NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37
✦ Chapter 37 — Wager (3) ✦
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
When I heard the Communication Orb ring thirty seconds after Yrika ended our call, I naturally assumed it was her calling back.
[After such a short time — those words sound like you were just on the phone with Yerika.]
I never thought the Emperor would call.
Of course, I knew I would talk to the Emperor someday since my Communication Orb was also connected to him, but I never thought it would be at a time like this.
[Come to think of it, you called my daughter Yerika. If my memory serves me right, you were calling her Your Highness until recently. When did you two get so close? I’m very curious; won’t you tell me?]
I couldn’t open my mouth.
How could I, when I didn’t know what to say!
It was Yerika who had asked me to call her by her name when we first talked on the phone.
At the time, I hadn’t thought much of it.
My deliberation on how to answer was short.
I should just tell the truth – that I called her that because she asked me to.
What’s so significant about using someone’s name?
I was about to open my mouth, but the Emperor spoke before I could.
[Do you know something?]
“Yes? What are you talking about, Your Majesty?”
[You’re the only person outside of our family who calls Yerika by her name.]
“…………………..”
Sigh. Let me think this through again.
The Emperor had clearly asked when I became so close to Yerika.
I first met Yerika when I was kidnapped by the emperor and was going back to the dormitory.
We only exchanged brief greetings back then.
The second time we met was when Yerika suddenly entered the room while I was talking to the emperor about the Phantom Cardinal.
She had asked me to tell her if I knew anything about Phantom Cardinal.
The third time we met was when I was injured while learning [Shadow Step] from the Emperor and she had healed me.
We talked while she was healing me, though we didn’t talk about anything special.
For some reason, after I was first healed by Yerika, she continued to heal me whenever I was injured while learning from the emperor.
After that first healing, for some reason, she continued to heal me whenever I got hurt during training with the Emperor. And since I never went uninjured during training, we essentially met daily.
Though I pondered long, no meaningful conclusion emerged.
“During a phone call a while back, Yeri—, I mean, Your Highness, told me to call her by her name.”
In the end, I chose to simply tell the truth.
This seemed like the best possible answer, no matter how I thought about it.
[During a phone call a while back, you say? So, in other words, today wasn’t the first time you talked on the phone with Yerika.]
Huh? Is that wrong?
[Come to think of it, Yerika has been talking to someone on the phone every night before bed lately. And the timing of Yerika starting to talk on the phone coincides with when you entered the academy. Do you think this is a coincidence?]
“It wouldn’t be a coincidence, would it?”
There would be no one in the world who could confidently say it was a coincidence after hearing the Emperor’s words.
[Moreover, today Yerika expressed her desire to have you as her knight guard.]
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt because this was the conversation I had with Yerika before the Emperor called.
[Initially, I refused when Yerika first mentioned wanting a knight guard.]
“……………..”
[But when she said she wanted you as her knight guard, I allowed it. Because I was convinced that by the time you graduate from the academy, you’ll be stronger than most Imperial knights. However, hmm.]
The Emperor paused, tapping something rhythmically.
Since both the Emperor and I didn’t say anything, the sound of the Emperor tapping on something was especially loud.
Though likely just tapping his chair, to me it sounded like contemplating ways to end my existence.
I tried to think of a way to get out of this situation, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t find an answer.
[Your Majesty.]
Just then, a lifeline was thrown to me.
The sound of someone calling the Emperor came to me through the Communication Orb.
[Q-Queen.]
The Emperor’s voice faltered.
Only one person in the world could affect the Emperor this way.
The Emperor’s wife, Yerika and Lucas’s mother.
The former Saint, and current Empress of the Empire.
[I told you not to meddle… Yerika’s… affairs…]
Although I couldn’t hear what the Empress was saying exactly because she was far from the Communication Orb…
[But Yerika…]
There was one thing I could be sure of — the Emperor was being scolded by the Empress.
[Your Majesty.]
[I understand.]
Shortly after, I heard the sound of the Empress leaving through the Communication Orb.
[…………………….]
As the Emperor remained silent, I decided to speak first.
“But what’s the reason you called me, Your Majesty?”
[Ahem, I heard you’re going to fight the prince of the Kingdom of Archen, with expulsion on the line.]
It happened today only, but Yerika, as well as the Emperor, seemed to know about it.
“Did you hear it from Lucas, too, Your Majesty?”
[If I wish, I can know everything that happens in the Academy.]
The meaning of these words is simple.
The implication was simple – the Emperor had informants in the Academy.
With so many talented individuals there, it would be stranger if he didn’t.
[He seems to be quite strong, even among the third-year students. He’s also skilled with a sword. If he were fighting an average freshman, the duel would probably end in an instant.]
“But I’m not an average freshman, am I? If I were to fight him, who do you think would win, Your Majesty?”
[Unlike you, Prince Lofrey is a third-year student, so he’ll be proficient with a sword and have more stamina. He’s also a prince, so he would’ve consumed quite a few elixirs.]
“So, Your Majesty thinks he’ll defeat me?”
[Of course, it’s you who will win.]
The worm had better stamina and swordsmanship than me, and he had also consumed many elixirs, but the Emperor was certain that I would win.
[If there’s anything you should be wary of, it’s that you don’t know what magic tools and artifacts Prince Lofrey might bring to the fight.]
“It doesn’t matter what he brings. I’ll win regardless.”
[If you lose, come work under me. I’ll personally train you for three years.]
“That’s not a bad option. Though I have no intention of losing.”
Fortunately, the Emperor didn’t seem to want to talk about Yerika anymore.
[Ah, come to think of it, there’s something I haven’t told you yet.]
The Emperor said as if he had forgotten something.
“What’s the matter?”
[Come to the Imperial Palace on the weekend. I want to see how much your skills have improved.]
He wouldn’t have me strike training dummies to test my improvement.
No doubt I’d have to fight him, just like during training.
In other words, to translate what the emperor said…
He plans to beat me within an inch of my life this weekend.
Should I make up an excuse and not go?
[By the way, I’d be quite disappointed if you refused.]
“I’ll definitely be there, Your Majesty!”
.
.
.
*Ring – Ring*
Not long after I ended the call with the Emperor, my Communication Orb rang again; to avoid making the same mistake as before, I checked who was calling this time before answering.
Fortunately, this time it was Yerika, not the Emperor.
[Who were you talking to for so long?]
Yerika spoke as soon as I answered.
She must have tried to contact me while I was speaking with the Emperor.
By the way, her tone was like a wife questioning her husband.
‘Is this a bit of an overreaction?’
[Humble Clown?]
“There’s this person who’s a bit obsessive.”
Yerika’s voice cooled slightly at my response.
[Hmm~ Is it a woman?]
“No, unfortunately, it’s a man.”
[Really?]
I said it was a man, but she didn’t seem to believe me for some reason.
“Of course, there’s no reason for me to lie to you, Yerika, is there?”
[Who are the women connected to your Communication Orb?]
Though I didn’t understand the reason for this question, she must have had one.
Right now, there are only three people connected to my communicator: the Emperor, Lucas, and Yerika.
“You are the only woman there is.”
[……………….]
Even though I answered the question, she didn’t say anything for some reason.
“Yerika?”
Her reply came after a brief silence, along with an unexpected remark.
[I didn’t hear what you just said. Could you say it again?]
“Yerika.”
[What you said before that.]
“You are the only woman there is?”
[Hmm hmm, I see. I am the only woman there is.]
And Yerika didn’t say anything again.
I heard what sounded like giggling through the Communication Orb, but that must have been a malfunction.
[Humble Clown?]
She called out to me with a slightly trembling voice.
“Yes.”
[I can’t sleep… could we talk for a while longer tonight?]
The prospect of talking with her until sleep came was more than welcome.
“Of course, if that’s what you want.”
And so, I spoke with Yerika about trivial things until sleep finally claimed me.
END of CHAPTER
☩
If you liked the novel, do not forget to rate and review the novel on ⟿ NOVELUPDATES.
Also, if you cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the story, curious about what to unfold, I have added some ⟿ advanced chapters on the site (and will slowly be adding more). Or, you can get my 「Ko-Fi Advanced Chapters Membership 」