The outside was almost as bright as day with the torches held by the knights.

I stopped as I was about to board the open carriage. By the way, what on earth was ‘that’ that Fay had mentioned earlier? Judging from the context, it seemed to refer to a useful offering with dark power, but I felt uneasy for no reason.

“Why aren’t you getting in? Are you perhaps hurt?”

As I remained standing without getting into the carriage, Lux, who had approached me without me noticing, asked. He seemed to be examining me to see if I had any injuries.

“Oh, I’m getting in now. I’m not hurt. They’re the ones who are hurt.”

I stepped into the carriage, but Lux followed me.

“Why are you getting in?”

“You’re the main character who did something great today, so I’m getting in to escort you.”

“That’s enough. Just get me something else instead!”

As I waved my hand openly, Lux chuckled.

“It’s His Highness the Crown Prince’s orders. He told me to make sure you get in safely and then go back. I’m headed in the same direction anyway.”

Well, if that was the case, I had nothing to say.

“Go ahead then.”

When Lux pulled the reins with a smirk, signaling our departure, the carriage wheels soon began to roll smoothly.

“But how did you know? We were with her more than you were with her.”

He asked as the carriage was just leaving the garden.

“Truly. What did you guys do before when I knew about it in a few days…”

“Should I call you senior?”

He deliberately exaggerated and complained.

I replied immediately with a grin, “No need. I wouldn’t have known if I had just taught her. I found out because she targeted me so much.”

I would have had a hunch even if I hadn’t seen that expression. It was possible to think that it was nothing. I would have let it go since there was no evidence, even if it was suspicious.

“Ugh, I knew it would be hard to find an illusionist…”

“Well, she’s still an illusionist. It’s a pity that a skilled person has fallen to the other side.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yes, but I don’t plan on going back to the Imperial Knights. Please tell His Highness the Crown Prince that it’s useless no matter how much he asks.”

I cut Lux off before he could even finish speaking.

The Crown Prince must have sent him here to say these words. Dylan had already failed, so he must have sent another close acquaintance to try. Hearing my words, Lux sighed as I saw through his obvious plan. He burst into laughter and covered his eyes with his own hand.

“Oh, I knew it. His Highness only makes me do things like this.”

“Go and tell him that you’ve done enough.”

“So, are you really going home now?”

“Yes, probably. But I’ll still be in the capital tomorrow. I have some unfinished business.”

“When will I see you again? I’m really going to miss you.”

“I’ll come visit if I have any business in the capital.”

I responded without hesitation, although there probably wouldn’t be any.

Lux didn’t say anything about why the followers had seen me that day. Whether he didn’t remember, or because Fay had turned out to be one of the follower’s dogs, or even for my sake. Whatever the reason, I was glad. It was something that really bothered me.

As we were talking, we soon arrived in front of a bustling hotel.

“I’ll get off here. Thanks for your hard work today.”

I tried to get off alone, but Lux insisted on getting off with me. He put one hand deep in his pocket and waved the other hand left and right.

“Come visit again next time.”

“Sure, you too.”

“Oh, and don’t forget this brother. Belated congratulations on your marriage. Live happily.”

I chuckled at his wedding congratulations. Although Lux probably said it without thinking, his friendly greeting made me feel strangely happy.

I hadn’t been in the Imperial Knights for long, but they were the first people I met and got to know here. They were the ones who reached out to me when I had a hard time adjusting. Now, I have to adjust all over again in a new place and meet new people. I felt a bit sad at the thought of not seeing these people anymore.

‘…I shouldn’t have gone to the Imperial Palace.’

I smiled brightly instead of feeling depressed.

“Thank you. Then be careful! Come visit again next time.”

As soon as I waved my hand, Lux quickly got into the carriage, urging it to go.

After passing the lobby and going up to my room, I found Nigella, who had not been seen all day yesterday. Nigella didn’t say anything either, so she must be incredibly busy right now. I left all the guild work to her, so she must be running around like crazy trying to take care of it all.

Kairos might be so angry that he could just get rid of the guild, but he might leave it just in case. I have intentionally handed over all the work to her so that she could take over and run it.

“Did you greet your acquaintances comfortably?”

Nigella thought I went out to greet and eat with my colleagues. It seemed like it would be better not to mention the minor injury since Noah had already heard about it, and it could become a bigger deal than it would be.

I nodded, stretching.

“Yeah, I’ll be able to rest for a bit starting tomorrow.”

Nigella’s face lit up like a full moon.

“That’s wonderful! I’ll tell the maids to prepare your bath right away. Please go in and rest.”

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”

I waited for a moment and sat down on the sofa, but fatigue washed over me. In an instant, my eyelids grew heavy, and I let out a groan. It was a natural result since I had been exerting myself constantly from before I entered the Martin family’s garden until the time I left.

“Ugh.”

My body ached. Why did I have to go through all that trouble?

I was going to contact Ginger, but I guess I should do it tomorrow morning. I fell into a deep sleep before the maids could even finish preparing my bath.

* * *

The next day.

“…I greet the sun of Elkium.”

“It must have been difficult to come so early in the morning.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. It is an honor and a privilege to be summoned.”

“Haha, they say you are someone the Crown Prince values, but you are so humble.”

“…Thank you.”

Tsk, tsk.

I gritted my teeth inwardly.

I never would have dreamed that an imperial carriage would be waiting at my hotel as soon as I woke up. The reward came quickly, as the Sun of the Empire, the Emperor, had summoned me early in the morning. I never would have dreamed that one of the Emperor’s aides would come to my hotel room door and knock!

Was it because he was the protagonist’s father? The Emperor was no ordinary man.

Emperor Edios Berid Elkium.

He was known as the mildest-mannered of all the emperors, but he was also the one who had executed many criminals and focused on law and order. If things had gone as they did in the original, he would have been the one who gave me the biggest headache, even more so than Kairos, when it came to dealing with him.

Just as much as the Crown Prince.

Phew. If you think about it that way, I really should be rewarded.

I prevented Lily from being kidnapped, and I took Kairos to Ferrarium so that he couldn’t cause any more trouble.

Thanks to me, the Emperor has had far less to worry about in their confrontations with him. Originally, their relationship would have been bad by now, to the point where they would have been at each other’s throats! But thanks to me, things are so peaceful!

At this point, haven’t I saved the country…

Ugh! It was the regret of a lifetime that I couldn’t express this frustration out loud.

Anyway, thanks to him, I had to hurriedly get ready and get on the golden carriage heading straight to the imperial palace.

The dogs of the followers who came out of the Martin family last night seemed to have been under investigation all night and still now. They didn’t get much information out of them, though I heard they at least extracted evidence that all the ones I caught yesterday were the followers’ dogs.

So, I wondered if he had heard me jokingly asking for money from Jed yesterday, and there was a box full of jewels placed right in front of me.

No, why was this happening again?

For a moment, I almost drooled, but I barely came to my senses and shook my head.

“Your, Your Majesty. This seems too much for me. Please reconsider.”

I subtly pushed the box forward. Originally, I was supposed to decline this once.

The Emperor laughed.

“The Crown Prince said you were very humble, and it’s true. Are you saying you won’t accept my goodwill?”

“No? Absolutely not! How could I ever do such a thing?”

I quickly bowed my head deeply.

At that, the Emperor laughed heartily as if it was even more amusing.

“Then, take it. I’ve heard everything you’ve done was without fail. You helped get rid of the demons that invaded the imperial palace, and this is compensation for what happened yesterday.”

“Tha…nk you very much, Your Majesty.”

I laughed to myself and quickly took the box of jewels.

Fortunately, the Emperor didn’t hold me back for long after giving me the box of jewels. He left, saying he had to attend to the morning’s state affairs.

I thought, If you were going to do this, you should have just sent it to me in the carriage you sent in the morning, but I opened the box a little and quickly folded that thought away.

With this much, I think I could build a mansion without spending my own money and just running away. Honestly speaking, I wanted to ask for a safe divorce more than this. Still, that was impossible. I thought I would be locked up in prison by Kairos, so I kept my mouth shut.

The aide who came to pick me up in the morning even escorted me to the path, and I went out humming happily, but my expression crumpled in an instant.

In front of me, Jed and Dylan waved at me in their uniforms.

Ha, why was the path so difficult when it wasn’t even the path to the dungeon…

—