Published: January 4, 2026
While Yellow was making preparations, I called Peiyu and Ivy from the lodging.
Inside the governor’s office, I faced the two women.
Peiyu still seemed fine, but Ivy looked at me sitting arrogantly in the governor’s office and, at last, seemed to truly realize that I was the emperor. That was the expression she wore.
“This is an emergency. I will return to the Imperial Capital ahead of you.”
“What should we do?” Peiyu asked.
“You two will stay here and complete the tasks I started.”
“Eh!?”
“We are to do that?”
Peiyu and Ivy were surprised.
“I-I can’t. We can’t replace our master.”
“It’s all right. I’ve left behind written instructions for what needs to be done.”
I showed Peiyu five sealed letters, each tightly sealed with wax.
“Each one is numbered, right? Just open them in order and follow exactly what’s written inside. It’s an emergency; I’ve made it so you don’t have to think about anything.”
“But…”
“Someday, you might have to go outside, just like Evelyn or Zoe.”
“Me too!?”
Peiyu was shocked.
It was no longer unusual for my servants or maids to go out and become magistrates, but Peiyu seemed to have never imagined it would come to her.
“Yes, think of this as a rehearsal.”
“But…”
“In terms of loyalty, the only one I can entrust this place to right now is you, Peiyu.”
“—!!”
Peiyu gasped, eyes wide.
That was true.
Practically speaking, Yellow was far more reliable than Peiyu.
After all, Yellow was the official governor and a servant of Oscar.
Oscar was very selective about whom he appointed as his servants, never letting completely incompetent people sully his name by sending them out.
In other words, since Yellow was Oscar’s servant, he was certainly capable to some degree.
But even if he was competent, I could not expect him to be loyal to me.
In terms of loyalty and executing what I wished, the person I could rely on most here and now was Peiyu.
Peiyu’s eyes flickered upon hearing the emphasis on loyalty.
She began to look like she was considering she might be able to do it herself.
“Peiyu.”
“Y-Yes!”
“The empire is at stake. Do it.”
“—Yes!”
Although she seemed pushed into it, Peiyu agreed to do it in her own words.
“Ivy, support Peiyu. You might have to do the same someday.”
“U-Understood…”
Ivy’s response was gentler, probably because she had been serving me for only a short time and didn’t quite grasp the reality.
That was fine for now.
“I’m leaving Bahamut behind. It’s my order, and Bahamut, which I always carry. Act as my envoy with this.”
“B-Bahamut-sama!?—Understood!”
Instead of becoming even more intimidated, Peiyu seemed to accept my seriousness upon hearing I was leaving Bahamut. Her expression tightened, and she replied clearly.
The idea of sending her out in the future was just a cover to get through this situation, but if she could manage this, I began to think that someday she really might…
“Um, Master. May I ask something?”
“Go ahead. I’ll answer anything until Yellow’s preparations are complete.”
“Can I call John to help?”
“—Haha.”
A laugh came naturally.
I had been pleasantly surprised twice in this short time, so it was only natural to find it amusing.
“Why John?”
“Because, like me, he would never betray Master, and he can handle anything that comes up better than I can.”
“Hmm, 99 points.”
“Then—?”
“You’re the envoy, do as you think best.”
“Understood!!”
Seeing Peiyu respond even more clearly, I couldn’t help but laugh again.
☆
Riding the horse Yellow had prepared, I hurried along the highway toward the Imperial Capital.
There were two horses initially.
I rode one and led the other by a long rein, running alongside.
I paid no attention to the horses’ condition and whipped them hard to gallop.
At one point, the horse I was riding faltered.
Sensing that, I jumped onto the other horse, which had “just been running alongside.”
The horse I had ridden stumbled and collapsed right there.