# Chapter 78
Bang!
The moment the Emperor muttered in disbelief, Ludbrid slammed his fist onto the table and sprang to his feet.
“This is absurd.”
“Oh?
Are we fighting?
Are we really doing this?”
The Emperor let out a low hum, while Zedrian's eyes gleamed with excitement as he bounced slightly in his seat.
Regardless of the growing tension in the room, Kiriel remained indifferent, his expression as cold and disinterested as ever.
He stared at Ludbrid—who was visibly shaking with anger—with nothing but detached curiosity.
“I’ve never heard of this!
When and where is it happening?
And why wasn’t I informed about that little one’s birthday party?!”
At Ludbrid’s outburst, Zedrian, who had been brimming with anticipation, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
Even the Emperor’s eyes widened slightly before he started shaking his shoulders in amusement.
“It is a family party.
You are not invited.”
“…What?”
“I said, my son’s daughter is having a family gathering.
You have no authorization to attend.
Now then, I’ll be taking my leave—”
Kiriel, who had just turned to go, suddenly halted.
His gaze fell on Zedrian, who now looked half-melted into his chair.
As their eyes met, Zedrian perked up, his head snapping up like a curious puppy.
“Why?
What?
You got something to say to me, my lord?”
“Do you happen to know how to restore broken or shattered objects?”
“Well, it depends.
If all the fragments are still there, it’s usually no problem.
Otherwise, I’d have to rewind time a bit on the object, but since I’m human, I don’t quite have that level of power ye—”
With a playful wink, Zedrian floated up and hovered right in front of Kiriel’s face.
“Why?
You got a favor to ask?”
His eyes curved mischievously, his grin widening like a predator spotting an opening in its prey.
“I don’t mind helping you out, but in return—”
“Knowing that restoration magic exists is enough for me.
I’ll find another mage.”
Kiriel turned away abruptly.
“I have prior engagements, Your Majesty.
I’ll take my leave now.”
The Emperor sighed, watching the departing figure.
“Hmm… I can’t just leave the ancient elves as they are.
If they completely transform into monsters, it’ll be a disaster.
I understand your concern for the child, but… would you at least ask for her opinion?”
Kiriel, who had been walking away, stopped momentarily and glanced back at the Emperor with his usual unreadable expression.
“Isn’t it also a parent’s duty to prevent their child from making mistakes they shouldn’t?”
His voice was flat, but there was a faint heaviness to it.
“That child is too young.
I want her to…”
Kiriel trailed off before continuing, his words slow and deliberate.
***
“I want her to grow up normally.
To throw tantrums, to cry when she wants to, to have the freedom to do nothing.
To be a child with no responsibilities, no burdens weighing on her shoulders.”
“……”
He remembered the first time he stepped into the Demon Realm.
The ordinary landscape.
So painfully, suffocatingly ordinary.
“You and I both know,” Kiriel murmured, sweeping his gaze across the people gathered in the conference hall, “just how suffocating responsibility can be.”
A silence fell over the room.
Then, without another word, Kiriel turned and walked away.
Click.
The door shut behind him without hesitation.
“Hahaha!
My, my.
The young lord still hasn’t learned the meaning of tact, has he?”
Zedrian chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
The Emperor sighed, leaning his chin on his interlocked fingers.
His gaze shifted towards Ludbrid Yudia.
“Is there any way to handle this?
Duke Yudia, that elf clearly has something to say, but he refuses to cooperate.
He won’t even have a proper discussion.”
Ludbrid frowned, rubbing his temples.
“That stubborn fool has always been like that.
What exactly do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to do something about it,” the Emperor replied, his voice deceptively light.
Despite the casual tone, there was a clear authority behind the words.
Ludbrid clicked his tongue inwardly.
So this was a thinly veiled order.
Refusing wasn’t necessarily a problem.
His family was strong enough to deny the Emperor’s request without immediate repercussions.
However…
‘This situation is delicate.’
The ancient elves were already halfway transformed into monsters.
If beings of their intelligence and power turned completely into demons, it would throw the world into chaos.
Ordinary monsters could be dealt with relatively easily because they lacked intelligence.
But what if these ancient elves retained their intellect?
What if they became sentient monsters?
Even though they were being purified regularly, there was no telling when—or if—they’d fully recover their sanity.
Kiriel may have been tactless, but he wasn’t wrong.
“That reckless brat does have a point,” Ludbrid admitted.
“The child is still too young.”
“Right.
Which is why you all went out of your way to keep the elves’ location a secret.”
The Emperor’s expression remained relaxed, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes.
Ludbrid’s jaw clenched.
“And yet,” the Emperor continued with a casual smile, “I still managed to find out.”
Ludbrid’s lips twitched in irritation.
“And you pried it out of us, didn’t you?”
“Well, I am the Emperor.”
The way he said it, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, was infuriating.
“You handle internal affairs within the Yudia Duchy and the temple,” the Emperor mused, leaning forward slightly.
Then, his smile faded.
“But I handle the rest of the empire.”
His voice was calm, yet cold.
“Duke, I don’t enjoy taking the long route to my answers.
I know what you’re all worried about.
That’s why I’ll ensure the security of the meeting.
Minimum personnel.
No records, no leaks.
That’s the best I can offer.”
“……Tch.”
Ludbrid clicked his tongue loudly.
The Emperor smirked, knowing he had won.
“Much obliged.”
“…Do you have any idea how insufferable you are?”
“I do.
And I appreciate the compliment.”
The Emperor’s grin was infuriatingly smug.
This man, who had climbed to the throne by executing his father, slaughtering his siblings, and sparing only his sister…
He was not someone to be taken lightly.
***
“Oh, by the way,” Ludbrid suddenly asked, “what happened to the ones who kidnapped my granddaughter?
The imperial court took them in, correct?”
Considering the Crown Prince had been involved, the Emperor must have been seething with rage.
Whoever was responsible would soon face annihilation—their entire bloodline erased from existence.
The Emperor chuckled darkly.
“Ah… Well, it seems the King of Riversdal has been quite restless these days.
Rumors reached him about a certain phoenix.”
Ludbrid’s expression hardened instantly.
The Emperor smiled, almost lazily.
“Honestly, you should have been more careful about keeping that information under wraps.”
“……Tch.”
“Sloppy management, or are you just getting old?”
“It was simply too public to suppress entirely.
Loose tongues exist everywhere.”
“Well,” the Emperor said lightly, “next time, make sure to cut those tongues out.”
Ludbrid shot to his feet, only to freeze.
“…And what exactly are you doing?”
There, dangling upside down from the ceiling like a bat, was Zedrian.
Grinning.