Oh, Aiden.”
As he frowned at the vial, someone called to him from the side.
It was Noel, opening the office door and stepping inside, apparently just arriving for work.
‘She looks a little more normal today.’
Aiden felt relieved at the sight of her.
Noel had been acting rather strangely lately. Whenever they were left alone in the office, she would engage in all sorts of odd behavior.
She would talk while staring at the ceiling, refusing to meet his eyes because she was embarrassed. Or she would say she needed some air because listening to his voice for too long made it impossible to calm down.
Compared to that, she looked remarkably composed now.
Once she took her seat, Noel quietly gazed at Aiden.
Then she began tapping her chest with her fist.
... Apparently light taps weren’t enough, because she started pounding it.
“... What are you doing?”
“Calming it down.”
“...”
“... It’s being a little loud.”
“...”
... This woman.
He had been told that the change to Utter Infatuation meant she couldn’t act rationally whenever she saw him, but lately it sometimes felt as though her behavior operated on the logic of another dimension...
“Anyway, what’s the matter? You seemed to be staring at that vial.”
“Oh. I’d like to test its effects, but it’s a rather dubious substance...”
Noel smiled at that and beckoned.
“Then I’ll try drinking it. Would you hand it over?”
“... Pardon?”
“I hesitate to boast, but I am one of the Empire’s foremost knights. Naturally, I have some resistance to drugs. So long as it isn’t a lethal poison, I’ll be fine.”
It certainly wasn’t a lethal poison.
The description even said its effects were beneficial.
“But if you’re resistant to drugs, won’t that block the beneficial effects, too?”
“It will, but I’m sensitive enough to notice what changes it causes. I thought that might help.”
Well, if she insisted, he could leave it to her.
Even if there were some subtly unpleasant effect, as she said, it wouldn’t easily overcome the resistance of a knight with such a powerful constitution.
Noel took the vial Aiden handed her and downed it in one gulp.
After checking herself for a moment, she tilted her head.
“Well, I don’t really feel much of a difference...”
That was only natural, really.
-System Message
▶ The target’s ‘boldness’ and ‘honesty’ increase!
▶ The target’s ‘self-restraint’ decreases!
Even Aiden was baffled by the things it was increasing.
Boldness? Sociability?
‘So it can raise things like that, too...’
He scanned the window dubiously.
Well, he was fortunate just to have learned that such vague qualities could be enhanced.
It taught him that he would have to save up plenty of Points to use the shop the way he wanted.
At least, being the lowest grade, it certainly wouldn’t have much effect on Noe—
-System Message
▶ The item ‘Lowest-Grade Random Potion’ affects ‘the Lionhearted.’
▶ The potion’s effects exceed the target’s drug resistance. The effects take hold.
“...”
A lowest-grade potion that overpowered the Lionhearted’s drug resistance.
That certainly was impressive. Apparently the claim about powerful effects hadn’t been empty boasting...
As Aiden mulled that over, Noel’s mouth twisted beside him, as though she had suddenly felt something.
“Oh, I do feel something changing.”
“Uh, do you?”
“... I feel a little loose-lipped.”
She hummed thoughtfully, pressing a finger to her cheek.
Well, the message had said her ‘boldness’ and ‘honesty’ had increased.
She was a person with thoughts and feelings, after all. When she always tailored her words and actions to proper manners and moral standards, all sorts of unsaid things were bound to build up inside.
Increased boldness and honesty were a combination that might let those things slip out without her realizing it.
“I’ll start saying anything that comes to mind if I’m not careful. For example, how much I like you, Aiden—”
Noel snapped her mouth shut mid-sentence.
It seemed she had barely managed to stop the words that had escaped her control.
She squeezed her eyes shut, looking as though a sudden wave of dizziness had struck her.
“...”
“...”
A long, awkward silence followed.
It was a truly hellish silence...
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
... All Aiden could do for the moment was pretend he hadn’t heard anything.
“... Thank you.”
Noel turned her gaze to her desk as she replied. Even beneath her hat, pulled low over her head, the blush reaching her ears was plain to see.
‘Wait a minute, though.’
As he poured water into the kettle, a possibility suddenly occurred to Aiden that sent a chill down his spine.
‘Is she going to be like this all day?’
... Somehow,
a terribly ominous feeling was beginning to creep over him.