Chapter 75 – Emperor of the Empire
Time passes even while the princess and her party cause various incidents and get involved.
Of course, it was the same for Count Eleonor Greypoint, who accomplished the feat of subjugating the ancient beast.
Awaiting her return to her imperial throne after all her duties in her Seoul ruins was a great honor that any aristocrat in her empire would envy.
Her emperor had been ordered to await her private meeting with her.
Eleonol is now in the imperial palace of the ecliptic, especially the main palace.
To compare the main palace to the actual residence of the emperor, it was as if the emperor had brought Eleonor into his own room.
As a rule, no nobility can set foot in this inviolable territory.
Even her eunuchs and her attendants who guided her to this place are not noticed.
Eleonol is upright, but in this situation, it is a natural reaction that the heart trembles with tension.
“Haaa…”
Eleanor looked around to calm her tension.
Then, the vast scenery of the main palace slowly began to come into her field of vision.
It is a neat and beautiful space.
A garden with colorful flowers and all kinds of trees came into view.
Plants dedicated from all over the empire, so even though the place and time of their habitat are diverse, to think they are gathered in one place.
It must have involved the skill of an outstanding gardener.
A gentle breeze tickled Eleonol’s cheek.
The sweet scent of flowers blew in the wind.
As the flower stems swayed in the wind, the birds that had been hiding under the greenery flew up and decorated the blue sky.
Birds land on a pond as clear as a mirror at a distance.
She is hunting fish with her head stuck in her sleep.
Is it an artificial ecosystem?
Since the site is so large, it seems that you can enjoy hunting in it.
Even looking left and right, I can’t see the end of the garden.
It’s so wide that I’m afraid I might lose my way to the bedroom after crossing the threshold.
It was too large a place for one person to live in, but if the resident was none other than the emperor of the empire, anyone would nod.
An unexpected sight unfolds in front of Eleanor’s eyes as she walks along a well-paved path, looking at the beautiful garden with her intriguing gaze.
A neatly built iron building stands among the thick trees.
The size is not that big.
A two-story building built on ground made of steel and concrete.
It is quite modern and artificial.
The building itself was beautiful, so there was no sense of incongruity, but it was a very different sight from the green garden.
It was also different from other places in the imperial palace that boasted an aristocratic gothic aesthetic.
It is more like the villa of an eccentric artist with a lot of money than the residence of an emperor.
“…”
Standing in the front door, Eleanor is at a loss for words and falls into anguish.
How would you behave in a situation like this without breaking your decency?
Should I even ring the doorbell?
Her grotesque electronic sound comes to her as she struggles.
[Earl Eleanor Greypoint.
Forty-three thousand seven hundred and forty-five.
No enmity.
Vital signs normal.
The security level is Safe.]
“!”
[This is today’s schedule.
Ten o’clock in the morning.
Earl Eleanor Greypoint alone.
Come on in. Countess Eleonol Greypoint.]
The electronic sound ended as suddenly as it had begun.
At the same time, the front door opens without a sound, as if an invisible hand pulled it.
Seeing this, Eleo Nole opened her eyes wide in surprise.
It was because there was no flow of magical power there.
It is not a magic tool.
‘…Could it be the technology of an ancient civilization?’
Research on the technologies of ancient civilizations is taboo.
Only very few scholars are permitted to do research in a limited field.
It is common knowledge in the empire that even the princess who almost lost her life due to the absurd appearance of the ancient weapon kept her mouth shut and stepped back.
The reason is simple.
Because it is so dangerous.
A technology that completely destroyed the ancient civilization that once flourished across the globe.
It is the fear that it will be reproduced again.
A creeping uneasiness enveloped Eleonol.
But she soon shook her head to clear her trembling heart.
Although there are few scholars who study the technology of ancient civilizations, there are definitely.
And it is the emperor himself who grants permission to them.
It is clear that the Emperor himself is well versed in the field, as long as he controls and authorizes the experts.
If so, it is not a matter of arguing with Eleonol who does not know much about ancient civilization.
Eleanor gives up his hesitation and crosses the hallway over the foyer.
It has a fragrant smell unique to the fat flowing from the cooked meat.
Is this smell a duck? Or turkey?
After following the smell, a spacious space came out.
This is the dining room with a long dinner table.
On the table, there are various foods, including turkey dishes.
Utensils and furniture are simple.
The things they used to eat at Eleonor Greypoint’s mansion were much more luxurious.
Is this really the place where the emperor of the empire lives?
Of course, I don’t put such feelings in my mouth.
End of the table.
A green-haired woman sits in what is commonly called the seat of honor.
The Emperor of the Empire was there.
“Welcome. Earl of Greypoint.”
“Your Majesty, it’s an honor to meet Yongan like this…”
“Stop it. I hate it now.
Is it a burden, a fruit, a gloomy thing, a shocking thing?
What’s the point of saying easy things in a difficult way?
I stopped doing that for about two hundred years.
I’m begging you, so feel free to talk to me too.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
Her Eleanor tries to honor her subject by kneeling on one knee, but her Emperor holds her back.
It was a clear, youthful voice.
Eleonol trembled with a shudder.
It wasn’t long before the emperor broke from confinement for several decades and started his activities.
It was the first time that she had actually seen the emperor in person.
But, of course, we know that the emperor is 526 years old this year.
It is true that magic slows down human aging, but in general, no matter how powerful a wizard is, the lifespan cannot exceed two hundred years.
Even if you are over 200 years old, you cannot avoid the deterioration of your body due to aging.
However, the appearance of the emperor deviated from such logic.
Eleanor herself was twenty years old and had a youthful appearance, but she was nothing compared to the emperor.
As if a genius painter had drawn it with a stroke of a stroke, the sharp features, the elastic skin, the glossy green hair and the lively eyes.
It does not make the viewer feel the time of hundreds of years.
Anyone looking at her looks like a teenage girl.
It’s like the spirit of the world tree in a fairy tale.
Eleonor understood in his heart that he could understand the feelings of those who worshiped the emperor as a god.
“Count, have you eaten?
If it’s okay, take this.
I’ve heard that Countess Eleonor Greypoint is such a gourmet, but I don’t know if it suits her taste… “
“It’s embarrassing that there are rumors like that.
However, as a servant, how could you eat the food served to His Majesty?”
“There’s nothing to worry about about that.
It’s not the food that’s been put on it, it’s because I made it myself.
Actually, I’ve been having fun making food lately.
It’s been about a hundred years since I started learning to cook, so I’m sure the taste isn’t too bad for the Count.
Please sit here without hesitation.”
Her emperor pulls a seat next to her and beckons her to her.
I can’t believe it was the emperor’s hand-made dish.
Eleanor, who bowed her head to express her gratitude, sits on a chair with an upright posture.
As the emperor said he had studied for a hundred years, the food was very delicious.
It was a dish that brought out the taste of great ingredients with a great recipe.
When the turkey was cut open, to my surprise, a whole roasted duck came out.
The belly of the roast duck is stuffed with an omelet made with quail eggs.
When the Eleonol knife is used, the lightly charred meat coated with sweet sauce is gently cut.
Asked the emperor as she took a piece of her omelet and meat and put it in her mouth.
“How is it?”
“It’s to the point where I don’t have to worry about coming up with a phrase for Mass.
I could feel His Majesty’s greatness even in a trivial dish.”
“Whoops, thank you.”
Eleanor sincerely admires the emperor, and the emperor smiles happily.
It may sound disrespectful, but her smile made her look like a normal girl.
The emperor nodded her head in satisfaction as he tasted each bite of the dish he had prepared, then opened her mouth.
“How was it when you entered the main palace?
I want to hear your impressions.”
“It was an indescribably beautiful garden.
I consider it an honor that will remain in my family to be allowed to be alone with His Majesty.”
“Don’t you think it’s inconvenient for a place where the emperor of an empire lives?
This house and this food are not very luxurious either.
These are things that anyone can get with money.”
“Your Majesty, I never thought that…”
Eleonol broke out in a cold sweat.
She is clumsy at lying.
However, as a subject, she cannot disrespect the emperor.
As she tells her lies, acting with all her might, the Emperor covers her mouth and chuckles.
“…Just kidding.
I ended up asking a question with a fixed answer.
But what you just said is true.
All the things here are ordinary things.
Luxuries and pleasures… Can you believe that even I, the lord of the empire, could get tired of them?”
Eleanor said something before the emperor could give her an answer.
“Oh, I forgot one thing.
This wine here, in a bottle without a label or label, is no ordinary thing.
It’s one of those things that I only take out on very special occasions.
Let’s see… This drink was brewed in the 125th year of the Imperial Era.”
She got up from her seat and picked up the wine that had been lying on the corner of the table.
125 years of imperial power!
If so, isn’t it almost four hundred years old?
Eleanor did not know much about alcohol, but she could tell that the object in front of her was a priceless treasure.
“Four hundred years.
It’s usually a long time when any high-end wine can’t stand it and it sours.
However, this is a treasure that has been aged for generations by a family of brewers who have developed their own magic just to make wine that will serve me.
I am confident that it will be a beautiful taste that I have never tasted anywhere else.
It was created in the year that the first Earl of Greypoint was enthroned, so the meaning is more realistic, isn’t it?”
“It is true, Your Majesty.”
As the emperor grabs the bottle, the cork comes out without a sound.
It was a skill that I don’t know what method was used.
She picked up two of her glasses and poured the bright red wine.
“You look exactly like the first Earl of Greypoint.
At the time of his title, he was not yet thirty.
Not as much as you, but he was a genius.
How many generations of you are you?”
“I am the 19th generation, Your Majesty.”
“Okay… So much time has passed.
Of all the people I’ve seen in so long, you have exceptional abilities.
It’s a gifted talent.
You were chosen as a special human from the moment you were born.”
“That’s too much to say.
I will know with infinite glory that you have given me words of praise like this.”
Eleonol bows his head, and the Emperor smiles again.
Putting down her wine, she picked up an unused knife from her table.
It is used to cut meat, so the blade is sharp.
In her Eleanor’s questioning gaze, she flicked her own index finger with her knife.
It must have been cut deep enough to reach her veins, and the blood stream overflowed with a patting sound and flowed into her drinking glass.
Drops of dark red blood blend into the wine and disappear.
As the Emperor’s flesh was torn and blood gushed out, Eleonol stood up in amazement.
“Lungs, Your Majesty!
I’ll call someone right now.
I’ll stop the bleeding first…”
“Count, calm down.
The wounds are all healed, so don’t worry.”
The emperor said indifferently and showed his palm.
As she said, there are no scars on his palms.
All ten fingers have transparent and clear skin without a single scar.
Seeing it, Eleo Nole caught her breath.
I wasn’t surprised by the emperor’s unreasonable healing speed.
It was because he had seen a similar sight only a few days before.
Her memory flashed through her mind when she saw the princess’s wounds in the infirmary temporarily installed in the Seoul ruins.
A fast healing speed that no body strengthening wizard can follow.
Eleanor is surprised at the unexpected commonality between the emperor and the princess.
“Healing speed unmatched by any healer…
You would be surprised
But what if the Count could also have this kind of power?
Infinite power to be free from aging, illness, and even death.
That power is right in front of your eyes.”
“Your majesty…”
The Emperor flicks the goblet of his own blood and wine with his fingers.
“If he’s a count, I don’t know if he’s ever heard of it.
Of course, I cherish all the people, but among them, there are ten limbs that I especially cherish.
I treat them like ten fingers.”
“Ten fingers… You mean.”
“I’ve said it many times, but I admire the count’s ability.
You are still young and your future is bright.
If I grow like this, I believe that I will be able to become the best talent among my limbs.
Yes… If you compare it to a finger that doesn’t hurt even if you bite it, you can say it.”
The emperor says
Her expression is still soft and free-spirited.
But Eleanor felt a hint of uneasiness creeping in from somewhere.
For some reason, the emperor’s black eyes seemed to glow ominously.
She shook her head and looked into the emperor’s eyes again, but it was an illusion.
Nothing has changed.
The emperor was the same as he was at first.
“They say you’re too naive and too inexperienced to be my limb, but well, from my point of view, it’s just an expression of the inferiority of those who are jealous of your talent.
Problems of experience can be solved with time.
I can solve problems of ideology or personality.
It will take hundreds of years for talent like you to come out again.
Now, Count, I will share my power.
I’ll take that cup.”
The Emperor takes a step closer and gives Eleonor a drink.
It was wine soaked in her blood.
“Count, come on.
Come on, drink it.”
“…Your majesty?
What do you mean by sharing your strength?”
“You’ll know when you drink it.
Come on!
Are you not going to listen to my orders?
Drink it up!”
The emperor brushes off.
She looks like a mother who is trying to feed her children somehow.
Her eyes are sparkling with anticipation.
Does it mean to prove your loyalty by drinking noble blood?
At least, Eleonol accepted the emperor’s will that way.
“…I will serve you.”
Eleo Nole replied and carefully lifted her glass.
Wine alone is an inestimable treasure, but in addition to that, the emperor’s blood is mixed.
Even if you accidentally spill it, you will have to pay with your life.
Slap.
Wine glowing ominous black in the glass.
Wasn’t it bright red just a while ago?
It felt a little strange, but I can’t say I won’t drink it now.
The Emperor looks with twinkling eyes at Eleanor, who is about to hold her drink to her mouth.
“…”
Eleo Play gently closes her eyes and puts the glass to her lips.
I thought it would be easier to drink if I didn’t look at the ominous black color.
But the uncomfortable feeling was the same as before.
Instinct seems to be warning you not to drink it.
But what can I do?
The lukewarm liquid is already wet her lips.
Gulp.
Eleonol tilted her glass and began to drink her emperor’s blood.
