ALL NOVEL C31
Chapter 31
Things started off well.
Anar’el’s request to see the Emperor was met with immediate acceptance.
But what happened next was not smooth sailing.
‘I can’t believe I just got the green light, but here’s where things went wrong…….’
As no one can easily imagine, Anar’el is the head of what “was” a huge organization called the Amonis Academy.
And since elves live so long, they don’t have to retire due to old age!
As such, she had quite a few noble connections who wanted to befriend her.
Yes, there were many.
Past tense.
-Hmph, I don’t know. The Emperor is a very diligent man.
“Is he?”
-Yes, he’s busy.
Anar’el frowned at the incessant interruption of the magical communication.
Amon’s proposed a bribery scheme!
She had already asked more than a dozen nobles about the Emperor’s tastes, to no avail.
‘Even the most upstanding emperors must have favorite things and foods, but no one knows about them.’
No, in fact, they would know.
The person I just communicated with is Count Magamoa.
As the man in charge of defending the borders and wielding unchecked power within the realm, it was clear that he would be trusted, or at least guarded, by the Emperor.
‘How could such a man not know the Emperor’s tastes? His voice was gravelly to begin with, and I had to call him several times before he would answer.’
He doesn’t need to keep in touch with the headmaster of an academy that has been advised to shut down by the emperor himself.
“Phew, what am I going to do…….?”
Sighing, Anar’el suddenly glanced at Amon.
He was in the corner of the headmaster’s office, going through a series of bizarre motions.
He was jumping up and down, doing handstands, somersaulting in place, landing on his knees, and doing other incomprehensible things.
“Mr. Amon, what the hell were you doing back there?”
“I was trying to come up with a means to thaw the Emperor’s frozen heart.”
“What is that?”
Wiping the sweat from his face, Amon spoke in a commanding voice.
“The history books tell me that the greatest form of prostration in the East is the ‘bow,’ and this handstand is an advanced version of that, the ‘grand bow’.”
“So what about the somersaults and kneeling?”
“No. It’s just flashy, it looks like you care and you mean it.”
“…….”
Anar’el didn’t answer Amon’s comment.
She merely tilted his head in a ‘I see.’
‘I wonder how our academy got such a crazy teacher.’
Amon thought to himself as he watched Anar’el turn away.
‘How did we end up with such an incompetent elf as our headmaster?’
They clicked their tongues at each other.
-Ding!
There was a knock on the door, and Sloth’s voice came through.
“Principal, please approve the expense report.”
“Yes, Ms. Sloth. Please come in.”
Sloth handed the statement over to Anar’el and said.
“I think I’ll need to add a little extra for the breakage of three wooden swords.”
“I see.”
Anar’el stamped her seal, and Sloth glanced at Amon.
“By the way, I assume you were talking about something important?”
“What?”
“Because you and Amon both looked pretty serious.”
“That’s…….”
Should I really tell a slacker like Sloth about the Academy’s untold crisis?
‘If she realizes that she might not be getting paid anytime soon, she might try to go back home…….’
With the family feud resolved, there’s no reason for Sloth to stay.
So when Anar’el tries to make light of the situation, Amon, who also knows the truth, immediately reveals the crisis at the Academy.
Amon wants Sloth out of here more than anyone else!
“Our Academy’s finances have collapsed! The King of Mango Farm has gone under!”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! You won’t even get your salary soon!”
“Is that true, Headmaster?”
Anar’el said, her brow furrowed at Amon’s confession.
“It’s true.”
“Hmph.”
“But don’t worry, I’m finding a way, and your salary will come…….”
Sloth shrugged at Anar’el’s less-than-confident tone.
“Well, in that case, I’ll take that as a given, then.”
“It’s…….”
Amon clicked his tongue as Sloth disappeared.
“How cruel, how cruel! Since she’s a Marquis, she should have a lot of money but she didn’t say a word!”
“Mr. Amon.”
“Yes?”
“I really hate you sometimes.”
“What? Why?”
Amon shook his head in disbelief at Anar’el’s sudden disdain and disgust.
I don’t know the Emperor’s tastes, anyway, so I can’t really bribe him.
‘Then we’ll have to go the official route.’
Amon hurried toward the student dormitory.
* * *
“What, you’re going to the capital?”
“Yes. This time, I got a chance to meet His Majesty the Emperor. That’s why I’m taking you along. Last time during the competition, I wasn’t in a position to just sit back and watch, was I?”
Boris’s eyes sparkled with anticipation at Amon’s cheerful words.
“Wow! Are you going out to play?”
“Yes! How about it, are you going?”
“Yes, sir!”
Amon smiled at the beaming Boris, then turned to Chloe.
“And you, Chloe?”
“I’m coming.”
“I’m glad you want to stay cool!”
Amon said, looking at the last student, Raymond.
“You are to rest at the Academy.”
“What? What about me?”
“Hahaha, kid, if you don’t know, this teacher is going to be very sad.”
At those words, Raymond looked at the dolls modeled after him, hugging them from side to side.
‘But why are there two of them?’
Raymond said anyway.
“Are you telling me to stay at the academy for the dolls?”
“Haha, it’s good you know.”
Raymond grumbled.
“As long as I don’t stand out, right?”
“……?”
Raymond pulled out a palm-sized doll modeled after him.
“I’ll just take this one with me.”
“But how many of those dolls are there?”
“About seventeen.”
“I see!”
Amon nodded, no longer thinking about the dolls.
‘Maybe things will go better if Raymond comes with us.’
The current emperor is a saint among saints, as long as he doesn’t tangle with the Drake family.
Besides, he encourages the education of budding students, and given his fondness for them, it was unlikely that he would be oblivious to the plight of students with so much potential.
‘That said, Chloe and Raymond will easily convince the Emperor since they’re so talented!’
And Boris.
‘He’s a good kid!’
Anyway, I hurriedly said to the children.
“Kids! Wear the tackiest clothes you have!”
“What? Why? We’re going to the capital.”
“I’ll explain why as we go!”
The students wore the clothes they could afford to wear while practicing swordsmanship.
A few minutes later, Amon arrived at the headmaster’s office with the students.
“Headmaster, we’re ready.”
“But what’s wrong with your clothes? We’re going to meet the emperor.”
Amon explained.
The rationalization was that the children should be dressed as beggars, so that they would appeal to the emperor’s sympathy!
And for the first time, Amon was able to witness Anar’el use violence.
* * *
‘The elf’s beating is quite intimidating.’
When the farmer’s letter was eaten to destroy the evidence, claiming that elves were related to goats, Anar’el’s pounder was every bit as intimidating as the goats’.
Stroking his throbbing jaw, Amon said.
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
The students were dressed in the best clothes they could find.
As a last-ditch compromise, though, Amon was wearing his old clothes, in hopes of provoking the Emperor’s sympathy.
“Well then, Headmaster, let’s go.”
“Please be careful not to be disrespectful to the Emperor.”
If the Emperor didn’t do it, Amon would, but it was clear that the Emperor would be rude.
But Amon got one thing right.
“Of course.”
“Because when you do, you make sure you do it right.”
Anar’el spoke her faith and prepared her warp magic.
Moments later, the group arrived at the magic circle set up outside the palace, and after a thorough search, they were escorted to the palace grounds to meet the Emperor.
“By the way, Headmaster.”
“What?”
On the way to the audience chamber, Amon spoke.
“You must have known the Emperor for quite some time, since you were granted permission to come so soon?”
“Yes, come to think of it, Sandrio. It’s been at least fifty years since I’ve known the Emperor.”
“That long?”
Anar’el said, brushing back her pale blond hair.
“It doesn’t seem that long to me. It seems like we just met the other day.”
“……Sir.”
“What?”
“How old are you?”
“I’m 269 years old this year, I think.”
“Wow, my parents. No, you’re older than my whole family combined.”
It was the second time Amon had witnessed Anar’el become violent.
Hopping to his feet, clutching his kicked shin, he stopped.
“We’re here.”
“Oh, my shin…….Oh, by the way, Headmaster.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you go in and negotiate first?”
Anar’el frowned.
“Really, do you trust me?”
In truth, Amon wanted her to meet with the Emperor alone.
However, Anar’el knew very well that she was not very good at speaking or improvising, so she had no choice but to bring Amon along.
Of course, given the bad blood between House Drake and the Emperor’s family, it would have been wiser not to bring him along at all.
‘But I can’t tell the headmaster about it.’
My father told me that.
‘It’s a top secret, a top secret that only the Emperor’s closest circle and the Drake family should know about.’
In the end, he couldn’t tell the truth, and Anar’el whined that she wouldn’t go if Amon didn’t go with her, so he had no choice but to follow her, crying.
“Mr. Amon, this is a strange day for you. Normally, you would have insisted on seeing the Emperor first.”
“Well, I have some business of my own.”
“I see.”
Anar’el said, her ears drooping.
“Then I’ll try to talk to him on my own first, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll call you, so you’ll have to step up then, okay?”
Amon thumped his chest.
“Of course! You can call me if you need me!”
“Yes!”
Amon clasped his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut as Anar’el joined the students in the next moment.
‘Please don’t call me! Please don’t call me!’
The moment the Emperor sees his face, things will go wrong!
* * *
“Heh heh heh, it’s been a long time, how are you, Princess Anar’el.”
“Your Majesty is still the same.”
“Since the princess came, all my aides were kicked out. Don’t be uncomfortable and call me comfortably.”
“Hoo-hoo, Sandrio, you’re the same old Sandrio. How’s Victoria?”
“Of course, since you’ve come all this way, I think you should stay for dinner. I’m sure Victoria will be very happy to meet the princess.”
“That would be nice.”
“What brings you here?”
Sandrio asked, finally getting to the point.
“That’s……about the recommendation to suspend operations.”
“Well……I expected that.”
The Emperor sighed, crossing his arms.
“To be honest, I would have preferred to avoid the shutdown, given my connection to Princess Anar’el, but the precedent set by the Mussiel Academy left me no choice.”
Mussiel Academy!
It was an academy that disappeared into the back alleys of history due to the principal’s failed investment!
Anyway, at the sound of the Emperor’s negative words, Anar’el spoke up.
“Well, but, how can it not work?”
“Hmph. I guess the precedent is set, so it’s not like I can decide for myself.”
The Emperor cleared his throat and suddenly looked at the students standing behind Anar’el.
Chloe, Raymond, Boris.
He recognized them all from memory.
“Oh, aren’t they the students who participated in the last contest?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Yes, now that I think about it, they were from Amonis Academy.”
The emperor who slapped his knee said.
“Good. Given your track record of producing fine students, I’ll persuade the Prime Minister and the bureaucrats to overturn the recommendation to shut it down.”
“Sir, are you sure?”
“Hehehehe, of course, Princess Anar’el.”
“Thank you!”
The Emperor let out a chuckle and lifted his teacup.
He inhaled slowly, savoring the tea’s aroma.
“……?”
An unpleasant, disgusting odor stung his nose, mixed with the fragrant tea aroma!
“Sniff, sniff, sniff?”
“Sandrio?”
The Emperor suddenly snorted like a dog, much to the disgust of Anar’el and the rest of the students, and turned his head sharply.
His eyes narrowed as he glared at the door of the audience room.
“This smell is that of the filthy Drake clan!”
With a snarl, the Emperor launched himself at the door of the audience room.