Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 169

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Incidents don’t happen in meeting rooms. They happen in the field. (2)

“We’ll push forward.”
Cecilia Crowell spoke as casually as if discussing dessert at the State Banquet where the great nobles—Duke Neftis, Count Letem, and others—had gathered. Count Letem accepted her words, but my father expressed his concerns. Likely because Sera and her associates were my friends. The man had a soft heart.
“The Third Princess Faction will resist fiercely. And…”
Sera would become a traitor.
Cecilia’s order to push forward concerned her own ascension to the throne. If Cecilia seized power by force, disregarding all other opinions, Sera would naturally resist, and Emperor Cecilia could then brand Sera’s faction as rebels.
If one side refused to yield, then they would fight until one of them died. The loser would become a traitor, and the winner would become Emperor. We had reached that point.
“If they won’t follow, I’ll simply eliminate them. …Evan.”
Cecilia, having declared her intention to remove all nobles who sided with the Third Princess, suddenly called my name. The moment “Evan” left Cecilia’s lips, my father flinched, but she hadn’t summoned me for any particularly significant reason.
“Eat with some dignity.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I’d been stuffing food into my mouth carelessly as usual. Even though I’d been given a seat at the foot of the State Banquet table as a member of the Cecil Faction, if I continued like this, it would reflect poorly on Cecilia. I should eat more carefully.
“…”
Wait! Why was I worried about Cecilia’s reputation?! I was so startled by my own thoughts that I nearly dropped my fork and knife. At that same moment, the door opened and the Bachelor entered with hurried steps, reporting to Cecilia.
“The forced ascension will take time.”
That sounded like some elaborate fast food joke. It wasn’t just me who found it strange—the senior members of the Cecil Faction tilted their heads in confusion. The news the Bachelor announced to everyone was quite shocking.
“Princess Sera has fled with the Imperial Seal and the Crown.”
Oh, run, Imperial Seal, run.
The nobles gathered at the State Banquet had reason to be gloomy, but given the circumstances, their shock was more pronounced. My father even let out a hollow laugh, and Reina’s mother lived up to her reputation as Reina’s mother.
“She’s absolutely insane.”
I understood exactly where Reina got her mouth. Count Letem, who without hesitation called a princess of the realm insane—speaking to an insane person as if they were insane—stepped forward to make a contribution.
“We cannot leave Princess Sera as she is. Shall I apprehend her?”
Cecilia made a contemplative sound, then asked the Bachelor where Sera had headed. Learning that she’d gone toward Ilam, Cecilia readily called my name.
“Evan. You go.”
“With respect, Crown Princess. Princess Sera is surrounded by many skilled individuals.”
Count Letem firmly objected, saying that since Sera herself possessed tremendous martial prowess, sending a young thing like me would be insufficient to capture them all. I spoke respectfully to Reina’s mother to gauge my current abilities.
“Your old bones will break. Stay in the back room and support your spine.”
Wow, I was crueler than Count Letem. I’d meant to tell the elder to rest since I, being even a year younger, would handle the work, but completely tactless words spilled out instead.
“You brat, get out here.”
My father quickly rose and blocked me as Reina’s mother advanced as if to grab my collar at any moment.
“The Baron of Ilam was thinking of the Count’s wellbeing! To not appreciate such consideration and pick a fight instead!”
“Your Grace, does that sound like she’s thinking of me? Did you stuff a wrench in your ear?!”
Wow, Reina’s mother really is something. I’d just thought Reina had arrived. My chest suddenly filled with wonder at the mysteries of genetics and the importance of family environment, so I spoke what I felt.
“I thought Reina had come.”
Count Letem struck the table with his fist with a loud bang. At least he didn’t destroy Imperial property like Reina would have, despite being older.
“The little one treats her daughter’s friend so kindly that she has no shortage of requests.”
“Isn’t it natural to treat a middle-aged man’s daughter’s friend kindly?”
And I was beautiful even without the title of Reina’s friend. When I added this point, Evan’s Father nodded repeatedly in agreement that I was lovely. Especially lately, my skin and hair had improved so much that I had a goddess-like aura—he was gushing about it, but since it was all true, there was no reason to be embarrassed.
“Follow me. I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
“If there’s something to learn, I’ll be your student.”
Reina’s mother seemed determined to fight me. I asked Cecilia and the Bachelor for permission and tried to follow the woman. Cecilia, apparently wanting to watch me fight, led everyone to the Crown Princess Palace Rear Courtyard and set up a space.
After the ground was properly prepared and a table was set up, tea and desserts were served, and Cecilia enjoyed her tea time from a safe distance. Once we warmed up and were ready, the Bachelor signaled that we could begin, and Reina’s mother charged at me first. Her movements were identical to Reina’s.
“Blaze!”
A flame spell at the same level as Reina’s. But Reina’s Blaze, which consumed mana, burned far hotter. I waved my hand and blocked Count Letem’s Blaze with Free Frost Bind.
“Blaze once more!”
This was something Reina used frequently too. Count Letem wrapped flames around his fist and lunged at me, but I erected an ice wall with Free Frost Bind before him. He shattered it as if it were nothing, then tried to strike me with the still-burning flames of his Blaze.
“Free Frost Bind. Reverse.”
When I activated my usual ice mixer in the opposite direction, Count Letem’s fist was sucked into my spell. I swallowed the flames and tried to claim even one of the Count’s arms, but he shouted Blaze once more to neutralize my magic. He must have been genuinely frightened by that last one.
“Free Frost Bind. Preparation.”
I channeled my mana with the intention of delivering one powerful blow. As I raised my right arm and clenched my fist, the spinning ice mixer unfurled like wings. Since it was still in the preparation stage, I continued to gather mana, and auxiliary wings sprouted behind the first set, spinning like boosters. As I drained all the ambient mana and amplified it through my spell, secondary and tertiary boosters spawned indiscriminately, birthing a sinister magic.
If a person touched this, they would die. Even a building would crumble. I was curious to see how Reina’s mother would respond, but the woman suddenly raised her hand and, as if addressing a teacher, shouted toward Cecilia.
“I surrender!”
“I see.”
Hmm… Reina would at least try to take one hit for the sake of pride. But the Count, being middle-aged now, lacked that kind of spirit. When I stated this frankly, Count Letem’s face flushed red, and he spat back the exact words I had said earlier.
“That’s right, a middle-aged man should stay in the back room supporting his aching back! Are you satisfied now!”
“With frost covering heaven and earth, I’m quite refreshed.”
“That brat speaks just like—!”
The woman really was just like Reina. It was fun to compare and observe them. Having decided to release my magic, I waved my hand and scattered the mixer into the sky. My spell, which pierced through the clouds and ascended, soon caused white snow to fall across the Crown Princess Palace Rear Courtyard.
“Your magic has a certain elegance to it.”
Cecilia spoke as she gazed at the gently accumulated salt snow. I felt incredibly proud that Cecilia had complimented my magic. Why I felt proud was a mystery, but regardless, it felt wonderful.
After my duel with Count Letem ended, I was unanimously chosen as the most suitable person to catch Sera, who had fled with the imperial seal. With the Count’s declaration of surrender, no one dared object to me, and Cecilia’s retainers, including the Bachelor, quickly took control of the situation.
On their end, they proceeded with creating new crowns and imperial seals for the coronation, while it seemed they would entrust me with the role of tracking down Sera.
There were two ways to become Emperor, and though I considered trying both and choosing whichever was processed faster, the method of creating new imperial seals and crowns didn’t seem straightforward either. First, those who had been part of the Emperor Faction would cling to protocol, insisting that they couldn’t die, and one of the only two Dukes in the Empire would personally express opposition.
Well, I’ll do my part, so I wish the Bachelor luck. Dealing with Zibenstein is truly nauseating. I left before the Bachelor could tease me further and get beaten.
For tracking Sera’s whereabouts, Cecilia’s masked subordinates would continuously gather intelligence. I deliberated whether to travel east by train or simply run, then recalled how Reina’s mother’s hand had been sucked in when I created the reverse ice mixer earlier, and decided to apply that technique.
If I created multiple rotating blades like a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and adjusted the angles as they spun, couldn’t I lift my own body? With such naive thinking, I created ice flight blades and used mana as propulsion to lift my body into the air.
“This actually works?”
But when I tried it roughly, it worked roughly.
I chose flight as my means of pursuing Sera.

◇ ◆ ◇

Ice wings are incredibly convenient. I don’t understand the principle behind why I’m flying, but I can move quickly enough that it’s wonderfully effortless. Thanks to the mana propulsion, I can increase speed when I want to go faster, and I can reduce it when I want to leisurely fly while eating a hamburger like now—that’s the best part. Strangely though, flying slowly proved more taxing than flying fast.
“Ahh, what a nice breeze.”
The weather was perfect, the wind refreshing, and the hamburger I’d bought at the station tasted delicious. This is what true happiness feels like. I wish I’d known I could travel around so leisurely—I would’ve brought Seian Crowell along.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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