CH 95.1

Chapter 95.1. The Miscalculated Fools

-???’s POV-

This is the sky castle of the Japanese Magic Empire. It’s said to be the residence of the Emperor. In a conference room in the imperial castle that dominates the sky of the imperial capital, the Emperor and his chief ministers were meeting around a round table.

Meetings in the sky castle are extremely rare. That’s because it’s troublesome to move to the meeting room. The sky castle gets protected by the wards set up by Nobunaga Oda, the castle founder, and it’s impossible to enter the castle except by a transfer team set up on the ground. And the transfer station is located at the back of the palace on the ground.

What does this mean? People have to walk to the end of the castle. First, people walk a long distance to get to the back of the castle. Then, after the transition, people have to go through several doors to get to the meeting room. And there are many stairs to climb.

People will be impressed when visiting up to three times. The magic chandelier illuminates the room not with fires but with jewels attached to it, and the furnishings are worth a lifetime of playtime. One will get impressed by the castle’s magnificent, with its panoramic view of the imperial city.

However, people will only be able to see it three times. Some got tired of it after the first visit. Frankly, people wish there was an elevator. No, at least an escalator would be nice, people complained as they visited the sky castle’s meeting room.

It’s a bothersome facility to move around, but even so, it’s used not only for its appearance. It’s probably the fact that counterintelligence is complete, as it nullifies any surveillance magic. Meetings they didn’t want anyone to hear would get held in the conference room of the castle in the sky.

Usually, people will use the conference room on the ground. When important matters get discussed, they hold it in the most counter-intelligence-friendly conference room, but even so, they include leak calculation leaks to the surroundings. But the conference room in the sky castle is really to confirm that no one knows about it.

The people gathered there are also all important officials whom the Emperor trusts. Among the high-ranking nobles are Duchess Ryusui and Marquis Teijo. Three other counts are also present. The round table could seat 12 people, but nearly half were empty.

However, these were the ones the Emperor trusted. The nobility as a whole is a small number. But when one considers those whom the Emperor could trust, one might consider it a large number. Loyal subjects weighed more than the same volume of gold, and they were hard to come by.

They always wear mental protection and anti-poison magic equipment and are unaffected by magic or truth serum. Unless they say so themselves, they must never leak any information they hear in this meeting room.

The chief ministers, who the Emperor trusted that much, were complaining, but because the meeting was held in a conference room that isn’t used unless there is a big problem, their faces were necessarily serious and tight.

It had been a month and a half since the coming of age party, and now they gather the information, and the situation had settled down, they could hold this meeting.

“Your Majesty. As for your subject’s reaction to the uproar at the coming of age party, which was a matter of concern, please be happy. Support is soaring. The army and the warriors who protected the commoners, Sena-sama who generously used her healing magic, and even held the party again, people are applauding the empire, the splendid Emperor, and your dependability and generosity.”

“Is that so?”

The Prime Minister read the report, and the Emperor, Genshin Touya, nodded gravely. Although he merely nodded, the air tightened by his authority and charisma. His eyes are as sharp as a great sword, and his mouth is full of confidence. Although he’s of medium build, he’s well-trained to be called a sword saint, and the real Emperor.

That’s the Emperor who is always in front of everyone. He stands at the top of the Japanese Magic Empire, the one everyone bows down to.

But in the sky castle, he’s different.

“Really? No subjects blame the old man?”

With his cheek resting against the desk with a sticky smack, the Emperor utters a feeble statement. There is no trace of the dignity he had earlier. There was just a typical uncle with no class. He was the kind of uncle who drinks at a bar and slacks off.

“Your Majesty, I don’t think you should let your children see this.”

The Prime Minister turns his attention to those sitting at this round table, other than his chief ministers, to see if they could be more dignified.

“I have no problem with that at all. I envy those who trust you enough to have such an attitude, father.”

“I don’t have a problem with that either! My father is pathetic, but only in appearance! I pity the people who get fooled by him.”

A young man, about 15 years old, brushes back his shiny rainbow-colored hair and flashes his sparkling white teeth. He has a kindly second sight. He’s a narcissistic-looking man. The other is a 13 year old boy with brown hair, already over 6 feet tall, with a burly build and angular face, like a fierce general.

“It is cool to see father like that. I respect it.”

The last one is, of all people, Genshin Sena. With a kind smile, she claps her hands together. The innocent smile shows absolutely no backstory.

“Nobu-kun, Nagamasa-kun. You guys should need a little more kind to your father. Sena-chan is so kind. Daughters are nice, aren’t they?”

The uncle is impressed, and the Emperor cries ugh and lies.

“It seems like you’re the noisiest around gentle Sena, though. I heard she’s trying to form a private army with Aguni’s son.”

“Well, Nobunaga-oniisama. I only want to help those in need. It’s terrible to call it a private army. They’re a friend. A friend!”

“In that case, doesn’t it seem like you’re only collecting orphaned magicians? Carefully prepared to cover Aguni Dukedom. Won’t you help the commoners?”

“I don’t want to disturb the commoner orphans, Mion-san? She’s helping them.”

Sena protested, her white cheeks turning red. Seeing her, the man called Nobunaga puts on his chin and sighs.

“Father, this girl is only 10 years old, okay? And yet, her behavior is too much. Why don’t you change tutors and stop her from meeting with Aguni’s son?”

“Umm, it’s too much! The tutors are kind, and Masatoshi-san, I… um… you don’t have enough delicacy, Nobunaga-oniisama.” Nobunaga doesn’t stop staring at him, even when he sees his cute, shy face. And the people around her are amazed.