I let out a long sigh. Trau had dramatically flung open the doors to the throne room with a bang and marched in while addressing the emperor in a booming voice. The emperor's equally loud rebuke immediately sent him fleeing back outside again.
It must have been one scary confrontation, because Trau was struggling to catch his breath as he explained what happened.
"I-I...I really told him."
"Well, I suppose that's fine as long as you're okay with it."
The guy seriously needed help in the literary department. How could that possibly describe what had just happened? It was obvious the emperor had done the telling off.
Even Finne wore an amused grimace. Sheesh... He was the son of the empress, and he wasn't dumb. He could've been in the running for the throne if it weren't for that absurd personality of his.
Exasperated, I quietly opened the door to the throne room. There were guards, of course, but no one moved to stop me from entering. There wasn't a citizen of Adrasia who didn't immediately recognize me on sight.
"Excuse the interruption, Your Majesty."
"Hmph. I see we have an unusual guest."
"I, Silver, request an audience with Your Majesty."
"Is this some kind of joke? If you entered the castle through the main gate, I should have been notified straight away."
"In light of the critical situation, I took the liberty of entering through a slightly more ill-mannered route."
"This castle is the heart of the empire. You could be immediately sentenced to death for entering without permission. This goes well beyond poor manners. Have you come to give up your life? Or is this some twisted way of proving that you could assassinate me at any time?"
"There's no need for posturing. You're no fool. You know that assassination would be impossible, and you are certainly wise enough not to kill me. If that were not the case, I would not have entered in such a rude and admittedly improper way. For that, I apologize."
A powerful barrier surrounded the upper-most floor of the Castle of the Imperial Sword, where the emperor's living quarters were located, so I couldn't use transfer magic to enter or leave.
There were also knights of the Imperial Guard stationed nearby at all times, so only someone truly crazy would even consider assassination. Supposing, theoretically, I did make a serious attempt, even I might not be able to pull it off. Then there were all the tricks and traps hidden around the castle that I didn't know of, including likely escape routes in case of such an assassination attempt. And once I failed, I'd be hunted down to the ends of the earth. There was no way I'd do something so insane.
"If you still cannot forgive my trespassing, then I hope you'll recall the last time I saved you and call it even."
"Hmph. All right, fine. So, are you here to discuss what's happening in the southern region?"
"Yes. It seems that somehow, information about the situation was leaked from the Adventurers' Guild. They are incredibly concerned that you and the empire might do something excessive."
My choice of emphasis elicited a snort of amusement from my father.
Apparently, he knew. Erik, Gordon, and Zandra were all present in the room, and one of them had extracted the information.
"Excessive? That's awfully harsh. Is it really so wrong for us to want to help?"
"I don't have a problem with that, personally. Maybe the Guild does, but appropriate assistance could help save many lives. What worries me is the possibility of someone taking inappropriate action."
"Your arrogance is astounding. Do you fancy yourself in charge of deciding what's right or wrong for the empire?"
"The results will determine that, not me. And what will result from an inappropriate show of support is abundantly obvious."
For a moment, my father and I stared each other down. I knew I was crossing a line by being so impertinent, but I also knew that as an SS-class adventurer I could get away with it. My presence meant that the empire was protected from the threat of monsters.
If something like what had occurred in the southern region were to happen in Adrasia, with me around, the incident would be resolved without undue panic or chaos. That was why I was permitted a certain amount of irreverence. Although, given my father's personality, such behavior wasn't likely to be a punishable offense anyway.
"Okay then, let me ask you this. What is right and what is wrong?"
"Explaining that isn't my job. I've already used up all of my influence. It's time I turn things over to these two."
At that point, I took a step back, and Trau and Finne came forward to take my place. Upon recognizing Finne, Father broke into a grin.
"You're looking rather well, Finne."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for appearing before you in this manner."
"Nothing to forgive, my dear. Come and visit me anytime at all."
The emperor behaved just like a father being reunited with a beloved daughter. However, Finne was mature enough to not take his invitation literally. I also knew better than to try and use his fondness for Finne to our advantage in the battle for the throne. No matter how much he cared for her, he was also an emperor capable of sentencing people for their crimes. He might dote on Finne, but he wouldn't be unfairly lenient to us in his decision-making.
"I am most grateful for your kindness."
"F-Father, I—"
"It's 'Your Majesty,' Trau."
"Ahh, Your Majesty. To put it succinctly, I wish to be sent as your proxy. To the southern region, that is."
Finne had been carefully building up from her greeting into the main topic. Trau, however, clumsily butted in after misreading the tone of the conversation entirely. Maybe he'd determined it was pointless to attempt off-the-cuff negotiations with our father? Or at least, I wanted to believe that was the case.
"Don't be ridiculous. Filthy pig."
"I don't much appreciate my plans being interfered with."
"If you get in my way, I will destroy you, you hear?"