Chapter 45: I Feel Like I'm Committing Treason
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: I Feel Like I'm Committing Treason
As Orion dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, the atmosphere in the room reached a very delicate, precarious balance.
"..."
After a long silence, Roland was the first to speak.
"Your... Your Majesty? Is it really you?"
Seeing Roland’s terrified expression, the blonde loli sheathed the Crimson Greatsword and glanced at Orion.
"It seems things are quite lively here."
"What? Was everyone hoping I’d stay dead?"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Orion’s brow.
Thump!
Before anyone could say a word, Orion slammed his forehead against the ground.
"No, Father Emperor! Absolutely not! We are all loyal subjects of the crown. How could we possibly wish for your death? Besides, the news of your passing was a blow far too heavy for the Empire to bear. Even now, I have yet to emerge from the depths of my grief!"
At this moment, Orion was one hundred percent certain that the blonde loli standing before him was indeed his father, Atoris.
Though the situation seemed utterly absurd, the primal fear radiating from his very bones didn't lie.
The terror of being oppressed by Atoris for a hundred and fifty years had long been etched into the deepest reaches of his soul. Even if Atoris had changed bodies, that soul-deep fear remained unchanged.
"Enough, Orion. Didn't you want to succeed the throne? I had already decided that the crown would pass to you next. Why are you so frightened now? I don't think I look nearly as scary as I used to, do I?"
As she spoke, Atoris unconsciously looked down at her small hands. A hint of confusion flickered across her otherwise calm face.
"Eh? Father, didn't you return to take command of the Empire again?"
It was only then that Orion noticed Atoris was no longer using the "Imperial We," but was simply referring to herself as "I."
Hearing Orion’s confusion, Atoris couldn't help but show a trace of exhaustion.
"I have dedicated three hundred years of my life to the Empire. It is time for me to retire. Besides, after years of constant warfare, the Empire can no longer sustain the toll my reign takes on it.
"As things stand, you—who are skilled in governance—are far better suited for the role of Emperor than I am. Orion, I have seen your contributions to the Empire over this past century. I have always known the grievances you held in your heart. It’s just that the burden of being Emperor was too heavy; I never found the opportunity to let you speak your mind to me."
With that, Atoris walked over to Orion and patted his head.
"Alright, stand up."
For a moment, Orion felt his eyes grow hot. It was as if the grievances accumulated over a hundred and fifty years were about to pour out all at once.
"Yes... Father Emperor..."
"Alright, stop calling me 'Father Emperor.' It’s too stiff. Besides, I’m not the Emperor anymore. Just call me Father."
"Uh... alright, Father..."
At this moment, facing a petite loli barely one hundred and forty centimeters tall and being told to call her "Father," Orion had to admit it was a bit difficult to get the words out.
More than that, Orion actually wanted to ask something else.
Why did her tone suddenly become so light and cheerful the moment she finished dumping the responsibility of the throne onto him?!
Did his Father not realize that talking like that only made her seem even more like a child?!
Damn it, why do I feel like I’m committing some kind of treason...
While Orion was still wrestling with his internal conflict, Roland spoke up.
"Um, Your Majesty—no, I mean... Lord Atoris. If you didn't return to take back the Empire, may I ask if you have some other purpose?"
"Other purpose?"
Atoris turned to look at Roland.
"Naturally. The crisis facing the Empire has not yet been resolved. I came back to help out."
"The crisis hasn't been resolved?"
Roland was stunned.
"But the threats from the Insect Race and the Chaos Church have been dealt with. What crisis could the Empire possibly have left?"
Atoris shook her head.
"No, things aren't that simple. The people of the Chaos Church haven't given up yet."
"The Chaos Church hasn't given up?"
"Correct. Actually, while I was being devoured by the power of Chaos, I sensed another Chaos Seed lurking within someone in the distance. And that person is the Grand Marshal of the Empire—my second son, Leon."
Hearing this, Roland immediately understood the gravity of the situation.
"Are you saying... the Grand Marshal has turned traitor?!"
*
The Void Insect Hive.
Xie Bai had no idea how long she had been sleeping when she finally poked her head out from under the covers.
"Mmm... so hungry..."
Having just been woken up by hunger, Xie Bai’s expression was a bit dazed, as if she didn't know how long she had been out.
Just then, an enticing aroma wafted past her nose.
Sniff, sniff.
"What’s that... gulp... smells so good..."
Sensing the scent of food, Xie Bai wrapped herself in her blanket and slowly rolled along until she tumbled off the bed. After rolling to the door, she struggled to crawl up and pulled it open.
Flop!
Seeing Xie Bai suddenly collapse at his feet, Thanatos didn't react for a moment. After a brief second of confusion, he immediately grasped the situation.
"My Lord! Please, hang in there! The food is right here, you need to—eh?"
The moment Thanatos set the bags down, Xie Bai grabbed them and buried her head inside.
Before long, three large bags of pastries had been completely devoured by her.
"Mmm... not enough... but at least I have some energy now..."
Standing up groggily from the floor, Xie Bai finally saw who it was.
"Thanatos, when did you get here?"
Thanatos looked at Xie Bai’s messy hair and replied, "Reporting to my Lord, I arrived here eight hours ago."
"Eight hours? Have I really been asleep that long? I thought I just took a little nap..."
As she spoke, Xie Bai’s voice grew progressively quieter. For her, the fact that she had nearly starved herself to death by "napping" was a bit too embarrassing.
Ugh, I definitely can't sleep that long next time.
Thinking this, Xie Bai looked up at Thanatos.
"By the way, did you come here for something specific?"
Seeing that Xie Bai had recovered, Thanatos began to report on recent events. After listening to his explanation, Xie Bai gained a general understanding of the current situation.
"So, the Chaos Church is still hiding something big, right?"
"Yes, my Lord. Based on Julius's warning, I feel this matter is not simple..."
"We don't need to worry about that. Let Atoris and the others handle it themselves."
Thanatos was suddenly taken aback.
"My Lord, we don't need to intervene? Wait... the 'Atoris' you just mentioned, do you mean..."
Xie Bai nodded.
"That's right. The Emperor who fought you guys before. After I killed the Chaos Demigod, I obtained his original soul. I infused it with some soul energy and resurrected him. His appearance might be a bit different than before, but if nothing went wrong, she should be back at the Imperial Palace by now.
"I secretly added a bit extra when I was infusing the soul energy. She’s a bit stronger now than she was before. She should be able to handle the threat from the Chaos Church easily."
Listening to Xie Bai’s casual narration, Thanatos felt a wave of shock in his heart.
My Lord currently only holds the status of a Demigod, yet she killed a Chaos Demigod with ease. She even managed to precisely capture Atoris’s soul from within the turbulent, messy power of Chaos and resurrect him.
Looking at it this way... has my Lord already reclaimed a portion of her Divine Authority?
At that thought, Thanatos replied respectfully, "Then, according to my Lord’s wishes, how should we proceed?"
Facing Thanatos, Xie Bai casually pulled an item out of her Inventory.
"Here, take this."