We advanced furthermore and saw a small house.
There is a shallow stream in the front and a hill behind.
Fishes could be seen swimming in the clear waters, and you can see different kinds of flowers blooming on the hill.
It’s an environment that a person who likes to live in a slow life would drool seeing.
『This is too small for an Emperor’s residence』
Eleanor pointed out.
That’s right. This environment that is more than enough to live a slow life isn’t a place where someone who would call themselves as Emperor would live in.
The small house wasn’t that far from being called a hut.
It looks like a structure that’s just a bit wider than a shed.
「Is it here?」
To make sure, I asked Agnes.
「It should be」
Agnes nodded and walked towards the small house. She unhesitatingly knocked on the door.
The sound of the thin board getting hit returned after the knock.
「Is anyone here?」
「Umu, I allow you to enter」
I heard a woman’s voice from inside.
She spoke in an exaggerated tone. I exchanged looks with Agnes and entered inside after nodding to each other.
「Ehh?!」
Agnes raised a voice that was closer to a scream.
The small house was only as small as a shed, but it was very spacious when we entered inside.
The interior seemed similar to Calamba Kingdom’s audience hall where Rica would usually stay.
It’s a wide and luxurious room almost the same as that.
There is a throne placed in the middle and a woman is sitting on that throne.
「You are late」
「Eh? What do you mean late……」
「However, I am a great and generous ruler. I forgive you for the small things such as being late」
「No, what do you mean late, we’re justーー」
「Come now, receive this」
She handed Agnes an envelope with an exaggerated gesture.
It’s a wax-sealed envelope with a majestic stamp.
「W-What is this」
「How odd of you to ask that. What else would it be other than this Emperor’s imperial edict」
「E-Edict?」
Edict……? Ahh, the official documents that the emperor gives out huh.
「One is for the adventurer’s guild, and one is for the officials in Reiusu」
「Uhm……」
「What are you doing. Take it quickly. No matter how generous I am, my time is not infinite nor worthless」
Agnes looked at me with a troubled face.
“What should I do?” was clearly written on her expression.
It can’t be helped, so I interrupted.
「Have you mistaken us for someone else?」
「……you ,are you not letter carriers?」
「No, we’re not」
「Hou」
The woman pulled back the hand holding the envelope.
After that, she stared at me with observing eyes.
「Uninvited guests entered my palace without permission huh. If I had my way, you have taken actions that would’ve been enough for you to be executed for your crime」
「Eh? But we areーー」
「However, I am a wise and generous Emperor. I shall forgive this level of impoliteness with a laugh」
After saying that, the woman really laughed.
She laughed in delight as if she’s watching a comedy show or maybe a variety show.
「Now then, no matter how generous I am, this Emperor does not have any time to waste for uninvited guests」
Agnes flinched.
She flinched wondering what would happen next.
「By the way, what are you called?」
「I’m Yuuki Kakeru」
「I’m Agnes, why……?」
「Hmm Yuukikakeru and Agnes huh. In the name of the Emperor of the Divine Mercouri Empire, Dunamis Savum, I welcome you」
「Eh?」
「With this, you are now my guests」
「……ehh?」
Agnes was surprised and confused, she had an expression in between.
『Kukuku, isn’t she quite interesting』
Eleanor laughed.
I agreed with her.
I looked at the womanーーDunamis, and looked around.
Actually, I’m even more curious about this audience hall more than her.
It looked like a small house only as small as a mass-produced shed from the outside, but it’s more than ten times wider inside.
It seems like an inconsistent place, as if it was connected to a space from a different dimension.
I feel like I saw a cat-type robot having a secret tool like this when I was a child.
『Kukuku』
Eleanor let out a meaningful laugh.
『What is it, Okasan』
『I’m just looking at how unusually foolish this man is』
『Otou-san’s foolish?』
『Although the prejudice within his knowledge is getting on his way, even so, there is no other way to describe him but foolish』
Eleanor said, with an even more happier tone.
It doesn’t feel like she’s seriously looking down on me or blaming me. It feels like she feels unusual about my mistake and she’s just enjoying that.
My prejudice is getting on the way……?
The prejudice is probably the tool of the cat-type robot.
The house looked narrow from the outside, but it was wide inside, so much as if the walls might be just wallpapers for show.
And since she’s telling me somethings getting on the way……it’s actually the same just how it looks from the outside?
「Don’t tell me……」
Even while involuntarily letting out my voice, I looked around the room then reached out my hand.
And when I did that, my hand landed on a place where there shouldn’t be anything.
It felt like I was pantomiming with an invisible glass, but as a result of my touch supporting my sight, I quickly felt something was wrong and understood.
「Trompe l’oeil, an optical illusion huh」
「Eh?!」
Agnes was surprised by my words.
I continued to touch the walls.
I touched many places and understood it pretty much.
This small house is about as wide as an 8-tatami room, a little more than 14 square meters.
And to make it look very wide, the walls were painted with a very skilled and detailed picture.
Although the room itself was narrow, the walls have an optical illusion that makes the house look like a very wide hall.
「It’s true, the walls are painted」
「Why did you do something like this?」
「Do not ask the obvious」
Dunamis answered with a smile.
Although I pointed out the optical illusion she made and saw through the product of her vanity, she didn’t look to be unpleased at all.
「The Emperor is the symbol of authority and authority is one obtained after the body. Being an Emperor, one must not lack authority. However, it is not something needed to be maintained, if it would be the burden of my people」
「……in other words?」
「Fu! I drew it myself」
「Ehh?! You did this yourself?!」
Agnes was very surprised.
I was also impressed.
I looked at the optical illusions drawings once again.
It was drawn with a very high quality, that even I wasn’t able to see through it until Eleanor gave me a hint.
It’s amazing, if she really drew it herself.
「re?」
「What’s the matter?」
「No, it’s just……her clothes……」
After noticing something that feels wrong, that feeling would continue.
I stared at Dunamis.
As a self-proclaimed Emperor, she is wearing overbearing clothes that are only appropriate to her throne.
However, that’s only until you take a close look.
「The seams around the sleeves aren’t completely straight. Those clothes are also handmade huh」
「What?!」
Agnes was surprised again. She narrowed her eyes and stared at Dunamis.
But even after having that found out, Dunamis said.
「Hou, you have good eyes」
She still didn’t get unpleased. Instead, she even made an entertained laughed.
「Umu, exactly. I made them all by myself」
Surprisingly, she was cosplaying.
But even though I said that, it was of high quality.
I noticed the optical illusions drawings because I was given a hint, but I didn’t feel anything strange until then.
She is wearing clothes that aren’t strange even if they are worn by Ricaーーit’s an attire only appropriate to a ruler.
「Now then. I ask you. What did you come here for?」
「Ah〜……, I came because of a quest from the guild」
「Hou?」
「Uhm……how should I say this……」
Agnes scratched her check, looking like she’s having a hard time saying it. However, she braced herself and said.
「There might be an organization or power that would spark a revolt in the kingdom, so I was told to go and check」
「Hahaha, that is something you do not need to worry about」
Dunamis loudly laughed.
She reacted like she’s amused as she declared that. I became curious about the reason.
「Why is it something not to worry about?」
「No, I should answer in this way. By saying that, you are being impolite」
「What do you mean?」
「You said revolt. You are saying that I, the Emperor, would revolt against someone who call himself the king. That is what you want to imply right?」
「yeah」
「An Emperor revolting against a king, hmph. Does a storeowner challenge to obtain the position of their employees?」
「That kind of logic huh」
According to Dunamis’s logic.
She is an Emperor, and the Mercouri Kingdom has a King.
Between the Emperor and the King, the Emperor has a higher position, so it is a strange thing that she would revolt against the latter.
「Are you convinced now?」
「Well, I am」
Because she has an interesting personality just like Eleanor said, I was convinced in a sense.
「Fine then. Right, you mentioned that you came from the Guild」
「So what?」
「I shall ask you to bring this to the Guild then. With you delivering it to them in passing, then there is no need for me to use a letter carrier」
After saying that, Dunamis took out the envelope again.
「You showed that before, what’s written inside?」
「My imperial command. It is written that recently, the monsters near Reiusu are increasing in numbers, so they must quickly subjugate them」
「……there’s another one, what about that?」
Something reasonable was surprisingly written. I got curious about the other one.
「This one? This is also to be sent to Reiusu. It is a document that summarizes the conditions of the roads leading to Reiusu, and the parts that must be repaired quickly in preference to logistics」
「Heh〜……」
『Hou……』
My voice overlapped with Eleanor’s.
The self-proclaimed Emperor that lived in a small house and made optical illusion drawings and handmade clothes by herself.
I thought that she was just someone eccentric, but she might unexpectedly be really attending her “office”.
Both me, and Eleanor.
I clearly felt that our interest towards her is quickly getting stronger.
– –