Chapter 93: Tenorieu (5)

"Did you perhaps discover something inside Tenorieu?"

It was a question, but the tone was one of certainty. It didn't make sense logically.

After all, there was no story passed down. How could Feorn know something the princess didn't?

On the other hand, I wondered if I had been too complacent. I hadn't really thought it would be a problem.

We hadn't looted anything or broken into Tenorieu; we had found it through legitimate means.

I thought that if I just told the truth when asked, it would be fine. In fact, I even hoped he would verify it for me.

After announcing the existence of Temé's Sword, if there were any false accusations, Feorn, the Sword Master, would provide proof.

I had already discussed this with Erendil. However, contrary to my expectations, Feorn's demeanor was quite serious.

"Ah..."

Erendil, sensing this, hesitated and looked at me. In truth, there was no way out now.

The other party had already caught on. Just as I was about to nod, Feorn continued.

"There is a legend passed down among our tombkeepers. It says that the Founding Emperor hid something in Tenorieu."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It was a message passed down only to the tombkeepers. They had to swear never to tell anyone. That's why even the current Emperor is unaware."

Feorn's words were quite shocking. A legend passed down only among tombkeepers.

Did the Founding Emperor whisper it to the first tombkeeper? It seemed plausible.

I could understand why the method to open the door was so peculiar.

There must have been tombkeepers over the years who were not without greed.

'Maybe it wasn't just the demon's blood that opened it, but also Erendil's blood mixed in.'

What I couldn't understand was why the Founding Emperor told the tombkeepers about it.

There must have been a reason. Erendil, thinking the same, asked a question.

"Why couldn't it be told?"

"The Founding Emperor once heard a prophecy from a native shaman."

"A prophecy?"

"Yes. It said that a great calamity would come to the empire in the distant future, and he should make arrangements for the descendant who would face it."

The story, contrary to my expectations, wasn't negative. Feorn's concern was elsewhere.

"A great calamity... Not a good story, is it?"

"It might just be a rumor. Not everything the shamans say is true."

I didn't know about the shaman's prophecy. I had never encountered Tenorieu in the game.

However, the phrase 'the descendant who will face it' was heavy. It wasn't 'the descendant who will overcome it.'

Feorn's expression was heavy, likely because he had remembered the forgotten legend.

I thought about the Tenorieu in the game.

Did the prince, who fought and died against the demon, connect the demon's return with the prophecy's calamity?

The princes back then couldn't have taken Temé's Sword. They must have felt desperate.

"Still, it's not a bad story, is it? According to the prophecy, Her Highness the Princess will become the next Emperor."

"That's how it will be."

"Moreover, the Founding Emperor must have made arrangements because Her Highness can quell the calamity."

Feorn smiled wryly.

"At first, I thought it was a fanciful oral tradition. I didn't imagine it would happen in my lifetime when I was told to pass on this story to whoever retrieves what's inside."

In fact, Feorn's thoughts were reasonable. The story of the Founding Emperor and the shaman was not widely known.

Like Ines, whom I met, did the Founding Emperor really meet a shaman with divine powers?

Hmm. I couldn't be certain. Perhaps it was a distorted story among the tombkeepers.

The part about hiding something was true, but over time, they might have added their own details.

Personally, I think the latter is more likely.

In the game, the princess never became the emperor during all the playtime.

Without me, she wouldn't have found it. Could the prophecy have predicted my possession?

Of course, I wouldn't bring that up in front of Feorn. Erendil, regaining his composure, continued.

"Let's hope such an event never happens. If it does, I will try to overcome it."

"That's a good attitude."

"Are you not curious about what it is?"

"Leave an old man's curiosity. I think about swords every day, but sometimes I get bored. I'll ponder it. Tell me later."

"I will."

Feorn and Erendil smiled.

"I need to practice more. If a calamity happens before I die..."

"If I'm on the throne, will you answer my call?"

"Of course."

"Your presence would ease my worries."

Feorn laughed heartily.

"You've worked hard. It's very late. You must be tired, so please go in."

"Yes. May you rest well, sir."

* * *

Evening. After returning from Tenorieu, I couldn't let my guard down. I was exhausted from moving around all day.

I looked out the window, waiting for Phiri.

I had already reported that I was going to Tenorieu, so he would come tonight.

In the empty corridor, Emmit, practicing his sword stance with one arm, approached me.

"You did something strange again today?"

"Excuse me?"

"You wanted to ride on the back of a dragon and went outside the dragon carriage?"

"Where did you hear that? We've been together since we returned."

Since we returned, Emmit and I had been guarding Erendil.

Erendil and Emmit hadn't talked separately.

"You don't realize how popular you are? Every action of yours is a topic of conversation."

"Did you... hear it from Sir Audrey?"

The only people who knew were the knights who rode the dragon.

"Yes. I met him on my way to dinner. He was talking about it, so I guess half the palace will know by tomorrow."

I couldn't know everything that happened in the palace, as I couldn't monitor it all the time.

I scratched the back of my head.

"Really, such a story..."

"Last time, you flipped a perfectly good painting and watched a cat for four hours."

"It was two hours."

"Same difference."

"Two hours is almost half the time."

Emmit chuckled.

"To me, there's no difference between two and four hours."

"..."

"Anyway, you're normal in conversation and good with swords and smart. Why do you do strange things sometimes?"

"There's no particular reason. I just feel like it."

Emmit nodded as if he understood.

"True. Staring out the window every day is a bit strange too. They say geniuses are eccentric. There are many eccentrics at the Imperial University."

He came to tease me out of boredom, not to talk. It was a small pleasure for the royal guards.

Actually, such an image wasn't entirely bad. I pretended to be annoyed and sighed lightly.

"So, how was riding on the back of a dragon?"

"It was fun. I wanted to ride a dragon without a carriage, but I couldn't."

"Tell me next time you have that thought. I want to see it."

"Don't get your hopes up."

Emmit chuckled and left. Soon, Phiri arrived.

While talking, I pondered about Temé's Sword, which I had been thinking about while waiting for Phiri.

'Should I tell him or not?'

After a short deliberation, I decided not to. I needed to make the princess the emperor and stop the demon followers.

While my goal with Haisen was the same, the latter part was different.

I couldn't risk information leaking from Haisen.

I trusted Phiri, but not others. Information could leak unexpectedly, and the captain was a problem.

"That's a shame. Even if there was something, the previous emperors might have already taken it."

-Even if there was, wouldn't the previous emperors have already taken it?

"That's true. It's a shame. If it wasn't a grand magic, we could have estimated its location."

-Isn't there still a chance to use it?

"Even if not now, we could decide the emperor with our own hands in the future."

It was a sharp and scary statement. It implied assassinating the next princes.

The tombkeepers wouldn't always be Sword Masters.

-Are the demon followers okay?

"Why do you ask?"

-From what I've seen, the Imperial Intelligence Agency seems quite busy.

It was a lie. But with the demon's appearance, there would be some signs.

Haisen was also watching them, so they must have seen something.

"I don't know the details because of the empire, but I heard something is happening in the north. They are investigating."

-Is that so?

"Hearing you, it doesn't seem like a normal event. Damn..."

I heard Phiri's cold curse in my ear.

-Why?

"The captain was absent last week."

-What a coincidence.

"Probably in the north."

-Yes. The probability of it being related to the demon followers is high.

"The suspicion is strong."

The captain would be quite high-ranking among the demon followers. He must have gone to see the demon's appearance.

-What will you do? Should we contact your father now that the captain is absent?

"I can't move. One of the deputy captain or captain must stay. If I act rashly, the captain might run away."

Phiri seems to want to capture the captain himself. It would be better that way.

The information that could leak has almost leaked, but the captain must be captured.

"After talking to you, I investigated more thoroughly. The captain's side is stronger than I thought. Not all of them believe in the demon, but I can't act rashly."

Right. The captain is not an easy person. If he reported Phiri's strange behavior...

Phiri might be in danger.

-Sending a letter is also dangerous.

"Yes. There's no method right now."

Sigh. I'm frustrated, but turning Phiri's heart completely is a big gain.

With Phiri, we can seize the opportunity to deal with the captain.

-Then we'll wait. We don't have enough evidence yet.

"Yes. Even if your father trusts you, we need solid evidence."

-We can act on our own if necessary.

"We? You have a mole."

The number of people monitoring me was still two, but the quality had dropped since receiving the Founding Emperor's medal.

They were quite strong before, but not anymore. They must have been demoted in priority.

-We can shake them off.

"Right. Let's do that for now. We'll watch the situation."

* * *

Eight days after returning from Tenorieu, I confirmed that the Imperial Intelligence Agency's surveillance had completely disappeared.

I couldn't see this as a positive sign.

If it was because of the Founding Emperor's medal, it should have happened earlier.

More likely, a major event had occurred, leaving them short of personnel to monitor me.

'Considering the demon's appearance...'

It might be more serious than I thought. Unfortunately, I couldn't get high-quality information from Haisen.

The Imperial Intelligence Agency was on high alert, severely limiting our activities in the north.

The captain being a demon follower also played a role. They would know our information.

The duke has a separate intelligence unit in the north, but they would also communicate with our captain.

'I wish I could move myself.'

I was frustrated.

The situation was already different from what I knew, and I didn't know when a variable would arise.

I regretted not choosing self-replication over wind.

Of course, I kept my worries as worries. I needed to create certainty in the midst of uncertainty.

With the surveillance gone, I planned to deal with the people on my mental hit list.

Even without the Imperial Intelligence Agency, many people were watching me. I was the most famous person in the empire. But I was confident I wouldn't get caught.

I didn't know how long this opportunity would last. I needed to act quickly before surveillance resumed.

Hmm.

Who should I deal with first?