The Demon Prince goes to the Academy - Chapter 264 Part 3

The atmosphere in the Imperial City was different from the Temple.

While the Temple was lively with mostly students, the Imperial City was solemn and quiet.

The expressions of the people passing by were all stern, and it was clear that they were either nobles or bureaucrats.

Charlotte did say it wasn't possible, but since she brought me, she seemed to have decided to show me around in the end.

"Do you see that? That's the Imperial Palace Tetra where His Majesty the Emperor resides."

Charlotte pointed to the palace, which was located beyond a vast garden and fountain.

Rather than being splendid, it was a solemn and rigid-looking palace. The Royal Class dormitory was even more splendid.

However, the large, solemn, and stern palace seemed to represent the authority of the empire.

There is no need for splendour.

It seemed to say that.

The pride of the continent's ruler is clear, so there's no need to dress up.

The description in my head was even more elaborate.

The tram passes around the central Imperial Palace Tetra.

"Do you know about the Imperial City?"

"I do."

I have no choice but to know.

Imperial City Emperatos.

When the Gradius Empire established its capital, it devoted all its efforts to the construction of the Imperial City.

Numerous magical barriers were laid out in the ley lines to reject external invasions and infiltrations of impure forces, not only the walls but also hundreds of layers of complex magical barriers were spread throughout the ley lines.

"The Imperial Palace Tetra is at the center, with four palaces in the east, west, south, and north. There are other palaces, but the biggest ones are the four palaces, excluding the main palace. From the north, there's the Spring Palace, Summer Palace, Autumn Palace, and Winter Palace."

"I've heard that."

"Do you know why they're named like this?"

"No? Is there a reason?"

I know.

But Charlotte, who hesitated but explained, seemed to enjoy it a little, so I nodded.

"At the beginning of the empire, they were very concerned about the safety of the Imperial City. So, there were hundreds of layers of magical barriers laid out throughout this area."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so the ley lines became twisted, and the surrounding mana became unbalanced, causing abnormalities."

"So?"

"The Imperial City suddenly had all four seasons at once."

"…Really?"

"Yes, really."

Side effects are caused by the application of numerous magical powers.

Excluding the central area where the Imperial City is located, there were spring, summer, autumn, and winter in the four directions.

"Of course, a lot of time has passed, and after maintenance, those abnormalities have disappeared, but they couldn't fix the situation for a long time. So, the palaces were named after the seasons in those areas: Spring Palace, Summer Palace, Autumn Palace, and Winter Palace. That's how they became known, and now even the Imperial City has changed their names."

The phenomenon disappeared, but the habit of calling them by those names replaced the existing names.

The tram continued to move, and when a palace came into view, Charlotte pointed to it.

"That's the 'Winter Palace' where Bertus lives."

It was a palace with a straight posture. Hearing the name "Winter Palace," somehow gave me a cold and eerie feeling.

Of course, it was better than the fortress of Epiax.

The palace had a lonely yet strong impression, perhaps because of the people living there.

In the Winter Palace, Berthus plotted his conspiracies.

It felt fitting for him.

Although the actual seasonal divide had disappeared, Charlotte looked at the Winter Palace and then back at the sky.

"Isn't it a shame?"

"What is?"

"How great would it have been if Bertus, trembling with fear, lived in the Winter Palace?"

Charlotte chuckled, covering her mouth, as I was taken aback by her sudden comment.

"It's a joke. If that were the case, Bertus wouldn't have lived in the Winter Palace in the first place."

Although it was called the Winter Palace, Bertus's palace had only just entered autumn.

However, it felt like winter. The reason could be found not in the palace itself, but in the garden.

Had I not described this part before?

The vast garden in front of the Winter Palace.

There wasn't a single flower there. Although there were dried brown grass and shrubs, not a single flower could be found.

It was strange.

I didn't remember the garden of Bertus's Winter Palace being so barren, as it had been described quite some time ago.

Charlotte seemed to notice my expression and said,

"Barren, right?"

"Well, it's a bit like that."

In the end, it was quite like Bertus.

It had a neat feeling, but it wasn't extravagant.

"Still, it's strange that a garden doesn't have a single flower bed."

Charlotte crossed her arms and clicked her tongue.

"Isn't it childish? He dug up all the flowers in his garden because I like flowers. When I heard that, I wasn't angry, but I was dumbfounded."

Bertus was more childish than I thought.

Charlotte liked flowers.

That was enough reason for Berthus to hate them.

It wasn't my memory that was wrong.

The reason there were no flowers in Bertus's garden was that Charlotte, who loved flowers, was still alive.

So, in the original Winter Palace garden, there were flowers because Charlotte, who loved them, was already dead.

Since there was no reason to hate flowers anymore, it was okay to have them in his garden.

Was that it?

If Charlotte died, flowers would bloom in Berthus's garden.

This childish yet eerie resentment.

This must have been another backstory I didn't know.

Charlotte smiled with a gloomy expression.

"When I brought back the dug-up flowers and planted them in my palace, his face was worth seeing."

Berthus wasn't the only childish one.

Charlotte was just as childish.

"Ah, we've arrived."

The tram arrived at the north side of the Imperial Palace. Charlotte pointed out the window.

"That's where I live, the 'Spring Palace.'"

The Spring Palace.

Even from a distance, and even without knowing the name, it seemed like a place one would recognize.

Shouldn't it be called the Palace of Flowers rather than the Spring Palace?

The garden was so full of blooming flowers that I had such a thought.

Not long ago, someone died there. In the Imperial City, where everyone should be safe.

Someone died in a place that should be especially safe.

I was more curious about what was hidden behind the blooming flowers in the garden than the flowers themselves.

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TL Note:

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