Chapter 122 – Meeting

Meeting

Rashid’s office had been moved once from the place he previously used.

It was moved to the place where Lucian Alhazen previously worked in the past, and there was a reason of its own for this.

This place was the widest next to the Director’s office, and in Rashid’s case, because his subordinate inquisitors also held the title of Chief Inquisitor, the space they previously used felt somewhat small.

Therefore, his office was moved once, and the new location had two large inner chambers, each with a reception area in the inner and outer chambers respectively.

If looking at the size alone, it was twice the size of the office he had used before.

There, Rashid came to welcome his second guest of the day.

It was Vice Commander Akard.

Although it was before they even sat in the reception seats.

Facing Akard at the entrance of the inner chamber, Rashid looked toward the outer chamber and expressed his doubt.

“What about His Majesty who was supposed to come, and why did you come alone?”

In his prior expectations,

since the Emperor was visiting, he was vaguely drawing a picture of the entire knighthood crowding in and seizing control of the Inquisition Bureau.

If that was the case even for Her Highness the Saintess, how much more would it be for His Majesty the Emperor? It would definitely be more, never less.

However, Akard had only brought four escort knights.

“She is here.”

Rashid’s gaze then shifted to the four escort knights who had followed him.

All four of them wore sacred robes with hoods over their coat uniforms; among them, two were female knights, and one of them wore a mask similar to a blindfold.

“She travels like this these days. Because this is safer.”

“I see. Indeed, nothing good would come from making a fuss.”

“I will wait outside.”

Leaving only one female knight,

all the remaining knights, including Akard, went out toward the outer chamber.

Taking off her hood, she naturally turned her gaze to Rashid while wearing a mask that only revealed her lower face.

Her appearance made it seem as though she was someone who could see very well.

The reason Rashid had not recognized her was partly because she wore the hood low, but there was also no denying that he had simply mistaken her for an escort knight.

And recently there was a growing trend of the Order’s knights wearing masks.

Perhaps it was an arrangement for this very purpose?

“I did not know you would travel like that. Please come and sit over here.”

The woman Rashid remembered was the red-haired, red-eyed Empress, whose black dress worn like mourning clothes was particularly striking.

Therefore, the appearance of a female knight with her face covered like now was only extremely unfamiliar.

Out of politeness, Rashid offered her the seat of honor.

However, it was she who declined.

“I will sit here.”

She gave up the seat of honor.

He could roughly guess the reason.

“There’s no harm in being careful. Understood.”

Rashid sat in the seat of honor, and she sat in a nearby seat.

Soon, the door of the inner chamber opened, and Inquisitor Aria brought tea and set it down in front of the two.

She also seemed to have vaguely guessed who the visitor was.

Now, only the two of them were left in the room.

Although she wore a unique mask that covered her eyes and only showed the lower part of her face, she seemed to have no discomfort in her movements or actions.

Even just looking at how she picked up the teacup, there wasn’t a trace of awkwardness to be found no matter how hard one looked.

“You are perfectly fine even after taking the Elixir of Blindness. Except for wearing a mask, I don’t feel much difference from before.”

Savoring only the aroma of the tea, she set down her teacup and spoke.

“Inquisitor. You are speaking formally again.”

“Out of politeness.”

She waved her hand in a long sweep and deployed a Silent Barrier across the entire room.

This completely blocked the conversation from leaking outside.

“Now you may speak comfortably. Since there will be no one but us to hear our conversation.”

Rashid narrowed his eyes as he watched her deploy the magic barrier so naturally.

‘She could pass for a mage.’

“I’ve heard the stories. I heard you are learning magic and have also grown very interested in the knights’ studies?”

Her lips, with only the lower face visible, curved slightly.

“You heard?”

“Yes, because surveillance is necessary.”

Her smile remained.

“I felt a lot after that incident. In fact, I let go of a lot of things myself. Along the way, the thought occurred to me that depending on others is not good.”

“Now, I am learning how to do things by myself without anyone’s help. Behaving like knights is also one of those reasons.”

From her perspective, having lived only with the help of others for her entire life, this would be a great leap forward.

But from the perspective of Rashid, who wanted her to remain just an Emperor possessing authority, it was not a welcome development.

Because her growth was perceived as a threat.

“Why didn’t you just live comfortably? They would worship you on their own anyway, even if you just stayed still.”

“I have abandoned that kind of life now. It is a promise I made to myself after that day, not to depend on others. Even if I return to that position, I will continue to keep this thought.”

Rashid, hiding his bitter expression, inquired casually.

“More than that, is there anything uncomfortable for you? Since I don’t see anything particularly awkward.”

“If you are asking about seeing. Yes, there is no discomfort at all.”

The world she saw, equipped with Scarlet Eyes, Deep Sight, and even Mana Eyes, was something an ordinary person could not easily comprehend.

Like a thermal imaging camera, those carrying heat were captured first, and with blue solid lines overlapping above them, the structure of space and objects was projected, and lastly, everything composed of mana was captured.

It was practically no different from a complete field of vision without any blind spots.

“Rather, I have become able to see much more than before. The newly acquired eyes allow me to see the essence of the opponent in more detail rather than simply their appearance. For me, who values essence more, there probably won’t be any better eyes than these.”

Looking at his whole body with its extraordinary mana activation level, she continued.

“I know the reason, but. You really seem like someone from another world.”

While in the knighthood, she had met knights who were said to have various talents, and had also met countless vampire nobles who came to ask after her.

She had even invited competent mages from the Magic Tower and watched them from afar.

However, there was no one who had such a marvelous mana activation level like him.

“It is truly amazing.”

“What is?”

“It’s as if you are a person made of mana. I think you are probably the only one, but are all Players like that?”

Mana activation level.

This was also a point Kane had mentioned earlier.

“Well, there is that part because I am a Player.”

In fact, it was not a big deal to Rashid.

Because most players who only pumped their mana stats high would be similar to him.

‘Though the problem is that I am the only such bastard.’

Although they exchanged light greetings,

as expected, it was not the conversation he wanted.

To end the tedious conversation, Rashid

asked her aggressively.

“I will ask straightforwardly. Is the reason you came because of Kaiser?”

“…”

A silence flowed for a while, but she did not deny it.

“Inquisitor.”

She stood up from her seat.

Then, she began to continue speaking while slowly strolling around the neat interior centered on the reception area.

“There was a promise I made with him. Although I accepted reluctantly, I was also convinced in my own way. Because I thought that would be best for everyone.”

Rashid just listened silently.

“The imperial citizens who resisted my rule, or the Guild Federation that supports us with both mind and body wishing for the empire’s victory. And even if it is just a shell, the imperial throne that will maintain its existence… and even me, who will sit in that seat.”

“I was convinced of all of it.”

She stopped walking.

“But if he disappears, I will lose my place to sit.”

“I do not fear death. Choosing the path of signing the Great Charter over being dragged to the guillotine was also entirely a mission for the survival of the imperial family. If it is to protect that mission, I am prepared to willingly throw away my life.”

Rashid could not erase his bitter expression.

Because it was all as he expected.

“I ask you. In a world without him, what am I supposed to do?”

“Are you asking me that?”

She went and sat in a seat facing him.

She sat lightly, but before long, she was displaying authority and dignity.

“Is the representative of the Golden Age Party really dead?”

“We don’t know yet. At least, I am treating it as a disappearance. And he is not a gentleman who would die so easily.”

Actually, it was safe to assume he was dead,

but since he had no idea how she might run wild if he did, he had no choice but to make an excuse that he was missing for now.

“Don’t Players know about the future? Rina was like that, and you guys are too.”

“Just because someone is a Player doesn’t mean they know the entire future. Even if they do, it’s because the future gets distorted due to things that happen in between.”

Since she knew his identity anyway,

Rashid thought there was no need to hide Zodiac’s identity from her.

Who knew if she might help him if he was lucky?

In any case, she would definitely not welcome Zodiac’s purpose either.

“Perhaps the party representative’s disappearance is related to a fellow named Zodiac.”

“Zodiac? I have never heard such a name. Who is that? A person of the Iron Blood Party? I heard that party struggles have intensified recently. There was a rumor going around that the Iron Blood Party was behind his disappearance, is that correct?”

“Kaiser’s disappearance has absolutely nothing to do with the Iron Blood Party.”

Rashid told her the story related to Zodiac.

For her, it was an entirely unfamiliar and unexpected story.

To think an out-of-spec being who crossed over from another world was trying to unleash an evil god, whom even they could not deal with, into this world.

If it had not been for the words he spoke,

she would have dismissed it as nonsense and ignored all of it.

“It is hard to believe. To think there was such a person in the world.”

“The one currently controlling the Dharma Mage Division is also that guy, and the previous demand for the Immortal Heart was all his work. Because there has to be a mana source to run the gate so that he can bring the evil god here.”

An untimely silence settled between the two.

One side seemed to have many things to think about, while the other side was in a stance of waiting quietly.

After finishing her various thoughts, she spoke with difficulty.

“I don’t know the story related to Zodiac either. It is also doubtful what I can do. But Inquisitor.”

At least this much was certain.

“I need a place to sit.”

Why did those words sound like a warning?

“Those words sound like you are saying you will fight me.”

She even shook her head and spoke resolutely.

“If I wanted to fight you, I wouldn’t have even come looking for you like this. Since it is unnecessary.”

She continued.

“I came to you like this because I thought only you could stop me. I endured for a month after he went missing. But this is the limit. I do not want to accept the fact that he is dead.”

Because she knew the path to walk forward after this would be a catastrophe,

she seemed to be holding back until the very end.

Rashid threw a light check-ball.

“Since I hold the power of authority, whatever you do, you will ultimately fail.”

“I started standing on my own so as not to depend on that power. I no longer need authority.”

“…”

“And I do not fear death. Even if I had been dragged to the guillotine that day, I would have accepted it resolutely. It’s just that I saw another path, so I chose it.”

Even if it was to stop her from running wild,

some action seemed to be necessary.

“First, I will look for Kaiser. If he is alive, he will be inside the Dharma Mage Division. It’s still too early to conclude that he is dead, so please endure a little. I will go and take a look.”

Although he spoke like that,

it was first and foremost to buy time.

Her deliberation was not long.

“Then, I will believe you.”

With her expression brightening, she stood up from her seat.

He had just thrown out those words to buy time, yet to think she believed it literally.

At any rate, from Rashid’s perspective, it was a good thing.

She moved her steps toward the outside, but soon stood next to him and spoke unexpected words.

“You were the only one who noticed that.”

Rashid turned his gaze to her.

His expression questioned what on earth she was talking about.

“That is why I decided to believe you. Because you are the only person I place value in.”

Although he wanted to ask what she meant,

she simply walked away without any explanation.

As Rashid sat down, he tilted his head.

His expression questioned what on earth she was talking about.

‘What is she talking about? The only one?’