He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 188

“The smell of blood… Is that really it?”

“Yeah. There’s also a suspicious medicinal smell… Of course, it’s hidden by a strong perfume scent, but I can smell it.”

As soon as I sensed the suspicious smell, I enhanced my sense of smell with Aura. With a sense of smell more sensitive than a dog, I could easily recognize it.

“Then that means he’s dangerous… Are you really going?”

“I have to. It’s solid proof that he’s suspicious, isn’t it? I have to go and check it out no matter what.”

“In that case, I’ll go with you…”

“No, no. You can’t move with me. You have to move separately. You know what I mean, right?”

“…Of course. But please be careful.”

Hendrick understood what to do without me having to explain everything, and he nodded.

“What about me?”

“You have something else to do, Mirror.”

“Tch. I thought I was going to get some rest now…”

Mirror grumbled, but I just chuckled.

Now the real game is starting, did you think I’d let you rest?

The next day, I headed to the viscount’s house, to which I had been invited.

* * *

“Excuse me, what is your name?”

“Count Shadow.”

“You’re the one the master mentioned. Welcome.”

The viscount’s house was a mansion with a large farm located near Elvengrad.

The farm looked quite pastoral, but all those working there were elves.

Even from a distance, I could see them using spirit magic to grow crops.

“Guest, is the elf you brought with you a slave?”

“I brought it as a gift for the viscount.”

“Shall we take the slave from you?”

I brought the elf slave, whom I had bought expensively at auction, all dressed up.

“No, since I went to the trouble of dressing her up, I want to show her to the viscount myself. I can’t give a gift with the wrapping torn off, can I?”

“I understand. Then please come this way, guest.”

Even the butler was a male elf. At first glance, it was a scene like a bling-bling [ostentatious] romance fantasy, but in reality, they were elf slaves who had been sold for cheap.

“Butler, I want to ask you something.”

“Please, guest.”

“I heard that the viscount was definitely a racial discriminationist. Is it different from the rumors?”

The elves working on the farm and the female elves working as maids in the house all looked satisfied and happy.

So I asked on a whim, but the elf butler maintained a poker face and answered.

“It is difficult for me, a slave, to speak freely about my master’s personal affairs.”

“Your loyalty is very outstanding. I understand, I won’t pry.”

I could press him further, but I stopped because he didn’t seem like he would budge.

“It’s been a while, Count. Let’s have a cup of tea before dinner.”

Soon, I met Viscount Gawain in the drawing room. He looked more relaxed than when I saw him at the slave market. He was also trying to show off his dignity on purpose.

“You’re living in a better place than I thought. Compared to Elvengrad, which has become a ruin, this is paradise.”

“I created this territory. Now you can’t have territories in the Empire.”

“Well, you can become a mayor or governor instead, can’t you?”

“Hmph, do you think you’ll be chosen for that position based on ability alone? You need connections, and bribes are used knowingly or unknowingly. Well, I admit that you can’t maintain that position if you don’t have the ability.”

Instead of reciting trivial matters, I opened the conversation by slightly criticizing the Empire.

“So I came to Elvengrad. My family was ruined by the Imperial civil war, but I thought I could try to make a comeback with the last remaining property. Of course, it wasn’t easy. I had to do difficult and dangerous things.”

“Was that weapons smuggling?”

I slowly brought it up, but the viscount shook his head.

“I didn’t do that from the beginning. Of course not, right? The elves who were trampled by the Empire couldn’t even think of resisting for the time being, so even if they had weapons to smuggle, there was nowhere to sell them. But I did smuggle.”

“Then what did you sell?”

The viscount lit the tobacco in his pipe and pointed out the window.

He offered me one too, but I declined.

“Crops. Food. I smuggled the Empire’s food. It was dangerous. The embargo hadn’t been lifted at the time, although it has been now.”

Back then, there was no Throne [referring to the protagonist’s rule]. Of course, it wasn’t easy to detect. Well, in fact, the surveillance itself was lax. After all, it was after winning the Elven Kingdom.

“Is it okay to tell me such a secret?”

“Didn’t you say you’d be my partner? If you were going to report me, you would have already done it. You knew I was smuggling weapons.”

“Well, you’re right. I have no intention of reporting you.”

Not yet. I can’t until I find out about the Dawn Radiance Society or the Doppelgangers who have infiltrated this kingdom.

“Well, even if that’s not the case, it’s legal now. If I may brag a little, I’m thinking of patenting this spirit magic farming method.”

“I can see you using spirit magic. But now spirit magic won’t be as good as it used to be, will it?”

The World Tree was burned, and the Spirit Realm was also greatly damaged in the process of killing the Spirit King.

Naturally, the elves’ spirit magic was weakened. Of course, it’s not to the point where they can’t use it, but it’s not as powerful and versatile as it used to be.

“It becomes quite useful if you use magic stones. Unlike magic, it’s very useful for farming. It’s cheaper than magic and divine spells.”

“Then it’ll be difficult to make ends meet, won’t it?”

“You can grow high-value crops. Tobacco, rubber, sugar cane, pepper… There are many things to grow. It consumes a lot of stamina, but you can use separate spirit magic for that.”

“There must be a great demand for magic stones.”

“Well, there are many magic stones in the Elven Kingdom’s magic zone. It’s like they’re pouring out.”

Hmm, this is worth noting. If this man wasn’t a criminal or a traitor, his business skills would have been quite useful.

Of course, I have no intention of forgiving him, so it’s just a pity.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t have financial difficulties. To be exact, it’s because I’m not satisfied. I have no intention of rotting in a place like this for the rest of my life.”

“Are you thinking of returning to the Empire?”

“That’s… I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ll get along well under the current emperor, so I may have to continue living here. Even for my daughter’s sake.”

“You have a daughter.”

“Ah, I’ll introduce her to you. Butler! Bring Loretta.”

He let out a long puff of pipe smoke and shouted to the butler, who soon answered and headed somewhere.

After a while, a blonde girl who looked about 13 years old entered the room with the butler.

“Daddy!”

“Loretta.”

The blonde girl snuggled up to Viscount Gawain and acted cute. The viscount ruffled the girl’s hair with a kind attitude.

“Loretta, you have to greet the guest first.”

“Ah! Hello!”

“Hello. Is your name Loretta?”

“Yes! What’s your name?”

“I’m Shadow.”

“Shadow! That’s a pretty name!”

Is that a pretty name? Well, it’s a child’s impression, so whatever…

“Ah! But pretty sister! Daddy, is another pretty sister coming?”

“That’s right. You’ll have more friends.”

“I’m happy! Can I take her with me?”

“Sure.”

The viscount glanced at me, and I nodded.

Soon, the girl called Loretta took the elf slave and left.

“She’s a pretty child.”

“She’s an angelic child. She’s the only blood relative I have left after my wife died during the civil war.”

“…I’m sorry about your wife.”

“It’s a thing of the past. As a result, I succeeded like this, so it’s nothing new.”

“…”

I felt somewhat bitter at the mention of being sacrificed in the civil war.

It wasn’t to the point of feeling sorry. No matter what anyone said, that civil war was necessary.

Moreover, the direct perpetrator was not me but Blackbeard. If there is any sin, it is with that guy, but Blackbeard also died as a human, so he paid the price.

“Well, let’s stop talking about that and talk about business. So, do you have any specific proposals? It would be difficult if you’re just saying you want to divide my business.”

“Of course not. I’ll provide better quality and more weapons. I’ll give you a lot of the profits.”

“Really? That’s a very generous condition. Is there anything else you want?”

Okay. Shall I throw out the bait at this point?

“The Dawn Radiance Society.”

“…!”

“Do you know them? No, are you already a formal member?”

“How did you…? You can’t be…”

“I’m not the emperor’s stooge. It’s the opposite. I want to be your comrade.”

As ‘Shadow,’ not ‘Franz.’

“…For what reason? No, how can I trust you?”

“Isn’t the fact that you’re still safe proof? If I were the emperor’s stooge, the Counterintelligence Knights would have already raided you. No, since the Eastern Territory is closer, the Purifying Flame Knights might have burned you at the stake first.”

“…”

It was a trick. But it would have been a pretty effective trick.

Generally, they wouldn’t think that the Counterintelligence Knights would know about them and not catch them.

Since they don’t know about the ‘Throne’ or Mirror, they wouldn’t be able to consider the possibility that I would throw such a gamble.

“And as for the reason… let’s just say I don’t like the emperor very much either. Is that enough?”

“…Even so, I can’t readily introduce you to the Radiance Society.”

“Really? Do you mean you can’t, or you won’t?”

“I have no obligation to tell you that either.”

“Look, I have no choice but to go wild? Do you really want me to report you? Just in case, you should reconsider if you’re thinking of killing me. If I go missing, the first person to be suspected will be you.”

“…”

As I pressed him a little more, the viscount seemed to waver. I decided to try to persuade him a little more.

“I have no intention of being unreasonable either. How about I tell you how to earn your trust? The business proposal should have been enough already, right?”

“…”

Viscount Gawain pondered for a moment after hearing my words.

“…Okay. Then promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“If you cooperate with me even after seeing what I’m about to show you, I’ll do as you wish.”

“Hmm?”

It was a sudden proposal. But Viscount Gawain said it with utmost sincerity.

“Will you do that?”

“…I will. What are you trying to show me?”

The viscount got up from his seat and headed to one side. Then he pulled out one of the books on the bookshelf attached to the closet.

It was a lever disguised as a book.

“I lost my family in the civil war.”

“Yes, you lost your wife… Huh? Did you say family?”

“Yes, not just my wife. I lost all my family.”

“But just now…”

I couldn’t continue the next word.

Because of what I saw in the room he was showing me.

Exquisite dolls that looked alive at first glance.

But I could tell that they weren’t ordinary dolls.

“Isn’t it amazing? Dolls that look alive. Let me introduce you, this is my wife Angela. It’s been three years since I made her. And this is…”

I could recognize one of the dolls in the room.

A girl smiling like an angel, but a stuffed angel.

“My daughter, Loretta.”