Shawlo Emperor Van Fleet Rasgan von Saphas Shawlo was born in the year 3819 of the continental calendar.

His childhood name was Rasgan Shawlo.

He had many siblings, and he was the second son.

Dark blond hair, blue eyes. Medium build. He was well dressed, and his youth was wild because of the ease of a second son.

He was not supposed to be an emperor, but his older brother, the crown prince, died prematurely, so he became emperor at the age of 39.

In addition to the empress, there were three other queens (in the Shoro Empire, a wife who was not an empress).

However, she was not blessed with many children and barely had two sons, a crown prince and his younger brother, in other words, two boys.

As a monarch, he was neither good nor bad.

He was not a great monarch, but he was not a despotic monarch who would have disgraced the name of the imperial family for generations.

During his reign, he liked to make secret tours of the country in honor of his beloved Emperor Taimei.

However, it was only a formal excursion to visit towns that had been arranged by his vassals in advance.

"...... hmm, the people seem to be satisfied with my reign."

"Yes, they are, Your Majesty.

But we must not lose heart and continue to rule the country.

Yes.

However, he should be commended for governing the country without being conceited.

The people around him were not wicked, not to say loyal, vassals. They were, so to speak, good vassals.

Therefore, it can be said that the Shoro Kingdom was ruled peacefully.

By the way, the world was in the age of the League of Magic.

The Shoro Empire was relatively unaffected by the League of Magic, but the worldwide tendency to place too much emphasis on magic and too little on science remained unchecked.

Therefore, being a mage became a status symbol, and learning was considered secondary.

This also extended to the imperial family, and it is undeniable that Emperor Van Fleet Rasgan von Saphas Sholo also tended to emphasize magic and disregard scholarship.

At the age of 65, he passed the throne to his eldest son Egmont, who became Egmont Ahrens von Garnes Shawlo, Emperor of the Shawlo Empire.

Van Fleet, who became the Grand Emperor after abdicating the throne, regained the uninhibited spirit of his youth.

He traveled around the country on what he called an "inspection tour.

"Mmm...... they look a little different from the people I saw when I was young. I knew it was a staged escapade. ......"

Now Van Fleet finally realized it.

And he started to tour the country more and more.

In the five years since his abdication, he has visited almost every city in the country.

This is a feat that no previous emperor, not even the Taesang, had accomplished.

It is said that Van Fleet gave up the throne to his son, partly because of the heartache caused by the death of his wives, all four of whom had died of an epidemic about ten years before.

The wives died of an epidemic about 10 years ago.

One of the attendants who accompanied Van Fleet on his tour of the country was Zelma.

She was a former palace maid, whom Van Fleet left behind when he abdicated.

She was born in 3868, had chestnut hair, steeple eyes, and a medium height ......, and seemed to be quite well proportioned.

And the main reason Van Fleet kept her was that she was his favorite.

More specifically, because she was <.

Zelma filled the void in Van Fleet's heart after he lost his four wives...... empresses and queens one after the other.

Near the end of his journey, he learns that Zelma has had a child.

"Is it true, Zelma?"

"...... Yes, Your Majesty. It is the son of Your ...... Majesty."

"I see. ......

At this age,...... Van Fleet was 69 years old at the time,...... and although he did not think he would have a child, he was certain that it would be his. I was sure it would be my child.

After all, he had kept Zelma with him for almost five years and had not even allowed her to return home.

"Please give me a healthy baby," he said. ...... but I can't tell the world it's mine. You understand that."

Yes, Your Majesty.

But I guarantee you a life for you and your child.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Van Fleet gave Zelma a share of his personal wealth and even bought her a small house in their hometown.

When Zelma's belly began to show, he relieved her of her duties as maid of honor.

"Thank you for all your hard work, Zelma.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

At that moment, Van Fleet gave Zelma a dagger and said.

"This is the dagger that will prove that the child you carry is of the Emperor's blood. If you or your child desire my protection or that of the emperor's house, you may use the dagger as proof.

The dagger was a toy dagger given by Jin to Vinfried Shoro, a prince with a name similar to Van Fleet's,...... four hundred years ago.

Today, however, only the tradition of <> remains.

It is said that the blade glows with a golden light when a person of the imperial blood puts magic into it.

The current emperor, Ernst II, saw this brilliance once when he was a child.

It is a treasure of the emperor's family, and Van Fleet probably wanted to show his sincerity to Zelma and her child.

Perhaps he had such a fantasy that his child with the dagger would eventually be welcomed as a member of the emperor's family .......

In any case, the Grand Emperor Van Fleet took the imperial treasure on his own accord and even gave it to his lady-in-waiting.

This was an outrage that should have been scolded by the emperors of the past.

After this time, the dagger, which proved the imperial lineage, disappeared from the treasury of the Imperial Palace in Shoro.

However, it was a time of peace. No one noticed that the Dagger was missing.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Thus, the Dagger of Proof passed into the hands of Zelma, the former maid of honor.

The moon waxed and Zelma gave birth to Van Fleet. It was a girl.

"Your name is Merce.

The name was Van Fleet. If it had been a girl, she would have said "Merce".

Incidentally, we don't know what he would have named her if it had been a boy ...... now that Zelma is deceased.

Time has passed again, Zelma has never returned, and the grandparents who raised Merce on her behalf have also passed away.

And the Dagger of Proof became hers.

Now, Merce is left alone in the world.

Her only hope was the Dagger of Proof, but there was no way she could believe that she was of imperial descent.

The turning point in Mertze's destiny was that the owner of the shop where he had the dagger examined was a member of the , a party that has recently been gaining power in the neighboring kingdom of Celuloa.

After overcoming the ordeal of her kidnapping, what awaited her was .......

We have already told you what was waiting for her.