Kill the Emperor

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 117: Shall We Have a Glass of Beer?

“I didn't come in this appearance because I'm wary of Your Excellency. It's just that troublesome things often happen when I go out in my true form.”

Even without considering the power of charm that Eos's clan is born with,

I could tell just by looking at her eyes that her words were not exaggeration or bluff.

“Your sister seemed to be enjoying that aspect quite a bit though.”

“My sister is my sister, and I am me.”

“Is that so? If I may be a bit meddlesome, it would be better to be careful when you are in that appearance from just now. There are quite a few people in this world with much better intuition than me.”

“Is that so? In my view, it seems rare to find someone with as good an eye as Your Excellency the Grand Duke.”

“If you look for them, there are many. And unless they are someone like me who knows your circumstances, if an ordinary young lady goes around dressed as a man, people will pay even more attention than they would otherwise, so you should be careful.”

“I will keep Your Excellency's advice in mind. By the way, Your Excellency, regarding what you said to my sister the other day about being satisfied with the quality of the Magic Stones we sent, did you mean it?”

“Of course.”

“Two times, no, three times.”

Eos raised her fingers, which were as white as her hair, and spoke.

“If the Grand Duke continues to look after our convenience as you do now, we are willing to provide several times the amount we gave you then.”

“I am grateful for the words, but what is the reason for suddenly showing such favor?”

“There is no other meaning. I just thought that if trust is built between us in the future, we should repay you accordingly. All of our clan members think so.”

“If trust is built in the future…….”

I leaned my body slightly against the chair and smiled.

“I assume that means trust does not ‘yet’ exist between us?”

“You know very well, don't you, Your Excellency? How we have lived until now.”

I nodded instead of answering.

I, Hein, was also well aware of the times of exclusion the ‘Clan of the Night’ had suffered.

“We need a very long time to trust someone. I just hope Your Excellency understands this fact.”

“As for that matter, do as you please. As long as I can receive the set amount of Magic Stones, I intend to keep my word, so judging my attitude is your problem. By the way, may I know how the progress on the requested task is going?”

My atmosphere, which had been cool ever since meeting Eos, changed as soon as the word ‘request’ came out.

“It seems we have found rough clues. However, it will likely take a little more time for something certain to come out.”

As if she had expected me to ask that question, an immediate answer came from Eos's mouth.

“As long as the whereabouts can be identified, it doesn't matter if the results come slowly.”

I had thought that either the search would fail, or even if found, it would take a very long time.

To think they already found clues?

“It would be troubling if you forgot. That our clan has made a living doing this all this time.”

Recalling what Ea had said, I nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Then I look forward to working with you, Grand Duke. I swear on the honor of our clan. As long as the Grand Duke does not break his promise with us, our clan will never betray Your Excellency's expectations.”

I gazed for a moment into Eos's red eyes, which were mixed with half tension and half confidence.

“Likewise.”

***

“Phew!”

That afternoon after Eos visited me.

I rubbed my stiff shoulders and opened the door to the Grand Duke's exclusive rest area located near the office.

From the behind-the-scenes work to divert the attention of the Wind Tail Merchant Guild, to Eldrigal and the Grand Chief, and today even Eos and the Clan of the Night.

Because there had been so many things to worry about recently, even I, who had nerves as solid as cast iron, felt a little tired.

“……?”

What entered my view as I entered the rest area was wine and a bucket that looked luxurious at a glance.

And…….

“……!”

It was a short letter written in smooth handwriting.

After checking the contents of the letter, I personally opened the wine, filled the glass about halfway, and drank it in one go.

“……Good.”

A deep scent that seemed to blow away the accumulated fatigue in a single shot.

Confirming anew ‘his’ excellent eye for wine, I immediately summoned a servant.

“When did this wine come in?”

“It arrived just a little while ago. Your Excellency! I thought about reporting it to Your Excellency separately, but since the person who brought the wine had Your Excellency's insignia…….”

“Give an order to both the fellow who received this item directly and the fellow who did the initial inspection.”

If it hadn't been an hour, those who received and organized the goods would surely remember the appearance of the person who presented the wine.

And he probably hasn't left the capital yet.

“I will provide support personnel, so find the whereabouts of the friend who presented this wine, even if you have to scour the capital.”

***

“……Hum~ hum~”

Mikhail entered the pub humming.

“Welcome. Are you alone? Then please sit this way.”

The waitress welcomed Mikhail with a bright voice as soon as the door opened.

Children who came out to eat out holding their mom and dad's hands.

Men tilting their glasses while chatting noisily after finishing their day's work.

Looking at the scenery of the pub truly filled with vitality, Mikhail could be sure of the wave of change that had blown into Zodiac.

‘Abysin has truly become a good city.’

This was not a thought that occurred just by looking at one pub.

After finishing his business in the morning, Mikhail walked around Abysin all day examining the appearance of the city.

As a result, he could feel with his whole body that Abysin was truly alive and breathing vividly.

‘It wasn't like this at all when I came 3 years ago.’

The previous Abysin was beautiful, but it was a city only for royalty and nobles where no vitality could be felt.

Because of that, when Mikhail visited here 3 years ago, he had to feel a suffocating stuffiness.

But in just 3 years, Abysin had become a city for everyone.

‘The one leading this change must be Grand Duke Reichart.’

Feeling an inexplicable sense of pride, Mikhail opened the menu vigorously.

Since he had spent most of his travel expenses buying wine, he had to implement fiscal austerity for the time being, but for today, he intended to indulge in quite a bit of luxury.

“Let's see…….”

While Mikhail was deep in contemplation over whether to order brandy or whisky…….

“Two cold beers. And some appropriate snacks.”

A figure who sat down on the opposite side without any warning.

Before Mikhail could even check his identity, this uninvited guest snatched the menu and spoke.

“Have you been well?”

“Gack!”

“Shh!”

“Hahaha…….”

Mikhail, who had inadvertently tried to utter the title ‘Your Excellency’, barely swallowed his words upon seeing the other person bring a finger to his lips.

The impression was slightly different because he was wearing a hood pressed deep down and had attached a disguise mustache, but this uninvited guest was a figure Mikhail knew well.

“……What brings you here, Teacher…… Aren't you very busy?”

Teacher.

The alternative Mikhail chose after contemplating a suitable title for a moment was eventually ‘Teacher’.

I, Hein, shrugged my shoulders once and spoke.

“Of course, I am busy, but I have enough time to buy a glass of alcohol for a pitiful friend who lost his job.”

I picked up a peanut that came as a basic snack, put it in my mouth, and spoke.

“……Haha, for Teacher to think of a humble person like me as a friend, I truly don't know what to do with myself.”

“I'll be disappointed if you say that. Whatever people say, aren't we a relationship entangled by bribes? Ah, speaking of which, shall I give you a piece of advice?”

I picked up the beer glass that came out just in time, drank a glass really deliciously, and spoke.

“You will have to get used to things like this rather than whisky or wine now. Because the number one virtue of an unemployed person is a generous mouth that can eat anything well without being picky.”

“……Excuse me, Teacher, that word ‘unemployed person’ is……. A bit…….”

“Then if I don't call an unemployed person an unemployed person, what else should I call you?”

I, having emptied the beer in the rather large glass in an instant, raised my hand to order one more glass and continued speaking.

“Although it is ‘former’, you were nominally an executive of one of the 5 Great Merchant Guilds, so this wouldn't be your first time in Abysin, right?”

“Of course. You…… Teacher.”

“As a resident here, I want to hear your impressions?”

“It is a very good city. I think it is a very desirable city that retains beauty but is not buried in that beauty, and is full of vitality.”

I picked up one of the assorted skewers that came out as a snack, brought it to my mouth, and threw a question.

“So have you thought about what you will do in the future?”

“Actually, I am worrying about that problem right now even without you asking.”

“Worrying? No, are you saying you quit your job blindly without even a future plan? At that age?”

“Ahaha, Teacher. I don't know if you know, but my losing my job was not by my own will.”

Mikhail burst into a good-natured laugh that was like his trademark and picked up his glass.

“For now, I intend to travel around here and there. If I do that, some answer will come out.”

“Haven't you done enough traveling to get sick of it?”

“What I have done so far was work, not travel. I swear, since I became an adult, I have never once been on a proper trip.”

“Is that so? Well, travel is indeed a very good way to kill time. But…….”

While skillfully deboning a chicken wing that was roasted golden brown, I tossed out a word casually.

“You aren't a person who can do that, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I mean you are not destined to live a carefree life just traveling around.”

Gulp.

My hand movements, emptying the second beer glass already, were truly unstoppable.

“I will give you 6 months.”

And it did not take even 10 minutes for the third beer to be placed in front of me.

“If there is something you want to see, look at it to your heart's content during that time and come back here exactly 6 months later. I will have a spot made for you by then.”

“Gaaah— Teacher!”

“Why? Didn't you say so last time? That you like me?”

“Th-that is. It's not that, but…….”

“But the gentleman you have been admiring says he will even make a decent job for you out of the blue, so what on earth is the complaint?”

It was a truly mysterious thing.

Even though I had been picking up and eating only greasy snacks for a while now, not a single spot of oil could be found around my mouth or on my lips.

“…….”

Despite the rather unconventional (?) proposal as I said, for some reason, Mikhail could not easily give his consent.

“Is it because of Wind Tail?”

“…….”

Because the bullseye was hit, Mikhail simply showed an awkward smile without easily saying anything.

“If it's true that Wind Tail is in the background of your refusal, the specific reason must be one of two things. Now that the relationship between that guy Kunde and me has become very uncomfortable, you think that coming under me so suddenly, even though you were kicked out, is a betrayal of your former workplace…….”

“Ahaha…….”

“Or if not that, you are worried that this country and I will not be able to endure the madness of Kunde, who has the Esper Kingdom on his back, and will be swept away like weeds.”

“Teacher!”

“Then if I change the proposal like this, will your choice become a little more comfortable?”

I rested my chin on the table and assumed a slanted posture.

“Anyway, it is true that the relationship between me and that guy Kunde has become very uncomfortable. Considering his personality, he will try some trick sooner or later. Then I will have to ‘inevitably’ take action corresponding to that trick.”

“Teacher, in my view, it doesn't seem like ‘inevitably’ at least…….”

“Now, then you just watch that series of processes. And if Kunde wins and this country becomes a wasteland, you just run away without looking back. Whether you go on a travel or go into seclusion, do as you please.”

The destruction of one's own country.

It was a topic truly unsuitable to mention while tilting a beer glass.

“But if by any chance I win and it is confirmed that Wind Tail becomes like a torn pinwheel, you must come find me immediately. And work with me without a word of complaint for about the next thirty years.”

A slave contract amounting to a long thirty years was also not a suitable word to mention in a place like this, but.

Mikhail did not go out of his way to tackle it.

Thud!

Putting down the third beer glass that had become empty, I spoke.

“How about it? At this level, isn't it quite a favorable condition for you?”