Mob MC 343.2

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Chapter 343.2. Familiar Smiles

-Masatoshi's POV-

"I'm aware that you've heard about it, but I was under mental manipulation. I sincerely apologize. I hope you can lend me your strength once again."

As His Majesty the Emperor rose from his chair, he stood before my father and deeply bowed his head. It was surprising to witness the Emperor lowering his head, something he never did!

"Please raise your head, Your Majesty. Teijou Marquisate has always been Your Majesty's sword, offering unwavering loyalty. Your orders are all that matter."

"That's right, Your Majesty. Aguni Dukedom is also your faithful servant. Please don't worry. However, could you please explain what happened?"

"Of course. Let me explain. Please, have a seat for now."

And so, the Emperor explained a shocking revelation.

After a maid placed coffee and cake, bowed, and left the room. The Emperor starts his explanation. Everyone had a puzzled expression. 

Only the gray-haired girl, glancing at the cake placed in front of everyone, seemed concerned about whether she should eat it or not.

"To think you were under mental manipulation... I apologize for not being able to prevent it, Your Majesty. This is a lifelong regret for the Teijou Marquisate."

"Do you know of a way to sense mental manipulation?"

"It seems the method used was quite sophisticated and complex, making detection difficult. We'll need to think about a solution later."

As Marquis Teijou looked dejected my father frowned, realizing mental manipulation was challenging to detect.

"There's currently no magic device for detection. It might be impossible without the ability to sense fluctuations in the mana of a recovery magician. Whether we can develop it or not is uncertain. Also, Shisho said that only Spatial Witch could use that magic!"

"I can't see it... Well, I kind of felt something was off. Like... a distortion in the mana inside the body. A weird feeling in his head. I felt that your head, Elder brother, was strange. I thought I had to help Elder brother, whose head seemed weird."

"Sena, you don't have to keep saying my head is weird. But having someone in the family who can sense it besides Marchioness Takano is helpful."

The Emperor looked awkward at Sena-san's words. Somehow, Sena-san seemed off, but it was probably just my imagination.

There were many things to consider. The Empress being Spatial Qitch? And the possibility of manipulating many people? Wait, does this mean the original plot was about Spatial Witch aiming for immortality? 

I'm confused. I thought I, as a god, had a grasp of this world, but I've never seen or heard of such a setting.

If that's the case, the fundamental story of this world seems to be changing. Uh, so, what would be Shin's position?

"By the way, my beloved fiancé, Masatoshi-san, has been training lately... apparently, as an apprentice to Spatial Witch..."

With a clap, Sena-san turned to me with a bright smile.

"My foolish son was suspicious of Spatial Witch, intentionally getting close to finding evidence, Princess."

Without missing a beat, my father uttered a lie. His expression was serious, making it seem like I really had approached him as a spy.

"I knew it! I believed in Mastoshi-san. But, just for a moment, I wondered if he might have been planning to betray us... As an apology, please accept this as a gift."

Sena-san, with an apologetic yet adorable expression, handed me a bracelet. It was a small mithril bracelet adorned with tiny gemstones. There's no way I'd betray Sena-san, hehe.

"I'll put it on for you, Masatoshi-san."

"Thank you, Sena-san. Is this a magic bracelet?"

"Yes! It's a top-level telepathic communication magic. It allows us to communicate anytime. The precision of telepathic communication is excellent because it accurately detects your location. So, now we can always be in touch, Masatoshi-san."

Sena-san blushed and looked embarrassed. She loves me that much? Well, don't be embarrassed; I'm happy.

With excitement, I was about to put on the bracelet, carefully arranged by Sena-san's soft hands.

"It's waterproof and highly durable, so it's quite expensive. I'll make sure only I can take it off to prevent losing it. Is that okay, Masatoshi-san?"

"Of course, Sena-san."

Sena-san is so considerate. As she gazed at me with upturned eyes, she playfully tickled my palm with her index finger. Don't tickle my palm. No, please tickle it more.

"Marchioness Takano, my son hasn't been under mental manipulation, right?"

"No one has manipulated my head!"

It's okay; I'm sane. My father is just too worried. Why does he look at me with such skeptical eyes?

"Now, setting aside the heartwarming exchange between the two, let's discuss the future."

The Emperor started speaking with a somewhat exasperated tone.

What he revealed was astonishing. Perhaps even more so than Shin's story.

"At this point, there's no one paying attention or bureaucrats frowning in dissatisfaction. That's the reality of the Royal Palace."

"Father... Would you stop using such a bold confirmation method?"

If he seemed unusually bold, it seemed he had been thinking about such things. In the royal court intrigues and demons lurked. Could he really go on like this?

"In that case, I'll be the one to pay attention. Duke Aguni, this is the Emperor's home. It would be wise to choose your words carefully."

"Ugh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My father was suddenly called out while he was drinking and getting drunk. It hurts..."

As a deep, commanding voice from a middle-aged man called out from behind, I hastily turned around, intending to make excuses. I didn't want his family to be ruined by a charge of disrespect due to my father's actions.

However, before I could say anything, my father mercilessly smacked me on the head. It was quite painful.

"Isn't this Marquis Teijou? What happened earlier was just a guess. Please don't mind it too much."

"Next time, I won't let it slide."

The one who spoke was Marquis Teijou. With his usual stern expression and an air of unwavering dignity, he exuded an imposing presence. Dressed in a well-fitted ceremonial kimono, he stood next to the refined Teijou Mashiro.

"It seems we got summoned with our eldest sons. Should we be glad about it?"

"I would like to believe it's heading in a positive direction. That His Majesty the Emperor was under mental manipulation..."

Marquis Teijou's face twisted into an expression as if he had bitten a bitter insect. As someone who swore loyalty to the Emperor, he must have regretted not being able to prevent the recent events.

"Then, let's go together to an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."

"Yes."

Following the guide in front, we four walked together. It seemed it wasn't for an audience.

Upon reaching a room with a plate that read "First Office", the guide knocked on the door. A voice replied, allowing us to enter, and we stepped inside.

"Thank you for coming, Duke Aguni, Marquis Teijou. I'm a bit curious about the heavy armament, but I can guess the reason. So I won't ask."

The room was surprisingly spacious for an office. Though it was my first time entering, there was a sleek desk with a computer and a few documents stacked. What made it unusual was not only the four sets of office furniture, but the room was also as expansive as a hotel reception lobby.

At the desk, the owner of rainbow-colored hair, the current Emperor Genshin Nobunaga, welcomed us with a smile.

Glancing around the room, I noticed my beloved fiancée, Sana, and the gray-haired girl devouring a strawberry shortcake.

"Duke Aguni, thank you for coming in response to the Emperor's summons, along with your son."

"Marquis Teijou, thank you for coming in response to the Emperor's summons, along with your son."

"Thank you for coming. I've been waiting for both of you. There's a lot to do. We plan to sell off the unnecessarily accumulated military expenses and the assets of Kanna Dukedom to each noble. The recovery of lost authority and the workload ahead are substantial."

Just hearing about it made the workload seem overwhelming. It wasn't just the quantity; the nature of the tasks was challenging too.