Chapter 14: Status – (3)

I checked on Lincia’s condition.

She stood perfectly still, her gaze fixed at her toes, not a single movement in sight.

“Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness?”

Her flushed face suggested she might have a fever.

In the actual Raising the Empress game, Lincia sometimes fell ill due to random chance. Ignoring her condition would always lead to a dead-end, leaving the player clutching their head in frustration.

But her status screen showed no abnormal conditions.

Strange.

I leaned forward and pressed the back of my hand against her forehead. It was a little warm, but nothing alarming.

Lincia’s eyes widened in shock, practically trembling with emotion.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.”

“Ah… Aah…”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Melina suddenly slapped my hand away from Lincia’s forehead.

It didn’t hurt much, but it definitely soured my mood.

With her forehead creased in fury, Melina scolded me sharply.

“How dare you lay a hand on Her Highness’s sacred body! Even as her knight, you should know your place!”

“…My apologies.”

I acted without thinking, treating her like a little sister.

But come to think of it, Lincia was destined to be the Empress of the Empire. No matter how close I was as her guard, I shouldn’t have touched her so carelessly.

Melina was glaring at me like she was ready to commit murder.

Looking at her expression, a question crept into my mind.

Someone who treasures Lincia this much—what could possibly cause her to betray her?

What happened between them?

“No, it’s fine, Melina.”

It was Lincia who calmed the situation first.

She tidied her messy bangs, then lifted her head. Though her face was still red, she had regained her composure.

“I’m fine now. I think I was just a bit nervous.”

“I see.”

Soon, Lincia would be standing before the Council of Elders to prove her worth.

It was only natural for her to be tense ahead of such a pivotal moment.

“Thank you… for your concern.”

She gave a soft smile as she spoke.

It was a beautiful, composed smile—so much so that I couldn’t help but smile myself.

Of course, Melina still looked like she’d bitten into a lemon.

Man, I’m seriously hated.

The life of a so-called scoundrel isn’t easy.

****

Like in the game, no unexpected ambushes occurred on our way to the Grand Assembly Hall.

Though it normally took only twenty minutes on foot, the carriage took nearly an hour, winding around multiple paths before arriving at the destination.

“We’ve arrived.”

As the driver spoke and opened the side door, a massive structure came into view.

It looked somewhat like a baseball stadium—no, more like the Pentagon.

In any case, it was massive. I’d expected as much, but it still overwhelmed me.

This was the setting of Act 1 in Raising the Empress—the Grand Assembly Hall.

As we disembarked, I saw Millia and Rowan waiting to escort us.

The moment Lincia hopped out of the carriage, all eyes fell on her.

“Ah… Aah.”

Rowan suddenly let out a moan.

Then, dragging his robe behind him, he rushed over, planted a kiss on her hand, and bowed repeatedly.

“Ohhhhh!”

“…Excuse me?”

Lincia, startled, instinctively flinched. But Rowan didn’t stop.

“Princess Lincia, you’ve returned safely…! Ah, the Empire’s legacy still lives on! This is truly a miracle from the heavens!”

“Um… who are you?”

“Ah! Forgive my delay in introductions. I am Rowan Cassiere, Royal Court Magician. I served the Emperor for nearly twenty years. We may have met a few times when you were young, though I don’t expect you to remember.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Not at all, Your Highness! There’s no need to apologize. It’s only natural. But to see you bloom into such a graceful young lady… I, Rowan, am truly moved.”

Was he always like this?

It was unexpected.

Then again, he didn’t have a single line in the game.

After Act 1, he practically turned into a ghost. You never saw him again.

“The tragedy on Foundation Day… I deeply regret it. I failed to protect my liege. If you must hate me, I understand. Please, strike me if it will bring you peace.”

“…I don’t hate you.”

“No, no. You’re being too kind. Please, feel free to hate me.”

“I… really don’t…”

Lincia glanced at me with a desperate please save me look, but I casually turned my eyes away.

I had a feeling things would get messier if I stepped in.

Eventually, after several awkward minutes, Lincia managed to escape Rowan’s grasp.

Her dazed, wobbly steps reminded me of a drenched kitten.

“Good work.”

“…That was exhausting.”

With a long sigh, Lincia stepped up beside me. Millia, who had been standing nearby, gave a formal salute.

“I’m relieved to see you unharmed, Your Highness.”

“And you are…?”

“Millia Liantour, your royal guard.”

“….”

Silence fell.

Millia bowed her head and waited for Lincia to respond, but the princess kept her lips tightly sealed, her gaze fixed on the back of Millia’s head.

“Millia Liantour.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lincia repeated the name softly. Millia carefully observed her reaction, but nothing changed.

Not a single word followed.

In the end, Millia, still bent at the waist, awkwardly stepped back.

“Why is Her Highness acting like that? Did I offend her somehow?”

“No idea.”

Millia looked like she was on the verge of tears, but I just shrugged.

Seriously—I had no clue either.

Maybe it was the emotional whiplash from dealing with Rowan?

One moment, she was sharp; the next, she was warm. Then she’d suddenly raise her voice, only to turn ice-cold again.

Today, Lincia’s mood swings were wild.

****

A bit later, we were guided into the hall by a belatedly arrived administrator.

The outer corridor was narrow—barely enough space for two adult men to stretch their arms. We had no choice but to walk single file, and I ended up in the rear.

“Now that I think about it, this must be Princess Lincia’s first time visiting the Assembly Hall.”

“Yes.”

“It’s not often the Elder Council convenes. This is the first time in thirty years. For reference, the last meeting was to defeat the most notorious necromancer in history. That necromancer—”

“Amazing.”

“…Ah. Yes, it was, wasn’t it.”

Trying to lighten the mood, the administrator kept talking, but Lincia’s responses were lukewarm—no, more like razor-sharp.

Sweat beaded on the poor man’s brow. He was probably panicking inside, wondering if he’d said something inappropriate.

I didn’t know what had gotten into her either. Was this… puberty?

With the protagonist silent, only the sound of our footsteps echoed down the long corridor.

As we walked, I couldn’t help but reflect on the game again.

‘The real nonsense starts now.’

My first memories of Raising the Empress came flooding back.

Including the first ending I ever saw.

A dead-end so absurd, it sent every first-time player’s brain flying to Andromeda.

If I was remembering right… it would happen right about here.

The corridor gradually widened until we entered a circular chamber.

In front of us stood a massive door, as tall as a three-story building. At the top, a stone gargoyle spread its wings wide, frozen in a mid-roar.

Yep. This was definitely the Empire. Everything was over-the-top.

“Ooooh.”

Even Millia and the attendants couldn’t hide their awe at the sight.

I was no different—but I quickly snapped out of it and took a few steps back.

Clunk.

Rumble…

With a heavy groan, the gate slowly began to open.

The twin doors parted gradually, light spilling through the widening gap.

The brightness that poured in was intense—probably because of the stark contrast between the dark corridor and the chamber beyond.

Everything was washed out in white.

Which meant no one could clearly see what was happening around them.

“…Hoo.”

And in that blinding moment, I waited—for just the right timing.

I forced my eyes wide open, scanning the blindingly bright chamber.

The royal guards had dropped their vigilance, completely entranced by the overwhelming sight of the colossal gates slowly parting as if to welcome giants.

Cra-crack—!

With the gates halfway open, a sharp, metallic screech echoed through the hall, as if something had snapped in two.

It was almost time.

I moved.

With swift, deliberate steps, I made my way straight toward Lincia.

“Out of the way.”

I shoved aside a bothersome attendant and flung a soldier behind me.

“What the hell?!”

“Sir Freud! What in the world are you doing?!”

Cries of protest rang out as more guards rushed toward me.

But I ignored them and pressed forward, unwavering in my direction—toward Lincia.

The guards trying to restrain me were quickly thrown to the ground.

My walk turned into a sprint.

At last, I reached Lincia.

“...Sir Freud?”

She looked at me, confused and taken aback.

“Pardon me for a moment.”

“Huh?”

Lincia let out a startled squeak.

And then—from above—came the sound of something snapping.

Crack!

There was no time to hesitate.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her into my arms.

Then I leapt back.

“You dare lay your hands upon Her Highness?! This is outrageous!”

The administrator shouted, his face flushed crimson.

But a moment later—

BOOOOOM!

A terrifying gust of air howled as a massive object crashed into the spot where Lincia had just stood.

It was the gargoyle statue perched atop the gates.

Its wings, once spread wide in a majestic pose, now became tools of destruction as gravity pulled it down with devastating force. The impact was bone-rattling, the sound gruesome as the gargoyle shattered on impact.

Whoooosh…

Dust and debris swept through the room, blanketing everything in a blinding haze.

A scream echoed somewhere in the chaos.

Then, Rowan’s gravelly voice boomed through the chamber.

“Damn it! Everyone, get down!”

Before his words had even finished, a gentle hum resonated through the air, and a translucent blue dome formed around us.

With the dust cleared by the barrier, we could finally make out our surroundings again.

Rowan stood with his arm extended toward the ceiling, having conjured a wide-area protection spell.

Millia had lowered her stance and was halfway through drawing her sword.

The attendants were crouched down, trembling and shielding themselves as best they could, while the guards I had knocked down remained frozen, stunned speechless.

“Are you all right?”

“……”

Lincia, still in my arms, stared blankly at the shattered remains of the gargoyle with a pale face, drained of color.

“Hey, Freud! Is Her Highness unharmed?!”

The administrator was the first to run over.

Moments later, Melina followed in a panic, checking Lincia’s condition.

Thankfully, because I had moved fast enough, she was physically unharmed. Even the flying debris had been shielded by my body. But the psychological shock must have been severe—she hadn’t even blinked yet.

“Her Highness is in danger! Get her inside, now!”

“What… What the hell was that?!”

The attendants finally understood what was happening and scrambled into motion.

As murmurs grew louder, servants from deeper inside the Assembly Hall came running out.

No one had expected the intact gargoyle to suddenly fall like that. They all wore the same dumbfounded expression.

I knelt down and picked up a shard from one of the gargoyle’s wings.

With the stone fragment in hand, I turned my gaze toward the partially opened gate.

More precisely—toward the presence behind it. Watching us.

“Quite the enthusiastic welcome.”

The mastermind of the Elder Council—

Edwin Faylid.

The final boss of Act 1.

There was no doubt this was his doing.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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