I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 118

“What a commendable thing this is.”

The Emperor was greatly pleased with Theodore’s decision.

“Protecting peace is as important as war itself. It couldn’t have been easy to decide to go to the frontier as a member of the Imperial Family. Truly commendable.”

After Libena’s visit, Theodore had implored the Emperor to send him to the frontier war zone.

He had been hiding the fact that he was a wizard in the capital out of vague fear, but after spending time alone in confinement, he felt ashamed of it.

That was why he declared that he would take the lead in guarding the border and serve the Empire even now.

For the Emperor, who was anxiously trying to strengthen his imperial authority, this was quite welcome news.

Having failed to highlight Roymond at the hunting competition, the Emperor was already looking for other ways.

He wanted to show the people of the Empire that the Imperial Family was working harder than Johan Hairad for the peace of the Empire.

At this time, Theodore volunteered to protect the Empire, so how could he not be pleased?

“However, I am not sure of my abilities and do not know where to go.”

Theodore said with a gentle smile.

“I would like to know which frontier would be best to go to, and I would also like to interact with other wizards.”

The frontiers of the Empire were usually guarded by wizards.

Hairad, who had been producing high-ranking archmages, had established a base in the capital, but the other wizard families had not.

Usually, families with quite decent magical abilities stayed on the frontier and wielded influence in the area.

Rather than coming to the capital and being overshadowed by Hairad, they judged it more advantageous to establish themselves in a suitable place and build up their power.

“That’s a good decision.”

The Emperor said with a beaming face.

“Then, let’s take this opportunity to create a celebration to congratulate the Imperial Prince’s voluntary enlistment. How about gathering the wizard families from the frontier and deciding where to stay?”

And the Emperor’s secret instruction was given: that the celebration should be more splendid than Johan Hairad’s victory banquet.

“By the way……”

The Emperor tilted his head and said.

“The Hairad Duke still doesn’t take the calming potion?”

“Yes. It seems he has plenty to spare.”

“Hmm.”

While Patr was committing suicide and the priests were restless, Roymond quickly seized the temple.

The secret drug research that the temple had monopolized was all destroyed, but the manufacturing method of the calming potion, which was being produced in large quantities, remained.

The calming potion had to be continuously manufactured for the wizards guarding the border.

So, Roymond placed members of the Imperial Family in the temple and ordered them to continue making and supplying the calming potion.

It was as if the temple had now been turned into a ‘calming potion manufacturer’.

That also meant that the distribution and management of the calming potion became the authority of the Imperial Family.

The Emperor, who had been trying to gain an advantage over Johan Hairad on this occasion, was a little tired of Johan, who never came to ask for the calming potion.

The opinion around him was that he had plenty of reserves, but still, he couldn’t go around with such a calm expression. It was clear that he was suppressing the pain, so he was secretly disgusted.

Of course, Johan was comfortable because he was sufficiently soothed by Yurika, but few people knew the inside story.

“In any case, make sure Theodore gets more attention than Johan Hairad on this occasion.”

The Emperor ordered with a grin.

“The past is bound to be forgotten, and history is always for those who have power now.”

In that way, the schedule for a banquet to celebrate Theodore’s enlistment, gathering all the wizard families from the frontier, was quickly set.

“Oscar Medest’s return can also be officially announced at that time. Isn’t that right?”

The Emperor, who hoped that even Oscar’s return would be buried in the topicality of the banquet, smiled with a proud face. At that time, Theodore carefully spoke.

“Your Majesty, I have something in mind regarding that event.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“How about holding the event at the temple?”

It was an unexpected remark. The Emperor raised his eyebrows, and Theodore quickly said.

“Don’t all the wizards on the frontier have goodwill towards the temple? They think that the development and supply of the calming potion is a great achievement of the temple.”

“Hmm.”

Unlike Roymond, who openly expressed his antipathy towards the temple, the Emperor had never made a big statement about the temple.

That was because he was afraid of the temple’s retaliation, and it was not a meaningless fear, as Roymond had almost been seriously harmed by Patr.

However, that didn’t mean that the Emperor was favorable to the temple. He always considered the strengthening of imperial power as his greatest wish.

“How about taking this opportunity to announce that the temple is completely subordinate to the Imperial Family? It wouldn’t be bad to let them know that the Imperial Family, not the temple, is now the subject of distributing the calming potion. They are so slow to hear news from the capital.”

“Oh.”

The Emperor smiled as if he liked it.

He didn’t have the courage to destroy the temple openly like Roymond, but he was tempted to use the already destroyed temple.

“It would be good to put one of our people in the position of High Priest, which has been vacant until now, and hold the event there.”

Theodore said fluently.

“The temple has been operated quite closedly so far. Just the fact that the temple has prepared a venue for the event at the request of the Imperial Family will have a great effect. At the same time, if I decide to enlist there, the wizard families on the frontier will know who is now in the superior position among the wizards.”

“That’s a great idea. I didn’t even think that far. It’s a great trick.”

The Emperor even applauded with a pleased face.

Knowing the manufacturing method of the calming potion was, in a way, a weapon to hold the necks of the wizards now that the sacred beast was gone.

The arrogant Johan Hairad did not bow his head even while staying in the capital, so he did not even think about it, but basically, weren’t wizards always beings who wanted calming?

“Then I will plan it that way. Very excellent.”

And the Emperor, who was in a good mood, immediately lifted Theodore’s house arrest on the spot.

Shortly thereafter, the position of High Priest, which had been vacant for a long time, was decided. The appointing entity was the Emperor, and surprisingly, it was a 13-year-old boy.

Everyone guessed that the young child was a puppet being played by the Imperial Family.

And when Theodore’s enlistment ceremony was held in that temple, which had not been opened for a long time, inviting all the wizards, invitations to participate were sent to each noble family.

Along with the news that the High Priest’s appointment ceremony would also be held that day.

* * *

“It’s obviously a trap.”

Renat groaned with a painful face.

“Suddenly, we have this opportunity to go to the temple. And what’s with Prince Theodore’s enlistment?”

Jayden also slammed the table with an angry face.

“Besides, they’re glossing over my brother-in-law’s return like this… Frankly, they just want to bury it!”

A few days ago, Jayden, who had briefly left due to the affairs of the earldom, returned to the Medest estate and was shocked.

The tiger had disappeared, and Oscar, whom he had followed so much, was nursing Sienna.

Like that, Meriel was no longer the head of the family, and Oscar became the head of Medest again. Just like it used to be.

What was even more surprising was that even though the news of Oscar’s return was gradually spreading in the capital, no one came to properly greet him.

The person who immediately analyzed the reason for this phenomenon was Oscar himself.

“I told you. His Majesty the Emperor is reluctant to even have the war mentioned again. That’s why he’s feeling awkward about me.”

He said in a low voice with his arms crossed.

“If my return becomes a topic, people will wonder what happened, and the war will become a topic again… Then Duke Johan Hairad’s influence, who has been quietly staying still, will grow even more. After all, the Hairad Duke ended the war that the Imperial Family had not been able to resolve for nearly 20 years in one fell swoop.”

“But even so, do they just leave someone who has come back alive like this with indifference?”

“His Majesty just wants it to pass naturally.”

Yurika, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, also sighed softly.

The Emperor wasn’t doing anything particularly bad. But everything he did was too annoying.

Moreover, this time, not only did he grant Theodore’s request, but the place where he invited all the nobles was the temple.

The problem was that Renat had said a few days ago that he thought he knew Sienna’s cure, and that the ingredients for the cure might be in the temple.

“If it’s because of the temple’s medicine, there’s a limit to curing it with medicine. I don’t know much because I’ve never been inside the temple, but there’s a story I heard when I was studying at the academy……”

Yurika slowly said in a somewhat somber family meeting atmosphere.

“Don’t worry.”

The family’s eyes turned to Yurika. She smiled and took out a note.

“I think I know what that trap is.”