The Laws

However, right after that, Agravain said something that shocked her.

"If it were any other member of the Imperial royalty, they wouldn't receive this treatment. But when it's the Dragon Emperor himself, His Majesty Artorius the First, it's a different story."

"His Majesty Artorius the First?"

Upon hearing this news, even someone as mentally resilient as Bazett couldn't help but freeze for a moment. "B-But..."

"It's the Holy Grail War." Agravain immediately informed her. "The Einzbern family has summoned His Majesty the Emperor in this Holy Grail War."

"?!"

"That... surprising. But, isn't that against the laws?" Bazett was somewhat astonished. "Even if they are a branch of the royal family, engaging in actions that violate the laws of the Empire..."

With the Empire's powerful control, the Holy Grail War was certainly not a war that could be manipulated at will by the so-called Three Founding Families or any other faction.

Under the coordination of the Imperial Mystery Bureau, the Holy Grail War was classified as a 'civilian entertainment competition.' It was managed by the Imperial Mystery Bureau to ensure that no problems would occur.

From the very beginning, this so-called 'Holy Grail War' had undergone evaluations to confirm its safety. After assessing its low safety coefficient, further evaluations were conducted. And with the bureau in the lead, a total of three internal Holy Grail Wars were held.

In the end, the Empire confirmed that the so-called 'Holy Grail' indeed possessed a certain power, making it a dangerous item. In theory, the bureau should have taken control and retrieved it.

However, considering the needs and feelings of the Empire's subordinate nobles, the bureau ultimately decided to render the Holy Grail harmless.

Since then, the Holy Grail War could proceed, but the victor's wish had to be verified and approved by the Empire to ensure it was harmless before it could be granted. Furthermore, the wish could not be made by the victors themselves; it had to be made on their behalf by an official representative of the Empire to prevent any accidents.

In more straightforward terms—even wishes must follow the basic laws.

The Mage Killer—Emiya Kiritsugu had no knowledge of these laws. His wish for 'world peace' was never going to come true from the very beginning. Not only did the Holy Grail lack enough power to fulfill his wish, but the Intelligence Department of the Empire would never permit something so dangerous.

For some mages from other timelines, this kind of restriction might be hard to accept.

They believed themselves superior, free from any constraints of authority or power. Their world was more brutal and real, akin to the Middle Ages of countless years ago. Although it had a facade of warmth and civilization, at its core, it remained a world of survival of the fittest, where the strong dominated all, and killing and war were still central.

But this world was different. Order and stability prevailed above all.

The Fourth Holy Grail War was the first time the Empire officially delegated the right to hold it to civilians. However, any civilian participant who thought they could do as they pleased was mistaken.

Summoning Servants belonging to the Empire was still forbidden.

One could summon Servants from before the Empire's establishment or Servants not affiliated with the Empire, but one couldn't summon Servants belonging to the Empire to avoid situations that would damage the Empire's reputation or harm internal unity.

Therefore, summoning the emperor was a clear violation.

Even in the past, when the Einzbern family tried to summon the King of Knights, they were playing on the edge.

Undoubtedly, the King of Knights had been born before the Empire's establishment. But he was also the first emperor's father. So, strictly speaking, he fell under the legal regulations.

"The Empire has already discussed this matter."

"From a subjective perspective, the Einzbern family did not intend to summon His Majesty the Dragon Emperor. His Majesty appeared on his own accord. Therefore, the Einzbern family is not at fault. You don't need to worry about unnecessary matters."

Before Bazett could say anything more, Agravain interrupted her, saying, "Your only concern is to ensure that His Majesty enjoys himself during the Holy Grail War."

"..."

And so, Major Bazett accepted the order.

But she felt extremely unhappy.

"Dammit."

The Emperor was indeed having a blast. Decimating hundreds of foes in one go; it would be strange if he wasn't enjoying himself.

Looking at the satisfied faces of the Einzbern maids floating in the hot springs, Bazett felt uneasy. She wasn't sure whether she should praise the Emperor's prowess or criticize his debauchery.

But whether it was the former or the latter, it had nothing to do with her.

This annoying monitoring mission continued until the last maid collapsed. Artorius snapped his fingers, and they all disappeared instantly. They must have gone to sleep in their room.

"Shift change, Bazett."

A little while later, a calm voice came from beside Bazett. It was a silver-haired girl wearing a beret with amber-colored eyes, her partner in this mission.

'Caren, huh?'

She was a beautiful girl with an attractive figure that she emphasized in every way. She was also a member of the Empire's Battle Nun known as the 'Emperor's Bride'.

'Exactly the type the Dragon Emperor would like.'

Not sure why, but such a thought flashed through Bazett's mind and startled her when she realized it. To ensure the Emperor's happiness, she needed to keep an eye on him twenty-four hours a day.

However, Bazett didn't possess Artorius's immense energy, making it impossible to maintain a constant watch. She would have to take shifts with her partner.

Bazett had expected this arrangement.

What she didn't expect was that her partner wouldn't be someone from the Intelligence Department but instead, a person reassigned from the neighboring religious department.

It seemed that she wasn't the only one intrigued by the Dragon Emperor, apart from her own superiors.

"How's it going today?"

Unconcerned about Bazett's expression, a girl named Caren, dressed in tight-fitting attire, asked while leaning next to Bazett. She raised her binoculars and peered in the direction of the hot spring hotel.

Though the place was fortified to prevent prying eyes, with defensive walls and electrified wire fences, such defenses would deter common burglars but not elite Imperial soldiers trained by the Empire.

"A splendid sight of blossoms. His Majesty is truly impressive."

Caren commented after scanning through the binoculars.

Her words triggered a flashback in Bazett's mind, causing her body, which had only just cooled down through sheer willpower, to grow hot again. She almost stumbled and fell to the ground.

This excitement made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

It would have been fine if she were alone, but she had to deal with someone next to her.

'Dammit, if this person finds out, then, then...'

The Empire's internal structure wasn't as rigid as it seemed. Conflicts arose due to overlapping authority and jurisdiction, competition for resources, and differing political views among various departments.

Being seen in a compromising situation by someone from a different department was more distressing to Bazett than being killed.

Fortunately, it seemed that Caren hadn't noticed anything. Her attention was entirely focused on observing the Emperor. This eased Bazett's anxiety.

As Bazett breathed a sigh of relief, Caren's next statement surprised her.

"It never gets old, doing this. I can understand to some extent; after all, His Majesty has vigorous energy, being both a human and a dragon. So, it's natural to have an extraordinary interest in such activities. But, always doing the same thing with the same face a hundred times in a row... I wonder if His Majesty won't get bored."

"..."

Hearing Caren speak, Bazett opened her mouth, intending to defend the Emperor, but she couldn't get any words out. This left her feeling even more frustrated.

"By the way..."

Caren continued in her characteristic emotionless and calm tone as if talking to herself but also addressing Bazett.

"Our mission is to ensure that His Majesty enjoys his vacation, right, Bazett?"

"Is there a problem?" Finally, Bazett managed to engage in the conversation.

Her calm retort left Caren momentarily speechless before she continued, "The problem is that making His Majesty go at it with the same routine and the same women every day is no different from using a sex toy."

Bazett: "..."

"As Imperial Guard, can't you come up with some ideas?"

Bazett: "..."

If she were as sharp-tongued as Caren and didn't care about her own dignity, she might retort something like—"Then, what about you, as the so-called Emperor's 'bride'? What can you do? Well, even if it's only in name."

"Ah, I can't." Caren suddenly said.

Although Bazett didn't give a sharp comeback, Caren responded as if she knew what Bazett thought.

"My hair color is quite similar to those women's. Not much difference between silver and white. And we all have long hair. It'd be better to introduce someone who isn't silver-white-haired and doesn't have long hair to give the Emperor some new excitement... I suppose that would make His Majesty happier—"

Bazett still didn't respond, but this time not because she didn't know what to say. Before Caren finished speaking, she had already turned around and left without hesitation.

Back in her hotel room, Bazett tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. All she could think of were countless NSFW images, forcibly implanted in her mind, leaving her unsure if they brought pleasure or pain.

"Such a straightforward person." After Bazett left, Caren continued to observe the hot spring hotel calmly. "Can someone like her satisfy our Great Emperor?"

It was clear that this wicked woman found considerable pleasure in teasing her partner.