Kill the Emperor Chapter 131 : Chapter 131

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 131 : Regarding Trusting

“We have already received great help from the Grand Duke, so we cannot request evidence as well. It will be up to us to verify the truth of what the Grand Duke said, and to secure evidence if those words are true.”

Sion’s voice was truly gentle, but within it, the aning that she did not yet entirely trust my words was clearly carried.

“And Grand Duke, would it be alright if I asked one more thing?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Please speak.”

“What is the reason that the Grand Duke, who is holding the center of Zodiac, cos all the way to a remote place and makes such an effort for this country in trouble?”

“……If I told you it was because of a sense of justice that simply cannot stand by when seeing injustice, would you believe ?”

“Of course, it is not as if I do not know the Grand Duke’s sense of justice. However, I am asking because it seems there is a reason other than that, so I would like you to speak without hesitation.”

After a brief skirmish of words had co and gone, I gave the answer Sion wanted to hear.

“As I ntioned a mont ago, Zodiac and Esper are in an uncomfortable relationship, and the cause of that conflict lies in the unfair pressure applied by the Esper Kingdom. But unfortunately, Zodiac still lacks the strength it currently possesses to punish Esper’s unfair pressure alone.”

Just as Sion did not hide that Veradora was in trouble.

I also did not deny that Zodiac was at a disadvantage of power.

“So is the Grand Duke saying now that you hope we will keep the Esper Kingdom in check so that they lose the capacity to apply unfair pressure to your country?”

“……I will not say that such an intention is absent entirely.”

I also had no intention of hiding the fact that I intended to strike down my enemies by borrowing Veradora’s strength.

“I see. There must be at least a reason for this level for to be convinced. But you see. If I were to say that it seems the Grand Duke has even more reasons that have not been spoken yet, would that be seeing the Grand Duke’s heart too deeply?”

“No. You have seen correctly. There is more that I wish to achieve.”

“Please tell .”

“It is the dissolution of the leadership of the Wind Tail rchant guild. They have hidden behind the facade of a rchant guild and the power of the Esper Kingdom, committing far too many evil deeds that should not have been done all this ti. I believe their evil deeds must also be punished on this occasion.”

“Dissolution of the leadership? I see, that could be a way. But is that the end of what the Grand Duke wants?”

As if she was already guessing my inner thoughts, Sion’s voice beca even more secretive.

“Once the leadership of Wind Tail is replaced, there must be a new leadership, but we cannot entrust that position to the Esper figures who have protected them until now. But as the Grand Duke also knows, our Veradora is a country that is naturally not suited to the operation of a rchant guild. In that case, the operation of that guild should be entrusted to soone who possesses virtue and talent…… What does the Grand Duke think?”

“I do not think my talent is overflowing, but I do not believe it is lacking.”

I did not go out of my way to refuse the stage Sion had set, and I revealed the thoughts in my heart as they were.

With this, the reason I had requested an audience with Sion beca clear beyond any doubt.

‘If I save you from the crisis, you will use the power you have regained to teach those Esper bastards a lesson. Among the spoils to be gained in that process, Zodiac will take Wind Tail and their territory.’

With the derived negotiation plan before her, Sion wore a satisfied smile.

“I am glad. To be honest, there was a matter I needed to ask of the Grand Duke urgently, but since it was not an easy matter to speak of for nothing, I was worried about how to bring it up. But since it is said we can be of help in achieving what the Grand Duke intends, I think I can speak a little more comfortably.”

“If there is a matter I can help with, I will help with all my might. However, I believe the words Your Majesty is about to say will be more suitable if directed to Miss Sherazade rather than .”

“Miss Sherazade? Not the Grand Duke?”

“That is correct. Because the one who revived that fragnt was not , but Miss Sherazade.”

Having completed all of my roles with this, I passed the baton to Sherazade as I had planned in advance.

“Miss Sherazade, is what the Grand Duke said true?”

“It is, Your Majesty.”

“My, I knew the Grand Duke was a person with outstanding talent in many fields, but I did not realize Miss Sherazade was also such an excellent person. In that case, should I discuss the matters concerning the World Tree with Miss Sherazade?”

“If Your Majesty speaks, I shall respond with all my heart and sincerity.”

“Thank you. But there is a matter I must ask for the Grand Duke’s understanding on…….”

Sion spoke while showing an apologetic expression toward .

“In order to treat an illness, diagnosing the patient accurately would be the first priority. However, the place where the World Tree can be diagnosed most accurately is also an extrely sensitive place for our Veradora.”

I could tell at once what Sion wanted to say.

The location where the roots of the World Tree were situated would be a place as holy as a sanctuary for Veradora.

In other words, she was saying that she wanted to limit the outsiders permitted to enter that sanctuary to the personnel directly in charge of the treatnt.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry, but I consider it difficult to comply with what you have just said.”

But the answer to this ca from Sherazade’s side, not mine.

“Your Majesty, I have actually lived all this ti hiding my body in my own shelter while turning away from this world.”

“Oh dear…… how did such a thing happen…….”

“The reason I, who was like that, gained the courage to leave the shelter and co out into the world was entirely because Grand Duke Reichart was there by my side. And on the day I took my first step into the world, I decided to trust the Grand Duke completely.”

Since this was a matter that had not been discussed in advance, my gaze also had no choice but to be fixed on Sherazade.

“If it is a place I must go, the Grand Duke must also be able to go. If there is a fact I must see and know, the Grand Duke must also be able to see and know it.”

From the expression of Sherazade, who spoke her words calmly before the queen of a nation, and one of the most prominent powerful nations on the continent at that, her usual childlike appearance could not be found.

“I have spoken my honest heart because I thought Your Majesty must also know this fact. If I have committed a discourtesy, I hope you will forgive with a heart as wide as the sea…….”

“No, no. Rather, I was the one who committed the discourtesy. I made a mistake by not knowing that the hearts of you two toward each other were this deep.”

At the mont just as I was about to fall into thought over whether “my heart” was also included in the “hearts of you two toward each other” that Sion ntioned.

“The Grand Duke must be very happy?”

Sion looked at while wearing a peaceful smile like the wind blowing in the forest.

“To be receiving this much trust from a lady who is not only this beautiful but also this wise, it seems the Grand Duke is also a person with many sins. Even though I am a woman, at this mont, I am on the verge of becoming envious of the Grand Duke.”

“……Ah, yes. That is true. I am thinking that it is a very…… grateful matter.”

The tone of my reply was different from usual, but Sion continued her words without paying it any mind.

“I am sorry. The affairs of the country were so urgent that I forgot the fact that we are the ones seeking help and almost wounded the hearts of you two. I shall formally apologize for committing a discourtesy.”

“Not at all. Your Majesty, I am only thankful that you understand my immature words.”

“I see. Then let us have both of you visit the roots of the World Tree.”

Sion, who sent a glance toward the bowing Sherazade as if she looked extrely adorable, readily accepted the requirent.

“In order to know the accurate state of the World Tree, it seems like visiting at dawn would be best. Since there is still a lot of ti left, will you two be resting? I shall arrange a place where you can rest comfortably.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Eventually, the two of us, Sherazade and I, left the audience chamber and moved to the lodging Sion said she had prepared.

The mont the door was opened and we entered.

I could tell what the modifier “where you two can rest comfortably” ant.

“Wow! This bed is huge and so fluffy!”

Because a large bed, clearly ant for more than two people, was placed there.

***

“Why are you looking at with those eyes?”

“Because you seem like a different person. To be honest, I did not think you would say sothing like that in front of Her Majesty Sion.”

“Hehe, right? You were surprised, weren't you? I am a Sub-Dragon who can do it if I try—wait! This is not a complint!”

Sherazade, who had been giggling while hugging a pillow that was as large as her upper body, suddenly shouted.

However, I, sitting on the sofa across from her, only shrugged my shoulders.

“Hmph! If it were not for , you would have been waiting for to return while scratching the floorboards here without seeing anything interesting. Let’s see if I help Master again next ti!”

The appearance of the blue-haired woman grumbling while putting strength into her arms that hugged the pillow was the Sherazade I usually knew.

I, who felt a fair amount of relief at that sight, asked.

“But are you serious?”

“Hmph! What? What are you talking about?”

“That part about how I must also know everything that you know.”

“Yeah. I was serious.”

“Why do you think that way?”

“Why? Because that makes my heart more comfortable.”

Sherazade’s answer was short and clear, but the trust toward contained within those words was by no ans light.

To trust so perfectly without even a single gap.

I had no choice but to ask the question again.

“There are a lot of things you do not know about .”

“Yeah, because Master is a skinflint and a penny-pincher who has no intention of telling about his own business at all.”

“And there are many cases where I make demands without a proper explanation when asking you for a favor, too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now that I think about it, the Master is quite a bad person.”

Sherazade denounced while nodding her head repeatedly.

“Are you not resentful of such an unfair situation?”

“Yeah, it is not like that.”

“Why?”

“I told you. I trust my Master. There are tis when it is frustrating, but I am not resentful. Because I trust the Master.”

As if the denunciation of my behavior and the trust toward were completely separate things, Sherazade shook her head back and forth repeatedly.

“Master, why are you making that face?”

“It is nothing. I was just a little moved.”

“Liar!”

“No. I am serious.”

It was the truth that I was moved by Sherazade’s words.

But at the sa ti, it was unavoidable that a bitter feeling arose.

Because as I looked into Sherazade’s eyes, which did not hold even a single bit of doubt.

I had been reminded of soone who was ‘very foolish.’

‘Yes, there was such a blockhead. A moron who trusted others more than himself.’

Without realizing it, I ended up showing a smile that was mixed half and half with regret and longing.

“Ah, I wanted to see the roots of the World Tree quickly, but I still have to wait for quite a while! If even the trunk is this big, how wonderful will the roots be?”

Sherazade suddenly threw the pillow she was hugging and moved to the seat next to mine.

And she naturally brought her particularly small head to rest upon my lap.

“Master, I am bored!”

“Is it not that you are hungry?”

“Hmm, actually, it is half and half.”

As Sherazade burst into laughter and tilted her head, her particularly fine blue hair softly tickled my thighs.

“I should tell the Master to make that venison steak I ate last ti on the way back!”

“If possible.”

“Master, can you make cookies too?”

“If they are not complicated, to so extent……”

“Then make cookies next ti too!”

Since Sherazade’s face was wriggling between my knees and thighs, her face was not visible.

But even without seeing it, I thought I could know what kind of expression Sherazade would be making.

Rustle, rustle.

Was it just my imagination?

The blue waves that had completely covered my field of vision looked exceptionally bluer.