"A-Are you certain you haven't chosen the wrong person, Your Majesty?" Milla asked, her voice trembling. Her hands tightly gripped the edge of her uniform. "I am merely a commoner. I have never received a higher education, let alone studied the intricacies of imperial bureaucracy."
"You don't need to worry about that." Elara replied, offering absolute certainty to dispel the woman's doubts. "Bureaucracy and etiquette can be learned. I will provide all the facilities, tutors, and access you require to become the finest Minister of Finance in this empire."
Hearing this assurance directly from the Emperor, Milla felt a wave of relief. Yet, as the breadwinner of her family, there was still one thing she had to do.
"I-If I accept the position..." Milla hesitated for a moment but forced herself to continue. "...am I permitted to bring my entire family with me to the capital? I cannot leave them behind in this city."
To Elara, this request was not a burdensome demand, but rather proof that Milla possessed a strong sense of responsibility toward her loved ones.
"Of course you may bring them to live in the capital." she answered without hesitation. "The empire will provide a proper residence for you and your entire family."
Hearing this response, Milla realized that the Emperor was not only acknowledging her capabilities but also offering protection and the promise of a far better life for her family.
Without a second thought, she bowed deeply, paying her utmost respect to the supreme ruler of the Erthland Empire.
"I am truly honored by the trust and the position you have bestowed upon me, Your Majesty." Milla said, her voice now filled with firm resolve. "I swear that I will carry out my duties as the Empire's Minister of Finance to the best of my abilities. I will not disappoint you."
Elara nodded in satisfaction. She then turned around, her gaze sweeping across the entire guild lobby.
A moment later, the satisfaction in her eyes vanished, replaced by an ice-cold glare. Through the enhanced vision provided by the necklace around her neck, she spotted several anomalies.
Amidst the dozens of adventurers radiating blue auras, the Emperor's gaze locked onto three men whose bodies were shrouded in black.
"You with the axe, and the two men beside you. Step forward!"
The three men visibly started at being singled out. Despite their apparent confusion, they immediately parted from the crowd of adventurers and approached the Emperor.
Once they came to a halt before the supreme ruler of the empire, the three of them bowed in unison to pay their respects.
"Is there anything we can do for you, Your Majesty?" the axe-wielding man asked.
Elara stared at the three men with an impassive expression.
"I merely wish to confirm one thing with the three of you."
"What might that be, Your Majesty?"
"How many people have you kidnapped and sold while masquerading as adventurers in this city?"
Hearing this blunt accusation from the Emperor, the dozens of adventurers and guild staff in the lobby erupted into a commotion. Whispers laden with disbelief quickly rippled through the room.
"What does Her Majesty mean? Are those three part of the slave-trading syndicate?"
"B-But... those three are Rank S adventurers!"
"If they truly belong to that syndicate, they're the most disgusting adventurers in the world."
Meanwhile, standing before the Emperor, the pupils of the three black-auraed men widened fractionally. They never expected that the Emperor, who had just arrived in the city, could effortlessly uncover the dark secrets they had kept neatly buried for years.
However, as veterans who had survived countless deadly encounters, they fought hard to maintain their composure. Panicking now would be tantamount to a confession.
"Please forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty," the axe-wielding man replied, launching into his defense. "I truly do not understand what these accusations are—"
"You don't need to play the fool in front of me!" Elara cut him off sharply. "You cannot deceive my eyes! I can see with absolute clarity the trash who have betrayed this empire!"
Giving the three men no opportunity to string together another lie, Elara raised her right hand.
"General Vincent! Execute these three traitors."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
General Vincent, who had been standing as still as a statue, suddenly lunged forward. With terrifying speed, he swung his spear in a horizontal arc, aiming to take the axe-wielding man's life in a single, clean strike.
Clang!
With extraordinary combat reflexes, the man drew the massive axe from his back and successfully deflected the General's lethal spearhead.
The man's polite facade vanished completely, replaced by a ferocious sneer resembling a cornered beast. The veins in his arms bulged as he struggled to hold back the crushing force of the spear.
"Don't underestimate me!" the man hissed, his teeth grinding against the weight of the General's spear. He glared fiercely at Elara, entirely discarding his reverence for the Emperor. "The three of us are Rank S adventurers! We are fighters who stand at the pinnacle of adventurer glory! You won't kill us that easily!"
Hearing the sheer arrogance spilling from the criminal before her...
"Hahaha..."
A laugh, dripping with condescension, pierced the stunned silence of the lobby.
"The pinnacle of adventurer glory, you say?" Elara repeated his words, continuing to chuckle at the man's sheer audacity. "Does that Rank S title make you feel like gods in this city? In my eyes, the three of you are nothing more than trash that defiles this empire. Trash that must be exterminated immediately!"
The three men glared at the Emperor laughing at them. Their pride as top-tier adventurers felt utterly trampled.
"Are you insulting our profession and achievements as adventurers?!"
"The three of you are no adventurers!" Elara snapped back loudly, her laughter vanishing in an instant, replaced by the absolute severity of an Emperor. "An adventurer acts to protect the people! But you! You who have kidnapped and sold the empire's people as slaves for money are traitors to the empire!"
Elara's eyes narrowed, radiating a killing intent so thick it made the three Rank S adventurers swallow hard involuntarily.
"For the sake of the security and peace of all the people living within the Erthland Empire, I will make certain that trash like you are exterminated down to the very roots!"