Archive Land - Themed "Versia"
Crown Prince Raizeol found himself sitting in a secluded corner of a small café located in the academy city Layra, near Archive Land. To his utter disbelief, he was face-to-face with someone he never expected to see.
...Of all people, how did I end up running into His Majesty the Emperor here?
When Raizeol first noticed the Emperor, he couldn’t believe his eyes or his senses. He had to ask.
Was this person truly his father, the Emperor of the Empire?
Initially, he refused to believe it.
The more he denied it, the deeper his suspicion grew. Determined to uncover the truth, the Crown Prince clung to the Emperor, who was attempting to slip away unnoticed. In the ensuing struggle, the artifact concealing the Emperor’s face fell off.
In the end, in that awkward atmosphere, the Emperor "kidnapped" the Crown Prince and brought him to a nearby café.
The Emperor pulled a magical artifact from his coat and placed it on the café table.
A soundproof barrier, impenetrable to all but the greatest magicians, enveloped the two men.
“It’s just... isn’t it forbidden for Your Majesty to leave the palace?”
The Crown Prince broke the silence, his voice laden with unease.
This was no ordinary person—this was the Emperor, the sole pinnacle of power in the Empire.
If word got out that the Emperor had disappeared and was casually spending time here, it would undoubtedly throw the palace into chaos.
The Emperor, known for his devotion to governing the Empire and earning the title of a wise ruler, was now outside the palace, sitting in a café. The Crown Prince found it hard to believe.
“That is not an issue. Today, my shadow is handling imperial duties in my stead.”
“Your shadow...?”
...So, you’ve entrusted all imperial matters to the Shadow, whose main role is to protect you from assassination attempts, and came here to... play?
“Why are you so surprised? Assigning tasks to my Shadow and traveling the continent in disguise to observe the state of the world has been a long-standing tradition of the emperors.”
...Observing the state of the world? More like enjoying yourself in another way.
Wait, does this mean the past emperors I respected so much also snuck out to have fun like this?
Raizeol’s illusions about the imperial legacy shattered for the first time.
“Ahem.”
Perhaps embarrassed, the Emperor cleared his throat and shifted the conversation.
“More importantly, why are you here? I heard from the ministers that you’ve been diligently attending your heir training. What are you doing in a place like this?”
Now it was Raizeol’s turn.
His eyes darted as he quickly searched for a plausible excuse.
“Well, of course... I came here to gather information about [Akashic Archive], the game that has recently been gaining rapid popularity across the continent. Isn’t it outrageous that they built theme parks in other countries but didn’t even propose one in our Empire?”
Yes, that works!
Though the excuse was hastily made, Raizeol was quite impressed with his quick thinking.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
“Hmm... I see. As expected of my most trustworthy son. You think just like I do! However, if your purpose was merely to gather information, couldn’t you have sent someone else? Why risk coming here yourself?”
...You’re one to talk, Father.
The Crown Prince’s safety was paramount in the Empire, unmatched in importance and dignity.
Yet, no matter how critical his safety was, it didn’t compare to that of the Emperor himself.
For the Emperor to come all the way to this distant academy city alone, then question Raizeol’s presence—it was too ironic.
“Well, I felt that while information gathered by others can be helpful, there are things one can only understand by seeing and hearing them firsthand. Information can be distorted or altered when passed along.”
“Even so, it was a reckless decision.”
“But this theme park is directly operated by a company backed by various Constellations. It’s located near the academy city of Layra, one of the safest places. I deemed the risks negligible. Isn’t that why Your Majesty decided to come here as well?”
“Well... yes, of course.”
The father and son’s conversation spiraled into a superficial back-and-forth.
Both knew why the other had truly come, each pursuing their own desires.
But neither dared to speak the truth aloud.
At that moment, Raizeol had a sudden thought.
Could it be... that Father also likes our Versia?
If another limited-edition character had been his father’s favorite, he would have gone to a different theme park.
Each character had a park centered around their theme, after all.
And yet, he had come here, specifically to the park themed around Versia.
Of all places.
Raizeol began to feel uneasy.
What if Versia really is Father’s favorite character?
My father, in love with my future wife.
Could my own father be my rival in love?
What am I supposed to do?
Oh, my dear Versia, please give me guidance.
Raizeol agonized internally, as if he were the protagonist of a tragic love story.
“Anyway, enough of this. We can’t waste any more time. Let’s return to the palace.”
The Emperor began to rise from his seat.
“W-wait a moment, Father!”
Raizeol hastily grabbed his arm.
“Why... Why are you stopping me?”
The Emperor quickly hid the paper shopping bags he was carrying behind him.
He had been holding them separately instead of placing them in his spatial storage bag, fearing they might get damaged.
This brat isn’t going to peek at what’s inside, is he?
The Emperor, who always wanted to maintain his dignified image as a father, was reluctant to let his son see his tastes.
“I... I just have a question.”
“A... a question?”
“Which character from [Akashic Archive] do you like the most?”
“Who do I like the most?”
“Yes... I’m just curious, that’s all. I wish to learn a bit from Your Majesty’s insights.”
“Hmph. I don’t play games much, so I don’t know many characters... but recently, the hero Gaizerus caught my attention.”
Perfect.
I handled that well.
The Emperor praised his own clever response.
“Then... what about female characters?”
“F-female characters?”
“Yes. I’d like to hear Your Majesty’s thoughts.”
Hmm... who should I say?
Certainly not Lohanmajie. That muscular figure might reveal too much about my preferences.
I should pick someone feminine.
The Emperor recalled the character he had seen at the theme park earlier.
What was her name again? Ah, yes—Versia.
Her physique didn’t particularly interest him, but she was undeniably feminine.
“Versia... I found her rather charming.”
!!!
Raizeol froze in place as soon as he heard the Emperor’s answer.
The answer I dreaded most... Why, of all things...
My rival in love is my own father... The man I respect most...
This is like something out of those love stories women read.
What am I supposed to do? What can I possibly do?!
“Come now, let’s go.”
The Emperor urged Raizeol to leave, aware that they needed to return to the palace without delay.
But Raizeol’s mind had already drifted far from reality.
***
"Wh-what?! You mean you’re going to see everything about me? Even my bare body?!"
The Constellation [Master of the Night] practically jumped in shock at my words, clearly misunderstanding what I had meant.
"No, that’s not what I meant."
I quickly clarified, explaining the process necessary to turn her into a character within the game.
For me to create her character, I needed to recognize and understand her life. Just like with the other Constellations, I had to learn about her existence and the life she had led to truly portray her essence.
"Oh... so that’s what you meant!"
Her face flushed bright red, clearly embarrassed by her earlier overreaction.
It was a surprising reaction.
I had always thought of her as a cold, unapproachable figure—a sophisticated cool beauty. To see her display such a distinctly human side was... unexpected.
It made me see her in a slightly different light.
"That’s fine, then. I have no objections. Ask as much as you’d like," she replied, regaining her composure and flashing a relaxed smile.
She crossed her legs in a way that, under normal circumstances, would have struck me as graceful and elegant. However, after witnessing her earlier flustered state, it felt more like she was forcing herself to look nonchalant.
"All right, then. As discussed, I’ll proceed."
Activating my ability, I prepared to dive into her memories, just as I had with the elf Safira’s past.
Ordinarily, this method wouldn’t work on a sound and intact Constellation. It was something I could only use on our investors who were tied to sins. However, thanks to [Gaizerus] recently being purified, it had now become possible.
"Wait! Weren’t you just going to ask me about it?! Stop! Stop right nowww!"
Her panicked voice rang out, but my vision was already blurring.
Her memories flooded my mind, filling my vision entirely.