「By the way, I have many questions for you.」
"Please speak without reservation."
At the Emperor's remark, Hugo quickly withdrew his gaze from the servant. His hand gripping the wine glass had considerable strength in it.
「I didn't expect the Council, rather than the military or the Knights, to take action.」
"Are you referring to the Elder Millie Peninsula subjugation?"
He then briefly inferred the implied meaning in those words. Taken intuitively, it was praise for the Council having concluded a matter that the other two institutions couldn't accomplish.
「Hmm, yes. The peninsula.」
However, looking at it more deeply, it could also be a warning about rash actions taken without being ordered. Of course, it wasn't something to judge based on that one statement alone, especially when expressions weren't even visible.
"Serving and dedicating ourselves to Your Majesty and the Empire is the Council's mission and joy. I am only sorry that we couldn't bring you news of victory sooner."
Hugo gave as formal an answer as possible. A formal attitude, if consistent, can make a person appear somewhat transparent. He hoped to appear as a transparent human without any secrets to the Emperor's eyes, which were said to penetrate all things.
At that moment, the golden-haired servant who had remained beside him straightened the tilted wine bottle and bowed to Hugo. Afterward, he returned to his master without delay. His light footsteps didn't match the desolate atmosphere of the inner chamber at all.
The familiar figure, once again hidden by the veil, sat down beside the august monarch as if it were his place. The Emperor extended his arm and caressed the figure's shoulder as if to crush it. Why specifically the left shoulder was unknown.
The imperial family, which had loved the sun for generations, regarded gold as a sacred symbol. Even in this inner chamber, gold was melted into pillars and small decorations everywhere. So it wasn't strange for a few more gold colors to shimmer in such a place.
Hugo deliberately drove away the presence stirring in a corner of his mind. He lowered his gaze slightly. This was to prevent the figure in front of him from entering his field of vision.
As the uncomfortable silence filled with thoughts continued, the Emperor asked directly.
「What did you see on the peninsula?」
A premonition that the inevitable had come flashed by. Hugo lowered his hands that had been on the table, raised his chin appropriately, and answered calmly with intelligent eyes.
"I discovered various monsters resistant to volcanic zones, as well as deformed species born from genetic modification."
「Hmm...」
"I believe the discovery of diverse vegetation, beasts, and minerals will also have a significant impact on the Empire's academic world. Additionally, I'm not sure if you've received the investigation records submitted by the Council—"
"Hic—"
A shrill voice interrupted Hugo's statement.
As he shifted his gaze and fell silent, the Emperor's silhouette also turned to look at the figure that had made the sound beside him. Soon, the silhouette strongly gripped the figure's forearm and tilted his face towards it, but pulled back when the shadows overlapped. Hugo's eyelids moved reflexively at the sight. Since only shadows were visible, it was impossible to know exactly what had been done.
It was unclear whether he had signaled to be quiet, soothed, or warned.
Though it was an action that could potentially cause scandal, the voice that followed wasn't particularly kind.
「Do not interrupt the Duke's words. If you too don't want to lose your voice.」
The Emperor's lightly thrown words were enough to freeze the entire inner chamber. The atmosphere of Aurasion, which had a coolness despite its bright scenery, was instantly dyed in a pale light.
The figure hesitated before rising from its seat, and another figure waiting behind took its place beside the Emperor.
It was probably one of the several boys who had been tangled in the curtains earlier. Seeing that the build was a bit larger this time, it might have been a young man. Though he had thought the Emperor particularly cherished the servant who had retreated, seeing how easily they were replaced made it seem like watching parts.
The one inferred to be a young man had hair that pursued gold, though not as much as the boy. The figure poured alcohol into a golden cup with calm gestures and guarded the Emperor's side motionlessly like a doll. However, the movement of his left arm seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
But at the sovereign's gaze returning to his side, Hugo withdrew his eyes from the figure and calmly continued his report. It wasn't without concern that if he stopped speaking, they might lose their voices.
"...The greatest achievement of this subjugation was the execution of the mother body, which could be considered the source of the deformed species. This being was an ancient demon that had lived for over a thousand years, a being that transcended time as we know it."
The silhouette beyond the curtain began caressing the young man's left shoulder again. Hugo, who had paused for a beat, firmly closed and then parted his lips.
"The ruins distributed throughout the peninsula are powerful sealing magic that bound the mother body. According to the investigator's records, the seal had been weakening even before the Council's advance as volcanic activity on the peninsula intensified recently. Also, the frequent appearance of monsters near the peninsula over the past few months was related to this reason."
Hugo gazed straight ahead while casting his eyes into the distance. At the same time, he enumerated the facts he had seen and heard on the peninsula, albeit briefly. However, he didn't mention that the one who implemented the sealing magic was the first Emperor, and that the mother body was the last king of Raina whom it so hated and feared.
In this Raina Logia, traces of the first Emperor, when viewed from a political perspective, were not good to be revealed. To the collateral bloodline that had waged wars over hundreds of years to create a legitimate imperial family, the existence of the Sun King could be an insurmountable taboo and a pretext for starting another war.
History sometimes needed to remain buried to bring peace and stability. Like not only the steles discovered on the peninsula but also the various ancient documents sleeping in the Agrizendro mansion.
Though the great Emperor His Majesty whom he served was intelligent and knowledgeable about the ways of the world, Hugo knew better than anyone that his temperament was far from that of a sage king. Because of this, Hugo had not announced some facts at the Council's press conference, citing the need for additional review. The Emperor's permission was needed.
The Emperor, who had been listening to the Duke's report, leaned back after having leaned forward with his chin propped. It meant it wasn't the content he wanted to hear.
As he stroked the head of the servant beside him, he asked again.
「I asked what you saw.」
Hugo's words, which were about to continue, stopped. His eyes naturally fell on the head of hair that pursued gold, where the hand was extended.
As he stared blankly in that direction, the gold colors he had seen so far flashed through his mind.
The sealing magic circle of Mound 118, the holy spear that executed the mother body, the golden band that bound the petition.
The fallen hero of this country who emitted the most brilliant golden light.
He didn't know why these things suddenly came to mind one after another, but Hugo instinctively realized that the Emperor wanted a different answer. There was only one reason why he had issued a summons to appear and called him to the inner chamber. The Emperor wasn't trying to hear the full account of the subjugation under the pretext of a meal.
It was a kind of warning. To keep silent obediently if he too didn't want to lose his voice.
At that point, Hugo stopped speaking in roundabout ways.
"I saw nothing."
Only then did the silhouette beyond the curtain show a faint smile. Though expressions weren't visible, it was fully felt in the voice.
「This is why I like you so much.」
"It's an honor."
「I should bestow a great reward on the meritorious subject of the subjugation soon.」
As the Emperor wiggled his finger, two white-clad servants brought paper to be used for an imperial order and a portable table. The table was placed to the right of the Emperor's silhouette. In the space where silence lingered, the sound of the pen nib scratching could be heard.
The characters created by those fingertips would once again change history at this moment today.
Though covering up the truth was a stifling matter, Hugo was relieved that today's summons ended with burying the records of the first Emperor. It was fortunate at least. Questions about territorial loss, Parren's entry into the territory, conflict with the Imperial Knights, or Leonardo Blaine didn't come up.
If he were to hear Leonardo Blaine's name from those lips in this place today, he wouldn't be able to separate the boys tangled among the curtains of the inner chamber from him.
Ironically, Hugo wished for Leonardo to regain his honor while simultaneously hoping he had completely fallen out of the Emperor's favor. So that the Emperor would have no reason to look for him anymore.
At that moment, the Emperor, who had been signing the imperial order, asked with his gaze fixed:
「Ah, how is my cat doing?」