Emperor Has Returned

Sina was acting hesitant but decided in the end to hold up her sword. She wasn’t someone who would run away from a fight if there was no hope in winning.

Worst case scenario, she’d come out of this with a broken left arm.

Camille lifted her sword high and readied a stance ready to pierce.

Her stance wasn’t commonly seen these days, but it was used by those who relied on speed for attacking.

Sina waited for her to attack first. With her sprained leg, she couldn’t really begin the fight.

After taking a long breath, Camille ran at Sina with lightning speed.

For a moment, Sina’s vision went blurry.

Thud, Thudd!

“Stop!”

Ethan shouted after a brief clash. Sina and Camille both had surprised looks.

Camille’s attacks were stopped by Sina’s sword. Her attacks were quick and powerful.

Sina dropped her sword after realizing that her wrists couldn’t handle the strain.

“See, Camille. She can even stand your attacks.”

“………You were right.”

“Sina, Camille is famously known in our order for her speed. You have some skill, being able to stop her attacks.”

“It’s an honor sir.”

Sina put on a smile as she replied. She knew that her skills had deteriorated since her injury.

Camille’s attack wasn’t as fast as Ethan made it out to be. She was likely taking half a step back in consideration for her.

And despite this, Sina had dropped her sword, unable to resist her non-committal attack.

On the topic of fast attacks, Sina could think of nothing else but when Juan had rushed towards her face.

“For now, focus on getting healthy. But if you want to lift a sword again, come find me after you’ve healed.”

“Sir?”

“We have a spot vacant in our order. Although we haven’t retrieved his gear though.”

While Sina wasn’t able to understand Ethan’s exact words, she understood that he was offering her to join his Paladin knight order as a new member.

It was an excessive and ludacris offer that couldn’t have just come from an act of kindness.

Nor did it seem like a joke.

“Then we’ll set off first. Till we meet again.”

Sina waved her hands at them dumbfoundedly. She felt extremely tired as if she’d just finished an act.

Once they were alone, the mischievous expression on Ethan’s face disappeared. His heavy expression and brisk pace suggested he was a little shocked.

“Camille, that last attack. You were serious right?”

“Sina’s a knight that knows honor. There’s no space for half-hearted attacks, if I wanted to hand her a defeat.”

Ethan nodded his head slowly.

Camille’s attack at Sina just now, was at an alarming speed that even Ethan would have struggled to block it.

However, Sina had easily defended against two of her strikes in quick succession.

Even more surprising, Sina didn’t seem surprised at having done so.

After a deep thought, Ethan muttered as if he remembered something.

“Sina Solbein….. Thinking about it, the name rings a bell.”

“Have you met in the past?”

“No. Just through documents. I was looking for Celim’s successor at the time. The fact she was preparing to become a Paladin speaks volumes about her skills. But at the time, I felt that she wasn’t on the level of a Paladin and yet, seeing how much she has developed, I wonder what things she must’ve experienced to have changed so much.”

“I’m certain that it wouldn’t have been an ordinary experience. Nor is she an ordinary figure.”

Ethan made his mind up and stated with conviction.

“I’ll somehow have to convince her to join us in any way possible. Make sure you help her to speed up her recovery. She will be more useful than idiots like Arwen.”

“I’m meeting up with a bishop later on. I’ll ask if he could help with Sina’s healing.”

“We’re soon going to need people like her. Do hurry. Look at her skills now and imagine what she could do with both hands.”

Ethan walked up a hill. A large city came into his view.

Hiveden, the lawless city.

*****

“How was Juan? He’s not the type to stay put in a house.”

Two days had passed. Heretia, who was getting ready to attend Hannbon’s banquet asked, curious to know what Juan had been up to for the past few days.

A young teen was tasked in keeping an eye on Juan. The worried teen showed a concerned expression at hearing Heretia’s question.

“Don’t tell me you’ve lost track of him.”

“That’s not it. I was almost about to forget about him…..as he’s not once shown his face out his door these past few days.”

“What?”

“Well you see……. as he’s not taken a bath nor asked for food let alone step outside his room, I simply concluded that he’s an easy person to keep watch. Ah, don’t worry. He hasn’t escaped. Once in a while I did peek in to check, and he was lying on his bed. Maybe he’s just tired?”

Heretic kicked the teen’s butt.

“You idiot! Why are you telling me this now!”

Heretia stopped putting on her makeup, and quickly headed towards Juan’s room.

While he didn’t seem like the type to enjoy a lavish inn, refusing to eat was concerning.

If he tried to weasel his way out by saying he’s sick or even worse, if he’d passed out on his bed from malnutrition, it would put her in a pickle.

Without knocking Heretia barged into Juan’s room.

“Juan!”

“Yeah. Lets go.”

First thing Heretia saw upon entering was a relaxed Juan ready to leave instead of a malnourished corpse.

In the same appearance as she’d met him for the first time, he was standing next to his bed, just about finished packing.

At seeing Juan’s perfectly fine state, where he didn’t look tired nor starved, Heretic shot a glare at the teen.

The teen looked puzzled.

But Heretia was baffled at something more practical.

“Are you perhaps…intending to go in that state?”

“Why?”

Juan’s appearance was close to a refugee.

Although this appearance was commonly seen in Hiveden, she couldn’t take him looking like that.

“Stay right there. I’ll call my maids over.”

Not long after, Juan came walking out of the inn with an annoyed expression.

Close to an hour, Juan had his hair washed, bathed, his body skin-cared and perfumed to smell good. It felt like he’d gone through a torture.

He had never experienced something like this even when he was emperor as his servants were most obedient bowing their heads when he’d show even the smallest sign of discomfort.

‘Actually no, I did experience this. With Hamon.’

Before doing a public speaking, he got to experience being forced to comb his hair.

Only this time, the experience was hundred times more suffering.

In many ways, he was getting entwined with the Helwin family too much. Having to fight in a Colosseum or a Paladin like Arwen was more comfortable than what he had to endure for the past hour.

“So, are you satisfied now?”

Wearing clothes that Heretia had bought for him, Juan asked with a sullen face.

Maids had been whispering nonstop with their hands covering their mouths ever since Juan had arrived.

For a moment, Heretia’s pupil shook slightly, but then her eyes moved down and scanned every single detail of Juan’s appearance. She showed a satisfied expression.

“It’s perfect. As expected, my fashion sense is flawless.”

Juan was wearing a suit-type black uniform that Heretia had tailored for him. It was impressive how she knew Juan’s exact size and length when she hadn’t done any measurements.

His hair that was falling to his shoulders were combed stylishly in oil, producing a neat and tidy look.

Heretia approached Juan to get a closer look.

“While I trusted my skills, I didn’t know it was this good…….With brighter hair, you could pass as someone from a great noble family. And when you’re grown a bit, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that every woman in the empire would be interested in you.”

Juan looked at Heretia with contempt. She clapped her hands together.

“Excellent! Keep that expression as long as possible. Lady’s of noble birth tend to fall for those with a violent look. Well trained beasts are always a popular commodity.”

Juan gave up on letting out his temper on Heretia. In many was she was same as Hamon. They would use any kind of means to get their way.

“……..Was all this really necessary?”

“Better this, than that sorry refugee look you had before. Also, Hannbon likes fashionable people. So this way, it will be easy getting his attention. And I have a face to save as well.”

“Your face.”

At the start, Juan thought this was only a small price to pay back his debt to Hamon, but with each occurring experience, he was regretting his decision.

With a satisfied grin, Heretic strapped a belt over Juan’s waist and tied a dagger on for decoration purposes.

“What’s this for?”

“Noble ladies’s taste. Accompanying personnel is limited to one escort.”

*****

Earl Hannbon’s estate was on top of a bank located north, far away from the main residential center.

Clean, tidy homes were built spaciously with parks and streets placed in between. Security personnel were of plenty keeping a watchful eye.

People appearing as merchants were grouped before a home, but in truth, these were gang leaders and vulgar aristocrats who had their hand in Hivenden’s despicable activities.

These were the kinds of people who were together enjoying a banquet in front of Juan’s eyes.

“Oh my god. Look at that.”

“Wow. I’ve never seen hair as dark as that…..”

“That child, I wonder where…..”

As Heretia predicted, Juan’s entrance grabbed the entire banquet’s attention.

The nobles ceaselessly whispered amongst themselves while looking at Juan. Juan found their stares uncomfortable. He found the experience of getting washed and his nails cut a more enjoyable experience.

Juan could see few others that were in a similar situation as him. Their hair was black but either a bit lighter or mixed with another colour. Difference was, no one seemed younger than him and none of them had black pupils. There were even glances of jealousy thrown his way, from the fact he’d stolen everyone’s attention.

‘Are you serious.’

Juan couldn’t find what to say after seeing their stares.

Heretia had only asked him to behave well, and stay put until she’d finished her business. That was it.

For Juan, it wasn’t his first banquet experience.

Even through the glaring stares, Heretia gracefully went about her business.

The party organiser did not wait long to bring himself to the party’s newcomer that stole all the limelight. As if on queue, Earl Hannbon walked up to Heretia.

“Mrs Helwin! Thanks for coming to my banquet. You’re very much welcome.”

“A splendid banquet, Earl Hannbon. It’s more exuberant than the ones in the capital.”

“Naturally, as the capital’s only full of old unfashionable pigs. I see you’ve brought along a magnificent child. He certainly is of quality breed.”

Juan’s eyebrows slightly twitched. Calling him a quality breed. He got an understanding of how the upper echelons viewed the lower classes like demi humans, in the empire.

“I had some difficulty training him up, but deep inside he’s got a kind heart.”

“I can see the Helwin family has got a good eye for quality. I can tell he’s going to be talked about in my banquet for a while. If possible, I would like you to allow him to mate with one of mine. Of course I’ll pay you much as you want for his seed as I really want one as well.”

Heretia tightly squeezed Juan’s hand in her palm. It seemed she’d noticed Juan had placed his hand over the dagger she’d hung on his belt. Earl Hannbon had yet to notice this.

“It would be an honor, but he’s only a child yet. If the opportunity arises in the future, I’ll make sure it happens.”

“I’ll wait until then I suppose. I hope you enjoy the banquet.”

Saying his respects, Earl Hannbon was getting ready to depart. But then, Heretia placed her glass to the side of her mouth.

Hannbon couldn’t leave without receiving a reply from a lady, so he waited. He got the impression she had something else to talk to him about.

“So I’ve heard Earl Hannbon has recently acquired a valuable object.”

Earl Hannbon’s eyes narrowed.