Chapter 44 (1 of 2) The Eternal Empire. (Patreon)

Placed within the central point of the immense Aeternus plane, the only Superior plane of the Mystical Realm, the Capital City of Imperialius Aeternia was undergoing a strange event. The colossal, fantastical metropolis was covered by a several-layered incandescent dome of mana, the city glowing like a beacon, lighting up the area the size of a continent around it so that regardless of day or night, the skies were a bright blue like during the day.

The dome shifted and reassembled itself repeatedly, the protective wards and seals realigning themselves to ensure the city was under maximum protection at all times, should a disaster strike the metropolis. Enormous metal walls, normally hidden within the earth, had risen to surround the city and turn it into a fortress. Everyone within the city was barricaded in, the only way to enter or exit the city for the common people being the teleportation arrays currently under strict surveillance.

Several gargantuan teleportation arrays were activated at specific marble plazas, the arrays spanning entire districts in themselves. The zones glowed the violet colouration of space mana, and lit up the surrounding areas with frequent flashes of violet light as a multitude of ornate carriages, covered in crests and emblems of many kinds and colours and pulled by exotic and flamboyant beasts, appeared within the arrays, making their way down the broad stone streets. The arrays were separated by status, as the carriages appearing out of specific arrays had similar amounts of ornaments and escorts. Mana radiated off of the multitude of carriages.

While normally many carriages belonging to people of different statuses would be roaming the streets, this day was different. On this day, the broad paved roads were bordered by lines of heavily armoured men and women, members of the Royal Guard who ensured the observers crowding the streets were held back, not interrupting the procession of the many, many nobles heading towards a very specific place in the city.

Each member of the guard was covered in regal red and gold plate armour, and their blazing auras soared as they released all their mana in a show of immense power, any person in the army being early Rank-5 at the very weakest. The auras bled together in perfect sync to form a barrier between the footpaths and the roads, and the rarity of all their armour was Ancient.

None of this was soundless, however. The crowd of commoners and interested watchers were talking and chatting, all enjoying seeing the massive procession of nearly all of the Empire’s most powerful nobility arriving for the Empire’s Annual End-of-Year Banquet, slowly heading towards the main street, and had enjoyed seeing the delegates of All-Aeon Athenaeum, Glory Pantheon, and the Citadel of Fate arrive as well. But it wasn’t only the Empire’s nobility that was travelling the streets and wasn’t truly what the observers had come to watch as they stood on either side of the main road. Representatives from each of the different realms had come.

The members of the Beast Realm’s bloodline royalty used no carriages and used their impressive bestial forms to walk confidently through the city, freely releasing their mana into the air. The Regal Dragons, the Phoenixes, the Fenrirs, Kitsune, Hydras, Sphinxes, Cerapters, and many other royal beast bloodlines walked the streets, most in their enlarged Primal Descendant forms, although even those who were not enlarged radiated such high quantities of mana that their presence could not be ignored. Some royal races, such as the Krakens, couldn’t use their beast forms for obvious reasons and let their wild mana create marvellous displays around them as they walked. The sounds of the magical beasts’ mana-shaking roars and cries reverberated throughout the city.

The representatives of the Demon Realm came next, letting their demonic auras and presences freely rampage throughout the area as they moved, showing no care nor concern for the way the mana distorted and crackled around them. Most members of the crowd retreated to reduce the abrasive sensation of demonic power rubbing against their souls. The archdemons of the most powerful demonic bloodlines rode inside extravagant carriages pulled by dangerous demonic beasts of similar size to the magical beasts before them, the stronger the demon beast, the more powerful the True Demon that rode within the carriage. With the strength the demonic beasts had, most, if not all of them had already obtained sapience and the ability to switch to a human form, but for demons, their mental capabilities and self-awareness mattered not. Only the strong had a say among demons. They rode past the crowd arrogantly and grandly.

Then all sound fell to barely anything besides hushed whispers as a dreadful presence rolled over the many viewers. The light around the crowd dimmed, and a dark grey fog fell upon them. Unhidden waves of death mana emanated out of the figures approaching them, the figures even more silent than the crowd. Two rows of armoured humanoids marched past them in synchronisation to the sound of some unheard drum, their metal a pitch black that reflected no light, and their footsteps making no noise. They marched slowly, and behind them was a gargantuan creature of pure white bone, its eye sockets and heart glowing with ominous light. Wings spread on either side, the skeletal Arch-Dracolich was as silent as the armoured figures even with its enormous size, draped in black silk coverings embroidered with a silver emblem of a hooded figure holding an open book.

But marching in single file between the two rows of armoured guards were ten individuals wearing what looked like a military uniform of black and silver, five men and five women with dark hair and eyes. They released no death mana, seeming like normal humans. The realm of undead had no ruling lineage, but there were certain existences no member of the realm dared cross even if their own soul flames were at stake: the ones known as the Watchmen of Tartarus, the race that was given the title of the ‘Death Race’ for their racial connection and steadfast loyalty to the mysterious and secretive being named the Monarch of Death. The crowd watched them pass soundlessly, hoping the dreary sensation of the death mana would remove itself from them quickly.

And when it did, the final realm’s representatives came by. The crowd cheered as five immense sky boats of the Heavenly Realm slowly moved down the main road, arrayed in a line and each boat painted a different vibrant colour. The sky boats floated off the ground, and while normally the mana of the material realms would prevent this ability from occurring, the boats were consuming vast quantities of high-tiered spirit stones to support their flight.

Silk sails spread out on either side of the boats, five-coloured spiritual energy escaping the ships. The boats and their sails cast shadows over the crowd below, but the crowd gasped as figures in oriental robes matching the colour of their boats flew out of the many-tiered ships.

To entertain the crowd, large glowing projections cast by powerful formations hovered above and around the boats, showing scenes of battle between mythological creatures. The figures in oriental robes flew about on spiritual treasures and swords, using mesmerising abilities, and several playing elegant music on flutes and zithers, forming resplendent imagery of different scenes with the musical intent-filled spiritual energy. Golden lightning, raging flames, freezing glaciers, towering mountains, and blooming lotuses formed of spiritual energy covered the boats, one theme for each. It was a glorious sight.

Then, the crowd watched as the last of the Heavenly Realm’s procession went through gargantuan golden gates twenty stories in height, and the gates slammed shut, the processions disappearing beyond as they couldn’t be seen any longer. Finally, the carriages of the Empire’s nobility arrived on the main street, thousands of the gilded coaches filtering around the front gate to take side gates matching their status. The crowd waited patiently until the last event began to occur: the only processions allowed to enter from outside of the city’s walls to come to the Imperial Palace, the procession of each of the Seven Eternal Duchies.

“Do you think if the train lines become popular enough to be implemented in the Capital the Emperor would allow the nobility to take the train to the palace?” a dark-haired girl with a half-mask asked the silver-haired man opposite her.

Vincent huffed a laugh. “I highly doubt it. As much as the traffic is atrocious…” He looked out the window of their carriage. “The keeping of tradition is more important. The Empire has only lasted as long as it has because of its strict adherence to tradition and rules.”

Lucille sighed as she rested the back of her head against the carriage wall behind her. “I just believe that waiting five hours to enter the gate is a little too long for any of this whole event to be worth it.”

Her aide smirked. “Lucy, you should be glad that you’re entering through the side gate reserved for the Aeternus plane’s Counts. I’ve heard it can sometimes take over 24 hours for the Barons, and even longer for the Major and Minor Kingdom nobility, with how many they have. And as someone part of the Aurelian Commission, we get to enter through the gates first.”

Well, that was true. The Aurelian Commission was in a special position because as an organisation backed by the Emperor when it was first created, the Counts of the Faction held more power than any other Count. Partially because the Commission was founded by the four most powerful Counties of the Aeternus plane, and partially because they were the only four Counties not part of any larger fiefdom such as a March or Duchy.

As a privilege awarded to their Faction, they were allowed to enter before any other Count. It was also because as a Faction formed because of the Emperor’s order, they needed to demonstrate their loyalty to the throne before anyone else.

She and Vincent were currently seated inside a carriage of the colour of gold and violet, the emblem of the Aurelian Commission, the three overlapping gold coins, shown on its sides. And positioned in front of and behind on either side of her carriage were the carriages of Evisenhardt, Chavaret, Alichanteu and Ravimoux, escorting her to the gate. Their carriages had their Faction emblem, the three gold coins painted onto their County’s signature colour, as well as their family emblem revealed for all to see.

Suddenly, the massive gates in front of the Commission’s five carriages swung open, and the gatekeepers nodded to the coachmen, permitting them to start moving. With a jostle of the reigns, the low-ranked magical beast horses began moving, pulling the coaches forward. Armed knights of the four Counties escorted them on either side, but as the first two coaches of Evisenhardt and Chavaret moved through the gate, the guards split off to wait until all five carriages were through. Private guards were not allowed on Imperial property.

Then Lucy’s carriage crossed the gate. A notification sounded for her and Vincent.

[You have entered the grounds of the Eternal Empire’s Royal Abode: The Palace of Nine Pillars, the central Faction grounds of a Supreme Institution.]

[Warning: Entry of the Hall of the Eternal Throne without a Title of appropriate status will result in immediate removal from the Palace of Nine Pillars.]

The Aeternus nobility, royalty of the vassal kingdoms, high nobility of the lesser empires, delegates of the Supreme Institutions and the realm representatives would be allowed to enter the main wing of the palace, which contained the central banquet hall and throne room, but not anyone else. This was for several reasons, although the first was obviously as a show of power over the lesser nobility.

The Emperor’s voice would be broadcasted throughout the entire palace using a magical artifact, so all the Major and Minor Kingdoms’, as well as the middle and lesser nobility of the lesser empires, could hear him in their separate banquet halls. The nobility of the unranked planes were not invited to the Palace of Nine Pillars, their status being too low.

And as for the Palace of Nine Pillars itself… Lucille leaned to the side, peering out of the window, to see them slowly approach the gargantuan building, exquisite flowering trees decorating the road to the palace. Rainbow mana radiated off of the building like it was the very sun itself, almost blinding all those who approached. Beautiful, tall gardens filled all the space around the palace, creating incredible scenery and scents.

Outside of the gates of the palace, you could see the building, towering above the rest of the city’s buildings and placed directly in the centre of the city, so nearly everyone could see it at all times. However, if someone was to try to get to or fly near the palace, they would discover that no matter how far they travelled, they never got any closer to the building. That was because the entire palace grounds were enchanted with spatial expansion magic. And once one entered through the gates, the immense size of the palace was revealed, being triple the height it showed outside the city gates.

The Palace of Nine Pillars was called such because there were nine immense pillars arrayed out the front of the building. Reaching up to a third of the palace’s height, each pillar was made of ornately carved gemstone, a different colour for each. They glowed with light and were the main cause of the blinding rays emanating from the palace. Three were placed on either side of the colossal double doors of the palace, and three above the doors, they held up a peaked roof above the doors and above the pillars over that. The carved gemstones were covered in runes, phantasmal projections of the runes hovering above the pillars’ surface as mana rolled about within them.

The palace itself was separated into three tiers. The first tier, with six of the pillars, curved around the bedazzling lake of crystal-clear liquid mana that was in front of the building. It stretched out on either side to contain other wings of the palace, crystal walls and silken coverings decorating it all. The second tier was above the main door, where three more gemstone pillars resided above. Here, white stone carvings depicting ancient battles sprawled across the walls, under the second peaked roof.

Then was the third tier, with an enormous glass dome for a roof above the centre of the palace. Vine-filled gardens sprawled across the roofs, leaving no space uncovered. The main stone of the palace was reflective marble filled veined with gemstones of the same colour as the pillars and with gold in some places.

The five carriages of the Commission slowly travelled around the lake, drawing closer to the palace. They came to a stop before the wide staircase leading up to the double doors. The coachmen of Lucy’s carriage opened the doors, and Vincent stepped out first. Inwardly she sighed as she took his hand, because she couldn’t avoid following etiquette here, and stepped out of the carriage.

The doors of the other four carriages opened to reveal the groups of Count Ravimoux, Count Evisenhardt, Count Chavaret, and both Artair and Arwen. Count Ravimoux was accompanied by Viscountess Femidela and his aide, Tarquin, while Count Evisenhardt was accompanied by Vincent’s father and eldest brother, Haraldus and Lysander.

Count Chavaret was accompanied by his eldest son, Martelemore, and Artair and Arwen were accompanied by the High-mages Lucy had seen them with on separate occasions, the bearded older High-mage, and the light-blue-haired High-mage.

As for why the others accompanying the Counts, as well as Artair and Arwen, could even enter the main palace without a fiefdom Title such as Count, Viscount and so on, well, that was because they did have Titles. They were normally Titles such as ‘13th Grandchild of the Evisenhardt County’ or similar, and that was enough to allow them entry. As long as the lineage wasn’t so distant that the System didn’t acknowledge it, they were allowed to come to the Imperial Palace as Aeternus nobility.

The Empire didn’t follow the practice of handing down lesser nobility titles to relatives, unlike Earth in the medieval period, so just being part of a noble bloodline was enough to be considered a full noble. Those with fiefdom Titles were still held in higher esteem, however.

And when it came to Lucy, who didn’t have a noble Title of any kind… that was one of the reasons why Count Evisenhardt had gone to the Emperor to appeal for the Commission Head’s seal two months ago. It was also to request that the Faction settings of the palace be temporarily altered to allow her to enter the main building to receive her Honorary Count Title. If the Emperor didn’t want her to gain the Honorary Count Title, then all he had to do was not change the settings so she would be removed by the System.

That was why she was even able to come here when her ‘no-interaction’ status meant magic couldn’t analyse her. If the scanning operations were anything but System-based Faction functions purchased using crystalline tokens, she would be caught up in a very complicated situation of being unable to be scanned by the magic, and registering as a threat.

The wives of Count Evisenhardt, Count Chavaret, Haraldus, and Lysander, who was married, would be arriving later, as they didn’t necessarily have to come to the opening ceremony.

Lucy turned to Vincent. “Then, time for your first Empire banquet event,” she said to him.

He raised an eyebrow. “Lucy, isn’t this also your…” He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes at her. “Actually, is this your first time coming to an Empire banquet?”

She blinked and then smirked. “Hmm… I wonder. Possibly?” She turned to look at the Counts as Vincent narrowed his eyes further with suspicion.

Count Evisenhardt nodded to her. “I believe it is time for us to enter, then.” The other Counts also nodded as they began climbing the steps, prepared to enter the throne room. “I am sure you will do an excellent job.”

She shrunk her perception field, as it was a risk to have it open too large in the palace in case someone detected it, and followed behind them with Vincent at her side, more carriages arriving behind them. Guards lined the entrance staircase. Then, they moved past the gargantuan open double doors to walk down the long, red-carpet-lined hallway, spanning a hundred metres in width.

The walk was mostly quiet, with the Counts discussing things with the people by their side. It took at least 20 minutes before they made it to the end of the hallway, and when they did, the doorkeeper dressed in a red and gold uniform saw them. Before they stepped out onto a balcony to reveal their presence to the thousands of Baronets, Barons, Viscounts, lower-status realm representatives, vassal kingdom and empire royals, and Supreme Institution delegates below, the doorkeeper grabbed a bell-shaped magical artifact and raised it to his mouth.

The blare of a trumpet-like instrument briefly sounded, the sound travelling throughout the room due to being imbued with mana, and heads turned below them to look up at the balcony. The doorkeeper spoke into the bell-shaped artifact, and his voice resounded throughout the throne hall.

“Now Announcing the Entrance of the Entourages of the Aurelian Commission’s Four Counties: Count Sevastian Edgar Evisenhardt of the Silver County of Evisenhardt, Along with his First Heir and First Grandson!”

Count Evisenhardt, Haraldus and Lysander began climbing down the stairs to one side of the balcony.

“Count Donovan Raymond Chavaret of the Red County of Chavaret, with his Heir!”

The two red-haired men likewise began their descent.

“The Representatives of the Blue County of Alichanteu, the First and Second Heirs!”

Arwen grimaced when he heard ‘second’ heir, but Artair smiled and happily walked down the stairs, their two escorting High-mages behind them.

“Count Regulus Fardevrio Ravimoux of the Black County of Ravimoux, along with the Viscount and Viscountess of Femidela!”

The dark-haired man smirked as the two people by his side followed him down the staircase. Vincent shared a look with Lucille, and she smiled as the doorkeeper spoke again.

“And Finally: Lucille Adrienne Goldcroft, the Head of the Aurelian Commission, Alongside her Aide!”

With that, she began walking down the steps, Vincent right behind her. The red carpet came down these stairs as well, leading across the immense hall. She followed its path and avoided looking at the thousands of curious gazes directed her way, shrinking inward to appear nervous, and only walked towards where she knew the seats of the Aurelian Commission Counts were reserved, closer to the throne than the Viscounts and other low nobility. The lesser nobility had to stand at the back of the hall, where she had just entered, but those with higher status got to sit in sections reserved on either side of the red carpet.

And at the end of the carpet, was a series of steps that led up to a towering throne. Cast out of solid gold, nine jewels of the same colour as the pillars outside the palace were set into the seat. Ornate carvings of airborne ships, ancient battles and primeval beasts covered the throne. And engraved on the back of the throne was the image of a tree, spreading out so its tips reached the nine jewels. The channels of the carvings and engravings gently released luminous mana into the surroundings, the nine crystalline stones also releasing light. A smaller throne in a similar style, this one placed lower than and next to the larger throne, was also at the end of the scarlet carpet.

She made it to where she saw the other Counts standing in front of their seats, five of them in total. She came closer, and with an ‘order’ from Vincent, she sat down in the middle one, decorated by a silken gold and violet covering embroidered with the Faction emblem. Then the Counts sat down on either side of her, the chair of Alichanteu remaining empty as Artair and Arwen sat down in smaller chairs behind it. Like Vincent, who stood behind her, the other people who came with them stood behind their lords.

There were many mutters and discussions from the nobility in the rows behind and further away from them, all directing attention to her and Vincent, both two figures unknown to the central Empire’s world. Unfortunately, it would be extremely disrespectful for them to leave the spots where they were supposed to be waiting for the Emperor, and so sadly for them, they couldn’t approach Lucy and Vincent.

The doorkeeper began to announce the arrival of the other Counts from the Aeternus plane. After the Commission’s Counts, the youngest - and more likely closer to the Royal Family – Counties’ representatives were announced first, and slowly it changed as Counts of older and more powerful Counties, more loyal to and under the 7 Eternal Duchies were introduced, the later they were introduced, the further they were from the Royal Family’s authority.

It took well over three hours for the Counts to be introduced, and it was only that short because the Empire, with how large it was, couldn’t give long introductions for absolutely everyone, which was why Vincent’s and the names of the others weren’t revealed.

Then the Marquesses began to arrive. They had more people accompanying them, the more powerful families were allowed to bring more members along. Many Marquesses radiated strong auras, showing that they had high personal strength as well. Lucy watched them all to ensure she remembered everything, her perception field shrunk only to a few metres wide, so she had to use her eyes with how far away they were. She only carefully recorded down any details with her thought strands, not giving them much of her focus, but she did pay attention when one particular Marquess family was brought up, one of the few Marquess families not part of the 7 Eternal Duchies.

“Announcing the Arrival of the Representatives of the Evernight March of Vampyreus!”

With unnaturally pale skin, black, white, or silver hair, blood-red eyes and inhumanely beautiful features, the members of the Evernight March entered the hall. Lucy knew if you talked to one, you’d sometimes be able to see they had long, fang-like incisors, and several of the ‘Vampires’ even had their leathery black wings out.

Hopefully, Hargrave will take my advice and avoid them. They’re not pleasant people to deal with at any time, to the extent that if Olden ever discovered what goes on in that March, they’re bound to use it to start another long debate over non-human rights and their access to titles of nobility. Come to think of it, I don’t recall hearing about the Evernight March getting involved with Hargrave in the past…

The rest of the Marquesses were introduced and took up their seats closer to the throne. She took note of one Marquess, the Marquess of Ashthrope, who was a man appearing in his mid-50s with greying black hair. He sat in a position much closer to the throne, in the same area as seven other unique chairs. However, there were still more people to be announced before the final highest level of Aeternus nobility arrived.

“Announcing the Arrival of the Delegates of All-Aeon Athenaeum, Glory Pantheon, and the Citadel of Fate!”

For fairness’ sake, the arrival of the Supreme Institution representatives occurred at the same time. All-Aeon Athenaeum, the organisation with the longest history, was announced first, Glory Pantheon next because their weapon clans were an important part of the Empire’s military might, which left Citadel of Fate for last.

Around ten members of each of the Institutions walked down the steps. All-Aeon Athenaeum had an Archmage of each of the essential elements, three wizards, and an Archwizard, embroidered crests on their robes to indicate what position they held. Glory Pantheon had seven men and three women wearing full armour of different colours without helmets, although they didn’t carry weapons. The Citadel of Fate had nine Paladins entering in white and gold armour, with a leading armoured man at the front, his armour gold with green embellishments.

It seems, judging by the colour of that man’s armour, that they sent the 8th Templar of High Renewal. They might be sending a message, because ‘renewal’ could be taken as them saying the year is about to renew, so they wish the Empire well until the next end-of-year banquet…

Lucy prevented herself from smirking when she saw some of the nobles eyeing the Templar with suspicion.

…or they could be telling the current Emperor to abdicate the throne soon so the ‘Emperor’ is quickly renewed.

The Emperor of the Eternal Empire held their position for a maximum of a thousand years and then must pass it on to the Crown Prince. As it was the 73rd year of the 102nd millennium after the realm’s assimilation, and as an Emperor’s term always ended in the 100th century of the millennium, the current Emperor only had 27 years before he had to give up the throne.

The Citadel of Fate was a force essentially backing Olden, with the current Emperor being from Radical… so the likelihood of the message being the latter was quite high. She found it amusing, but she was sure the forces of Radical and the loyalists of the Royal Family were less than impressed.

“…it seems someone thought they were being funny among the Sages…” murmured Count Evisenhardt, having come to the same conclusion as her. The other two Counts nodded, Count Ravimoux with a smirk on his face.

The forces of the Supreme Institutions took up positions in sections reserved for them alone, all of them sitting on the side opposite that of the Aurelian Commission’s Counts. Then, two large doors on either side of the throne opened up. Men and women began streaming through them, to take up positions in seats in front of the Marquesses. A doorkeeper wearing robes different to that of the other doorkeepers standing beside these doors raised his artifact to speak.

“Announcing the Entrance of the Imperial Princes and Princesses of the Eterial Royal Family!”

If a noble below Aeternus Duke met one of the Princes and Princesses in any other situation, they would’ve had to bow or even kneel depending on their status, but as everyone in the hall was waiting for the Emperor, their priorities had to be on that. Nobody moved from their seats as they waited for the next people.

“The Five Queens of the Eternal Empire are Now Entering the Hall of the Eternal Throne!”

At that announcement, everyone in the room rose from their chairs, but they didn’t bow or kneel. The five gorgeous women sat in ornate seats to the right of the smaller throne.

“Empress Helenea Melodisen Araminta Eterial of the Eternal Empire is Now Entering the Hall of the Eternal Throne!”

As the woman wearing a deep scarlet dress and train, a golden crown on her head, entered through one of the doors, everyone bowed their heads. The woman with long curly golden hair and brilliant green eyes nodded once, and they all stopped bowing. She climbed the steps to the smaller throne and turned around to face the thousands of people in the hall, but didn’t sit down. Then a long trumpet call sounded, blaring through the room, and a final person emerged from another third door. Many guards stood on either side of him as he walked towards the throne.

The man appearing in his mid-40s with a dark brown beard and hair, dressed in a scarlet and gold imperial jacket and flowing cape, climbed the stairs of the larger throne to turn to the crowd, a sceptre of luminous gold held in one hand. On his head was a crown containing nine glowing gems, the same as the pillars of the palace and embedded in the throne. And his irises were a mesmerising deep crystalline blue that glittered in the same fashion as a gem, a near-exact replica of one of nine jewels of the pillars, crown, and throne.

“Emperor Rodrigue Vilentasar Saphirus Eterial has Entered the Hall of the Eternal Throne. Kneel Before the Emperor of the Eternal Empire!”