Chapter 55
Empress Yekaterina frowned as if displeased. When it came to the Nabel Empire, she still reacted with deep revulsion. Back when Emperor Anox had still been the Crown Prince, she had been targeted by the Nabel Empire simply because she was his matched Guide.
The shortage of Guides in this empire was not a recent problem, but the Nabel Empire was an enemy that had to be treated with caution.
“I will never allow my son to marry that man’s daughter.”
“I don’t believe his daughter is an S-Class Guide either.”
Anox spoke gently, trying to calm Yekaterina. In the past, the Emperor of the Nabel Empire had drugged her and attempted something horrific. She still regarded it as the greatest regret of her life that she had only managed to scar his face instead of killing him.
Anox soothed her carefully.
“However, at a time when we suffer from a chronic shortage of Guides, we cannot refuse a Guide’s visit. The Crown Prince of the Nabel Empire says he will bring Guides other than his sister as well, so it will be a good opportunity for our other Transcendents.”
Although he spoke that way, inwardly he thought that if that princess happened to have a high match rate with Kasselard, it might be worth considering. Kasselard disliked his current Guide greatly, and the difference in their ranks was also significant. This was not something that could be decided based on emotions alone.
“…You just think I’m speaking emotionally right now, don’t you?”
Anox felt a moment of unease, but he looked at Yekaterina as if he had never thought such a thing.
“What? Of course not. I know that you’re always rational.”
“That man is a monster who sees both Transcendents and Guides as tools. Just look at what he does to the lower-ranked Transcendents! He must have conducted human experiments on Guides as well, and the girl he’s introducing as a princess this time is probably fake.”
“Hmm…”
“Luck doesn’t fall on a man like that twice in a row! We don’t know what scheme he might be planning to ruin the Crown Prince, so you must be fully on guard!”
To be blinded by immediate gain and fail to recognize an obvious threat. It was the foolishness of those who had always been given great things as a matter of course.
Seeing Anox already looking somewhat clouded, Yekaterina decided that she would have to hold the reins firmly herself.
* * *
Research on lower-ranked Guides and Transcendents had been conducted in the Nabel Empire for a long time. As this fact gradually became known, Guides and Transcendents within the empire began fleeing abroad, and recently they had been kidnapping them from nearby kingdoms.
Titles and various privileges were granted only to those of A-Class or S-Class, after all. Of course, Guides were somewhat different. They were extremely rare.
But without the help of Transcendents, they were parasites who could do nothing on their own. They were weak, easy to capture, and offering a large sum of money was enough for people to kidnap and sell them willingly.
‘I don’t know if any of this even has meaning.’
Jeremiah thought this as he looked coldly at Ibella, who sat across from him. Now the Emperor’s eighteenth Imperial Princess, she had been locked in a cold underground prison only a few months ago. At that time she had been called only by a number, but after she began emitting the wave level of a Rank 5 Guide, her status had been elevated.
Even so, she wasn’t treated particularly well.
No matter what we do, her power won’t increase.
Despite the enormous funds invested in research on Guides, there had been no real results. A d**g had been developed that could temporarily lower a Guide’s ability, but that was all.
All research aimed at increasing a Guide’s power, the most important objective, had failed. Even this Ibella in front of him could only temporarily emit the wave level of an S-Class Guide.
It could deceive the measurement when tested with a magic device, but once actual guiding began, the truth would be exposed within an hour.
Still, making a D-Class Guide temporarily emit the wave of an S-Class Guide could be considered a remarkable achievement in its own way. That was probably why the researcher had reported it so proudly.
What he received in return was execution by order of the Emperor, but in any case, Jeremiah believed it would be useful at least once.
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