I don't want to be an elf!

“Oh, no, I have no desire for anything other than the bounty I am entitled to,” Nia Honjou replied. “Besides, the only reason I revealed my identity to you was to answer your question.”

"my question?"

"Has His Majesty forgotten? You asked me how I knew the whereabouts of that Gastrea." Nia Honjo spread her hands. "My answer is that it is because God has granted me the ability of omniscience."

"Omniscient, is that it?" The Holy Emperor pondered the word. "That's a weighty term. Do you mean you know everything?"

"exactly."

"Then can you tell me what I'm troubled about right now?"

This article summons the Whispering Tome.

Using the power of the angels, the Holy Emperor's inner thoughts were laid bare.

"Haha, as the ruler of the Tokyo area, His Majesty the Holy Emperor has a lot of troubles."

The emperor's troubles, ranging from insomnia to the survival of cities, were all listed in the proclamation.

Nia Honjo selected a few key points and said, "You're worried that I have ulterior motives regarding the Tokyo area, you're worried about whether you're qualified to be the ruler, you're worried that Kikunojo Tendo might refuse to continue assisting you because of his opposition to the Gastrea Protection Law. Am I right?"

With each complaint he voiced, the Holy Emperor's face grew weary.

Yes, these are all facts.

Especially the last one, which was a worry she had never mentioned to anyone.

Even in front of outsiders, she had to act as if she trusted Kikunojo Tendo completely.

But this does not mean that Kikunojo Tendo is disloyal.

This does not mean that the Holy Emperor does not trust him.

Kikunojo Tendo's loyalty is beyond question. Despite having the ability to usurp power, he still chose to assist the Holy Emperor, allowing her to smoothly navigate the critical period of power transition.

The Holy Emperor also trusted him, but he had no choice but to trust him.

Because in this vast Tokyo government, she had no one else she could trust.

"Your Majesty, you should know that the person who has been secretly hindering the progress of the Gastrea Protection Law is Kikunojo Tendo, right?"

“Of course, he doesn’t hide his disgust for the cursed children from me.”

"But did you know that he was also the mastermind behind the Seven Stars' relics incident?"

Upon hearing this, the Holy Emperor's expression turned serious.

She stared at Nia Honjo and said very seriously, "Although I have different opinions from Lord Tendo on many things, I will not allow anyone to slander him."

“Then let’s play a deduction game,” Nia Honjou said with a smile. “Let’s assume that this incident was orchestrated by Kikunojo Tendo, and that his purpose was to use the Seven Stars’ relics to summon a Stage 5 Zodiac Gastrea, thereby worsening people’s impression of the Cursed Children and further pressuring the Gastrea Protection Law.”

"Please continue."

"If he received a message from a police officer who had already retrieved Qixing's belongings and wanted to meet the Holy Emperor, what do you think he would do?"

"..."

"Have someone stall that police officer, right?"

"..."

"So, after he had someone hold the police officer back, what would he do next?"

Just then, a maid's voice came from outside the door announcing something.

"Your Majesty the Holy Emperor, Lord Tian Tong requests an audience."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Shifting the Blame Eastward

Kikunojo Tendo walked briskly down the corridor of the shrine.

Ever since he received news that Tian Tong Mu Geng's men had come to see the Holy Emperor, his unease had grown stronger, and he wished he could sprout wings and fly over.

Unfortunately, Tokyo's nights are not much quieter than its days; for Tokyo residents living under pressure, the evenings are when entertainment begins.

Upon arriving at the sacred site, Takuto Howaki immediately explained the situation.

Upon learning what had happened, Kikunojo Tendo's expression turned even more grim.

Because the Holy City Guard failed to stop Tendo Kisara's men.

With a cold expression, Kikunojo Tendo entered the shrine and opened the door to the reception room.

Looking around the scene, he only saw the Holy Emperor sitting on the sofa and the two maids behind her; there was no trace of anyone else.

However, his face twitched slightly when he saw the briefcase on the table.

The ominous feeling indeed came true.

The briefcase in front of him was prepared by him personally; how could he not recognize it?

Having weathered many storms, he showed no signs of anger or frustration at the failure of his plan; his expression remained as resolute as an old man's.

"Your Excellency Tiantong."

The Holy Emperor sat on the sofa and said with a smile, "I was just about to share this good news with you: the relics of the Seven Stars have been successfully recovered."

Is it genuine?

"I've seen the recycling video; this is the genuine article."

"That's right, that's great."

Tendou Kikunojo let out a long breath and sat down in front of the Holy Emperor: "When I learned that someone had come to see you with the Seven Stars' relics, I did not believe it, so I rushed over. I did not expect that someone could actually retrieve the Seven Stars' relics in just half a day after the commission was issued."

"Your Excellency Tiantong is indeed a loyal old minister. You have troubled yourself with everything."

"Hehe, it's just a trivial matter."

Kikunojo Tendo waved his hand modestly, then his tone changed: "However, who exactly could find that Gastrea that devoured the Seven Stars' relics in such a vast detection area? And on the very day the commission was issued? Doesn't His Majesty think it's too much of a coincidence?"

“In fact, that’s what I think too,” the Holy Emperor said earnestly. “The police officer who handed over the Seven Stars’ relics to me came from your granddaughter’s company. Does Lord Tiantong know anything about this?”

"My granddaughter is someone I always care about."

Kikunojo Tendo stroked his long beard and said slowly, "In that girl's company, besides her, there should only be my adopted son. The person who came to see you this time seems to have crawled out of a crack in the rock, which is very suspicious."

"Perhaps, it is someone with ill intentions."

"That's what I think too," said Kikunojo Tendou with satisfaction. "Your Majesty is wise."

"You flatter me. This is far from enough for the ruler of the Tokyo area," the Holy Emperor said modestly. "I will investigate the Tendo Police and Security Company and the police officer I just met. Once I have the results, I will have someone send a copy to His Excellency Tendo."

“His Majesty the Holy Emperor works tirelessly day and night; how can he be distracted by such matters?” Tendou Kikunojo shook his head. “Let this old man handle the investigation.”

Clearly, the Holy Emperor also suspected the unidentified police officer, but not him.

This brought great comfort to Kikunojo Tendo.

However, he wanted to investigate this matter personally.

It was obvious that Tendoki knew the coordinates of the Seven Stars' relics that he sent helicopters to the unexplored area.

Furthermore, after obtaining the Seven Stars' relics, they deliberately installed tracking devices on other Gastrea to create the illusion that the Seven Stars' relics had not been retrieved.

This can only mean one thing.

Kisara Tendo knew that this incident was not an accident, but rather a deliberate act.

However, what Kikunojo Tendo couldn't be sure of was whether his rebellious granddaughter knew that the mastermind behind this incident was her grandfather.

But whether or not Tendo Kisara knew it, she had already become a menace.

After losing Gencho Tendo, Kikunojo Tendo was already losing patience and was about to harm his granddaughter.

After learning that Kikunojo Tendo had somehow discovered the whereabouts of the Seven Stars' relics, and that the incident was not an accident, Kikunojo Tendo could no longer tolerate her mischievousness.

He could tolerate Kisara Tendo declaring his revenge in front of others, he could tolerate Kisara Tendo's affair with his adopted son, and he could tolerate Kisara Tendo's underhanded dealings...

Before their interests are threatened, all of a child's actions can be seen as their naughtiness.

However, the tolerance from her family has its limits. When Tong Mu truly crosses the line, she will no longer receive the tolerance and care from her family, but will suffer the same fate as her parents.

Tendougi should have died much earlier.

She should have died four years ago when the Gastrea invaded the Tendo family and massacred her parents.

But she survived that accident; it was both lucky and a miracle.

It was also out of the family's pity.

Because Kikunojo Tendo could have used other methods to kill the girl.

However, this girl was not content with the good life she had, nor was she grateful for her family's kindness. She even began to draw her sword against her family.

Now, she has gradually lost control and grown to the point where she can threaten the family.

Then, he could only shed his pretense of compassion and return the cause and effect that was four years overdue.

“No matter how worthless she is, she is still my granddaughter,” Kikunojo Tendo said solemnly. “If she is really involved in this incident, I will bear the consequences and wash away the shame.”

"I appreciate Your Excellency's kindness," the Holy Emperor said. "However, Miss Kisara is related to you by blood. If I were to ask you to investigate your own blood relative, it might cause some unnecessary negative rumors within the government."

"I would never bend the law for personal gain because of family ties. Please believe me, Your Majesty."

"Of course I believe you, just as my father believed you, but a country has its laws, doesn't it?"

Seeing that the Holy Emperor had declined his request for the second time, Tendou Kikunojo narrowed his eyes.

Generally speaking, the Holy Emperor would grant any request he made, even if it was slightly unreasonable.

Because in the entire Tokyo area, he was the only person she could trust and rely on.

However, at times, the Holy Queen's attitude can become very tough, such as when she overruled opposition in the government and forcefully passed the Gastrea Protection Law draft.

However, what Tendou Kikunojo did not expect was that even on such a trivial matter, the Holy Emperor was unwilling to budge.

However, he didn't dwell on it for long.

After all, to outsiders, Kikunojo Tendo even seemed to have enough love and patience to tolerate Kisara Tendo, the girl who claimed she wanted to destroy the Tendo family.

He remained indifferent to everything that Tendo Kisara did for a long time, which outsiders saw as a sign of doting affection.

Now, in the eyes of the Holy Emperor, Tendou Kisara is very likely related to the theft of the Seven Stars' relics, so it is impossible for him to be asked to investigate Tendou Kisara.

"Kisara, even if you really know that I deliberately lost the Seven Stars' relics, you have no evidence."