Sylvester closed the window and sat down with Miraj on his lap. "So, what happened? Why did you leave Xylena alone?"
"I missed you, Maxy. And I thought you might need my help in this dangerous place." Miraj muttered in a low and worried voice. "Did I do wrong?"
Sylvester looked down while Miraj looked up at his face with large eyes. His plump face appeared even plumper than usual, and the cuteness was off the charts. Gleaming moonlight flickered in Miraj's eyes, making him resemble some kind of celestial being.
"Ugh! I can never be mad at you, Chonky. Now stop attacking me with your cute big eyes. Have you eaten? How were your days?" Sylvester couldn't resist and ended up embracing his dear companion.
Miraj giggled as he replied. "I ate a banana on the way. And I played with Xylena and acted as her mentor, like a good grandpa."
"..."
"Grandpa? When did you become that?" Sylvester asked in confusion. "Can Xylena even see you?"
"She can see me when she uses her magical eyes. Also, you're my son, so isn't little Zye my granddaughter?" Miraj used logic as a matter of fact. "She's so well-behaved and adorable. Always bringing me treats and giving massages."
'Isn't that slavery?'
Sylvester sighed and put Miraj on the side. "Well, I am nobody's father. I'm just twenty-four years old, buddy. It's too early, and besides, I'm a holy man who can never be tainted."
"She's not blood-related and is an orphan. You can easily adopt her and be a father figure to a future Queen of a Kingdom." Miraj argued, showing superior mental skills than a few years ago.
Sylvester honestly gave that idea a thought. "You are certainly right about it, Chonky. Since I will become the Pope one day, it's better to be her father figure and ensure a firm grasp on the Sorrow Kingdom's internal politics. With Isabella in Gracia, King Highland in Highland, and Xylena in Sorrow, I will have almost all of the East in my palm. With Kaecilius soon to take over, I will have it all.
"But let's focus on Masan first. We cannot take any wrong steps on this side of the world. Masan alone possesses twenty-three Grand Wizards, and some of them are on the brink of becoming Supreme Wizards. I must kill or break their minds before they turn into a threat."
Miraj bobbed his head and sat down like a furry blob. "Yes, yes, and that's why I came here. I will devour all who dare stand in your path, Maxy. Their skulls, bones, or blood—I will consume it all!"
Sylvester closed his eyes and began to concentrate again. "Thank you, my powerful magical lion. Now let me map the nearby area of the castle."
With that, Sylvester cleared his mind and tried to sense the Solarium in the air around him. It was akin to the Solarium Web that he used for communication, but instead of focusing on the Solarium Signature of someone, he solely focused on the mass of Solarium around him in the air.
Since Elder Magic was the advanced level of study concerning the fundamental structure of magic—Solarium—it was an achievable feat for him.
Woosh!
In an instant, Sylvester felt multiple images entering his mind. Of course, it was not a real-time colored image but rather a black, dark sheet of paper with white lines. The white lines represented the Solarium particles occupying the open space, and anything that remained black represented the walls.
With that, Sylvester mapped the surroundings, distinguishing between living beings and inanimate objects as they had different Solarium presence.
Throughout the night, Sylvester remained seated while the fluffy cat beside him snored. His current range spanned one kilometer of space in all directions, with him at the center. Unfortunately, the castle exceeded that size in all directions except upwards, so he couldn't map everything.
Soon, as the morning sun flooded the room with light and birds chirped outside the window, Sylvester opened his eyes with an unwavering determination to map everything.
'Good thing Chonky has arrived. I can use his help in placing the Elder Runes on the edges of my senses so I can expand my Solarium Mapping. But with so many powerful characters around, I better not make him take needless risks.'
He gazed at sleeping Miraj and felt his heart stir. 'He means much more to me than these royals. But if push comes to shove, I better be prepared for mass slaughter using poison and other elements.'
Knock Knock!
Strong thumps on the door suddenly reverberated. Sylvester used magic to clean his face and teeth before donning the helmet with an eerie faceplate. Then he once again checked his armor meticulously before proceeding to open the door.
Bam!
Princess Fernis leaped and hugged Sylvester. "Good morning, my knight in shining armor! I was so excited about our awesome adventures to come that I only slept for three hours. So let's go! I want to go and catch some thieves in Southern City today!"
"..."
"Princess, do you have permission to go there?" he asked, because as far as he knew, the south side was where the poor, slaves, and commoners lived. It was a densely populated and crime-ridden area.
Princess Fernis scoffed and stepped back. She wore different attire that day, as if matching Sylvester's armor. Wearing dark red robes and a golden vest, along with a similarly colored scarf, her young form looked regal and beautiful at the same time.
"Who dares to stop this pretty princess?" she asked. "Jack, let's march!"
'What's the point of this mask if she's going to use my name anyway?' Sylvester wondered.
"Perhaps the Emperor might stop you. We must obtain permission from the Grand Premier at least before venturing out into the dangerous south," Sylvester advised, as he had already read about the basic authority structure of Masan.
At the top sat the Emperor, and his right-hand man was called the Grand Premier, who acted like a Prima in the East. The Grand Premier was responsible for the overall policy-making of the Empire and advising the Emperor. Meanwhile, the left-hand man was called the Magistrate General, who was the head of all the Magistrates of the Empire. Magistrates were like Dukes in the East, but in the case of Masan, it was not a hereditary title. It was that extreme centralization of power that ensured the existence of the Empire for so long.
Of course, Princess Fernis didn't like that fact. She pouted and turned around. "I hate those old farts…except Father. Fine, let's go to Father's Imperial Court and ask for permission right away."
"..."
'What the…! I didn't think I'd be able to meet the Emperor so soon.' Sylvester was honestly doubting his luck, as he was so used to everything going sideways.
"As you wish, Princess." Sylvester wasn't going to deny her from doing what she wanted.
She gleamed with joy and marched out of the room. "Follow me then, my handsome bodyguard."
Just before Sylvester left, he glanced back at Miraj and sent a small smack of air elemental magic to wake him up. Then, he gestured for him to remain there, as he was too worried that there could be some hidden monsters in the Emperor's court who might see him.
With that, he silently marched behind the Princess. His tall, six-foot-three body in the armor seemed at least six-foot-five. In comparison, the Princess was like a tiny child with her five-foot-two height. Yet, her energy was no less than that of a giant.
Mumbling to herself, she stormed all the way to the giant majestic twin doors on the castle's ground floor. The doors were at least twenty meters tall and seemed to be made of steel and gold, with countless runes all over, creating a beautiful pattern of an eagle's face.
"Doormen, open the gates. I wish to see my dear father," she ordered a dozen fully armored knights guarding the gates.
They murmured among themselves in confusion and fear. This was likely not the first time the Princess had stormed into the court like that.
"Princess, the Full Imperial Court is in session. The discussion on the Thousand Year War is currently taking place. We were ordered not to allow anyone to disturb," the leading knight softly said. "Please wait a little."
Fernis sneered and sat down, crossed legs. "Fine! I will not move until you open this door. If I catch a cold and die from this freezing marble floor, you will be held responsible!"
'You go, girl!' Sylvester silently cheered the girl. After all, he wanted to see the Emperor and hear the discussion as well.
"Please refrain from such actions, Princess. We will be compelled to remove yo—"
Princess Fernis raised her hand and silenced them while ordering Sylvester. "Jack, if any of them dare touch my noble body—Behead them!"
Clank!
Sylvester unsheathed his sword and responded nonchalantly, "Understood, your highness."
The dozen or so knights stepped back, well aware that the Imperial bodyguards were not to be trifled with. Helpless, they had no choice but to permit her entry.
"We shall open the gate, Princess. Kindly proceed calmly and make your way to the throne from behind the seats of the Magistrates without causing any disturbance."
"Hmph! You're trying to teach me?" She scoffed and stood up with the help of Sylvester's extended hand. "Now be quick."
A dozen knights exerted a combined effort to slightly push open one of the twin doors, allowing the two of them to enter.
Without wasting a moment, Princess Fernis entered, with Sylvester trailing behind her. He was very curious about the true appearance of an Emperor's court and whether it could rival that of the Pope's court.
'Fuck! What in the world is this?!'
Sylvester had forgotten that unlike the Church, which couldn't openly indulge in extravagance, the Emperor faced no such constraints.
'So bloody massive! Everyone looks like an ant!'
At that moment, Sylvester found himself gazing upon an expansive space constructed of bricks and sandy marble, spanning at least two hundred meters in length and fifty meters in breadth. And this was merely the central area where the prominent ministers and the Emperor were seated. As for the height of the ceiling, it was towering enough to have a peculiar haze.
Upon entering the court, a long, broad ramp stretched towards the opposite end, where the Emperor's throne sat atop a raised platform accessible only by a long flight of stairs. Beneath the Emperor's platform, a smaller, substantial platform housed two lesser thrones occupied by the two Princes.
Meanwhile, on both sides of the leading ramp were smaller platforms adorned with lavish sandy marble seats, with several others positioned behind them. They belonged to the Magistrates or their representatives.
Furthermore, beyond the seats of the magistrates on both sides, crowds of individuals in noble or common attire stood, resembling spectators on elevated stages. With hundreds of soldiers guarding the entire scene, it was an incomprehensibly well-guarded and gigantic affair.
'T-This is too grand! Better not gather any attention here.'
"FATHER!"
'Oh fuck my rotten luck! Why, Princess? Why?'
Sylvester found himself hastily following the Princess, who was relentlessly racing toward the Emperor's throne.
All heads turned towards them, and those who had been conversing fell into silence, eagerly awaiting the ensuing drama.
'This brat!'
"Father! Let me go to the south and catch thieves!"
[A/N: See Chonky and Emperor's Court]
Thank you for reading. GT votes are much appreciated.
