"My Grandfather, Hathim Hu'ul Mirmasan, the great—he defeated all the foolish separatist tribes, killing every single one of them. See there, that's my grandfather standing there. He's here to bless me!" the Emperor of Masan talked with Sylvester as if they were long-lost friends.
But as the Emperor talked, the discomfort among the crowds in the court increased. There was nobody standing before the Emperor. It was a clear case of hallucination. However, more people got interested in Sylvester's dilemma at that moment, wondering how the strange Eastern Knight would react.
Sylvester sighed internally behind his mask and acknowledged the Emperor's words. He could sense the man's emotions, so he decided to tread carefully, maintaining positive scents. "He looks mighty, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Haha! Indeed, he was very majestic." the Emperor bellowed in delight. "But he wasn't a good man."
Mood swings, hallucinations, and loss of a sense of place. The effects of mercury slowly dissolving in the man's body were clear. It wasn't enough to cause deadly poisoning, but sufficient to cause madness.
"He was a man who relished in worldly affairs…oh, grandfather…why?" the Emperor resumed. "He loved women and food the most and had plenty of both. In his life, he married sixteen hundred women, and he killed them all after marrying and spending the night. Only my Grandmother survived and produced an offspring, which earned her mercy and the title of Empress Consort. What do you think, boy? Should I execute this man now? He committed sins against the law, religion, and our culture…I've made up my mind… Boy, I command you to kill my grandfather! Behead him!"
'How do I kill an imaginary ghost?' Sylvester found himself in deep trouble.
Shhh…!
Sylvester unsheathed his sword and stepped forward. For a moment, the lucrative idea of just beheading the Emperor crossed his mind. But, it was an impossible thought, as just killing the Emperor would not ensure his victory. He had to defeat the entire Mirmasan family and its administration.
"Kill him!" the Emperor raged. "I command you!"
Thud! Thud!
Just then, Sylvester's saving grace appeared in the form of a beautiful woman clad in armor and the garb of a clergywoman. The door opened, and the Herald announced the arrival.
"Saint Cardinal of the West, Ninth Guardian of Light, Aurora Foxtron has arrived!"
Aurora, with her long, cascading brown hair, entered with a stern face. As the sole individual within the Empire who held an equal social standing to the Emperor, she had no need to bow or pay respect to the man on the throne.
"Your Imperial Majesty, it has been two days since the incident in the Southern City. The death toll of the citizens now sits at nearly four hundred thousand! I respectfully implore you to send additional forces, for the riots are yet to be fully quenched." Aurora got straight to the point and spoke with absolute authority.
With her so close, Sylvester immediately closed his eyes and tried to speak with her in his mind. He knew her Solairum Signature very well, and easily connected.
'Aurora, the plan was too successful. He is seeing the ghost of his grandfather and wishes for me to execute the ghost. Do something and get me out of here.'
'Oh my, the great master schemer Sylvester Maximilian has finally found himself in a tight corner? Fine, this big sister shall graciously help you. But you better treat me to something good later.' She, as always, appeared more solemn than anyone else in the room, but inside, she was the same old mischievous fox. Her heart had finally found happiness again after seeing Sylvester alive and well.
"If this goes, I'm afraid the numbers will soon cross half a million!" Aurora painted a dark picture for everyone.
"LET THEM DIE! KILL THEM ALL!" Emperor Zenith suddenly roared and leaped up from his throne. His weak frame tried to walk down the stairs toward Aurora. "They dared to harm my son—he has yet to open his eyes! Woman, when giants fall, the ants are quashed…let them suffer until my son wakes up!"
Aurora locked eyes with the Emperor and retorted, "Man, when the giant falls, another giant takes its place. Do not let your emotions be the reason for the death of millions—Or I will be forced to impose Article Four, Four A, and Four B of Holy Law!"
'Good job, girl.' Sylvester was delighted to see her talk back. She had to maintain her image as the Saint Cardinal because if anyone undermined her, it would be the end of her authority. On top of that, it was the perfect way to agitate the Emperor even more and show the court's crowd that the man had become unfit to rule.
"Are you threatening my Masan?" the Emperor asked.
"No, I'm informing Masan's ruler. The world operates on laws, and no mortal has the right to violate them. That includes me and you, as well as the Pope," she replied.
Insulted—the Emperor was utterly outraged. He began to gasp for air loudly and paced in circles. From time to time, he rubbed his face and looked at Aurora as well.
"Guards!" he suddenly shouted. "Behead her!"
"Waaah!"
"No!"
"What?"
That drew reactions from people in an instant. Nonetheless, the Imperial Guards also entered with their swords unsheathed. Even Sylvester had his hand on the hilt, but his aim was at the Emperor's neck if he dared to actually order the beheading.
Aurora didn't even flinch and looked into the Emperor's eyes. "You think I fear death? That would only send me into Solis's embrace faster. But remember what you are doing, for what you are about to commit is the highest level of heresy—Article Sixty-Six."
The Emperor bellowed in laughter, "Haha…Do you think you can purge the Masan Empire? Do you think your Pope will come here when he's already fighting in Beastaria? Or perhaps you believe your Solis will appear?"
For a split second, Aurora looked at Sylvester before smiling. "Solis is already with me! Solis is everywhere!"
Tensions grew in the room. No one had the courage to intervene and stop the Emperor, not even the Grand Premier. The other men could only maintain silence, lest they incur the Emperor's wrath.
"Guards! Be—"
Tap!
Woosh!
"Hahaha! This naive boy."
Ting!
Sylvester, by pure instinct, unleashed his sword and struck forward with full power. His mind went into automatic reaction, and a storm of questions took him over.
'I didn't even sense this man coming!'
"Leave His Majesty alone!" Sylvester swung his sword with enough strength to kill an Archwizard in a single blow.
Clank!
"Haha, I appreciate your loyalty, young one."
'WHAT! Stopped with a single dagger?!' Sylvester stepped back instantly, sensing extreme danger from the white-bearded man with a turban. His face was full of wrinkles, and even his belly was a little round—yet the massive strength. With a single tap on the neck, he had made the Emperor fall asleep.
'Who is he?'
"Gentlemen, the court is dismissed. It appears that the Emperor is exhausted after the recent events." The old man in ordinary western desert clothes claimed. He glanced at Aurora as well and lowered his head. "Esteemed Saint Cardinal, I apologize for my little brother's rudeness. Please forgive this incident as the ramblings of a drunk man."
Aurora was similarly on edge with the appearance of the old and mysterious man. He appeared out of nowhere. "If that is the official stance of Masan, then I accept the arrangement. But I will need more soldiers to restore peace in the city."
"Of course. Why not take this young man with you?" the old man gestured at Sylvester. "He saved the Prince masterfully. I'm sure he will lead the additional troops well."
Aurora nodded. "Thank you…"
"Oh, where are my manners? I am Killim Hu'ul Mirmasan, the old man of Masan. I will take my little brother now." The old man dragged the Emperor away with one arm over his shoulder. Nobody in court uttered a word, and the Grand Premier even fell to his knees, his body shivering in fright.
Sylvester stared at the retreating figure of the peculiar old man, his breath held in suspense. 'It's him! This is him! I can feel it…the way he looked, the lack of scent…this has to be him!'
Out of nowhere, an expert never heard of before, the older brother of the Emperor of all people, appeared. Nothing about it could be considered normal.
'Was he following me this entire time? No, he wouldn't have let the massacre happen…unless he had some gain from it! But…the dust on his clothes wasn't yellow; it was red. The Warsong Kingdom? Red dust is in abundance there…did he travel from there in an instant?'
"You! What's your name? Hey, have you gone deaf?"
"What?" Sylvester returned to his senses at Aurora's voice. "I'm Jack, Your Eminence."
Aurora scoffed and turned to leave. "Follow me. We have much work to do."
Sylvester did so, but his mind remained preoccupied. 'Is that even his real name and face? Is he really the Emperor's elder brother? And his strength, perhaps a Supreme Wizard?'
He felt like scratching his head. But he remained calm and collected for the task ahead. It was time to fix the mess that was Southern City.
"Your Eminence, may I have a brief moment to retrieve something from my room?" Sylvester respectfully asked. "I came here without my primary weapon."
"Make it swift!"
Sylvester wasted no time and rushed to fetch Chonky as the plan was to distribute food to the people—all in the name of the Holy Land and Solis to raise the image of the church. And he had to do it before the word started to spread around the Empire.
Click!
"Jack?"
Just as Sylvester was opening the door to his room, the door to the Princess's chamber opened. She appeared disheveled, with crumpled clothes, messy hair, and smudged eye makeup from crying. She wore a simple blue nightgown with a low neckline and no head covering.
"Can I talk to you?" She softly asked, making a pitiful face.
Sylvester, knowing it was his duty to be with her, had to agree. "You can, Princess."
He removed his helmet and faceplate as per the deal between them from before and entered her royal chambers. The chambers were currently organized as interconnected rooms, and upon entering, there was a couch to sit on.
"Come." Fernis caught his hand and led him to the seat. Not acting conservative in the slightest, she kept his hand in hers and sat close enough that their shoulders touched.
"Jack, my brother is going to die, right?" She asked with a sad look. "I overheard the healer talking. I don't want him to die…"
Suddenly, she lunged and straddled his lap, facing him. Not caring for his armored body, she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried on his shoulder.
'No scent of sadness, yet the tears falling on my shoulder are real. Well practiced, Princess. But what do you want from me?'
Sylvester patted her back to calm her down. "Life and death is the natural order of this world, Princess Fernis. One day, even I will die. It could be on a battlefield or from old age, but no matter where, it's merely our predetermined fate."
She sniffled on his shoulder and hugged his neck tighter. Her petite frame resting on him felt as light as a cat on his lap, and Sylvester didn't mind. His entire attention was on sensing the scents and her heartbeat.
'Roses and sweat—lust is there. But why does it come with a hint of jealousy?'
"Jack, can you call me Fernis? Just Fernis?" She lifted her head and asked, still straddling his lap and facing him.
'Oh, the scent of hope?'
"As you command…Fernis."
Instantly, a huge, warm smile graced her face. It was a genuine smile, evident from both the scent and looks. Her eyes squinted, her teeth on display, and her heart thumped as if she was in a race.
"I must return to my duties now, Fernis." He tried to stand up.
But she didn't release her arms from his neck and continued to gaze into his eyes. Then, slowly, she moved her hand and caressed his face, as if she was adoring a treasure.
"Your face is so…perfect." She muttered longingly. "Jack, I have just one small request, then you can go. It will take just a second."
'Girl, calm down. Your heart is about to explode!' Sylvester sensed her heightened state.
Remaining stoic, Sylvester nodded. "I serve you, and fulfilling your request is my duty, Fernis."
Pa!
She firmly placed her palms on his cheeks.
"Then—Let me kiss you once!"
"..."
[A/N: See Killim Hu'ul Mirmasan]
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