Chapter 91

The morning silence of the ancient capital was broken by an unusual commotion. More than thirty carriages were racing through the streets in all directions. At this time, the great gates of the ancient capital should still be closed.

Half of the people, still half-asleep, were surprised to see the imperial crest on the carriages, but the other half was even more shocked. This was because the crest of the Eastern Kingdom, a neighboring country that could easily become an enemy, was also engraved there.

“What a commotion, Sebastian.”

Conrad stifled a yawn and stretched in the carriage. He had drunk heavily, but the alcohol had already worn off. If he were to be swayed by drink, he would not be fit to be the emperor. Sebastian, who should have drunk far more than Conrad, also appeared completely unaffected.

He seemed to have taken a great liking to Tengumai, a colorless and transparent foreign liquor, and even managed to persuade the innkeeper to give him a bottle. Given his usual habit of drinking wines from neighboring countries, it was no surprise that he enjoyed rare wines.

It was a well-known fact that spies were sent to various countries under the pretext of purchasing wine. The fifteen carriages on the imperial side smoothly stopped in front of the designated inn. This was a prearranged procedure.

Both Emperor Conrad V and Princess Regent Celestine de Orlia, the main characters of today’s meeting, were politicians with many enemies. The meeting was unofficial but a public secret. There was a risk of an attack. To be doubly cautious, both countries and the ancient capital’s council had worked together to keep the location of the meeting secret until the last moment.

“‘Excuses of the unprepared are not heard,’ as they say.”

“Do you think the information has leaked?”

Sebastian shrugged and laughed through his nose.

“There’s nothing to leak. The Eastern Kingdom’s Odd Tales Collector is a direct organization under Celestine. Information that usually flows from the bottom up is today flowing from the top down.”

“That’s true.”

The Niter Collection Bureau had already discovered that the Odd Tales Collector and its subordinate organizations were conducting various covert activities within the empire. The fact that the number of people previously focused on the United Kingdom had been redirected to the empire was a significant matter.

Even in the ancient capital, there were reports that a young man named Damian had been acting on Celestine’s instructions. What was the princess regent’s intention in coming to the meeting? For Conrad, it was inconceivable that she would even show any inclination to marry a country that had been plotting against the empire. He couldn’t understand what she was thinking.

Then, was this a deception? It was a very real possibility. The idea of infiltrating deep into the empire and cutting it from within, considering the ruthless methods of the princess regent, was something to be wary of.

“The security is tight, but we don’t know how many of them there are. Please be careful.”

“Even if I tried to do something in such a well-guarded situation, it would be futile.”

“Even just being mentally prepared is important.”

Ah, Conrad scratched his head and answered absentmindedly. What was on his mind was his grandfather, the late emperor.

He understood the benefits of marrying a princess from the Eastern Kingdom. The empire would gain a valuable card to intervene in the succession issues of the Eastern Kingdom in the future. However, the other party was that princess regent. It could lead to “lending a stable and having the inn stolen.”

Why had such a ridiculous meeting been accepted? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He was not senile; he could assert that with certainty. Conrad believed he knew the late emperor, whom he revered, better than anyone else.

“…We must meet and confirm her true intentions.”

“That would be best.”

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Despite it being morning, the curtain of the izakaya was fluttering. While sweeping the front of the shop, Shizune tilted her head again. The reason the shop had to open at such an odd time was because she had been asked by Reinhold.

He had insisted that the shop must open in the morning today. It was hard to refuse when a regular customer bowed and asked. While she was troubled by the idea of a private event, she had always been willing to open the shop outside of regular hours.

The snow that had fallen overnight had stopped, and the ancient capital was bathed in a pleasant clear sky. It was peaceful. Seeing a two-tailed cat walking leisurely in front of the shop made her want to put away the curtain and go back to bed.

“Hey, Shizune.”

Shinno’s face appeared through the gap in the glass door. Despite staying open late, he seemed unusually energetic, likely because he was interested in something.

“Shizune, what do you think the relationship was between those two from yesterday?”

Asked with an excited voice, Shizune sighed deeply.

“Hey, boss. It’s not right to pry into customers’ affairs…”

“Well, you’re right…”

Shizune continued sweeping as Shinno scratched his head and retreated. The crisp morning air of winter was refreshing. To say she wasn’t curious would be a lie.

What she was curious about was the man who had introduced himself as Conrad. She had never met him directly, but he bore a resemblance to one of her customers. However, she had heard that this customer had very few relatives.

So, could it be that Conrad was…

Just as she thought this, a carriage came racing from the entrance of the street, and another approached from the opposite direction. The two carriages stopped in front of the shop, facing each other. From one carriage, Conrad and an eagle-nosed old man descended. From the other, the person Shizune had expected, accompanied by attendants, also got out.

“Good morning, Grandfather.”

“Good morning, my grandson.”

The one who calmly responded to Conrad’s greeting was undoubtedly the former emperor of the empire. If he was the grandfather, then…

“Shall we go, Conrad? Or should I call you Emperor Majesty?”