You woke up in a remote forest.
"...Did the dimensional transfer succeed?"
You weren't sure. This was just a forest, and you couldn't see any meaningful differences from the world you lived in. Perhaps due to a magical failure, you had merely teleported a long distance.
But whether the magic succeeded or not, the fact that you were standing in the middle of a forest remained unchanged.
You seem to have realized something. Was there something special around you?
"This tree species only grows near the Imperial Capital. It was created by alchemists under orders to commemorate the 5th Emperor's birthday."
That's right. According to your knowledge—
This forest is not far from the Imperial Capital.
A fortunate misfortune. If you had landed in a remote jungle, immediate survival would have been your concern.
But even a small forest is large enough to get lost in. Looking around, you see no signposts or man-made paths, only the occasional sound of birds chirping.
Then, a noise you've never heard before echoes through the air.
Woooooong—!
"..."
You lowered your posture and searched for the source of the sound.
It was coming from the sky. This vibrating noise was resonating from above.
It was the sound of some oval-shaped "thing" crossing the sky.
That "thing" resembled a building more than a living creature. Gears clicked and steam billowed forcefully. It flew toward the setting sun carrying many people.
"...Are there people riding it?"
A structure flying through the sky.
Ancient civilizations were said to have such artifacts, but this one seemed too sophisticated in design to be ancient. It even used the railing style currently fashionable in the Empire.
As you would later learn, this was an airship, the pinnacle of magical engineering.
"Rather than wandering aimlessly through the forest, I should follow that... flying golem with people on it. That would increase my chances of meeting people."
You made your way through the forest following the airship. Its speed wasn't particularly fast, and its noise was so loud that you could somehow keep track of it.
After traveling for about an hour, a tall city wall came into view.
The wall of Crownhall, the Imperial Capital. However, it looked quite different from what you remembered.
There were cracks everywhere, and one section of the wall had collapsed. Signs of repair were visible. It was shocking enough to see damage to the supposedly impregnable walls of Crownhall.
But the truly surprising part was something else. The flag.
The flag hanging on the tall central tower wasn't the imperial emblem. It was a symbol you'd never seen before.
As you well know, the Empire's emblem had never changed since its founding.
"..."
You sensed something was very wrong.
At the city gate, a long line of people waited to enter, with guards busy conducting inspections. The guards' armor style also seemed unfamiliar. Something was different from the Empire you remembered.
But you couldn't just live as a wild man in the forest.
You were the type of person who faced threats head-on rather than retreating, and you did so again.
You carefully joined the waiting line without drawing attention. Then, several gazes fell upon you.
Especially on your hair.
After noticing your proud golden hair—signifying imperial blood—people revealed emotions of contempt, mockery, and anger. They looked ready to insult you at any moment.
The only reason they hadn't acted rudely yet was probably due to the imposing aura you carried.
Your blood boiled at these contemptuous glances you'd never experienced before.
Born with noble blood and respected all your life, how could you face such disdain? It was unacceptable.
You observed your surroundings to understand the cause.
People with dull golden hair were being used as slaves. This was extremely strange. Light or dark golden hair was evidence of imperial bloodline—most people with golden hair were nobles of the Empire.
Why would people of such noble blood be used as slaves?
The answer to this mystery became clear during your exchange with a guard.
"Halt. Identify yourself. Where is your master?"
"I am not a slave."
The guard snorted loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"If not a slave, what, you're someone's plaything? Can't believe there's still someone walking around with their head held high with that filthy golden hair."
"Mind your manners. My patience has limits..."
"Slave bastard getting cocky... You think your master's authority is yours? I don't care how important your master is, you're just a lucky slave. Got it?"
Poke. Poke.
As he pressed your forehead with his gauntleted hand, you couldn't hold back and shouted:
"Show respect, guard! I am the Second Prince of the Empire, Irid Crown-!"
Silence.
A chilling silence fell.
You... mistakenly thought they were silenced by your intimidating status, but that wasn't it.
It was the calm before the storm, the prelude to an insult you could never have imagined.
Slap-!
You saw stars. You fell after being slapped across the face.
As your mind froze from this terrible insult, and just as you were drawing magical power to separate this damned guard's head from his body—
You heard unbelievable words.
"Of all people to impersonate, you choose that idiot? Have you lost your mind?"
"What...?"
"Some people live in their delusions. Listen well, slave. The cause of your Empire's downfall, the reason you Imperial people now crawl around like slaves, is none other than the Fallen Emperor Irid!"
Imperial people, slaves, downfall, and Fallen Emperor.
Sparks flew in your mind.
The reason people with golden hair, mixed with imperial bloodline, were used as slaves.
The collapsed and poorly repaired imperial walls, and the missing imperial flag.
And the airship, a technological marvel you'd never seen before.
This was the future.
Where you, after becoming Emperor, had destroyed the Empire.
You... became dazed like someone who had lost their mind. Even as guards swarmed and beat you with clubs, what echoed in your mind wasn't pain but countless "whys?"
Why had the once-mighty Empire fallen?
Why was I said to be the cause of the Empire's downfall?
Why was the title "Fallen Emperor" attached to my name, a title that made me want to bite my tongue and die?
Why, why, why...
You entered Crownhall, once the Imperial Capital, in a battered state.
Staggering forward, you gazed at the future Crownhall filled with gears and steam.
While citizens walked the streets smiling, the golden-haired slaves looked miserable.
Civilization had progressed, the roads were clean, and street lamps made everything bright.
But what happened in the shadows was dark.
The only consolation for you in your shocked state was the faintly glowing purple tattoo shaped like a watch on your wrist. As the magician had foretold... when time was up, you could return to your original world.
===============================================================
The past three days had been the most terrible in the life of Second Prince Irid, born with noble blood.
In future Crownhall, his status was at the very bottom. Everyone saw him not as nobility but as a slave, and he was frequently manhandled.
So when walking the streets, he had to cover his golden hair with rags. Without money even for a simple cloth, he picked up smelly fabric discarded on the street.
He couldn't find work either. Even when he advertised his high-level skill of literacy, merchants only offered pitiful wages.
But these three days weren't meaningless. Irid gathered various information by eavesdropping.
The Empire had been defeated and occupied by the "Kingdom Alliance," formed by three united kingdoms.
Captured imperial family members and nobles were all enslaved, as were their children.
"Now" was 100 years after the time Irid lived in.
The Kingdom Alliance was unpopular due to its tyranny. Among the lower classes, many people missed the Empire, and the Empire's remaining forces were conducting resistance activities.
And...
"..."
Irid rolled up his sleeve to his forearm. The purple watch tattoo emitted a soft light.
The watch had markings from 0 to 3, and they were gradually decreasing.
Irid recalled the magician's words. Though it was only three days ago, it felt like a distant past.
'In real time, I will summon you back in three hours, Your Highness. I'll leave a mark on your wrist so you can check your return time. And I must emphasize again that fiction...'
Three hours in real time.
The future and present had different flows of time. The watch tattoo's marking had just reached 2.
Converting that... six days. If he could endure six days in this terrible future, he could return.
"...Damn it, damn it all."
Irid slumped against an alley wall, covering his face with both hands.
Neither hunger nor physical pain compared to his mental anguish.
The fact that he had destroyed the Empire was unbearably painful. As was knowing that people who had served and followed the Empire now lived as slaves.
To aim for the Emperor's throne, he should gather valuable information from this future Crownhall. From national future trends to climate changes. If he could somehow obtain airship blueprints, that would be perfect.
If he returned with technology from 100 years in the future, the Emperor's throne would be his regardless of how much his sister and younger brother schemed. But what meaning would that have?
If he became Emperor, the Empire would fall.
He would live quietly. When he returned, he would not covet the Emperor's throne and live a peaceful life.
So...
Splash!
"—Pfft!"
A bucket of water poured over Irid's head. Looking up, he saw a girl tilting a bucket from a third-floor window. And her round, bright blue eyes widened in surprise.
"S-sorry! I didn't know someone was there..."
"..."
"Just a moment!"
Irid pressed down his rags to cover his face and stood up. By now, he wasn't even angry about being drenched. He intended to leave the alley immediately rather than get entangled in troublesome matters.
But then.
"Hup!"
Swoosh-!
The girl was sliding down the wall pipes with one hand!
Her skirt and black hair fluttered in the air resistance.
"...?!"
The girl instantly descended to the alley and landed. She straightened her flipped skirt hem and examined Irid from head to toe. Her movements were bouncy and energetic.
"Oh no, you're soaked. Come dry your clothes for a bit. I'll give you a bowl of stew too!"
"No, I'm fine..."
"You'll catch a cold if you stay wet in this cold weather. Come on!"
The girl grabbed Irid's hand and led him.
He could have resisted. But the reason he ultimately couldn't pull his hand away was probably because his mind froze at receiving "kindness" for the first time in three days.