Chapter 41 Visit Of The Emperor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The envoy of the empire arrived in Babellion shortly after the final warning was issued. Of course, it was not exactly an hour later due to the distance between the imperial capital and the old capital, but every effort was made to ensure the envoy arrived as quickly as possible.
The purpose of the envoy was naturally to convey the date and time of the audience.
Just because it was ordered by Babellion does not mean that they could leave immediately. It is only natural to convey the message of when they will arrive and to request appropriate arrangements. Even if every move of the empire is known.
The deadline set for Marquis’s petrification is two weeks after the notice. This not only serves as a matter of protocol but also provides an advantage of time.
The days leading up to the Emperor’s departure were tumultuous. After selecting those to accompany him, they shared the criteria for what could be negotiated and what could not, even though it was uncertain if there was any room for negotiation at all.
They gathered various tribute items, including gold, silver, treasures, artworks, pottery, spices, weapons, incense, fabrics, traditional crafts, sl*ves, and more, hoping that at least one of them would strike a chord.
Fortunately, Fredrin II had been making preparations in case of war or submission even before the debate began. Since receiving the recommendation to visit Babellion by Azuriela, Fredrin II had been anticipating going with tribute in hand.
What Babellion holds in their hands is not just the lives of the Crown Prince and Princess, but the lives of all subjects of the Ravendora Empire, including Fredrin II. Therefore, there is no excuse for saying, “I didn’t have time to prepare anything significant,” when so much is at stake──
”The formal request for an audience must have been officially accepted.”
Inside the Emperor’s exclusive six-horse carriage, Duke Marshall furrowed his brow and posed his question for the third time.
”I’ve confirmed it multiple times.”
Duke Sandril replied curtly, showing a hint of impatience in response to Duke Marshall’s inquiry. Sensing the tension in the air, Fredrin II, fearing that any disruption might be detrimental, relaxed his cheeks slightly and remarked,
”Duke Marshall, you seem quite tense.”
”On the battlefield, I don’t even tremble, but when it comes to venturing into a demon cave, even I, as expected, feel a shiver.”
Duke Marshall clenched his fist as if to restrain his trembling hand. However, it was Duke Sandril who was struck by Duke Marshall’s words.
”The term ‘demon cave’ is a misleading expression. Especially since this conversation might be overheard.”
”Such wordplay.”
Duke Sandril interjected, cutting off Duke Marshall’s irate words.
”Such is the nature of diplomacy. Especially when dealing with an entity beyond human comprehension, let alone worldly influence. When the trigger is unknown, words must be chosen carefully.”
Duke Sandril may not excel in diplomacy, but having spent much of his life on the battlefield, he is well-versed in the verbal sparring of nobility.
While he doesn’t view diplomacy as a game of one-upmanship, there are those who interpret even the slightest expression or metaphor with disdain. If one is in a position of strength, they can confidently ask, “So what?” But if one is in a position of below them, the conversation changes. It was Duke Sandril’s belief that they must not show even the slightest vulnerability.
Upon hearing this, Duke Marshall let out a small groan, gazing up at the ceiling and closing his eyes to begin pondering. Was it shame at the realization that they, who were always supposed to be strong, were essentially pleading for their lives? Or was it concern for the future of the empire from this point forward?
”At times like these, Marquis Riodore is truly needed.”
Such contemplation was interrupted as Duke Sandril’s words spilled from his mouth. Upon hearing this, Duke Marshall raised his eyes sharply and retorted,
”Riodore’s diplomacy relies on his connections. To those with no such ties, he is merely another noble. If you claim he is needed at a time like this, then perhaps someone like Elder Gifrons…”
However, before Duke Marshall could finish speaking, he abruptly fell silent, and with a face drained of color, he lowered his head deeply, casting a concerned glance at Fredrin II.
”This was rude.”
”…It’s fine. But you should learn that saying things without thinking might anger someone.”
Elder Gifrons used to handle all of the diplomacy for the Ravendora Empire. Now, Marquis Riodore is the face of diplomacy, but until a few years ago, Elder Gifrons was the main diplomat for fifty years.
But a few years ago, he made a big mistake in diplomacy and upset not only King Fredrin II but also the entire nation. It was such a serious event that he could have been executed. However, considering Elder Gifrons’ fifty years of service, he was instead transferred to a remote area and ordered to live in seclusion.
Moreover, Elder Gifrons harbors strong hatred, especially from King Fredrin II, and his name became something that should not be spoken aloud.
”Didn’t you say the messenger wasn’t inside Babellion?”
Amid the deepening darkness inside the carriage, a man of mature years who had not spoken until then, finally spoke up.
The perpetually impassive man was Knight Aurone, a knight who had once stood on the battlefield as a young soldier and now held the position of vice commander in the imperial guards. Despite the strained relationship between the knight order and the imperial army, they did not mix like oil and water. Aurone had been chosen to accompany the emperor for one reason alone – he was the strongest swordsman in the Ravendora Empire.
”Yes. I heard they were stopped at the gate of the old capital.”
Aurone, who bore the most honorable title for a knight, “Emperor’s Blade,” was revered by Duke Sandril and Duke Marshall, who were as much as a generation younger than him.
”…Are we really about to step into unexplored territory?”
Fredrin II muttered quietly towards the window. The group had already reached a point close to the old capital at the specified time.
”I wonder if we’re invited into the tower in the first place.”
”…Yeah, I thought we’d naturally be invited into the tower… Wait, does the old capital have a castle too?”
”We won’t know until we get there.”
”Yeah, and wherever it is, our tasks remain the same.”
* * *
The emperor and his group arrive at the old capital.
They reach the gates of the old capital’s castle, a place they’ve visited many times before. The carriage slows down and comes to a stop. People from the carriage look out of the windows to see what’s outside with proper manners.
”Emperor Fredrin II of Ravendora has arrived.”
The knight outside the carriage raised his voice loudly, following the orders of Fredrin II with a modest tone.
”I have heard. Follow the guide and alight in front of the tower.”
It was a terribly frightening voice. It couldn’t be seen from inside the carriage, and its whereabouts were not even known. However, they were intuitively understood that the owner of that voice was a powerful monster.
The carriage began to move again. Although they didn’t show it on their faces, everyone’s tension rose simultaneously, including the Fredrin II.
No, only one person, Knight Aurone, quietly closed his eyes with his lips pursed in his usual way. Seeing this, Fredrin II felt reassured and cleared his throat to change the atmosphere.
After a few minutes, the carriage stopped again. The door was knocked, and on the other side of the opened door, the familiar figure of an imperial guards knight came into view. Duke Marshall led the way and got off the carriage, followed by Duke Sandril, and then Knight Aurone. Naturally, Fredrin II was last.
With a final adjustment of his hair in the hand mirror and a quick check to ensure his formal attire was impeccable, Fredrin II stepped out of the carriage onto the enemy territory that had once been the old capital. Despite the weight on his shoulders, he carried himself with the dignity befitting an emperor, his cloak billowing behind him──
As he took his second step, Fredrin II froze in place, struck speechless.
It was a foolish act for an emperor to stand gaping in awe, yet he found himself utterly captivated by the grandeur of the towering citadel before him.
Following the instructions given at the city gate, Fredrin II found himself standing before the entrance of the colossal tower. Merely gazing upward from the base could not possibly reveal the full extent of the chalk tower that seemed to reach the heavens. However, just looking up from below seemed to transform all his previous senses of strategy and hostility into a profound sense of reverence and awe.
”Your Majesty.”
But Fredrin II’s consciousness was brought back by the call of the knight Aurone. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he was brought back. It would not do for the emperor to forever have the look of a country village boy seeing the imperial city for the first time.
”What a magnificent tower.”
”To think of waging war against this… even if we were to embark on it, would it truly be called a war?”
Duke Marshall and Duke Sandril looked up at the tower, sweat beading on their foreheads. Fredrin II nodded in his heart at those words, and then immediately praised his past self for showing a submissive attitude.
”We have been expecting you.”
A soldier who had been waiting in front of the massive entrance approached, and Fredrin II straightened his posture.
”You are indeed Ravendora Emperor Fredrin II, correct?”
”Indeed. I, Emperor Fredrin II of Ravendora, have come swiftly at the command of His Majesty the Saint.”
Fredrin II declared confidently.
The soldier from Babellion he met for the first time could well be called a dark knight. Covered head to toe in pitch-black armor, it was impossible to glimpse the person underneath.
”The message from the envoy has been received. From here, I will guide you to the audience chamber on the 100th floor of Saint Tower Babellion.”
The dark knight stated, without using any formal language. Not only did he not use polite speech, but he also didn’t introduce himself, even though he was the guide. In any other nation, there’s a clear difference between an emperor and a soldier, so it would be unthinkable for the dark knight not to use respectful language when speaking to Emperor Fredrin II.
But one wouldn’t think for a second that the soldiers come from a barbaric country that doesn’t use polite language. The Dark Knight’s every move shows a level of skill that is on par with the empire’s Imperial Guards.
To avoid any accusations of rudeness, Fredrin II gives a quick glance to Duke Marshall and the Imperial Guard Knight to calm them down, then turns his attention to the line of carriages that followed the one he rode in.
”I have brought some gifts to present. I will hand over a list so you can check them.”
This was also a question about how to handle the gifts. Should they be left here to be delivered later, or should they carry them themselves to present them?
”The gifts can be brought inside the tower as they are, in the cargo carriage. We will check them before they are taken to His Majesty.”
”Understood.”
Fredrin II turns back and gives instructions to his coachman. There’s no need to be particularly nervous since they aren’t hiding anything harmful. But as the time to enter the tower approaches, his heart starts beating so fast and strong it feels like it might burst, and he swallows to moisten his dry throat.
”Everything is ready now. Follow me to the audience chamber.”
Step by step, Fredrin II and the others followed the dark knight, drawing closer to the tower. Fredrin II felt like a sl*ve being sold, his heart heavy with dread. As an emperor, he knew he shouldn’t show fear or be overwhelmed, but understanding something in his head and actually feeling it in his body and spirit are two very different things.
Climbing a few steps of the chalk-white staircase, they finally reached the grand entrance of the tower. But the massive gate that should have been wide open was impossible to see through from the outside. The entrance was covered by a shimmering aura of lights in a thousand colors, like a door to another dimension separating their world from the realm of the gods.
”Come, follow me.”
The dark knight said, glancing back once before disappearing beyond the gate. As he passed through, the other side didn’t become visible; it was as if he was absorbed by the curtain of light.
The figure disappearing before his eyes was terribly eerie, giving even Fredrin II pause. What lay beyond the entrance of the tower, and what awaited him… It wasn’t just Fredrin II who felt a gulp rise in his throat.
Since he didn’t look back, he couldn’t tell who it was. Was it Duke Marshall, Duke Sandril, Knight Aurone, or someone from the imperial guards? But the sound confirmed Fredrin II’s unease.
As he mentally tapped his cheek, telling himself that his anxiety was his vassals’ anxiety, Fredrin II took a deep breath and then plunged into the curtain of light.
”This is…”
And once again, he let out a voice of astonishment, unable to count how many times it had happened.
”This is a plain… No, but…”
”It is definitely a structure of the god realm.”
Duke Marshall and Duke Sandril were both equally surprised and shook with disbelief. But maybe that was just the way things were.
No matter what kind of tower it was, Fredrin II had imagined that inside the entrance, there would be an interior space, like a grand scene of ancient temples with towering pillars.
Yet, what spread out before them was a majestic grassland. Under the clear blue sky, a soothing melody of fresh greenery swayed in the gentle breeze, stretching to the horizon.
Everything felt out of place. Just when they thought they had stepped into the tower, there was sky, a rising sun, and a horizon.
Fredrin II had always thought that visitors came from the realm of gods or other worlds. But that idea was wrong… or perhaps a little different. It wasn’t that a tower from the realm of gods had been transported here. It was the realm of gods, in the form of a tower, that had been transported here.
In the imperial capital, Azuriela spoke of His Majesty the Great Saint Charlierel, a figure believed to be not just a self-proclaimed god, but the very god who created the god realm.
This conviction filled Fredrin II with a sense of reverence and contemplation, even bringing a touch of curiosity to his expression. How could humans possibly engage in war against a god who created even the world itself? Yet, this did not mean that they could remain unaffected by the absence of war. It was only natural for the Ravendora Empire to become subservient to such a god.
With these thoughts in mind, a single question began to stir in Fredrin II’s mind.
What kind of god was Charlierel?
Fredrin II had never heard of such a god. Of course, he was not well-versed in all mythologies and legends from across time and place, but the name of Charlierel did not seem to be part of the memories of those around him, including religious scholars and himself, at least as far as the sacred tower and the god who ruled over the monsters were concerned.
In the Ravendora Empire, the most common religion is known as Stellariaism, or the Earth Mother Goddess religion. This is a belief system that worships the goddess Stellaria, who is revered as the creator of the heavens and the earth, and is one of the most widely practiced religions on the continent.
Stellariaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that it believes in only one god, the goddess Stellaria. However, there are also the presence of other gods in the form of foreign religions, such as the Asura-Telmaalism, and those originating from the western part of the continent, which are polytheistic, believing in various gods like the sun god and the god of war.
So, let’s ask again, what kind of god is Charlierel?
It’s likely that he possesses a great power to create worlds and life. However, what’s more important is what kind of character he possesses.
The goddess Stellaria is believed to have created the world and protects life with compassion. However, among the gods of polytheistic religions, there are those who are said to embody negative forces such as destruction and chaos, or have fierce aspects like war.
Imagine a powerful being with many monsters under their command trying to take over the human world. That doesn’t sound like a nice god. But this being can create entire worlds and lives in a beautiful tower that inspires faith in those who see it. So, maybe they’re not entirely bad either.
Whether this god is good or bad can change what happens next. For instance, if this god demanded people to offer up huge sacrifices every year, like eating humans, what would happen?
Fredrin II, a noble ruler, found himself in a dire predicament, as his beloved children, Prince Alfred and Princess Lucia, were held captive as pawns in this divine power struggle. If the god proved to be cruel and merciless, what horrors might his children endure in their captivity?
Yet, even if the god was as wicked as the darkest nightmares, Fredrin II might be forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to abandon his own children for the sake of the empire. The very thought weighed heavily on his heart, threatening to tear it asunder.
”That’s… a mansion.”
The knight Aurone murmured, pulling Fredrin II back from his thoughts. It was then that Fredrin II realized he had been walking through a meadow inside the tower for a few minutes, and now a mansion lay before him.
To wander absentmindedly while lost in thought within the diplomatic arena was a grave mistake. Various possibilities of how he had appeared to others, whether he had ignored someone speaking to him along the way, made him break out in a cold sweat.
But all of Fredrin II’s anxiety came to a sudden halt when he saw the woman standing in front of the mansion’s door. It was not love at first sight, but rather a chilling aura that made his spine tingle and cold sweat freeze on his back.
”This is the Saint Tower Babellion 1st floor, ‘Reception Hall (Acheron)’. It is the starting gate that determines whether one has the qualification to step into the land of the tower created by the great god.”
Standing in front of the mansion, the woman opened her mouth as if to sing.
She had a physique not much different from a human, with no wings or tail. She wore a maid outfit, similar to the empire’s style. However, her venomous-colored hair, otherworldly beauty, and twilight-colored eyes with vertically split pupils spoke of her non-human nature.
”Welcome, esteemed guests of the Ravendora Empire. I am Shinoa, the ‘Entertainment Officer’ entrusted with the management of this territory.”
The woman introduced herself with a slight bow.
”I see. I am—”
Fredrin II began to step forward, believing it to be proper to return the introduction, but Shinoa promptly dismissed his greeting before it could be completed.
”No need to introduce yourself.”
She said, cutting off Fredrin II’s greeting.
”The ‘Entertainment Officer’ is the gatekeeper of Babellion. My only duty is to allow invited guests to pass and to exclude uninvited ones. Therefore, the individual identities of everyone are… of no concern.”
Still wearing a gentle smile, Shinoa continued to speak. Unlike the guide, the Dark Knight, she used polite language and behaved in a manner befitting her maid outfit.
However, Shinoa also did not see Fredrin II as an emperor. Perhaps she did not recognize him as a figure to be respected.
It could be that everyone, including Fredrin II, looked down on humans. But Fredrin II understood that they were putting on a performance of not treating the emperor as an equal within the organization.
”You don’t get angry even when being rude. I am relieved to see that you understand your position.”
Shinoa, with a look of slight admiration, faced Fredrin II directly. Her sharp gaze made others shrink back, as if they were frogs being stared down by a snake.
”Only four individuals are permitted to proceed beyond this point. Firstly, Emperor Fredrin II, and three accompanying individuals. All others, please wait outside the tower.”
”Just four people?! It doesn’t matter to you whether we bring ten or a hundred guards!”
One of the imperial guards spoke out involuntarily. The tension in the air felt like a taut string being plucked, but Shinoa remained calm, wearing a gentle smile.
”Yes, that’s correct. Therefore, whether it’s a hundred or just four, does it make a difference?”
”Well, I…”
”I believe I made it clear not to offer any unnecessary resistance at this stage.”
Fredrin II sternly reprimanded the imperial guards knight who tried to stir up trouble. Then, he turned to the people who had come with him in the carriage.
”Duke Marshall, Duke Sandril, and Knight Aurone, come with me. Everyone else, follow the instructions and wait.”
As Shinoa had pointed out, the number of companions didn’t matter, whether it was a hundred or a thousand guards, so it was not worth negotiating.
”The knight has been rude. We will proceed with the audience with just these four.”
In line with Fredrin II’s words, the three named individuals stepped forward. Initially, the imperial guards knight and the diplomatic officials seemed bewildered, but at that moment, they reluctantly backed down.
Observing their reactions, Shinoa directed a scrutinizing gaze at each person’s face, like a predator examining its prey.
”Alright, come on into the mansion. Let me show you to the 100th floor of Babellion.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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