To get straight to the point, Jun was convinced that the culprit behind the current incident was the Heavenly Church.
After all, it was that very cult that, in the future, would drive the collapsing empire into utter chaos.
Then how had the Heavenly Church gone about bringing down the empire?
A few of the missing puzzle pieces have come together.
The first of those pieces had started with Javier’s fall.
Having lost his close friends, Javier had fallen into a deep sense of loss.
Still, up to that point, things were manageable.
His friends had perished, but not to the extent that he would completely lose his mind.
However, if it was the future from the game that Jun knew, the story changed.
The execution of the traitor, Beneth.
That’s right.
In the game’s historical timeline, Javier’s mother Beneth became entangled with the Heavenly Church and was ultimately branded a traitor.
Of course, being an imperial concubine, she wouldn’t have been executed right away… but the problem was that she died a mysterious death while in exile.
And standing before his mother’s corpse, Javier saw yet another hallucination brought on by the “Despairblossom”. That was how he came to dream of revenge.
However, in the game, the effects of the Despairblossom weren’t fully explained.
In the game’s cutscene, it had simply been presented as a symbolic image.
It wasn’t until he asked Maya that Jun realized the flower had been one of the triggers that gave rise to Javier, the villain in the game.
Beneth. In the end, she was just used by the Heavenly Church and met her death at their convenience.
The knowledge he possessed, the information he had gathered from Aden—
And finally, the disguised coachman he discovered at the crash site, along with the Despairblossom—
Once all those puzzle pieces fell into place, Jun felt as if the fog that had clouded his vision had suddenly lifted.
And now.
Jun carefully chose his next words for Dexter.
“There are currently two clues we can act on.”
“Two, you say? What are they?”
“One is the origin of this flower. It can only be obtained on the fifth level of Blackout.”
“I see.”
“However, I’ve already agreed to investigate that part together with Captain Tairdin.”
“…Wait a moment. Captain Tairdin? Does the Blackguard Knights know about this incident?”
“No, they don’t. But Captain Tairdin is currently tracking down smugglers who came up to the surface from Blackout. Since they deal with various drugs and high-risk herbs, I plan to start cautiously on that front.”
Dexter’s eyes wavered at Jun’s explanation.
While they hadn’t even begun to grasp the situation, the mage before him had already figured out most of the truth and was preparing his next steps. It was hard to believe.
The desire he had just barely managed to suppress earlier began to rise again.
But there was something he needed to confirm first.
“I’m not sure how this will sound… but was there really a reason for you all to dig this deeply into the incident?”
“Yes, there was.”
“And what is it?”
“Aiden… no, because of Arsio.”
“…!”
Adrian von Wyvern Arsio.
A forsaken prince, now living under the alias Aiden.
Jun didn’t have a complete understanding of every storyline in the game.
But he did know several of the different route endings.
Among them, the most horrific bad ending began when Aiden started dreaming of becoming emperor.
When the empire began to collapse and countless citizens were persecuted.
It was then that Aiden began to dream of the throne.
But the ending was always tragic, and the path was unimaginably harsh.
Even if he did manage to become emperor in the end,
All that awaited Aiden was a devastated empire.
Even among players, there were heated debates. Whether Aiden becoming emperor was truly a happy ending or not.
Jun had leaned toward the latter.
Aiden didn’t seem suited for such a heavy burden.
“My wish is only one.”
That the Empire would stand strong.
That the imperial family would not fall.
That the world he would live in—he himself and those around him—would not suffer.
That was all he had ever wished for.
***
“So that was the case.”
Jun, the mage and leader of the White Whale Mercenary Group.
The emperor nodded at Dexter’s report after his meeting with Jun.
“You seem to be driven by ambition.”
“I couldn’t lie in front of you, Father. Yes, to be honest, I do feel a sense of desire.”
If only that mage would stand by his side.
If someone so wise and courageous were to be at his side, how reassuring would that be?
Dexter did not hide his desire.
However…
“I think I’ll set that thought aside for now.”
“And why is that?”
In response to his father’s question, Dexter gave a bitter smile.
“…I think I ought to try being a proper brother, just once in my life.”
His forsaken younger brother, Arsio.
A boy whose face he had only seen briefly as a child.
In reality, Dexter had never once paid Arsio any real attention.
Not because Dexter had a cruel nature, but simply because he had been raised by the imperial family to be that way.
Taught to show no interest, and that such a child must never appear in his generation.
But—
Lately, as the name of the White Whale Mercenary Group had become more widely known, Dexter naturally came to learn more about them… and for the first time in his life, he acknowledged his abandoned younger brother.
And for the first time, he questioned the necessity of the first emperor’s rule.
…It was a thought no imperial member who dreamed of the throne should ever entertain.
“You feel the same way?”
“……!”
At those words, Dexter instinctively looked toward his father’s veiled face.
Though it was hidden behind a thin piece of cloth, Dexter felt as if he could clearly see his father’s expression through it.
If he were to look into a mirror now, he suspected it would reflect the very same face as his father’s.
“Still, you must be cautious. Very cautious, Dexter.”
“…Are you referring to the nobles?”
“Yes. I’ve granted much for the sake of the Empire’s people, but that has in turn bred dissatisfaction among the nobles.”
Gentle-natured people often appeared like herbivores.
And a hyena never left a bothersome herbivore alone.
Even if it was an elephant, if it seemed easy, the wild would pounce.
“That aside. Thanks to that mage, we’ve been able to detect a potential threat early.”
“…What will you do?”
“I need to gather more information, but for now, I plan to wait and see. The members of the Heavenly Church aren’t the type to reveal themselves so easily.”
If provoked carelessly, they might suddenly retreat.
That’s why the Emperor felt even more intrigued by the mage named Jun.
Did he really foresee all of that and decide to act alongside the Blackguard Knights?
If they moved under the name of the Blackguard Knights, the Heavenly Church wouldn’t be able to tell for certain whether the imperial family was truly involved.
Still, it would clearly be too much of a waste for them to withdraw completely from the operations they had already undertaken.
“Our imperial family has never once been the prey, Dexter.”
“……I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”
***
When the banquet ended, the first to leave were the members of the Sun Church.
They were already pressed for time, needing every second to purify the city of Merdein, and the Emperor personally saw them off.
Next was the Altas Adventurer Party.
Their leader, Ron Kyler, said goodbye with a promise to meet again if the opportunity arose.
“Then, I’ll be waiting to hear from you once you’re ready.”
“Of course.”
Soon after, the Blackguard Knights who were pursuing the criminal also left the banquet hall, leaving only Jun and his companions, along with the Sword Soul Aden.
“Sir Aden.”
“What is it?”
“If possible, may I request a private audience with His Majesty before we depart?”
“Oh?”
Aden too had heard all about the bold stunt this mage had pulled from Dexter and the Emperor during the early morning hours.
And now, after discussing something that important, he wanted a one-on-one audience?
If nothing else, his heart must be forged from steel.
Naturally, Aden nodded.
“I’ll report to His Majesty right away.”
“Thank you.”
Although his position in line had been pushed back due to the presence of Prince Javier… there was still an issue that had to be resolved.
It was the business rights related to mana fluid.
***
At Aden’s words, the Emperor looked at the mage with genuine interest.
Looking back, there weren’t many outside the imperial family who had spoken with him this frequently in such a short time.
“Very well. What business do you have with us?”
“Your Majesty. In truth, when my mercenary group and I went missing, we had fallen into an unknown fifth level.”
“Hmm. I’ve heard a bit about that. It was said to be the ruins of an alchemists’ city, correct?”
“That is correct, Your Majesty. May I show you something we recovered from there?”
“Alright.”
Since even using subspace artifacts required caution before the Emperor, Jun waited for permission before opening his dimensional bracelet and taking out the mana fluid.
“I can sense a deep magical essence.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“It’s on par with high-grade magic stones… but it’s liquid?”
“This is a substance my comrades and I discovered, together with Marshar, the disciple of the Enchantment King Shylock. We’ve named it ‘mana fluid’.”
“Oh? To think mana of this level could be liquefied… intriguing. But what of it?”
Even with all the affairs demanding his attention, the Emperor couldn’t immediately grasp the full potential of this mana fluid.
In response to his question, Jun wet his lips and began explaining in detail.
The complexity of manufacturing mana fluid.
Its far easier handling and maintenance compared to magic stones or crystalized mana.
And lastly, the potential dangers it carried.
“I see.”
Only then did the Emperor understand why this clever mage had chosen to bring the substance directly to him.
“You wish to commercialize it.”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“Hoo…”
This was a difficult issue.
Had Jun asked to access the IMPERIAL treasury, the Emperor might have agreed without hesitation…
But this…. this is far too dangerous.
The Emperor fully grasped the value of the substance the mage was holding.
Most of all, as someone who cared deeply about the lives of his people, he could hardly imagine how many would benefit from such a useful resource if it were released into the world.
Even now, there are regions where technological development is stunted due to a lack of mana supply.
If this mana fluid were distributed, it could help alleviate the severe disparities between rich and poor regions.
To be honest—
I want it.
But it was just too dangerous.
Moreover, a way to handle that substance safely would have to be found.
“I’ve heard that King Shylock and his disciple are affiliated with the Gillen Merchant Guild. Are you planning to enlist their help?”
“That is correct.”
“Shylock… that man is truly something…”
The Emperor had personally granted Shylock the title of “King” and they had maintained a fairly close relationship ever since.
In fact, when he heard that Shylock was still alive, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
If it were up to him, he would’ve invited Shylock to serve as a court mage directly…
But Shylock himself had no interest in that.
He had expressed a desire to live out the rest of his life quietly, in peace.
Even so, he must be itching to get involved.
Just imagine what kind of incredible artifact he could create with that mana fluid and how much it could benefit the lives of ordinary people.
Honestly, the moment that substance appeared in the world, the Emperor realized his name would go down in history.
“It is undoubtedly dangerous but equally valuable. Still, I cannot give you a definitive answer just yet. First, I will have to speak directly with the Gillen Merchant Guild.”
“…Your Majesty, I am deeply honored!”
That alone was enough.
He had caught the greed in the Emperor’s voice with perfect clarity.
Now, everything depended on how well the Gillen Merchant Guild, Shylock, and his disciple Marshar, could navigate the obstacles before them.
And Jun had faith in them.
Each of them was at the peak of their respective fields.
If the mana fluid is commercialized according to plan…
He would never have to worry about money again.
“Also—”
“……?”
“Even putting aside the work you did during the Blackout incident, there is still another matter to consider.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Javier. And the merit of being the first to detect the shadow cast over our Imperial Family.”
“……”
That part…. he hadn’t expected.
No. It would be more accurate to say that he had been hoping for it, but couldn’t bring himself to voice it.
With the life of the Third Prince at stake, Jun wasn’t so tactless as to openly ask for a reward.
His plan had been to wait until the matter was resolved, then cautiously bring it up with Aden…
“But still, this matter was resolved by you and by you alone, for all intents and purposes. So tell me…. what is it that you desire?”
“I…”
An unexpected opportunity appeared.
But in Jun’s mind, he was already running through the many types of rewards he could request from the Imperial Family.
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