Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 21

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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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That had always struck him as strange.
Typically, those ruthless types would sell anything that might fetch a price without a second thought—or so he’d heard. Yet those vicious loan sharks had never once actually set foot in the shop.
When he looked into why, it turned out the mercenaries were the reason.
In the early days, debt collectors had come to the shop demanding repayment.
But the mercenaries who practically lived there had sent them packing with a swift kick to their backsides.
“Damn it, what kind of place do you think this is to cause trouble?”
“Hey, is that bastard drawing a sword right now? Ha! Listen here, while we’re still being nice—get over here.”
“You dogs! Do you have any idea where you are? The only ones allowed to cause a commotion in this shop are our mercenaries!”
They’d come once, been thoroughly terrified, and hadn’t been back since.
After that, they wouldn’t even show their faces near the place, he’d heard.
“So that wasn’t it?”
They’d been tormenting Mark in secret the whole time?
“If I’m not here… the shop will have to close too…….”
Likely they meant to drive Mark away or injure him, disrupting the shop’s operations.
That way, the mercenaries protecting the shop would naturally leave as well, making it easy to resume their harassment over the debt.
“I tried my best to hold on…….”
Mark had endured the loan sharks’ harassment steadily up until now, but this time he’d finally had his arm broken.
Looking at him then, there were quite a few bruises and scars scattered across his body that looked long-established—likely remnants of everything he’d suffered.
…….
Ceres’s expression hardened further as she watched Mark, unable to lift his head as though he himself were at fault.
“Is that an expensive thing?”
“Pardon?”
As Mark looked up, Ceres was picking something up.
“That’s…….”
A beating rod for shaking out quilts—why?
Ignoring Mark’s puzzled gaze, Ceres examined the long, sturdy rod with considerable satisfaction.
* * *
“So it’s just you again?”
“Yes, that’s how it’s turned out.”
“Anyone would think the Black Guild leader alone was swamped with work.”
The first day of the Imperial Conference.
Lotte, the vice leader of the Black Mercenary Guild who found himself attending the Imperial Conference in Skal’s stead, met exactly the kind of people he’d anticipated would take issue with him.
‘Damn that guild leader!’
Since morning, he’d vanished from headquarters without a trace—off to who knows where.
Probably rushed off to that stew shop again…….
“That’s what I mean. We’ve been unexpectedly tasked with defending the Alci Region as well, so we’ve become terribly busy.”
Khem.
The Red Mercenary Unit’s commander’s face reddened.
Originally, it was his Red Mercenary Unit that had been entrusted with defending the Alci Region.
But after the Black Forest appeared not long ago and they failed to control it properly, tremendous casualties resulted, and they’d had no choice but to hand over management of the area to the Black Mercenary Unit.
“Still, no matter how busy—if you’re this indifferent to the Imperial Conference, what’s the point?”
“My thoughts exactly. What, do you think we’re all idle?”
“Anyway, always acting like he’s too good for everyone.”
The other guild leaders who had gathered around vented their frustrations as well.
“Yes, I quite agree. Our guild leader certainly is exceptionally talented, which creates all manner of problems. I’ll be sure to tell him to perhaps moderate his efforts a bit going forward.”
“Now, now!”
Ugh.
Without dropping his professional smile, Lotte finished saying exactly what he meant, and every last one of the guild leaders turned red-faced and walked away.
Tsk.
If your abilities don’t measure up, you ought to keep quiet.
‘Stubborn old fools, every one.’
Every word they uttered was exactly the same as always—such an appalling lack of creativity among these people.
Lotte, clicking his tongue inwardly all the while, quickly scanned over the papers listing today’s agenda.
As expected, the main subject was the recently proliferating Black Forest.
The Black Forest had begun appearing frequently even near the Capital, and they were now establishing a new defense system for it.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”
A moment later, at the attendant’s cry, everyone rose from their seats.
The conference hall doors opened and the Emperor entered, followed by Crown Prince Aseraiian.
“All of you, be seated.”
A soft voice and a benevolent smile.
Yet no one stood before him with head held high.
Despite his appearance, he was the man who had triumphed over the most convoluted and perilous power struggle within the Imperial Court and claimed the throne.
It meant he could be more ruthless and coldly calculating than anyone when necessity demanded it.
……
The Emperor’s gaze, as he took his seat, fixed on a single point.
One chair at the head table sat empty.
‘So he truly won’t come.’
A silent sigh escaped from Emperor Debrika’s lips.
He had summoned him with the Golden Token itself, yet it seemed the ice wall of three hundred years had no intention of crumbling.
Kainiel.
The absence of the Grand Duke felt particularly vast today.
‘Even the Previous Emperor said he’d never laid eyes on him.’
Though the throne had changed hands many times, no one had ever seen his face.
And just as certainly, no one had ever forcibly dragged him out.
‘Never make an enemy of him.’
It was what his late mother had always said—that there was nothing to gain from crossing the Grand Duke.
‘Sigh.’
Yet given the dire situation now at hand, and despite his use of the Golden Token, it seemed even that had proven useless.
“Mother.”
“Mm.”
The Emperor, pulled from his thoughts, gave a light nod to Crown Prince Aseraiian’s call. It was a signal to begin the meeting.
“Then let us commence the conference……”
Click.
“……?”
Just as Aseraiian stepped forward to formally open the proceedings, the firmly closed doors to the conference hall swung open once more.
Footstep.
All eyes naturally turned toward the entrance, and no one could look away from the figure who stepped through.
Snow-white hair without a single speck of dust caught the eye first.
Then came cold, gleaming silver eyes that felt unusually chilling.
An expressionless face devoid of any emotion made the man’s presence feel all the colder.
Thud!
The first to react was the Emperor.
Upon recognizing who it was, he found himself rising from his seat without thinking.
“Welcome… please.”
An appearance no different from what the late Previous Emperor had described.
Could such a face exist anywhere else in the world?
‘You will know him at once upon seeing him.’
The words of the Previous Emperor had proven true.
……
The man gave a silent bow to the Emperor before heading toward the vacant seat.
All eyes remained fixed upon his movements.
‘So this man……’
Crown Prince Aseraiian felt the same.
The Grand Duke, met for the first time, possessed an enigmatic presence that overwhelmed merely by sight.
“Aseraiian.”
“Ah, yes.”
At the Emperor’s call, he straightened and resumed the halted meeting.
Yet his eyes drifted toward another seat that remained conspicuously empty.
‘So he didn’t come after all.’
He’d gone in person and urged him directly.
Aseraiian let out a quiet sigh within himself, remembering a certain someone likely throwing a fit somewhere again today.
* * *
“We shall conclude the conference here.”
The meeting was over. In remarkably short time, at that.
Had there ever been a conference so quiet, with scarcely any disagreement, as today’s?
‘It would be wise for House Bertz to provide additional garrison forces to the Altoa Region.’
‘However, Your Majesty, that is……!’
……
‘…No, never mind. I shall consider it further, Your Majesty.’
Unlike usual, hardly anyone in the Imperial Conference contradicted the Emperor.
Whenever someone tried to raise their voice in objection, they faltered at the sight of Kainiel, seated closest to the Emperor, whose indifferent gaze silenced them before they could speak.
The conference ended quieter and faster than it ever had.
Yet even after it concluded, no one rose from their seat.
The Emperor himself simply sat in silence, his eyes fixed on a single figure.
The one who had emerged after three hundred years.
There were so many questions they wanted to ask, so many things they wanted to say.
Would the Northern Region, closed off all this time, finally open again?
Would he continue these public activities in the future?
If so, who would he contract with and supply through for the enormous resources that would flow from the North?
Not only the nobles, but everyone in that chamber was itching to speak.
Yet no one dared to break the silence.
The cool air that emanated from Kainiel seemed contagious; hardly anyone could bring themselves to open their mouth.
Slip.
Did he not feel the weight of all those stares at all?
Kainiel rose from his seat and, without another word, gave a slight bow to the Emperor as he had when he first appeared, then turned and left the conference chamber.

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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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