Kill the Emperor

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 118: The Demon’s Game

“…….”

Mikhail couldn't say anything at my truly unconventional proposal.

Why is the Grand Duke, famous for usually being cold, making such a generous proposal to me?

Did he perhaps investigate me beforehand?

Wait, but is it true that the Grand Duke needs me?

There shouldn't be a position for me to work in the Grand Duke's family or the country?

Countless questions rummaging through Mikhail's brilliant brain came to his mind.

But leaving those numerous questions behind, the first thing Mikhail asked me was,

“By any chance, is the reason you want me because I am from Wind Tail?”

It was an inquiry into the relationship between Zodiac and Wind Tail, which had deteriorated rapidly recently, and the value of his own existence caught in between.

“So you are worrying that I might lure you in and use you as a pawn in the dispute with Wind Tail, right?”

“…….”

“It would be even more of a masterpiece if you guessed as far as ‘Waiting six months and so on is all sweet talk, and since he spoke to this extent, shouldn't a lowly guy like me crawl on my own and offer up all the information’.”

“……I won't deny that I even had such a thought for a moment.”

“I really like your honest attitude, but what to do? You guessed wrong. To speak clearly, it is true that I have become very uncomfortable with Kunde Ceciliano and Wind Tail. However…….”

With this, it was already the fourth glass of beer raised to my lips.

Is there a sponge that sucks up beer somewhere inside that slender Adam's apple?

“Do you think I would agonize over a relationship with a bug-like guy when recruiting a talent I like? Do I look that pathetic in your eyes?”

“…….”

In front of my almost scathing self-esteem, dismissing the master of one of the continent's 5 Great Merchant Guilds as a ‘bug’, Mikhail couldn't say anything.

And he realized anew.

That the Grand Duke of Zodiac was this kind of person.

“If I work under Your Excellency, what work will I be doing?”

“The work you like most and can do best.”

“Teacher, I apologize but…… I understand that there is currently no merchant guild in Zodiac with a scale large enough to do business against the continent.”

“Of course, right now there is no merchant guild in Zodiac with a vessel big enough to embrace ‘Mikhail Enderose’. But one will be created soon. Within six months from now.”

Despite it being a negotiation over something that didn't exist right now, my confidence showed no sign of breaking.

“Why do you intend to create a merchant guild, Teacher?”

“I'm thinking of splurging money. I also want to eat delicious things.”

I spoke while bringing a pork entrail skewer, appetizingly coated in brown seasoning, to my mouth in one go.

“I will buy a dragon's liver, make a saute with it, eat just one bite, and throw the rest in the trash can. At this level, wouldn't you say it's proper splurging?”

“……I will seriously consider Your Excellency's proposal. I am sorry, but this is all I can tell you for now.”

“I've felt this since I first saw you, but for a merchant, you seem really bad at lying.”

Perhaps thinking the negotiation was roughly finished, my expression had become a little mischievous before he knew it.

“No, maybe you became such an excellent merchant thanks to not knowing how to lie?”

“Haha, I have absolutely no idea what you are saying…….”

“Saying you will think about it is all a lie, right? Your heart has already leaned towards my proposal, hasn't it?”

“No…… not at all. Of course, I am grateful for the proposal, but since my future depends on it, how could I be so hasty…….”

“Shall we make a bet? I will bet on the side that you will eventually come to me, so you bet on the opposite side. Let's make the bet that the winner hits the loser five times on the forehead with a finger flick.”

“Excuse me, if it's five hits for both, it seems like too unfair a condition for me. Haha.”

Ignoring Mikhail's protest entirely, I raised the last beer glass to propose a toast celebrating the successful progression of the negotiation.

“I have high expectations. As to who the winner of this bet will be.”

***

“Young Master, no, Family Head. The treatment for the poisoning symptoms of the Grand Chief's family, which you ordered, has been completed.”

“Already?”

I, who was examining the piled-up documents today as well, lifted my head with a surprised expression.

“It hasn't been a week since the full-scale treatment began, yet it is already completed?”

According to what I read in the Grand Chief's memoir, the High Priest's poison that tormented the Grand Chief and his family seemed to have quite a potent effect.

In fact, among the Grand Chief's family, the young children couldn't endure that toxicity in the end and breathed their last without even lasting a year of secluded life.

Furthermore, if it was poison manufactured from ingredients found in Eldrigal, it would be a very unfamiliar item to people of the continent.

Figuring out the antidote method wouldn't be an easy task…….

“Yes. The effect was toxic, but the poisoning process itself wasn't complex. There was no great difficulty in resolving it.”

This young man with a naive face announced the completion of the treatment with an expression saying ‘This much is nothing’.

“Right. Good work.”

I had to be surprised once again by the genius of ‘Gabriel Bastin’.

“Did you face any difficulties due to their attitude being uncooperative during the treatment process?”

“No, Your Excellency. They cooperated so well that there were absolutely no difficulties. However, just one thing…….”

“Just one thing what?”

“There is something bothering me a little. Your Excellency, regarding when you taught me how to make a simple magic circle last time. You explained to me about the difference in mana distribution according to the region and the human body reaction caused by it; could you explain that a little more in detail?”

“Explaining it is no problem, but why are you curious about that?”

I had passed on all the knowledge I had regarding magic engineering and alchemy to Gabriel, but I hadn't separately passed on knowledge related to mana.

Because this area wasn't Gabriel's major anyway, so I thought it was better to explain only as much as necessary when needed.

Just like when making the simple magic circle to infiltrate Adela the other time.

“Actually, while treating the Grand Chief's family this time, I discovered a few differences in their bodies compared to the people of the continent. But as the Family Head knows, they have a different immune system from us, don't they? Because of this, whenever we go to the Island of Decline, we can't last two days and collapse one after another.”

As Gabriel's explanation proceeded, my expression turned increasingly serious.

Is this friend possible?

“So, as I got a little interested in this part and did some research, I thought the explanation the Family Head gave me the other day might be helpful. I want to ask if the mana distribution according to the region might be related to the cause of the people of the Island of Decline having a distinctly different immune system from us. Hehe, since I am a little free recently, I thought about studying this part…….”

Just as my status had changed, the status of Gabriel serving me had also risen incomparably to before.

However, the human being Gabriel himself seemed to have changed in nothing.

That naive smile, and the ‘genius’ hidden within it that could only be explained by the word genius, all of it.

“Family Head, you are truly amazing.”

“What is?”

Gabriel, having heard the explanation regarding the necessary parts from me, spoke with his mouth wide open.

“Your talent for the sword is innate, and you take charge of state affairs doing all the hard work, yet you are even knowledgeable in this field. Truly, an ordinary person like me wouldn't be able to handle one-hundredth, no, no, one-thousandth of the talent the Family Head possesses, even if I died and woke up again, or if there were a hundred or a thousand of me.”

Really, why is this friend making such a face?

I'm the one who wants to marvel right now.

“You are ordinary? You'd better not say that anywhere else. Especially in front of alchemists or magic engineers who have gone through the regular curriculum. Because if they hear it, they will think you are mocking them.”

“……”

“Well, it's not important, so you don't need to mind what I just said. And regarding this immune system problem, try thinking about it hard. If you can achieve a distinct result, I think it could be quite helpful.”

“Family Head, I cannot guarantee results yet. Even if results as good as expected come out, it will be impossible to completely solve the phenomenon of continent people collapsing one after another whenever they go to the Island of Decline. The difference according to the living environment is too big to solve at once…….”

“I know. I don't expect that much from you, so you don't need to feel burdened.”

I also didn't expect that Gabriel could completely solve this problem.

However, if Gabriel could just make a medicine that temporarily suppresses the seizures?

‘If the Knight Order can stay on that island for a week, no, just 3 days, the story becomes easier.’

I nodded and turned my gaze back to the documents as I asked.

“Is Miss Elly doing well these days? Is she finding life in the capital difficult?”

“Yes. Thanks to the Family Head being so considerate, she is doing well. Recently, she said she wants to learn royal court cuisine and is attending a cooking academy making this and that. Thanks to that, I have big trouble with indigestion every holiday.”

Although he said he had indigestion, Gabriel's expression while talking about his younger sister looked truly happy.

“I understand there are quite a few friends among the Haken members who can't get enough of Miss Elly. If it's hard for you to handle alone, why don't you invite those friends over?”

While staying together at Haken Fortress, Elly and the Knight Order had become quite close.

Among them, there were quite a number of friends who blushed and stuttered when they saw Elly.

“If it's an invitation to eat Miss Elly's handmade cooking, not anyone else's, wouldn't they be moved enough to shed tears?”

“That is…… I'm still…… a little…… not comfortable…….”

Unlike Elly, who got along affectionately with the rugged members, Gabriel still seemed to find them overwhelming.

“Still? Those friends seem to like you quite a bit, calling you Doctor, Doctor.”

Of course, Haken liked Gabriel very much.

Because to them, Gabriel was the person who actually cured the ailments that had tormented them for a long time.

“That is true, but. Since I have such a small liver…… I think I need a little more time.”

The one in front of me right now was not the Drug King who dyed the empire black, nor the genius alchemist who would surprise the continent.

He was just ‘a naive young man who terribly cherishes his only younger sister’.

Feeling a strange sense of relief at the appearance of such a young man, I spoke.

“Then do as you please.”

***

“Phew…….”

In the annex located in a secret place of the Grand Duke's residence, rough breathing sounds that did not match the owner's nature were ringing out continuously.

“Phew…….”

I, sighing roughly again, stretched out my arm and wiped down the sweat covering my entire upper body.

However, perhaps because the amount of sweat poured out was so large, a towel could not handle the amount…….

Splash!

Eventually, I had no choice but to pour the bucket of water I had prepared beforehand over my head entirely.

Hiss!

White steam spread out in all directions centered on my body, as if water had been sprinkled on hot iron.

No matter how one looked at it, it appeared I had gone through a very grueling training process.

‘Done!’

Unlike my exhausted physical condition, my expression as I brought my right hand near my heart looked very bright.

Wooong-

A ring of mana rotating fiercely around the heart.

The mana rings, which were only seven until this afternoon, had increased to eight as of midnight just a while ago.

Of course…….

‘The last mana ring is not yet completely formed, so it is not fulfilling its role completely, but. Would it serve about the role of 0.5?’

Even if one of them only served half its role, I felt no small amount of relief having achieved the accomplishment of 8 mana rings.

Considering my exceptional ring rotation speed, I will be able to use 8th Circle magic without difficulty now.

‘A mage who achieved the 8th Circle in his early 20s’.

If the continent were to learn of this fact, it was clear they would be truly astonished.

‘Now I should slowly prepare to move on to the next stage.’

My expression, the very person who achieved such a great feat, was nothing but calm.

Befitting the owner of such a meticulous personality, I was already looking at the next stage.

“…….”

However, my expression slightly distorted while reviewing the path to reach the state of the 9th Circle.

One side of my heart complained of a throbbing pain.

It was because the extreme pain I had to endure to achieve the state of the 9th Circle in my past life came to mind.

To control the pain that made my head dizzy just by recalling it, I closed my eyes.

And recited in a low voice.

“Demon's Heart…….”