"...thank you, your majesty…"
Feeling particularly timid for some reason, Melinda muttered and fidgetted, getting the feeling that maybe the information she had about the Emperor of Emperors didn't match reality.
"Is there something else this one could offer her help…?"
Melinda asked, not aware that she actually sounded a bit hopeful as if she was hoping for a positive answer.
"...yes… About your wounds…"
The Emperor of Emperors blinked a few times before breathing out and nodding, making sure that this time his expression would not betray him while the light blue letters formed his words towards the gold-haired girl.
"Your majesty must be wondering why this one didn't get it healed with the encounter."
"..."
Melinda pointed out, tilting her head slightly and looking up at the large man who didn't confirm nor deny her guess.
"The answer is so simple that it ends up being surprising - this one can't do it."
"...?"
The girl revealed, lowering her head and sighing, making the older gentleman raise his brows and await the follow-up.
"When this one was in the blast zone, this one ended up stabbed with some sort of foreign object. It made this one unable to heal in any conventional way while also dropping this one's defense stat to 0, which in turn made it far too dangerous to remove it because of the way it is lodged in. At least that is what the medics in the temple have told this one."
She revealed, pulling up her shirt to show the cobweb-like pattern of black veins spearing form under the bandages, and she even shifted the bandages out of the way to show the wound and the object sticking out of it.
"..."
The Emperor of Emperors said nothing as his expression turned completely blank.
Actually, he fully froze up and wasn't even blinking while he stared at the gold-haired girl's injury.
"This one was very worried because the medic at the temple told me that the accident might have something to do with the demons. Luckily, after examining it, the medic told me there was no trace of demonic energy coming from the object, but just in case, this one asked the priest for both dispel and blessing. The medics and researchers of the Emeraldios Empire are well known for their proficiency, so this one doesn't doubt that a way to remove the object without endangering this one's life will be found sooner or later."
Melinda added, grateful about all the precautionary measures she took to make it appear as if she was the mere victim and nothing else.
However, she took all of the precautions in case someone learned about her wound. Being the one to reveal it was not actually her original plan at all, but here she was now…
"I see… I believe that will happen soon, but for the time being, please try not to exert yourself and take it easy."
"This one is eternally grateful for your majesty's concern."
Sigurd took a deep breath but only made the words appear for Melinda without actually speaking them out loud as if he didn't trust his voice, and the gold-haired girl fixed the bandages and her shirt before curtsying with a timid smile.
"Even so, you plan to attend the lectures?"
"Of course, your majesty. This one will not lose the opportunity that Jade Academy gives me because of some mere scratch!"
The older gentleman inquired, and the gold-haired girl exclaimed proudly, although once again, she didn't realize that she actually sounded like a child boasting to their grandparents.
"Very commendable. I applaud your dedication. I do have one last thing that I want to ask you about before you go to your lectures… Why were you in the area of the accident?"
"!!!"
Sigurd asked, which immediately caused the headmaster Vendro'in to jump up at his feet and reach out to him in panic…
"At the time, the report card was still missing, and this one chose to complete the course once again. The Academy had a number of places prepared for the people who would not have a recommendation of their own, and this one opted to take advantage of that. Unfortunately, the only place that still could take people was within that area. This one got caught up in the accident when this one was on her way there to speak about the details of the course."
"!!!"
Melinda's answer was faster than the headmaster's actions, and the unfortunate man ended up flinching as the atmosphere around the Emperor of Emperors turned oppressively heavy despite the old man not taking any immediate actions.
"Thank you for your time, young lady. I wish you well."
"This one kindly accepts Your Majesty's kindness and wishes you the same."
With the exchange of farewells, this time, it really was time for Melinda to leave the office and go to the lecture that was about to begin.
The gold-haired girl left the two men behind.
Both of them remained silent, one unmoving and the other one unable to stop trembling.
As time passed and nothing happened, Castor Vendro'in calmed down and even straightened his back, opening his mouth to speak to the Emperor of Emperors…
*WHAM*
"GUARGH!"
The very next fraction of a second, Sigurd turned around, slamming the back of his fist into Castor's stomach and sending him into the wall.
The headmaster of the Jade Academy broke the bookshelf with his back; on top of that, the power of the pushed aside all the furniture and even shattered the glass in the window of the office.
Before Castor could fall to the floor, Sigurd was already in front of him, grabbing his throat and slamming him back against the wall.
"You were put here as punishment! My daughter chose not to send an audacious thrash like you to the dungeon but instead to rehabilitate you in an environment where you could help others, and this is what you do!? Using the position to establish connections with noble families by bullying an exchange student because her achievements put their brats to shame?!"
Sigurd growled coldly as his ire was too great for him to shout.
"..th-that's nhot…"
"Let me remind you that pride is not a sin, but overestimating yourself is. You were supposed to humble yourself for the good of the Empire but chose to spit in the face of the mercy you were given. You give me very little choice."
Castor whizzed, grabbing onto Sigurd's hand but being unable to shake him off, while the old man glared at him as if he wanted to rip him to shreds.
"I will place a seal on you. You will either change your way, proving to me you are worthy of the Empire's trust and have me remove it, or you will break it by yourself… I warn you, though, the latter one will cause you enough pain to regret you were born."
The Emperor of Emperors leaned in, and his voice ended up being a hateful whisper.
"...agh… H-HAAAAARGH…!"
Without a moment to breath, Castor's chest began to burn, and the smell of burning flesh filled the room.
While he was still in Sigurd's grasp, Castor's shirt caught fire from the heat generated by a glowing mark that appeared on his chest.
"..."
"...urgh…!"
The Emperor of Emperors released the headmaster of the Jade Academy and let the younger man fall onto the floor with a pitiful whimper.
"I will send someone to watch over your progress. If you report to them the names of the people encouraging your idiocy, it will be taken as a step towards your rehabilitation."
Sigurd declared, glaring down at Castor with his sharp gray eyes.
"Y-your majesty… it's not just that…! That girl has no respect for the officials of the Perseverance faith an…"
"..."
*SLAM*
Headmaster Vendro'in crawled up to all fours and started mumbling an excuse, but he clearly didn't account for the Emperor of Emperors kicking his head and sending him crashing into his own desk, knocking him out like a light.
"...she can even be the incarnation of the Demonic god for all I care, I will not make the same mistake twice…"
Sigurd straightened his back and glared down at the unconscious man before shaking his head with a scoff and leaving the room.
"Y-your majesty…?"
As he walked out the office's door, the secretary who returned to her desk spoke up fearfully, clearly alarmed by the noise from earlier.
"Do remind the staff here that they owe their loyalty to Emeraldios Empire and the Jade Academy, not to the headmaster, who can make mistakes and be replaced at any moment.'
"Y-yes!"
Sigurd declared coldly, causing the secretary to flinch and nod their head hurriedly, intimidated by the overbearing aura of the Emperor of Emperors.