Chapter 99

“fuck logic you creepy abomination”

White Sovereign, moments before bringing down a meteor shower on a Spider

POV Neia

The travel to the Arcanian Empire was interesting to say the least. Queen Calca was declared dead with the giant Fire Demon using her as a club to smash the soldiers around him into mincemeat and simply decided to summon his army to do the rest. If his motive was to break our spirits…it worked.

With King Caspond on the throne, he immediately sent us, a small Paladin Squad (and me a squire) to request help from the Empire to deal with the demons. It was clear that the King’s ideologies were very different from the late queen. While she had taken isolation and independence as the absolute priority, the King’s first order was to ‘go to the Empire and beg them to save us’.

To be honest, I had to agree with the King. I honored and respected my Queen for everything she had done and sacrificed for the Kingdom to keep it afloat but the last few years showed that it just was not working. The work revolved around the Empire and maybe it was necessary for us to follow it. While I was a devout follower of the 4 Gods, it wasn’t like the Empire had done great evil like the church liked to spread. From what I heard, the Empire had something called ‘Freedom of Thought and Expression’ which somehow translated to allowing people to believe in whatever they wanted. Something that we didn’t have.

My superior, Remedios, was grumbling on and on about the situation. Initially it was her mourning of our Queen, in which I can relate. Remedios-sama had always been close to the queen as part of her honor guard and probably some family relations as well. Due to this, she did not take the death of the Queen well at all; however literally a week later when the King ordered us to go request help, Remedios-sama went on a tantrum on a scale that resulted in broken furniture and artwork throughout the entire Temple. Quite like a spoiled and uncontrollable child. How she reached that level of strength with the intelligence and comprehension of a child…I would never know.

Our carriage rode to the border of our Kingdom where we were greeted by the ‘fucking undead abominations’ as Remedios-sama liked to call them while in reality they were a mix of Death Knights and a couple Valhallan Warriors. There were a few supervising Elder Lichs and Arcanian Knights who monitored the people passing the borders but other than that, there was nothing.

Remedios-sama had somehow gotten into an argument with a Death Knight which sounds impossible but perhaps grunts understand growls. I and a few other superiors needed to pull her off the death knight before it drew the Flamberge to skew us all into skewers. I would not like to be killed before I even step on Empire territory please…

Having the Royal Message helped greatly as we were given an escort straight to Katze (much to the dislike of Remedios) but it was much faster and quite convenient to be allowed to skip pretty much everything. On the way to the city gates, I saw things that I have never seen before in my life.

I saw Ships floating across the plains with the symbol (Scale) embedded into the sails and dozens of Undead on board, patrolling the empty lands. I saw Giants, goblins, orges, elves, dwarves, and so many kinds of beastman all together and seemingly in harmony as they walked towards to city. I saw thousands of caravans entering and leaving the city, a testament to the sheer size of the place.

Finally, we were allowed within the great walls that towered over plains. Made entirely of metal which seemed to me like a waste…but this was the Empire after all. On the other side of the gates was another world. One in which I couldn’t believe how different it was from the Kingdom. Even Remedios-sama who tried to frown and insult everything about the place seemed to have lost control of her jaw as it dropped upon seeing what lay beyond.

Buildings a dozen floors high built with metal, towering over the people walking through. Magic was seemingly visible as it flew everywhere. Sometimes helping the giants enter smaller places while other times translating the hard dialect into something simpler. Roads were paved with smooth material and suddenly the carriage seemed out of place as instead the people seemed to move around on ‘public transport devices’ which could transport dozens of people at once instantaneously. Clothing was…different. As in different I meant that everyone wore different things. It seemed that nobody really cared and individuality was embraced here rather than the uniformity of our looks that was emphasized as my training as a squire.

Security was truly on a different level as every street had a quietly standing Death Knight keeping everything under watch; daring anyone to try and steal or worse. Despite fearing the death knight, it seemed life here was…quite light and well. People all around were generally smiling and the economy flourishing to say the least.

Lich: Ambassadors of the Holy Kingdom, you will now be led to the Grand Haven of the Empire. While it is not the home of the Holy ones, it is where they reside should they leave the Holy Land.

Remedios: Well why don’t they invite us to their so called Holy Land then, huh? Are we not worthy or something?!

There was a hint of arrogance and anger in her voice as she made her complaint.

Lich: Yes. Exactly so. Now please wait patiently.

As the door closed once again on the carriage, a few of the Paladins and myself had to try and not burst in laugher at the sheer nerve of the lich to make Remedios-sama look like a tomato about to burst.

Remedios: fucking undead scum…!!

We arrived at what seemed like the biggest and grandest palace to have ever been built moments later. A little far from the city center but within the city boundaries. I didn’t know whoever designed or built this place, but this place was absolutely beautiful. From the walls around the place which had carvings and intricate designs to the gardens which led up to the main entrance of the mansion which would make a palace cry in shame. Whoever designed this place was a genius who both knew how to make a person’s heart cry at true art…and didn’t give a fuck about money.

As they opened the door which shamed the main gates of the Holy Palace in the Kingdom, they were greeted by an elderly man, easily over 2 meters tall. Black glasses, black hair and beard excepts…he had a hairstyle like a bomb and his beard in braids which reached his mid waist. Honestly, it was hilarious so I had to cover my mouth for a few seconds. It was so out of place to have someone like him here.

Sengoku: Hello Ambassadors. My name is Sengoku and I am the head Butler of the Grand Haven, as well as the personal Butler for the Emperors themselves. I hope you have had a safe trip to Arcania. Please allow me to lead you to our waiting room.

If the outside of the mansion looked great, the inside was what I imagined what heaven would be like. It felt like I was committing a crime walking in the halls with my slightly muddy combat boots on these holy looking marble. The entire mansion was decked with massive statues doubling as pillars, artworks so realistic on the walls as well as countless objects decorating the hall. The stairway was reflected by the light in such a way by the mirrors that it looked like it was going up and literally into the light.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go upstairs but rather a large waiting room or rather a lounge for us to wait and change in. I’ve got to say…the maids here were beautiful, even for me, a woman, to think so. This was evident as the male members of the Paladin order found themselves blushing whenever a maid served them snacks or tea or really anything while they waited for a couple minutes.

One time, there was this really cute white fox that ran into the room when a maid was entering and it just looked at us like we were some characters or at least something interesting. I’ve got to say, if every fox was like this, I would have requested to have a fox as a pet. Honestly, it was super cute and nice; probably expected since I doubt the residents of a place like this would have a bad fox here. It snuggled up on my lap and began to take a nap until Remedios-sama demanded it to be placed on her nap. Her little outburst woke the little thing and the fox somehow made a ‘pissed’ face before cutely yapping at my superior.

It must be a coincidence but at that exact moment.

*crash* tumble* *splash*

Remedios: Ouch! crap! fuck!

The chair underneath Remedios-sama broke as she tumbled down onto the floor. The hot tea, freshly served, burning onto her skin and making her swear. The fox, as if satisfied, decided to go back to sleep when a maid came in. She just gently picked her up with a cute smile on her face, quickly apologizing, and left the room. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded holding the fox a little longer. I don’t know why but holding her made me let go of all my worries…in a good way.

Just then there was a knock on the door followed by the same old guy…was it Sengoku?

Sengoku: Ambassadors, please follow me. The Elders are ready to see you.