The Response to my Drunken Proposal was Surprisingly Good

Chapter 12-17:The Inspector(1-6)

✦ Chapter 12 – The Inspector (1) ✦

"Hmm."

I left the Emperor's quarters with mixed feelings. In my hand was a scroll given to me by the Emperor.

▶ First, become stronger than Ether.

▶ Second, become more noble than Hedera.

▶ Third, become more devout than Solana.

▶ Fourth, acquire more wealth than Chain.

▶ Fifth, reach a higher magic realm than Neo.

Simply put, the Emperor's options were just two — either complete the prerequisites written on the scroll to escape being an "inadequate man," or just die.

Except for the fifth item, the difficulty was nearly impossible, but what could I do? If I don't want to die, I have to do it. I couldn't die in vain after doing this out of resentment for my terminal illness.

I muttered while chewing on the sunweed.

"...In the end, I couldn't even suggest pretending nothing happened."

Moreover, there was an even more crucial fact now.

— How on earth did you manage to win the hearts of all my daughters?

Yes, the Emperor definitely said that.

The fact that the Emperor, not the princesses, presented the five prerequisites, and that he offered conditions instead of trying to kill me... These clues suggest only one thing.

'Are the princesses considering this marriage positively?'

...All five of them?

Given the circumstances, it seems so. Sufficiently so.

This could be incredibly good news, but currently, my feelings were rather complicated. After all, the Emperor's way of thinking had long since left the realm of human comprehension.

The biggest concern was the potential friction between the princesses and the Emperor. If they, who have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields, were to oppose the Emperor, the repercussions...

The chaos that could ensue across the continent was terrible even to imagine.

Somehow, the future of the continent now depends on me.

It was too late to back out, and the situation had grown too big to pretend nothing happened, so completing all the prerequisites was the only way to conclude this without any harm. That's the situation I'm in now.

"Hah," I sighed deeply, shaking off my worries.

Nothing would change by dwelling on concerns and apprehensions. It's a hundred times more helpful to focus on what needs to be done and the positive aspects.

The Emperor also said this—

—If my daughter gets a husband, well, I don't think he'd be terminally ill.

Though indirectly, the Emperor's meaning was clear.

If by any chance I were to marry a princess, he would help with my current terminal illness problem.

"Well, it's not impossible."

I muttered this as I made my way to my quarters.

Hoo─

I exhaled a long stream of sunweed smoke.

Tomorrow will be the start of some extremely busy days.

~~••~~••~~