Chapter 043
The powerful noble families of the Astana Empire fell largely into two categories.
One: ancient noble houses that had owned and governed lands named after their family for generations.
The other: noble houses residing within the inner walls of the capital, Gerinhild, called the 'new nobility'.
These families were usually recognized for outstanding talent in their fields and were granted titles and surnames directly by the current Emperor. As such, their loyalty to the Emperor was extraordinary.
When the civil war shook the noble families outside the capital to their roots, it was these "new nobles" who were able to continue their lineage with relative safety. Their elitist consciousness grew day by day.
"This has nothing to do with me, mister."
Emma looked up at Zima, speaking nonchalantly.
Zima's lips parted, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Tsk, after I went to all the trouble to explain it. Still, as you go through life, you'll find there are surprisingly few things that truly have nothing to do with you."
"What good is it for me to know about nobles anyway?"
"See, it's the same thing right now. Have you ever imagined that one day you'd meet the Emperor face-to-face in your life?"
In a few days, Emma would turn eight by the calendar. Zima's stories were still hard for her to understand. But the word "Emperor" struck a chord.
"Emperor?"
"Yes, the master of the Empire. By the way, even children of these new nobles may only get to meet the Emperor a handful of times in their entire lives. And unless they have abilities to rival their fathers, it'll be difficult just to maintain their house, let alone have an audience. Well, for now, you can consider it a story unrelated to you."
Emma still couldn't quite grasp it. Strangely, her heart was pounding as she clung tightly to Zima's hand.
"Is there really a palace here?"
The two of them stood in the middle of a vast, empty plain.
Emma found it hard to believe that the Imperial Palace could exist in such a place.
On the way there, the view outside the carriage had been so full of opulent mansions and street views that it was almost overwhelming to look at.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she was stunned.
It was a wide, empty field, as if it were all a lie.
"?? Mister?"
Emma asked again when there was no reply.
Zima was gazing off into the distance. Emma turned her head, following his gaze.
She almost let out a sound. In the far distance, a person was walking toward them. Astonishingly, with every blink, the person seemed to draw closer, striding with long steps.
What had started as a tiny dot in the distance was suddenly right in front of them.
Emma had heard of something called magic before. She wondered if it had been used.
"It's been a while, Zima."
To the girl's eyes, the person appeared to be somewhere between human and god as he spoke.
Almost without realizing it, Emma hid behind Zima.
"Nelga, you seem to get younger every time I see you."
"Is that so? Perhaps, after crossing through so many pocket dimensions, even time itself has started to go backwards?"
Though intended as a joke, the voice remained emotionless. As Nelga spoke, he brushed his face, his gesture equally devoid of warmth.
"Zima and one companion. That must be the other. I presume she's not your daughter—perhaps your granddaughter?"
"No, nothing like that."
"I see. I am Nelga, a court mage. I serve as the gatekeeper of the Imperial Capital. It's an honor to meet you."
Emma glanced at Zima, unsure if those words were really meant for her.
Zima gave a faint smile.
Only then did Emma awkwardly bow her head as well.
"I'm Emma."
"Shall we go, Emma?"
Nelga stepped aside, gesturing with his arm.
Her heavy feet finally moved.
Not long after, as he led the way, Nelga spoke.
"His Majesty ordered me to escort you only to the middle of the capital."
"Mmm, well, perhaps it isn't suitable to meet within the palace."
"Shall we go straight there?"
Emma didn't understand what they were talking about.
She was so tense she couldn't even ask how far they were going, or how they would get there.
"No. If we have a little time, I'd like to show this child something worth seeing, since we've come all the way here."
"Ah, that sounds good. In fact, if you'd gone straight in, you'd have to wait."
"This child's hometown is in the south. Southern bumpkins never see such rare sights in their whole lives. Could you show her something remarkable?"
"I understand."
Snap—!
Nelga snapped his fingers.
And then, something miraculous happened.
"Wow?!"
Emma exclaimed without meaning to.
The whole world turned white. The girl had never actually seen snow falling from the sky. But she knew that the stuff piled around them was snow.
Zima also glanced around.
"Mmm, where are we?"
"This is Northland. At the edge of the Northland's snowy mountains, in fact."
"You've actually been here yourself?"
"Ha ha, no. This is not a place ordinary humans can set foot in. It's cold enough to freeze you solid. But now, I can summon an illusion of places I haven't even visited before."
"You've grown, Nelga."
"Thank you for saying so."
Emma was now listening intently to every word Nelga said.
Indeed, mages were inherently mysterious beings.
Instead of feeling cold, she only felt warmth. The heat on her skin was not physical temperature, but a bizarre sensation that could only be explained by magic.
Crunch, crunch.
Every step on the snow produced a curious sound. When she looked back, she saw a long trail of footprints.
Emma looked up, mouth agape. The sky was a transparent blue, glittering in places as if finely ground stars had been scattered evenly.
It was almost like walking in a dream.
"The Imperial Capital's barrier magic array grows ever more intricate. As long as you live, the palace will never be breached."
"Thank you for the compliment. You're right. Though I'm a bit embarrassed to say it myself, this barrier array isn't just a symbol of advanced magic. It's a victory for humanity."
"Humanity's victory?"
"Yes. Even if the Creator made all things in the universe, now every theory can be explained with knowledge of magic. This barrier array is a prime example."
Amid swirling breath, Nelga's confident profile was visible.
"The miracles that God showed mankind—ultimately, they are nothing but fragments of magic."
A faint, wistful smile touched Zima's lips.
"I know that most mages of the Magic Tower are skeptics of the Holy Church. Well, I'm human too, so I suppose I have to root for you lot."
"Thank you, Zima."
A quiet stillness fell.
Even the sound of footsteps crunching snow faded away.
"This is as far as I go. I'll see you on your way back."
Nelga stopped. He was about to snap his fingers again.
"Wait, Nelga."
"Please, go ahead."
Zima narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance. His long hair fluttered in the light breeze.
"Will there come a day when humans won't feel the absence of the gods?"
"You have remarkable insight. I'm sure such a day will come. I'm working toward it myself."
Humankind rising on their own strength.
That was true humanism.
When hardship came, the compassionate god, Asriel, turned His back on mankind.
?? It was the same even now.
Snap—!
It was as natural as blinking her eyes, or stepping forward to walk.
Suddenly a straight road stretched out before them.
Towering avenue trees almost touched the sky, lining the road as far as she could see.
Emma couldn't tell where reality ended and illusion began. The feel of the air, the smell, and people were a little more familiar than before.
'People??.'
Because of that, it felt a little more real.
"I've been waiting, Zima."
Emma thought of the white snow she had seen moments ago.
The man's hair was exactly the same color.
"Your Majesty."
Since Zima bowed, Emma did too. To be exact, she shrank back.
Emma felt the breath catch in her throat, as if the entire sky were pressing down on her.
"It was a lie."
That's all he said, yet Emma felt a weight like iron drop onto her chest.
She managed to raise her head.
Zima approached the Emperor, and three companions who seemed to be his aides.
"Recognized it immediately, did you?"
"What do you take me for?"
"You are the master of the Empire, his Imperial Majesty Zigrenz."
"That's enough. Keep your distance, Zima; thirty paces from His Majesty."
A man with short red hair stretched out his hand to halt them.
"Kishin, you haven't changed. Unsurpassed loyalty. I've just come from hearing Nelga brag about how astonishingly Imperial magic has advanced—my ears just about fell off."
"It is all His Majesty's blessing."
Kishin's face was even younger than Nelga's.
Zima left it at that.
His eyes naturally settled on the middle-aged man standing beside Kishin.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
"It's been a while, Zima."
His greeting was brief.
There was one last person, standing right next to the Emperor.
At first glance, it was hard to tell if this person was a man or a woman. Long blond hair, striking features, a slender and sharp physique—by any measure, a classic beauty, though the air about them made it hard to be sure.
"You get prettier every time I see you, Oscar. Heh heh."
"Shut up, old man. Before I rip your mouth apart."
Even the voice was androgynous.
Zima didn't tease any further.
Amid such overwhelming auras, the Emperor finally spoke.
"Say what you wish, Zima."
Only the closest officials knew the Emperor had returned to the capital. Even the royal blood relatives were unaware.
The reason for this urgent, secret return from the volatile eastern front was singular.
There had been a report that the vessel had been found.
"I'm curious. Why are you doing this, knowing full well the price for deceiving me?"
He recognized at once that Emma was not the vessel.
The Emperor possessed the ability to read 'aura'.
Holy power was just one branch of aura.
"It is because I could not make a final decision."
Zima took a step forward and pulled back his cloak. Multiple sword hilts dangled from his waist.
The crown prince and Kishin immediately went on alert.
"What do you think you're doing, Zima!"
The Emperor didn't flinch. If anything, he looked relaxed, as if inviting him to continue. Before he was Emperor, he was a stalwart man of arms.
The Emperor's and Zima's eyes met sharply.
"A decision?"
"Yes. Forgive me, but I have a few questions for the master of the Empire."
With that, Zima rested his hand on a sword hilt.
The crown prince and Kishin prepared as well, ready to strike at a word from the Emperor.
"What is a god?"
Kishin furrowed his brow. The Crown Prince looked flustered. Oscar, arms folded, rolled only her eyes to look at the Emperor.
Only the Emperor remained expressionless.
"You refused all the honor and glory I bestowed upon you for this answer? Or was this your intention from the start?"
The Imperial Capital was not a place just anyone could enter—hardly anyone was even allowed to look at it.
It existed in the human world, yet as an independent, mysterious space like the realm of gods.
A true celestial realm upon the earth.
No one stands on solid ground and claims they will cut the sky. No one can even imagine it lightly.
At last, Zima drew a sword half from its sheath.
"I asked the question."
Even Oscar finally unfolded her arms.
The Emperor broke the silence.
"Don't ask me—look at me."
With that, the answer was given.
The blade was fully drawn.
A human who declared to ascend, now challenged by another human.
He once followed Lord Asriel more devotedly than anyone, and now he was just an ordinary man yearning for hope.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Is Zima an agent of Quersa? It has been hinted but not yet verified.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】