Chapter 21

***

‘It’s driving me crazy. I don’t want to go and nag her.’

Kwanach bit his lip and clasped the pen.

‘I have to be cautious about everything.’

He wanted to match Usphere as much as he could. He was also willing to change himself to suit her tastes.

As an example, he spent many days reading books about irascible people. Since he didn’t learn to read until he was over seventeen, books always were a distant object for Kwanach.

But he would never forget Usphere, who was so happy to know that he liked reading too.

He didn’t know why Usphere liked piles of paper full of wiggling characters. He planned to follow her and get interested in books from now on.

Just then, another visitor came to the empty office.

It was Oslin Baynard.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes?”

“Here’s the tax estimates for the Western region that you requested. I’ve also included some proposals for reorganizing the tax system.”

“Leave it. I’ll check it later.”

Oslin, who placed the documents on Kwanach’s desk, looked at him with a subtle gaze.

“What are you looking at?”

Kwanach asked sternly, as if he felt the gaze.

“Your temper still hasn’t changed.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“That’s not how you treat the Empress. She might get scared and run away.”

“It’s none of your business.”

Even though Oslin was just making a mean joke as usual, Kwanach felt guilty and nervous. That’s what he was most worried about.

Usphere was born and bred preciously as a princess who had never left her kingdom before.

Meanwhile, Kwanach was taught how to kill from the age of six, and grew up eating scraps inferior to dog food. Although he became Emperor, Usphere would never be able to imitate his natural grace.

He had always been afraid that Usphere would think he was despicable or rude and wild.

But the princess, beautiful to the core, was more than willing to defend him.

“I like you too, Kwanach. You are much better than I imagined.”

What Usphere said last night lingered in his head. Her face, which was speaking softly with a graceful smile, appeared in front of his eyes.

‘You think I’m a nice person, but I think you’ll be disappointed when you find out who I really am…’

Usphere called Kwanach a hero, but Kwanach didn’t think of himself that way. The precious princess did not know the details of what he had walked through. She didn’t know what he had done to deserve this.

That was what he could think of….

“Your Majesty. Are you okay?”

Oslin’s voice woke Kwanach, who was deep in thoughts. Kwanach’s face hardened before he knew it.

“Ah.”

“You’re very strange today.”

“How?”

“You were out of it during the morning meeting.”

“Ah….”

It was because he couldn’t sleep. It was too much tension sharing the same bed with Usphere last night.

At first, Usphere hesitated as if she were nervous, but in no time at all she fell asleep like a child. Even though he was taken aback, her sleeping figure was so beautiful that he watched her for a while.

Before he knew it, the light of dawn was getting brighter.

“All the officials were in an uproar. They said there was something wrong with His Majesty.”

At the morning meeting where the matters were handed over to the first level officials of the various departments of the Administrative Bureau, Kwanach was unusually distracted.

He had always been the most passionate Emperor about his work.

‘Too much passion is a problem.’

Oslin clicked his tongue lowly so Kwanach wouldn’t hear.

Kwanach was famous for being strict. Even if they worked overtime, crying and begging, they would have to start over if it wasn’t up to Kwanach’s perfectionist nature.

The people who went to the city with dreams of success were all in tears of happiness at the news that they would be hired regardless of their status as long as they passed the bureaucratic exam.

Even so, they obeyed Kwanach because he was competent.

He experienced the life of commoners while living at the lowest level as a slave, so he knew exactly what kind of policies were practically necessary.

The Emperor was strange today. Oslin, who looked closely at Kwanach’s complexion, said.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“…… a little.”

Kwanagh gave a small cough.

“No, it’s good to enjoy your new marriage. Don’t push yourself too hard on government affairs.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Yes. Yes. Next week is the regular legislative session. Conservative aristocrats are going to grind their teeth to prevent the passing of the tax reform bill.”

“I’m gonna kill them all or something. If it wasn’t for their involvement in the founding of the country, I would throw them out immediately.”

“You’re not going to do that. You’re a saint, by the way.”

Kwanach wanted to be different from the previous kings of the dynasty, who often killed those who were against their wishes.

This was a country where rationality and practicality were emphasized.

It was the empire that Kwanach wanted. It was the utopia that he had dreamed of while going through his miserable times.

Of course, when it came to blood, he didn’t hesitate. He always acted boldly when negotiating or in a war with other countries. He was a rational administrator, and a field commander.

But he tried not to see any unnecessary blood, at least in the Empire. He already had too much blood on his hands. Even if he washed it for the rest of his life, he would never get rid of the smell of this blood.

Kwanach frowned and said,

“The conservative nobles, you’ll have to try to convince them somehow.”

“If I could persuade them, would I be here talking to you?”

“That’s why I chose you.”

Oslin clenched his fists and slapped his chest.

“No, I’m only an administrator. Your Majesty! Do I have to ask political questions? It’s not fair. Or raise my salary… I have a rabbit-like wife waiting for me at home……”

“Then stop nagging and get out of here. I’ll meet the conservatives one-on-one.”

“That’s a wise idea.”

“Out.”

“I was going to leave anyway.”

Oslin left feeling light, while Kwanach sighed again in his empty office.

Oslin wasn’t wrong. If he couldn’t sleep every day like this, it would interfere with his political duties.

He brought Usphere to the Empire, and he wanted to make this country the best place to live in the world.

“For the time being, I think I’ll take a sedative at night…..I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep with all the tension and excitement.”

* * * *

“I found it!”

After searching for a long time in the library, I found a story about the power of the Northern Catatel family.

The title of the book was “Tales and Legends of the Human Continent Circulating Among the Different Races: A Magic Collection”.

It was a book that could not be found at the Palace of Achaia. It wasn’t about a human fable, but a folktale. I had never heard of it.

My heart began to pound faster. I pulled a chair from the corner of the stack and took a seat near the bookshelf.

I began to read the book with excitement.

[To the north of the Human Continent lies the Silver Forest. It is called the end of the world, and it is the resting place of the half-human, half-god sister of the goddess Fahar.

Fahar sent her sister to protect the forest. However, a group of evil men sought out her dead body and destroyed it.

The power of the soul weakened and faded away.

Then one day, a human from Catatel, who was near the forest, heard the forest crying and headed there.

At the forest’s request, he recovered the damaged body and vowed to protect the forest. The goddess Fahar was greatly pleased and gave power to the Catatel bloodline.

Catatel established a kingdom in a straight line from the center of the forest and named it “Achaia.”]

So far, everyone knew the story.

[The king of Achaia could pray to the forest for wishes to protect the land, and one child per generation was born to use the power of the forest.

They are rare among humans in their use of earthly powers, and are similar to Wood Elves in the use of their abilities.

However, great power comes at a price. Those who gain the power of the forest experience various side effects as their human bodies are unable to withstand the power].

They did not seem to know exactly what the side effects were.

As far as I could tell, it was that their hair and eyes would change color and they would become infertile. Is there anything else?

[However, there was one person in particular who leapt over the limits of humanity.

He was the one who saved this world through his devotion to the goddess Fahar.

He was the one who heard the whispers of the forest.

The eternal friend of the Wood Elves. Genesa Catatel.

The child that Genesa struggled to give birth to returned to her home with the blessings of the elves.

Hundreds of years later, the Wood Elves of Hidden Land still miss and pay tribute to Genesa.]

“Genesa Catatel?”

It was a familiar name. It was a female Awakener who appeared three hundred years ago.

Her ability was to create earthquakes. I heard that she protected the kingdom with her powerful power.

However, this was the first time I’ve heard that she was a friend of the Wood Elves. Moreover, the book did indeed say that Genesa had a child.

‘What’s happened? She overcame the limitations of humans…….’

Perhaps because of the lore between the different races, the content was not detailed.

However, there was a gain in knowledge, even if it was small.

The Wood Elves of the Hidden Land. They might know something.

Interaction between humans and elves ceased a long time ago. However, the dwarf tribe has been steadily coming to the human continent to continue their trade….

Humans weren’t allowed to cross the sea to enter or leave the territory of different races. I was told that if one tried to force their way in by sending out a ship, they would get caught in an unknown whirlpool and be unable to return.

I was hoping to find more information about the Elves….The story of Genesa Catatel.

I wasn’t just trying to fix my infertility, but now I’m genuinely curious. What accomplishments did my ancestor, Genesa Catatel, achieve? Why weren’t they known, even though she had obviously done something worthy?

It was as if I was reading a page of a heroic tale buried deep within. Genesa Catatel, I wondered about her whereabouts.

It was when I was immersed in my newfound story.

I stopped and heard a loud voice from outside, and the door slammed open.

“Usphere!”

It was Kwanach with a grimace.