By Zephyria 
The process of filling out the application for a reissue of my graduation certificate and checking Wilton Roberts’ class schedule was originally a simple matter. Nevertheless, the sheer number of onlookers made it chaotic.
Among the throng, the Academy staff were at least polite, merely glancing and offering a greeting before moving on. However, the much younger Academy students were utterly shameless.
They indulged my every whim, asking if they could hold my hand just once, or if I could remember their names. Some even burst into tears, thanking me profusely. I wondered what Spiritus had said to make the children lose their composure like this.
No small number of them suddenly screamed, proposing marriage. The word that I had saved the world had spread widely, but I was curious if the matter of my engagement to Ruben hadn’t been as well-publicized.
If Ruben hadn’t spread the rumors himself, perhaps I should have revealed at this point that I already had a fiancé.
No, that’s not right. Ruben must have his own plans, so I just kept my mouth shut and endured.
Should I start wearing a robe whenever I go to crowded places?
In any case, it didn’t feel real. I was bewildered and perplexed, but it wasn’t because I disliked it; it was because I liked it, so what could I do?
Fortunately, the guards who stood by me like escorts kept the approaching individuals at bay, allowing me to finish my business.
They informed me that the Artifact used as a graduation certificate was a custom-made item and could not be collected immediately. I was told to pick it up in a week at my convenience. I agreed, leaving my name on all the signature lines of the reissue application.
Thankfully, after receiving the temporary graduation certificate, I was able to wander the Academy grounds alone.
I checked the time and walked in a familiar direction.
It was still raining.
The weeds peeking out from the surrounding fences were lush and green, having fully absorbed the spring rain. I walked calmly along the wet, pattering path. It had been a long time since I had walked like this, leisurely, without running.
The hushed shouts of children, the sound of flying daggers cutting through the air, and occasional familiar advice mingled faintly with the sound of the rain.
Once again, cherished memories bloomed anew, soft as chick down.
There were times when Ruben would wait for me in front of the flying dagger practice ground for a long while.
Thinking of Ruben, so shy and flustered back then, still made a part of my chest ache. Even though I knew well that the child who had grown up no longer had any youthful traces on his face, it still did.
This guilt would likely cling to my neck for the rest of my life, never letting go.
I must do better. I must treat him better…
As the heavy rain turned into a fine drizzle, and as deeper darkness began to creep into the hazy sky.
The shouts of exertion from inside the martial arts training ground ceased. The class was over. I stood with my posture corrected, and the children emerged first in a rush. Fearing that it might cause a commotion, I hid my face with my umbrella, but then Wilton Roberts appeared, and I abruptly held my umbrella over his head.
The man in black, with his pale face, looked up at me calmly.
“…Ernhardt?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, Professor.”
“You’ve returned looking more intact than I expected.”
His habit of making unfunny jokes remained the same.
Somehow, I found myself smiling. I nodded my head once, and Wilton Roberts tapped the umbrella handle, obscuring my face. Conscious of the other children’s gazes directed at Ikyun, I also lifted my head and pulled the umbrella down to cover my face.
Professor Roberts didn’t hesitate for long.
“Come to my office.”
“Yes.”
This light drizzle could have been blocked by an Aura Barrier, but I didn’t bother. One shoulder grew damp from the misty rain.
Wilton Roberts’ office was so dark it seemed he could melt into it at any moment. The dimly drawn curtains completely blocked out the outside light and the sound of the rain.
The furniture inside the office was all made of ebony wood, like what I had seen in Biban. While not massive in size, they were arranged in a formation-like manner, making it perfect for someone to hide.
I watched blankly as he lit a regular candle, not a magic lamp. It was a talent in itself to look so eerie while doing something perfectly normal.
I waited for the professor to sit down before presenting the gift I had prepared.
“What is this?”
“Tea leaves. You didn’t seem to enjoy alcohol or tobacco, and you’re more accustomed to using flying daggers than I am, so you’ll handle them better.”
“So, you’ve finally decided to volunteer for the Nobility Yearbook department?”
Another joke.
Without changing my expression, I replied directly.
“About half of that is true.”
“…You said you would become the Empress?”
“No matter how I think about it, managing high society doesn’t seem like my job. The Emperor is the light of the Empire, so it might be alright for me to bear the shadow…”
“Nonsense.”
Now Wilton Roberts laughed too.
It seemed he had heard enough to form his opinions. I had come to the right person.
I watched him quietly as he prepared tea for me. The teacups in Wilton Roberts’ office were thick mugs. They perfectly suited his practical nature, which disregarded etiquette. I accepted the offered mug and took a sip of the roughly brewed tea, which had a bitter taste.
“So. Why did you really come?”
“I came to express my gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
“The concealment technique you taught me was of great help. Thank you very much.”
“Hmm.”
“And… I would like to learn about what happened to the Empire in my absence.”
“Why? Ask the Emperor.”
“Ruben… he tends to filter his words a lot, and I’m too dull to grasp the full meaning. You, Professor, will speak to me frankly within the scope of what is permissible for me, won’t you?”
“The scope permissible for you now…”
Wilton Roberts’ gaze drifted over the tea for a moment.
Click. The cup, deliberately placed down, sloshed its contents significantly but did not overflow.
The first thing he said when he opened his mouth was this:
“For two years after you disappeared, there were purges. Almost every day, without pause.”
Immediately after I disappeared on the Floyd Expedition.
Rubel, the two Gods, and the knights and wizards immediately headed for Floyd’s capital.
Surprisingly, the monsters that swarmed Floyd did not destroy civilian homes.
Rubel’s party observed that the monsters seemed to target only intruders, leading them to believe there was a force controlling them. Thus, with Spiritus’s help, they managed to find and kill the suspected culprit, Lady Diamang. However, even after that, the monsters’ rampage did not end.
It was entirely thanks to God’s help that Rubel succeeded in capturing Richard. Gano Paquin read the memories of the Floyd nobles to locate Richard’s hiding place. Richard, who was hiding in one of the Floyd royal villas, was detained by Rubel for eight hours from that point.
Eight hours later, Richard escaped and was killed by a rampaging Ogre.
“At that time, nearly ninety knights, wizards, and two Gods were guarding the First Prince, who was imprisoned. The First Prince wouldn’t have escaped by his own power. However, no one mentions him now. Richard did not die while imprisoned, Rubel Anti Searon ascended after a sufficient period of mourning, and the Emperor’s past mistakes are not typically judged in his own time.”
“….”
“Furthermore, within my authority, I cannot know what conversations the two Princes had during those eight hours of detention. The knights who participated in the Floyd Expedition at that time were all promoted one rank and assigned to their desired posts. Most of them are currently engrossed in monster extermination in the Duchy of Grimesbane and the Widdrow Duchy – that’s all I know.”
“….”
“This, too, I overheard thanks to my long tenure as the current Emperor’s informant and tutor.”
“…If there were purges, who were the ones purged? Supporters of the First Prince?”
“That’s right. Under the pretext of punishment, those who were major factors in the Price Fluctuation, including Duke Yeldidus, had their inherited titles revoked or had to pass them on to someone other than their originally designated successor. Some of the swindlers who prospered amidst the chaos, those with particularly bad offenses, were murdered by unknown assailants. Those who wanted a moderate and easily manageable Emperor must have shed a lot of tears.”
Every time Duke Yeldidus was mentioned, I felt a strange sensation.
I couldn’t understand why he had tormented Hestia Yeldidus so much and pushed her away. Unconsciously, a voice I had heard in Nereid’s memories surfaced. Hestia’s voice, full of annoyance, and Nereid’s lukewarm retort, whispering, “Is he senile?”
Was it really like that?
“Duke Yeldidus… why on earth was he so desperate to marry off his daughter so early?”
“It must have been for his nephew.”
“…Nephew?”
“The previous Duke Yeldidus had a beloved late-born younger sister. He cherished her so much that he always prioritized her affairs over his wife’s. Eventually, he divorced, and raised Hestia Yeldidus alone. Though I don’t know if one can call it ‘raising’ her.”
“…What.”
“The Duke’s sister, who was his escort knight Sir Weston, died of illness shortly after giving birth to her first child, Lily Weston. Baron Weston raised his daughter, who strongly resembled her mother, with love, but Duke Yeldidus always wanted to take that child away.”
“…Did he not attempt adoption?”
“He couldn’t due to the opposition of Hestia Yeldidus, the rightful heir. Hestia is eleven years older than Lily Weston. She’s at an age where she couldn’t possibly not know why her mother chose divorce, or who was threatening her position.”
“….”
“For the ducal title to be passed to a nephew instead of a direct heir, that heir had to acquire another status. While giving up the ducal title to obtain a title below marquis is unthinkable, it would be a great help to the ducal family if Hestia were to become a Duchess or an Imperial Consort. Since he is the head of the family and Hestia’s father, pressuring her to sacrifice for the family would have meant no support from his retainers either.”
The word “senile” felt insufficient.
Even if the world’s order had been turned upside down by the Ninth God’s rebellion, it was no reason to treat his only daughter so poorly. Hestia Yeldidus suddenly seemed incredibly pitiful and precious.
Did she say she wanted close sisters or daughters?
I didn’t know how close Hestia Yeldidus and Poplar Kiadris had become. Since they were both hurt by their families, it wouldn’t be bad for them to support each other. It would be best not to inquire further. I decided to let it lie, pretending not to know.
There was something else I needed to ask now.
“Then… could you perhaps tell me about Grimesbane as well?”