novelraw Chapter 55 : The Emperor and the Elf (3)
Chapter 55 : The Emperor and the Elf (3)
Chapter 55: The Emperor and the Elf (3)
“Huff—! Huff—!”
Leon breathed heavily. His labored breaths revealed his exhaustion.
From noon until evening, Leon had sparred continuously with the palace soldiers without a single moment’s rest. As expected of imperial soldiers—every one of them on the training ground displayed an extraordinary level of skill.
Thus, Leon felt a deep fatigue.
He was someone whose physical prowess could even leave knights speechless. There was no way he would tire from fighting all day.
But this time was different.
‘I fought using only swordsmanship.’
Compared to his body, Leon’s level of mastery was still meager. So he had deliberately focused on technique rather than strength.
A robust body was only one part of strength. To become a true powerhouse, one had to hone one’s skill.
Leon had used the imperial soldiers as stepping stones for his growth.
The fatigue was considerable, but fighting purely with skill made him feel as though his swordsmanship had improved.
He didn’t need a sudden spark of inspiration—it was enough to know that he was growing.
‘From now on, I should minimize the use of my physical strength outside of real combat.’
What he needed was technique. Until now, he had survived by luck, but who knew what the future would bring? He had to raise his level as quickly as possible.
“Phew…”
After steadying his breath, Leon sat cross-legged. Recently, he had gained a strange kind of insight.
When he closed his eyes and observed the flow within his body, he could vaguely see something.
He couldn’t make out its shape—only that something faintly existed before him.
‘I’ve heard that peerless masters each build their own mental image. Could what I’m seeing be a fragment of mine?’
It was an absurd thought. Leon wasn’t anywhere near a peerless master—barely considered a skilled one, if that.
He lacked the realm necessary to construct a personal mental world. Even Garan likely hadn’t completed his own.
In the martial world, one could only truly understand the “Mental Image” upon reaching the level of the Transformation Stage.
For someone like him, who had only just begun to wield Sword Qi, such a realm was far beyond reach.
‘Now I suddenly wonder—what kind of world do those in the Transformation Stage see?’
Surely, their world was different from his. Could they feel every breath of every person around them?
Could they even sense the energy a thousand li away?
His heart fluttered like a child receiving a gift. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the fallen soldiers. Not a sound of breath could be heard from them, as if they were dead.
It was understandable—even he, a warrior, was on the verge of collapsing. Those with weaker bodies would never have endured it.
Leon slowly rose to his feet. It was late. Time to rest.
That was when—
“His Majesty the Emperor has a message for you.”
Amon spoke, standing right beside him. His expression was emotionless, yet there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
“Tomorrow, you will depart for Aurel with the Elf delegation. It is an assignment given to the Black Dragon. Garan has accepted it, so no objections will be allowed.”
His tone was close to an order. Had he not mentioned Garan, Leon might have frowned.
‘Wait—the Elf delegation’s already arrived at the palace?’
He hadn’t heard a word about it.
‘They must have entered discreetly because of Ira.’
It seemed they, too, were preparing for the worst, just as he was.
‘The Elves wouldn’t know the situation in the capital, so did the Emperor tell them himself? But he was supposed to hate the Elves… is there another reason behind this?’
Regardless, Leon nodded. It was a mission assigned to the Black Dragon. A different one from the task given to him personally. There was no reason to refuse.
‘The request to kill the World Tree has already been put on hold anyway.’
Leon nodded again. He didn’t know the details, but since Garan had accepted, he, as a member, had no choice but to comply.
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“…Did you face the soldiers alone?”
Just as he was about to leave, Amon asked. There was a faint anticipation in his gaze, though Leon couldn’t guess what kind of answer he wanted.
Leon clicked his tongue inwardly and replied, “Yes. Is there a problem?”
He had pushed the imperial soldiers to the point of unconsciousness. Amon surely had a few things to say about that. But Leon had his excuse ready.
‘They were the ones who picked a fight first.’
A trivial matter. Someone of Amon’s position—likely a palace aide—wouldn’t bother pursuing it.
Soon Amon spoke again.
“It’s nothing. It’s just… different from what I expected, that’s all. Please, don’t mind it.”
Amon bowed slightly, adding, “I hope you have a restful night.”
Leon watched Amon walk away with a strange expression.
‘What an odd man.’
He had assumed Amon was a knight, yet the air around him was different.
‘His presence is faint, and his emotions are hard to read. He feels more like a trained assassin than a knight.’
That was a hallmark of professional killers—something Leon had only ever heard about in his past life.
‘Could he be an assassin raised by the Emperor himself?’
Leon shook his head.
‘Lately, I’ve been overthinking too much.’
Whoever Amon was, it had nothing to do with him.
Leon shook off his thoughts and returned to his room.
The next day.
The Black Dragon joined the Elf delegation. Among the group of Elves were several humans. It should have been an odd sight, but the Elves didn’t seem bothered at all.
‘It seems they’ve already discussed this beforehand.’
Garan’s calm expression confirmed it. He must have already spoken with the Elf envoys.
“You’ve arrived.”
An Elf approached Garan. The familiar voice—it was Elbin.
“I offer my gratitude for your aid. Thanks to you, the royal family will safely return to Aurel.”
Elbin spoke politely, completely different from the last time Leon had seen her. For a moment, he almost mistook her for someone else.
She had been imprisoned in the palace dungeon, yet now she seemed to have learned courtly manners.
Garan and Elbin spoke for a long while—mostly about their itinerary. The recent rampage of Demon Beasts came up. The delegation had encountered many on their way here.
It explained their late arrival at the palace.
“Since everyone has gathered, let us depart.”
That was when Amon appeared. Perhaps to see them off.
‘He didn’t seem like the warm, caring type, though.’
Indeed, he was a peculiar man.
As Amon said, the delegation soon departed.
The Elves’ faces were stiff with tension. It was natural—the road ahead swarmed with Demon Beasts. Not as deadly as true monsters, but still dangerous enough that frequent battles were inevitable. It wouldn’t be an easy journey.
“Hey, Leon.”
Not long after they set out, Ryan called out to him.
“Don’t you think something’s off?”
His face was grave, as though he had sensed an impending danger.
Leon didn’t respond. Ryan was the excitable type — always overreacting to trivial things. Whatever it was this time, it probably wasn’t worth hearing. If he ignored him long enough, he’d calm down on his own.
“Don’t ignore me. Just listen.”
Ryan pressed again, his face tense with unease.
At that point, Leon’s curiosity was piqued. What could possibly be so strange that Ryan was acting like this?
Leon gave him an unimpressed look.
“Speak.”
“Why is the Black Dragon joining this journey?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Isn’t it strange? The Elf delegation already has plenty of top-tier warriors. Can’t you feel it? My skin’s practically crawling.”
Leon had to admit — Ryan was right. The Elf delegation was filled with people so powerful it was hard not to be impressed.
They were escorting royal blood, after all. It was only natural that powerful escorts were assigned.
That was exactly why Ryan found it odd.
“Isn’t this group enough to protect Lahan and Lenel? I don’t see why the Black Dragon needs to be here too…”
Leon thought about it. Ryan’s suspicion made sense. He himself had questioned the same thing earlier.
‘Come to think of it, there are quite a few things that don’t add up.’
Leon turned his gaze to the carriage beside him.
The Elf delegation was traveling around a single carriage — the one carrying Lahan and Lenel.
They were High Elves, yes, but also children. There was no way they could keep pace with adults on foot. Using a carriage made far more sense.
That, however, made it all the stranger.
The Lahan he knew wasn’t the quiet type. He was the kind to at least peek out and shout words of encouragement.
‘Lenel being silent is one thing, but Lahan being quiet? That’s impossible.’
More than that — Amon was still traveling with them. He was someone who should have been by the Emperor’s side, not escorting the Elves. He wouldn’t have come this far just to see them off.
“Don’t tell me…”
Leon sharpened his senses, hoping his suspicion was wrong. Using his perception, he read the presence within the carriage.
The next moment, his face twisted in disbelief.
There were three presences inside the carriage — not two. Someone besides Lahan and Lenel was in there. And Leon could guess who it was.
‘So that’s why the imperial aide wasn’t at the Emperor’s side…’
A member of the imperial family was inside the same carriage carrying Aurel’s royalty.
Rumble, rumble.
“My back aches. Had we used the imperial carriage, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“……”
Lahan couldn’t say a word in response to the woman’s complaint. There was no way he could — the woman before him was the Emperor of the Empire.
Irena’s face was filled with irritation. She looked uncomfortable, clearly displeased with the carriage.
“Your Majesty.”
That was when Lenel spoke, her face tense.
“Why are you here?”
“Hey, Lenel—”
Lahan’s words were cut off when Irena raised her hand, silencing him.
“It’s not a difficult question to answer. Since you’re curious, I’ll tell you.”
Irena’s eyes curved like a crescent moon. Her smile was enchanting.
“The reason I’m here is because I have something to demand from the King of Aurel.”
“From my father?”
Lenel tilted her head. Then, as realization dawned, she let out a small sigh. She had guessed what the Emperor wanted.
“The destruction of the World Tree, Yggdrasil?”
“How clever. It is a wish passed down since the days of my ancestors. Worth moving personally to see it done.”
“……”
Lenel didn’t know the details of adult affairs, but she could tell one thing — this was reckless.
The position of Emperor was a heavy one. Even a child like Lenel understood that.
Who could say what might happen to the Empire in her absence?
What’s more, the Emperor hadn’t brought a single guard.
It meant she could end up wandering the streets like they once had.
‘And since Her Majesty is so beautiful, something terrible could happen to her…’
Worry filled Lenel’s eyes — the pure concern of a child.
At her reaction, Irena laughed softly.
“Heh. Are you worried for me? How curious. It’s been quite some time since someone worried about me sincerely.”
“I… I’m sorry if I was rude.”
Lenel bowed her head deeply. The Emperor was a frightening adult — yet also someone who had helped them. It was only right to apologize if she had offended her.
“It’s fine. It was refreshing. I didn’t dislike it.”
At the warm reply, Lenel thought,
‘She’s radiant.’
That confident smile. The straight posture. The cold, composed grace.
Every gesture brimmed with life.
‘How can a person shine like that?’
In Lenel’s eyes, she could see it — faint cracks across Irena’s body. As if gold had been hidden within her, light seeped through those cracks.
Like a flower bud that had yet to bloom.
She had never seen anyone shine so brightly.
Lenel clasped her hands together and prayed silently. May the Emperor’s flower bloom safely.