Broken Possessors of Infinite Regression Academy

As soon as I saw that ridiculous spectacle, I wanted to run back to Earth and hide, but I knew that doing so would cause an even bigger uproar, so I gritted my teeth and spoke up.

“Let’s start by disguising ourselves.”

“Huh? Disguise? Why?”

“Would you be able to walk into that place without a disguise? I can’t. Absolutely not.”

I pointed to the apartment-sized banner floating in the sky and the numerous holograms scattered throughout the capital. Kang Yuna snorted.

“Hey, they’re not trying to embarrass you. They’re trying to celebrate your birthday. If I were youㅡ”

“Let me stop you right there. If you say it’s possible, I’ll do the same for your birthday. I’ll put up a banner and holograms with your name on them in the middle of Seoul, using the Eternal Guild’s name. You know they can do it, right?”

“……I’ve learned that nothing in life is certain. I would have sneaked in too.”

At my stern warning, she quickly backed down. She knew that if she did something like that, I would definitely do the same for her birthday.

We cast a simple disguise spell and headed towards the capital. The capital was so vast that there were countless holograms everywhere. They could be seen at every turn.

“Mother…… Father…… This is unbelievable……”

As soon as I arrived at the border, I quietly covered my face with my hands. A magic signpost explained that a quarter of the capital had been designated as a banquet district for the next ten days.

In other words, a quarter of the imperial capital had been turned into a banquet venue.

While Laura and Erestika had played a significant role in obtaining the Emperor’s permission, it was the Crate family’s money that kept the banquet going. It truly was a spectacle beyond my imagination.

“Look over there, Sung-ah. The Emperor even wrote a message.”

Kang Ye-Na looked at the words below the hologram of me, and Kang Yuna read them out loud.

“I, Emperor Ercarencia Cresenne von Euperantis Bellium, take this opportunity to congratulate the youngest of the Crate family, Mira Crate, on his birthday…… Wow, Sung-ah, the Emperor himself is wishing you a happy birthday?”

“I know……”

Initially, Kang Yuna had been teasing me, but as the scope of the celebration became clearer, her expression changed to one of astonishment.

In the distance, a noisy commotion could be heard. According to detection magic, it was a parade that periodically marched through the city.

“Hey there, why the long face on such a fine day?”

A drunken old man suddenly put his arm around my shoulder. He was so drunk that his eyes were half-lidded.

“A fine day?”

“Of course it’s a fine day! Don’t you know what the Crate Merchant Guild has done? They’ve offered to cover the losses of all the shops in the capital by encouraging them to sell at a 70% discount! Thanks to them, everyone’s having a blast!”

The old man chugged a 1.5L beer mug and continued.

“Krrr…… And that’s not all! They say that in the banquet district, you can eat and drink all the finest delicacies in the world for free! It’s not open to just anyone, but who cares! It’s more than enough for people like us!”

“……Is that so?”

“Yes! Krrhh, even though I don’t know who this Mira Crate is, I can’t help but celebrate! A toast to Mira Crate!”

The old man finished his beer and laughed heartily, saying that on such a fine day, we shouldn’t be moping but should instead enjoy ourselves and relieve our stress.

“……”

My expression was half-dead, and the two of them quietly observed my reaction. I wiped my face and sighed.

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“Where else? To the banquet district, of course. I want to see what they’re up to.”

Although I spoke confidently, there was no turning back at this point. We continued along the path, and every pub and restaurant we passed was filled with revelry. Everywhere I turned, I heard people wishing me a happy birthday.

Most of them were probably drunk and didn’t even know who I was, but after my birthday was over, they would know.

We soon arrived at the designated banquet district. A barrier spell covered the entire area, and a red carpet, enchanted with purification magic, led to the entrance.

The red carpet extended so far that it was out of sight. I assumed it covered every street in the district.

“Is this the way?”

Kang Yuna, holding various dishes in both hands, hesitated before speaking. She had initially been cautious around me but eventually indulged in the food from this world, enjoying it on her own.

Kang Rahe, too, was nibbling on a chicken skewer, swept up by her sister’s enthusiasm. I didn’t mind them enjoying the food, as I had no intention of stopping them. It was enough for me to suffer alone.

“We’re supposed to step on this, right?”

“Yes. And as soon as we do, our biometric information will be shared. It’s probably for identification purposes.”

As I was about to step on the red carpet, I noticed another person nearby. A woman had suddenly opened a dimensional door without any warning, indicating that she was a skilled practitioner.

I turned my head to face her. Her hair and eyes were a burning red, and she wore a red party dress that matched her hair and eyes.

There was only one person in the entire empire who had such red hair and eyes and would wear a dress of that color.

“What brings you here, Red Tower Master?”

“The Crown Princess told me to come here because she had something to tell you. She said that if I saw a man trying to avoid stepping on the special red carpet that the Red Tower had set up, it would be someone I know, so I should go talk to him. At first, I wasn’t sure what she meant, but here you are.”

“……”

“It seems like you’re using a disguise spell. Would you mind removing it?”

The Red Tower Master approached with a smile, and Kang Yuna froze at the sight of a woman with an unusually high mana level. On the other hand, Kang Rahe seemed nonchalant.

“Is it okay to treat someone you know so casually? How will you deal with the consequences?”

“I won’t fall behind in my magic classes for a decade just because of this. I’m just following the Crown Princess’s instructions.”

It seemed that she had already guessed my identity, as she smiled and continued, “As I thought, it’s you, Mira.”

“You seem a bit short on words.”

“It’s a good day. I can let this slide, can’t I?”

As I looked closely, her cheeks were slightly flushed, indicating that she had already had a few drinks.

“And soon, you’ll be so shocked by what I do next that you won’t even remember me being a bit casual with you.”

“What do you mean by something more shocking?”

Before I could finish my sentence, the Red Tower Master raised her arms to the sky. Bang! The clear blue sky was adorned with red flames that matched her eye color.

At that moment, dimensional doors opened all around, and people poured in.

“Mira! I’ve been waiting for you!”

Priscilla was the first to jump into my arms, followed by familiar faces. They were all wearing party dresses with a vintage design, and some were more revealing than others.

Erestika stood out the most, with her distinctive physique and higher level of exposure. Her dress drew everyone’s attention.

The guild masters of the Eternal Guild, who had never shown their faces to Kang Yuna, were now approaching me. She was so shocked that she froze in place.

“Hey, Sung-ah. You…… What…… What…… No, what is it? Why are the guild masters here……?”

“You’ll understand when you see it.”

However, what I said didn’t come true. Just a step behind the opening of the dimensional door, an unexpected figure appeared.

“I came here because I was told there would be something surprising.”

Laura’s father.

“Did you come here to show me this?”

In other words, the Emperor himself.

His eyes scanned the area, taking in the situation at a glance. He seemed to have already been informed but wanted to confirm it with his own eyes, as there was a clear difference between hearing a report and witnessing it firsthand.

“Your Majestyㅡ”

“Ah, forget it, forget it. Just call me Emperor. It’s pointless to be so formal when I’m here in disguise, trying to enjoy the party. Just think of me as a middle-aged man from the neighborhood.”

A middle-aged man from the neighborhood wouldn’t have been able to set foot here, but I forced a smile. As I did, the Emperor, who had already forgotten about formalities, looked at Laura.

“Now, I want to hear about this surprising thing, my daughter. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about our bet?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. I’ve already won, so how could I forget? Look over there. There’s something that will surprise you.”

Laura pointed to the spot where Kang Rahe was sitting, her appearance altered by a disguise spell. Realizing the situation, Kang Rahe smiled faintly and spoke.

“It seems like you’re talking about me.”

Her tone had changed back to that of the Sword Saint, a woman who had once been the hope of all humanity. Her long brown hair and single remaining sky-blue eye were revealed as the disguise spell dissipated like mist.

“It’s been a while, Emperor.”

The Emperor exhaled. His widened pupils, indicating his surprise, shifted briefly to his right arm before quickly returning to their original position.

“The entire empire has been desperately searching for you, and here you are, celebrating Mira Crate’s birthday.”

“That’s right. I owe this child a debt of gratitude that will take a lifetime to repay.”

“Hehe……”

The Emperor let out a genuine, helpless smile and turned to me.

“I had a bet with my daughter. She said there would be something surprising, and it seems I’ve lost.”

“……So, what happens now?”

“What do you think?”

The Emperor’s hand, which carried the weight of the entire empire, rested on my shoulder. In a voice so soft that only I could hear, he whispered, “Perhaps, for the first time in the history of the empire, an Emperor will allow a non-royal to have a second wife.”