Chapter 76: A New Era (1)
Evening. Royal Capital of the Aethelgard Empire.
"Father...!" A small high voice cooed.
A theatre performance played in the Royal Hall. Artists from the South. Grand music as a fusion of strings and choirs echoed.
The Emperor sunk on his golden chair in the private viewing room, while crowds of people, noble, rich, aristocrats, occupied all the audience seats.
"Father...!"
The climax of the play was almost here. The couple, having finally found the way to defeat the old businessman that had kidnapped the lady and trapped her as a concubine.
He looked down. His wrinkly eyes softly turning into a small smile.
Emperor Aethelgard broke into a wide smile. His youngest son, the child of his most recent concubine was here with him.
All his children had grown old and were running about here and there, even his heir. The Emperor had taken a liking to care for his youngest. The boy a very beautiful woman had birthed him just three years ago.
The woman, the concubine too, was the age of his children, but that didn’t matter so much. Many others were as well.
"Come, Rufus," the Emperor bent down. A confrontation was happening between the actors on stage, the climax of the play. He lifted young Rufus up and sat him on his lap.
Rufus, too, happily climbed up and held his father’s beard to stay upright. It invited a chuckle from the Emperor.
The choir went loud.
"It is over. I will take her back!"
"I do not wish to stay with you!"
Those voices echoed out.
The Emperor had lost interest already. He was attending this play only because his presence was requested.
"Oh my, Rufus? What are you eating?"
The young child was biting down on a small piece of chocolate.
"Brother gave me...!" Rufus said loudly.
Brother. Valerius, the eldest of the Emperor’s children and also the most competent and mature. That one was taking care of Rufus too...
It brought a smile on the Emperor’s lips.
The boy pulled out another piece, wrapped, from his pockets. He gently extended his hand out toward the Emperor.
"For me?"
"Yes!"
The Emperor chuckled.
He slowly leaned in and took a big bite, Rufus’ face drained of color when the little boy saw how much his father was to take, so the Emperor smiled even wider and bit only half. The saggy skin on his face made even his smiles clearly stand out.
The other half the little kid bit down on, chewing on it happily.
***
The same hour. Alcohol dripped behind his path as Crown Prince Valerius walked through the passageways of the Aethelgard Castle.
Stars were starting to rise in the sky.
Up. The spiral stairs. The enormous observatory built in the center of the Imperial Capital.
It was 300 years ago when the first Emperor sought to use the power of the stars as a magic circle, as the guide for his mana.
A forgotten dream, that the Crown Prince would revive.
In a hidden room, he reached near a window and opened it. It was high up in the sky. Valerius took a sip of his glass, and stepped.
Even on nothing, his feet landed.
The final floor of the observatory was built, invisible from inside and out. A magical technology that was lost 300 years ago, when it was first made.
He climbed up the final spiral staircase, with every step up, the building revealed itself to him.
Many lines ran along the walls and the stairs, and finally, at the very top he reached.
"My Prince, you’re here?" The Prime Minister of Aethelgard, Augustus Kafka stood there in wait. His robes covered on one other, unlike the Prince who had come here without a shirt.
"I saw the kid a while back," he said. "Is everything ready?"
"It is ready."
Dozens of researchers stood there. Some CEF, some from the Empire, some from the church, wizards from across the world were brought here.
Augustus led Valerius to the center of the observatory, the sky was dimming, it was about to be night.
"The world will see, the might of Aethelgard. Your might, my Prince. It starts today."
"Haha... I hope that Arlene get’s caught in it too."
It was time, to get rid of everything in his path.
"Come, prince," the Prime Minister led him ahead. "Place that stone right there, and it shall begin."
***
Rufus had placed his head on his father’s chest, resting.
He waited for the cast to fall in line, bow, the Emperor would have to make a speech as well. Could he skip that?
Looking at the child in his hands, he decided he wanted to skip that. Rufus was fast asleep, his mouth was foaming up.
"Ah...?"
Foaming...
The Emperor quickly stood up and turned around.
"A-ah! Guards! Guards!!" He screamed. The private room for the emperor, with a glass pane toward the theatre, not a voice would leak out. The gate behind would surely have people in waiting, they opened the door and the old Emperor ran too.
He rushed toward the gate, the child in his hands. The foam in his mouth turned into blood, the Emperor’s eyes trembled.
How was it possible?! Some curse? Some kind of magic?
The choir, the actors, the staff, all gathered on the stage below the Emperor and bowed.
He fell to the ground, the child slipped from his hand and tumbled down. Foam started spilling out the Emperor’s mouth. Strength left his body.
"My Lord! Oh my god! Lord! Master Rufus!"
"Call the doctor! Call the doctor!!"
The guards were here.
Claps started echoing from outside.
***
A streak of light shot out from above the city of Aethelgard. It crossed through the capital, silently, shooting upward high into the sky.
The constellations were aligned perfectly.
All of them guided the spell itself. The streaks of mana, all centered around one particle.
It changed directions, and rushed toward Serenia.
***
The Emperor’s eyes went dark, blood pooled out of his mouth.
The play had ended.
