Chapter 30: The Emperor

A few days passed while Nio adjusted her inventory, grabbed a few things from the treasure vault, and got ready, because now the threats in her mind had multiplied alongside her paranoia.

So she took everything she’d need to enter combat against anyone at her maximum power at any moment if necessary. Even though she prefers using her favorite weapon, she’d rather have the safety of keeping her strongest weapons within reach.

With that, she left her palace and headed straight for the empire. She was hoping to just explore a bit and, with some luck, find something interesting, but she didn’t count on one thing.

The Emperor is someone just as paranoid as she is, and as soon as she started wandering through the empire, guards stopped her and took her straight to the emperor’s personal palace.

Nio sits on a sofa feeling uncomfortable, not just because she was "captured" — obviously because she allowed it — but because now she’s going to cause diplomatic problems between the theocracy and the empire.

"...Haaa... what a crazy guy! I can’t believe he puts up posters with the images of every influential figure from every country for the soldiers to see." Nio had the chance to look, and at every checkpoint there are at least two hundred images of various influential people.

So that common guards will know immediately that someone is important and must be escorted to the emperor’s palace right away.

"..." Nio hears the sound of the palace doors opening and immediately sees the emperor, who stares straight at her, assessing her.

"Hello, Saint of the Theocracy... what a... surprise to see you here..." He speaks politely as he approaches, taking his seat on the sofa opposite Nio’s.

"Emperor Leon Rubridk Alexandre III, what a pleasure to meet you in person." Nio stands and performs an inhumanly perfect bow, a bow she copied from the books she read in the theocracy about noble etiquette.

"..." The emperor is surprised by the level of the bow. Nio’s entire posture is almost like observing pages from a book. Leon quickly raises a hand, signaling for Nio to sit.

"So, Saint, may I know why you’re in my empire? I believe the lack of notice is a problem."

"...Just call me Nio. Formalities in such a private place seem inappropriate, don’t you think?"

"...Call me just Leon then, my lady."

’...My?... Ugh... what a disgusting man...’ Nio refrains from rolling her eyes at his way of speaking and the tone he uses.

"I’m just passing through, exploring the great empire a little. It seemed interesting, that’s all. Saint Stelaria doesn’t know I’m here."

"Hmmm... that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a problem, does it? I believe the Theocracy wouldn’t appreciate an emperor or king showing up without any notice, so why did you assume that I, as emperor, would like this unexpected visit?"

"..." Nio grows pensive.

"...I believe I have something interesting to inform the empire of, and perhaps that’s worth the awkward situation we find ourselves in."

"Oh? Something to offer? And what would that be?" The emperor leans forward, interested.

"...Information on an enemy, an enemy common to all life forms in the world, a prediction for this world." Nio’s tone catches the emperor’s attention.

"A threat to the world? Go on."

"A threat greater than any evil god or high-level monster that has ever appeared in all of history, a being that desires only destruction. For now, this is... confidential information, a bad omen."

"There’s no direct proof yet, but it should be noticeable through the animals."

"What would be so strange about the animals?" Nio is happy she’s managing to steer the conversation, and even happier that she herself noticed it, even though Nio can’t feel her wife’s presence.

The most common animals have sensed this "presence" permeating the world. All animals changed their natural cycles of sleeping and feeding, straying from their routines. She noticed this thanks to Azalea in part and thanks to her own personal observations.

It’s as if the animals realized that something dangerous can reach them, because Typhon can "touch" this entire world, and there is no safe place against a being so strong.

"If you request an assessment of the animals, you’ll see that everything has changed — the rhythm at which animals graze, their sleeping routines, even the way they eat seems more restless. Subtle changes, but ones that show all the animals in the world are tense about something big, something dangerous that has already arrived."

"It’s like the calm before the storm. Just as the sea becomes extremely calm and silent before a dangerous tempest, the animals are the easiest sign to see." The emperor leans back on the sofa, looking at the ceiling.

"You expect me to believe this ’story’ meant to scare children? Something that threatens the entire world sounds fantastical, especially saying that animals across the whole planet noticed it."

’Fantastical? Magic exists, monsters exist too... I wonder what the hell is fantastical about this...’ Nio barely holds back from saying that.

"Indeed, it does sound quite fantastical, Leon, just like the sudden arrival of a saint in the theocracy isn’t a clear sign that something is approaching, right?" Nio simply agrees that it sounds fantastical, since she doesn’t even know where the fantasy in this lies.

"But of course, you have every right to believe whatever you want. Humanity has always been good at adapting and surviving the most adverse events..."

"Nio... do you expect me to pay attention to what a dragon says? Dragons... one of the races that causes the most problems and random destruction. Do you really want me to believe this ’bad omen’ you speak of?"

"Oh no, not at all. I don’t want anything, I ask for nothing, and I expect nothing. Warnings are just warnings. You don’t need to listen or pay attention to it, but if something happens, you also can’t complain you weren’t warned."

"Warnings have always existed in everything. It’s up to each person to ignore them or give them some attention. Well, as a rookie saint, I have no bargaining power whatsoever. Do I have your permission to explore the empire? I can’t negotiate anything, so I’m just a pretty temporary decoration in the empire."

"You have a smooth tongue. What’s your name? Your real name. I doubt it’s Nio."

"...I’m sorry, Emperor, but do you really need to know? I don’t think you’re worthy of it." At Nio’s tone of superiority, the emperor is surprised that someone has the nerve to speak to him like that.

"You think I’m unworthy of knowing your name? Do you not know who I am?"

"Oh, of course I do. You’re Leon Rubridk Alexandre III, the Bloody Emperor who rose to the top by slitting his own brother’s throat in combat and poisoning his older sister in front of everyone at the royal banquet."

"The same one who executed five hundred nobles and delivered their heads to their most beloved ones, the one who made the empire prosper for eight years of a perfect reign sculpted from the blood and flesh of thousands."

"But just as humans are not worthy of touching the heavens, there are things that people as stained as you lack the dignity to touch." When Nio says this, implying that she herself is too "sacred" for the emperor, Leon gives a wicked smile, standing up and approaching Nio.

"I see. You have quite a perceptive eye for a replacement piece from the Theocracy." He softly touches Nio’s face, but it’s a firm and dangerous touch.

"I’ll make a point of acquiring you, no matter how. And when you become mine, I’ll break you and make you regret what you said today. There is nothing I am not worthy of... thank you for the warning. Have a pleasant stay in the empire." Leon steps away from Nio while removing the dagger hidden in his robe and tossing it onto the table in front of her. He walks out the door as Nio gives a scornful smile.

"What a childish threat. So this is the great emperor... he’s just a lunatic blinded by power and control, nothing special." Nio picks up the dagger and crushes it in her hands with the same ease as crumpling paper.