Chapter 153: The Empress’s Thousand Layers of Schemes
Although Roger had ultimately misplaced his loyalty to the Empire, missing out on a golden opportunity to significantly improve his favorability, he still got the chance to “stroll casually” with the Empress of Eternal Night that evening.
He might be a dense fool, but the Empress could always take the initiative herself…
No, not like that, she meant actively creating a romantic atmosphere, not anything sordid!
The Empire had a distinct four-season climate, though spring and autumn were relatively short. After a rain a few days prior, the night wind now carried a bone-chilling coolness.
This slight change in temperature had little impact on professionals. Magic Power was also a form of energy; when integrated with the body, it provided protection. While it wouldn’t grant immunity to extreme weather, theoretically, even a mage’s physique should be stronger than that of an ordinary person.
Mages’ physiques weren’t inherently strong. It wasn’t determined by their cultivation system, but rather by their chronic lack of exercise, exposure to various toxic and harmful magical materials, and the constant barrage of audacious ideas in their minds. Only a certain completely uneducated novice mage, who neglected both studies and magical experiments, had reaped the attribute bonuses from advancing in the mage profession.
As for the Empress of Eternal Night, her attributes couldn’t be measured by conventional standards. Being able to switch to a combat mage form and engage in close combat with Naliner, her physique was undeniably substantial.
Slightly concealing their appearances, Roger and the Empress of Eternal Night slipped out of the commoner district, where quite a few people were still gathered, and wandered aimlessly through areas they rarely visited.
Both were preoccupied with their thoughts and walked in silence, neither initiating conversation. Occasionally, they would steal a glance at the other, only to find them engrossed in the scenery. They would then pretend the view was more captivating and continue in silence.
In reality, was the scenery all that interesting? When a man and a woman stroll together, their attention is naturally drawn to each other. However, after an abundance of topics to discuss on normal days, these two suddenly found themselves with nothing particular to say.
Perhaps it was a case of ‘extremes engender their opposites.’ Everyone they encountered on the street was discussing politics, military affairs, and the Empire’s developmental path. The very instigators of these discussions found it rather uninteresting. They subconsciously felt that in this atmosphere of fallen leaves, lamplight replacing sunlight, and the city filled with the hum of everyday life, continuing to discuss state affairs would truly spoil the mood.
“Seriously, we discuss this constantly on normal days. Now, when we have free time tonight and want to go for a walk, are we expected to keep talking about it?”
“It’s like two doctors on a date, under the moonlight and flowers, still discussing five-year cancer survival rates, flap reconstruction, or the operational techniques for a full aortic replacement?”
“Absolutely not, absolutely not! It would make me sick!”
However, a problem arose. If they weren’t discussing these topics, then these two individuals, who were usually so eloquent and believed they could easily win over the other with a few words, found themselves coincidentally backing down when it came to the moment to demonstrate their skills. Both of them, feeling embarrassed, were waiting for the other to break the ice. In a game of holding one’s breath, someone was bound to give in first, right?
The Empress of Eternal Night finally managed to eke out a sentence: “Are you hungry?”
Roger touched his stomach. “Not particularly, I think.”
The Empress of Eternal Night smiled. “What a coincidence, neither am I.”
And so, the conversation died, and they continued to walk slowly. They couldn’t possibly continue discussing the subsequent handling of the captured Angel and the refinement of the Empire’s foreign strategy… That would be worse than shopping. So, they continued to shop! Yes, just hard shopping, racking up steps!
These two simpletons couldn’t think of anything else to do except wander aimlessly. If they were in modern times, they could go see a movie, but neither the theater nor the concert hall in Aoud had any performances tonight.
To ease the solemn atmosphere, they both diverted their attention to the streets. Fortunately, the topics of discussion in the City of Mysteries tonight were a bit dull, but the atmosphere on the streets was lively and many new events were unfolding. This meant that not talking wouldn’t be too awkward.
Since the Empress of Eternal Night had personally announced the collapse of the Tianming Army, and the Night Guards had begun clearing out the remnants they had long targeted, Roger’s speech about “my ideal prosperous era” had indeed inspired many. For the commoners of the Empire in this era, news of the nobility stepping down, the Empire ceasing wars to recuperate, and the initiation of magical industrialization would naturally make them happy.
However, they couldn’t foresee the specific changes these developments would bring or what the Empire would become. The limitations of their era, education, and culture, compounded by poverty, restricted their imaginations. How could they possibly know the extent to which human material wealth would eventually flourish? Even in China, the transition from food scarcity to weight loss being a national concern happened in just a few decades. Humans, in just over two hundred years, had undergone changes that didn’t occur in the previous millennia. In this Magical World, where vast changes hadn’t occurred for tens of thousands of years, people had lived similar lives for generations and truly couldn’t imagine the future.
Roger’s speech, while undeniably containing an element of empty promises, was precisely what the Imperial populace at the time needed: to make more people understand what they were fighting for, to ignite their initiative, to build a better country for future generations, and for the higher echelons to provide guarantees for the future. Even when facing setbacks, more people would choose to persevere together.
The Empire was unburdened by a noble class, but other countries and races in the Eternal Night World couldn’t achieve this. This horizontal comparison offered a sense of superiority. Even the Empress of Eternal Night had to admit that even if she were to speak on a similar theme, she couldn’t do it as meticulously and beautifully as Roger. When it came to bragging, she had lost, utterly and completely. In her eyes, this was an improvisation on Roger’s part, but who knew that this was merely a casual recounting of unremarkable aspects of a certain person’s past life in China, which far surpassed the backwardness of this era by many years? How could the Empress of Eternal Night possibly win?
She mused that “The Queen’s Herald” would undoubtedly excerpt Roger’s speech tomorrow, bards would tirelessly spread tales of the “ideal prosperous era,” and the official media would release promotional materials in the form of comics and other mediums, allowing more Imperial citizens to fantasize about their future happy lives. Such things were easily spread because the rulers of this era had not yet evolved to the stage of Western democracies, constantly making empty promises only to have them forgotten after an election cycle. The “boy who cried wolf” story hadn’t unfolded yet, and the common people still placed a great deal of trust in such promises. After all, the ruling class in this world had overwhelming military power in the past and paid little attention to the thoughts of the lower classes, thus they were too lazy to offer any promises or reassurances – riding cavalry to tear apart rioting ants was far more efficient. Thus, in just one night, one could already see the future… well, perhaps it was more accurate to say that with the anticipation of a bright future, the entire City of Mysteries was filled with a festive atmosphere. His Majesty had even said that food and drink would be cheaper in the future, so a small indulgence tonight shouldn’t be an issue, right?
On the lively streets, people who had drunk too much sang discordant songs, and everyone looked at these unrestrained individuals with a tolerant gaze. Truly happy moments in ordinary people’s lives were rare. The mere fact that the threat of the Tianming Army was gone was enough for them to celebrate. Despite it not being a holiday, it felt like one, which also indicated a further improvement in living standards within the Empire. Increased commercial vitality and people’s willingness to consume encouraged businesses to push for and create such an atmosphere. If everyone were poor, no amount of promotion would lead to consumption, and thus there would be no incentive to try.
Without using any magic, the two walked through the commoner district and arrived at the commercial area. Spotting a well-decorated dessert shop by the roadside, the Empress of Eternal Night finally found an excuse. Even if she wasn’t hungry, they could go in for some sweet drinks and cake, right?
The shop had an excellent ambiance, and the desserts were made with very discerning ingredient selections, many of which were not produced within the Empire. With the Empire entering a state of truce, even the church couldn’t indefinitely suppress the desire of its followers to earn money. Although official trade hadn’t commenced, covert trade with surrounding regions had already resumed significantly. Exotic fruits from the Elven Empire, ferocious prey from the Underdark, and fresh seafood from the Sea Kingdom, even if not supplied to top-tier restaurants, were gradually becoming available again.
The awkward atmosphere between the two was finally broken by the food, leading to new topics of conversation. The Empress of Eternal Night had been a princess who enjoyed food, shopping, and leisure in her youth. Later, she traveled to different Planes (challenging those legendary mages), hunted many peculiar prey, and loved to eat. She had a vast amount of knowledge to share regarding ingredients. Roger, on the other hand, had the rich productivity of Earth behind him and had obtained almost all cooking skills from various schools through the system’s treasure chests. He could create over a hundred unique dishes from the most common ingredients. It was a collision of two foodies who were filming: one was curious about ingredients they’d never eaten, the other was amazed by preparations they’d never encountered. The sparks were truly flying, with neither side falling behind.
“Actually, they used quite a few good ingredients here, but the taste is just passable,” Roger commented with regret.
“Little Roger, do you want to show off?” the Empress of Eternal Night taunted.
“Milk tea, coffee, cocktails, you name it,” Roger said with considerable confidence.
“Then make them all for us to try.”
“The ingredients here aren’t sufficient…”
“Then tell me where we can find them, and we’ll go there.”
“My place is nearby.”
“Let’s go!”
The Empress of Eternal Night waved her fingers dismissively, fearless, changing locations with ease. With her combat prowess, would she really be at a disadvantage?
Because the conversation was lighthearted, the Empress of Eternal Night naturally shed her usual imperial dignity. Tonight, she was wearing a practical combat suit, resembling a beautiful and powerful adventurer. She was certainly not a naive innocent, but her jovial demeanor and free-spiritedness allowed Roger to gradually relax. He even felt as if he were conversing with an excellent modern woman. The women Roger had encountered, even those from distinguished backgrounds like Angelina and Tasika, were still bound by the era’s notions of male superiority and loyalty to the throne. They possessed confidence, but not quite the uninhibited self-assurance of modern women, and had many concerns. Shana, in her moments of wildness, might have shown it, but she lacked feminine charm. Therefore, when the Empress of Eternal Night set aside her regal demeanor and communicated with Roger as an equal, and they could even discuss extravagant dining experiences beyond the reach of even ancient nobles, they truly hit it off. Tonight, the Empress’s beauty, temperament, conversation, and values were all incredibly appealing.
Twilight had faded, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air. A successful leader, after completing a major project, leads a celebratory gathering, discusses wild and imaginative topics, then suddenly suggests going to your place – who could refuse that? Coincidentally, the residence in the Dio commercial district was not far away, and the ingredients and utensils were sufficient. Roger readily agreed, preparing to change locations and continue their engagement.
Stepping out of the dessert shop and into the dazzling night, the Empress of Eternal Night unconsciously lagged a step behind, rubbing her throbbing temples. “After thousands of layers of schemes, we’ve finally reached this point. It’s so hard for me!”
***
The Conqueror’s Canyon.
The Goddess of War, Teibera, the Sea God, Delia, and the Dragon God, Zimbes, were comforting the God of Hope, Teslais. These four deities belonged to the weaker ranks among the Seven Gods. It was difficult for them to conquer a Plane alone based on their own strength. Recently, they had started cooperating to conquer worlds and “voidify” them, significantly speeding up the process.
The tasks arranged by the God of Knowledge came with rewards. The higher the conquest efficiency, the more Faith Power they harvested from the World, and the greater the additional Faith Power they received as a bonus, making it an absolute win-win situation. After several such ventures, the other three gods experienced steady development. Only Teslais, being too young, had gained Faith Power easily, and subsequently became arrogant. He was ultimately plundered by Naliner, sending him back to square one. Although he had his own faults, the seniors present had also suffered losses at the hands of that Angel, and hearing of his plight filled them with righteous indignation.
“That’s a deep hatred! They even destroyed his Divine Kingdom, that’s too much!” The Dragon God, Zimbes, with his multiple heads, reached an uncharacteristically unified opinion. Even though he usually found Teslais’s recklessness annoying compared to his own, he unconditionally stood by him at this moment.
“Interest shepherd, he truly lives up to his reputation…” Teibera recalled Naliner’s nickname, and the four gods sighed in unison. Interest was like weeds; if you weren’t careful, they grew tall, and the consequences, though not as dire as Teslais’s, were still heartbreaking.
For three full days, the four gods denounced Naliner, finally venting their frustrations before discussing future cooperation. Cooperation was good, and all four gods acknowledged its value. They were also willing to contribute some of their Faith Power to Teslais due to his recent losses; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to sustain himself, and even the operation of his own church would be in jeopardy.
“Don’t worry, as long as we continue to cooperate, we’ll earn back the Faith Power quickly,” Teibera encouraged the still dejected Teslais.
Just as they were discussing their invasion route, they surprisingly received a message from the God of Knowledge through the Divine Power communication channel.
“This format, you can tell Naliner sent it…” Teslais almost suffered from PTSD.
【Reconnaissance Mission: Bounty of XX million units of Faith Power. Detailed intelligence required for the Azurevine Empire in the Eternal Night World.】
“Isn’t this just free money?” Teibera saw the Azurevine Empire and suddenly remembered she had sent an subordinate there to cause trouble. By now, that subordinate should have gathered a lot of intelligence, and she could claim the reward for free? She attempted to contact Old Joestar, but after calling for a long time, there was no response.
“Huh?” Teibera appeared puzzled. “I sent a legendary cleric there, and then… no news? Even if he died, he should have made a sound, right?”
“Ah, regarding this World, my subordinates are developing quite well there. I’ll take this one!” the Sea God said with a proud smile, clearly tempted. Teibera then contacted the temples in the Orc territories and found that they had established a kingdom, which brought her some relief. She added, “I also have forces! They’ve already established kingdoms! How about a land and sea coordination?”
Teslais worriedly reminded them, “Seniors, Naliner’s bounty isn’t easy to claim…”
“Don’t worry, a simple bounty isn’t a gamble. As long as we’re careful, there won’t be any problems!” Teibera and Delia said in unison.
In the distant Plane 25, Naliner sensed that a god had accepted the task he had arranged and smiled with satisfaction. After a moment of thought, he decided to first find someone to test the waters, to see if that Plane was truly dangerous enough to cause an Incarnation to disappear without a trace. *Steadfast.jpg*
PS1. Book recommendation of the week.
“Imperial Grand Competition, I Drew the Sword of the Electro Archon!”
PS2. The bounty mission spans two chapters in total and has been completed. I can finally relax.
