I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 12

Unexpectedly, I found myself entering the Magic Tower alone. I was a bit taken aback by it, but I decided to calmly observe the inside of the Magic Tower first.

‘So this is the Magic Tower?’

The interior of the Magic Tower was like a library. Thick, old books were haphazardly stuck on bookshelves that filled the walls, and at desks placed randomly, mages were all frowning as they read their books.

The mages were muttering in a ‘language’ I couldn't understand as they read, reminding me of the students I had seen in the library during my school days.

As I looked around the inside of the Magic Tower, I occasionally made eye contact with a few mages, but none of them showed much reaction. They just sat wherever they could find a seat and read, as if they were very busy.

‘They really seem like people who are completely immersed only in magic.’

Magic otaku… something like that.

Be that as it in, I needed someone to take me to the Magic Tower Master. So I was about to ask the nearest mage who the Magic Tower Master was.

It was then.

Swoosh—.

“A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Crown Prince Leonardo.”

“!”

With a faint sense of presence, I heard a woman's voice from behind me. It was the same voice as the crow that had spoken earlier.

Startled by the voice that suddenly came from behind, I turned around. Behind me stood a woman with blood-red hair who appeared to be in her early to mid-thirties.

The woman was wearing a robe similar to the other mages, but it felt like it was of distinctly better quality, and a crow was perched on her shoulder.

A woman with red hair and a crow on her shoulder… I shouldn't judge a person by their appearance, but she had the classic feel of a ‘witch’.

‘Is this woman the Magic Tower Master?’

As I was observing the woman's appearance—

—Thud! —Thud! —Thud! —Thud!

The mages who had their faces buried in their books all rose from their seats at once and stood at attention. None of them moved an inch.

Seeing the mages, who didn't even give me, the Crown Prince, a second glance, show such courtesy, I was pretty sure this woman was the Magic Tower Master. Still, just in case, I asked to confirm.

“Are you perhaps the Magic Tower Master?”

“That's right. I am the Magic Tower Master, ‘Seria Loushart’. I granted you permission to enter the Magic Tower because you said you had something important to tell me.”

The Magic Tower Master Seria's tone was polite but strongly tinged with confidence. Her attitude towards me wasn't rude, but it was definitely full of confidence.

“Then I shall escort you to my room first. .”

—The moment Seria said that.

“…?”

Before I could even realize what had happened, I was in a room. Just moments ago, I was on the first floor of the Magic Tower, in that library-like place.

‘…Is this magic?’

Barely collecting myself, I looked around the room I had arrived in.

The room was like a very messy office. Documents and books written in an undecipherable script, and leftover food were scattered everywhere.

“Is this your room, Lady Seria?”

“It is.”

It was a room that didn't suit Seria's neat and beautiful appearance, but if you thought of it as the room of the ‘Magic Tower Master,’ it seemed to fit.

“Please have a seat. It's a bit messy, though.”

“Yes.”

As I sat on the sofa she offered, Seria also sat opposite me.

“For now, since you are a guest, I've ordered tea, so it will be here shortly. It's a tea that mages drink, so I'm not sure if it will suit your taste.”

“I'm not particularly picky. Thank you—”

“Once you try it, you'll become picky. It's a tea that outsiders really hate.”

…Then she could just give me water.

Unaware of my inner thoughts, Seria asked in a serious voice.

“So, you said you had something to say about my daughter— Helena?”

It had begun. My test to see whether I could draw the Magic Tower in or not.

Hoo.

I took a light, deep breath and started the conversation.

“Yes. Before that, do you happen to know that I have renounced the throne and declared I will hand it over to one of the two Dukes?”

“I have not heard, nor am I interested. I don't know what you are trying to say, but I don't want to hear anything unless it's about Helena.”

“No, you will have to listen. The one who did that to your daughter is also involved in this matter.”

“The one who did that to Helena?”

“Yes. I'm talking about the ‘Head of the Mage Corps’.”

“…!”

As Seria's eyes widened slightly, I added another word.

“How about it, will you listen? Or should I just leave? The story I'm about to tell will be quite interesting for you, Lady Seria.”

“……”

A slight wrinkle formed on Seria's brow. It seemed she didn't like me taking the lead in the conversation.

But just as when I persuaded Jereuth, I decided to be firm with Seria as well.

Since I was an empty cart with nothing, shouldn't I at least make a lot of noise?

Seria, who had been staring at me silently for a moment, let out a sigh and said.

Hoo—.

“Very well. I will listen to what you have to say for now, Your Highness.”

“Good. As I just mentioned, I said I would hand over the throne to one of the two Dukes. So the royal palace is currently rife with all sorts of rumors about it.”

“That would be so. Since the Crown Prince said he would give the throne to a duke.”

“Aren't you curious about which of the two Dukes I will hand the throne to?”

“I'm not curious at all. Though I am curious if that story is really related to Helena.”

Seria narrowed her eyes and looked at me. She didn't hide her displeasure at me taking up her time.

Still, I had a ‘stick and carrot’ persuasion strategy prepared to convince Seria, so I decided to continue with what I had to say.

“I have set a condition for the succession of the throne to Duke Vaimal and Duke Panshin. I said I would give the throne to the one who receives the support of more people. So now the Dukes are desperate to gather their factions.”

“And?”

“But that is a lie. I'm not going to hand over the throne.”

“…?”

Seria tilted her head slightly and asked.

“You have no intention of handing over the throne, yet you told the Dukes you would? What are you thinking? The Dukes won't stand for it.”

“My announcement of handing over the throne this time is nothing but ‘bait’. Bait to gather all the nobles who follow the Dukes to the royal castle.”

“What are you going to do when you gather them at the royal castle? Throw a party for them—.”

“I will purge them. All at once, completely.”

“…!”

No matter how uninterested in worldly affairs the Magic Tower Master was, a ‘purge of the nobles’ was shocking enough that Seria's eyes widened slightly.

But that was only for a moment; Seria's expression and voice returned to normal.

“To gather the nobles using the throne as bait and then purge them… His Highness Leonardo must want to be king very badly. You seem to be a person who can kill others for your own greed.”

“I'm not trying to purge them because I want to be king. To be honest, the throne is just a burdensome position for me. Let me be clear, I do not want to be king.”

“Then why are you going as far as to stage a purge using the throne as bait?”

“I'm simply making the first move because it's obvious they will kill me if I don't kill them first.”

“……”

“And above all, I could no longer watch the nobles ruin this kingdom. That's why I'm trying to seize power, and when I do, I will change this country into a slightly better place to live.”

I delivered a rather plausible speech, but in Seria’s eyes as she gazed at me, there was no admiration or expectation for my words.

She really seemed to care only about her daughter.

“So, when does my daughter's story come up?”

“It will come up soon.”

“Hoo… fine. So, what is the reason you told me your plan? It doesn't seem like something good for others to hear.”

“Because I wanted to give you an opportunity, Lady Seria.”

“An opportunity?”

“Yes. I intend to give you, Lady Seria, the opportunity to help me purge the nobles.”

The moment I said that.

Fwoosh—!

The wings of the crow perched on Seria's shoulder caught fire. Black fire.

“…Are you telling me, the Magic Tower Master, to get involved in politics now?”

Seria did not hide her displeasure. I had anticipated this kind of reaction to some extent, but it was still frightening.

Honestly, who wouldn't be scared when a mage with a crow burning with black flames on her shoulder was glaring at me?

Still, I tried my best not to show my surprise.

I shook my head and continued to speak firmly.

“Yes, I am proposing to you, the Magic Tower Master, to get involved in politics and join the purge of the nobles. Because the Mage Corps has joined the noble factions, I need the mages of the Magic Tower to deal with them. It is my judgment that we must counter sword with sword, and magic with magic.”

“…What did you say? The Mage Corps joined the noble factions? Traditionally, mages do not involve themselves in politics—.”

“‘Traditionally’, mages do not get involved in politics. But the situation has changed. The Mage Corps is clearly following the Dukes.”

“……”

“So if you do not help me, Lady Seria, my purge will fail. And if the purge fails and one of the two Dukes becomes king, the Head of the Mage Corps who ruined your daughter will prosper from now on. He will live in luxury, enjoying every extravagance.”

At my words that the Head of the Mage Corps would prosper if I failed in the purge, Seria frowned. She was listening to my words much more intently than before.

Everything was going as I had hoped and intended.

Not missing this opportunity, I continued to speak.

“I don't yet know which Duke the Mage Corps supports, Duke Vaimal or Duke Panshin. They will probably watch the situation until the end and side with the more advantageous one. They are cowards.”

“Cowards… that's right. They are cowards.”

“Yes. Well, in any case, when the purge begins, I will have to face the Mage Corps. But with the forces I have now, I cannot deal with them.”

“……”

“Then, in the end, my purge will fail, and the Duke supported by the Mage Corps will become the next king. With a high probability, that is.”

Grit—.

Seria bit her nail and asked.

“Who are the forces that support Your Highness?”

“Knight Commander Jereuth and the 3rd Knight Order. They have agreed to help my purge and deal with the knights who support the noble factions.”

“…Jereuth?”

Seeing that she called Jereuth by his name only, it seemed Seria and Jereuth were quite close. Perhaps they were really close, as Jereuth had said they fought together for a long time in the war against the demons.

“Yes. Commander Jereuth has agreed to lend me his strength. But Commander Jereuth said that with his strength alone, he cannot deal with the knights and mages who follow the nobles. Realistically, he says he lacks the power.”

“So you are asking the Magic Tower to deal with the Mage Corps. …But the Magic Tower does not involve itself in politics—.”

“No. I am not asking the Magic Tower. Nor am I asking the Magic Tower Master Seria. No, in the first place, I am not ‘asking’ at all.”

I stood up from the sofa, cutting Seria off.

Then I placed my hands on the table in front of the sofa, brought my face close to Seria's, and said clearly.

“I am proposing a ‘chance’ for revenge to the mother named ‘Seria Loushart’. I am saying I will give you, who has an enemy that ruined your daughter's life, the chance to kill that enemy with your own hands.”

“…!”

“Seria Loushart, I ask you. Will you coop yourself up in this Magic Tower and watch with your own two eyes as the man who ruined your daughter rises to become a real power in the kingdom and lives in splendor? Or will you take the chance I am giving you and try for revenge?”

Seria's eyes trembled. Since the eyes are the windows to the soul, I knew that her heart was also wavering. It was probably a fierce conflict between the conviction of the Magic Tower, which never gets involved in politics, and the opportunity to take revenge on the enemy who ruined her daughter's life.

So, to completely shatter that wavering will, I added one more word.

“I heard from Commander Jereuth. That even on the battlefield against the demons, where death could come at any moment, you worried about your daughter who was left alone in the kingdom. Hearing that, I knew. That your daughter was more precious to you than your own life.”

“……”

“Helping me purge the nobles is the first and last chance to avenge the terrible thing that happened to your precious daughter.”

Seria lowered her gaze. With that, I knew that she was almost persuaded.

‘Now that I’ve used the stick enough, shall I take out the carrot?’

I took out the necklace containing the green powder from my inner pocket and showed it to Seria. It was the necklace I had taken from the royal treasury.

“And if you help me, I will give you this as well.”

“A necklace? I'm not particularly fond of accessories… ?!”

Seria, who had been looking at the necklace with no particular emotion, widened her eyes as if she had seen something unbelievable.

From that reaction, I knew. That the ‘green powder’ in this necklace was the ‘Mithril Powder’ needed to break the curse on the Magic Tower Master’s daughter.

The ‘Mithril Powder’ mentioned in the .

“Th, that is…!”

Like an addict craving a drug, Seria trembled and desperately reached for my necklace.

But I pulled back slightly before her hand could touch the necklace and said.

“The curse on your daughter. The Mithril Powder needed to break it is inside this necklace.”

“H-how did you know that Mithril Powder was needed? It took me years to find that out…?”

I saw it in the .

—I couldn't say that.

“What's important now is not how I knew about the Mithril Powder. What's important is that depending on your choice, you can resolve both the revenge for your daughter and the curse on her at once.”

“……”

“I have said all I have to say. What will you do? Will you remain in the Magic Tower, upholding your convictions as the Magic Tower Master, or will you step forward as a mother?”

I had said everything I prepared. All that remained was this woman's choice.

I just hoped that I could achieve a better result than the me from the .