Chapter 4. They Seemed in a Hurry

A few peaceful days followed after the appointment ceremony.

In novels, something happens every time you open your eyes, turn your head, or even just breathe.

Is it okay for things to be this peaceful with nothing happening?

As I pondered this unnecessary question in my head, I soon found the reason and accepted it.

Well.

I’m just an extra, after all.

“Mmm… the smell of freshly baked baguettes.”

It’s killing me, it’s so good.

I put aside my needless worries and indulged in the warm aroma of bread I had just bought from a nearby bakery.

“Oh? Something else came too.”

And on my way home, I noticed something stuck in the mailbox on the first floor.

“What’s this?”

Without much thought, I took out the envelope and saw it was from the Imperial Administrative Office, thinking it must be some kind of notice.

“These guys sure work diligently.”

From what I roughly understood, the imperial palace of the Granz Empire seemed to operate through major departments like Administration, Finance, Military, Foreign Affairs, and so on.

And they kept sending mail to the citizens at every opportunity.

Especially the Finance Department, which kindly sent reminders every season to pay taxes on time. In other words, there’s no one living in the Granz Empire who hasn’t received mail from the imperial palace.

“I’ll open it when I get upstairs.”

I headed straight for my fourth-floor apartment with a great view.

Ah.

There was no elevator here, so I had to climb the stairs.

Fortunately, Seraphina had enough stamina for that.

Anyway, shortly after, I sat at the dining table with a piece of baguette cut to a bite-size in my mouth. Then I ripped open the envelope.

“Let’s see…”

As I unfolded the paper, it was indeed some kind of notice, as expected.

“Oh, my…”

But it wasn’t a welcome notice.

“What is this saying?”

I focused my eyes intently and checked again to see if I had read anything wrong. Because I didn’t want to believe what was written here.

[Seraphina, the official Purifier of the Imperial Family, is requested to enter the palace daily for training starting from the 27th of June, 712 of the Imperial Calendar.]

That’s tomorrow?!

“These bastards…”

Not knowing exactly who to curse, I cursed everyone working at the imperial palace. Then I remembered something and quietly shut my mouth.

<Aaaargh…!>

<It’s just one tiny ghoul. You can do it.>

<Urgh… Yes, aaaargh!>

It was during the purifier test.

Recalling Seraphina causing all sorts of commotion in front of a low-level undead ghoul, I somehow felt a sense of gloom.

Let’s see…

How should I describe this?

Roughly the size of two pillows stacked together, a black form wobbling like slime, the fear Seraphina felt at that time was real.

That sensation of being completely gripped by fear remained vividly within me.

“Oh, dear…”

This one’s a complete coward, isn’t she?

How on earth did she pass the test?

In the end, she did defeat the ghoul. She used her ability as if she was radiating it out with her eyes tightly shut.

When everything went quiet, Seraphina at that time very carefully opened one eye first. She was overjoyed to see the ghoul had disappeared without a trace, but…

“How did you ever manage to volunteer for war?”

I felt somewhat sorry for her.

Although she was in the rear and didn’t have to directly face the undead, the battlefield was still a place fraught with danger. Even though it was to make a living, I thought it remarkable how such a timid person had endured so well.

“Silly. There are many other jobs too.”

The Seraphina in my memories didn’t know how to live properly.

Being an orphan, no one taught her, and she just lived by making choices within the limited scope of what she knew, focusing only on the immediate future.

The only place that would employ her was the battlefield.

“Well. Who am I to judge?”

Come to think of it, when I was living as Yoon Ji-ah, my life wasn’t much different from Seraphina’s.

No money, no family to rely on, just needing to fend for myself.

Having been told I was good at cleaning since I was young, I jumped straight into working as a janitor right after graduating high school.

Without a single thought about dreams, which one should have plenty of at that age…

“It wasn’t that long ago, but it feels really strange.”

I felt somewhat melancholic.

In a way, I’ve just entered the body of Seraphina who was living a similar life, so I could just continue living similarly…

Why do I feel like I want to live differently somehow?

“Let’s start by saving money first.”

But I was an inevitable realist.

We need to solve the basic necessities of life, don’t we?

Flap!

To boost my spirits, I firmly grasped the notice from the imperial palace again and straightened it out. Then, glaring at the paper, I declared solemnly.

“FIRE, I can definitely do it!”

With that annual salary!

That’s right.

There was a huge difference from when I was a citizen of Earth.

Just 2-3 years. 2-3 years.

Then I can retire without worrying about making a living. And I’ll have the leisure to plan a second life.

There would be plenty of time to find dreams then.

As I organized my thoughts like this, I chewed on the baguette that had already become a bit tough.

* * *

The Emperor’s office.

Seated with his back to a large window, Johann quietly reviewed the reports that had come to him.

His appearance, completely focused on work with his mouth closed, seemed to prove that he wasn’t Emperor for nothing.

How should I put it?

It was as if an indescribable majesty flowed from him.

His sapphire-like blue eyes moved left and right as he read through the documents one by one.

Thud.

Johann stamped the seal and pushed aside the processed document. Then he reached for the mountain of documents piled on the opposite side.

Countless big and small problems occurred daily in the Granz Empire, and this was just the most important issues selected and brought up to the Emperor.

Even after working diligently every day, there was no end to it.

Knock knock.

At that moment, a knock interrupted him.

Without even waiting for permission to enter, the person, seemingly familiar with coming and going here, just opened the door.

“Your Majesty, a request for support has come from the Guardian of the North.”

Straight to the point as soon as they entered.

“I told you not to call him that. It sounds like you’re unnecessarily elevating him.”

“It seems the person in question wants to be called that.”

“Tsk. Just leave it there for now, Ionia.”

Johann answered without even raising his head.

The woman called Ionia, with bluish-purple hair, walked steadily to his desk. Then she placed the document from the Guardian of the North on top of the report he was looking at.

Only then did Johann’s head lift.

“Not here, over there.”

“It seemed quite urgent.”

“How would you know that?”

“The tone seemed desperate.”

As she said this, Ionia pointed to the document with her chin as if to say ‘read it if you’re curious’.

Johann glanced at Ionia with displeasure, then turned his attention to the document.

“It better not be nothing.”

I’m already dying busy as it is.

Swallowing the last words internally, Johann began to read the contents of the document.

Seeing Ionia act like this, it must be urgent…

Although he grumbled outwardly, Johann trusted Ionia considerably.

If Jesuf was his right arm, Ionia was his left arm. If Jesuf was his sword, Ionia was his brain.

In other words, she was an excellent advisor. In fact, she was also the Prime Minister of the Granz Empire.

“How long do I have to wait for this person to learn manners?”

Johann frowned as he looked at the support request, which was neither a proper report nor a letter, but closer to a note.

The document folder with elaborate gold embossing must have been hastily inserted by Ionia, and what was this terrible handwriting?

[Undead sighted in Grodes Mountains. Request support of at least one knight order. Guardian of the North.]

Is this why she said the person in question wants to be called that?

Looking at the end of the note, Johann clicked his tongue.

“Isn’t he embarrassed to call himself the Guardian of the North?”

“That’s not the important part. Judging by how it’s in a more polite tone compared to last time, it seems quite urgent.”

“Ah yes. It has improved a lot from ‘Knight order support. Now.'”

“So, are you not going to help?”

At Ionia’s question, Johann stroked his chin in contemplation.

Then suddenly, he opened a drawer.

Clatter.

And took something out. It was a report.

When he found something interesting among the waves of countless reports, he would store it separately like that.

Wondering if it was related to the northern support, Ionia’s eyes lit up.

But Johann didn’t even open the folder, just tapping the top of it with his index finger.

Heh.

Then he laughed to himself.

“What is it?”

“What?”

“Why are you laughing to yourself in that unpleasant way? And what’s that?”

At Ionia’s skewed question, Johann’s smile deepened. Soon, he shook his head as if it was a secret.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“……”

Ionia looked at the Emperor laughing to himself like he was crazy. Then, as if it didn’t matter to her whether he was strange or not, she returned to the matter at hand.

“Please decide quickly whether you’ll support them or not. I’m busy.”

At those words, Johann lightly concluded.

“No. I won’t help.”

I’ll think about it when he becomes more polite.