I don't want to be an elf!

After hesitating for a moment, Kikunojo Tendo took a cell phone out of the safe and dialed the only number stored on it.

"Isn't this Lord Tendo?"

The call was quickly answered, and a magnetic, elegant male voice came through: "There should still be a week before the plan officially begins, and you're not the kind of person who would chat with someone like me, so the reason you're calling me this time must be because something unexpected happened on your end, right?"

"Hiruko Kageyu, I'll get straight to the point. I'll send you the coordinates of the Seven Stars' relics in a bit. Go check if there's anything unusual."

"Oh? Could it be that someone else knows the coordinates?"

“I didn’t know, that’s why I asked you to check.”

"No problem. Do I need to open it before taking it out?"

"No, wait a few more days, let things ferment for a while, and then you can just throw them into the stomachs of other Gastrea."

"as you wish."

The phone hangs up.

Kikunojo Tendo sent the coordinates to Kagetane Hiruko and sat on the tatami mat, waiting for his message.

However, the meditation hadn't lasted long when the phone rang.

This time, it's a different phone.

Kikunojo Tendo glanced at the caller ID; the person calling him this time was an informant he had planted beside the Holy Emperor.

He answered the phone and asked in a calm tone, "What is it?"

“Lord Tiantong, just now, a visitor came to the Holy Residence and wants to see His Majesty the Holy Emperor.”

"Who?"

"He claimed to be one of Tendo Kisara's men."

At that moment, a warning bell rang in Tendo Kikunojo's mind, and he almost crushed his phone.

Tendo Kisara sent people to unexplored areas, and upon their return, they immediately went to see the Holy Emperor.

Even a three-year-old could spot the problem!

"Hold him back," Kikunojo Tendo said in a deep voice. "Use whatever means necessary to hold off Rentaro Satomi!"

“Rentaro Satomi? No, Lord Tendo, the one who came to see the Holy Emperor is a woman.”

"A woman?" Kikunojo Tendo frowned.

"Yes."

On the phone, an unfamiliar name reached the ears of Kikunojo Tendo.

She said her name was Honjo Nia.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Visiting the Holy Emperor

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Defense center, Seiju.

Before this largest and most striking pure white palace in Tokyo, Honjo Nia, who had just returned from an area she had never explored, paced back and forth at the entrance of the Holy Palace under the watchful eyes of the other members of the Holy Palace Guard.

Tidbiting impatiently at the time on her phone, Nia Honjo asked one of them, "Hey, when can I enter the Holy Residence?"

"Miss, please wait patiently."

"Your guard captain merely went to ask the Holy Emperor if he could see me. Is the Holy Residence so vast that even the captain would get lost?!"

"Miss, please wait patiently."

"I've been waiting! I've been waiting for twenty minutes! Even if the Holy Emperor was taking a dump, he should be done by now!" Honjou Nia raised her phone, almost shoving it into one of the people's faces. "Look at this, I arrived at 8:30, and it's almost 9 o'clock now!"

"It's already nine o'clock." The member of the Holy Residence Guard was taken aback. "Then come back tomorrow. We should be off work at nine o'clock."

Upon hearing this, Honjo Nia was so angry that her nose almost twisted.

Just this afternoon, she, Rentaro Satomi, and Nibelco boarded a helicopter that Kisara Tendo had rented through his own channels. The three of them headed to the unexplored area outside the monolith to search for the relics of the Seven Stars that had been devoured by Gastrea.

For others, finding a Gastrea in such a vast, unexplored area is like finding a needle in a haystack.

But for Nia Honjo, it was just a matter of putting pen to paper.

Based on the search results from the Whispering Book, the group quickly located their target, the Gastrea, lurking in the forest.

The target was just a Stage 3 monster, which Nia Honjou could easily take down if she was careful, not to mention that she had two bodyguards, Nibekol and Rentaro Satomi, with her.

They easily killed it and found a suitcase inside its intestines that had not yet been corroded.

The three casually attached the tracking device installed on the suitcase to the back of another Gastrea, pretending that Seven Stars' relics had not yet been retrieved. They then returned to the helicopter with the real Seven Stars artifacts, before causing too much of a commotion.

The first thing Nia Honjo did after returning to Tokyo was to go to the Ministry of Defense to meet the Emperor.

However, it has been twenty minutes since the captain of the Holy Residence Guard, Takuto Howaki, entered the Holy Residence, and he has not yet returned.

“These guys definitely never intended for me to see the Holy Emperor from the beginning,” Honjou Nia thought. “I’ve already explained my purpose and verified my identity, but they’re still keeping me here. That guy named Howaki Takuto definitely didn’t intend to ask the Holy Emperor for permission.”

This situation inevitably raises suspicions that the Holy Palace Guard has actually been bribed by Tendou Kikunojo, and instead of being loyal to the Holy Emperor, they are working for Tendou Kikunojo.

Perhaps that old fellow has already received the news and is on his way to the Holy Residence.

We can't keep waiting like this. Once Kikunojo Tendo arrives, he'll definitely find an excuse to drive Nia Honjo away and take away the Seven Stars' relics.

"Then, there's only one way left."

Having reached a place out of sight of the Holy Guard, Nia Honjo summoned the Whispering Scripture and the Writing Pen, turning to a blank page.

As the pen tip touches the page, the projection of the future appears as a picture on the whispered text.

In the scene, the Holy Emperor walks out of the Holy Residence and, despite the obstruction of the Holy Residence's guards, meets with Nia Honjo.

After closing the sermon, Honjo Nia picked up her briefcase and returned to the steps of the sanctuary.

Waiting for the appearance of the Holy Emperor.

-------------------

-------------------

Within the sacred dwelling.

In the office, a young woman dressed entirely in white is sitting in front of a workbench approving documents.

The girl's hair, eyelashes, and even her clothes were all pure white, without a trace of any other color. The blue silk used for embellishment was the same color as the girl's eyes. Combined with her incomparably exquisite appearance, she looked like a character who had stepped out of a painting.

However, she looked extremely tired, seemingly due to her busy work schedule.

This is only natural, because this girl, who is not yet eighteen, bears the responsibility of protecting the entire Tokyo area.

Looking at the documents on his desk, which showed no signs of decreasing, the Holy Emperor let out a soft sigh.

The resistance to implementing the Gastrea Protection Law, the aggressive intentions from other regions, the internal covetousness for the throne, and the recent loss of the Seven Stars' relics have all put her under immense pressure, leaving her mentally exhausted.

Today, she had planned to rest after completing a quarter of her total work.

However, for no apparent reason, looking at the crescent moon in the night sky, she felt a bit inclined to take a walk.

Even though I was exhausted both physically and mentally and longed to fall asleep as soon as possible, for some reason, my desire to go for a walk outside grew stronger and stronger.

So the Holy Emperor closed his pen and gave in to his impulse.

"He's probably been cooped up in the Holy Residence for too long and needs a walk to relieve the stress," the Holy Emperor thought to himself.

After telling his maid that he was going out for a walk, the maid summoned the Holy House Guard.

As the highest leader in the Tokyo area, he must have bodyguards by his side whenever he wants to go out.

However, the captain of the Holy Residence Guard, a man named Takuto Howaki, had a rather strange expression.

“Your Majesty, it’s already evening. It’s not a good time to go out now.”

"What's inappropriate?"

"It wouldn't be good if we encountered any danger."

"That's why I wanted you all to come along, isn't it?"

"But His Majesty the Emperor has been working hard all day. He should rest as much as possible to restore his energy for tomorrow's work."

"Taking a walk is also a way to relax and restore energy."

Bao Xie Zhuo Ren kept persuading him, thinking that this would change the Emperor's mind.

However, for some reason, today's holy emperor is unusually stubborn.

Led by a troop of guards, the Holy Emperor ignored the advice of the yakuza and walked to the entrance of the Holy Residence.

"Tsk..."

Seeing that he could not stop the Holy Emperor from going out, Bao Xie Zhuoren clicked his tongue in displeasure and gave up trying to persuade him.

Then, he gave his trusted subordinate a look, signaling him to chase away the woman at the door who was like a leech.

Upon stepping out of the gate, the Holy Emperor witnessed the Holy Residence Guard driving away Honjo Nia.

"What happened?" the Holy Emperor asked.

"It was just some unrelated people trying to force their way into the Holy Residence. Our loyal and dutiful guards were simply fulfilling their duties," Takuto Howaki replied with a smile.

"I see." The Holy Emperor nodded, not doubting his answer.

However, at this moment, Nia Honjou finally saw the Holy Emperor emerge, her eyes lit up as she waved to him and said, "Hehe! Holy Emperor! I've come to see you!"

Takuto Howaki reacted even faster, saying, "Don't let that woman get close to His Majesty the Holy Emperor. She didn't make an appointment, and who knows what her purpose is."

"The Seven Stars' relics!"

Nia Honjo shouted the keyword at the top of her lungs, waving her briefcase: "I've brought what you've put a bounty on!"

as predicted.

The Holy Emperor, who had originally intended to ignore her, stopped in his tracks.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Identity Revealed

ten minutes later.

With the Holy Emperor personally going out, the Holy City Guard could no longer stop Honjo Nia.