Chapter 728: The Sleeping Lion
After some thought, Zephyr decided to focus on honing his swordsmanship.
'There are problems from outside too.'
'The Elven Kingdom became sword enemies of the Radiant Empire…'
Once blood-bound to the Radiant Empire, the Elven Kingdom had turned its back two centuries ago.
The betrayal still echoed through every council chamber.
The Elven Prince, Prince Raphael Mithilis, was now a King. And his queen?
The Syreni ruler herself.
Asher Rath Syreni, aka the Blood Queen, ruled the sea and had been claimed as Empress of the Sea itself.
Elven traders still roamed neutral zones, but no elf dared to enter human borders unguarded.
Old friendships had become cautious truces, held together by merchants and spies.
As for the Syreni?
The Syreni, aquatic beings of deep blood magic and with innate ruthlessness, had never forgiven the humans.
The missing Syreni during the war were said to be victims of Nira's twisted rituals, though the Empire denied it.
Syreni killed any human who dared to enter the seawater.
Any envoy sent was either ignored or drowned.
'One good thing is that part of the Wood Elves still despise the Syreni for their chaotic nature and keeping the Elven Emperor in check.'
Another problem within the Empire was Slavery!
It was the Empire's Quietest Sin
Beneath the Empire's regime, slavery flourished in silence.
Elves and Syreni captured during the war were never freed. Many became laborers in mines, and the rest became entertainment for nobles.
The nobles justified it under twisted contracts, declaring war prisoners had no rights.
Even human slaves were bartered in underground markets.
'What a hopeless situation.'
The final problem was the Trade and Instability.
The Empire's economy was collapsing. Trade with the Elves and Syreni had stopped completely.
Northern Dukes refused metal exports. Southern desert people demanded tribute. The eastern tribes demanded independence.
Inflation, food shortages, and border raids grew daily.
As Zephyr was reading a book about recent trades, a knock echoed on the chamber door.
"Your Highness," a maid said softly, "the Emperor has summoned you."
Zephyr smirked faintly.
"Let's see what's left of the Lion who once ruled the sun."
…
The heavy silence in the Emperor's bedroom was thick with perfume, silk, and expectation.
Zephyr stood tall, golden circlet resting on his silver hair, the long robes of a princess draping over his shoulders, though beneath them, rested two short blades strapped to his thighs.
As he walked closer to the large wooden door, the guards stationed at the entrance used their spears to block his path.
If it were original Lina, she would've glared at them angrily for blocking her path, but wouldn't dare to argue with the guards.
She would've walked away.
But Zephyr was different. Though he was timid before, he wasn't a naïve fool anymore.
"You dare to block my way?" Zephyr's voice cut like lightning, sharp and regal, yet echoing with a thunderous force that made the palace guards stiffen.
The guard captain, a Rank-5 Warrior of House Fenaril, flinched visibly but answered with forced composure.
"Under orders of the First Concubine, Princess. She requested peace and privacy in His Majesty's quarters."
Zephyr's gaze sharpened. "And tell me, Guard Captain… after the Emperor himself, who holds the highest authority in this Empire?"
The captain hesitated.
"Say it," Zephyr pressed, stepping forward.
At the same time, he unsheathed the hidden short sword from her left thigh and directly pointed it at the guard captain's neck.
Her action stunned everyone!
"Say it, before I declare you a traitor and order your head removed from your shoulders for insulting the rightful bloodline."
In truth, the little knife she held was merely a scrap of metal….
No! The guard captain's eyes squinted sharply as he saw a reddish aura start to envelop the edges.
Cold sweat ran down the captain's neck.
"...The Second Princess of Radiant Blood, by Imperial Decree," he whispered.
"Good. Then step aside." Zephyr said as he sheathed the short sword and smiled.
As if a great curse had been lifted from their backs, the guards shuffled away in unison. The captain dared not meet Zephyr's eyes again.
With a single push, Zephyr opened the chamber doors.
…
Inside, the Emperor's massive golden chamber was adorned with velvet curtains, murals, and the scent of medicinal incense.
He had been bedridden for years and had been taken care of by physicians, Mages, and Healers.
Three concubines lounged like roses around a wilting tree, draping themselves beside the Emperor Leone Kar, his eyes glazed and lips bloodstained.
The moment Zephyr stepped in, all three women turned with sharp gazes and venomous smiles.
In truth, they had all heard of her earlier shout at the entrance and were shocked deeply by her sudden resistance. All this time, she rarely left her bedroom and always spent her time in the garden.
"Second Princess," one cooed with thinly veiled disdain.
"We were told you were still too ill to stand. What a miracle recovery," another added, fanning herself lazily.
The third scoffed and returned her gaze to the Emperor's chest, where her hand rested with disturbing familiarity.
"I have matters to discuss with His Majesty. Alone," Zephyr announced, stepping forward.
None moved. The Emperor opened his mouth but gave only a confused grunt, his consciousness drifting in and out.
"Alone," Zephyr repeated, voice turning steel-like. "Or must I drag you all out one by one?"
The concubines laughed—until Zephyr's voice cracked like thunder.
"Palace Guards!"
The Royal Guard, stationed outside, stormed into the chamber like a tide of silver and blue.
Startled, the concubines rose, outrage splashing across their perfectly powdered faces.
"You dare bring armed men into the Emperor's sacred chamber?" the first shrieked.
Zephyr raised a hand, halting the knights. His voice turned cold and precise.
"By Imperial Blood Right, I, Lina Kar, demand complete audience with His Majesty. Any obstructing me shall be charged with violating the sacred bloodline and punished under Royal Edict 117, signed by the First Emperor himself."
Everyone's eyes widened as they shut their mouths.
The Edict gave complete authority of Law to the legitimate heirs and the Empress when the ruling Emperor was absent or ill.
Currently, only two people hold this privilege. One was the missing first princess, Nira, and the other was none other than Lina herself.
The oldest concubine, favored by the First Concubine's faction, trembled with suppressed fury.
"You think you can walk in and bark orders like you matter?" she hissed, stepping forward.
Zephyr met her gaze without blinking. Then leaned forward and whispered just loud enough for all to hear:
"Try me. By sundown, I will have your tongue nailed to the outer palace wall."
The woman's face went pale.
She glanced at the unconscious Emperor, then turned away with a flurry of silks.
One by one, they stormed out.
…
The chamber fell quiet.
The Emperor lay still, chest rising and falling like a dying ember.
Zephyr slowly approached the bed, his gaze softening for the first time. He reached out and touched the Emperor's frail hand.
"How far you've fallen, old man," he muttered only enough for the emperor to hear.
"You can open your eyes now. I know you've been acting."
He turned to one of the nearby royal maids, who remained frozen in a corner.
"You," Zephyr said.
"Summon Royal Mage Verdan immediately. And bring me a vial of lunar amber essence. If I can't wake him up with that, we'll try blood-echo resonance next."
As he ordered, the rest of the maids also left the palace bedroom hurriedly.
The chamber door closed with a muted thud, sealing Zephyr and the Emperor in the silence.
Moments passed.
And then—
A low, ragged cough escaped from the Emperor's throat.
Zephyr didn't move. He stood still by the bed, watching.
The Emperor's pale lids twitched. A second cough followed, heavier this time, bringing a trace of blood on his lips.
Slowly, the man who once shook thrones with a whisper opened his eyes, bloodshot and exhausted.
"…You've changed," Emperor Leone Kar rasped, voice like parchment crumbling in a cold wind.
Zephyr didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from the Emperor's mouth.
His fingers were precise, unshaking.
"You noticed," Zephyr finally said.
The Emperor struggled to sit up, wincing, but didn't call for help.
"What changed your mind, Lina?" he asked, his tone suspicious beneath its fatigue.
"I've begged you for years, no decades… I told you I needed your mind, clarity, and authority to maintain the rule… and you refused. You feared being controlled, you said. Manipulated. You said—"
"I was afraid," Zephyr interrupted calmly. "I was afraid of failure. Didn't you give full authority to my sister? What was the result? She ended up bringing the Empire to its downfall!"
That silenced the old man.
Zephyr stepped back and folded his arms. "I knew the moment I stepped into your court, they would all try to tear me apart. Noble families. The council. Even our bloodline. And I was too weak to survive it."
The Emperor coughed again, gripping his side.
He could feel that his words were genuine.
"But something changed," Leone said after a moment. "You came into my chambers… and for the first time, I felt you weren't the same. Your eyes. Your voice." He narrowed his gaze, a flicker of suspicion crossing his fading mind.
"You're different."