Chapter 73: Seven Seats And The Icy Empress
Alistair shifted his hand toward the second balcony, bathed in a blood-red, oppressive crimson glow. Sitting upon the stone throne was a broad-shouldered, rugged man clad in dark steel armor, his eyes sharp and ferocious as a starving hawk’s.
"The Second Seat... is the Seat of War, headed by Genghis Khan."
I froze. My brain completely stalled for a solid two seconds.
"Wait... who?!" I blurted out, my eyes widening in sheer, unfiltered disbelief as I stared straight at the ancient conqueror. "Genghis Khan?"
[Certainly the one with highest body count...in both ways. Host, you can take him as your inspiration for atleast one thing.]
The broad-shouldered man in the red balcony let out a deep, dangerous grunt, his thick eyebrows furrowing into an annoyed glare as he looked down at me.
"What are you staring at, brat?" Genghis Khan growled, his voice sounding like two grinding tectonic plates. "Have you never seen a warrior before?"
Alistair let out a light, amused chuckle from his balcony. "Forgive him. Mundane history books tend to misrepresent ancient figures. The Seat of War oversees humanity’s military forces, guardian orders, strategic continental defense, and large-scale warfare. Should foreign realms ever launch an invasion against Earth, it is the Seat of War that commands our legions and crushes the enemy."
I swallowed dryly, taking a small, hesitant step back as I offered a polite, somewhat awkward nod toward the terrifying warlord. "Uh... nice to meet you, sir."
Genghis Khan merely snorted, resting his heavy hand on the hilt of the massive curved broadsword beside his throne.
Alistair then turned his attention to the third balcony, illuminated by a deep, mystical violet light. Resting on the throne was an old man with a long white beard, wearing simple, elegant robes, his eyes sparkling with profound, ancient wisdom.
"The Third Seat... is the Seat of Arcana, headed by King Solomon."
Unlike the terrifying pressure radiating from Genghis Khan, King Solomon offered a surprisingly gentle, warm smile. He leaned over his balcony railing, looking down at me with a mild, grandfatherly demeanor.
"Greetings, Young one," Solomon said, his voice rich and soothing. "It is an honor to finally behold the one who possesses a primordial Astral Soul."
"G-Greetings, King Solomon," I replied, bowing my head respectfully. I had held a rather rigid, intimidating impression of the ancient legendary king, so seeing him act like a gentle old scholar was a welcome surprise.
However, the second I raised my head, I noticed Solomon’s bright eyes locked onto me with an uncomfortably intense, deeply unsettling glint of pure, obsessive curiosity.
"Tell me, young man..." Solomon purred softly, leaning further over the stone edge, his fingers twitching slightly. "...would you perhaps be interested in joining me in my private sanctuary later today? We could perform a few dozen harmless diagnostic dissections of your spiritual pathways! I have so many fascinating theories regarding the structure of your Astral Soul that I simply cannot wait to test."
The way the old man stared at me, like a mad scientist looking at a rare, golden laboratory rat, instantly sent a cold, creepy shiver down my spine.
"Uh..." I chuckled nervously, taking a quick step backward. "I’m... gonna have to think about that one, sir. My schedule is pretty packed today."
"Solomon!" Alistair’s sharp, stern voice barked out from the azure balcony, shooting a furious glare across the sanctuary. "I warned you before this meeting! Do not attempt to use your bizarre magical experiments on my grandson!"
Solomon huffed, waving his hand defensively. "Oh, calm yourself, Alistair! I am merely suggesting a collaborative academic review! The boy’s soul is a cosmic anomaly! We need to understand its limits if we are to properly integrate him into the council"
Alistair completely ignored the eccentric old scholar, turning his gaze toward the fourth balcony, which glowed with a magnificent golden light.
Sitting atop the throne was a tall, unimaginably breathtaking woman. She wore opulent imperial red and gold robes decorated with intricate dragon motifs, her long dark hair pinned up with jeweled hairpins. Her face was a masterpiece of flawless, icy beauty, but her dark eyes carried an intoxicating aura of unyielding imperial dominance.
"The Fourth Seat..." Alistair introduced solemnly, "...is the Seat of Resources, headed by Empress Wu Zetian."
I stared up at the imperial woman, feeling a strange, heavy sensation in my chest.
She was undeniably, unbelievably beautiful, a mature, regal empress whose mere presence demanded absolute submission. Yet, the moment her dark eyes swept over me, a chilling pressure washed over my soul.
The way she looked down at the world made everyone else feel microscopic, like mere subjects standing before an immortal ruler. It was genuinely mind-boggling how a single, silent stare from this woman could make my instincts flare up so intensely.
"The Seat of Resources," Alistair continued smoothly, "manages all supernatural territories, trade networks, strategic material allocation, financial backing, and resource distribution across the entire globe."
As I stood there under the Empress’s icy, majestic gaze, Paige’s mischievous voice suddenly rang out inside my mind, practically vibrating with chaotic, unhinged glee.
[OHO?!] Paige cackled wildly in my head. [Seth! Look at that regal, dominant imperial beauty! She looks like she wants to step on the entire world! Tell me, Host... DO YOU WANT TO CONQUER THE EMPRESS?! DO YOU WANT HER TO STEP ON YOU?! Say the word and I’ll create an imperial courtship system package for you right now]
A massive vein nearly popped on my forehead as I stood under the gaze of seven ancient human legends.
’Paige, I swear to God...’ I screamed mentally, wanting nothing more than to reach into my own head and strangle my system. ’...I am actually going to murder you.’
[Hey! I can really build a ten steps plan to win over a Empress’s heart. Also, isn’t she beautiful? Don’t you want to bed her?]
For a moment, I hesitated as my thoughts ran wild. I didn’t know what part of me was this horny, but the thought of conquering this empress did...
’Shut up! I wanna live a good life. Who has time to crack open a cold heart. Also, she’s basically my ancestor.’
[I don’t see any problem. I’ll be here for you even if you turn thousand, Ancient Daddy.]
Sometimes, I really wondered how was this system created.