There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 125

* * *

Three days after Le Guin ‘officially’ appeared at the Imperial Palace.

Today, too, there was a guest at the State Guest House.

An old gentleman sitting in the reception room of the State Guest House stroked his mustache.

“Master of the Magic Tower, regarding the magic stone business that our family is about to start, I would like to consult you……”

“No.”

Duke Gladstone’s hand, clutching his cane tightly, trembled.

Philomell, who was sitting next to Le Guin, opened her mouth.

“The Master of the Magic Tower is busy with other engagements, so he regrets that he must decline Your Grace’s offer.”

Duke Gladstone cleared his throat.

“Don’t say that. Please, reconsider. If the business succeeds, the compensation to your side will be considerable…”

“I have plenty of money even without your offer. More than that, I wish you would disappear quickly, eup.”

Philomell covered his blunt statement with a more polite one, saying instead.

“I’m sorry, but the Master of the Magic Tower is asking you to leave now.”

“……I have no choice, then. Thank you for your kindness, Lady Philomell.”

In the end, Duke Gladstone left the Imperial Palace.

He maintained his manners until the very end, but he couldn’t hide his displeasure.

After Duke Gladstone left, Philomell complained to Le Guin.

“What if the Duke harbors resentment?”

“Who cares? I can’t possibly lose a fight against that old man.”

“That’s not the problem… Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Who else but this person would treat Duke Gladstone, a pillar of the Senate, like this?

Even the Emperor wouldn’t directly tell the Duke to get lost.

Every day, guests flocked to the Imperial Palace. They came to meet the Master of the Magic Tower, who was staying at the State Guest House with his daughter, having rejected the Emperor’s offer to provide another residence.

Some came to impress the Master of the Magic Tower, some came to request a service, and some came out of simple curiosity.

The purpose of each visit was diverse. There was even a court wizard who visited, hoping to be taught magic.

The Master of the Magic Tower turned away everyone equally. If they sent gifts as bribes, he would accept them but then wash his hands of the matter entirely.

‘He’s wicked. So wicked.’

Then people started complaining to Philomell, asking her to arrange a meeting, just once.

Philomell tentatively suggested to Le Guin that he meet them. She felt a little sorry for them, as they were losing money and couldn’t even get a glimpse of the Master of the Magic Tower’s face.

Le Guin met the guests at his daughter’s suggestion, but… he literally only met them.

Besides Duke Gladstone, everyone else returned without properly stating their purpose.

Philomell was half giving up at this point.

‘I don’t know. I shouldn’t interfere anymore.’

Seeing Philomell getting up from her seat, Le Guin asked.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Why to that guy?”

“I’m just going to say hello. More than that, please be careful with your words. There are many people coming and going in the Imperial Palace these days.”

“I’m going too.”

Even though he hated the Emperor, Le Guin insisted on following her.

As the two walked towards the Imperial Palace, naturally, countless eyes followed them.

Curiosity, fear, admiration, etc., were all mixed in their gazes. No wonder, as the Master of the Magic Tower was a figure who had been the subject of rumors for so long.

People whispered quietly, but it was easy to guess what they were saying. Considering the rumors about the Master of the Magic Tower that were usually heard, it was probably something like this.

‘I heard he’s a grumpy old man.’

‘He looks more normal than I thought.’

‘He’s scary. According to rumors, he captures people and uses them as test subjects, right?’

‘He raises a lot of monsters too!’

It wasn’t long before Philomell realized that her guess was not far off.

A child who was passing by them tripped and fell, bursting into tears.

“Please don’t take me! I don’t taste good, so even monsters won’t like me!”

A maid, who appeared to be the child’s mother, repeatedly bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I had an unavoidable reason for bringing my child… My child dared to block your path!”

To be so afraid just because they fell in front of them. It made her realize once again how terrifying the Master of the Magic Tower was to ordinary people.

“It’s okay, so don’t apologize.”

Philomell barely reassured the child and her mother and sent them away.

At that moment, someone nearby whispered to the person next to them.

“So, the rumor that you have to be nice to Lady Philomell first to get on the Master of the Magic Tower’s good side was true.”

There was even such a rumor.

Watching the backs of the departing mother and child, Philomell lamented her situation.

‘I’m never going to live quietly.’

Being a fake princess was shocking enough, but she was also the daughter of the Master of the Magic Tower.

There would never be another case like this until the world ends.

Everyone would talk about Philomell’s story. During her lifetime, and even long after her death.

‘Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

She had been prepared for this since she decided to accept the four people [referring to a previous event]. She had no choice but to get used to it.

The two continued on their way and arrived at the Imperial Palace.

* * *

The Emperor’s office.

“Welcome, Philomell.”

The Emperor naturally greeted only Philomell and sat down.

His face was haggard, and the dark circles under his eyes were darker than usual. According to Count Polan, he hadn’t slept soundly since Ellensia disappeared.

“Now, sit down.”

Philomell sat opposite the Emperor. Le Guin, as a matter of course, took a seat next to her.

However, the Emperor’s expression as he looked at them seemed very displeased.

Philomell looked to her side and saw Le Guin sitting crookedly.

“Hey, Le Guin.”

At her gesture, Le Guin offered his ear.

Philomell whispered softly.

“Sit up straight.”

“Why?”

“Why? We’re not alone, and His Majesty is here.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why don’t you want to?”

“I just don’t want to.”

As the conversation dragged on, the gazes towards them became even more unkind. It was only natural, as they were whispering in front of someone.

Philomell had no choice but to pinch her father’s thigh.

“Ouch!”

Le Guin glared at Philomell resentfully and straightened his posture.

‘Seriously, he doesn’t listen unless you say it nicely.’

In any case, now that he was sitting up straight, the Emperor’s mood would be better…

However, Eustis’s expression was still sullen.

She did not realize that what had offended the Emperor from the beginning was something completely different.

Eventually, Philomell, giving up on creating a peaceful atmosphere, brought up the matter.

“Your Majesty, have you found her by any chance?”

Of course, it was about Ellensia.

The Emperor lowered his blue eyes.

“No. She was nowhere to be found in any of the places we expected.”

The Emperor’s direct unit secretly moved and searched every place Ellensia might have gone.

However, it seemed that they had gained nothing.

With Le Guin’s cooperation, the court wizards also tried to track his whereabouts, but they failed. From the beginning, it was impossible because the tracking range was too wide.

The Emperor said.

“From now on, we will have to search publicly. It is no longer possible to hide the fact that the Princess has disappeared.”

Currently, Ellensia’s absence was a top secret known only to a few.

Others knew that the Princess was still in confinement, but if the confinement became prolonged, anyone would have doubts.

Philomell cautiously asked.

“May I ask how you plan to announce it to the people?”

“…I intend to say that Ellensia’s mind is not sound. So, as soon as she is found, she should be protected, even by force.”

“…I suppose that’s the only way.”

“I don’t like it either, considering that child’s future. But that would be better than saying she’s possessed by an evil spirit.”

If an evil spirit, especially a stranger from another world, is mentioned, the temple will inevitably become involved. Then things will become quite complicated.

Also, it was better to say in advance that she was mentally unsound, in case the person cornered might say something reckless.

‘It’s frustrating.’

Philomell was not being of much help in finding Ellensia.

No one blamed her for it, but she was frustrated. Because she was the only one who was an equal ‘player’ with him [referring to Ellensia].

The magic scroll used by Ellensia was a product that could move to any desired location. Unlike the Ring of Red Flames, which only allowed the user to go to places they had been before, or ordinary magic scrolls, which had distance limitations.

A few days ago, Philomell had asked the fox, the owner of the store [a magical shop], if there was any way.

“I’m sorry, Player. The magic scrolls are sold out!”

“Besides buying it, is there no way to know where he went with it?”

“Shall I give you a little tip for playing the game in between? Drum roll. I wonder what kind of tip will come out?”

“That’s not……”

“Forty-sixth tip! One of the products sold at the Starlight Store, the ‘Bbyong Hammer,’ has a hidden use. What is it……”

She came back after only hearing the fox’s nonsense.

‘Well, he’s an NPC [Non-Player Character, a character controlled by the game], so….’

It was a concept learned through the intruder’s memories. She also came to know for sure what the game she had vaguely imagined was.

However, even with those memories, she couldn’t figure it out at all. Where he had gone, and…….

‘What was the unidentified power that tore the scroll at that time?’

Just in case, Philomell, who had taken the torn scroll from the store, entrusted it to the wizards.

However, even they could not find any special traces on the scroll. In the end, it was back to square one.

Philomell made a bright voice towards the Emperor, who had a worried look.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m sure we’ll find her soon.”

It was a vague consolation, but sometimes that was a comfort to the heart. The Emperor’s expression softened somewhat.

“…Thank you. If you hadn’t told me, I would still be regarding him as my daughter without a shred of doubt.”

Immediately after Ellensia disappeared, Philomell told the Emperor almost everything she knew.

From to the fact that this world was a world inside a game.