Chapter 12: Status - (1)

The week-long emergency meeting had finally come to an end.

At the same time, the Empire was thrust into yet another period of upheaval. Despair enveloped the entire imperial palace, and a somber mood hung heavy over everyone.

There would be no more breaks.

The first chapter of Raising the Empress had finally begun.

“This is the outcome of the meeting.”

The most critical decision to come out of the emergency assembly was this:

By unanimous consent of the Cabinet, Lincia Hodier Airen, the sole heir to the imperial throne, was named the next Empress.

News of the former Emperor’s passing spread rapidly throughout the Imperial Capital.

While the people trembled in fear, a flicker of hope began to bloom in their hearts—hope placed in Princess Lincia.

She was the last surviving bloodline of the imperial family, and the only beacon of light left in this world. It was only natural.

It was an enormous burden to place on the shoulders of one young woman, but there was no other choice if they were to calm the unrest among the people.

The rest of the decisions mostly involved patching up the massive holes left in the imperial administration, which had suffered catastrophic losses.

Nearly half of the officials perished during the Founding Day massacre, rendering the Cabinet virtually inoperable. Vacant positions were filled, and surviving officials were forced to take on multiple roles to keep things running.

To replenish the Royal Guard, which had lost a third of its forces, the capital garrison was deployed. A resolution to triple the number of guards stationed around the palace was also passed.

Naturally, crime rates in areas outside the palace district would likely skyrocket as a result. But for an Empire with no better options, this was a necessary evil.

“And lastly—”

The red-robed administrator who had been speaking raised an eyebrow and slammed the table.

“The Council of Elders has been convened.”

The Council of Elders.

While the Empire was fundamentally an absolute monarchy, it had established the Council of Elders as a contingency plan in case of emergencies.

The Council existed to act on behalf of the throne if the royal bloodline was severed and no one was left to claim it—a kind of regency, in essence.

But calling it just an “insurance policy” would be a massive understatement. The Council wielded immense power.

“Only with the Council of Elders’ approval can Princess Lincia ascend to the throne.”

They held the authority to determine the next Emperor.

If the Council refused to recognize Lincia, she could never become Empress. It would be game over—literally.

Logically, there shouldn’t be anyone opposing Lincia, the only legitimate heir to the throne.

But if things were that simple, this wouldn’t even qualify as a storyline in Raising the Empress, would it?

“While the Council is being convened, Princess Lincia will relocate from the Spire to the Grand Assembly Hall. That’ll begin an hour from now. You’ll escort Her Highness to the Assembly Hall. The distance isn’t far, but… we can’t rule out the possibility of an ambush.”

The administrator didn’t specify who they were.

And that only stirred more unease.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed hard.

With a grim expression, the administrator continued,

“Which is why we’re taking every precaution. The area around the Assembly Hall will be sealed off, and Her Highness’s escort will be our top priority. Every remaining member of the Royal Guard will be deployed.”

Behind round glasses, the administrator’s eyes scanned the faces gathered inside the temporary command post.

The Empire’s finest—

The top three Guardian Knights of the Royal Guard, two elite battle mages led by the Royal Archmage himself.

These were the best of the best that the Empire’s palace could muster.

Among them was Freud Escoval—arms crossed, quietly listening.

Ah, right. That’s me.

As soon as Act One began, I was summoned to the command post near the Assembly Hall under the pretext of being a Guardian Knight.

And here I was, surrounded by such exceptional figures, listening to the same administrator from the prologue as he outlined the situation and our mission.

This was behind-the-scenes content I never saw in the game.

I had to stay sharp.

The administrator folded his fingers one by one as he briefed us.

“First, Sir Lautrec Pendrin and the battle mages—you’ll lead the troops and secure the perimeter around the Assembly Hall. No one gets in without approval.”

“Understood.”

Lautrec replied calmly, while the two battle mages stiffened with tension.

“Next, Sir Millia Liantour and Rowan Cassier—you’ll ride ahead of the Princess’ carriage and be ready for any ambushes.”

Millia and the Royal Archmage Rowan gave a slight nod in response.

I stole a sideways glance at Rowan, who remained composed.

Rowan Cassier—a Royal Archmage who made occasional appearances in Raising the Empress.

He was the one responsible for setting up the magical barriers around the Assembly Hall and the palace.

Since the game only ever featured his dialogue and not even a single illustration, I had always imagined him as an old man with a beard.

But to my surprise, he was younger than I expected.

Aside from his slightly faded silver hair and the wrinkles near his eyes, he didn’t look much older than Freud.

“And finally, Freud Escoval.”

The administrator cleared his throat and turned toward me.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t been assigned a task yet.

Wait, was I just filler?

Please, anything but that.

“Sir Freud, you’ll take on a special assignment—personally ordered by Princess Lincia herself.”

The administrator hesitated, removed his glasses, and frowned with clear disapproval.

“You’re to stay right by Her Highness’ side and protect her.”

“….”

The stares I felt in that moment could’ve burned a hole in my back.

*****

A quest window appeared before my eyes—an exact replica of the Raising the Empress game interface.

I stared at it blankly before shaking my head.

With a gauntleted hand, I swiped the window away, watching it vanish into the distance. The strange tactile sensation left me irritated, and I grimaced.

“Ugh. No matter how many times I wear this, I just can’t get used to it.”

The armor weighed heavily on me.

It had been nearly a week since I last wore it, and honestly, I barely even knew how to put it on. Kora had to help me into it.

Still, once fully equipped and standing in front of the full-length mirror, the reflection of Freud was nothing short of impressive.

A long scar trailing across his lips and faded irises gave off a cold aura—but sharp features, ash-gray hair that partially covered his brows, and a towering frame well over 190 cm with broad, sturdy shoulders…

Freud was the kind of man anyone would call strikingly handsome.

After striking a few poses, I finally rested my hand on the hilt of my sword.

It felt so natural, as if it had always been there.

“Damn… I look incredible.”

Drunk on the moment.

Back during the chaos of Founding Day, I’d been too overwhelmed to care how I appeared to others.

But now, I saw it clearly.

I finally understood why Slane had hesitated.

Yeah—no one in their right mind would dare mess with a knight like this.

This was narrative weight.

Thanks to Millia, I’d even recovered my lost sword.

Right now, I was the complete package.

The inside might still be trash, but the outside? A flawless knight.

“Um, Sir Freud? Her Highness will be out shortly.”

“Ah.”

A servant next to me bowed, sweating nervously.

Oh right—forgot there was a servant.

Feeling oddly embarrassed, I swept a hand through my hair.

Turning away from the mirror, I rolled my tongue and loosened up my voice.

“Guess it’s time to get serious.”

Lincia had chosen me—that was exactly what I wanted.

From Act I onward, countless death flags would be aimed at her.

Staying by her side as her personal guard meant I’d have more options for intervention.

“She’s coming down now.”

As I mulled over my thoughts, the door leading to the tower stairs creaked open.

The sound of measured footsteps echoed—heels tapping rhythmically against the stone.

And then, accompanied by attendants on either side, a girl with brilliant platinum hair stepped forward.

Lincia.

Elegantly dressed.

She wore a white gothic-style dress matching her pale hair.

It wasn’t extravagant—in fact, it bordered on plain—but her entire presence seemed to shimmer, like she was glowing.

A slender, delicate frame, with graceful lines that looked like they’d shatter at a touch.

A face so breathtaking it could leave anyone speechless.

That fragile beauty gave her a strangely decadent allure.

She was still a naïve young princess, but just from appearance alone, she already looked worthy of ruling a thousand-year empire.

As I stood there, dumbfounded, her jade-green eyes turned toward me.

“…Sir Freud.”

“It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”

I wasn’t exactly sure how to show proper etiquette, but I did my best to bow respectfully.

But Lincia just let out a short puff of air—

a half-sigh, half-snort.

“Are you feeling okay? You collapsed before.”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Just a bit fatigued at the time.”

“...I see. That’s a relief.”

And that was it.

Without another word, Lincia briskly walked past me.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah—yes, ma’am.”

...A bit cold, isn’t she?

She wasn’t like this during Founding Day.

It left me a little puzzled, but there wasn’t much I could do.

As I followed after her, I caught sight of a middle-aged maid passing by.

She turned slightly toward me, narrowed her eyes, and gave a slight shrug.

If my guess was right, that woman must be Melina, the head maid.

Which means…

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Ah—coming now.”

I shook off my thoughts and followed Lincia.

Right now, my top priority was escorting her safely to the Assembly Hall.

The click of her heels echoed through the corridor, followed by the clink of my greaves.

Staring at Lincia’s graceful figure from behind, I felt the corners of my mouth creeping upward.

“Haha.”

A smile broke across my lips.

Not because I was glad to see Lincia again.

Not because her beauty had me speechless.

But because I was about to say the second-most satisfying line in my entire life.

I couldn’t contain the excitement.

Taking a deep breath, I whispered softly—

“Status window.”

God. I really said it.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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