Meanwhile, the emperor of Harventa Empire and a few highranking officials who had been notified in advance of the arrival of the envoys were gathered in the emperor’s audience chamber. This allowed the envoys, including Hugo, to meet the emperor as soon as they arrived.

“It’s been a while, Duke Artina.”

There was no formal greeting asking if the journey had been hard or if the road today had been tough.

The emperor, with her hair as red as fire, brushed her hair back and smiled captivatingly.

In order for her to sit in that position, the throne must have soaked up blood redder than her hair.

Perhaps the chill inside the audience chamber was due to that.

“I greet the eternal flame of the Harventa Empire.”

Hugo responded in a tone that was just about rude, with a very slight bow.

As the representative of the Arcadia Empire’s envoy, Hugo was the face of Emperor Calail.

The woman in front of him might be the emperor who ruled the vast East Continent, but she was not Hugo’s emperor.

It was natural that showing too much respect would lower the dignity of Arcadia. Hugo knew this well.

“You’re still as boring as ever, huh.”

“……”

“Weren’t we comrades once, we?”

“……”

“Can’t you give me a response? Hmm? This is tough, dealing with Calail would be easier, in fact.”

What could possibly shake the Duke Artina who’s as unyielding as a stone when looking at gold or women?

The emperor’s gaze, which had been thoughtfully considering, turned to Arital, and landed on the golden hair swaying in the arms of the demon.

“So, this is the famous princess of Artina.”

The atmosphere in the emperor’s audience chamber was filled with a disrespect that was enough to be considered rudeness when Evelia was mentioned.

“Please refrain from showing interest in my daughter.”

The seemingly polite tone contained a sharp warning.

“My interest is in you.”

The objectively beautiful emperor rose slowly from the throne with a beautiful smile.

Her movement, like a leopard in front of its prey, made the envoys swallow hard.

“You.”

The emperor descended step by step from the high stairs. The sound of the low heel of her shoe rubbing against the floor was clear.

“How about coming to me?”

The scent of roses trying hard to hide the smell of blood spread.

“I refuse.”

At the same time as the sound of the heel’s friction stopped, a hard voice fell as if cut with a knife.

The corners of the emperor’s mouth stretched long. A giggling laughter echoed in the quiet audience chamber.

“While I have more than enough interest in making you my loyal servant, I did not say I was trying to woo you.”

The sharp gaze turned to the breathing young girl.

The greatest swordsman in the West Continent, his wife, an outstanding strategist and spirit user, and their two famous children, despite their young age their reputation has already reached the East Continent.

And the highranking demon with a unique energy that can overwhelm any creature in this world, including that cunning little fox.

‘If all else fails, it’s the best hand.’

She was a person who had fought through an era of war and clenched the throne of an empire.

The emperor, Sephilia, had an excellent brain and intuition. With just a fraction of the information, she could discern the true nature.

All the cards she wanted were held in the small girl’s hands, calmly resting.

‘If I can grab the princess’s heart, wouldn’t all the other cards naturally follow?’

A cunning smile coldly spread across her face.

The hospitality was, well, hospitality.

No envoy in the past, or even before that, had ever been received by the emperor in person at such a late hour.

The emperor, now dressed in sleepwear, slowly traced his red lips with his hand even without makeup and handed a golden pass to the steward.

“When the princess wakes up, give her this pass.”

“But your Highness, giving this pass to the enemy’s princess…”

“It’s not a problem of Arcadia or Harventa. For this continent to remain as it is, that princess is necessary.”

The steward received the pass with trembling hands.

The golden pass that only the royal family of Harventa could possess.

It was an identification pass that could travel freely anywhere in the Harventa Empire, except for the highly classified places within the imperial palace.

For someone who is not a member of the royal family to possess this pass means receiving direct protection from the emperor, beyond being a state guest.

“The meaning of the Emperor of Arcadia sending the princess as an envoy is probably just that… This cunning person. And he’s got those kinds of people all around him.”

“I, a humble servant, cannot dare to guess your Highness’s intentions.”

A quite cherished steward. The emperor picked up a red fruit and said,

“This continent is always chaotic. Peace? That’s not in the hands of our two empires.”

“Your Highness, then…?”

“Do you think all the alchemists who showed off their powers comparable to dragons under the Golden Tower during the first Inma War are all gone? What about the remnants of the numerous collapsed kingdoms? And the demons?”

“……”

“Do you think we can guarantee victory with only the military power of the Eastern and Western continents if a war with them breaks out again?”

The emperor asked, taking a sip of the bitter wine.

“Everything will be trampled under the dominance of the Flames .”

“You’ve said enough. Look at reality.”

At the cold admonishment, the steward closed his mouth.

The appearance of demons was frequent, and even devils were causing a mess from time to time. Just as humans had risen after the past wars, so had the demons.

It was impossible that all the alchemists who had shown their extraordinary powers under the Golden Tower had died. It was clear that they were dreaming of reconstruction somewhere.

What about the remnants of the fallen kingdoms after going through the era of wars? They are still constantly threatening the border area of Harventa.

‘I can’t guarantee it, for sure.’

A cold sweat flowed down the back of the steward.

The aged steward had experienced that era with his whole body. It was an instinctual fear felt by knowing.

‘Especially, even more so with a war against the demons.’

It’s a collision of one world with another.

It was obvious that no one can easily guarantee someone’s victory.

“You know this well. The time when Kallail and I, and Duke Artina joined hands, even that vague armistice would have been difficult if the ruler of the East Demon Realm hadn’t helped us.”

“……”

“It’s not just the military power of the East and West continents. We need more.”

For example, spirits, highranking demons who will help us within the Demon Realm, and everything else we can use.

“The Princess of Artina is certainly a tempting piece as an emperor.”

His gesture of wiping the red wine that flowed down his mouth with the back of his hand was captivating.

“But she is also the one who holds all of it.”

After finishing the remaining wine in one gulp, the emperor carelessly threw the empty glass on the floor.

Picking up the wine glass that rolled and touched his feet, the steward bowed deeply and retreated.

‘War is a giant chess board.’

In the silence, the emperor, who habitually rubbed his lips, gave a cloudy laugh.

‘The King might not be me, but that princess.’

She already had loyal subjects on her board who seemed to want to kiss even the soles of her feet.