I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 191: Guilt and such (8)

“You must become a Swordmaster. To be more precise, once you learn to control Aura, the solution will naturally present itself.”

“...Huh? Your Majesty...?”

Sylvia's mouth dropped open in surprise.

The Empress smiled softly and continued.

“What do you think Aura is?”

“Something that shines brightly!”

“Heh... Well, that answer isn’t entirely wrong. Since the essence of Aura hasn’t been fully discovered yet, anything you define it as would be correct.”

The Empress chuckled at Charlotte’s bold response. But as soon as her gaze turned back to me, her expression immediately shifted to one of strictness and seriousness.

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...I feel somewhat wronged.

“However, one of the common traits among those who control Aura is that they experience a change in how they perceive mana.”

“Mana... You mean?”

“Originally, the only way to use mana was by consuming it as fuel generated within the body. But Aura works by inhaling and exhaling mana, both inside and outside the body, through a circulatory process. In that way, it opens up another way of handling mana.”

“T-Then...!”

“Right. Aura can take over the role of the damaged mana-sensing organs caused by mana erosion. Once you awaken your Aura and become a Swordmaster, this adorable... no, this youthful body of yours will return. Since I experienced it myself, there’s no need for further assurance.”

“...!”

Sylvia’s eyes sparkled, and a flush crept up her face.

If she becomes a Swordmaster, it will all be solved.

If she awakens her Aura, the problem will be resolved.

It was an extremely simple solution—without any complexity.

However, simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy.

Had Sylvia not wanted to become a Swordmaster up until now?

Even though she had been sweating and straining to achieve it, she hadn’t been able to reach the level of a Swordmaster.

“Thank you so much, Your Majesty! Thanks to you, I now know which direction to take...!”

Despite all that, Sylvia didn’t look dejected; instead, she was filled with so much joy that she was on the verge of tears.

She must have felt like she had been lost in the dark until now, but at least now she knew where to direct her efforts.

“Well then. Give it your all. If you wish, I can have the commander of the royal knights guide you in training.”

“I cannot express enough gratitude... But from here on, I will do it with my own strength.”

“...”

For a moment, the Empress seemed slightly stunned by Sylvia’s resolute answer and couldn’t speak.

Soon, the Empress smiled and stood up from her seat.

“Do as you wish. Then, may I ask you to leave for a moment? I have something I’d like to discuss with Count Vermont alone.”

“Ah, yes...”

“It was nice to see you again, Your Majesty, my sister...!”

Sylvia left with Charlotte, Yuria, and Yuri, exiting the office.

The Empress waved them off with a heavenly smile, continuing until they disappeared from view.

Once the door closed, her expression immediately hardened.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Such a troublesome person. Knowing I’m weak against children, and then using that. I was happily wondering what to ask in exchange for the favor I granted...”

“I didn’t intend to use you. You’re free to ask for anything in return.”

“Enough! I’d rather die than retract something I’ve already said!”

The Empress crossed her arms and quickly turned her head.

It seemed like she was genuinely upset.

She had been the one who said the favor was forgiven with Sylvia’s cute gesture, yet she was now blaming me.

Still, it seemed like the Empress’s mood was soured, so I decided to ease her a bit.

“Please don’t be upset. I have much to thank Your Majesty for, and I would like to repay you.”

“I haven’t even repaid the favor of you helping me with the mess Reinhardt made. It seems I’m the one who owes you now.”

“Then what difference does it make if that debt increases a little? Speak freely.”

“Flattery... I’m starting to waver in my desire to take you as my vassal. A servant who only speaks sweet words should be kept at a distance.”

The Empress shivered in disgust, then sighed deeply and spoke.

“There’s one person I’d like you to find.”

“A person? Surely, the royal family would be better at this than me...”

“If it’s someone from the Vermont family, it may not be so.”

“...!”

The Empress is looking for someone from the Vermont family...?

Could it be that she’s done something dreadful?

No, there’s no way someone as angelic as her would have committed any evil...

I felt a wave of tension and swallowed hard.

“If it’s someone from the Vermont family, most of them scattered across the country after your father’s execution, so it will be difficult to find. However, if they were born before that, their name should still be on the family register.”

“It was a fleeting connection, so I don’t know much about them. The only thing I know is that, according to appearances, they were a young and well-groomed adult male. And their face was so repellent and terrifying that it was almost biologically repulsive to children. Ah! They looked just like you!”

“...Is there no other clue?”

“Not really. They helped me when I was struggling to adapt after receiving the Spirit King’s Eyes. Since then, I’ve been trying to find them, but I still don’t know their identity.”

The Spirit King’s Eyes... Could the Empress have received help from someone in the Vermont family when she got those?

“Since the information is so vague, I’ll look through the family register and pass on any names that seem to match the age group. Anyway, our family isn’t very large, so there shouldn’t be too many names to go through.”

“Good. That will work.”

“By the way, how did you know this person was from the Vermont family?”

“Heh... There’s always a way.”

“...?”

The Empress glanced at my sleeve and smiled.

Was she referring to the Vermont family seal embedded in my sleeve?

Did she realize it from that?

Her smile was one I couldn’t understand at all.

“By the way, about your bodyguard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That person... Is he already at the level of a Swordmaster?”

“...?”

The Empress asked seriously.

At first, I thought it might be a joke, but there was no sign of one.

Why such a question?

“Just to be sure, may I ask if the criterion for being a Swordmaster is whether or not they have awakened their Aura?”

“That’s correct.”

“In that case, Sylvia is clearly not at the level of a Swordmaster. She hasn’t yet awakened her Aura.”

“That can’t be... That’s strange. When I saw her, everything about her, from her demeanor to her aura, was perfect. It wouldn’t be strange if she were to immediately use her Aura. What bothers me the most is that she rejected the royal knight commander’s guidance. The process of awakening Aura varies for each person, so even if she were to receive another Swordmaster’s guidance, it wouldn’t have meant much, yet she realized that so quickly...”

The Empress tilted her head, clicking her tongue.

Since this judgment was made through the Spirit King’s Eyes, it must be accurate.

That means Sylvia truly has the potential to be a Swordmaster.

She could even match the level of Swordmaster Reinhardt, so in terms of skill, she’s already very close to that level.

Could it be that Sylvia is almost on the verge of becoming a Swordmaster?

It was good news that I knew would make Sylvia incredibly happy, but I decided not to tell her just yet.

She shouldn’t become overconfident, thinking she’s close to the goal.

“I also considered her close to a Swordmaster and was treating her as a quasi-Swordmaster.”

“No. That’s not what I mean. I’m saying she should have already surpassed the level of a Swordmaster by now.”

“...!?”

At the shocking news, my heart sank.

Wait a minute. If her skills are already beyond that of a Swordmaster, but she hasn’t yet awakened her Aura...

Could it be that Sylvia’s inability to awaken is due to an external factor rather than a personal issue?

For example, what if an injury to her heart has prevented her from awakening her Aura?

If that’s the case, it would be impossible for Sylvia to become a Swordmaster...

A feeling of unease crept up, and sweat started to bead on my forehead.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will keep this in mind. And as for the Vermont family, I will find the information and come to report to you shortly.”

“There’s no need to come in person. You can just send it by mail.”

“For security reasons, wouldn’t it be better to deliver it in person?”

“If you distrust the security of the royal palace’s mail, then there’s nothing in this world to trust. Tsk. If you’re coming, you’ll have to prepare from the morning and delay your work. It would be inconvenient, so just send it by mail!”

“Yes...”

The Empress waved me off impatiently.

As I left the office, I couldn’t shake off my confusion.

Why did she suddenly insist on using the mail when, before, she always invited me to visit whenever something came up?

Now that I think about it, when I visited her office before, she would always greet me in disheveled clothes, wearing dark circles and glasses while working.

Today, however, she was dressed neatly and had a light touch of makeup, greeting me without any signs of fatigue.

What was going on?

‘Could it be that she didn’t want to show me her bare face...?’

Maybe she didn’t want to show me her tired, unkempt appearance and instead wanted me to see her put-together side...

That would make sense, right?