19. The Emperor
The place Emma was taken to was not her original room, but a chamber on the top floor of the tower.
The windows were fixed in place, and it seemed impossible to get outside without breaking the glass. Looking down through the glass, the height was dizzying.
Moreover, the bed sheets and covers were made of silk—too soft to serve as rope material.
Furthermore, she received a thorough lecture from two female soldiers serving as guards.
“Listen carefully. If you’re going to escape, please use a safer method. Above all, do not put yourself in danger.”
Though it seemed like strange advice, Emma obediently listened.
These two had probably been severely scolded by their superiors over the incident. They treated her with respect—more courteously than the people of the Kingdom of Tates had. It might have been due to orders, but they certainly weren’t bad people. Thinking that she might have caused them trouble made her feel somewhat apologetic.
With escape now nearly impossible, Emma spent some time quietly in her room. What occupied her thoughts was the young man who had saved her. His beautiful golden hair of moderate length for a man, his refined features, and most impressively, his blue eyes that radiated powerful will.
And that prosthetic hand. It was incredibly sophisticated. Even Emma could understand that it couldn’t be made with current technology. He had disappeared before she knew it, but he was undoubtedly someone of considerable status.
(‘Perhaps…’)
Emma had a pretty good idea of his identity.
Several days later, during the afternoon, Emma noticed a commotion outside her room.
The female soldiers who usually stood silently by the door were making surprised sounds.
“Your Majesty, why have you come to such a place?” they said.
(‘Your Majesty? Your Majesty means the Emperor, right?’)
Emma felt a strange sensation, as if someone she’d been waiting for had finally arrived, while the cat glared at the door in wariness. A brief exchange took place outside, after which the room’s door was knocked twice.
Almost simultaneously with Emma’s “Yes” response, the door opened.
The person who entered was, as expected, the golden-haired young man from before. His arms bore golden armor-like prosthetics, and upon closer inspection, his legs were also covered in the same golden armor. Because of this, even his entire aura seemed golden.
“I am Emperor Siegfried.”
The young man introduced himself in a confident voice. He was exactly the person Emma had suspected.
The emperor of what was now the world’s most powerful empire. Though he hadn’t brought guards, they were probably waiting outside the door.
Siegfried was originally the youngest son of the previous emperor. Born without limbs, he was considered the furthest from the imperial throne. However, he was known for gaining ancient civilization technology by taking Garnets as a retainer, using that power to eliminate his brothers and claim the emperor’s seat.
His epithet was the Crippled Emperor. But the emperor standing before her had arms and legs, though they were covered in armor. They were probably all prosthetic arms and legs.
“…I am Princess Emma of the Kingdom of Tates.”
Emma looked directly into his eyes and introduced herself with dignity. Despite being called the Crippled Emperor, Siegfried appeared to have a solid build.
“I know. You fell from the sky, after all. It was quite an unforgettable encounter. Memorable enough to appear in my dreams.”
At these words, Emma blushed and looked away. Her gaze fell upon Siegfried’s prosthetic hand, and she found herself staring.
“This?”
Noticing her gaze, Siegfried smiled meaningfully and held up his hand.
“Is that arm truly all right?”
Even though it was prosthetic, rough handling could break it. Emma was worried about that.
“It’s not something that would break from that level of impact. The Empire’s scientific power is now the greatest in the world.”
“Science?”
It was an unfamiliar word. Emma understood machinery as “complex things made of iron,” but she knew nothing about science.
“Long ago, the technology created by ancient civilization is called [science]. Guns and cannons celebrated on battlefields are merely modest products born from science.”
Hearing about ancient civilization, Emma tensed. The other day, Garnets who had visited her room also sought the ancient civilization legacy [Castle of Canaan] that lay dormant in the Kingdom of Tates.
“…Could it be that those arms and legs are mechanical?”
Emma recalled what she had seen in the basement of the Kingdom of Tates’ castle.
Several dolls lined up, each about the size of a person. Their bodies were made of metal. Her father the king had called them [machines].
“Ho, you know about machines. As expected of one who carries the blood of the royal house of Tates.”
Siegfried laughed cheerfully and pulled off his left hand from the wrist with his right hand.
“Ah!?”
Even knowing it was fine, Emma couldn’t help but cry out and cover her mouth with both hands.
Where the left hand had been, a dark hollow was visible in the left arm. No blood came out at all. Despite moving so naturally, it truly wasn’t human flesh.
“This is a machine. It detaches easily, and I even have spares. It’s made from the lightest and hardest special metal, so it’s quite expensive. Therefore, only I can use it at present.”
Saying this, Siegfried reattached the removed hand to his left arm.
“Convenient, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, it certainly might be convenient. It’s much better than guns. If this technology spreads, surely many people would be saved.”
During her time at the monastery, Emma had seen many people who had lost limbs in war. With these well-functioning prosthetic hands, such people wouldn’t have to suffer inconvenience.
“Exactly. This is the power of science. A power that doesn’t require special talents like knights or magicians. I intend to rule the country with this power. Aiming for a world where everyone can be happy.”
Siegfried extended his left hand toward Emma, as if to demonstrate that power.
“A world where everyone can be happy? Are you killing many people for that purpose?”
Emma’s expression clouded. The Empire’s pursuit of scientific power had led to the destruction of the Kingdom of Tates, and they continued wars as if seeking dominion over the world.
“No, that perception is wrong, Emma.”
Siegfried’s gaze became sharp.
“War has continued since before I was born. When one war ends somewhere, another begins elsewhere. Moreover, the Empire has merely been attacked. The surrounding countries couldn’t tolerate our Empire’s development after gaining the power of ancient civilization—science. The Church decided this power was evil, magicians condemned science as heretical, and knights scorned scientific power as crude. Then they all joined hands to attack the Empire. Just like when they persecuted the werewolves. However, I turned the tables on them. And that battle continues even now. Because the world refuses to acknowledge my Empire, I continue to fight against the world.”
The Emperor’s expression held resolute determination and resolve. There was probably no lie in his words.
Come to think of it, Emma didn’t know why the war had started. She had simply noticed that war had begun and continued ever since. However, the Empire was generally considered evil. Even at the monastery where Emma had been, the battle against the Empire was positioned as a holy war.
“…Even so, most people don’t wish for conflict. I think the Empire must stop fighting at some point.”
Emma felt she was saying idealistic things. If what Siegfried was saying was true, the Empire bore no fault for the war’s beginning.
Still, she couldn’t help but say it. Emma’s homeland, the Kingdom of Tates, had ultimately been destroyed by the Empire. The Emperor couldn’t possibly represent absolute justice.
“Indeed. You are correct, Emma.”
However, Siegfried readily accepted Emma’s words.
Just as she felt surprised, Siegfried continued in a strong tone.
“The fighting must be ended. For that, more power is needed. Power so strong that no one would dare challenge it. That’s why I seek further ancient civilization technology.”
The Emperor took a step closer. In response, the cat at Emma’s feet hissed threateningly.
“A black-striped white cat?”
Siegfried was momentarily puzzled.
“…Well, never mind. If you seek peace, cooperate with me, Emma. The Empire doesn’t wish to continue war either. No matter how much the Empire prospers through scientific power, there are limits. I too dislike sacrifice. That’s why I punished Garnets and the Black Knight for needlessly burning the mountain.”
“You punished those people?”
“Yes. Though it was only temporary confinement. Having strong power doesn’t mean you can do anything. Garnets is a contributor who put me on the imperial throne, but he does go too far sometimes. He says [everything is for His Majesty’s sake], but I don’t know how sincere he really is. That’s why bringing you here by force was not my will. I don’t favor forcing those who won’t follow of their own accord.”
Siegfried relaxed his cheeks and showed a seductive smile. It was the kind of smile that could captivate anyone, regardless of gender. Even Emma’s face turned slightly red as she thought, “He certainly is an attractive person.” This must be the charisma of the emperor who rules the empire.
Siegfried was aware of this, and he used that smile at crucial moments, such as when giving speeches before the masses.
“There is no rush. Think it over carefully before deciding.”
The young emperor leaned close to Emma’s face and whispered.
“Eek!”
Startled, Emma jumped back to create distance, and Neko protectively positioned itself in front of her.
“How refreshingly innocent.”
Siegfried seemed pleased with Emma’s reaction.
“What would you do if I refused?”
“Nothing at all. If I cannot handle a single girl, then I suppose the Castle of Canaan and such would not go as planned either. Besides, if everything falls apart just because one person rebels against me, then I would be just that kind of man after all.”
“…Aren’t you taking Garnets-san to the Castle of Canaan?”
Emma was concerned about Garnets. That prime minister showed an abnormal obsession with the Castle of Canaan. Even if Emma were to decide to follow Siegfried, Garnets’s existence seemed dangerous.
“As I said, Garnets and the Black Knight are under suspension. I won’t take them along. I’ll have them provide information only, and I’ll take charge of the rest. This is also their punishment. It’s like taking toys away from children.”
Siegfried laughed with amusement.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
(She was a straightforward girl.)
After leaving the room, Siegfried reflected on Emma.
Appearance-wise, she wasn’t bad at all, but she wasn’t exactly what you’d call beautiful either. If it were merely beautiful women he wanted, there were plenty around him.
However—Siegfried could see into people’s hearts. Not that he could understand specific thoughts or anything concrete like that. He could sense emotional things like how someone felt about him or whether they were telling the truth. Because he couldn’t do anything by himself, he had desperately tried to understand others since childhood, and as a result, he had acquired this skill-like ability. Eye direction, blinking, where hands touched, gestures, voice tone, way of speaking, nuances in words, body movements, and so on—people express their hearts outwardly more than they think they do.
Being able to read people’s feelings from such things could be said to be the source of Siegfried’s power as emperor.
Most humans either try to use him because he’s the emperor, or seek something from him. Or, for better or worse, they don’t think of him as the same kind of human and either treat him with excessive deference or try to treat him with contempt. Therefore, for Siegfried, interacting with people was often quite troublesome.
However, Emma was an extremely honest person. She had no duplicity, and her words were sincere.
She didn’t fear him excessively just because he was emperor, didn’t pretend, and faced him directly. And it wasn’t that she approached him rudely out of ignorance—she had her own solid thoughts and will.
It wasn’t just that their meeting had been shocking; for Siegfried, it had been a pleasant encounter.
(It’s been a long time since I met such a girl.)
A woman who treated him as a person and interacted with him naturally. There had been only one such person before.
The person he had wished to make his wife.
And—the person he had ordered killed.
Siegfried remembered that woman, whom he had half-consciously tried to forget, and was overlaying her with Emma.
TLNOTE
While waiting for the next chapter, I encourage you, dear readers, to explore other masterpieces written by Daken-sensei :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
