Chapter 894: Holy War
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace of the Holy City of Aurelion.
The evening sun slowly descended behind the enormous white towers that surrounded the capital. Its madder-red glow shone through the palace windows, casting long shadows across the pristine marble floor,
At the highest level of the palace, however, there was no music or servants rushing around with their idle conversations.
Only the slow footsteps of two people crossing an enormous audience chamber as Albrecht Valerius and Caelith Ignivar walked through the central corridor.
They couldn’t understand everything they’d survived or experienced, but that mattered little, for their mission was simple.
Neither spoke.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Caelith’s armoured boots created a sharp echo with each step, while the white mantle hanging from her shoulders remained stained along its edges with salt and dried blood.
Albrecht looked considerably cleaner.
However, even his immaculate white-and-gold coat had suffered during their return from the northern continent. A narrow tear ran across one sleeve, and several strands of his golden-blond hair refused to remain properly combed.
Albrecht glanced toward Caelith.
’What a disaster...’
Their expedition fleet had suffered tremendously, countless ships destroyed, soldiers lost, and yet all they managed to return with was superficial information that worried Albrecht greatly.
"You should control your expression before we enter."
"My expression is perfectly controlled."
"You look furious."
"I am furious."
"Then control it."
Caelith’s crimson-gold eyes shifted towards him.
For a moment, Albrecht wondered whether the Knight-Templar might actually strike him. But to his surprise, she sucked in a large breath of air, then shook her head and seemed to calm down.
"Let us meet his imperial majesty first."
At the far end of the chamber waited a throne, and upon it sat the man who had sent them.
God Emperor Tharion Elbrecht rested against one arm of the enormous seat, his cheek supported against his knuckles while the last orange light fell across his face.
There was nothing particularly divine about his appearance.
That was perhaps what made him unsettling.
His body resembled that of a man still comfortably within his prime, broad-shouldered beneath black ceremonial robes lined with gold. Dark golden hair framed a stern face that might have belonged to a veteran general, while pale grey eyes watched the approaching pair without impatience.
’His Majesty looks weak....’
Ever since Albrecht failed the first time negotiating with the demonic barbarians, Emperor Tharion brought him into his inner circle for the first time.
That’s when he began to notice the Emperor’s gradual weakening; his golden eyes turned dull grey, and his pristine blond hair faded.
Several metres before the throne, Albrecht stopped and lowered himself onto one knee.
"Your Imperial Majesty."
Caelith followed.
"God Emperor."
Tharion’s fingers tapped once against the throne; he observed them with a faint smirk, yet Albrecht could swear there was no sense of joy in those deep-set eyes with slight bags underneath them.
’This is dangerous...’
"You returned quickly."
"There was little reason to remain."
Albrecht raised his head.
"The Lumerian Demon Empire has made its position abundantly clear."
Tharion’s expression remained unchanged.
"And?"
A brief silence followed, while Albrecht understood that delaying the topic would buy some time. He knew this self-proclaimed God Emperor didn’t have such patience, especially when facing a failure.
So after a brief silence, he spoke.
"The dragons are real."
Vwoom!
There was a sudden burst of aura coming from the tired Emperor, the force so strong it almost knocked Albrecht on his back.
’What power!?’
Tharion slowly leaned back against the throne.
The pressure vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind the faint smell of scorched marble and the crackling remnants of divine energy dancing across the floor.
Albrecht removed his eyes from the Emperor’s feet.
’Eh?’
He discovered the area around him and Caelith burned black, into charcoal by the Emperor’s aura.
"The dragons," he repeated, his voice quieter now. "You saw them personally?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
Albrecht forced himself not to glance down again.
’He couldn’t control that.’
That disturbed him considerably more than the power itself.
Caelith, however, seemed almost invigorated by the display. The Knight-Templar straightened slightly, crimson-gold eyes burning beneath the fading light.
"There were two that we confirmed."
Tharion’s fingers stopped tapping.
"Two?"
"Yes."
Albrecht noticed the Emperor’s posture change. It might have been the first time he’d seen the Emperor smile so naturally. There wasn’t a strange atmosphere, aura or dangerous feeling.
’He’s like a child...’
Yet the exhaustion that had weighed upon him moments earlier seemed to disappear beneath something.
Albrecht felt his skin crawl as if something dangerous was happening in places he couldn’t see or understand.
"The first was a woman," Albrecht continued carefully. "She possesses draconic characteristics, although her appearance is predominantly humanoid. Purple and black scales, horns, tremendous magical pressure."
"Affiliation?"
"The Lumerian Demon Empire."
Tharion’s dull eyes narrowed.
"What position?"
"We cannot confirm her official title, but she is likely one of their Emperor’s filthy concubines.
Caelith scoffed quietly.
"She sleeps with their emperor."
"Caelith."
"What?" She looked towards him without the slightest embarrassment. "It is relevant."
Tharion’s mouth twitched.
"His concubine?"
"Wife, most likely."
That faint amusement vanished, and a strange dark grew from behind the throne as if the devil himself opened his mouth to swallow the light.
"Wife... a demon has taken a dragon for his wife?"
"That was our impression."
Albrecht kept his tone neutral.
"Their court does not appear particularly concerned with conventional distinctions between political marriage, religious authority and personal relationships."
"Because they’re barbarians."
Caelith folded her arms.
"They allow monsters to sit beside royalty and call ancient parasites queens."
"Knight-Templar."
Tharion didn’t raise his voice, but she instantly lowered her eyes and voice, becoming silent at the sudden title spoken by her Emperor.
’....something doesn’t feel right.’
Albrecht watched the Emperor carefully. There was something peculiar about his reaction, but he couldn’t pinpoint the issue. The fact that the enemy took a dragon-kin as their wife troubled him more.
’If we make a move on them... that monster will not remain silent.’
He’d seen Asmodeus fighting Leviathan along with his wives, but the image that remained was the devastation caused by the Demon Emperor’s magic, which left permanent scars on the Mainland.
However, Tharion seemed to change his mind as the darkness faded; he spoke up once more with a calmer tone.
"Describe the second."
"The second dragon appeared later."
Albrecht took a breath.
"She seemed to be a Red Dragon, her scales like garnets, while being considerably aggressive in appearance and attitude. Although we didn’t remain long enough to observe her properly, she was clearly less mature and weaker than the other dragon."
"Was she also humanoid?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, but... I believe she is also linked to the Demon Emperor."
Albrecht didn’t notice at first, but the woman who kissed Asmodeus while dressing as a sailor was, in fact, the dragon he saw later. Once that became clear, he also began to wonder why she reacted to the "holy item" as she did.
’Is she related to the other dragon...?’
"Hmmmm."
Tharion didn’t continue speaking and instead began rubbing his chin while gazing outside the massive windows at the falling sun.
Tharion rose.
His movement lacked the effortless strength Albrecht remembered from years earlier. There was a subtle stiffness when he straightened, almost hidden beneath the heavy ceremonial robes.
’It’s getting worse.’
The Emperor descended one step from the throne.
Then another.
"Did either dragon appear restrained?"
"No."
"Chained?"
"No."
"Enslaved?"
Albrecht shook his head.
"No, Majesty."
Tharion stopped in his place, only a few paces away from Albrecht and Caelith. So close they could hear his laboured breaths, both glancing at his feet, trying to avoid incurring his wrath.
"The dragon displayed considerable intimacy towards the Lumerian Emperor," he explained. "Enough that there was little doubt regarding their relationship."
Tharion didn’t respond at first, as if he didn’t hear Albrecht. He just remained still while gazing out the window.
Clink~
A faint golden chain appeared beneath the Emperor’s sleeve.
It wasn’t truly physical.
More like a shadow projected beneath the skin.
Tharion immediately clenched his fist.
The chain disappeared.
But not before Albrecht noticed several thin cracks of golden light crawling across the Emperor’s wrist.
"Your Majesty..."
"I’m fine."
Tharion turned away from them, but he couldn’t hide that his breathing had become slightly heavier.
"Continue."
Albrecht lowered his gaze.
"The Lumerian Empire remains unwilling to cooperate with us. Their rulers don’t appear frightened by the Dominion, nor do they seem interested in recognising our religious authority."
Tharion lifted one hand.
"It is meaningless."
For several moments, the Emperor stared towards the enormous windows overlooking Aurelion.
The sun had nearly disappeared.
Madder-red light painted the distant towers while thousands of lamps slowly awakened across the city below, and somewhere beyond the sea was another emperor gathering monsters, demons and dragons beneath a single banner.
"Oh, how I envy you, Emperor of Demons..." Tharion mumbled before shaking his head with a faint smile.
He raised his head, glancing up at the divine mark, a huge cross that symbolised him and his empire. "If you won’t accept our faith and request, then never expect to find peace. Demon."
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through his chest.
"Ugh..."
His body staggered, caught by the deft movements of Albrecht, who helped him remain standing.
"Your Majesty!"
"I’m fine!" He bellowed, pushing his tired body onto the throne. Tharion remained hunched forward for several breaths before slowly straightening. His eyes shifted to the vague silhouettes of the male and female chained beside him.
"You cannot steal the heavens forever."
Apollon, the former god of war, grunted loudly.
However, Tharion just waved his hand, dispersing the golden light. "Silence."
"I will give you a mission, Albrecht... Caelith."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"
The two glanced up at Tharion with glistening eyes, curious as to what he planned. The Emperor gazed down upon them, his grey eyes shining with a faint golden tint.
"Contact the Archbishop, tell him it is time to put an end to the demon menace that has plagued us for millennia. It is time for a Crusade.... No.
Prepare for a holy war."