Benjamin, who had initially listened impassively to the young servant’s words, finally opened his wrinkled eyes wide.

A golden carriage.

Numerous knights.

Flags embroidered with golden lions.

Just hearing these details, one could tell. An excessively lofty presence had come to this old mansion, where visitors’ footsteps had long since ceased.

Benjamin tried to calm his mind as he hurriedly went down to the reception room.

As expected, waiting there, having entered at will, was the supreme being that no one in the empire could surpass.

“Your, Your Imperial Majesty. What brings you here?”

Ernant, who was sitting askew on the sofa in the baron’s reception room, abruptly asked.

“Where is the baron? Does he not come to greet the Emperor? His neck seems excessively stiff.”

“The master is currently bedridden due to monster poison—”

“Enough, I have a few questions for you.”

Ernant leaned his upper body forward from the sofa’s backrest and continued speaking.

“Has the Silver Knight come here?”

“The, the Silver Knight…”

“I’m talking about Yulia von Schneestern.”

For a moment, Benjamin couldn’t answer.

He knew in his mind that he should answer without a single lie since the Emperor was asking.

Honestly confessing that Yulia had come here would be the way to save his life.

But something felt off.

Ernant’s expression as he asked about Yulia was unsettling.

His expression was too cold for someone who had just come to exchange greetings, and an ominous feeling crept down Benjamin’s spine.

Perhaps his answer would put Sir Schneestern in danger?

As he hesitated with such thoughts, a deep smile suddenly spread across Ernant’s face.

“The baron has a stiff neck, and the butler has a tight lip. A head of household who doesn’t bow before the Emperor and a butler who doesn’t answer the Emperor’s question…”

“I, I have committed a mortal sin. Sir Yulia von Schneestern—”

“No, no need to answer. I already knew when I came.”

Before Benjamin could reply, Ernant immediately spoke again.

“I heard that Yulia was staying at the Great Temple. From a spy I planted there.”

“…”

“However, I didn’t believe it at first. As far as I knew, Yulia had certainly disappeared into the rift. So I wondered if perhaps the spy I planted had submitted a false report… I observed the movements of the Great Temple and the Pope for a long time, puzzled.”

“…”

“And then I found out. That Yulia had really been with that Pope fellow all this time. What do you think I did next?”

This time, Benjamin immediately answered Ernant’s question.

“I, I don’t know.”

“I waited. Since I couldn’t storm into the Great Temple, I waited for them to come out.”

“…”

“Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long. Yulia isn’t good at staying quietly in one place. Or should I say, she has no talent for hiding.”

“…”

“Anyway, as soon as I received a report from my subordinate that the two had come here, I rushed over. I already knew that Yulia had come here, in a manner of speaking.”

Benjamin wanted to ask.

If he already knew everything, then why did he just ask about Yulia?

But unable to dare ask the question, he kept his mouth shut, when Ernant spoke as if reading his thoughts.

“Then let me ask you one last thing. Why do you think I asked you about Yulia’s whereabouts?”

“…”

Benjamin desperately racked his brain.

How should he answer to preserve his life?

But the time given to him was not long, and Ernant soon muttered in an irritated voice.

“Your answer is delayed again.”

“I, I have committed a mortal sin—”

“I needed a small amusement while waiting for Yulia.”

Ernant coldly stared at Benjamin, who didn’t understand his words.

Then he immediately ordered the knights standing behind him in a flat voice.

“Bind this man.”

Immediately, the knights moved in unison and began to restrain Benjamin.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

Benjamin called out to Ernant desperately, but Ernant did not respond.

He simply waited for the binding to be completed, humming a tune as if ignoring him.

When the old butler was tightly bound without even a chance to resist, Ernant finally approached him.

“You are a criminal who dared to try to deceive the Emperor. When I asked if Yulia had come here, you hesitated to answer because you wanted to hide Yulia’s whereabouts, right?”

“No, no! My ears are not good due to age, so I couldn’t hear Your Majesty’s question properly!”

“I want to kill everyone. Martin and the Pope are already annoying enough, but now even a mere old butler tries to hide Yulia from me.”

For a moment, a murderous intent rose in Ernant’s deep green eyes.

Glaring at Benjamin with such a cruelly flashing gaze, Ernant continued speaking.

“I’m really tired of dealing with these mayflies clinging to my knight. It would be better to make an example so they can’t make such futile attempts again, don’t you think?”

“Your Majesty, please forgive—!”

“Keep this guy kneeling in a suitable place until Yulia arrives. I’ll allow violence to the extent that it doesn’t kill him.”

Thud! As soon as Ernant’s order fell, one of the soldiers struck Benjamin’s abdomen.

Although it was a light hit, it was too much violence for an aged body to withstand.

Benjamin lost consciousness and was dragged away by the soldiers’ hands.

In the now quiet reception room, Ernant’s aide carefully asked.

“Was that fellow a good enough amusement for Your Majesty?”

“Yes, thanks to him, the waiting time became quite enjoyable.”

The Yulia that Ernant knew was not one to pass by the difficulties of an innocent weak person.

So when she saw Benjamin bound and beaten without guilt, she would surely show a weak side.

She might beg Ernant himself to save the old man taken hostage, or she might even kneel down.

Imagining that scene, Ernant wore a sinister smile on his lips.

Fortunately, it seemed my warning had worked well, as Frith and the Holy Knights moved carefully.

I finally felt a little relieved seeing them cautiously pour oil, taking care not to wake the mushrooms.

Even so, I couldn’t completely let my guard down.

With poisonous mushrooms everywhere, even a small mistake could lead to a big accident.

Keeping my voice as low as possible, I said to the group.

“I think we’ve poured enough here. Let’s move to another area.”

There were so many mushrooms blooming that we couldn’t dawdle.

If we moved leisurely, the sun would set in the meantime and the mushrooms would wake up.

So as we were about to move, one of the Holy Knights suddenly called out to me.

“Please take a look at this for a moment. There’s something strange here.”

“…?”

Although time was of the essence, I first examined what the Holy Knight had found at the mention of something strange.

I then let out a surprised breath.

“Ah, this is…”

What the knight had discovered was a brilliantly shining ore of some kind.

A huge ore, about the size of a child’s head, was gleaming there, asserting its presence.

Soon realizing the true identity of the ore, I briefly explained to the group.

“This is something like a monster’s secretion.”

Seeing me call something that was clearly sparkling like a jewel a secretion, everyone looked surprised.

I added a more precise explanation.

“You know how oysters use substances in their bodies to create pearls? It’s similar to that. Occasionally, monsters also expel foreign substances that enter their bodies in this solid form.”

“It’s not a gemstone?”

The knight who first discovered it asked me that.

I pondered for a bit before answering him.

“I’m not sure if it’s classified as a gemstone. However, it does trade for a very high price. It’s pretty to look at, and above all, it contains highly concentrated magical power. You can use this to make quite powerful items.”

Upon hearing that, the Holy Knights’ eyes brightened.

Apparently wanting to dig this out and make a profit, I quickly warned them.

“But we must not touch it.”

“Why not?”

A hint of greed tinged Frith’s voice as he asked.

Deliberately ignoring that greed, I explained why we shouldn’t touch this.

“If we dig it out now, all the mushrooms will wake up. This might look like it’s just sticking out of the ground, but if you dig below, you’ll find it’s connected to the mushroom’s body.”

Hearing that, one of the Holy Knights asked.

“Is there no way to excavate it without waking the mushrooms?”

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.