Close Combat Mage Chapter 182

Merry Christmas!!!! I hope that you’re all enjoying the holidays~ I know that it’s been an entire week since I last updated, which is quite a long time. However, I have not yet broken my schedule of 3-5 chapters a week, as I posted 3 last week, and this week hasn’t yet ended ?? (aka I’m safe, don’t kill me!) As I mentioned in my announcements, I’ve been gone, and I’m actually still not here; this is a scheduled post. I will make up for this week’s chapters today though.

Because these are automated posts, there may be some issues with links for today’s chapters (but I have asked the awesome Nagi to help me update the index links while he’s free, since I’m gone) that I won’t be able to fix until I come back. If any of the links are broken, please find the chapters from the posts on the Home page.

Sorry for any inconveniences, and enjoy today’s chapters! (The exact number of chapters that will be released today is a secret~ Look forward to it! ^^)

And here I present to you the first Christmas chapter ??

(On another note: I didn’t fail school! Yay~!)

Translated by: Taffy

Edited by: Comfortabull

Chapter 182 – So Frightening Pt. 2

“Gah!” Hearing the Empress’s words, Suo Jia couldn’t prevent his jaw from dropping open. What was that? This Empress had actually asked the Emperor to eavesdrop? It was a good thing his words hadn’t overstepped any boundaries just now. Otherwise, he would’ve…..

Following the Empress’s words, a tall and st.u.r.dy figure slowly walked out from the side door. Upon close inspection, it was indeed the Emperor. Seeing this, Suo Jia didn’t waste any time and hurriedly stood up to pay his respects.

Suo Jia knew that the Emperor had planned to do this because he had his worries. He was surely a bit suspicious about whether or not Suo Jia and the Empress had any shameful matters between them, so he hid there to secretly listen in.

Fortunately, Suo Jia and the Empress really didn’t have such a relationship. Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t. That’s why, from beginning to end, everything the Emperor had witnessed was the naturally calm, unhurried, and indifferent Suo Jia. If the Empress’s eyes weren’t so sharp to have seen the Emperor’s figure outside the door, Suo Jia probably still wouldn’t have realized the Emperor’s eavesdropping.

Seeing the Empress’s slightly indignant expression, Suo Jia quickly determined that this hadn’t been arranged beforehand. Otherwise, the Empress wouldn’t have such an expression. It was fortunate for them that the relationship between Suo Jia and her were just feelings of mutual respect. There wasn’t anything shameful going on between them. Otherwise…

But despite this being the case, the Empress was still quite angry. She knew that the Emperor didn’t trust her, and suspected that she would cheat on him. The fact that the Emperor suspected that she’d be unchaste and not stay true to their marriage really wounded her.

Her face slightly twitched, but the Empress quickly returned to her normal appearance. However, her heart had already frozen over. She looked at the Emperor with an indifferent, expressionless gaze and said flatly, “How about it? Is Your Majesty feeling rea.s.sured now?”

The Emperor’s face flushed at her words. He knew that he shouldn’t have come today. However, he had originally thought that with his Light Harmonization Technique, n.o.body would discover him. He hadn’t imagined that, when he saw the Empress hand the precious Fire Phoenix Bracelet to Suo Jia, the shock had disrupted his attention. Because his spirit wasn’t concentrated for a moment, his Light Harmonization Technique had dispersed!

The Light Harmonization Technique was the legendary magic that warped light using the magic-conducting weapon that the legendary Light Mage Deity had created. The most special part of is was the fact that it could keep the body in a concealed state even while the user was moving or attacking. How long it was maintained depending on one’s magic power and spirit power.

Because the Emperor had the light attribute, he could keep his body concealed for as long as it took for his magic power and spirit power were exhausted. However, if a person without the light attribute tried to do it, the results wouldn’t be as good. Based on just a ring, one could only hide themselves for approximately 3 seconds. If one activated it three times in succession, they could even release the light attribute Dazzling Light Technique, with the effect of temporarily blinding a person for three seconds.

The Emperor didn’t know how to respond to the Empress’s question. He knew that the Empress must have already guessed his thoughts. In addition, the situation had confirmed that the relationship between the Empress and Suo Jia really was pure. At most, they didn’t have any entanglement of emotions. Even if one insisted there was, they could only point out that the Empress had secretly given precious magic equipment to Suo Jia. However, the Empress had the rights to do so.

In addition, even if she didn’t, this bracelet had been given away for the Emperor’s sake. It wasn’t really a secret present; the reason the Empress did it was all for the Emperor. This was also why he had been shocked earlier.

Suo Jia was an intelligent person. Sensing the subtle sentiments between the Empress and Emperor, he quickly guessed the reason for it. Suo Jia knew that the Emperor’s suspicious weren’t baseless. Suo Jia had first helped the Empress restore her face, and then helped her settle the dispute with the chamber of the concubines. He’d even helped the Empress successfully re-capture the Emperor’s love. It would be stranger if the Emperor wasn’t suspicious of their relationship.

In addition, Suo Jia had meticulously helped the Empress fix up her appearance again. He’d also accepted the bracelet. In their conversation, they had also touched upon the matter of how to win over the Emperor’s favor. For example, the situation of accompanying the Emperor only twice a month.

Suo Jia smiled at the Emperor. He knew that he had to explain the situation properly today. Although there was already proof that the relationship between Suo Jia and the Empress wasn’t anything ambiguous, that didn’t mean other things didn’t exist. For example, the issue of power and privileges was possible.

Suo Jia indifferently said, “Your Highness, it’s best if you go rest for a bit. Having just gotten treatment, sleeping a bit will help stabilize and strengthen the effects.”

The Empress sighed and cast a meaningful glance at the Emperor. She then politely said to Suo Jia, “Then I will go and sleep. I will have to trouble Mister Suo Jia over the Emperor’s matters!”

Suo Jia smiled in response and said, “Don’t worry, you know of my temperament. Since I’ve already accepted the item, I’ll naturally try my best to help you. Just go and rest.”

The Empress nodded, then bid farewell to the Emperor and walked to the bedroom in the back. In a moment, the only ones left in the s.p.a.cious and empty hall were the Emperor and Suo Jia. The atmosphere around them felt slightly awkward.

Leisurely sitting on a chair, Suo Jia picked up a cup of tea and delicately sipped it as he calmly said, “What? Does the Emperor suspect that Suo Jia and Her Highness have a love affair?”

Hearing Suo Jia’s words, the Emperor was first slightly shaken, but he then calmly replied, “That’s right. Originally, I was concerned about that. However, I now know that I had blamed An Rong wrongly. She isn’t that type of person.”

Suo Jia swept a glance at the Emperor and indifferent replied, “Your Majesty isn’t to blame. I think….that there must be a reason behind your actions. Your Majesty would never suspect Her Highness without reason. I’m sure someone had given Your Majesty quite a bit of pillowtalk.”

“That…” Hearing Suo Jia’s words, the Emperor was suddenly at a loss. That’s right….the only reason he had come to eavesdrop today was because he had heard so many suspicions about the two while he was with his concubines.

Suo Jia smiled and continued, “That’s why, in this world, the palace and the brothel are the filthiest places. For the sake of some power and status, anything will happen. Empress An Rong has really been suffering.”

Suo Jia turned around to look at the Emperor. “For the sake of maintaining peace in the chamber of concubines, An Rong has only been willing to be with you once a month. At most, twice. All the other times, she’s been pushing you towards the other concubines. Why do you think she did this?”

“That…” The Emperor struggled to reply to Suo Jia’s question.

Suo Jia looked at the Emperor as he angrily said, “Your Majesty, all women get jealous. Have you ever considered how the Empress felt when she pushed her most beloved person towards the embraces of other women? Your Majesty, you can’t think that you’re the only one feeling jealous. Think about it for a bit, would you be able to bear pushing Empress An Rong into other people’s arms?”

“Sou!” Hearing Suo Jia’s disrespectful words, the Emperor grew agitated and indignant, and he suddenly stood up. However, just as he was prepared to blow up, he noticed that Suo Jia’s expression was still calm. After thinking for a while, the Emperor sat back down.

Blankly looking at Suo Jia, the Emperor began to think to himself: That’s right…he wasn’t the only one that couldn’t tolerate the Empress being disloyal or unchaste; the Empress felt the same for him. She had clearly been unable to accept it, but for his sake, for the entire family’s sake, she had still pushed the Emperor out. How open-minded was she to do this!

Suo Jia smiled when he saw the Emperor’s concentrated expression. He continued, “Your Majesty, none of Her Highness’s actions have ever gone too far. For the sake of reaching your love, she’s considered many things. You know, when you were enjoying the happiness of endless pleasure with other concubines, Her Highness was crying. But did she ever tell you of her suffering?”

“In addition, Her Highness requited evil with good by pushing you towards other concubines. But what did the other concubines do? They repaid her kindness by blaming her, and even talked bad about her behind her back to frame her. It’s no different from Imperial Concubine Hua before, they’re still plotting to usurp the chamber of concubines. Your Majesty, let me ask you; do you really think they are qualified for the Empress position with that kind of behavior? Do you really think anyone loves you more than An Rong does, and is more suited to be your Empress?”

Faced against Suo Jia’s questions, the Emperor couldn’t help but begin sweating profusely. He had never felt the situation was wrong in any way. But now that Suo Jia said it in such a way, the Emperor suddenly realized that he had really made a huge mistake.