It was early the next morning when Ivan headed to the Imperial Palace after receiving word from Dietrich.
"What on earth is this bullshit talk...!"
Ivan's face was full of annoyance as he headed toward the audience chamber.
For Ivan, it was a perfectly understandable annoyance. He had come up with such a good idea and even helped set the stage, and yet they couldn't even steal a single Presepe?
If he had stayed guarding the Magic Tower and heard the news quickly, he would have been the first to act. He would have chased after her relentlessly, snatched Presepe from Fenrir, and brought her back.
Unfortunately, however, Ivan left the magic tower last night.
The place he headed after leaving the Imperial Palace was his own villa. The one furthest from the capital.
The reason Ivan, who had even forgotten that he had bought a villa, personally visited the place was simple.
Because if Presepe returns to the Imperial Palace, he has to bring her away. To somewhere other than the Imperial Palace.
In fact, Ivan's villa was the perfect place to hide someone.
No one lived nearby, and since he didn't even employ any servants, almost no one knew that the owner of that villa was Ivan.
Furthermore, if magic were cast throughout the villa just in case, it would be safe to say that there was almost no chance of Presepe escaping.
However, Ivan's happy dream came to nothing but a bubble before even a day had passed.
Because of that damn Fenrir.
'You idiot...'
The person Ivan was directing his insults at was not Fenrir, but Dietrich.
In this situation, the only person who could somehow suppress Fenrir with power was the Emperor Dietrich, and it was obvious without saying how incompetent he must have looked in Ivan's eyes for not even being able to properly do something so easy.
'Considering you’ve been cooped up in bed day after day, you spit it all out even when I feed you myself?'
Anyway, Dietrich was an incredibly weak-willed man. That must be why, even after sitting on the throne, he couldn't even get his hands on a single Presepe and is acting like an idiot.
Ivan, who had been incessantly cursing inwardly, slowly came to a close.
"..."
The guard knight standing in front of the audience chamber scanned Ivan with an expressionless face.
What's wrong with that bastard? How dare he look at me with eyes like that?
"That's unexpected. To think you walked over here of your own accord."
"What?"
"I was worried. You are an Archmage, after all; I wondered how many troops I would have to send if you acted up."
"What kind of bullshit is this?"
Ivan frowned, and the guard, who had been wearing a nonchalant expression, pressed his lips together in a loud voice.
"Your Majesty, Archmage Ivan has arrived."
“Let him in.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Dietrich's voice, settling in with an inexplicably ominous tone, was heard. Soon, the doors of the massive audience chamber were thrown open, and Ivan slowly stepped inside.
Then, he quickly began to speak.
"Your Majesty, I have heard the news. However, it is not too late, so please send the troops as soon as possible."
"..."
"All we have to do is go and bring Lady Presepe back. Or shall I go myself?"
Well, just like last time, an attack wouldn't work, but with so many eyes watching, Fenrir wouldn't be able to act recklessly either. Besides, the foolish Emperor was likely just employing equally foolish people anyway, so it felt more comfortable to step forward personally rather than entrust such a crucial task to such humans.
However, Dietrich did not answer.
"Your Majesty?"
"..."
"Your Majesty, please say something..."
"Why?"
"Yes?"
"Because Presepe must return to the Imperial Palace so that you can keep her by your side?"
Ivan's face hardened at Dietrich's completely unexpected words.
"So, what exactly are you so good at?"
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
“That’s what I said.”
Dietrich continued speaking with a cold expression.
"If what Grand Duke Fenrir is doing for Presepe includes more than just protection, then you could do it too."
"..."
"You're good at it. Whatever it is."
It was only then that Ivan realized that Dietrich knew about the conversation he had with Presepe that day.
But how?
As if he had foreseen that bewilderment, Dietrich threw something at Ivan's face.
It was a broken piece of video stone.
"..."
Tap tap.
Red blood flowed down from Ivan's cheek, which had been cut by the excommunication.
Ivan, finally realizing the situation, took a short breath and looked up at Dietrich.
"It looks like the Emperor changed without me knowing while I was in the hospital?"
Coldness dripped from Dietrich's voice as it echoed through the vast audience chamber.
"Otherwise, how could you have gone around acting like an Emperor?"
"Grand Duke Fenrir said that an urgent message had arrived from the Imperial House."
He thought he understood what Dietrich meant by being an Emperor.
"Did the Archmage do this by any chance? I heard that the Knights and the Magic Tower are investigating that murder case together. Since Duke Noah DeVern's death is said to be connected to dark magic, your authority cannot be disregarded. Also, I heard that the Grand Duke is taking his place because His Majesty is not feeling well."
...Damn it.
Ivan bit his lip hard.
"Buzzing on with nonsense, beguiling and shaking Presepe."
"Your Majesty, I...!"
"You came to me and brought up Grand Duke Fenrir, intending to send him into battle and steal Presepe away?"
“You misunderstand.”
Ivan mumbled in an extremely urgent voice.
"And Your Majesty, aren't you also aware that, although he escorted her out under the pretext of protection, Grand Duke Fenrir acts strangely excessively when it comes to matters concerning Lady Presepe!"
Dietrich did not answer.
"So, do you believe Grand Duke Henrik's words instead of mine? Even though the Grand Duke eventually escorted Lady Presepe to the Forbidden Forest..."
"I never said I believed."
"..."
"But even so, that doesn't mean there is any reason to trust you."
"Your Majesty, please speak just a little—"
"Take the Archmage out."
He intended to come up with an excuse, but before he could properly open his mouth, a knight escort and several soldiers burst in. They seized the resisting Ivan and forced him to his knees.
"Cut off his arms so he cannot play foolish tricks, and imprison him in the church prison."
What?
Ivan's eyes trembled violently.
"However, since Lady Presepe and the Grand Duke have left the capital, if anything happens, isn't there no one else to entrust the Imperial Palace to but me!"
Well, Ivan wasn't entirely wrong. Of course, soldiers were remaining, but the difference between having the Archmage Ivan and not having him was significant.
But Dietrich still looked down at Ivan with a cold gaze, without changing his expression even a little, as if staring at a bug.
"If that is truly Your Majesty's will, I have no choice but to imprison him, but the arms...!"
"There is some truth to what you say."
Dietrich slowly rose from the throne and approached and stood in front of the kneeling Ivan.
Then, he drew the sword attached to the guard knight's waist.
"Your Majesty, I will drag him out immediately. Please hold your ground."
Are you trying to kill him here?
However, contrary to the guard's expectations, Dietrich threw his sword in front of Ivan.
“Pick it up.”
"What kind of scheme is this now?"
Ivan looked at Dietrich with wavering eyes, but he could not read a single word of his true intentions.
Finally, Ivan reached out his left hand and grabbed the handle of the sword Dietrich had thrown.
"You are left-handed."
"Yes...?"
"Whether monsters invade or enemy troops attack, all I need is your left hand."
Dietrich continued speaking, looking down on Ivan.
"Cut off Ivan's right arm and lock him up."
If things had come to this, it was do-or-die. Gritting his teeth, Ivan reached out to cast a spell, but it came to nothing.
As if anticipating such resistance, it was because of the church priests Dietrich had summoned in advance.
The priests who rushed in quickly grabbed Ivan's limbs without restraint. Then they bound his limbs with chains that were immune to magic and had been graced by the Archbishop himself.
“Take him out.”
"Yes."
Ivan tried to cause a ruckus by screaming with all his might, but it had no effect.
In the end, all he could do was glare at Dietrich's retreating figure with bloodshot eyes.
Ivan's idea was half right and half wrong.
Dietrich was a weak-willed Emperor.
However, that weakness was limited only to Presepe.
Unfortunately for Ivan, that was the case.
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