Chapter 57

Desert Flower (1)

Translated by WookEdited by Wook

A land of hills that have been cut at an angle are scattered here and there.

With every step, the dry soil fluttered and spat out dust.

Elisha did not delay.

Swaaa!

The bird created by the spirit of water splits through the wind and flaps its wings. Elisha made them move slowly by slowing them down as much as possible.

Otherwise, she thought the baron’s knights would not dare to follow.

If she could, she wanted to make the 1st Knights move directly, but Rohan shook his head.

Even if it wasn’t the Polek area where the movement of monsters was confirmed, he said that it’s not good for the 1st Knights in charge of the escort to move away from her since it’s still an area nearby.

It was a valid opinion, so Elisha immediately agreed.

Above all, she didn’t use the portal for various reasons when she left Barossa, but she won’t have to upon the return trip.

As soon as the baron’s knights left, she decided to move to the old site where the portal is located and return to Barossa Palace immediately, and she had even received the emperor’s permission through the crown prince.

However, the best situation and the last opportunity for the forces targeting her was here in Syuphl Barony.

There was nothing bad about being overly cautious especially when it concerned Leon.

“Is there anything you don’t like? Oh, except for the fact that the baron’s knights are a little less.”

Even though they saw with their own eyes that the horsemanship of the second emperor was better than theirs, they say it was dangerous for a noble woman like the 2nd Empress to ride a horse.

Since desert monsters are different from common monsters on the continent, they insisted that she must follow their instructions, and the way she sneered was a spectacle.

It was harder not to notice Perry, who was sneaking up and approaching.

He was carrying Leon on his back. Yesterday and today they pretended to be close, but today they seemed to have truly gotten close. Elisha said as she stroked Leon’s hair.

“I don’t know if finding the water veins will really help them.”

It was obvious that the baron would get help from people around him because he did not think he would be able to dig and manage the water vein on his own. Didn’t the baron already mention it once?

She didn’t think that man, who didn’t seem to have any backbone, would protect his territory or its people well, and if that happens, wouldn’t this barony be reduced to a target of looting as in the past, causing only greater suffering to those living in this land?

“Ah.”

Perry was a little surprised because he did not know that the 2nd Empress would be thinking that far.

Looking back on it, the 2nd Empress did it all the time she came here.

“…Still, wouldn’t it be better than nothing? It was something that we needed from each other. We can’t take responsibility until then, can we?”

That was correct.

She couldn’t take responsibility, and she couldn’t be bothered.

There is only one person in the Empire, the Emperor, who can grieve for the entire nation, regardless of the political color or the location of the territory.

Before leaving, what Kaiden said comes to mind.

He told Elisha to be the one who moves, not the one who tries to move.

It was definitely a warning.

But Elisha was also a mover.

The greatest predator who stole the throne by stepping over the opponent who warned her too!

Although the direction was twisted according to the purpose, it was impossible not to have eyes looking down on the whole from above.

Even if she could see it then, but she doesn’t see it now.

Likewise, the emperor was the only one in this empire who deserved to paint what he saw as he wanted.

So Elisha’s current role is to see and convey.

Not to the current emperor, Kaiden, but to Ascensio, who will be the next great emperor.

And she’s going to ask.

What will happen to the people of the small villages in the territory on the outskirts of the great aristocratic faction belonging to the anti-emperor faction in the empire you are drawing?

What kind of emperor do you want to be?

My dark-haired child.

Elisha lifted her hand from Leon’s silver hair that was gently wrapped around her, and looked back to the front.

The Baron’s territory is more of a family home than other territories in the west, so it will take quite a while for the scattered spirits to return.

It was only then that Perry, who finally remembered why he came to her, opened his mouth.

“The sun will set when we finish. It is said that the baron’s people have set up lodging in a nearby village. I think we can rest there and leave tomorrow morning.”

“If you don’t like the village, we can camp like last night”, he also said, but Elisha asked them to go to the accommodation.

It’s not because of Tricia, who will pretend to be uncomfortable all night and toss and turn.

“It’s not polite to refuse the baron’s sincerity. We’ll have to run a full day tomorrow to be able to return to the barony, and I think it’ll be less stressful for Leon if he sleeps properly.”

“Yes, yes. I guess so.”

The cool sky-blue eyes were set on Perry, who nodded his head.

Hick!

Perry swallowed with his dry throat and felt the weight of Leon on his back, feeling relieved.

What should the Empress do to him, who was terribly close with the 3rd Prince?

“It’s enough for Dell alone to tease his tongue as he pleases.”

She was muttering to herself, but it was loud enough for Perry’s ears to hear clearly.

“Does Your Majesty mean the new commander of the 2nd Knights?”

Elisha nodded, and Perry’s pupils shook as he said.

“Isn’t it better to have two than one? It’s like I’m taking good care of the 2nd Empress so that while Sir Dell is not here, the 2nd Empress won’t be lonely. Hahaha!”

“Not necessarily. Common things have to be doubled to have power, but the less valuable things are, the more valuable they are. So let’s see if you can match Sir Dell.”

“Y-Your Majesty, you don’t have to do that.”

“How come you get to decide that?”

“That’s right. That’s right. Why would I decide that? Hahaha!”

He was smiling all the time, but his face was half-withering. Elisha waved her hand as if she found him noisy.

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The intimidated Perry shut his mouth quickly.

Time passed slowly and the birds made of water returned.

Some of them could not come because the smell of water was too far and weak.

Perhaps there was nothing to do within the range of movement.

Even so, the baron’s knights appeared one by one on their exhausted horses. Elisha looked closely at them and turned around. She didn’t think anything was going to happen right away.

***

The village where Elisha and the party arrived after work was shabby.

An old man who appeared to be the village chief was bowing in front of the entrance to the village, as if he was going to have his head pounded into the ground.

With his guidance, they headed towards the center of town.

There was an inn for tourists and the village chief’s house a little farther away, and those two places were where the party would stay today.

It might be the best place in this town, but it wasn’t the perfect place for the party’s castle. Still, some people realized they only have to endure it roughly for a day, while others were annoyed and frowned.

Elisha, the highest ranking member of the group, was calm without a word of dissatisfaction, so they didn’t dare to express their dissatisfaction.  It was the same at the late dinner meal that started in the inn’s dining room, as Elisha quietly emptied her share of food.

The taste of beef grilled with only salt without marinade was rough, and the bread mixed with rye was rough, but so what?

To Elisha, it was not much different from the food provided by the barons or other noble families.

The table wasn’t long enough for everyone to sit, so some of them were squeezed together and sat down at the top of the table covered with white cloth. When Elisha put down her fork and knife, everyone flinched and stopped their movement.

The candlesticks placed in the middle of the table have been carefully cleaned, but they still stood out. Shadows flowed down the candlesticks that were placed under the candles that were illuminating the surroundings. The lower the candle, the greater the black shadow spreading on the table, and it touched Elisha’s fingertips.

Elisha, who was holding the tip of the shadow with her index finger, put her middle finger and moved the two fingers together, pretending they were human legs, ran them across the table, and leaned on the bowl before Leon.

Leon’s eyes widened and he looked only at Elisha’s fingertips, and when her finger suddenly poked his cheek, he burst into a bright smile.

Elisha looked at her child gently, then tore the bread into small pieces and dipped it in the soup, took it out and put it in his mouth.

The child took what she gave and ate it like a baby bird.

“You’re a good child for eating when I give it like this.”

Elisha praised.

Some of those who were astonished by the undignified behavior of the 2nd Empress found out that the food in front of the 3rd Prince had not decreased at all. Like Elisha, Rohan, who was pushing soft or sweet food in front of Leon because he was watching from the beginning, wanted to ask if he needed anything, but Perry was faster.

“Are you okay? Do you have an upset stomach? Should I prepare some medicine?”

“It’s okay. The climate here doesn’t seem right. It is his first trip and it is too long, so it is normal to get tired.”

“It’s said that the water is warmed up. If you take a bath, your exhaustion will be relieved.”

“That would be nice too.”

Elisha, who answered, stood up at the table first after confirming that the child was chewing and eating everything she had offered.

“You ate well. Everyone, don’t worry about us. Let’s finish eating.”

As Elisha went out with Leon, she made eye contact with the boy who was standing in the back to serve them. She had been feeling someone’s gaze for a while, so she was wondering who it was. Elisha stared at the boy holding a tray supporting the water bottle for a while, then went outside and headed for the chief’s house.

It didn’t look like a space for a bathtub, but there was a large hollow wooden barrel in the empty room that had been cleaned beforehand.

The width was wide but the height was low, making it easy to serve the people who went inside. Dorian dressed Leon in a small robe.

“You look like a water fairy.”

Elisha, who approached with her blue cape, looked at Leon entering the wooden barrel and sat slightly on the rim of the wooden barrel to check the water temperature with her hands. When Leon sat in the barrel, Elisha scooped water with her hands and sprinkled it over Leon’s shoulders.

Splash!

Dorian wetted Leon’s hair from the back, and the silver hair did not sink gray even when wet, and it glistened more like a jewel.

The boy who came in to help with the bath supplies was the face she saw at the inn earlier.

A child the size of Leon was standing next to the boy, probably because the sons of noble families used to have their peers as servants. Leon didn’t find him because the boy was behind Elisha, and Elisha or Dorian didn’t care whether the boy was there or not.

But they would soon be unable to do so.

It was because the little child, who saw the drops of water dripping with each movement of Elisha’s hand, swallowed as if he were thirsty.

At first, she thought she heard it wrong, but Elisha stopped her hand at the continuing sound, and the soft towel Dorian was moving stopped as well.

In the midst of silence.

Gulp, gulp!

The sound of swallowing floated into the air like a round bubble and then disappeared.

It was clear now that they didn’t hear it wrong, so everyone shut their mouths and looked only at the side from which the sound was heard.

Translator’s note:

Hello, everyone, it’s been a while (for advanced readers). It’s been a while, and maybe that’s why I had more problems when translating this chapter *cries*

Out of all the novels I’m working on, this one has the most awkward wordings and writing, (Try the first sentence of this chapter: A land of hills that have been cut at an angle are scattered here and there. What the hell is “a land of hills that have been cut at an angle?) which I’m sure you can already tell from the first few chapters. I have to alter some sentences here and there to make it more understandable and I’m so busy trying to make sense of the sentences that I sometimes forget to pay attention to the grammars, which I’m sure you must have also noticed *cries again* On this occasion I’d like to apologize for that and thank you for your supports despite the crappy work *bows*

The best option for us is obviously to get the help of an editor, however, I’m really against working with anyone. One of the reasons is that it is hard finding someone who can meet my expectations as well as having all the free time in the world to fit my schedule. Trust me, I’ve tried.

===

Now that I’ve said all that, let us get into the story.

There’s not much in this chapter. Just Elisha searching for water veins in the last barony of the agenda, the Syuphl Barony. She thinks that this is the last place and opportunity for the parties who want to harm her.

Here it is also stated that the real purpose of her trip is not for the emperor’s good name, but Ascencio, and she is acting as Ascencio’s eyes, not Kaiden. And that she’d leave all the decisions to Ascencio from the sentence:

Likewise, the emperor was the only one in this empire who deserved to paint what he saw as he wanted.

So Elisha’s current role is to see and convey.

Not to the current emperor, Kaiden, but to Ascensio, who will be the next great emperor.

Then there’s Perry suggesting things to Elisha, which he normally wouldn’t have done, and which Elisha describes as “noisy”. He’s just trying to be friendly without any malicious intention, and kind of implying (?) he doesn’t mind being her aide or something like that.

From this paragraph I’d assume that there are not many water veins that can be found in Syuphl Barony and the bold part just makes my assumption stronger.

Time passed slowly and the birds made of water returned.

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Some of them could not come because the smell of water was too far and weak.

Perhaps there was nothing to do within the range of movement.

Even so, the baron’s knights appeared one by one on their exhausted horses.

I got a feeling the new boy is gonna be Leon’s servant starting the next chapter, but we’ll see? I first thought he’s a pervert not gonna lie *rofl*