"As you can see, I've decided to die."
"…"
The Emperor was momentarily speechless.
"Have you confused the Audience Room with a grave?"
The mere fact that an outsider could enter the Emperor's Audience Room
freely was shocking, but to have someone lie down and ask to be killed—
this was a first.
"If you truly wished to die, you could have done so in a secluded place.
Why come all the way to here?"
"I thought the Emperor was eager to see me dead, so I've come personally
to avoid inconveniencing you. Just finish it in one go."
Jaekiel continued speaking calmly while lying down.
"You conveniently left out the First Princess's involvement and only
informed me that I could neutralize the Sun Water. Isn't this basically
telling me to die?"
"Hmm…"
The Emperor cleared his throat.
In fact, Jaekiel was right in every detail.
The Emperor had indeed planned to use Jaekiel to prevent any 'deal' from
happening.
"Jaekiel, it seems there's a misunderstanding."
"Yes. I'll misunderstand."
"…"
The Emperor swirled the holy grail in silence for a moment.
"Alright. I apologize for the lack of information."
"Understood."
Jaekiel finally opened his eyes.
"I trust it's not just a verbal apology."
"…"
The Emperor stared at the still-lying Jaekiel.
'He's come here fully prepared.'
It was shocking, but also understandable.
Until now, Jaekiel had simply carried out missions, but now he had begun
to expect rewards for his efforts. He had learned the taste of compensation.
"Jaekiel, it seems you want something?"
"Yes."
"Unfortunately, I have nothing more to give. How about stepping away
from this matter?"
"Oh, is that so?"
Jaekiel nodded readily and stood up.
The Emperor was somewhat baffled by Jaekiel's lack of hesitation in
agreeing.
'What's going on?'
Should I have at least asked what he wanted?
As the Emperor was pondering this, Jaekiel asked a question.
"I heard the Literary Office moved recently. Where is it now?"
"Why the Literary Office? Do you have business there?"
"Yes. I plan to write and leave my will there."
"…"
The Emperor doubted his own ears.
In other words, Jaekiel hadn't accepted his proposal. His intentions were
clear.
"What do you plan to write in this will?"
"I'm thinking of writing that I've decided to commit suicide because of the
Emperor. I'll send a copy to each of the princesses. After all, I've proposed
to them—what's a will in comparison?"
"Calm down."
Thud!
The Emperor used his telekinesis to slam the stone door of the Audience
Room, but Jaekiel remained indifferent.
"I was hoping for more good deals in the future, but it seems you're only
concerned with exploiting me for free because you don't want to waste the
Sun Water. It's quite disappointing."
Questioning the Emperor like this?
In the past, such a thing would have been unthinkable.
But now, the situation had changed.
A significant difference had emerged.
The fact that Jaekiel was essential for the peace of this continent and the
Emperor's grand plans—and that Jaekiel himself had come to realize this—
was the crucial difference.
"Jaekiel, why don't you sit down, and we can talk?"
"I don't really feel like it."
"Come on, just sit for a moment."
With a few waves of the Emperor's mystical power, a table and chairs rose
from the ground. There was even a fragrant cup of tea already prepared.
"Let's talk over a cup of apple wine first."
"I'm not in the mood for apple wine. I'd prefer an elixir."
"…?"
The Emperor doubted his own ears.
Jaekiel had recently been exposed to Sun Water, which was indeed far
superior to an elixir. But that didn't make an elixir any less valuable.
Could he really make such a demand so casually?
"Did I hear you correctly just now?"
"I want an elixir."
"Well… sigh. Fine."
The Emperor placed a few elixirs on the table as he spoke.
"Jaekiel, tell me. What exactly is it that you want?"
"I've written it down."
"…Written it down?"
He actually prepared a written list?
Jaekiel unrolled a scroll onto the table, and the Emperor couldn't help but
frown. The sheer volume of its contents was overwhelming.
'Why is there so much?'
Gold coins, elixirs, sacred relics, clothing, supplies… The variety and
quantity were staggering. It was almost impressive how he had calculated
all these rewards.
"I don't understand. What is all this?"
"I know I can't get compensation for all my past hardships, but I think I
deserve at least some reward. It feels unfair to have endured everything
without it."
"You…"
The Emperor couldn't find the words and instead thought to himself.
'How did he come to think like this?'
Jaekiel had once seemed like nothing more than a puppet, but now he was
asserting himself, seeking his own interests and happiness. It was a
shocking transformation.
It wasn't entirely a bad thing. After all, if this was the man who would live
with his daughter, it would be better if he knew how to take care of others
while looking out for his own interests.
'His mindset and level of growth… they're changing day by day.'
The Emperor, thinking this, glanced at the scroll once more.
"The amount you're asking for is… immense."
"Just tell me if it's possible or not."
"I'll compensate you for your past achievements if that's what you want.
But I can't give you everything listed on that scroll. It'll need to be
reassessed."
"Then reassess it now. How much are you willing to give?"
How much?
The Emperor already knew the answer.
In the countless secret missions across the continent and even in the Demon
Realm, Jaekiel had rarely been absent—and even more rarely had he failed.
Therefore…
In fact…
'The amount is beyond comprehension.'
Even if he started calculating, the final figure would undoubtedly surpass
the standards of any continent.
That's how valuable a weapon Jaekiel was.
The issue was that Jaekiel's potential contributions in the future were
boundless. There was no way the Emperor could dismiss him as useless
now.
'I can't exactly refuse him… hmm… '
The Emperor toyed with the apple's surface.
"Jaekiel, do you absolutely need this?"
"Yes."
"Why, all of a sudden, now?"
"Is that really something I should be hearing from you?"
"Hmm."
…How did this guy get so sharp when he wasn't looking?
Still, the Emperor wasn't entirely displeased.
'He's wised up. Judging by what he's asking for, much of it seems to be for
the princesses. He's not just thinking of himself… '
It meant that he was working to meet the five conditions for marriage and
was also being considerate of the princesses.
'…Perhaps he really could become a candidate for a son-in-law.'
It was when the Emperor was thinking this…
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to hear your answer."
"Hmm."
The Emperor swirled the holy grail once again.
"Jaekiel, I know well that you are exceptional."
"Yes."
"But there are quite a few things that need to be considered."
The Emperor took a bite of the apple before continuing.
"First, don't forget that your very life is thanks to the Imperial family. Do
you remember your days in the Penitence Palace? You'd be dead if it
weren't for me."
"Hmm."
"And another thing: we agreed on all of this as part of a mission in the past.
It's not quite right for you to demand compensation now."
"So what's the conclusion?"
"It's an unreasonable request, but I'll show goodwill and grant you certain
things. But from now on, don't ask for payment for past deeds."
At the same time, the Emperor used his mystical power.
Thud!
A chest full of gold coins fell from the air.
"I'll start by giving you one hundred thousand gold coins. With this
amount, you'll never have to worry about money again for the rest of your
life."
"…One hundred thousand?"
"Yes. The amount is precise, without any shortage."
"Wow, one hundred thousand."
"It's an overwhelming amount. It's only natural to be surprised."
As Jaekiel chuckled, the Emperor smiled as well.
'It seems he was also hoping for the Sun Water.'
Even though he was willing to give a significant amount of gold, the
Emperor had no intention of giving up the Sun Water easily. It was far too
precious, even for him.
Besides, compensation for Jaekiel had to be dealt with sooner or later. If
one hundred thousand gold coins could settle the matter, wouldn't that be
beneficial?
Later on, if the subject came up again, the Emperor could easily dismiss it
by saying, "Didn't we settle it with one hundred thousand coins back then?"
Maybe he should even write up a contract for it.
Just as the Emperor was thinking that…
"I'll be heading to the Literary Office."
"…?"
"Well, then, I'll take my leave."
"Jaekiel, what does that mean?"
Wasn't he satisfied? Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?
Jaekiel shot a sharp glare at the Emperor.
"You offered one hundred thousand gold coins."
"Yes, that's right. If you want, I could add a little more…"
"…A little more?"
Jaekiel scoffed in disbelief.
"Forget it! I won't do it! I'm not living like this!"
Jaekiel grabbed five Sun Grass leaves and chewed them all at once, then
stormed out of the Audience Room.
"…Honestly, always trying to use me. I'd rather just die."
It had been a long time since the Emperor had felt this flustered.
"Alright. Alright, let's recalculate…!"
The Emperor had no choice but to realize…
…He couldn't afford to be stingy with the Sun Water.