NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82: Pandora's Box
Marek was smiling widely looking at the screen, Shahrazad and Roygun by his sides:
"You seem in a pretty good mood, your majesty."
The Emperor looked at the raging crowd, able to disdain the Saharos Empire itself.
He strongly clenched the hands of his Empresses as they could feel the happiness overwhelming the somewhat emotional Emperor:
"As expected of my Atlaesian Empire."
His eyes returned on the crying young man, as he smiled warmly:
"It seems there is still hidden heroes in our Empire that I don't know about."
He then addressed the shade of the Imperial Hall:
"Bayek, bring this man to the Imperial Castle. I will meet him after taking care of our guests."
A silhouette disappeared in the light of the capital.
His eyes narrowed, a much grave undertone on it.
"Aya…Bring Princess Linaella to the Imperial Hall."
"The Fifth Sentence is her guest after all, not mine."
"We wouldn't want them to misunderstand something."
Shahrazad took a deep breath. Roygun lightly grazed his arm as if to comfort him.
Marek had the same ridiculing face, as he pushed his hand against his face, in a rather lazy manner, his disdainful eyes looking at the advancing knights:
"Let's see what are you made of. Imperial Sentences."
The Three Knights advanced a solemn aura on.
Tephania was the first to speak:
"Baltasar, did you use your eye on them?"
The old man took a deep breath:
"I did."
Laron narrowed his eyes:
"What did you see?"
His breath trembled slightly:
"Those two are at least as strong as the Four Dukes."
Laron Amengal stopped in his tracks; his eyes somber:
"Oy…Baltasar. Now is not the time for tasteless jokes."
Rage and disbelief in his raising voice:
"Are you telling me a county sized little backward country had nobles as strong as ours?!"
Tephania narrowed her eyes:
"It seemed we have come to the same conclusion."
Laron surprised by her words, tried to retort:
"Tepha-!"
But before he was able to talk back her monstrous energy paralyzed him on the spot as her eyes turned cold:
"You disappoint me Laron. Is this how an Imperial Sentence should behave?"
Her cold grey eyes looking at him, with cold indifference:
"We are in the presence of a great threat to our nation and you are still hung up on your Family's pride?!"
Laron who could feel the cold rage in her voice, immediately looked down unwillingness in his face!
They all marched again, in uniformity.
They entered the gates of the Imperial Castle and slowly marched…Tephania felt the atmosphere change exponentially.
As a strong person herself, her instinct could smell 'the trace of the powerhouse' and entering this building she had the same feeling she had when she entered the Imperial Palace back at the Saharos Empire, or the Office.
The feeling that this place is a jungle only with more bricks and less trees.
She took a deep breath, as a gorgeous looking woman appeared in front of them. Deep anxiety could be seen on her face. Her old graceful and calm demeanor was replaced by a tensed and worried face.
Tephania immediately recognized her, this person was a great collaborator of the Empire. Having helped the Empire retain it's Hegemony even in this faraway region.
She was known as one of the 'last greats of the Vega Dynasty'. Tephania made a head sign as she spoke:
"It seems this place has undergone some serious changes. Princess Linaella."
Linaella looked deeply at Tephania, as if looking at an innocent child:
"Be prepared. The plan has backfired."
Tephania had a more solemn gaze:
"How much has it backfired?"
She had deep unwillingness in her eyes before she turned around, as a hooded silhouette appeared by her side.
The hooded woman had a mysterious feeling to her, and an oppressive aura around her, like she was a killing god in disguise. Her every movement was like that of a dancing deity! The way she appeared and disappeared alone could prove that her Martial Art was in no way inferior to those of the Empire.
'This is bad. So those two are not only exceptions.'
Tephania who saw, again another threat, looked at Baltsar. Only to confirm by his baffled expression, that she was as dangerous as estimated.
Aya knelt before Linaella as she decreed:
"Princess Lina, your Majesty summons you. You need to greet your guests properly in the Imperial Hall."
This intervention is a blatant power play. The Meaning was clear:
'I know what you are up too. And I am not going to let it happen.'
Tephania looked at the kneeling Aya:
"There is some things I would like to discuss with Princess Lina. Alone"
A disdainful smirk appeared on the hooded woman, as her Supreme Haki was unleashed! Her thunderous voice was a far cry from the polite way she spoke to the Princess!!
"And do you think your whims are above his Majesty's orders?!"
Ladron and Baltsar felt the weight of her will alone, trying to knock them out on the spot as they struggled just to keep their spirit together!!
Their eyes became even more solemn:
'Strong!! Such strength! What the hell is people like this are doing in this godforsaken place!?'
Tephania seeing such a blatant provocation didn't hold back!
Immediately she used her powerful knightly aura as she liberated her followers of the clutches of the Supreme Haki!
She unleashed her power in turn, as it clashed with Aya's Supreme Haki, overpowering the latter:
"Aren't you all acting a little short?! Who do you think we are?!!"
Silent anger could be heard in her voice, yet Aya was unbridled as she made a dismissive gesture:
"We do know who you are."
"We just don't care. That's all there is to it."
Her Haki just got again more powerful, as she turned around:
"And don't flaunt your tiny power here."
"That's if you want to get out of here alive, of course."
Tephania's face distorted in anger:
"Is that supposed to be threat?"
Aya turned her head, a malicious expression appearing behind her hooded face:
"A threat? We don't do threats, lady knight…"
A hidden blade appearing in her hand.
"...We only kill."
She played skillfully with the blade in her hand:
"If we wanted you dead, you will be already buried in your way here, with your great carriage."
"You are still a guest of a member of the Imperial Family. That's what saving your life right now."
Her lips pursed into a mocking smile:
"Be grateful. Oh Great Fifth sentence!!"
She said before walking out, escorting the Princess. Tephania looking at her back had an itch to take her head right here, right now!
But Tephania who didn't know how much more monsters were hidden in here couldn't possibly engage!
She never felt this powerless in her life!
Linaella narrowed her tired eyes as she turned around:
"I will go. Lead the way."
And as she departed, she left saddened words:
"You asked me how much did it backfire?"
She sighed:
"Think of the worst possible outcome, and you may get a little close to reality."
Tephania felt her back turn cold, as she took a deep breath:
"Let's go together greet the Emperor then…"
They followed the tracks of the Princess, and gradually as they got closer and closer to the Imperial Hall, they felt like a boulder was on their shoulders just by simply advancing…
Their sharpened instincts, their decades of fighting experience, their heart hardened by battle, told them that the next moments will completely change their lives.
Their perception of the world.
Their pride in themselves.
Their arrogant demeanor on the continent.
Even their awe toward their own Emperor.
And each them made them closer and closer to this door. They felt deep unwillingness, deep apprehension. Stemming from their basic sense of self.
Like a cat hating water, like a vampire hating the sun, like a fish hating the land.
This was a more like a deep-rooted sense of fear, something that was possible to resist, but impossible to deny.
After seeing what is behind that door, all they knew about reality will crumble. All their self-sufficient and peaceful sense of security will be forever gone.
Their heart was getting more and more constricted, as each one of it's pounding seemed to scream to run away, to avert their eyes.
And as the somewhat lonely steps of the Traitorous Princess seemed like that of a criminal marching to his execution stand.
As the inaudible steps of Aya lead everyone like an executioner, about to unleash the wrath of the heavens.
Everything seemed suffocating to the point, even air seemed to dissipate.
Finally, Aya's frame disappeared.
Leaving them face to face with this door. The door to the Imperial Palace.
The Pandora Box, that is begging to stay unopened. The Pandora Box containing in its entrails, calamity after another, rejoicing at the odor of despair and destruction.
Tephania took a deep breath as a determined gaze appeared on her eyes.
At the same time…
On the other side of the continent. Saharos Empire, Yasrib.
At the top of the Imperial Kinghts House. A Heaven toppling white haired beauty, was lightly grazing her zither, like playing with a puppy.
Her eyes were shut….Yet, it didn't seem that simple…
Her smile was still as elegant as before…Yet, one could detect a rare to be seen sense of anticipation in it. She spoke lightly in her breath:
"Finally,…"
"Let's see if you are really my Dragon…Marek Vega."