Extra's Path To No Harem-Chapter 204: Emperor’s Room [1]

Deep within the imperial palace—far beyond the halls open to guests—we lay hidden in the shadows near the Emperor’s bedchamber, scarcely daring to breathe.

The air was heavy with incense and silence, broken only by the distant echoes of music drifting in from the grand hall where the celebration was underway. Laughter, clinking glasses, and polite applause—all of it felt unreal compared to the tension here.

"How long do we have to wait like this?" a hushed voice muttered beside me.

"Just a little longer," came the reply, equally quiet. "His Majesty will come out soon."

I clenched my jaw.

We didn’t have much time. Every passing second made my nerves tighten further. This was the heart of the palace—the most heavily guarded place in the Empire. One mistake here wouldn’t just mean failure. It would mean death.

Just as my unease threatened to overwhelm me—

"...He’s coming out."

The massive doors, sealed tight moments ago, began to open with a low, solemn groan. Light spilled into the corridor, casting long shadows across the marble floor.

Then the Emperor appeared.

He was clad in magnificent ceremonial robes, layers upon layers of fabric embroidered with gold thread and jeweled insignias.

Every ornament proclaimed power, history, and authority. Even standing still, he radiated an oppressive presence that made it hard to look away.

"Were there any problems?" the Emperor asked, his voice calm but commanding.

"No, Your Majesty," a knight replied immediately, dropping to one knee. "There has been no disturbance so far."

"Good."

The Emperor nodded once and stepped forward, his expression unreadable. The guards straightened as he passed, their movements sharp and disciplined.

Before heading toward the banquet hall, he paused briefly, receiving a quiet report on the status of the celebration.

A birthday banquet for the Emperor himself—lavish, extravagant, and filled with nobles wearing carefully crafted smiles.

On the surface, it was nothing more than a celebration.

But beneath that glittering façade, the air was thick with schemes. Alliances were being tested, loyalties weighed, and ambitions quietly measured.

With imperial authority weakened more than ever, this gathering wasn’t just ceremonial—it was strategic.

An opportunity.

An opportunity for the Emperor to remind the nobles of his existence.

An opportunity for others to judge whether that presence was still enough.

And—

An opportunity to prove that he was far from fading.

This was not merely a celebration. It was a declaration.

"Strengthen security even further," the Emperor ordered calmly. "No troublemakers are to be allowed anywhere near the palace."

"Understood, Your Majesty," came the immediate reply.

The recent, unprecedented incident had cast a long shadow over the Empire.

Foundation Day—one of the most magnificent celebrations held each year—had been tainted. Worse still, the chaos hadn’t been contained to the capital alone. It had spread throughout the country, even reaching the Academy.

To the Emperor, these weren’t isolated accidents. They were warnings.

If anything, this banquet had become more important than ever.

A stage to display authority.

A reminder of power.

A message to those watching closely that the throne was still unshaken.

"Your Majesty," the head butler said softly, bowing his head. "It is time for your entrance."

The Emperor gave a slow nod. He adjusted his attire one final time—straightening his collar, smoothing the fabric of his ceremonial coat—before turning toward the doors.

"Very well," he said. "Let us depart."

Surrounded by knights and attendants, he moved down the corridor toward the banquet hall, his steps steady and unhurried.

We waited.

Only after his figure disappeared around the corner did we cautiously step out from behind the pillar.

"We won’t have much time," I whispered. "Once the Emperor enters the hall, patrols will shift again. We need to finish this quickly. Are you ready?"

"Yes," came the quiet reply. "Let’s go. Now."

We had already confirmed everything—the guard rotation, the servant routes, even the moment when the knight assigned to the Emperor’s bedroom would leave his post.

And just as planned, the room was empty.

No footsteps.

No voices.

Only silence.

"Sleep."

The word left my lips softly, almost like a sigh.

The knights standing guard outside the door didn’t even have time to react. Their stiff postures slackened in unison, eyes glazing over before their bodies gently collapsed to the floor, sinking into a deep, dreamless slumber.

One use of the Dream Orb was enough.

Leaving them sprawled across the hallway, Anna and I exchanged a brief glance before carefully pushing the door open and slipping inside.

Fwoosh—!

The moment we crossed the threshold, the magic lamps embedded in the walls activated automatically, flooding the room with warm light.

This was it.

The Emperor’s bedroom.

Spacious—far more than I expected. The ceiling was high, draped with elegant patterns of gold and white, and the massive bed at the center looked more like something from a palace showcase than a place meant for sleeping. Every piece of furniture screamed authority and excess.

And somewhere in here...

"...Where could they have hidden something that big?" I muttered under my breath.

A bomb powerful enough to threaten the imperial palace wouldn’t be something you could just tuck into a drawer.

Or so I thought.

The sheer size of the room made it worse. Too many places to check. Too many blind spots. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my temple as my eyes darted from wall to wall.

We split up and searched in silence.

Behind curtains. Under furniture. Along the floor panels. I even checked the underside of the bed, half-expecting something absurd.

Nothing.

Minutes passed, each one tightening the knot in my chest.

Just as frustration was starting to creep in— 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Louis," Anna called out quietly from behind me. "Come look at this. There’s something strange."

Her tone made my heart jump.

I turned immediately and walked over to where she was standing, near the head of the bed. She was pointing upward, toward the corner of the ceiling.

At first glance, it looked completely normal.

Too normal.

But when I followed her finger more closely, I saw it.

At the very edge where the wall met the ceiling—there was a gap.

Tiny.

Barely more than a hair’s breadth.

It was the kind of tiny gap anyone would normally ignore.

A hairline seam. A slight unevenness.

Nothing that would catch the eye in ordinary circumstances.

But right now, nothing could be treated as ordinary.

A quiet sense of unease crawled up my spine.

If there’s another one... this is where it would be.

Hoping my suspicion wasn’t just paranoia, I raised my hand and pressed against the panel.

Creak.

The ceiling tile lifted far more easily than it should have.

My breath hitched.

And there it was.

A bomb—nestled neatly inside the hollow space.

Identical to the one we had found earlier. Same casing. Same wiring. Same malicious intent.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

Hiding it in a place like this...

If we hadn’t already suspected something, we never would have thought to check here.

This wasn’t random.

This wasn’t sloppy.

This was intentional.

Anna’s earlier words echoed in my mind.

There might be a spy on the inside.

Back then, I’d brushed it off as a worst-case scenario.

Now?

It felt disturbingly plausible.

To plant a bomb inside a secured area—one that should have been restricted—wasn’t something an outsider could accomplish easily. No matter how capable they were, there were limits.

Which meant only one thing.

"...Someone helped them," I murmured.

Or worse.

Someone is working with them.

My gaze darkened as I studied the device more closely.

This wasn’t just sabotage—it was preparation. Planning. Confidence.

Whoever did this knew the building’s structure.

Knew the patrol routes.

Knew where blind spots existed.

They knew us.

A chill settled into my chest.

Who could it be?

Who orchestrated all of this?

At this point, there was very little we could know for sure. The pieces simply didn’t fit together yet.

Once everything settled down, I’d have to go back and try talking to them again.

Of course—using very effective methods of conversation.

Carefully, I placed the bomb on the floor. Just like before, I removed the detonator first, separating it from the main body. Only then did I let out a slow breath.

Anna immediately knelt down, her expression sharpening as she focused on disarming the device. Her fingers moved with practiced precision, completely absorbed.

That was when—

"Who are you people?"

"...!"

The sudden voice sent a jolt through me.

Before my thoughts could catch up, my body moved on instinct. I quickly pulled my helmet down, covering my face as I turned toward the source of the sound.

Standing a short distance behind us was a man I’d never seen in person before—yet recognized instantly.

A middle-aged man with neatly tied blue hair, his posture relaxed but solid, like an unmoving mountain. The air around him felt different. Heavy. Sharp.

"Lord Signut."

Anna stiffened.

"...Your Highness?"

Her voice wavered for just a fraction of a second before she stood up straight.

"What on earth are you doing here, Your Highness?"

Signut’s eyes widened the moment he saw her face. Genuine surprise flickered across his otherwise composed expression.

"Princess Anna...?"

His gaze shifted between her and me, lingering briefly on the bomb at our feet. The faint crease between his brows deepened.

"I should be asking you that," he said slowly. "This area was sealed off hours ago."

I swallowed.

I’d never seen him before in my life—but I knew exactly who he was.

Lord Signut.

One of only five Sword Masters in the entire Empire.