---

“Ugh…”

Selian rarely showed a flustered expression. Of course, it wasn’t an extraordinary promise worthy of being documented; it was merely a verbal agreement exchanged during casual conversation. Even if she denied remembering it, no one could prove it was a binding promise.

However, Selian was not the type to pretend she didn’t know and brush it off. In fact, having been raised with expectations of becoming a hero from a young age, she faced challenges head-on, more determined with each encounter.

But her opponent was formidable—far from just any figure; he was the Empire’s one and only Emperor. He was not someone to be trifled with lightly.

Of course, if push came to shove, she could cast aside her values. What mattered most to her was Elysia, and her alone.

Yet, the image that Elysia admired was that of a confident and poised Selian. Thus, she wanted to remain that version of herself, even if it meant hiding behind a facade. She didn’t want to disappoint Elysia.

In the meantime, the Emperor’s relaxed smile was irritating. It was even more bothering that she hadn’t been the one to initiate the stakes of their wager.

“What should I propose? I never imagined I would have such a strong desire for something in my lifetime.”

Greed. The treasures and wealth piled high in the Empire’s treasury would never run dry.

Power. To the Emperor, who looked down on the world, the concept of power was laughable.

Fortunately, the Emperor had a tendency to take an interest in things that piqued his curiosity, but sadly, that interest was currently solely directed at Elysia. Anything else she offered would be utterly dismissed.

Yet, simply yielding to what the Emperor desired was unacceptable after all the time she’d spent building her reputation. She couldn’t just sit back and let him take advantage of her.

What to do? Selian’s mind was racing more than ever. The last time she thought this hard was probably the first time she snuck into Elysia’s bed and worried about what excuse to make if caught. She was already simulating various scenarios in her head.

Could she persuade him with words? Regrettably, although Selian had no apparent flaws in her speech, she couldn’t hope to compete against the Emperor’s eloquence and charisma. The longer their conversation stretched, the more she would become ensnared by the agreement.

That being said, she couldn’t just disregard him out of power either. Selian was a noble of high standing as a Marquis, but that only placed her among many other families loyal to the Emperor.

What about the vast wealth her house had amassed? But that idea was equally ludicrous. As mentioned before, no matter how great the treasures of House Deretia were, they paled in comparison to the Empire’s treasury, amounting to nothing more than a handful of dust.

Was there anything she could leverage against the Emperor? As he patiently waited for Selian’s response with a smile, she finally resolved to find an answer after deep consideration.

There existed at least one advantage she could claim over the Emperor, and it was absolute. However, whether that answer would be right or wrong was something Selian couldn’t determine.

After contemplating for a while, Selian, upon seeing the Emperor smiling at her, frowned and made her decision. Whether it was correct or incorrect didn’t matter. What mattered now was erasing that insincere grin from the face of the woman in front of her.

“Your Majesty…?”

“Yes, speak up.”

Finally, when Selian opened her mouth, the Emperor responded as if he had been waiting for her to do so. He anticipated a satisfactory answer from her, feeling eager for her response.

If someone of Selian’s caliber had to ponder for this long, surely she would deliver an answer worth waiting for.

Though not as much as Elysia, Selian had always managed to exceed expectations, so he was excited.

“How about I show you what it means for half the Empire to fall apart?”

However, the words that came out of Selian’s mouth exceeded the Emperor’s expectations, resulting in utter bewilderment.

“Although this incident took the form of a rebellion, it was merely a ploy by the demonic race; it cannot be seen as an outright rebellion.”

Selian pondered. What did she have that was better than the Emperor? There was only one thing. While other skills might be similar to the Emperor’s, one aspect she was confident in.

Her personal combat power.

Having once operated as a hero with unparalleled talent, accumulating experience through repeated lives, her meticulously honed body had no deficiencies in expressing her prowess.

Though many viewed Selian as a rising star among the continent’s warriors, her actual strength surpassed that of any other Sword Master.

“Oh…?”

“If you wish, I can show you what a real rebellion looks like.”

Of course, no matter how mighty Selian’s power was, it would be useless alone. No matter how weak the woman in front of her appeared, she was backed by the Empire’s military, knight orders, magic battalions, and even Sword Masters and Great Wizards.

However, Selian didn’t feel helpless either. She wasn’t alone.

If the Emperor were to make an unreasonable demand, her other friends, who had deep ties with her, would undoubtedly support her. And each of those friends was not to be underestimated. Each one was as formidable as an army on their own.

With everyone’s strength combined, while she couldn’t confidently claim to split the Empire in half, she could at least guarantee its division.

Of course, in these critical times opposing the demonic race, one might be deemed a traitor to humanity, but what did it matter? For Elysia, she would turn the entire continent into enemies if necessary.

And Elysia… would surely try to mediate in the middle, but for now, that was fine. She was still in a position more favorable to herself than the Emperor.

In truth, Selian had never really considered whether this plan was feasible. The words she threw out were more impulsive than a calculated decision.

To dare to speak of plotting rebellion in front of the Emperor! Even if she didn’t mean it, she could easily end up beheaded for treason, yet her voice carried a sincere resolve to see it through.

“Cough!”

Indeed, had the Emperor not expected Selian’s words, he looked at her with wide eyes before bursting into a fit of coughs. After a few more coughing fits, the Emperor finally managed to speak.

“Cough-cough! Heh… Hah! As expected. That’s the way to go. I think I need to reevaluate my opinion of you. You’re the best! More than Elysia, you bring me greater joy!”

Fortunately, the Emperor’s expressed emotion was not one of anger. No, instead he laughed joyfully, and Selian felt a twinge of emotion but managed to calm herself down slowly.

In any case, the Emperor’s behavior just now indicated that there was no longer any reason for two people to confront each other in this place. He had no intention of greedily working against Selian or harboring any hostile feelings.

There was no need to worry about the Emperor harboring ill intent later on. His personality was surprisingly straightforward, and he wasn’t the type to bring up matters he’d already let go of.

At last, they sat at the negotiating table on equal footing.

Though the process had been rather rough, there was a willingness to move on from it as a mere happening.

“Heh… good. I know how deep your feelings for Elysia are, so there’s no need for you to provoke me. I won’t make unreasonable demands either.”

With the Emperor’s declaration, Selian could loosen her previously tense demeanor a bit.

“Hmm… That said, I can’t just yield everything either. That would make our wager pointless…”

Ultimately, the conversation circled back to square one. Yet, one difference this time was that the previously tense atmosphere in the room had slightly eased.

“Alright. That works.”

As silence fell in the room, Selian pondered for a moment before the Emperor suddenly called out with a sly expression as if he’d just remembered something.

“Selian, do you remember what I mentioned before?”

“…?”

At the Emperor’s sudden question, Selian contemplated what he was referring to, but couldn’t recall anything that fit. If it were something Elysia said, she would remember each word and even the tone of voice perfectly.

“I mentioned regarding you and Elysia being friends. Though I know you don’t agree with that.”

She thought she might have indeed said something like that. However, as the Emperor stated, Selian certainly didn’t view it that way. But why was he bringing it up now?

“I’d like to make you a proposal. How about genuinely becoming ‘friends’ with me? I assure you, it won’t be a loss for you. Even if it’s not something you can boast about, being friends with the Emperor will surely bring you unseen benefits.”

The Emperor rambled on, but Selian had already caught on to his true intentions hidden within his words. Of course, the Emperor had no intention of hiding it either.

“I have already proposed ‘friendship’ to Elysia. Even if you refuse, it can still serve a purpose. But wouldn’t it be better to resolve this amicably?”

Indeed, the Emperor was proposing. Like Selian and her friends, he wished to count himself among Elysia’s ‘friends’.

Of course, now adding one more ‘friend’ wouldn’t really be a problem. The source of tension was simply that the new friend was the Emperor himself.

Yet, she couldn’t just flat-out refuse either. In a sense, it was a concession from the Emperor, and if she turned it down, things could escalate to a serious conflict.

True, even if the Emperor was difficult to deal with, he wouldn’t be the type to cause harm when positioned on her side.

After much deliberation, Selian extended her hand and clasped it with the Emperor’s.

A new alliance had been forged.

 

---