Chapter 21: The Allied Nations Conference
"There haven't been any reports of monster sightings in the capital since the
last incident."
"......"
"Among the scholars in the Imperial Palace, the theory that someone summoned
them seems to be gaining traction."
Eric's cold voice echoed in the office. Dante placed the documents he was
carrying before him and nodded slowly.
I need to stop by the Imperial Library after work today and borrow the book
Elisha mentioned. If I leave too late, I won't be able to borrow it, so should I
go and get it in advance?
"When does the Imperial Library close again?"
At the words that slipped out unconsciously, Dante flinched, a startled look on
his face.
Did I just mutter something else in front of the Emperor?
"Dante Renard."
"I'm listening, Your Majesty."
So could you please stop looking at me with such a threatening gaze...? Dante
then let out an awkward laugh and pursed his lips tightly. Eric narrowed his
eyes and stared at him intently.
"Your mind seems to be elsewhere lately."
"......"
"There's a limit to what I can overlook just because you're a friend. Especially
neglecting your duties..."
"I'm not neglecting my duties, I really am not."
Dante exclaimed, his tone aggrieved at Eric's words.
Who do you think I'm doing all this for! It wasn't enough to wander everywhere
looking for Elisha, I even managed to keep her here. That damn Eric. You're
sleeping in total comfort with your feet up all by yourself... or maybe not.
Dante sighed quietly, noticing the dark circles under Eric's eyes. Since she
left, he looked like a man who had withered, which was quite distressing to see.
And yet he was the one who told Elisha she was someone who shouldn't be in the
Imperial Palace. But if he said that in front of Eric, he’d be interrogated with
"Where did you hear that?".
It's a truth I can't say anyway. It's better to keep my mouth shut, even if it's
frustrating, rather than live under Eric's constant suspicion.
After finishing his thought, Dante took a breath and fixed his gaze on Eric.
"If necessary, I'll go and investigate the monster attack site again."
I've spent weeks wandering around just to find one person, so what's one more
investigation? At Dante’s surprisingly motivated gaze, Eric narrowed his eyes
and shook his head.
"It's useless to go anyway."
"I'm glad you realize that."
Oops, my tongue slipped again. Dante immediately shut his mouth and stole a
glance at Eric. Fortunately, Eric simply scanned the documents Dante brought
with an indifferent expression. Thinking about it, Eric was always lenient when
it came to others' slips of the tongue.
Is that also an effect of Elisha? After listening to her dazzling speeches, it's
easy to ignore most other comments...
"Renard."
At that moment, Eric lifted his gaze from the documents and turned to Dante.
Dante instinctively swallowed hard and nodded vigorously.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"Why are you reacting like this?"
"It's nothing."
Certainly not because I felt a pang of guilt thinking about Elisha. At Dante’s
incredibly suspicious reaction, Eric frowned for a moment before continuing.
"Since no other monsters have appeared, I think it would be best to end this
matter here. What do you think?"
"I agree, too."
Although I don't think Elisha would agree. The image of her expressionless face
suddenly came back to mind once again, and Dante frowned slightly.
"......At least during the allied nations conference, we should focus on that.
So, which delegations have arrived at the Imperial Palace?"
"Knox and Levin. The second Princess of Knox came."
"Oh." Dante immediately pursed his lips.
It was customary for the heir to attend the allied nations conference instead of
the King, who couldn't easily leave his post. So, normally, the first Princess
of Knox, the first in line to the succession, should have come...
They intentionally sent the second, unmarried Princess. Isn't it obvious what
they're thinking?
"But you still officially have a fiancée, and yet they’re this brazen..."
"It must be a ploy to make her a concubine."
"Your Majesty, surprisingly, not everything you say is logical. Do you think
Knox is crazy enough to send a Princess for such a purpose?"
Dante then sighed softly and continued.
"Unless they are fools, everyone would have noticed."
The High Mage's disappearance right before the allied nations conference. An
absence too long to be considered a simple leave. The Captain of the Magic
Knights attending the conference instead of her, and the sight of the young
Emperor looking increasingly haggard. How could they not know, unless they were
idiots?
"They are all waiting."
"......"
"For you to announce the annulment of the engagement."
Still, it's a bit surprising that the news has already reached Knox's ears. Just
as Dante raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What should I do?"
Eric spoke, staring intently at the document before him. His voice sounded as if
he were muttering to himself and asking Dante a question at the same time.
"Well......"
Dante began to answer, then bit his lip, his expression turning serious as well.
Honestly, judging by the past few days...... I don't think announcing the
annulment of the engagement is a bad idea. The reason I tried to return Elisha
to the Imperial Palace was because of the excessive workload her absence would
cause, but that's been solved, hasn't it? In the end, Elisha is handling the
paperwork now.
Dante’s eyes shifted as he continued his train of thought.
Honestly, the reason I was going to tell Eric where Elisha was, was because I
was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. But after a few days of this,
it's not too bad. Having to put up with all of Eric's grumbling is a bit of a
problem, though.
But that was something he had been doing for years, so it wasn't particularly
difficult.
Besides, Elisha can't defect to another country because of the Covenant.
Assuming she won't become a military asset for another nation, the most
beneficial option is, of course......
"Wouldn't it be better to announce the annulment quickly? It’s not something
that can be solved by hiding it."
"......"
"Besides, you don't like Elisha in the first place."
As soon as he finished speaking, Eric's expression became cold and harsh. Dante
flinched and blinked rapidly.
I just stated the facts, so why is he reacting like this?
"I......"
Eric stammered over his words a few times before letting out a small sigh.
What’s the point of telling this fool? Dante Renard is a man who cares about
nothing but his salary and vacation days.
"Forget it."
This isn't something I should discuss with you anyway. Eric finally turned his
gaze away from the document and slowly closed and opened his eyes. Marriage, or
an annulment. No matter what anyone around him said, there was only one person
who could give a proper opinion on this marriage. The problem was that person
could no longer give him an answer.
* * *
"I don't like this."
Elisha’s distinct monotone voice echoed in the library. Dante raised an eyebrow
and tilted his head.
"What don't you like? I brought all the books you asked for."
"To read new books, I have to wait for you to finish work."
"You can read the books in the library during the day."
"The books I need aren't here," she retorted, picking up the book on top of the
pile.
Dante shrugged and stole a glance at Elisha. It was true that the books Elisha
requested weren't easy to come by. From the history of the entire continent to
books on ancient monsters and magic, demonic race history, and even forbidden
tomes on taboo magic.
It's because of that incident. It's obvious.
Dante finally rested his chin on his hand and spoke casually.
"You probably won't find anything useful there. We only found out about the
Hyde's existence a short while ago, after all."
"......"
"I'm not trying to stop you, but our side has already given up."
We should just be grateful another incident like that didn't happen.
After he finished speaking, Dante stole another glance at Elisha. Without paying
him any attention, Elisha asked without even granting him a brief look.
"Is the reason the Imperial Palace didn't form a special investigation team
because of the allied nations conference?"
"That’s part of it. It’s true our attention is focused there." He answered,
tilting his head. Elisha took the opportunity and added.
"It's because of me."
"We are suffering from a shortage of talent."
To be precise, there's no talent that Eric can 'trust with the job'.
Elisha nodded slowly at Dante's words. They couldn't entrust this kind of task
to just anyone, so normally, an investigation team would have been formed with
Dante Renard and his subordinates. But because of her absence, Dante Renard was
tied up with the allied nations conference in her place. So they had no choice
but to treat it as a simple incident and hope it wouldn't happen again.
But...... Elisha had seen what they hadn't. The man with black hair and red
eyes, and the Hyde he had undoubtedly summoned.
I can't just ignore it after seeing that. Especially since his purpose for
appearing is unclear. But just reading books like this...
"Dante."
Elisha then shifted her gaze to look directly at Dante and spoke. Dante
swallowed hard. When Elisha called him "Dante" instead of "Renard," it usually
meant she was about to ask for a very difficult favor. Unaware of Dante's
nerve-wracking concern, Elisha continued in a calm voice.
"I need to go out."
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