The Emperor Who Was Chapter 104 : Chapter 104

Chapter . 104

“Do you think I would have deceived my knight?”

“…If Sir Rolf says he cannot serve a mage no matter what and leaves you, don't cry. Don't even think about getting comforted. As a friend, I have done enough by trying to stop a stubborn mule like you.”

“I know, thank you.”

“…It's no use crying when that ti cos. He will abandon you and leave, and you will hold onto

and cry. Even if you do, I won't cry with you.”

“Would you even be able to cry if that really happened?”

“Ah, seriously! I'm saying this because you are so needlessly affectionate! People are all like that anyway!”

“Michelon, if I misjudged soone and trusted soone I shouldn't have, it is better to pay the price now.”

“What?”

“Before there are more people to protect.”

Before I have to protect this entire country.

“Because right now, I am the only one who has to pay. Because those people don't need to pay together.”

“…Can't you think about not paying at all?”

“I can't.”

“Why on earth?”

“Because I want to pay.”

“What are you talking about!”

“I want to trust people. Once I pay the price, next ti I will trust soone truly trustworthy.”

“You fight well enough with the Empress and your brothers, so why do you beco weak in front of Sir Rolf?”

“They are my enemies. I like reaching a person-to-person relationship with ordinary people who will beco my subjects, not my enemies.”

There are incredibly many people like the Empress or my brothers in my country, but there are also many ordinary people.

“Don't use words ant for noblewon on magic circles or hairy knights.”

“Don't be too influenced by you or Alexander.”

“What did you say? Are you done talking? Unless you're joking, you want to fight, right?”

“Shh, they are coming.”

I cast a barrier over the entire Mount Petrafis, allowing outsiders to enter but detecting their movents. Although I couldn't enter the Dragon's Grave, the magic circle I left in that grave made the enormous task of casting a barrier over the entire Mount Petrafis easy.

The Throne Magic Circle was also useful for administrative tasks governing my territory. So, having done the groundwork on the Throne Magic Circle, I could work comfortably through Tess now.

‘This ti, it won't be an artifact, but Michelon and I who will move to the designated location.’

Of course, the terrain of my mountain was much more complex than the Imperial Palace. Still, I grasped the locations as accurately as possible through Jero and Harald before leaving, and any margin of error could be handled with mana.

Unlike the fixed dwellings in the Imperial Palace, the enemies' locations weren't fixed, but the mont they trespassed the barrier, it was like they were entering while blowing fanfares announcing my arrival.

“Those guys are marching. Where are the flags……. Oh, Alexander is indeed the fastest. But are you really sure they cannot detect us?”

“As the lord of this mountain, I am activating the ownership acknowledged and strengthened by the Throne Magic Circle. Not only can they not hear our words, but they also cannot notice our presence. However, if we get close, that ends there.”

Alexander was not riding a horse, and neither were his knights and mages. Everyone was fully ard and walking fast using weight-lightening magic. Even the mages were wearing leather armor.

Although they cast defensive shields, their reaction speed is slower than knights. Only Alexander was fluttering his silk clothes as if he had co to a ball. It was a display that he didn't need armor, but he preferred light attire when fighting.

“Look at that, the magical field his mages are weaving. It is precise and skilled. They even wove my body odor into the detection magic. A single magical field is producing an effect greater than releasing twenty hunting dogs.”

“Why are you praising them? It is clear they looted your residence we vacated together with the Emperor Faction and stole even the clothes!”

“I really miss Yolande too. Why can't they recognize this wonderful magic and—”

“An obstacle is detected in the search magic.”

Just then, a mage said to Alexander.

“Did I not tell you to prepare counterasures in advance considering obstacles?”

Alexander's words saying so were quiet without intonation, unlike the usually lively man, and were murderous beyond asure.

“I apologize… we did prepare, but it is insufficient.”

“Is it Maximilian's mages? Or Desmond?”

“We can determine their magic to so extent. It seems more related to the specific nature of this place. After all, there is a legend that a dragon lived on Mount Petrafis in the past. I feel this space has resistance to magic.”

“Possibility of being related to Leontes's disappearance?”

“Fifty-fifty. Magic is magic, but that alone would have been difficult for the attackers as well; it is clear that physical attacks were included.”

“Hmm, that cheeky commoner wouldn't be weak enough to fall for that, so was Leontes taken hostage? Then that guy must be dead. It's a waste.”

At these words, Michelon got angry.

“Talking about

in front of ! You heard him call

a commoner, right? Why aren't you granting

a title quickly?”

“Shh! Stop pestering and just listen!”

“Since Prince Leontes is not here, we must also consider the possibility that the search magic will fail.”

The mage spoke carefully, but Alexander spoke firmly.

“No. My sixth sense says the dragon egg and my brother are together. Mother also knows that and is just pestering

to find them, but actually, the possibility that they failed to secure my brother is greater. They ambushed Leontes who found the egg, but Leontes eventually escaped and has been hiding until now, so it ans a chase is still happening in this big mountain.

Then, before the chase becos difficult due to the chaos caused by Royal Father sending all the dogs in the country, they are trying to secure Leontes quickly, even if it ans joining hands with us.”

“He's a guy who does politics by gut feeling.”

I agreed with Michelon's words, but such guys were usually the most troubleso to deal with.

“Well, since the mountain is so big, there is a possibility that he has been hiding or wandering in the mountain for a week.”

“Also keep in mind the possibility that Royal Father, Roncer, or Grimiati intervened long ago. Especially the last one would be good at acting innocent after snatching him away. Anyway, we can only know where the dragon egg is by finding Leontes. Since he would have disappeared because he found the egg. Even if he had the egg taken by soone, if I rescue him, this ti he will trust

and tell

everything, so I just have to retrieve it back.”

“The Marquis is correct.”

“Actually, Prince Leontes's body odor alone is insufficient to search this entire vast mountain. If we had his blood, I think the search would be easy and we could shake off this level of obstacle.”

“How dare you speak of the Imperial blood lightly?”

“I apologize. Tears are also fine. Hair or fingernails too, of course.”

“Such things could have been easily obtained. Speak earlier next ti.”

“I apologize.”

“Easily obtained? What does he an easily obtained? What is that crazy guy trying to do with your hair?”

Michelon grumbled, but I was intrigued.

“If it is a part of the body, the specification of detection magic according to the target becos much stronger than body odor. It is a decent idea. I should try it too.”

Just then, Alexander spoke even more murderously.

“As expected, I should have attacked when the Montova guy dared to rebel. For him to treat , Leontes's only ally, so poorly, he deserves to die.”

The closest knight answered quickly.

“We can do it even now.”

“I will let it pass for now. Finding my half-brother is urgent. Once I find him, I will imdiately take his head and hang it beneath the banner of the Armatia Imperial Family that he cheekily hung up.”

“Then even if we find the Prince, we are occupying the castle; that is a relief. I was worried you wouldn't.”

“Would a Sword Master's face be saved if I didn't? Leontes needs to rest, so I just have to make him sleep deeply and let him open his eyes in his room in his castle. The work will be done by then, but since the castle is my brother's first territory, I intend to return it intact. Therefore, looting other than basic requisition is forbidden. If the first subjects of his territory cry and scream, my tender-hearted brother will cry and scream too. However, if they resist, do not forgive them. Make preparations in advance so that the next acting lord will not dare to think of rebelling against .”

“Your words are just.”

Listening to it made

tremble with rage. Who does he think he is to occupy my territory and return it! And he calls himself an ally!

“It is the first ti I have seen that face not smile for so long.”

Michelon was amazed.

“Alexander, who smiles even when he coincidentally runs into Nanette or Vincent, let alone , is expressionless beyond asure to his subordinates. But both his smiling face and expressionless face suit him so well that I don't know which one is his real face.”

And his subordinates were equally expressionless, not appearing particularly afraid of Alexander. But from the outside, they were a terrifying group indeed.

Especially when talk of occupation and looting ca out, they sohow looked lively even with the sa faces. Were the bastards worried that they would only do boring work like searching for a Prince and not be able to occupy a castle?

“So are you going to let them go nicely like this?”

“Who says so? Others are coming from over there just in ti.”

I took Michelon and moved. As soon as the teleportation ended, Michelon shrieked.

“Tell

before doing it! Tell

before moving!”

“Sorry. I intended to tell you but it happened too easily before that. Just thinking about it makes

move imdiately. It is so convenient to cast a barrier over the entire mountain. It is the result of combining the Throne Magic Circle and your ho's specificity. It is beautiful and—”

“Please say such things to a noblewoman. Wait, isn't that guy Maximilian?”

Maximilian looked majestic enough to participate in a jousting tournant right now. He was riding a horse just fine too. Horses climbing a rough mountain like flat land even while wearing barding. The barding itself must be Roncer-made artifacts.

Although blood didn't flow between them and mages like in Armatia, Roncer also hunted mages plenty. To confiscate the property of those who were the upper class during the Dragon Era and exploit their labor. While doing so, they were handling magic in a different way from Armatia.

And Grimiati had plenty of both Roncer-made artifacts and Armatian mages.

“How dare Count Montova refuse my order! To beco my brother's subordinate and defy

who ca to rescue my brother.”

“That is correct, Your Highness. He is an ignorant man who does not know genealogy. If we see him again, I will offer his head to Your Highness.”

When Maximilian vented his dissatisfaction, his knights, starting with Reinhard, cursed Giuliano in unison.

“We must strip him naked, tie him to a horse's tail, and drag him all over Montova!”

“We must cut off his two hands, two knee tendons, and two feet, and tie him to a pillar at the crossroads!”