Chapter 33: The Woman Whose Curiosity Was Piqued
The Empress of Eternal Night possessed unparalleled magical talent, with an innate gift for leadership and seizing opportunities. It was through these exceptional abilities that she established her nation by force, achieving an unparalleled legacy. However, no matter how intelligent she was, she couldn’t recognize written Chinese characters. Watching Roger meticulously draw and doodle in his notebook, she deduced that these were symbols used for counting. Were they created by Roger himself, or were they common within the “mysterious organization” that trained him? The Empress of Eternal Night had never seen similar symbols anywhere else in the World.
So, when she left her magical beacon on Roger, she playfully drew a “正” on his leg. She didn’t realize this was something many young girls enjoyed, a “secret little pact that only we know.” It was as if doing so could create a special connection with someone. Having successfully pulled off this stunt, the Empress felt an involuntary ripple of emotion. “If you encounter danger in the future, simply call out my true name in your heart,” the Empress of Eternal Night instructed, her pride subtly hidden within her calm demeanor.
“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty,” Roger replied, genuinely surprised. He noticed that the Empress of Eternal Night’s immense, seemingly inexhaustible magic power was actually showing signs of depletion. Her eyes, as deep as the sea, rarely showed a hint of exhaustion beneath their complex currents.
*This connection through her true name… this should be the domain of the gods. I never expected Blood Mom to touch upon such a realm! This is new intelligence…*
*But given her condition, she must have paid a great price to cast this spell. Is this an extra reward for me cleaning up her mess?*
*Logically, I should be moved, but writing “正” on her leg… does that mean the Empress owes me five rounds?*
Witnessing the Empress touch upon the divine realm should have been an awe-inspiring and solemn moment. Yet, Roger was utterly bewildered, gazing at the golden, shimmering “正” on his leg. Even without playing adult visual novels, a basic understanding of ACG culture would suggest a rather “gentlemanly” implication behind writing that character on one’s leg. And this was a magical beacon that allowed real-time communication by calling her name, even summoning the Empress herself. While he knew she was trying to protect him, it still felt… odd.
The Empress of Eternal Night’s breakthrough at the Great Library had extended her path beyond the legendary, granting her a deeper understanding of the World’s spacetime rules. However, her mastery was still unrefined. By forcing the spell and customizing its outward form, while simultaneously maintaining an air of effortless grace and power, she had not only depleted her magic but also nearly exhausted her mental power. She had also used up considerable precious spellcasting materials. She was ready to dismiss Roger and cancel her subsequent engagements to meditate and recover.
But upon hearing Roger’s internal musings—about the “正” on his leg and owing her “five rounds”—the atmosphere inexplicably became lighter. This, in turn, piqued her curiosity. This wasn’t just a symbol; it was a form of writing, with pronunciation? She had helped him, so how could she owe him? What did “five rounds” even mean? The Empress of Eternal Night’s mind was filled with question marks.
Unfortunately, Roger stopped thinking at that point, left pondering whether to wait to be dismissed or to leave proactively. This left the Empress of Eternal Night’s surging curiosity even more restless. *Ah, how can there be such an infuriating person in this world? So eloquent when complaining, yet so half-hearted when it comes to important matters?*
However, she couldn’t ask directly and decided to probe indirectly: “Lord Dio, did you create this symbol?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s a symbol I hastily drew for convenience in counting,” Roger replied.
*No, Your Majesty, if you’re tired, you should rest. Why are you asking me this? Do you want to understand the profoundness of Chinese characters?*
The Empress of Eternal Night gave a soft “Oh,” feeling a bit displeased. *I’ll rest when I want to rest; is that something a subject can question me about?* And since her curiosity remained unanswered, she continued, “I find your symbol quite interesting. Did you have any inspiration or references when you created it?”
“Uh… I just drew it haphazardly, with strokes here and there, and it turned out like this.”
*To create characters, you should ask Cangjie. How would I know what he was thinking at the time…*
Cangjie? Who was that? Another unfamiliar name. *Make a note of that.* The Empress of Eternal Night felt annoyed. Her previous questions remained unanswered, and now a new one had arisen… *This lying scoundrel!*
She pressed on, “Have you created any similar symbols, Lord Dio?”
“No, it’s just for counting. Five is enough.”
*Chinese characters have thousands of common ones, you know? Should I tell her?*
*Stop asking, stop asking. Your Majesty, your eyelids are visibly drooping. Hurry up and rest, or you’ll get premature dementia!*
The Empress of Eternal Night rubbed her temples in exasperation, feeling quite angry. *You’re trying to fool me into thinking I’m senile now!* Yet, she noticed the scoundrel had become smarter. After several questions, he had actually managed to refrain from launching into a monologue? Although she had garnered some information, her unanswered questions only multiplied! Furthermore, she wasn’t a natural conversationalist. After racking her brain for three questions, to continue pestering him about such a trivial matter would be obvious to anyone. But at this moment, she was out of mana; even holding him for interrogation would be difficult. Of course, she could summon the guards and have them investigate the meaning of “正” on his leg. But the Empress had a hunch that if she delegated this, she would be equally devastated upon learning the truth. While the concept of social death didn’t exist in this era, similar incidents had played out countless times.
Thus, in the end, the Empress could only feign inability to voice her thoughts: “Lord Dio, you may withdraw. Have my lady-in-waiting arrange your schedule and carry out some tasks on my behalf.” *My curiosity is unsatisfied, and you brat won’t be getting off easy either! Go do some work, Youth!*
Roger inquired, “Your Majesty, what about my seven-day vacation…?”
“We’ll note it down. I’m not signing off on it today.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Roger agreed.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Empress’s eyes. *Wait, why did you agree so readily? This isn’t the reaction I expected! Where’s your reluctant, yet resigned, expression? Shouldn’t you be furious right now, cursing me, yet unable to do anything about it?*
Soon, the Empress’s confusion was answered: *Naive Your Majesty, do you think I’m still the same young man who could only passively accept, whose rhythm could be disrupted by a single command from you? I’m different now! My pursuit is to find moments of leisure amidst the chaos, to seize fleeting opportunities for slacking off while working! My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; everything I do is for the sake of slacking off!*
Looking at his retreating back, the Empress of Eternal Night’s gaze was complex. *Why does this useless brother suddenly seem… a little dashing?* When a person clarifies their pursuit, even the simplest of actions can exude an extraordinary charm. Of course, the Empress was still angry. Today, the Empress of Eternal Night had made three attempts to disrupt Roger’s state of leisure but failed, even losing a magical beacon. A decisive victory for Roger!
…
…
In the City of Mysteries, within a military camp north of the city, over a hundred newly uniformed officers of colonel rank were present. The grand Restoration Army had been “suppressed” by the Empire. The undercover agents from the military, who had impersonated leaders, had naturally faked their deaths and returned to the capital to receive their rewards and await promotion. This operation was a resounding success. Although some minor chaos was still ongoing, all the generals, except for the Empress who always wanted to score 170 on a 150-point exam, were satisfied.
A victory banquet was scheduled for that evening, where the Empress herself would personally commend the meritorious individuals. However, news arrived at noon that the Empress would be unable to attend due to health reasons. A special envoy, the newly appointed cabinet minister Dio Brando, would be presenting the commendations in her stead. The officers were naturally disappointed. They had fought hard, traveled thousands of miles, not just to see a man!
A young lieutenant colonel returned to his room. He bowed to a beastman, who was dressed as a servant but boldly gnawing on a chicken leg on the bed. “Lord Joestar, the latest news is that the wicked Empress won’t be coming.”
“A pity. Then I shall deal with Roger Charles first. I’ll leave this matter to you.”
“Rest assured, my lord. I’ve made all the arrangements. The Empire is arrogant and has no suspicions.” The beastman, War Chief Joestar, made a complex gesture across his chest before touching it to the lieutenant colonel’s forehead. “May the Goddess bless you. You shall return to the Divine Kingdom after death.”
“Offer your heart to the Goddess!” The lieutenant colonel pounded his left chest heavily.
