"This is all so I can serve Your Majesty better."
Duke Taylor smiled ingratiatingly.
Since it was already certain he wouldn't get either of those two alchemists,
it was naturally best to tell the emperor everything he knew.
Besides, the Old Emperor had summoned him, with Nikola and Horn at his side, presumably to ask about the two alchemists' backgrounds.
Otherwise, he could've just called that chubby kid Arthur.
There was no need to summon him, the head of the Duke Faction.
"Serve, you say... Well put..."
The Old Emperor drew out his words, speaking in the drowsy, indistinct way of someone about to fall asleep and replying at random.
But Taylor didn't dare ask him to repeat himself.
"Then tell me what John's boy said to you."
"Yes, yes..."
He'd even brought up the John family.
It seemed Arthur had told him quite a lot, too.
Was he going to be blamed?
There was no way he could blame him for anything.
After all, those who managed to win the Old Emperor's favor had mostly died by now.
Only a handful were still alive, and every one of them was a Title Holder—the sort of person nobody could touch.
So Duke Taylor bowed and scraped as he recounted all the information he'd gotten from Adams's letter.
"You're saying... one of them is called Aurelius?"
"Yes. The one wearing the white robe is Aurelius."
Duke Taylor wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded.
Apparently, explaining everything had really worn him out.
Sweat poured off him like water from an open tap.
"Your Majesty, the one who used Meteor Shower Magic was the girl in black. The one you asked about before—the one in white—should be this Aurelius."
As soon as Taylor finished, Nikola immediately stepped forward.
To be honest,