Why Did You Summon Me?

Since Baiyi figured out what was bothering the young Emperor, he had been trying to come up with a way by which he could see his master without trouble breaking out. However, it was difficult to come up with anything that would not cause the future to change drastically.

The Fifth Walker knew he could not just go to the Imperial Capital except he wished to entertain the public with a battle. He also could not tell the Emperor the truths, as knowledge of the future could very well change the future itself.

After thinking about this for a long time, Baiyi decided to enact a plan he came up with: show his hand at the gate of Highland City. His actions had to be subtle, but not subtle enough that it escapes the notice of the city’s authorities.

The other passengers in the carriage were blissfully unaware that Mr. Apprentice had done this right under their noses. Lulu’s father drove the carriage to a guesthouse that his family had patronized for many years. According to one reviewer — who, in reality, was Lulu’s father — the guesthouse was “clean, tidy, beautiful, and affordable.”

Once everyone was settled in their rooms, Lulu’s parents hurried off to deliver their goods. Half of those goods were provisions to be delivered to the army base in the city. If they could deliver it on time, then they would have time the next day to run other errands.

They were just about to depart when Baiyi stopped them. “It’s getting late. You should deliver those tomorrow, instead. Believe me; it’s better done tomorrow.”

The couple exchanged confused glances. Baiyi’s warning sounded like an ill-omen. Lulu’s father shook his head sideways and said, “Why tomorrow when we can just do it today? The base will always have someone there to receive our goods, no matter when we deliver it.”

As they did not share Baiyi’s concern, the couple left.

“I suppose a close relationship with the army means one’s life won’t be in danger,” Baiyi murmured as he watched the rickety carriage vanish into the distance.

He walked back to his room and waited patiently for those that pursued him. After some time alone, Baiyi decided to pass the time fooling around with Mia, who he would get to teach Lulu how to act cute. Having made up his mind, Baiyi left his room and walked to theirs. He pushed open their door slowly, ready to catch them doing whatever cute activities that cute girls indulged in.

However, the room was silent and empty. There was no one there!

“What the? I take my eyes off you two for a few minutes and you’re gone already?! ”

Lulu sprinted down the street in excitement, weaving in and out of Highland City’s complicated alleys with Mia in town. As she panted, she turned back and yelled, “Come on! Come on!”

“A-a-are you sure this is okay?” Mia, who was struggling to keep up, sounded hesitant.

“It’s fine! Besides, it will be worth it! The night bazaar in Highland City is the best! There are all kinds of street performances, delicious food, and crazy games! There’s a lot of activity. It’s like a festive celebration!” Lulu exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting for today since forever! ”

“B-but!” Mia still sounded unconvinced.

“Oh, quit worrying, okay? If we get scolded, well, I’ll take all of the blame! I promise. Besides, your father pampers you so much, so I doubt he will give you a stern talking! As for my parents, well, it’ll take some time for them to deliver all the goods, so we will definitely make it back before they return. We’ll be fine!”

Before Lulu could finish talking, the girls reached the end of the alley they were in, beyond which was the center of the city square. Lulu had not lied: the bazaar was filled with so much activity, anyone could mistake it for a street fair. The city square was filled with people in high spirits, mainly Rohserlians and some outlanders. The stalls and hawkers at the scene — which made scrumptious delicacies — had long queues in front of them. Street performers could be seen performing their best tricks, with a crowd of people watching them. The air was filled with different aromas emanating from street food and snacks.

This sort of place was open to people attracted people from all walks of life — including those with negative intentions — so it was not a surprise that the parents of a beautiful, naïve little girl would be against her coming here. Parents could offer to join their daughters, but how could that be as fun for the daughters as attending with friends their age?

This was the reason why Lulu brought Mia along; she intended to have a blast before her parents came back, and she wanted to do that with her best friend.

Mia was stunned. This was a night bazaar that had as much activity as a festival in modern-day Isythre! The fact that such an event was being held in a ncient Rohlserlian times, when human civilization was still young, impressed Mia even more. Who would have guessed that nightlife of ancient Rohlserlians was this marvelous?

Baiyi’s house rules had always been really strict, and naturally, it was nigh impossible to join a festivity like this at night. Mia’s past experiences at night bazaars had been tainted by Baiyi, who had stalked her like the overprotective guardian he was. Now that she had a chance to attend such a lively bazaar, she dismissed Baiyi’s warning from her mind. Now grinning even wider than Lulu, Mia stuffed her hand into her storage pouched and pulled a fistful of gold coins, after which she dove right into the festivities.

The girls immersed themselves in the fun, leaving Baiyi alone at the guesthouse. Baiyi had just begun to wonder if he should look for the girls when he sensed the presence of people outside his room.

“Come in! Take a seat!” Baiyi said, smiling.

Suddenly, the wooden door was kicked open, and a squadron of soldiers rushed into the room — with their swords and lances raised. Baiyi had been surrounded, and the tips of snow-white blades were inches away from his face; their owners were ready to skewer him at a moment’s notice.

Three sorcerers slowly walked into the room, and one of them was the sorcerer that suspected Baiyi at the city gate. This sorcerer gazed at Baiyi’s armor and turned to the other sorcerers. “Is this armor not the army’s latest version?”

As he spoke, the sorcerer took off his mask, unveiling a face creepy enough for a villain. His nose was crooked, and his eyes were as sharp as that of a hungry wolf’s. He looked more villainous than William Dafoe.

Baiyi stared at the man long and hard, trying to remember who he was, and after some time, a name cropped up in his mind. “Oh! Aren’t you Dante the Hound? No wonder you were able to sniff me out so quickly.”

The blade tips around Biayi jerked and inched forward simultaneously. However, Dante the Hound raised his hand, and the blades stopped moving.

“Yes, my name is Dante. But, I have not heard anyone referring to me as ‘The Hound’,” replied the sorcerer.

Baiyi froze. When he thought back to his previous words, he realized that he had included a bit of future information. At this point in time, Dante was still just a centurion — the position given to all sorcerers the first time they join the army. Right now, he was just Dante — Dante the insignificant character.

But, in the future, this man would become a legend known only by his name and weird epithet. History remembered Dante the Hound as a commoner that had a decent talent in magic and eventually became a sorcerer. He joined the Sorcerer’s Corp, and over time, his rank rose. He eventually became the Vice President of the Royal Sorcerers Corps, as well as the Field Marshal — one of the highest positions in the Rohlserlian military. He was one of Emperor Rohlserl the Nineteenth’s right-hand men.

That was not all history would remember him for, though; in fact, he became even more famous after Emperor Rohlserl the Nineteenth mysteriously vanished. When the Emperor Rohlserl the Nineteenth vanished, Dante the Hound voiced his belief that the Emperor would return one day, so he refused to recognize the next emperor to ascend the throne. When Emperor Rohlserl the Twentieth took over, Dante the Hound rebelled and attempted a coup, which escalated into a civil war!

The coup failed disastrously. The Sorcerers Corps was annihilated before the war ended. Another Sorcerers Corp — a pale imitation —was created in its place. Dante the Hound and his family members were beheaded, and their headless bodies were hung on the walls of the Imperial Capital as a warning against treason.

Only then did Emperor Rohlserl the Twentieth fully ascend the throne to govern a war-ruined empire.

After this civil war, the ancient Rohlserlian Empire’s strength plummeted. Without the original Sorcerer Corps and the Book of Servitude — which had been missing since the Sage-Emperor disappeared — the empire lost the edge it possessed over other nations. Subsequent rulers of the Rohlserlian Empire faced threats from unruly neighboring countries. The Rohlserlian Empire was eventually forced to construct the Defensive Empire Complex in a last-ditch effort to protect itself. The nation’s treasury had almost been emptied to fund the project, yet the empire’s lost glory never returned.

Thus, many historians penned Dante the Hound as the mastermind behind the ancient Rohlserlian Empire’s downfall. In many history books, he was described as a cruel and insatiable coward, who was filled with bloodlust and a thirst for power, masterminding a coup to satiate his selfish interests and protect his position. Some historians even alleged that Dante the Hound had taken delight in raping women during the war, that he had dragged children into prostitution rings, and that he had an appetite for the flesh of babies.

For his atrocities, he was dubbed ‘The Mad Hound’ and ‘The Reaper of the Empire’.

Baiyi had learned of all this from the newer Voidwalkers. Appalled at the turn of events, Baiyi had questioned the Archmage’s ability to judge character, calling out the old man for his oversight, which had allowed such a chain of tragic events to unfold.

To this, the Archmage had replied, “You have seen my memories of him, so you know what I think of him. He was just being loyal.”

The Archmage’s memories of Dante did not corroborate the historians’ descriptions of Dante. In the old man’s memories, although Dante did look like a villain, he was competent at his job. He was not above bribery and corruption, but he did not steal from the empire’s treasury; thus, the Archmage tolerated his failings. He was libertine and licentious, but then so was almost every other noble. He was definitely not as depraved and twisted as historians had painted him. This was why the Archmage’s opinion of the man was much better than that of historians.

As for the coup attempt, the Archmage had refused to comment on it. Baiyi had even suspected that the geezer secretly approved of it.

“Maybe he had a change of personality after you left,” Baiyi had theorized.

“No. He doesn’t change. He never does,” the Archmage replied, after which he would refrain from speaking on the topic.

By ancient Rohlserlian law, one had to inherit the Book of Servitude to rule Rohlserl. Since Emperor Rohlserl the Twentieth ascended the throne without fulfilling that requirement, he was, as stated in the laws, a usurper. With that in mind, Dante’s actions could be seen as a fierce defense of the traditional laws, as well as the legitimacy of an emperor.

In the end, however, all the glory the Archmage had brought the empire had been torn to shreds by his loyal hound, Dante, so the First Walker could not comment much on it. His appearance in the Void had been so sudden, depriving him of the chance to appoint a successor and pass on the Book of Servitude.

There were pros and cons to Dante’s actions, but as history is often written by the victor, he was not given a fair judgment.

Now, Baiyi — who was Emperor Rohlserl the Twentieth by law — had mixed feelings as he stared at Dante, the man that would, one day, wage war on the other Emperor Rohlserl the Twentieth.