The pale golden glow of the sunset illuminated Osmanthus Street No. 32, yet it couldn't dispel the icy chill permeating the living room.
"Although this is but a game."
"Since such stakes have been wagered, it's no longer a mere amusement."
The Queen of the Empire sat with her legs crossed, her posture indolently relaxed on the arm of the sofa beside her.
Her gaze swept over the several cushions on the sofa beside her. "Which one do you usually lean on?"
Shiayar pointed to the pillow he used most often. "This one."
Isadella nodded and placed that cushion behind her.
Then her pale hands formed an empty grip, and golden specks of light gathered slightly in the air.
"In the name of the Sacred Sword and the Queen of the Fresta Empire, I shall oversee the fairness of this game."
"Throughout the process of the game, divination is forbidden, prophecy is forbidden, using spiritual power to probe the contents of face-down cards is forbidden, and so is spiritual intuition."
As those stern words were spoken, the curtains and the skirts of the several young women fluttered without wind.
And through Shiayar's Astral Vision, an imposing and awe-inspiring mystery already loomed over the entire dome.
In that instant, a pale golden domain unfolded.
Innumerable illusory chains emerged from the void, glowing with a red-gold luster, sealing off the surrounding space.
This was the effect of Isadella's imperial authority combined with the power of the Sacred Sword. Within her own territory of the Empire Capital, and after ascending to the throne, this power was potent enough to manifest the Empire's laws as a magic word.
Shiayar felt his own vast spiritual power suddenly blocked.
This blockade did not directly affect his astral spirit body, but it hindered his spiritual power from extending outward.
Of course, this seal was not particularly harsh. With Shiayar's current spiritual power, breaking through the blockade wouldn't be difficult.
However, doing so would alert the master of the edict, signaling a violation of the rules.
Or to put it more bluntly, it would be like being caught cheating red-handed.
The Silver-haired Empress turned her crimson eyes towards Silvia and Enola at her side. "Tower Master, Ennie, if you do not feel assured, you may use your own means to oversee."
Enola, with a face as cold as ice and snow, showed no expression. "There's no need. Since the oath is sworn in the name of the Sacred Sword and the Empire, I trust Her Majesty's credibility."
Silvia shook her head as well.
Why so serious and formal, even bringing out the magic word of imperial authority? Given the mood, should I say "Let's start the game" or "Swear on the alliance" right now?
Shiayar inwardly chuckled to himself, carefully stood up, and walked toward his bedroom. "You all go ahead and start. Shall I go take a nap to refresh and energize myself?"
Just from the ominous atmosphere, Shiayar could sense that he was in for a tough battle that evening. After all, according to Ennie's suggestion, what they were competing for in this game was not the selection of a person, but merely the order and duration of turns.
Well, it seems I won't be getting any sleep tonight. The physique of a Throne Level Beastmaster... And two of them even have physical Protection from the Sacred Spear and Sacred Sword. Heaven knows if I can endure it.
However, Shiayar had only just taken a step when he heard Her Majesty the Empress's interested voice once again.
"But speaking of which, my Black Knight, Student Shiayar."
"If you could decide the outcome of this game, whom among us would you prefer to win?"
What a loaded question. Why not just ask me outright, if all three of you fell into the water at the same time, who would I save first? But if that were the question, then I should probably save Silvia Babe first, considering from the Echo of History and our first encounter... she probably really can't swim.
Shiayar's footsteps halted in place.
Frankly, the pressure he faced at that moment was even greater than when he had previously confronted Norton and Guderian, the Family Head of the Borgia family. After all, he had prepared contingencies for those two instances; the worst-case scenario was merely flipping the table. But now, Shiayar was the one at fault. Anything he said would be wrong; he could only silently endure the torment.
Shiayar sought help from his own Pet Beasts, trying to charm his way out of trouble using their cuteness.
However, he saw the little white ferret had somehow made its way next to the blond girl. It was happily spinning around, trying to catch its own fluffy tail. Shiny, meanwhile, seemed to have taken issue with its shadow and was now boxing with it. Crimson had even transformed into its astral spirit body, becoming a little fiery ball, looking utterly bewildered as Silvia played with it in her hands. As the Brunestadt family's guardian beast, Silvia naturally felt a sense of closeness towards Crimson.
Well, well, well, I never skimped on feeding you, dressing you, or leveling you up when you needed it. And now, when it's time for you to offer your hearts for me, you instantly crumble and slip away, is that it? Only Jayee remained truly loyal to me now.
However, when Shiayar's gaze fell on Jayee perched on his shoulder, he saw the little Metal Fairy's eyes flashing red. Through their 5th Soul Pact, Shiayar could sense Jayee was currently in full calculation mode, processing countless streams of complex data. It was then constructing a detailed data model, with intricate lines of green and red snaking and twisting about. While computing, Jayee occasionally blurted words like "limit up," "limit down," "leverage," "Enola stocks," "Silvia stocks," and "Queen stocks"—terms Shiayar didn't understand at all.
Right, this one's gone haywire too, no hope there.
But it was at this moment that Enola's crisp voice slowly rose.
"Your Majesty, you seem a bit too concerned about winning or losing this game."
That's my Ennie. At the crucial moment, you still care the most about your hubby, knowing you need to bail me out. I haven't pampered you for nothing all this time.
However, just as Shiayar had let out a sigh of relief, he heard Enola's following cold voice.
"After all, those things and prizes that Your Majesty cares about."
"In the Imaginary Zone, over these past ten years, Shiayar and I have done those things many times."
"To us, they're just the most common and mundane parts of our daily routine."
Shiayar involuntarily gasped.
How did I never realize Ennie's 'Taunt' skill proficiency was already at 'Extraordinary Sainthood'? Who would have thought a quiet girl, seemingly without any notable traits, could be so aggressive with her words?
Hearing Enola's calm yet confident words, the Queen's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"You are right, Ennie."
"It is true that I have fallen behind you quite a bit during these lost ten years."
Red-gold regal authority surged like waves, materializing as ethereal chains of command that twined playfully around Isadella's fingertips. Her voice also grew colder, carrying a touch of the Empress of the Empire's unique majesty.
"But, after all, this is just a temporary lead."
"Throne Level powerhouses live for several hundred years. Life is a long journey…"
"Whoever laughs last, everything is still undecided."
In an instant, the air in the living room froze solid. Content orıginally comes from ɴovelfire.net