Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 6

The Emperor

The next few days passed in the blink of an eye.

All I really did was quietly observe how things operated inside the military government building, but to my surprise, the environment around me was astonishingly quiet.

I had been sure they would summon me again and interrogate me about this and that, just like before, but strangely enough, there was no reaction whatsoever. It felt odd enough that I started to find it suspicious.

Still, there was one thing that had definitely changed compared to before.

……

I stole glances at Noel, who was sitting at her desk in front of me, expressionless as she worked.

Officially, I had been invited here and suffered two unpleasant incidents in a short time, so this arrangement was to ensure I felt no inconvenience.

The problem was that I had to spend most of each day in this person’s office.

I felt like I was under surveillance.

Noel kept me so close that it was hard not to think that way.

Even just watching her work, I could see she was not an ordinarily busy person, yet she always remained nearby, as if she intended to monitor my every move.

My daily life wasn’t particularly restricted, but it was unbearably stifling. I felt like I might develop an ulcer at this rate…

“…Um, Dame Noel.”

“Yes.”

“When will my orderly be assigned?”

Previously, I had heard from Stella that they would attach someone like that to me, so I should wait.

It was my way of expressing that I would prefer to be left alone and would convey my needs to that person. But as always, Noel’s calm reply showed no mercy.

“I understand you’re trying to tell me indirectly that you find me uncomfortable.”

“No, you don’t have to point it out so directly that I—”

“Aiden, it will probably take quite some time to select your orderly.”

“…What?”

“There is currently no one who meets the criteria. We are in the process of searching.”

Was that even possible?

An orderly was basically just like a regular adjutant, wasn’t it? I couldn’t believe there was no one suitable in the entire capital administration building.

“No. They must not be ordinary. Whoever is assigned to you must be exceptional.”

……

“You’ve demonstrated remarkable abilities. What would be the point of assigning you someone mediocre? This person will be by your side for most of the day, so at the very least, their skills must be up to par.”

It was a needless overestimation. An ordinary person would be more than enough.

I already felt as if I’d had too many encounters with unusual people lately…

“You can look forward to it. I’ll make sure to assign you someone who will satisfy you in many respects.”

…I felt like my ulcer was only getting worse.

I frowned for a moment, then quickly tried to come up with another excuse.

“…If you keep spending so much time with an outsider during your official duties, it might cause unfavorable rumors—”

“There’s no reason for others to see it as strange, is there?”

After a brief pause, Dame Noel smiled brightly as she continued her sentence.

“We are about to become husband and wife, after all.”

It was a flawless, pure white smile, but at those words, all color drained from Aiden’s face.

Husband and wife.

Formally, that was true.

Even if Noel felt nothing of it, every time Aiden heard those words, he felt a fit of nerves creeping up his spine.

And understandably so—considering what he had been through in just the few days since getting involved with this woman, it was no wonder he reacted this way.

…My fate really was thoroughly twisted.

After all the trouble he’d caused, one might expect that she would reconsider the marriage itself, but her resolve was unshakably firm.

And the fact that she deliberately brought it up again seemed to double as a warning not to bother thinking about escaping her surveillance anytime soon.

If so, then at the very least, it was the right time to find something to focus on to pull his mind away from this suffocating atmosphere.

He hadn’t been given any specific duties, but there was certainly information he needed to organize.

……

With a frown, Aiden reached for the documents stacked on the desk.

While Noel busied herself with her work, at least he had a fair amount of time to research whatever materials he wanted.

…Why isn’t it here?

The fact that he couldn’t find a single scrap of what he was looking for was a colossal problem.

Considering the importance of this information, it was likely less a “big problem” and more the harbinger of a catastrophe.

Information about the “protagonist.”

The central figure of the main scenario, the savior of the world.

It was nowhere to be seen.

Even now, he desperately wished to step away from the main scenario and return to an ordinary life, and that “express ticket” to freedom lay precisely in that direction.

…Could it really be missing?

And if there were no protagonist, then this wasn’t simply about Aiden failing to reclaim a normal life.

In other words—

If that person doesn’t exist, then who is supposed to save the world?

The protagonist—the savior of this world.

Aiden clutched his throbbing temples as that thought wound through his mind.

The main scenario, tangled as a skein of thread, ultimately revolved around that person.

Even the future where he rejoined his family to live in peace depended on the premise that the protagonist would fulfill their role.

…I must have just failed to find it.

Of course, it was too soon to conclude that the protagonist had truly vanished from this world. The information he had gathered so far could hardly be called complete.

But if they truly weren’t here—

Aiden, too, would have to make a “decision” to match that reality.

Suppressing the shiver that crept up his spine just imagining it, he summoned the system window in front of his eyes.

The protagonist was important, yes, but right now, there was something else he needed to check.

-Skill Info

【 Katya Heinkel Craven 】

 Bond: Level 1

◆ The First Vow

※Unique – Only this character possesses it!

A pledge modeled after the covenant the first seeker made with the God of Purification. It is unrivaled in firepower and, through the with the God of Purification, allows the user to manifest their own unique properties.

◈ The unique property has not yet been unlocked because the rite has not been performed.

Aiden slowly read through the listed text.

…Whatever else,

Having exceptional firepower would be useful in many situations.

Compared to Noel’s Heart of Pure White, the output would certainly fall short, but unlike qi, which lacked any distinct attribute, divinity possessed a clearly powerful nature.

…The rest…

He didn’t quite understand what this “Rite of Vow” entailed, but it likely referred to some enormous ritual only performed in the Holy Crown Kingdom’s heartland. There was no reason to worry about it now.

As he continued scrolling down the window, Aiden’s expression twisted slightly.

Honestly, nothing written up to this point would have warranted that reaction.

People could get used to anything—if he thought of Noel’s case, it was far better to have something simply declared to be subpar and left at that.

The problem was this.

The unfamiliar entries stuck at the very bottom of the window.

-Skill Info

■ Omnipotence [Locked]

The skill is locked. Unlock the first stage by handling two or more supernatural abilities simultaneously.

■ Origin [Locked]

The skill is locked.

What in the world was this supposed to be?

He certainly didn’t remember acquiring anything like this, and now the information was so thoroughly locked that he couldn’t even view the details.

…Ideally, I’ll never find myself in a situation where I have to use things like this.

Aiden thought as he let out a bitter smile inside.

After all, if it came to the point where he had to rely on these abilities, it would most likely mean he’d gotten caught up in yet another crisis.

Unfortunately, the chance of that happening didn’t look all that low.

……

Even now, the desire to return to an ordinary person’s ordinary life burned inside him.

If things had gone the way they should have, wasn’t this about the time he would be having dinner with his father and little sister?

…I wonder what Dad and Sisela are doing right now…

They were probably sick with worry over him, who had vanished with nothing but a letter left behind.

As that thought crossed his mind, Aiden cast a sidelong glance at Noel, who was immersed in her work.

To be honest, if he really thought about it—

If he really thought about it, he could say that time he should have spent with his family had been stolen by that woman—

“Aiden.”

“…Yes.”

The words came out of nowhere, and for a moment, he nearly forgot to breathe, but he somehow managed to respond.

Noel briefly looked him over as if she found his reaction odd, but soon continued in a calm voice.

“Tomorrow, we will go to the imperial palace.”

He remembered hearing about this.

Stella had given him notice about that schedule before. Something about needing to personally report their engagement to the Emperor.

“If we’re going to the imperial palace, aren’t there countless things I have to be careful about? I haven’t been taught anything.”

He couldn’t help but ask, feeling on edge after that recent experience of being criticized over etiquette. But Noel answered in her unruffled tone.

“If it’s about etiquette, you don’t need to worry too much. Though there are other matters you must be mindful of.”

“What do you mean…?”

Noel took a small sip of tea, then rested her chin on her hand beneath her still-smiling face as she spoke.

“The contract term of this ‘fake marriage’ is one year. After the contract ends, I will make sure to compensate you generously, so I ask for your cooperation until then.”

“…What?”

“I understand that being entangled with a woman like me must be unpleasant, but in official settings, we will need to behave more affectionately than usual. Please understand in advance.”

What in the world was there to understand?

After kidnapping him without any discussion, she thought she could ask for understanding now?

“If I suddenly touch you or pretend to be close, please try to endure it. I know it won’t be easy.”

Aiden simply blinked quietly as he listened to her calm explanation.

Something about this felt strange.

She didn’t sound like she was joking—her tone made it seem as if she genuinely believed her worth was low.

…Does she have low self-esteem?

It made no sense.

She was the knight who commanded the Empire’s greatest martial strength, the beauty so many men admired, a soldier with such stature that even the Emperor paid her special attention.

And yet the things she was saying didn’t match that image at all.

“You really don’t seem like someone who needs to talk like that.”

Aiden scratched his cheek as he replied, and Noel fell silent for a moment, staring at him.

“…Thank you.”

The words came in a weary voice, accompanied by a smile.

But that smile felt less like she was happy and more like she had decided his words were merely the perfunctory response anyone would give.

It was something often seen in people with low self-esteem.

……

Aiden’s head tilted slightly.

This woman—

She truly believed that marrying “someone like her” would be a burden to her partner.

He didn’t know why.

“To be honest, I have absolutely no experience with romance.”

…

The more she spoke, the smaller Noel’s voice became. A flush steadily rose on her face. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to continue.

“I don’t know where the proper boundaries lie.”

…

“…So I might end up behaving somewhat inappropriately… that’s all.”

Ah.

That was the reason?

…That’s unexpected.

Thinking about it, someone like her shouldn’t have any shortage of men lining up for her.

From the start, it was strange that she didn’t look for someone nearby to enter this fake marriage with and instead kidnapped Aiden out of nowhere.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Noel immediately added another remark.

“When you enter the imperial palace, don’t say anything. Just stay silent and don’t draw attention.”

The grave warning—so rare from her—made Aiden’s lips part slightly.

“…Excuse me?”

“It would be best to remain as far outside ‘his’ awareness as possible. Otherwise…”

Noel fell silent for a moment.

To Aiden, it looked as if she was trying to choose words that would be the least disrespectful toward whoever “he” was.

“…If you get entangled with him the wrong way, you’ll find yourself extremely exhausted.”

…

Even so—

The words that finally came out carried nothing but an ominous foreboding.

▣

“You’ve brought back someone annoyingly pretty. Was that your type all along?”

Despite the terrifying title of “Emperor,” the person sitting across from him, puffing away on a cigarette, looked more like an easygoing older brother from next door.

Judging by appearance, he seemed only a few years older than Aiden, a young man with striking, well-defined features.

And fitting with that first impression, the entire situation felt strangely unfitting for an audience with an Emperor.

…So that’s why she said I didn’t need to mind etiquette.

It seemed she’d meant it literally, since there hadn’t been any complicated formalities—he’d been brought straight to a private meeting with the Emperor.

People often said the Pontiff of the Holy Crown Kingdom, who was on close terms with the Emperor, was the most eccentric among all the sovereigns of the great powers but seeing this, the Emperor of the Empire appeared no less peculiar.

“Yes, well.”

Perhaps feeling stress from serving such an eccentric sovereign, Noel responded curtly, her face creased in a frown.

Considering how she was usually polite to everyone regardless of rank, it was a startling sight.

Even more shocking was how the Emperor didn’t bat an eye at her attitude.

“Girl. Haven’t I always told you the best kind of man is one who looks reliable? What are you doing bringing back some pretty-boy like this to talk about marriage—”

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, this isn’t something you need to meddle in. He’s the husband I chose.”

“Would you listen to her? Watch your tone with the Emperor.”

“You were the one who picked a fight with me first—”

And the level of conversation between the two of them only grew more shocking.

It looked exactly like a sulky teenage girl who’d brought her boyfriend home for the first time, arguing with the disapproving older brother.

No matter how you looked at it, this was not the sort of exchange that should be happening between the Empire’s greatest soldier and the Emperor himself. Yet both of them seemed perfectly accustomed to this childish bickering, as though it wasn’t the first time by far…

……

Even so, there were at least two clear facts Aiden could piece together from this situation.

First: the Lionhearted and the Emperor were much, very, extraordinarily closer than people generally believed.

You could never display this sort of ease with each other in just a day or two. It was obvious they’d shared a close relationship for quite a long time already.

And second—

“…Which is why, in the current state, I can never grant approval for this decision.”

Even with that closeness, the Emperor was adamantly opposed to Noel’s marriage.

“Noel.”

“…Yes.”

When his voice fell, heavier and more somber than before, Noel abandoned her curt tone and answered with seriousness.

“You’re not ignorant of the Empire’s internal situation, are you? The aristocracy right now is a den of vipers, each out for their own gain. Everyone’s watching your next move with all their attention, and even if I stayed silent, the other factions would never leave it alone.”

“No matter who I marry, Your Majesty, it will tilt the scales. In the best case, it ends as a civil war. In the worst, it escalates into another coalition war. Wouldn’t bringing in an outsider be the most reasonable option under the circumstances?”

“It’s a stopgap. There’s not a single bastard in that viper’s nest too stupid to see through the ruse. Even my own son won’t leave it alone.”

What followed was a long string of conversation Aiden couldn’t hope to follow.

They went on about the turbulent state of noble society after the war, the imperial authority having weakened to the point it couldn’t restrain them, and so on, and so on… Important people’s complicated problems.

The only thing that stuck in his mind was the way the Emperor spoke when referring to his son.

It sounded no different than how you’d speak about a stranger no, it felt as if they were bitter enemies with nothing left between them.

Aiden’s brow twitched subtly.

…So the family was on bad terms?

—This.

This was subtly different from the way things had been in the “original story” he knew.

In his memory, the Imperial Prince had certainly been an admirable ally. A man nearly flawless in character.

He didn’t recall him being someone who would have any reason to fall out with his father.

“Then there’s only one method left.”

While he was mulling over that thought, those words suddenly dropped in front of him.

“In the end, the biggest problem is that the others will object, saying this brat isn’t a suitable groom for you. But if everyone recognizes that you two make a well-matched pair, then even if it doesn’t silence every critic, it’ll at least shut down most of the complaints on the surface.”

“…I don’t want to burden Aiden any further. Besides, isn’t it stranger that they’re digging so deeply into my personal affairs?”

“You’re not wrong, but politics has always been that kind of garbage heap.”

As their debate went back and forth, Aiden’s expression grew steadily more serious.

Listening to all this, it was clear that His Majesty the Emperor held a very negative view of the engagement.

That wasn’t exactly welcome news for him either.

…If the marriage falls apart…

If the fake marriage collapsed, it would mean “quest failure.”

That was the one thing Aiden absolutely did not want.

Therefore, the course of action he should take now was obvious.

“I’ll do it.”

The Emperor and Noel turned to look at him at the same time.

“I’ll do it. Prove my worth. If that’s what it takes for the engagement to go through.”

Silence spread across the room.

Especially Noel—her eyes had gone wide, as if it had never occurred to her that Aiden might step forward himself.

Then—

“…You’ve got some spirit.”

The Emperor tapped his pipe against the ashtray, a smile spreading over his face.

A smile that looked, somehow, exactly like a mischievous boy who’d just thought up a wonderful idea.

“You said that yourself, right?”

…

If you get entangled with him the wrong way, you’ll find yourself extremely exhausted.

That sentence, the one he’d heard only yesterday, flitted through Aiden’s mind.

“…Your Majesty. If it’s anything too dangerous—”

Noel interjected, her voice tense.

The slight pallor in her face made it clear she’d been subjected to this very expression from the Emperor more than once.

But the Emperor ignored her as naturally as if she hadn’t spoken and turned to Aiden.

“You, your name’s Aiden, isn’t it?”

Without even waiting for a reply, he continued.

“Why don’t you show everyone just how harmonious you two are as a married couple?”

“…I beg your pardon, but I’m not quite sure—”

“For the stodgy imperial nobles, nothing is as persuasive as sheer fighting power. Especially in times as chaotic as these.”

…

“Try fighting together, you two.”

The Emperor cut off Aiden’s uncertain response with a wide grin.

“I’ve got the perfect opponent lined up.”