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[Those Who Fear Not Death]
You have faced the target of your greatest ambition, [Emperor Hiuqmag], despite being a mere first-year student.
Have you lost your mind?
Or do you really believe you can survive standing before him in your inexperienced body?
Whether it’s bravado or certainty, proof is required now.
Create a reason for Hiuqmag not to kill you.
If you fail to do so, he will never allow you to escape the Hwanggung alive.
You must survive, even to prevent the academy’s goo from becoming a lost orphan!
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Significant events are always accompanied by notifications.
Facing the Emperor.
And surviving.
The act of simply getting out alive demands this kind of gamble, as survival itself is a perilous endeavor.
Indeed, the Emperor is a dangerous figure.
“Abama is also quite mischievous ♡. Knowing my incompetent brother can’t command anyone, he still burdens him with so much nonsense, making him even more arrogant ♡.”
“Maseugaki, do you think you’ve made good use of Eungchilgeom?”
“Though I am a clumsy mess, I allowed the assault leader of my incompetent brother to die with honor, yet I still managed to use it well~? Now I’ll return it ♡.”
Maseugaki voluntarily returned the Emperor’s sword that had come into her possession.
The Emperor made no evaluation of her contrasting attitude, unlike Crown Prince Pake Hiuqmag, who accepts and follows those who do not refuse him.
“It seems you’ve had a long journey. In addition to apologizing for my son’s rudeness, let’s hold a welcome dinner.”
“Please take a seat.”
Upon sitting, a scanning spell disguised as the cleaning magic [Clean] removed all dirt from his body.
I unleashed [Dark Electric Generation] to blow up the scanning magic that was examining me.
As white steam rose from the chair, the Okashii-ne blinked and then chuckled heartily.
“It seems the seat wasn’t very good. I apologize for the uncomfortable experience. Please try sitting in this chair.”
“Yes, sir!”
I sat in a chair that was not at the end of the line but passed through several Dimensional Gates.
Of course, the scanning device burst with boom again, unable to withstand the power of Dark Electric Generation.
After repeating similar actions a couple of times, the Emperor spoke.
“Enough. A seat is just a place to sit comfortably. Stay where you wish.”
“Hm~ then I like it here!”
I dashed over, grasping the hand of Ripe, who hesitated to sit on the chair.
“Lady?”
Ripe is our maid, so I must protect her!
Even if the Emperor exerts his power, I seated Ripe near the 15th door with [Dark Attribute Dimensional Gate] where she could escape.
Then I plopped down on Ripe’s lap, causing the scanning device to burst with a boom, and Ripe, realizing my intention, chastised me mildly.
“Lady, it’s inappropriate to act so spoiled in public.”
“If you say that with such an unfazed face, Ripe, it’s actually you who is causing trouble! Do you know how much that attitude makes men agonize? Honestly, didn’t Jonna get charmed like that?”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
Maseugaki, who had been watching our lively exchange, locked eyes with Hiscliff and Alexander beside her.
“If it pleases Her Highness, she may sit on my lap.”
“My body, having mastered the swordsmanship unlike that feeble Alexander, won’t disappoint the Princess.”
“Clumsy ♡ Dreaming too ambitiously ♡”
Hiscliff lowered his head with a stoic expression.
While Alexander appeared indifferent when he offered out of formality after reading the Princess’s mood, Hiscliff looked slightly disappointed, as if he was secretly hopeful.
“Let the Imperial banquet commence.”
With the Emperor’s declaration, Okashii-ne chuckled heartily.
“You are all quite fortunate. An opportunity to enjoy dishes from every noble family in the Empire is indeed rare.”
He was right.
The Empire is fundamentally the player’s enemy.
Unless you want to see the route of destruction, the Empire Nobles naturally become foes as well.
Naturally, dishes synonymous with their family symbols are not something outsiders can freely consume.
Considering their status, the Empire Nobles, who faintly recognized the effect of [Cooking Handbook], would never allow such things either.
Getting to eat food as one desires is extraordinary.
Wanting to eat something one hasn’t tried is only natural for those who can guess the collection conditions of the Handbook.
‘In the original story, this was an ominous hobby of the Emperor to grasp the nobles’ relationship!’
There’s no need to eat the food of close families.
They’d already exchanged dishes as symbols of trust, completing the collection.
Conversely, if the food belonged to a distant family and this rare chance arises, it would be foolish not to try it.
It’s a clever scheme to easily grasp relationships even from a mere meal.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for my previous rudeness, and may I dare to ask if I could take a seat?”
One retainer, having mustered courage despite his fear, cautiously inquired to the Crown Prince Pake Hiuqmag, who remained in the Hwanggung.
The Emperor nodded, his face concealed beyond the crown.
Even without seeing his face, it was easy to tell that he found Pake’s request annoying.
Crack.
Pake felt vexed by this realization but remained seated with his retainers.
It was a futile effort, as keeping the formal dinner simply allowed Maseugaki to gather information.
“Here are the dishes of nobles throughout the Empire and their representative family foods. If there’s anything you wish for, you may select and order it yourselves.”
With the Okashii-ne’s gesture, the attendants presented the menu.
“Lady, please be cautious with the dishes from high nobles or lesser houses. There’s a high possibility that they have processed dangerous Demon Realm ingredients or recklessly attempted to gain fame through excessive processing, making the food inedible. Keep in mind that the food taken here should be as close to its
Ripe’s advice was timely.
Even the dish of Galik Fried Chicken could have been infused with extreme poison from the Demon realm’s Cockatrice.
Even with my high resistance, one bite could mean I wouldn’t gain the maximum efficiency needed.
With 1000 experience points in skills at peak, [Mana Control: Complete Reproduction] could filter the dangerous ingredients from consumed food, but the side effects of any additional enhancements could be halved through that process, making it a shame to eat it early.
“Even considering that, there’s some food I can’t eat any other time! I must have it.”
“What food does the lady seek?”
At Ripe’s question, Prince Pake and the high-ranking officials following him began to order the same dish in unison.
“Goulash.”
“Make it goulash.”
“I’ll have it as goulash.”
Goulash is the name of one of the commanders from the southern military forces.
At the same time, it’s a soup dish made by chopping up a Demon Realm plant monster and boiling it with enough spicy seasonings to neutralize its poison.
I broadly gleaned their motives.
The commander who allowed Maseugaki to assist in a bloodless entry through the border likely held a grudge against the Crown Prince for it, wanting to consume his family’s dishes in this roundabout manner.
By consistently mentioning a unified menu, they sought to withhold giving away any info that could hint at their factional dynamics.
To cut to the chase, that effort was futile.
Because the food I was after was just one.
“I’d like mint chocolate ice cream, please!”
With a gloomy expectation, I watched as the group of officials, waiting to see what pitiful food I would order, suddenly gasped and covered their mouths.
“Lady, that dish is not on the menu. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”
With an ominous atmosphere, Ripe attempted mediation.
Of course, I spoke with a stronger tone.
“I only want mint chocolate ice cream!”
“Huh~? You don’t want it if it’s applied on your upper lip, but you’re fine with eating it? You know that’s a dish from one of the [Three Great Traitor Families]?”
“Of course! Even if I left the family, that dish is still part of the Empire, right?”
As proof, when I infused the menu with dark mana, this hidden page revealed the food from the traitor family as well.
“You’re making quite a daring choice. Are you implying that the Empire’s delicacies are worth less than a traitor’s dish?”
“Sort of. If you raise Maseugaki well, you can eat family cuisines, but food from the traitor family is rare and hard to get outside the Empire, right?”
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep you alive.”
“The rulers wouldn’t want to strike a deal with a revolutionary, would they?”
“Child of the Foundation, that merely adds a reason for your death.”
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll damage some of the divine classes of some of the 24 main deities to help the faith of the one true god, Sofemia, grow a little more. But please, stop tormenting Maseugaki and me from now on!”
According to Professor Destroyer, the Emperor was the one who facilitated the birth of revolutionaries.
He viewed the countless refugees as mere resources to gain divine artifacts.
It was not hard to surmise he had formed antagonistic relationships with the deities uncomfortable with his actions.
“Aren’t you afraid of becoming the enemy of the Benevolent Deities?”
“Well, I could just corrupt them all into Evil Gods!”
After all, I just changed the God of Acceleration, the Light God Matheus, to a demonic aspect on the way here, right?
“Hahaha! Discussing the distinction between good and evil has long passed. I like your confidence. Remain in the Hwanggung, child of the Foundation.”
“Me? Why?”
“I grant you the opportunity to become the Empire’s Fourth Princess.”
“Y-yes??”
“I mean to adopt you as my daughter.”
Gasp!
What the heck is this?
I’m not aware of such an event!
Does this mean Maseugaki is going to become my sister?
Are we having a three-sister gameplay with Maseugaki and Yayoi?
“Lady, don’t drool. You are already the daughter of the Isajang.”
“Yikes!”
Ripe pinched my side firmly as I was drooling over this new event.
