Zen looked to his daughter, the empress, as they walked through the palace grounds. He wasnât pleased to have Ji Meng again walk the palace halls, largely for his daughterâs sake. It reminded him of something. He had contracted cancer once before, in his sixtiesâas a tumor, it wasnât something that simple healing spells could remove. Great Chu doctors had performed a complex surgery, sustaining his life with their vital force as they excised it. The first procedure, however, hadnât quite gotten it all. Heâd needed another.
Ji Meng was identical to that tumor.
âKeep watch for me, here,â he told his daughter as they came to a spot near the library.
âAlright,â she agreed easily.
Zen went to a low-lying corridor. Apparently even the birds could be the eyes and ears of Argraveâs forces, so heâd needed to take a long detour to come here. He fit his hand into a recess, and a hidden doorway all too common in the imperial palace split the wall open. After walking through, he turned it back. No one was the wiser.
The tunnel beyond was dimly lit, and Zen walked through the corridors with nothing other than his memory to guide. No sound passed through the walls of the palace, so he was alone with his thoughts. Yet in time, he came to a large room with a large table. A hulking man sat cross-legged atop the tableâthough perhaps âmanâ was the wrong term. Noâit was Sataistador, god of war.
His green eyes fell upon Zen, and the governor felt a chill that no other could inspire. The god said evenly, âIf youâve come to see me, I presume you have news.â
âYou were right.â Zen clasped his hands together in some small display of gratitude. âArgrave agreed.â
Sataistador crossed his arms. âDid he ask for anything more?â
âDetails of trade between our nations, and some small compensation for the deception.â Zen shook his head. âBarely merits mentioning.â
âThere you have it.â Sataistador nodded. âI mightâve spared you even that if Iâd gathered information sooner, but it is what it is.â
âYou seem more an information broker than a god of war,â said Zen, with a pointed question in the statement.
âThe two can be similar. Gerechtigkeitâor as you know it, the test from heavenâdoes require people possess a degree of competence. And he learns. The work Erlebnis has done here may have been facilitated, in large part, due to his efforts.â Sataistador shrugged calmly. âI needed to be free for what comes next.â
âWhat does come next?â Zen raised a brow.
Sataistador grabbed a blade on his waist, then drew it so cleanly it made no noise at all. Zen restrained himself from stepping back, and was relieved when the god raised his blade near his head. With one huge hand, he gathered the thick mane of red hair behind him and severed it cleanly. He held the cut hair firmly, and it began to twist, writhe, and coalesce together. Zen watched with awe as what had been hair became a red dagger that seemed no different than forged metal. Sataistador dropped it with the point facing downward. It pierced the ground, going all the way to its hilt.
âFor you.â Sataistadorâs hair looked somewhat strange after, but after running his hands through a few times it became natural-looking. âI make one of these weapons every millennium. Why, you ask? Back when I was still a man, my tribe cut our hair to prepare for war.â
Zen took the meaning, inhaling deeply.
âAs you use it, itâll adapt to best suit how you fight,â Sataistador continued. âMagic, hand-to-hand, it doesnât matter; itâll shape to your needs.â He ran his hands across the other weapons he carried. âEach of these were born looking like that, but in time heâll grow to suit you. Keep him on you, always.â
Zen kneeled down before the weapon, fearing to touch it. âHim?â
âHow can it grow if it isnât alive? But⊠like any child, heâs needy. Part from him for even a few minutes, well⊠you wonât like it. But raise him well, and he can kill gods.â The god of war smiled wickedlyâafter losing his mane, he appeared ever more savage and vicious. âAnd if you carry it⊠I think he will. Soon, even.â
Zen pulled it free, examining it, before looking back up. âDoes cutting the beard give me a sheathe?â
Sataistadorâs smile faded. âEnjoy the wedding.â
The palace tour had no end of luxuries to demonstrate to Argrave and all of his guests. It wasnât difficult to see why Ji Meng had lost the plot, somewhatâand further, why he was content allowing Argrave to run the show as the legitimate power while the emperor remained a figurehead. There was enough in this place for the emperor to fill up a lifetime. The library alone had enough knowledge to fill centuries.
But the tour did eventually come to a close, and they headed for a large, open courtyard for the next performances. It had less structure than the first, and people hung near fences containing the act, milling about and socializing. âVital force artistry,â it was calledâgreat, glorious displays of highly specialized magic. Argrave, having some mastery of magic, wasnât impressed by the dancing fire dragons or even the movie-screen like lightning projections⊠but as a practitioner of magic, he could appreciate just how difficult each act was.
After working out their strategy for the marriage question, Argrave was able to indulge his own personal curiosityâhe approached Orion, who stood alone.
âWhere did Ji Li go?â He asked his brother.
Orion looked at him. âSome of her relatives pulled her away for some matterâthey were vague about what. I could find her, Your Majesty, in less than a minute.â
âNo no no,â Argrave said quickly, shaking his head. âHow did your walk go?â
âIt was flat groundâdifficult to stumble. Neither of us tripped. Iâd call it a success, if weâre speaking of walking alone.â Orion ran his hand down his beard. âStill, I do feel minutely outclassed.â
âWhat?â Argrave asked in shock. âYouâre kidding, right?â
Above, a great rumble of thunder echoed, and an anglerfish of lightning chased a fox of water.
âJi Li plays eight different instruments. Though born without magic, she can transcribe spells up to S-rank and create enchantments of the same caliber. She paints, sculpts, and can perform countless dances, though she has a particular fondness for sword dancing. Sheâs adept at falconry, and rears half a thousand birds. Whereas I⊠am a little stronger than most, and can take a lot of damage.â Orionâs hand clenched and unclenched.
âYou learned all of that?â Argrave looked surprised. Had it been anyone else, he mightâve thought Ji Li was just making things up.
âI am intended to learn about the other in a partnership, correct, Your Majesty?â Orion looked at Argrave, brows furrowed. âSuch was advice I received.â
âWell, yeah, butâŠâ Argrave shrugged. âBut did you have fun? Was it a pleasant experience?â
âPleasant enough,â Orion nodded. âI believe I frighten her. And she seems distrustful. She kept asking the same question, as though I was lying to her.â
âWhat was the question?â
âShe asked, âwhat do I do to enjoy myself?ââ
Argrave narrowed his eyes. âAnd you told herâŠâ
âSpeak with Vasquer. Help out around Blackgard. What I generally doâno doubt Your Majesty has seen me.â Orion explained.
Argrave looked up to the sky, where the fox had finally escaped the anglerfish once and for all and darted up toward the clouds. With a sigh, he said, âMaybe sheâll understand if I say it.â
âCertainly. Your Majesty has a way with words.â He nodded seriously. âShe also stutters.â
âStutters?â Argrave repeated.
âWhen she speaks quickly.â Orion nodded. âShe got excited speaking of her falcons.â
âHmm.â Argrave shrugged. âDoes that bother you?â
âWhat bothers me is merely that I suspect thatâs why her parents suggested the vow of silence to her in our first meeting.â Orion looked at him. âOr so Elenore said. Iâm actually unsure of it, myself.â
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âYes!â Orion said enthusiastically. âShe was a tremendous help. I had no clue what to ask. Her words were a lodestar amidst uncertain seas.â
âAh,â Argrave said with a knowing nodânow he was making sense of why Orion had such a relatively normal time. He was about to inquire more, but was interrupted.
âLadies and gentlemen!â a eunuch called out, gently let loudly. âThe second meal has been prepared. We have prepared chairs and tables for allâyou need not move from where you stand.â
As countless servants of the palace walked out, each and all doing as the eunuch had instructed, Argrave realized it was time for the second meal⊠and after this, the opera house. Apparently, Anneliese, Argrave, and his siblings would be sharing a booth with Governor Zen. There, theyâd put the final question to restâhow could they compromise with Zen?
Argrave thought heâd seen no end to luxury and decadence after having witnessed the imperial palace, but he was proven wrong when they headed for the Chou Opera House. They began the city tour not on a parade, but on a grand barge that took up the length of the canals throughout Ji. Every single ship had been removed from the canals for them. Low-lying yet wide, it moved throughout the city with citizens looking upon them with a great degree of zeal. They cheered, but from the interior, Argrave could hear little.
With a brief bit of respite from the constant socializing, Argrave and Anneliese enjoyed their private quarters in the pleasure barge in relative silence. Eventually, however, they did strategize with Elenore further, who was busy in another boat making last-minute confirmations with another prominent elven member of their entourage. When the cheers faded, Argrave looked out the window.
The Chou Opera House, which Argrave had assumed theyâd need to exit the boat to reach, sat in the center of a lake just outside of the city. It wasnât on an island in the middle of the lake, but rather, the Chou Opera House itself was a gigantic boat, perhaps even larger than the Sea Dragon that Argrave had taken. They were given the option to continue on by boat so that they could get closer to the stage, or go to the boothsâgiven their date with Zen, the choice was made for them, but Argrave was undeniably curious about what the first option entailed.
As Argrave was led to a booth on the Chou Opera House, things became clear. The inside of the Chou Opera House was hollow so as to permit boats to sail inside it. As Argrave watched, several barges entered inside the opera house, drifting up until they came just alongside the stage. Several other boats filed in, forming impromptu seats in the calm lake. Each and every boat was eerily still, kept suspended by magic. From the booths, though, Argrave could see the whole stage.
âI always did like a booth. But nothing beats being right by the stage of the opera, aboard my barge.â
Argrave looked back, where Zen entered the room.
âYou canât quite have serious discussions right next to the stage,â Argrave said evenly, turning away from the boothâs window. âWould be rude to the others.â
âThe emperorâs done it before. But then, youâre not wrong about the second part.â
As everyone situated themselves in the huge booth, a lone woman walked out onto the operaâs stage. She shouted, âPlease, greet the actors! Each and all are honored to perform here today!â
Argrave took his seat idly and watched, joined by Anneliese and Elenore to his right while Orion and Governor Zen sat to his left. The opera, like the puppet show earlier this morning, was about Argrave and Emperor Ji Meng. Tired of reliving the same old tired story, he intended to ignore it. Argrave liked himself well enough, but this was too much of a good thing.
The governor began, âSo⊠youâve seen all my kin, all my family. Perhaps youâd best start with thoughts. Iâll be blunt: who do you fancy?â
âIâll be blunterâmy presence here, long-term, is going to be minimal,â Argrave answered quickly. âThis place, for all its glitter and glamor, simply isnât my home. Slaying gods in my primary purpose here. Once itâs done, thereâs the bigger matter. Gerechtigkeit. But the infrastructure here⊠itâs given both me and my sister a great deal to think about.â He shook his head. âI digress. Point being⊠you wonât be dealing with me.â
âWho will I be dealing with?â Zen indulged patiently.
âMy father-in-law,â Argrave explained. âPatriarch Dras.âfreewe bnovel .com
âDras has⊠incredibly high standards,â Anneliese added. âUnreasonably so. Perhaps you shouldâve had those⊠women⊠audition for him,â she said, finally letting some of her annoyance out.
âI agree,â Argrave nodded, but as he watched the stage, he paused his words.
The announcer shouted, âPlaying Grand Commandant SunâŠ!â
Argrave saw an uncomfortably familiar face playing himself. One that definitely didnât belong.
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