Chapter 101: Emperor Aethelgard (1)
The capital of the Aethelgard Empire was a monument to sheer, oppressive power.
Adam stood near the towering arched windows of the grand antechamber. He adjusted the cuffs of his formal Reinvelt uniform. Beside him, Arlene held a delicate crystal glass of wine. Her eyes tracked every single movement in the massive room.
The atmosphere was entirely suffocating.
"They are terrified," Arlene murmured softly over the rim of her glass.
She was right. The foreign delegations were gathered here before the main ceremony, and the fear was a physical weight in the air.
Across the room stood the politicians from the Southern Republic. They were huddled in tight groups, sweating through their tailored suits, glancing nervously at the imperial guards stationed at every door.
Not far from them was the Elven princess. She chewed on her bottom lip, her long ears drooping slightly with stress. Her royal guard stood stiff and on edge, their hands resting near their blades, completely out of place in this cold stone fortress.
Even the Dwarven representative, an old man clicking with steam and brass gears, remained entirely silent in his corner. He observed the room with a grim understanding.
No one spoke of it. But absolutely everyone knew.
The weapon.
The Empire had demonstrated a power that could erase any of their homes in a single breath. And now they were all here to bow their heads to the young man who wielded it.
The heavy oak doors at the end of the antechamber opened.
The room fell dead silent.
Crown Prince Valerius Aethelgard von Xenophon Vane-Cristos stepped into the room.
He wore immaculate white and gold military regalia. His blonde hair was perfectly swept back. His smile was warm, inviting, and completely empty.
He did not walk to the throne room just yet. He was doing the rounds. He was showing his face to the prominent guests, playing the role of the gracious and humble host.
When his golden eyes landed on the Reinvelt delegation, he changed his path and walked straight toward Adam and Arlene.
Adam stepped forward. Arlene stood gracefully at his side.
"Sir Adam. Lady Arlene," Valerius spoke. His voice was smooth like silk. "It is an absolute honor to welcome the heroes of Reinvelt to my home."
"The honor is ours, Your Highness," Adam replied with a perfect, practiced bow. Arlene curtsied flawlessly.
Valerius let his warm smile linger. He looked them up and down, as if he were inspecting a pair of ghosts that had refused to pass on.
"I must confess," the Crown Prince said softly, placing a hand over his heart. "I am deeply relieved to see you both in such good health. When the reports reached the capital about the unfortunate tragedy that struck Serenia City... my heart wept. To lose an entire settlement in such a violent, unexplained disaster... it was a dark day for the Empire."
Adam kept his face carved out of stone.
Arlene did not lose her pleasant smile for a single second.
They both knew exactly what he was doing. The man standing in front of them had ordered that magical weapon to be fired on Serenia. He had hoped they would burn in that white fire along with Phantom and Weiss.
"We are incredibly grateful for your concern, Your Highness," Adam said smoothly. "The heavens favored us that day. We managed to survive the unexplained disaster."
"Indeed," Arlene added, her voice light and melodic. "It seems the heavens have been quite busy lately. Speaking of which, we must offer our deepest and most sincere condolences."
Valerius did not blink. "Condolences?"
"For the sudden passing of His Imperial Majesty, your father," Adam said. He looked directly into the Crown Prince’s golden eyes. "And, of course, the tragic, untimely death of the Youngest Prince. To lose a father and a dear brother so close to one another... it is a terrible blow to the imperial family."
The silence between the three of them stretched into a razor thin wire.
The Republic politicians nearby were suddenly very interested in the floor tiles. The Elven princess looked like she wanted to be anywhere else in the world.
Valerius held Adam’s gaze. The Crown Prince’s warm smile did not fade a single fraction.
"The heavens are cruel," Valerius said softly. "But the Empire endures. My father and my brother were weak in body, but their spirits will guide my reign."
"We have absolutely no doubt," Arlene smiled back.
Footsteps approached from behind the Prince.
An older man in pristine dark robes stepped up to Valerius’s side. It was the Prime Minister. He did not wear the robes of the church or the military. He was the highest civil authority in the empire, an incredibly calculating figure in his own right.
"Your Highness," the Prime Minister said with a low bow. "The grand hall is prepared. The time has come."
Valerius nodded gently. He looked back at Adam and Arlene one last time.
"Enjoy the ceremony, my friends," Valerius said. "A new era is beginning today. I hope Reinvelt will find its proper place in it."
He turned and walked away. The Prime Minister followed closely behind him.
Adam let out a slow, controlled breath.
"He is a monster," Arlene whispered under her breath, her pleasant smile finally dropping. "He killed them. He killed his own father and his little brother just to clear the board."
"And he dropped a magical nuke on his own territory just to test a weapon and tie up loose ends," Adam agreed quietly. "He does not care about traditions. He does not care about blood."
The massive golden doors at the far end of the antechamber began to groan open.
The blare of imperial trumpets echoed through the stone halls. The sound was deafening. It was not a welcoming tune. It sounded entirely like a march to war.
The foreign delegates began to shuffle toward the grand hall like prisoners marching to a scaffold. The Beastkin representatives kept their heads down. The Elves looked incredibly tense.
Adam offered his arm to Arlene.
"Let us go see what a monster looks like with a crown on his head," Adam said.
Arlene took his arm firmly.
They stepped forward and joined the procession into the beating heart of the Aethelgard Empire.